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MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Gabe Vilardi is a frequent contributor to the Project 11 program and regularly volunteers to speak with students about mental health.

‘It’s been a lot of fun for me’: Jets’ Vilardi honoured by team nomination for humanitarian award

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read 4:03 PM CDT

Gabe Vilardi learned plenty of valuable lessons as a child, ones that continue to guide him to this day.

His parents, Giovanna and Natale, were hard-working Italian immigrants who came to Canada in 1998 and settled in Kingston. They sacrificed plenty to ensure their two boys could pursue their athletic passions, primarily hockey, even taking on extra work such as delivering newspapers.

Older brother Francesco spent three solid years in the Ontario Hockey League before finishing his career at Queen’s University. Gabe, meanwhile, realized his big-league dream and is now in his seventh NHL season, his third with the Winnipeg Jets.

It has been his best yet, with career highs in goals (29), assists (36), points (65) and games played (79).

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US military says it will blockade Iranian ports after ceasefire talks ended without agreement

Munir Ahmed, Josh Boak, Sam Metz, Samy Magdy, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

US military says it will blockade Iranian ports after ceasefire talks ended without agreement

Munir Ahmed, Josh Boak, Sam Metz, Samy Magdy, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: 6:56 PM CDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would swiftly begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the strategic Strait of Hormuz, after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

U.S. Central Command announced the blockade would involve all Iranian ports, beginning on Monday at 10 a.m. EDT, or 5:30 p.m. in Iran, to be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.”

However, CENTCOM said it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the strait. Its announcement was a step down from the president’s earlier threat to blockade the entire strait, and allows traffic to flow in the crucial waterway as long as it avoids Iranian ports.

Trump wants to weaken Iran’s key leverage in the war after demanding that it reopen the strait to global traffic on the waterway that was responsible for 20% of global oil shipping before fighting began.

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Updated: 6:56 PM CDT

Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran as Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions listen, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Manitoba students’ science projects aimed at eye health, wildfire prevention take top marks

Chris Kitching 5 minute read Preview

Manitoba students’ science projects aimed at eye health, wildfire prevention take top marks

Chris Kitching 5 minute read 5:01 PM CDT

An everyday conversation at home inspired twin sisters Miriam and Ruth Turk to design and trial a 3D-printed device aimed at preventing a serious eye condition.

The Grade 9 students and their ophthalmologist father, William Turk, were reflecting on their day at school or work months ago, when the elder Turk discussed seeing patients with scarring of the conjunctiva, a thin membrane that covers the white of the eye and underside of the eyelids.

“When this condition happens, you need a symblepharon ring to prevent the eyelid from adhering to the eye,” Miriam Turk said.

“We asked, ‘What do these rings look like?’ We got to designing and we were intrigued at how these symblepharon rings are shaped, and how currently they’re just little rings and they’re not the ideal shape or the best we can do for the patients.”

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5:01 PM CDT

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
Sisters Miriam and Ruth Turk show off their gold-medal-winning project on developing a 3-D printed solution for preventing conjunctival scarring during the 55th annual Manitoba Schools Science Symposium.

Not responsible for senior’s death, WRHA claims in court papers

Erik Pindera 3 minute read Preview

Not responsible for senior’s death, WRHA claims in court papers

Erik Pindera 3 minute read 9:19 AM CDT

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority argues it can’t be held responsible after a senior died in hospital days after she fell at a city care home.

Bruce King, the son of 92-year-old Hazel King, filed a lawsuit last summer on behalf of her estate against care home operator Extendicare, and the WRHA.

The claim filed in the Court of King’s Bench alleges the care home and health authority — which oversees care homes — breached their duty to ensure King’s well-being and safety.

She died in the Grace Hospital on Aug. 29, 2023, after she fell at Extendicare Charleswood and was transferred to another care home before she was assessed for injuries, the lawsuit alleges.

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9:19 AM CDT

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
A recent lawsuit alleges a 92-year-old Winnipeg care home resident wasn’t examined for injuries after she fell at the Charleswood facility. She later died.

Help arrives in Peguis to help gird for expected flood

Kevin Rollason 4 minute read Preview

Help arrives in Peguis to help gird for expected flood

Kevin Rollason 4 minute read Yesterday at 5:29 PM CDT

Dozens of volunteers called upon by the federal government are already on the ground to help Peguis First Nation residents battle rising levels on the Fisher River as the province’s flood forecast worsens.

Members of Team Rubicon Canada, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that includes military veterans, retired First Responders, and other volunteers, are already at the reserve while up to 100 others are rushing here through the weekend from seven provinces, one territory and seven different American states, to assist in protecting homes and infrastructure along the Fisher River.

Jim Sutton, a Winnipegger who has volunteered with the organization for three years, and who is part of the Peguis operation, said on Saturday “it is an all-hands-on-deck situation.

“We need a lot of hands on the ground really quickly to mitigate what is about to happen.”

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Yesterday at 5:29 PM CDT

SUPPLIED
The first Team Rubicon Canada volunteers arrive at Winnipeg’s airport on Saturday.

Laser’s blue light gives green light to enter world of pure imagination

Ben Waldman 4 minute read Preview

Laser’s blue light gives green light to enter world of pure imagination

Ben Waldman 4 minute read Updated: 3:18 PM CDT

Before the humans take the stage at the beginning of Glitch, the audience’s senses are already activated.

Throughout the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, it’s cloudy. Over the sound system, pipes drip. Through squinted eyes, one can almost make out a staircase and the downward swoop of a curtain. “I have a question,” a young girl asks her grandmother before the matinee production begins. “Why is it so foggy?”

The fog is a stand-in for the plumes of dust that one might find in the basement of an abandoned theatre, where four friends — Carlos Mendoza, Léa Noblet Di Ziranaldi, Chloé Ouelle-Payeur & Marie-Ève Dion — stumble onto a world of balletic make-believe.

As they head down the staircase, the friends cross flashlight beams. When the quartet takes its first collective steps, each member is reluctant: what transpires is a testament to the transformative power of a performative green light — a signal to go where you’ve never gone before.

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Updated: 3:18 PM CDT

David Wong photo
Glitch is an ode to unadulterated, infectious creativity.

Opinion

Moon mission Earth photo could change your worldview 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT
It’s green for go on spring-loaded imaginings 6 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT
Ground squirrels and city sports fields 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

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Jets’ season on the brink

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

Jets’ season on the brink

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Updated: 12:43 PM CDT

The margin for error has seismically shifted from slim to none.

By virtue of a 7-1 shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night at Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets playoff hopes are officially on life support and they’re now perilously close to next-year country.

Coupled with the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon, the Jets now face a five-point deficit in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with just three games remaining in the regular season.

That essentially ensures the Jets must run the table, while also receiving plenty of help on the out of town scoreboard.

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Updated: 12:43 PM CDT

JOHN WOODS / THE CANDIAN PRESS
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) makes a save against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period in Winnipeg on Saturday.

Failed US-Iran talks in Pakistan raise questions about fragile ceasefire

Josef Federman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Failed US-Iran talks in Pakistan raise questions about fragile ceasefire

Josef Federman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 9:27 AM CDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran ended in the early hours of Sunday without an agreement, raising questions about what happens when a current two-week truce expires on April 22.

As the talks wrapped up in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, both sides blamed each other for the failure.

There was no word on whether negotiations will resume, and President Donald Trump made new threats against Iran.

The setback does not necessarily mean the war will resume. But it showed how entrenched the sides remain after an inconclusive 40-day war that inflicted heavy damage on Iran, reverberated across the region and shook the global economy.

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Updated: 9:27 AM CDT

A police officer walks past a billboard regarding U.S. and Iran negotiations, outside a media facilitation center in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Think big: Canada should be open to risks as it invests in space, professor says

Eli Ridder, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Think big: Canada should be open to risks as it invests in space, professor says

Eli Ridder, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: 2:54 PM CDT

Canadians passionate about their country's role in space say investments in homegrown astronauts and businesses are vital in inspiring the nation's future steps to the stars — and the benefits that come with it.

The space sector contributed $3.4 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product in 2024, according to government figures. The federal government has also invested billions of dollars across the sector and positioned itself as a key partner to NASA and the European space effort.

However, Toronto-born astrophysicist Sara Seager, a renown researcher and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says Canada needs to replicate the U.S. approach of “thinking big” when it comes to space.

“I don’t always mean just spending huge amounts of money but making opportunity, taking risks — just executing on what appears to be a crazy idea,” Seager said in a recent interview.

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Updated: 2:54 PM CDT

The Canadian Space Agency’s David Florida Laboratory is seen in Ottawa, on Monday, March 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating Putin’s Easter ceasefire

Derek Gatopoulos And Vasilisa Stepanenko, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating Putin’s Easter ceasefire

Derek Gatopoulos And Vasilisa Stepanenko, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 11:49 AM CDT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire Sunday, as Orthodox Christians gathered to celebrate the holiday despite Moscow's 4-year-long war against its neighbor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 p.m. on Saturday until the end of Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to abide by the ceasefire, but warned there would be a swift military response to any violations.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a statement Sunday that it had recorded 2,299 ceasefire violations by 7 a.m., including assaults, shelling and small drone launches. It said that the use of long-range drones, missiles or guided bombs had not been reported.

A Ukrainian military officer told The Associated Press on Saturday that Russian forces had continued to attack their positions.

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Updated: 11:49 AM CDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin crosses himself during the Orthodox Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, early Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

‘It was all untrue’: Bear Clan founder feels vindicated after defamation settlement

Kevin Rollason 4 minute read Preview

‘It was all untrue’: Bear Clan founder feels vindicated after defamation settlement

Kevin Rollason 4 minute read Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

The Bear Clan Patrol has settled a defamation lawsuit launched by its founder as the future of the non-profit community safety organization remains unclear.

Former executive director James Favel said the settlement — financial details of which he wouldn’t disclose — compensates him for being wrongly accused by the organization and its then-board chair.

“I didn’t want to sue them into dust… (but) a settlement for me was vindication,” Favel said Friday.

“I wanted to make sure it was on the public record that they settled with me. I sued for wrongful dismissal and defamation and they settled because they were wrong in what they did.

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Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES
The Bear Clan Patrol has settled a defamation lawsuit launched by its founder, James Favel.

Ruth Bonneville Free Press LOCAL - stalker Stalking Story. Photo of Emma looking out her window at the apartment block, just 200 metres away, where he sometimes stays. The Judge allowed the stalker to live just 200 m away, instead of the usual 300m, upon his request. Anonymous photos of Emma (by herself and also with her mother) in their apartment in the Osborne Village area, to tell their story of being stalked by a un-homed man. They have a protection order but still have to deal with the fear of his return now that he is out of jail. STALKING CASE (for Saturday Front and Centre): When Emma met Anthony Edward Liwyj, he was banging on her front door in bare feet and with two black eyes, pleading for a drink of water. The 36-year-old Winnipeg woman didn’t know it then, but her willingness to help a stranger the morning of Aug. 4 would mark the beginning of a month of terror, in which she says Liwyj repeatedly turned up outside the home in the wee hours and late at night — trying to get in. “To this day, I still can’t figure it out and I think that’s the scariest part about it,” Emma said. She and her 66-year-old mother live together. See story by Tyler April 9th, 2026
Ruth Bonneville Free Press LOCAL - stalker Stalking Story. Photo of Emma looking out her window at the apartment block, just 200 metres away, where he sometimes stays. The Judge allowed the stalker to live just 200 m away, instead of the usual 300m, upon his request. Anonymous photos of Emma (by herself and also with her mother) in their apartment in the Osborne Village area, to tell their story of being stalked by a un-homed man. They have a protection order but still have to deal with the fear of his return now that he is out of jail. STALKING CASE (for Saturday Front and Centre): When Emma met Anthony Edward Liwyj, he was banging on her front door in bare feet and with two black eyes, pleading for a drink of water. The 36-year-old Winnipeg woman didn’t know it then, but her willingness to help a stranger the morning of Aug. 4 would mark the beginning of a month of terror, in which she says Liwyj repeatedly turned up outside the home in the wee hours and late at night — trying to get in. “To this day, I still can’t figure it out and I think that’s the scariest part about it,” Emma said. She and her 66-year-old mother live together. See story by Tyler April 9th, 2026

Stalked? Scared? Sorry

Winnipeg women left to navigate criminal justice system on their own for nearly a month until stranger harassing them arrested

Tyler Searle 9 minute read Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

Liberals adopt policy to restrict kids from social media

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Liberals adopt policy to restrict kids from social media

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:08 PM CDT

MONTREAL - Federal Liberals voted in favour of setting 16 as the age of majority for Canadians to be able to use social media accounts.

Party grassroots passed a non-binding resolution Saturday morning for the restriction and to place the onus on social media companies to enforce it.

Quebec MP Rachel Bendayan, who presented the idea to her caucus and championed it at the convention, said prolonged social media use can be harmful to the mental health of young Canadians.

She said social media companies need to be more accountable and stop allowing young children to use technologies designed to be addictive.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:08 PM CDT