Three dead, others injured in fiery crash of Calgary transit buses

CALGARY - Police say three people are dead and several are injured after a fiery crash involving two Calgary transit buses.

They say one of those hurt has life-altering injuries.

A police officer was also sent to hospital with minor injuries.

The crash happened just after 1 p.m. on a street in the city's northeast near the airport.

Inquest into fatal shooting of Eishia Hudson concludes

The inquest into the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Eishia Hudson by a Winnipeg Police Service officer in 2020 adjourned Thursday with an Indigenous ceremony after more than eight months of hearings.

“This concludes what has been a very long process… This is an important process, and it is a preventative process, and the goal is to see what can be done in the future to prevent a tragedy like this occurring again,” said provincial court Judge Margaret Wiebe.

The proceedings, which began in February, examined whether the use of force against the First Nations teen was appropriate and whether systemic racism played a role in the incident. The judge’s task is to make recommendations that could prevent a similar death, but not to assign blame or liability.

Wiebe said she intends to file the final report as quickly as she can.

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for chasing, stabbing man downtown

An intellectually disabled man who drunkenly chased down a man he had been arguing with and fatally stabbed him in broad daylight admitted to manslaughter on Wednesday.

Matthew Gerald Tomack Pelletier, now 38, chased Ricky Dwayne Mancheese, 49, down Kennedy Street before stabbing him six times in front of his wife on the sidewalk between Sargent and Cumberland avenues, at about 11:50 a.m. on June 11, 2024.

Pelletier, who police arrested the next day, was charged with second-degree murder, but instead pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter in front of Court of King’s Bench Justice Joan McKelvey on Wednesday.

“This type of incident on Winnipeg streets is all too common and must be strongly deterred,” said McKelvey.

AI, resources and water bombers: Draft document maps Canada, EU path to closer ties

MONTREAL - Canada and the European Union are laying out concrete steps to strengthen ties around digital security and defence as well as critical resources and a would-be fleet of Canadian-made water bombers, according to a draft joint statement ahead of a summit at month’s end.

The document, seen by The Canadian Press, states that Ottawa and Brussels aim to let Canadian companies bid on cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure contracts typically reserved for European companies in another push away from dependence on the United States.

Dubbed an “alliance for the future,” the renewed partnership also launches plans for Canada to join in Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system and wraps up a deal to facilitate European investment in Canadian critical minerals, according to the leaked statement.

It also heralds the joint purchase of 50 Canadian-made De Havilland water bombers it claims will be ready for use in fighting wildfires in 2030.

MPI still lacking brain injury expert

Manitoba Public Insurance has failed to hire an independent brain injury expert to probe how personal injury claims are handled, nearly two years after it was recommended.

Manslaughter charge in death of chef stayed because conviction unlikely: Crown

A manslaughter charge has been stayed against a man arrested in the death of a Ste. Anne chef because prosecutors did not believe they could prove the accused wasn’t acting in self-defence, a court heard Wednesday.

Jeff Wyness, 46, was arrested May 12, 10 days after 49-year-old Cameron Huley was fatally assaulted outside a home in the RM of Ste. Anne.

“Following a thorough review of all the evidence, including witness statements, forensic evidence and the applicable law regarding the defence of another person, the Crown has concluded there is no longer a reasonable likelihood of conviction on the charge before the court,” prosecutor Keri Anderson told provincial court Judge Anne Krahn.

Steinbach RCMP were called to a home just after 11:30 p.m. and found Huley suffering from serious injuries. He died hours later in hospital.

Star Trek star helps bring music of franchise to WSO

John de Lancie knows a thing or two about obsessive fandoms.

“Back in the ’60s, and I certainly grew up in that, there was one fandom: sports. Those of us who read sci-fi and what have you, we were very much of a subculture, and Star Trek … provided a shade, a tent,” he says.

These days, the Hollywood actor — who reprises his iconic role as the mischievous Q in 60 Years of Star Trek & Beyond, presented by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra tonight — is no stranger to the Trekkie circuit.

And he’ll be meeting at least a few Trekkies tonight, as the WSO’s concert delves deep into the franchise’s musical heritage and lore. 60 Years of Star Trek & Beyond weaves the famous classical themes that inspired Star Trek’s sound with music from the franchise itself, along with new compositions by Nick DiBerardino, who joins de Lancie onstage for a theatrical and philosophical back-and-forth.

Mayoral candidates share faves, test knowledge in Free Press culture quiz

It’s been said that politics is downwind of culture. However true that is, where politicians stand on hot-button cultural debates such as artificial intelligence, whether they prefer sports over arts and what local restaurants they patronize can offer a window into their sensibilities and outlooks.

The Free Press invited the four leading mayoral candidates among decided voters — according to a recent Abacus poll — to take part in a cultural quiz. (Kevin Klein, who was polling second, did not respond.) While most of the questions are lighthearted, they speak to some of the personalities behind the heated rivalries over budgets, buses, business taxation and beyond.

What was the last book you finished?

● Scott Gillingham: I’m almost done Winnipeg author Paul Vincent Jacuzzi’s book Blind Eyes. It’s a Dalton Drake novel.

Jets-linked biometrical hockey skills platform launches

True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd., the ownership company behind the Winnipeg Jets, is throwing its weight into a new business producing data-filled analyses.

Commonwealth Members program seeks to rev up discount-driven foot traffic for local businesses

Special deals are available at dozens of Winnipeg businesses — but you’ve got to become a member first.

Local entrepreneur Nikola Maharajh launched Commonwealth Members last month. People who sign up and pay the membership fee are entitled to discounts at more than 30 participating businesses, including restaurants, a computer store and combat sports gym.

Maharajh said his goal is to help Winnipeg thrive by making it easier for people to leave the comfort of home and support local establishments.

“We want to make going out the default again,” he said. “It’s very convenient to go home and order food online and watch Netflix and not go out, but then the city dies. The streets become less safe (and) the businesses struggle to survive in that as well. We want to preserve living culture.”