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Civic Election

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
Mayoral candidate Noah Redden meets and talks with supporters Dreamland Diner in Winnipeg, Sunday, October 25, 2026. Redden has seen a spike in support recently.

‘Exciting’ turn for mayoral candidate as election race enters final stretch

Erik Pindera 5 minute read Updated: 7:14 PM CDT

A small but steady stream of voters arrived at a Portage Avenue diner Sunday to meet Noah Redden, just two days after a new poll suggested the 27-year-old has emerged as a player in Winnipeg’s race for mayor.

Once a low-polling candidate, the software developer is now in third place with 14 per cent support, tied with candidate Mike Vogiatzakis, an Abacus Data survey released Friday shows.

Incumbent Scott Gillingham remains in the lead with the support of 36 per cent of decided voters — 19 percentage points lower than a September survey conducted by Abacus for the Free Press.

The new data placed former city councillor and Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Kevin Klein in second place with 19 per cent support — a drop of four percentage points since September.

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Local

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Manitoba Teachers’ Society president Lillian Klausen says students are often waiting a long time to see mental health professionals in schools because of budget pressures.

School division’s mental-health liaison helps students in crisis access help faster

Kelly-Anne Riess 5 minute read Preview

School division’s mental-health liaison helps students in crisis access help faster

Kelly-Anne Riess 5 minute read 9:19 AM CDT

A youth experiencing a mental-health crisis at a River East Transcona school was connected with specialized care within hours this fall, offering an early example of how a new partnership is helping students in distress.

After the teen made statements that raised safety concerns, school administrators contacted a newly appointed mental-health crisis liaison, who arrived within 30 minutes, assessed the situation and met with the student, their family and school staff.

By the end of the morning, the student was admitted to a crisis stabilization unit for several days, and arrangements were made for followup therapy.

The intervention was possible because of a pilot partnership between RETSD and The Link: Youth and Family Supports, which began at the start of the school year.

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9:19 AM CDT

Canada

Interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson speaks on stage during provincial election night in Vancouver, on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

B.C. Conservative’s Lorne Doerkson sets out urgent priorities to govern

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Preview

B.C. Conservative’s Lorne Doerkson sets out urgent priorities to govern

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Updated: 6:05 PM CDT

VANCOUVER - British Columbia's premier-designate Lorne Doerkson's long to-do list includes lowering taxes, while reviewing the provincial finances, working with Alberta and the federal government on the proposed Pacific Link pipeline and repealing Indigenous legislation.

Doerkson laid out his priorities at a news conference Sunday, just hours after his party was elected with about two-thirds of the province's 93 seats in the legislature.

He said he has spoken to the lieutenant-governor and named Kim Henderson, a former deputy to the premier to previous Liberal governments, to lead his transition team.

"We are going to do this properly, and we are going to do it with obviously some urgency," he said. "When this government is sworn in, it will be ready on Day 1, and it will hit the ground running."

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Updated: 6:05 PM CDT

NHL

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Jets captain Adam Lowry said the Connor Hellebuyck situation was a bit of a cloud hanging over their heads and team is glad to have the situation behind them.

‘Tough part of the business’

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

‘Tough part of the business’

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Yesterday at 10:11 PM CDT

Relief? Regret? Rage?

How are the Winnipeg Jets feeling following Friday’s Connor Hellebuyck trade — particularly those with deep roots and strong bonds with the franchise goaltender who now finds himself a member of the New Jersey Devils?

“It was a bit of a cloud hanging over our heads,” captain Adam Lowry admitted on Saturday. “It’s nice we can look forward now. We don’t have to keep talking about it. We’ve got guys that want to be here.”

That was a bit of a common theme around the room following an outdoor practice at Princess Auto Stadium ahead of Sunday’s Heritage Classic game against the Montreal Canadiens.

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Yesterday at 10:11 PM CDT

Canada

Assembly of First Nations Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak speaks during the First Nations Summit at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday, July 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

First Nations, minister and premiers gather for day of ceremony

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Preview

First Nations, minister and premiers gather for day of ceremony

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Updated: 6:22 PM CDT

OTTAWA - First Nations leaders gathered in Ottawa on Sunday for ceremonies ahead of a historic meeting on Monday with some premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney, while grassroots activists planned their strategy to protest the meeting while heavily invoking the 2012 Idle No More movement.

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told reporters Sunday afternoon that First Nations want to be partners with the provinces in making a strong economy that works for everyone.

"We see geopolitical unrest around the world for many people including Canada. And we want to work toward prosperity for First Nations, and make sure that this meeting isn't a one-and-done," she said.

As part of the ceremonies, premiers were given a handful of tobacco they were encouraged to pray upon. They then followed Woodhouse Nepinak to a tree on the grounds of the Diefenbaker Building where they placed the tobacco at the trunk.

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Updated: 6:22 PM CDT

Business

Former President Barack Obama, speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at Cass Technical High School Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

‘Well-known evil empire’: Barack Obama mocks President Trump’s trade war with Canada

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

‘Well-known evil empire’: Barack Obama mocks President Trump’s trade war with Canada

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 1:28 PM CDT

DETROIT - Former president Barack Obama took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods Saturday during an impassioned speech at a Democrat campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan, ahead of next month’s U.S. midterm elections.

During a speech supporting Democratic candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson, Obama mocked the current president’s tariff war with its northern neighbour while jokingly referring to Canada as a "well-known evil empire.”

“That historical adversary of ours, Canada,” he said sarcastically. “It's your neighbor. It's a few minutes’ drive over the bridge.”

The former president says Trump has upset Canadians through his abuse of the country and talks of making it the 51 state.

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Updated: 1:28 PM CDT

Opinion

Echoes of Idle No More as Carney set to meet with First Nations Niigaan Sinclair 10:29 AM CDT
Get out and exercise your franchise Editorial Yesterday at 2:02 AM CDT
Opening of Portage and Main shows even seemingly insurmountable impasses can be overcome Jason Syvixay Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Local

The incident occurred on Aug. 12, 2025, at the Marion Street Shoppers Drug Mart. (Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times/TNS files)

Winnipeg pharmacist fined for dispensing incorrect dosage of anti-psychotic medication

Erik Pindera 5 minute read Preview

Winnipeg pharmacist fined for dispensing incorrect dosage of anti-psychotic medication

Erik Pindera 5 minute read 11:31 AM CDT

A Winnipeg pharmacist has been fined for misconduct after dispensing a mistakenly high dose of an anti-psychotic, harming her patient.

Rumina Ishani was fined $3,500 and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs by the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba earlier this month, after pleading guilty to professional misconduct.

The college, in a written disciplinary decision, said the incident occurred on Aug. 12, 2025, at the Marion Street Shoppers Drug Mart where Ishani worked at the time.

She filled an aripiprazole prescription for a patient that day. The patient had first been given the anti-psychotic at that pharmacy in November 2023 at two milligrams a day for 30 days, and was again prescribed the drug in February 2025 at one mg/day, which was increased to two mg/day in March.

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11:31 AM CDT

Local

CHRIS KITCHING / FREE PRESS
Col. Curtis Wright, commander of 17 Wing Winnipeg, told reporters the retirement of CC-130H Hercules planes was an emotional event for members of 435 Transport Search and Rescue Squadron.

Air force pays tribute to retiring CC-130H Hercules planes

Chris Kitching 6 minute read Preview

Air force pays tribute to retiring CC-130H Hercules planes

Chris Kitching 6 minute read Yesterday at 6:39 PM CDT

Royal Canadian Air Force personnel in Winnipeg bid farewell Saturday to the military branch’s last remaining CC-130H Hercules planes — “workhorses” that crews flew in seemingly countless combat, rescue and transport operations.

The federal government is phasing out Canada’s fleet of CC-130H Hercules aircraft, which entered service in 1974, in favour of modern planes, including the CC-295 Kingfisher, which will be used for search-and-rescue operations out of 17 Wing Winnipeg as of November.

“It’s really part of our family and one of us. This was the backbone of a lot of things that we do here out of Winnipeg,” Col. Curtis Wright, commander of 17 Wing Winnipeg, said of the “mighty Herc” after a retirement ceremony and a flypast.

The 435 Transport Search and Rescue Squadron, based at 17 Wing Winnipeg, is the final RCAF unit to fly the CC-130H Hercules. Two Winnipeg-based planes are still being flown. They will be taken out of service Nov. 1 and Nov. 18, Wright said.

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Yesterday at 6:39 PM CDT

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Local

Woman receives 8½-month sentence for disposal of body

Dean Pritchard 4 minute read Yesterday at 5:04 PM CDT

A Winnipeg woman who helped dispose the body of a slain Mexican man under threat of death from his killers has been ordered to serve another 8½ months in jail.

Devlin Langlois, 25, had pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in the March 2025 killing of 28-year-old Diego Moscoza in a Selkirk Avenue house.

Court of King’s Bench Justice Candace Grammond, in a written ruling delivered Friday, rejected a recommendation by Langlois’s lawyer Joshua Rogala that she be sentenced to the equivalent of nearly 16 months of time served.

Grammond said she accepted that Langlois feared for her life. However, she made no effort to help Moscoza when he was gravely injured and his killers were not present in the home and had not yet threatened her.

NHL

(Philip G. Pavely / The Associated Press files)
Hellebuyck takes in the national anthem before the Jets play the Pittsburgh Penguins in March.

Connor Hellebuyck breaks silence after trade from Jets

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Preview

Connor Hellebuyck breaks silence after trade from Jets

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Yesterday at 1:40 PM CDT

It took until the very end of his introductory news conference Saturday — right around the 15-minute mark — before Connor Hellebuyck was finally asked the question that hockey fans back in Winnipeg were likely waiting for.

“Is there anything you’d like to say to Jets fans?” a reporter who covers Hellebuyck’s new team, the New Jersey Devils, put to him during the session held inside the Prudential Center in Newark.

A short pause followed.

“I mean, there’s a lot. There’s a lot that I need to say,” Hellebuyck began, no doubt raising plenty of eyebrows around here and the hockey world in general.

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Yesterday at 1:40 PM CDT

Local

(Submitted)
Candace Richardson was violently attacked in her Erickson, MB. home early Tuesday morning. Richardson, who is pregnant, had her throat slashed and has more than 10 stab wounds, including to her abdomen, head and neck.

‘Savage and brutal’ Erickson home invasion nets 17-year sentence

Tessa Adamski 6 minute read Preview

‘Savage and brutal’ Erickson home invasion nets 17-year sentence

Tessa Adamski 6 minute read Yesterday at 8:27 AM CDT

BRANDON — A woman who fought off the man who slashed her throat in a random home invasion in Erickson described the violent assault as the worst day of her life and a nightmare she can’t seem to shake off.

“I feel like a shell of the person I used to be. Not every second of every day, but definitely every day. It comes in waves,” Candace Richardson said as she read from a victim impact statement in a Brandon courtroom on Friday.

Carter Prince, 21, who pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the June 2023 attack, sat in the prisoner’s box as Richardson spoke.

“I’ll be completely fine, laughing, having fun or just relaxing with my family,” she told the court. “Then time goes so slowly, like you’re floating away, but instead of floating, I’m pinned to the ground, being stabbed over and over again. There’s blood everywhere and darkness surrounding me.”

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Yesterday at 8:27 AM CDT

Civic Election

MALAK ABAS / FREE PRESS
Mayor Scott Gillingham celebrated the honorary renaming of a stretch of Panet Road to Princess Auto Way Saturday.

Mayor Gillingham poised for repeat

Chris Kitching 7 minute read Preview

Mayor Gillingham poised for repeat

Chris Kitching 7 minute read Friday, Oct. 23, 2026

Incumbent mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham remains in the lead among decided voters in a new poll that suggests a majority of Winnipeggers want change ahead of Wednesday’s election.

Gillingham was backed by 36 per cent of decided voters in an Abacus Data survey released Friday, followed by candidates Kevin Klein (19 per cent) and Mike Vogiatzakis and a surging Noah Redden, who were tied for third (both at 14 per cent).

While a majority of respondents expressed a desire for a new mayor, Curtis Brown, a vice-president with Abacus, said “none of the other candidates has convincingly made the case that they represent the best change.”

“In the absence of that, Scott Gillingham definitely has the advantage. He looks likely to be able to win,” Brown said.

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Friday, Oct. 23, 2026