Campaign blunder: Klein features wrong city in election video

A paid ad from mayoral candidate Kevin Klein on his commitment to Winnipeg has been pulled after commenters noticed one small error: the footage used in the ad was actually of Edmonton.

Prosecutions branch reviewing new evidence from police HQ public inquiry

Prosecutors are reviewing new evidence from the public inquiry into Winnipeg’s police headquarters project to determine whether criminal charges could be pursued.

The Manitoba Prosecution Service said Monday the review, launched in July, is examining whether evidence presented during the inquiry could change previous decisions not to lay charges in the scandal-plagued project.

The $2.1-million public inquiry took place over 27.5 hearing dates between February and May, and commissioner Garth Smorang released his final report Monday.

The prosecution service has twice previously explored criminal charges stemming from the project.

Accused used fuel-filled bottle to set blaze that killed two, court hears

Alex Courchene failed once to set a North End church ablaze, then returned a day later and tried again, starting a fire that killed two people living in an upstairs apartment suite, a jury was told Monday.

Rematch one year in the making in Elmwood-East Kildonan

Elmwood-East Kildonan voters may get a sense of deja vu at the ballot box next week.

Almost a year ago, incumbent Coun. Emma Durand-Wood won a byelection triggered by the death of former councillor Jason Schreyer with 31 per cent of the vote. She defeated six other candidates.

Two of those candidates have returned for a rematch: project manager Abel Gutierrez, who came in second last October, and Chris Sweryda, the former executive assistant for Schreyer, who finished fourth.

A pair of new faces have also entered the race: plumber Adam Dudek and cosmetics business owner Jessica Wiebe.

‘Heartbreaking’: Wainwright mourns after military training accident claims lives

WAINWRIGHT - Residents of the town of Wainwright are grieving after a deadly fire swept up by fierce winds overtook soldiers on a training exercise at the local military base on Saturday, killing four and wounding dozens.

Sharon Pashko, 79, was among those who came out to the local cenotaph on Monday to share her sorrow and offer words of support.

"It's heartbreaking. My heart goes out to the families. There's no words," she said.

Pashko said she grew up in the military town and her uncle served at its commanding officer.

Mayoral hopeful Woodstock promises to fast-track approvals for Indigenous-led projects

Mayoral candidate Don Woodstock promised Monday to create a new municipal office to “level the playing field” and fast-track city approvals for Indigenous led-projects.

The office would create a direct pipeline for those projects when undergoing zoning regulations and setting up municipal services, such as sewage, so development timelines can be met or sped up, he said Monday.

The office would also be an “important step” in restoring equity for Indigenous developments, Woodstock said.

“If you’re Indigenous, I’m going to make sure that I put in place something that will tell you that under no circumstances you’ll be discriminated against because of your nationality, race, colour, creed,” he said.

Albertans head to polls in historic referendum on whether they want to stay in Canada

EDMONTON - The polls are open as Albertans mark their ballots in a historic vote on whether they want to stay in Canada.

In Calgary, voters were bustling in and out of Grace Presbyterian Church on Monday morning with their yellow "I voted" stickers before rushing off to work.

Scott Hill, donning a baseball cap with a red maple leaf, said he's respectful of everyone's opinion, but to him, the referendum is "surreal" and his vote was to stay.

"People are angry, I can see that. But we're Canadian, we need to stand together," he said, noting his grandfather fought in the Second World War.

‘Make eye contact’: police urge extra caution amid spate of vehicle-pedestrian collisions

Winnipeg police are urging motorists and pedestrians to exercise extra caution at intersections following a rash of collisions across the city, including one that claimed the life of a woman.

“Having the right of way does not make you safe,” Insp. Helen Peters of the Winnipeg Police Service’s traffic division said during a news conference Monday morning.

“This isn’t just about who’s at fault. This is about keeping each other safe and doing everything we can as drivers, motor vehicles or pedestrians to help each other out and navigate our roads.”

Police said a woman in her 80s was struck by a vehicle that failed to stop at a stop sign while turning right onto eastbound Roblin Boulevard from Hunterspoint Road on Sept. 29.

Detox centre ready but staffing challenges persist

Peter McMullen’s decade-long struggle with addiction gives him insight into the challenges Lighthouse Mission hopes to address with a new Main Street detox facility focused on connecting people with longer-term treatment.

McMullen, executive director of Lighthouse Mission, knows how difficult it can be to navigate Winnipeg’s addiction treatment system, particularly when someone is ready to seek help but the services they need aren’t immediately available.

Now, after years of planning and a lengthy renovation of two century-old buildings, the downtown organization is preparing to open a 10-bed detox facility at 667 and 669 Main St., with five beds each for men and women.

The facility could begin accepting clients as early as November, provided Lighthouse Mission can overcome one final hurdle: recruiting enough staff to operate it.

Tire store theft sting nets four arrests

Four people have been arrested after the Winnipeg Police Major Crimes Unit launched an investigation into several break-ins and thefts targeting tire retailers in the city.

Between Sept. 12 and 29, police responded to multiple commercial break-ins resulting in estimated losses of between $50,000 and $60,000, police said in a news release.

During that time, retail stores in the 1600 block of Kenaston Boulevard and the 800 block of Leila Avenue also reported theft of merchandise valued at approximately $3,250 combined.

On the evening of Sept. 26, one of the suspects used false identification to rent a truck from a commercial rental company.

Salvation Army calls on Winnipeggers to donate merchandise as sales soar

The Salvation Army is taking donated merchandise from other regions to stock its Winnipeg thrift stores as increasing sales outpace local donations.

Retail activity at the charity’s eight Winnipeg locations grew more than 10 per cent year over year during several months, from January through April, and again in June.

Although local donations remain strong, they haven’t kept pace with demand, prompting the organization to supplement inventory with merchandise from elsewhere.

Ted Troughton, managing director of the Salvation Army’s thrift store operations, said rising living costs are bringing in new customers.