Good morning!
Your forecast: The good news is we can expect near-perfect weekend weather conditions in Winnipeg. The bad news is the Friday forecast bites. Environment Canada says that rain we woke up to this morning will likely continue until just before lunch, but there’s a risk of a thunderstorm late this afternoon. The clouds will linger overnight but the sun breaks through Saturday at dawn. The daytime high today is 27 C, while Saturday’s high is 29 C under a mostly clear sky. Sunday is hotter still, with a high of 31 C.
In case you missed it
L to R- Acting Inspector Gene Bowers Winnipeg Police Service Counter Exploitation Unit (CEU) with Cam MacKid of CEU and Constable Jason Michalyshen speak of charges from Project Create, an initiative to combat the sex trade in Winnipeg. (Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg Free Press)
Police target johns: As part of Project Create, Winnipeg police have been cracking down on clients of sex workers and pimps, calling them “exploiters.” Twenty-six arrests have been made this month, and officers say sex workers are more willing to cooperate to identify potential predators. READ MORE
Simons says it’s coming: The Quebec-based Simons department store chain wants to set up shop in Winnipeg, but it won’t be targeting the vacant ex-Target store on St. James Street. The large retailer is looking for space connected to an existing shopping mall, like Polo Park or St Vital Centre. Simons stores are typically about 100,000 square feet in size. The company sells men’s and women’s clothing as well as home décor. READ MORE
Up next
Danielle Da Silva – Sou’westerRay McFeetors leads two Percheron horses through the new McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
Horsing around: Long before there were tractors, magnificent heavy horses provided the power to cultivate Manitoba farmland. At 9 a.m. today, Assiniboine Park Zoo opens to the public the new McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre. Located in the north area of the zoo, the exhibit covers 4.7 acres and will be home to four Percheron horses year-round and includes a barn, pastures, paddocks and a carriage shed. Wagon rides will be offered in the summer months and sleigh rides in the winter for $3 per person.
Death to zebra mussels: Each is only the size of a fingernail, but the invasive species could cause huge damage to Manitoba’s rich bounty of lakes. Today through Monday, the province has boat inspection stations with decontamination units available at Selkirk Park in Selkirk and St. Vital Park in Winnipeg, and a third watercraft inspection team will rove between Winnipeg Beach and Balsam Bay on the South Basin and Lockport on the Red River.
Around the water cooler
John Woods / The Canadian Press filesManitoba Premier Greg Selinger apologized for the Sixties Scoop on June 18.
Downgrading Manitoba: When Premier Greg Selinger was asked on Thursday if federal NDP leader Tom Mulcair is avoiding him because of the Manitoba government’s unpopularity, Selinger suggested the federal party may want to take a closer look at Manitoba and its robust economy. “The reality is that we have a very strong economy in Manitoba,” the premier said. Hmm. Really? The premier’s opinion is not shared by Moody’s Investors Service. Earlier this month, the major debt-rating agency downgraded Manitoba’s credit score, citing the province’s high debt and trouble balancing its budget. READ MORE
Family-priced hockey: Hockey fans are delighted the Jets returned to Winnipeg four years ago but, let’s face it, the cost of NHL tickets can get expensive for fans who go frequently and perhaps want to take the family. So it was good news for the family budget that the AHL franchise, the Manitoba Moose, will return. It was announced Thursday they will play their first home game on Oct. 15. The average Moose ticket price will be $19.63. Quick question: would you rather attend one Jets game, or four Moose games?
Trending now
Beauty Behind the Madness: the second album from Canadian singer The Weeknd is officially out now, after being leaked earlier. The takeaway? Initial reviews are good, so you can enjoy some new music just in time for the, er, weekend.
Darryl Dawkins: The former NBA player affectionately known as “Chocolate Thunder” died Thursday in Pennsylvania. He was 58. Dawkins was known as much for his dunks as his playing career. In 1979, he shattered two backboards in separate games. In 1975, he became the first player ever drafted directly from high school to the NBA. The Orlando native played 15 season, mostly with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets. Hoop fans here will remember him as a player-coach with the now-defunct Winnipeg Cyclones of the International Basketball Association.
On this date
On August 28, 1956: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that East Kildonan council would present a money bylaw to ratepayers calling for the participation in the proposed Disraeli Bridge project. Winnipeg city council decided city engineer W.D. Hurst would get a new Chrysler as his “official car,” bringing him in line with the police chief and fire chief. In Moscow, the Communist Party declared that religious worship was legal but unworthy of Soviet youth. Egypt agreed to listen to proposals from the West on control of the Suez canal. Canadian officials were shocked that a report from the deputy minister of northern affairs and national resources disclosed the date the U.S.-built Distant Early Warning line across the Arctic would go into operation.
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