Good morning!
Your forecast: Can’t write… shovelling. Actually, the Head Start sidewalk is clear of snow, for now, as the flurries end this morning. But we’re looking at a cold day, with a high of just -13 C and a wind chill of 25 C. Bundle up tonight as the mercury drops to -22 C and the wind makes it feel like -28. On Saturday, expect light snow in the morning and a high of -12 C, but a steady breeze results in a -30 wind chill, while Sunday features a mix of cloud and high of -11 C.
In case you missed it
Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free PressWPS Detective Sgt. John O’Donovan, the lead investigator on the Tina Fontaine case.
A child discarded: Detective Sgt. John O’Donovan, the lead investigator in the homicide case of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine, spoke with Free Press columnist Gord Sinclair about the tragic killing of a child taken advantage of, and the Winnipeg Police Service’s determination to find her killer. READ MORE
Lively linguistics: Making new Canadians feel at home is nothing new at Victor Mager School, one of the city’s most diverse schools, and it’s ready if and when kids from a Syrian refugee family settle in the neighbourhood. The south St. Vital school has had children from around the world enrolled. At one point in time, some 80 different languages were being spoken there. READ MORE
Driving while high: One of the first “driving while impaired by drug” cases in Manitoba has ended with the accused going free because a judge said it wasn’t clear whether the accused’s marijuana use had any significant impact on his motor skills. READ MORE
Up next
Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press filesNoel Bernier plans to run in Point Douglas under the Liberal banner.
Point Douglas candidate: The provincial Liberals continue building a team for the April provincial election. This morning, the party will officially announce that local restaurateur Noel Bernier will run for them in the riding of Point Douglas. READ MORE
Ready to give warm welcome: A flight carrying a family of nine Syrian refugees bound for Altona is scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg early Saturday afternoon. And a home is waiting for the family, which includes a mother, father and seven children. They arrive at Winnipeg’s James Richardson International Airport at 12:50 p.m. on a WestJet flight from Toronto. Another eight Syrian refugees will arrive Saturday and are expected to settle in Winnipeg.
Around the water cooler
David Lipnowski / Winnipeg Free PressWinnipeg Jets’ Bryan Little during practice at MTS Centre Thursday December 17, 2015.
Jets’ skid marks: The Winnipeg Jets, sporting a mundane 14-15-2 record, meet the New York Rangers tonight at MTS Centre, are trending the wrong way when it comes to killing penalties. The team’s penalty-killing unit has given up five power-play goals in the last three games and has sagged to 25th in the NHL at just a 77.3 per cent effectiveness rating. That’s all bad for a team that leads the league in taking penalties. READ MORE
The Force was with them: Lightsabres and cloaks were de rigeur at the opening Thursday night of the new Star Wars movie The Force Awakens at Polo Park. The photo gallery by Mike Deal is a must-see. READ MORE
Manitobans a generous bunch: We give ’til it hurts in Manitoba. A study by the Fraser Institute still put us on top when it comes to generosity in Canada, with 25.3 per cent of Manitoba residents claiming charitable donations on their 2013 tax returns. But charities and shelters in the city say they are coming up short as the holiday season nears. READ MORE
Trending now
Adele
#AdeleTickets: Tickets for the British singing sensation’s 2016 North American Tour went on sale Thursday and sold out in minutes. The closest Adele gets to Winnipeg is Minneapolis, July 5-6 at the Xcel Energy Center. But both shows are totally sold out.
#Moose: Win a couple of games in a row and you’re all the rage on social media. The Manitoba Moose defeated the San Antonio Rampage 3-2 on Thursday at MTS Centre, just a night after the Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate posted a 5-1 victory over the same opponents. READ MORE
On this date
On Dec. 18, 1875: The Daily Free Press reported that two thousand starving workmen surrounded city hall in Montreal, demanding work or bread. Some attacked nearby bread and beer carts “devouring their contents.” Police armed with carbines dispersed what became a riot without firing a shot. A deputation to Ottawa sought help in giving people work. The second session of the Manitoba Legislature was scheduled to begin on Jan. 20; prominent on its agenda was the abolition of the Legislative Council.
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