Good morning!
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSPremier Brian Pallister suggested the story about his out-of-country communications didn’t immediately come to light because of the decisions of provincial bureaucrats who handle freedom of information requests.
Premier meets the press: Brian Pallister, speaking Wednesday at his first news conference since last week’s revelations about his communications practices while at his vacation home in Costa Rica, said he’s always available and accessible. When it was suggested being available was different than being in regular contact with staff, he replied “Well, frankly, if sending emails and phone calls was your measure of effectiveness, we should have a teenager as the premier of Manitoba.” Larry Kusch reports. READ MORE
Your forecast: Today will be sunny with a high of 26 C and wind from the north at 20 km/h this afternoon.
In case you missed it
Jason HalsteadJASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Fashion mogul Peter Nygard wraps up the Nygard fashion show on March 17, 2017 at the Nygard Fashion Park store on Kenaston Boulevard. More than 450 people attended the show which previewed new spring fashions and raised funds for CancerCare Manitoba to support breast cancer research.
Clothier criticized: An international union and a labour rights organization say Winnipeg-based Nygard International should tell its suppliers to pay garment workers owed wages and severance after a factory in Cambodia shut down. A spokesman for Nygard said it had “no direct connection or any legal contracts” with the factory but has responded to the complaints by the Workers United Canada Council and the Maquila Solidarity Network. Kevin Rollason reports. READ MORE
Terrific tapas: Alison Gillmor reviews Cordova Tapas & Wine, which opened recently on Albert Street in the Exchange District. The restaurant has an authentic concept of tapas, focusing on the ingredients and classical cuisines of Spain and southwestern France. READ MORE
Awaiting complaints: The Canadian Transportation Agency says complaints must be filed before it will investigate whether Omnitrax is breaching its duty by failing to maintain a stretch of train tracks on the Hudson Bay Railway. Complaints about Churchill being without rail service would launch a process that takes 20 to 85 business days, Dylan Roberston reports. READ MORE
Up next
Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press FilesRob Thomas is a well-known private chef.
Decision day: A judge is expected to deliver her decision today in the sexual assault trial of chef Rob Thomas. He pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault in connection with an incident that allegedly happened 10 years ago this month.
Fun at The Forks: The party continues at the Canada Games Festival at The Forks after a couple of nights off. Tonight is Nova Scotia night, and Natalie MacMaster and the Trews are among the performers on the main stage. Fireworks cap off the night at 10:30 p.m. READ MORE
Around the water cooler
TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSSasanie Wanigasekara of Team Manitoba, competes in triple jump at University Stadium, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017.
Supporting sports: Manitoba has a conflicted relationship with its amateur athletes, columnist Paul Wiecek says, agonizing if they don’t meet expectations while the public contributes much more in taxes to professional sports. The athletes are fine, he writes, but their financial support is woefully inadequate. READ MORE
Trending now
Evan Vucci / The associated press FilesU.S. President Donald Trump
North Korea: North Korea announced a detailed plan to launch a volley of ballistic missiles toward the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, a major military hub and home to U.S. bombers, and dismissed President Donald Trump’s threats of ‘fire and fury’ if it doesn’t back down. READ MORE
Springsteen : “Springsteen on Broadway” begins previews Oct. 3 ahead of an Oct. 12 opening at the Walter Kerr Theatre in N.Y. The eight-week run is expected to play through Nov. 26. Bruce will perform five shows a week. READ MORE
On this date
On Aug. 10, 1971: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that an uneasy calm returned to Belfast in Northern Ireland after a “bloody night of violence” in which at least 14 people died, after the Ulster government moved to crack down on the Irish Republican Army. Vancouver city council prepared to hear accounts from both police and citizens about officers’ handling of a demonstration in Gastown. Winnipeg city council approved and eight per cent pay raise for senior city personnel to bring their increases in line with those of Metro non-union personnel. READ MORE
|
