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Firefighter accused of violating protection order jailed for past harassment

A Winnipeg firefighter accused of violating a protection order this week has been jailed two times in the past decade for criminally harassing two different women, court records show.

In each case, Christopher Goethals was allowed to return to his job with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

Goethals, 59, was arrested July 21 after breaching a protection order requiring he not come within 200 metres of a named protected person, police said.

Police allege Goethals was in full uniform and on “modified duties” driving a WFPS fleet vehicle at the time of the offence.

Mountain View teacher stripped of licence over explicit messages

A Roblin teacher has been stripped of his professional licence after an undercover police investigation found he sent explicit messages to a social media user he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.

Manitoba cancelled Josh Braaksma’s credentials — listed in the province’s online registry under his full name, Joshua William Braaksma — on July 6. His certificate was suspended on an interim basis in the fall.

The misconduct case involving Braaksma, who has taught and coached in the Mountain View School Division over the last decade, is the first to be resolved via a “written hearing.”

“Having regard to the nature, content and context of (his) communications, the panel finds that the teacher’s conduct renders him unsuitable to be a teacher,” the disciplinary decision states.

City dermatologist penalized again for misconduct

A Winnipeg dermatologist has been allowed to continue practising — albeit with a reduced scope — after pursuing a relationship with a female patient and seeing another patient without a required chaperone at a time when his office was normally closed.

A College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba inquiry panel, in a June 30 disciplinary decision, said it was concerned with Dr. Earl Minuk’s level of contrition and future compliance, while noting his pattern of violating professional boundaries.

A shortage of specialists factored into the decision to allow him to continue to practise.

“CPSM carefully considers the need to protect the public while balancing the need for access to care. Dr. Minuk’s expertise includes managing a condition that can be disfiguring if left untreated,” the college said in a statement Tuesday.

Searchers continue looking for older sibling, one day after younger boy’s body recovered

NUTIMIK LAKE — The parents of two boys who drowned in Whiteshell Provincial Park Saturday say they are surviving their “unimaginable” loss only because of the overwhelming support they have received from the community.

On Thursday, RCMP divers, the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team and civilian volunteers traced across Nutimik Lake, drones hovered above the waterway, and media lined the beach as the search for Aaron Au Ramirez, 13, continued. The body of 10-year-old Maximo Au Ramirez was found Wednesday evening.

The siblings entered fast-moving rapids at Sturgeon Falls on Nutimik Lake while visiting the area with their father and friends. Maximo slipped off rocks into the water, and Aaron went in to try to save him, RCMP have said.

In a statement read by RCMP Staff Sgt. Cory Meyers Thursday afternoon, the boys’ parents described their grief as “terrible, horrible, and unimaginable.”

Bridgwater residents fed up with Manitoba Housing eyesore

A weed-covered plot of land in Bridgwater has been left to grow wild all summer, raising the ire of neighbours who say they were told the property is owned by Manitoba Housing and bylaw officers cannot intervene.

West Broadway residents demand mayor take action on drug crisis

The laughter of children playing outside has been replaced by open drug use, vandalism and incidents of theft that have put residents of West Broadway on edge.