Creepy complex proves terrifying

Drug treatment court leads to success

The criminal justice system has long been very good at punishing people for the consequences of addiction. It has been considerably less successful at addressing addiction itself.

That is why the success of Manitoba’s drug treatment courts deserves far more attention.

The Westman drug treatment court, which began in 2019, is built around a simple but important premise: If substance abuse is driving criminal behaviour, the best way to protect the public may not always be to put someone in jail for two years or less.

Sometimes, the more effective response is an intensive, closely supervised effort to help that person break the cycle.

Animal rescue worker reportedly killed in dog attack

Police are investigating after a woman died on the Sandy Bay First Nation, reportedly after being attacked by dogs.

The woman was identified by family as 37-year-old Amanda Nobiss.

“It’s just disbelief,” said Sherri Nobiss, her mother, in a phone call. Her family is devastated by the loss. “You just want to know what has happened.”

She said Amanda was a dedicated animal advocate who was volunteering with K9 Advocacy Manitoba in the community at the time. Amanda, who was from Winnipeg, is pictured with a dog in almost all of her photos on social media.

Creepy complex proves terrifying

Jonathan Sims’ Thirteen Storeys (Gollancz, 400 pages, $18) is a genuinely frightening horror story. A reclusive billionaire is holding a dinner party, and he’s invited several of the tenants of an apartment complex to his penthouse suite. But here’s the thing: none of these people know each other. They do, though, have something in common: at one time or another, each of them has had a bizarre experience in this old, odd building.

U.S. hits Canada with steep tariffs on range of products, including hockey sticks

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed orders Monday to hammer certain Canadian products with 50 per cent tariffs, escalating trade tensions with the United States' northern neighbour.

"President Trump took decisive action to hold Canada accountable for its retaliation and discrimination," United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.

The new tariffs are set to come into force in 30 days on a wide array of goods, ranging from hockey sticks to wine to cement.

Greer said the measure is a response to provincial bans on U.S. liquor, Canada's supply managed dairy system and quotas on certain U.S. vehicles.

Our five-star fringe reviews: Final boss defeated

Alexander Mantia, Dead Chef, El Diablo of the Cards 2.0, Eleanor's Story, Erika MacDonald, Evie & Alfie, Goose! Night of the Cobra Chicken, Jimmy Hogg, Middle Child, Our Father, Oversharer, Nat King Cole, 7 Lives of Louis Riel, Evolution of a Broken Heart, The Rocky Horror Show, Tony Wrestles a Stranger, Tymisha Harris

Big spike in catalytic converter thefts

Harvey Tschetter didn’t know someone was under his SUV when he was roused by the sounds of a power saw cutting metal and took a look around the vehicle outside his North Kildonan condo.

After finding nothing untoward and going back inside, he heard repeated hammer strikes and saw a vehicle idling next to his Mitsubishi RVR, which he’d purchased two days earlier. Someone was trying to steal the SUV’s catalytic converter.

“I ran out there and I screamed at them, ‘What the F do you think you’re doing?’ They crawled out from under my car, held the hammer up like, don’t come near me, and drove off,” Tschetter said of the June 8 incident. “It was 5 a.m. and completely light out. I can’t believe how brazen they were. They showed no fear.”

The incident happened amid a sharp year-over-year increase in reports of catalytic converter thefts or attempted thefts to Manitoba Public Insurance, after record highs in 2021 and 2022 led to increased enforcement, provincial anti-theft legislation and a period of significant decline.