Free Press Head Start for April 20

Good morning!

A snowfall warning is in effect for much of southern Manitoba with total amounts of 10 to 20 cm expected.

Some school divisions are cancelling bus survice and/or classes owing to the weather; see this map to click through for more information on each division.

Owner Chihab Adin spent tens of thousands of dollars on upgrades last year to get his Casablanca Food Market — a butcher shop, deli and grocery store at B-129 Marion Street — up to code after a visit from an inspector, who said nothing about needing an additional sink. But a second inspector shut down the business March 23, citing the sink and other issues not mentioned by the first inspector. Kevin Rollason has the story.

The Seven Oaks School Division is not ruling out layoffs of social workers as leaders undertake an overhaul of clinical services and reassign travelling social workers to fixed posts. Maggie Macintosh reports.

— David Fuller

Your forecast

Snow, between 5 and 10 cm, mixed with rain this morning. A snowfall warning is in effect, and Erik Pindera has more details from Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Justin Shelley. Forecast high is 2 C with a low of -2 C.

The current system will likely cause varied weather conditions in the Winnipeg area — likely a mix of rain and snow starting early Thursday, transitioning to heavy snow in Manitoba's southeast later in the day. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files))

The current system will likely cause varied weather conditions in the Winnipeg area — likely a mix of rain and snow starting early Thursday, transitioning to heavy snow in Manitoba’s southeast later in the day. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files))

What’s happening today

The Winnipeg Jets face the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of their first-round NHL playoff series in Nevada at 9 p.m. CT. The Jets won the first game 5-1.

Winnipeg Jets celebrate after left wing Kyle Connor, second from right, scored against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 on Tuesday. (John Locher / The Associated Press files)

Today’s must-read

Within 16 months, Manitoba’s pandemic surgical and diagnostic test backlog has been cut by 30 per cent and 26,464 impacted patients have been treated. On Wednesday — in a public process update — leaders of the diagnostic and surgical recovery task force said it has eliminated backlogs in 10 areas of the medical system, and significantly reduced them in about 15 of 30 key areas. Katie May has the story.

Dr. Peter MacDonald, head of the task force’s steering committee. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

On this date

On April 20, 1955: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that scores of north Winnipeg residents attended one of the most hectic meetings in school bord history and demanded their new junior high school be named for Victoria Cross recipient P.O. Andrew Charles Mynarski. In Ottawa, a report to Parliament tabled by the justice minister said the price-cutting practice of “loss-leader” sales in Canada was neither so serious nor so prevalent as to require legislative action. In Port Arthur, Ont., a strike by 1,200 Lakehead grain handlers ended and the normal spring flow of grain east resumed. Search our archives for more here.

Today’s front page

Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Free Press.

Top news

Danielle Da Silva:

Speaker dismisses complaint about nurse-bribe heckling

The Speaker of the Manitoba legislature has ruled against the NDP, which had alleged Health Minister Audrey Gordon had accused one of its MLAs of paying nurses to quit their jobs. Speaker Myrna Driedger said the incident didn’t meet the threshold of a matter of privilege. Meanwhile, Gordon would not deny making the alleged claim when pressed by reporters Wednesday to set the record straight. Read More

Chris Kitching:

‘All of us need to stand together’: community gathers after woman’s remains found near river

The discovery of the partial remains of an unidentified woman next to the Red River in Winnipeg has put community members “on edge” and retraumatized families of missing or murdered females. A gathering was held Wednesday night at Ma Mawi Chi Itata Centre in the North End to light a sacred fire and offer support to those affected by the city’s latest homicide. Read More

Malak Abas:

Federal employees boisterous as PSAC strike rolls out across country

Thousands of federal government employees, including in Manitoba, hit the bricks Wednesday to demand higher wages and have the right to remote work enshrined in their contract. Outside the Service Canada building at Broadway and Smith Street, hundreds of strikers carried signs that read, “We can’t support you without your support,” “2 per cent is a pay cut” and “Wanted: fair deal,” as a brass band played union songs touting solidarity. Read More

New in Sports

Mike McIntyre:

Time for the Jets to write their own bit of hockey history

Strong start has team poised to flip the script from 2018 playoff clash with Vegas Read More

Mike Sawatzky:

Newest Bomber way ahead of his time

Transcona teen phenom signs tryout agreement with Big Blue Read More

Staff:

Schroeder earns honour for prowess between pipes

Corinne Schroeder stops just about everything, but she can’t block the accolades coming her way. The sensational Boston Pride netminder and Elm Creek product has been named the Premier Hockey Federation’s goaltender of the year for the 2022-23 season. Read More

New in Arts and Entertainment

Alan Small:

Not quite fitting into the country-music mould

Manitoban Barber sings about the rural life, but remains ambiguous about genre Read More

Ben Waldman:

Popping up

Winnipeg singer sets his sights on ’80s-style stardom Read More

AV Kitching, Ben Sigurdson, Alan Small, Eva Wasney and Jen Zoratti:

What’s up: Music, art and history

Seven years ago, the world lost the Purple One — the great Prince Rogers Nelson — to an accidental fentanyl overdose at Paisley Park, his Minnesota home. Today the impact of opioid use continues to ravage communities the world over, as it had prior to his death, including right here in Manitoba. Read More

New in Business

Gabrielle Piché:

Several factors cited as reasons for rising food prices

Wholesale food prices may continue to rise in the coming years, leading to dramatic increases by 2025, Dalhousie University researchers project. Read More

Gabrielle Piché:

New tool may help farmers get ahead of droughts, floods

The Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association partnered with Aquanty, a Waterloo, Ont.-based water resources firm, to develop a forecasting tool for the Assiniboine River basin and Pembina Valley and Plum River watersheds of the Red River basin. Read More

Fresh opinions

Editorial:

Surveys suggest tax cuts won’t woo voters

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative party unveiled its new election-style slogan this past weekend: “Fighting for Manitobans.” The rallying cry was shared with party faithful at the Tories’ annual general meeting in downtown Winnipeg, as the party gets set to do battle in a scheduled Oct. 3 provincial election. “Manitobans need our Progressive Conservative team to fight for them,” Premier Heather Stefanson said during her keynote address. Read More