News briefs for Thursday, April 27, 2023

Manitoba women earn 71 per cent of average male wages: report

11:26 AM

Manitoba women earn just 71 cents per male dollar, according to a new report the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released Wednesday.

The gap grows for racialized and Indigenous women: they earn 59 and 58 cents, respectively, compared to white men.

Authors used 2019 data to build their report.

High-rise fire started in kitchen

11:49 AM

Crews extinguished a fire in a high-rise building on Niakwa Road on Wednesday night.

Firefighters were sent to the 10-storey building in the 100 block of Niakwa at 9:17 p.m.

Crews helped some residents leave the building, while others exited on their own or remained in their suites.

Crews extinguished a fire in the kitchen of a suite and declared the situation under control at 9:43 p.m.

Damage was limited to the lone suite. Firefighters used fans to ventilate smoke from the building.

“Preliminary observations suggest the fire was accidental,” the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release Thursday morning.

Caps poised to even MJHL final

11:49 AM

The Virden Oil Capitals can pull even in their Manitoba Junior Hockey League final with the Steinbach Pistons with a victory in Game 4 tonight.

On Wednesday, Nolan Chastko scored twice and added a pair of assists to lead Virden to a 6-3 win on home ice.

Brody Wilson scored twice and added an assist for the winners, while Davis Chorney and David Bielik added singles.

Parker Jasper, Leo Chambers and Ty Paisley replied with goals for the Pistons, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.

Dryer suspected cause of house fire

11:51 AM

A malfunctioning clothes dryer is the suspected cause of a house fire late Wednesday night.

Crews were sent to the single-family bungalow in the 200 block of Woodlawn Street at 10:54 p.m. and declared the fire under control at 11:07 p.m.

Everyone inside the home was outside when firefighters arrived, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said.

More than 600 litres of diesel fuel spills on Route 90 following collision

11:54 AM

More than 600 litres of diesel fuel had to be cleaned up after a semi-trailer ran a red light and collided with a car in Route 90.

Winnipeg police said on Thursday a man in his forties and a woman in her thirties were taken to hospital where they were treated and released after the collision on Tuesday at about 12:15 p.m. The truck driver wasn’t injured.

Police said the street was closed for about five hours while an environmental cleanup was done on both the roadbed and the ditches.

Police said a car with the two occupants was westbound on Selkirk Avenue when it was struck by the northbound semi-trailer going through a red light. The truck, with its fuel tank split open, continued to drive before stopping.

The 25-year-old semi-trailer driver has been charged with Highway Traffic Act charges, as well as vehicle equipment and safety inspection regulations and commercial vehicle trip inspection regulations.

Woman abducted during meet-up over stolen vehicle: police

11:59 AM

A 33-year-old Winnipeg woman was abducted Tuesday night by two women who stole her vehicle days earlier and demanded money for its return, according to police.

The suspects allegedly drove off when the victim got into the vehicle during a meeting in the 1100 block of Arlington Street, leading to two police vehicles being rammed downtown.

While a police helicopter flew overhead, officers used a spike belt in the 1600 block of Burrows Avenue and arrested two women, aged 30 and 31, after a brief foot chase.

The unharmed victim previously knew the suspects, who were charged with robbery, extortion and other offences, said police.

Body found was of missing man from The Pas: RCMP

12:04 PM

A missing man from The Pas who had last been seen by his family in January has been found dead.

A body found off of 1st Street East in The Pas, near the Saskatchewan River, at about 2:40 p.m. Monday is that of 22-year-old Jayden Mercredi, 22, RCMP said.

RCMP announced Tuesday that a body had been found and announced Thursday that it is Mercredi’s.

He was reported missing on March 8 after his family had not spoken to him since January, RCMP said in a news release on March 20.

The cause of death has yet to be determined as police await the results of an autopsy.

Dog dies in house fire

12:54 PM

A dog died in a Thursday morning house fire related to a small appliance, fire officials said.

Crews were sent to the half-storey, single-family home in the 400 block of Rosedale Avenue at 9:47 a.m. and declared the fire under control at 10:09 a.m.

A dog was found inside, and attempts were made to revive the pet, who died. No people were inside the house at the time.

The cause of the fire is considered accidental, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said Thursday afternoon.

Homicide detectives investigating after suspicious fire death

1:01 PM

Homicide detectives are investigating after a person was found dead in a suspicious fire early Thursday.

Winnipeg police were called to the fire near McDonald Avenue and Gomez Street at about 1 a.m.

Officers found the fire and the victim, whose identity hasn’t been released.

Police ask anyone with information or surveillance tape in the area to call investigators at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

Man, 23, charged in sexual assault of female jogger

1:54 PM

Winnipeg police have charged a 23-year-old man with sexual assault after a woman reported being inappropriately touched while jogging on Charleswood Road on Sunday.

The incident happened on Charleswood, just north of Rannock Avenue, at about 10:45 a.m.

Police said the suspect, Edward Noakes, was arrested at a home in the Westdale neighbourhood of Charleswood on Wednesday.

He was released on an undertaking.

Jets Nikolaj Ehlers a game-time decision for Game 5

2:08 PM

LAS VEGAS — The Winnipeg Jets will have to wait and see if speedy forward Nikolaj Ehlers will play in a pivotal Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights tonight.

Ehlers has yet to play in the first-round, best-of-seven series after suffering an undisclosed upper-body injury in the second-last game of the regular season. He’s been skating for the last week and took in practice on Wednesday, where he faced contact for the first time.

Jets head coach Rick Bowness said Ehlers is still awaiting clearance from the team’s medical staff, which will be determined sometime before puck drop at 9 p.m. CT. Winnipeg is already without all-star defenceman Josh Morrissey and No. 1 centre Mark Scheifele, both of whom are sidelined with injuries that occurred in Game 3 and Game 4, respectively.

The Jets are down 3-1 in the series, and face elimination from the postseason with a loss tonight.

Early childhood educators promised 18 per cent raise

3:03 PM

Early childhood educators can expect to earn more money come July, thanks to an additional $56.1 million in joint funding from the federal and provincial governments.

The money is intended to enhance wages in the early child-care sector in an effort to attract and retain staff, Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko said Thursday.

Coupled with other funding, it will translate to a roughly 18 per cent wage increase for early childhood educators and child-care assistants by 2026.

The federal government is contributing $52.8 million, and the province is committing $3.3 million.

The investment builds on previously announced wage increases, bringing the total funding for increased wages to $93.1 million over two years. Manitoba is slated to receive $1.2 billion in federal child-care funding by 2026.

Shared Health CEO resigns

5:22 PM

The leader of the Manitoba’s health authority has resigned after two years in the role.

Shared Health announced the resignation of its chief executive officer Adam Topp Thursday.

“We thank Adam for his service and dedication to Shared Health and for advancing health care in Manitoba,” Brenna Shearer, board chair for the organization’s board of directors, said in a statement.

Topp, who was hired in 2021, led Manitoba’s regional health authorities through much of the COVID-19 pandemic. He oversaw the ongoing transformation of the provincial healthcare system and helped facilitate daily clinical and administrative services, Shared Health said.

An announcement relating to new leadership is expected in the coming days.