News briefs for Wednesday, May 3, 2023

41-year-old man dead after North Point Douglas double stabbing

9:16 AM

A 41-year-old man is dead after he was stabbed in North Point Douglas early Tuesday morning. It was the 11th slaying in Winnipeg this year.

Winnipeg Police Service patrol officers were called to the 100 block of Austin Street North, off Sutherland Avenue, at about 1:15 a.m. for a reported “stabbing incident,” police said Wednesday.

They found two men suffering from stab wounds and both were rushed to hospital. One victim was in critical condition, while the other, a 38-year-old man, was in unstable condition, but was later upgraded to stable condition.

The critically injured man died in hospital and homicide detectives have identified him as Kevin James Wescoupe. Police have made no arrests and ask anyone with information or surveillance footage to call detectives at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

Five hospitalized in Yale Avenue blaze

9:21 AM

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service has released new details of a Transcona house fire that hospitalized five people Tuesday evening.

Firefighters were called to the two-storey home at 309 Yale Ave. at 6:56 p.m., WFPS said late Tuesday, where they found heavy smoke and flames, with the fire spreading to a neighbouring home.

Crews got the fires under control by 7:45 p.m., but remained at the scene for two hours, a relative of the victims said. The fire service said the occupants of the home fled before crews arrived, but paramedics transported all of them to hospital in stable condition.

The relative said Tuesday the injured included a man and his three children under age 12. The fire service said both homes were significantly damaged by the fire, smoke and water used to extinguish the blaze.

Winnipeg launches annual mosquito control program

11:52 AM

The City of Winnipeg has kicked off its annual mosquito larviciding program, with more than 28,000 hectares of water area to be treated.

Below-average precipitation over the winter and a slow spring melt has led to favourable conditions for the city to begin its mosquito control season, said David Wade, the city’s superintendent of insect control.

Crews are targeting spring mosquitoes which have started to hatch in standing water in ditches and low-lying areas.

Arlington Bridge to close for repairs, inspection

1:49 PM

The City of Winnipeg is warning motorists to avoid the Arlington Bridge, as the area is slated to close for several days between Logan Avenue and Dufferin Avenue.

The bridge will close at 9 a.m. Thursday and reopen May 8 at 6 a.m. During that time, it will undergo repairs, maintenance and inspection, the city said in a release.

The city is advising motorists to plan ahead and utilize alternative routes, including the McPhillips Street Underpass to the west and the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge to the east.

The bridge officially opened in 1912 and is among the oldest in the city. In February, the city announced an $850,000 rehabilitation effort. It also plans to study the efforts needed to keep it functioning for a minimum of another 25 years.

Police release sketch of man accused of random Portage Avenue assault

2:02 PM

Winnipeg police have released a sketch of a suspect accused of attacking a woman while she was parked in her car on Portage Avenue in April.

Police said a woman in her 40s was parked in a lot on the 800 block of Portage Avenue at about 4:45 p.m. on April 19, when a man she didn’t know jumped in the passenger side and began to hit her. She managed to get out, police said, but was thrown to the ground where the attack continued.

Police said a passerby intervened, shouting at the suspect, who then ran east toward Broadway, between houses on Picardy Place. The victim was treated in hospital.

Major crimes police took over the investigation and a sketch artist met with a witness. Police described the suspect as a white man in his 40s or 50s, with a thin build, shaggy reddish/pepper hair, a beard, blue eyes and decayed and stained teeth.

Police have asked anyone with information, or surveillance footage from the area, to call investigators at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

Linden Woods meth lab dismantled, body recovered

3:03 PM

Winnipeg police have dismantled an inoperative meth lab in Linden Woods, after discovering it while looking into reports of a body.

Officers responded to a home in the 200 block of Foxmeadow Drive around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, after receiving reports a man was found dead inside, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a release Wednesday.

Police found a 39-year-old man deceased, and discovered the lab, which was inoperative at the time, WPS said.

Police and members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedics Service worked jointly to remove the hazardous materials within the home. A third-party waste management company transported and safely disposed of the waste.

A 70-year-old female and a 37-year-old male were evacuated from the residence for their safety during the process, police said.

The man’s body was taken to hospital for an autopsy. No other injuries were reported.