The Wrap: The Inquest Files, corrections officer trial, AI and Ninette field trip

Welcome to September and the Labour Day long weekend! Here’s a look at what our newsroom has been working on:

'The playing field is uneven'

While mandatory inquests into fatal police shootings are prohibited from assigning blame, they do tell a story.

A four-month Free Press investigation has found that the story tends to be narrated by police lawyers, police officers and police use-of-force instructors.

A police use-of-force instructor has taken the stand in every fatal shooting case where the court heard from an expert witness in the last 20 years. In several of the cases, the instructor was employed by the same service that shot the victim.

Investigative reporter Marsha McLeod brings us the third instalment in her four-part series, The Inquest Files.

Marsha McLeod:

Little latitude for objective evaluation

Inquests into fatal shootings involving police routinely avoid examining systemic issues; instead rely heavily on a narrative driven by law enforcement Read More

Marsha McLeod:

The Inquest Files

A four-part investigation into judicial oversight of fatal shootings by Manitoba police Read More

Savour Manitoba Spring issue cover featuring colourful mixed drinks on a table.

'He came toward us with weapons'

William Ahmo, 45, died Feb. 14, 2021, seven days after he was injured in a violent clash with officers at Headingley Correctional Institute.

Robert Jeffrey Morden, 44, has pleaded not guilty to criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life.

Morden’s trial began in Winnipeg today with video showing the moments that led up to Ahmo’s death.

Dean Pritchard:

‘I can’t breathe’: Headingley corrections officer trial begins with video of lead-up to inmate death

Inflamed by what he said was a racist comment by jail staff, William Ahmo went on a destructive rampage that ended with the inmate being critically injured during a violent takedown by corrections off... Read More

'We have more demand than we’re able to train people for right now'

Artificial intelligence is pulsing through Manitoba workplaces — and as businesses increasingly incorporate AI into their operations, some are concerned the province is lagging behind in AI training.

Meantime, post-secondary courses tackling AI are bursting at the seams with demand. Experts pursuing the technology are constrained by funding.

ChatGPT did not write this feature-length piece on the use of machine learning technology in local industries — business reporter and live human being Gabrielle Piché brings you the story.

Gabrielle Piché:

Betting smart money on artificial intelligence

Manitoba businesses are increasingly dipping their toes into the uncertain new world of machine learning Read More

'A deeply haunted and beautiful place'

In the fourth instalment of our Free Press Field Trip series, we point our car west and head to the valley town of Ninette.

Fifty years have passed since its tuberculosis sanitarium closed, and Ninette is as quiet and restful as ever, nestled on the shores of picturesque Pelican Lake and home to young families and retirees.

Ben Waldman looks at the town’s history and how it has thrived.

Ben Waldman:

Hub of healing finds new life

The lake — once a main draw for the sanatorium location committee — is still inarguably Ninette’s calling card Read More

Labour Day long weekend

The Free Press will not publish an e-edition or print edition Sunday or Monday.

You can catch the latest breaking news — including coverage of Sunday’s Labour Day Classic meet between the Blue Bombers and the Roughriders — at winnipegfreepress.com and in our News Break app.

What’s open and closed this Labour Day weekend

As hundreds of Crown corporation workers strike across the province, most Manitobans will have the day off work Monday to reflect on the achievements of labour unions present and past. Labour Day w... Read More