The Wrap: Inquest rally, roach infestations, local gaming company goes global, and a sit-down with Mason Appleton

Several families rallied outside a Winnipeg courthouse Monday afternoon to remember those who died in police custody in Manitoba and to reiterate a call for a public inquiry into those deaths.

The court heard testimony Monday on the eighth day of a 17-day inquest into the deaths of five men, each death followed altercations with members of the Winnipeg police over a roughly 12-month period.

 

Cockroaches are on their way to becoming Winnipeg’s No. 1 pest.

“To me, it hasn’t even begun to peak,” said Lincoln Poulin, president of Poulin’s Pest Control. “What we thought for bedbugs, cockroaches will be three times as bad.”

Local interactive-gaming company Activate Games has inked a deal with Dubai-based corporation Majid Al Futtaim.

The Middle Eastern company will act as a franchisee, creating and operating Activate Games gaming rooms across the Middle East and North Africa — as many as 90 locations.

Getting on the scoreboard in just the second game of the season has allowed Winnipeg Jets forward Mason Appleton to get a good feeling about where things might be headed — and he’s flourished since returning to the line with Adam Lowry after a brief cameo on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

Hockey writer Ken Wiebe talks to Appleton about unlocking the offensive potential he showed during his shortened 2020-21 season.