After nocturnal rebuff, don’t dream of going back

Spinning yarns into comedy, chaos and hope

“I watch ALL the new TV,” I recently bragged at a family Thanksgiving, a fiction that I was rightly called out on.

But I do watch a lot and, more than that, I read about as close to all the upcoming TV as I can. It’s not (usually) for bragging rights but because stories are either distractions or inspiration and both are now more valuable than ever. Here are a handful of worthy-looking new series and docs.

●Phony (series premières today (Oct. 20) on Disney+/Hulu)

High schooler Sonny (Sam Nivola, The White Lotus) has every reason to be faltering in his perception of reality. He did, after all, just barely survive a terrible car accident. But his friends and the other responsible adults in his life are having a hard time with his insistence that his single mom and the school’s principal (Connie Britton) has been replaced by an imposter. Is he suffering from brain trauma or is a sinister plot afoot? This is billed as comedy/mystery, which is an intriguing combo.

Katz ‘violated public trust,’ Sheegl lacked ‘moral compass,’ police HQ inquiry commissioner concludes

The final report from the public inquiry into the scandal-plagued Winnipeg Police Service headquarters construction project concludes that former mayor Sam Katz and former city CAO Phil Sheegl broke public trust and engaged in unethical conduct.

And the report, released Monday by inquiry commissioner Garth Smorang, says the cost of the project — transforming a downtown Canada Post office tower and warehouse into the police HQ — soared, in part, because main contractor Caspian Projects overcharged the city by more than $40 million in expenses.

The project’s initial $135-million initial price tag rose to about $209 million in the end. The city purchased the complex in 2009; construction was completed in 2016.

Smorang’s report concludes Katz “violated the public trust” and council code of conduct, and Sheegl suffered from a “complete lack of a moral compass.”

Would Canada actually spy on Cuba?

The Globe and Mail recently ran a series of stories on how “Havana syndrome” negatively impacted a number of diplomats working at the Canadian embassy in Cuba. As of this writing, there has been unusual radio silence on the topic from Mark Carney’s governing Liberals.

The reportage also linked the so-called “sonic attacks” or what the Americans call “anomalous health incidents” (and the attendant concussion-like symptoms) to a Russian high-frequency microwave weapon. More importantly, the Globe maintained that Moscow’s retaliation against Canadian officials in Havana was because of their close co-operation with U.S. intelligence agencies in spying on the Cuban government.

Some of the articles claimed that high-tech satellite gear, which was brought into Cuba covertly by U.S. officials, was installed on the roofs of the residences of Canadian diplomats in Havana. Presumably, Canadian officials — or what are sometimes referred to as officers or agents working under the Global Security Reporting Program (GSRP) within the Department of Global Affairs — were using this satellite technology to collect intelligence on human sources in Cuba.

The secret information was eventually passed on to Canada’s partners in the so-called “Five Eyes” alliance (the U.S., Australia, Britain and New Zealand). It’s worth pointing out that this wouldn’t have been the first time Canadian officials in Cuba were funnelling sensitive intelligence to their U.S. counterparts.

Waters remain murky in unchartered Hellebuyck trade request territory

ST. LOUIS — The thing about being in unchartered waters is that the answer to the next question isn’t always readily apparent either above or below the surface.

Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been doing his best to ensure the upcoming two-game road trip against Central Division opponents doesn’t include a three-ring circus. But with news coming over the weekend that the suspension for goalie Connor Hellebuyck is set to expire on Friday, the club has to prepare for the next step in that process.

The problem, as Arniel conceded during his session on Monday afternoon before the team departed for Missouri, is that some of the hypotheticals need to be eliminated from the equation before the proper response can be determined.

“When it comes to Helly’s scenario, honestly I don’t really have a lot of information,” said Arniel. “I know everybody knows (about) Friday. That’s all we know.”

Salvation Army calls on Winnipeggers to donate merchandise as sales soar

The Salvation Army is taking donated merchandise from other regions to stock its Winnipeg thrift stores as increasing sales outpace local donations.

Retail activity at the charity’s eight Winnipeg locations grew more than 10 per cent year over year during several months, from January through April, and again in June.

Although local donations remain strong, they haven’t kept pace with demand, prompting the organization to supplement inventory with merchandise from elsewhere.

Ted Troughton, managing director of the Salvation Army’s thrift store operations, said rising living costs are bringing in new customers.

Winnipeg: Home of IG’s past and future

Shortly after IG Wealth Management was established in Canada, our founders chose Winnipeg as the home of our young, ambitious company.