Gallery: HéHo! Let’s brave the cold By: Photography by John Woods / Free Press Posted: 7:55 PM CST Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025

Motion seeks to remove longtime head of Southern Chiefs’ Organization due to ‘behaviour’ concerns

For the second time in a year, the leadership of Southern Chiefs’ Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels is being called into question.

A motion obtained by the Free Press calls “immediately” for a special summit of the 33 SCO chiefs to consider removing Daniels, who’s been at the helm since 2017.

The Aug. 17 motion, put forward by Lake Manitoba First Nation Chief Cornell McLean and Bloodvein First Nation Chief Lisa Young, cites concerns about “governance, leadership, accountability, transparency, organizational decision-making and confidence of member Nations in the current leadership of the organization.”

McLean would not provide specific examples Wednesday but said the “behaviour” of Daniels is a concern.

Fear and loathing in bedbug-infested seniors building

Years of living in a regularly infested suite in an always-infested building have given Lewie Gwyllt nightmares in which he’s wrestling giant bedbugs.

The 64-year-old has lived at 529 Country Club Blvd., a 107-unit seniors’ home run by Manitoba Housing, for nearly eight years. Much of his tenancy has been marked by monthly, but futile, bedbug-eradication treatments.

Gwyllt’s routine is set in stone: he bags his laundry, steams his clothes, and buys covers for any piece of furniture he buys. He has a physical disability and struggles to move things when the pest-control people arrive to spray for the bugs, but he knows the nooks and crannies of his baseboards are a problem spot.

The mental toll has weighed heavily on him. He takes anti-anxiety medication to deal with the stress and despair when the treatments don’t work.

Try these veggie burger options around Winnipeg

This summer, a quest to discover Winnipeg’s finest veggie burgers unveiled a surprising array of creative and delicious options. From the structural integrity of buns to thoughtful toppings, the article explores standout local eateries, each offering unique takes on plant-based patties that are as flavorful as they are engaging.

Thirteen accused in gun, drug trafficking network in rural Manitoba

RCMP and Winkler police have arrested more than a dozen people allegedly connected to a drug-and-gun trafficking network that operated in rural Manitoba.

The joint investigation began in December 2024, when officers from the Winkler Police Service asked the Mounties for help after learning kilograms of cocaine were being imported to a Winkler-area truck repair business, said RCMP Supt. Jeff Asmundson, who oversees the force’s Manitoba integrated law enforcement team.

Mounties and Winkler police gathered evidence for 19 months and expanded the probe, dubbed Project Dolor, as investigators learned other types of illicit substances and firearms were being trafficked by the network in a number of southern Manitoba communities, said Asmundson, whose team investigates serious and organized crime.

“It started as a cocaine trafficking investigation, and obviously, as we move along in a project or a file, evidence is gathered and an opportunity arose and we wanted to ensure public safety,” he told reporters Tuesday. “We were able to secure some firearms.”

Winnipeg biz owners encouraged to fly the Maple Leaf

A Winnipeg city councillor says business owners should fly the Maple Leaf to bolster Canadian pride as the country fends off a trade assault from the U.S.

“It’s all about being patriotic and showing that we are all on the same page and are unified in our efforts as we negotiate trade with the United States,” said Markus Chambers.

The St. Norbert - Seine River representative launched “Operation Naked Flag Pole” Wednesday.

“I’m seeing flag poles in our downtown area, but they’re not covered with Canadian flags,” he said. “They’re sitting empty. They’re naked. So let’s get them dressed with the Canadian flag.”

E-scooters can be the future — if done right

The summer of 2026 has been the season that e-scooters and e-bikes transitioned from something advocates were predicting would be a big deal to an obvious reality to everyday Manitobans.

The conditions have been right for an uptick — we’re in the midst of an affordability crisis in which more and more people are looking for alternatives to driving. As demand has soared, availability has moved beyond mostly European exports to incredibly cheap options being available on dubious sales platforms such as Temu.

If you’ve been passed by a zooming e-bike or nearly run off the sidewalk by an e-scooter, you’re probably saying “the city ought to have some rules about this!”

Municipalities have been requesting that the province update the Highway Traffic Act for years so that micromobility options, such as e-scooters, can be regulated under bylaws. Provincial legislation that would prohibit riding on sidewalks, set age limits, restrict speed and require helmet use was passed on June 1, but has not yet been proclaimed. This has created the “Wild West” environment we’re in now.