News briefs for Monday, October 20, 2025

Missing boy, grandfather could be travelling to Winnipeg: B.C. RCMP

3:49 PM

RCMP believe a six-year-old boy who was reported missing on Vancouver Island in B.C. is with his grandfather, and the pair could be travelling to Manitoba.

Zidane Wavey and his 42-year-old grandfather, Norman Lecoy, were reported missing to police last Friday, a news release said.

Lecoy was last seen in the area of Duncan and North Cowichan, B.C, on Sept. 19, RCMP said.

Police are concerned for the health and well-being of the pair.

Lecoy could be travelling to the Winnipeg area, where he is from, with his grandson, RCMP said.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call their local police service or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Police warn of sex offender’s release from Milner Ridge

3:12 PM

Police are alerting the public about a sex offender being released from jail Monday who is considered a high risk to reoffend.

Sheldon Nelson Flett, 30, was expected to live in Winnipeg after serving a portion of his sentence for possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; carrying a concealed weapon, prohibited device or ammunition; identity fraud and failing to comply with court orders. He was released from Milner Ridge Correctional Centre on Monday.

The Winnipeg Police Service sent a news release Monday on behalf of the Manitoba Integrated High Risk Sex Offender Unit, a joint unit composed of WPS and RCMP officers.

Flett has a history of sexual and violent offences and numerous breaches of probation and recognizance orders, police said. He was convicted in September 2020 of a violent sexual assault in which he threatened to kill the 16-year-old victim and her child.

In 2014, Flett was sentenced as an adult for an unprovoked robbery and beating that left a man with permanent brain damage. Flett was 16 at the time of the June 2011 attack inside an apartment complex.

“Any form of vigilante activity or other unreasonable conduct directed at Mr. Flett will not be tolerated,” the release said.

Man charged with stealing $19K in sunglasses

2:07 PM

A man is charged with stealing 40 pairs of designer sunglasses worth more than $19,000 from a store in five incidents earlier this month.

The incidents happened at a retail store on the 1400 block of Portage Avenue between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Monday. The last theft involved 12 pairs valued at $5,500.

Police arrested a 26-year-old man at a home on the 600 block of Toronto Street at noon Friday while investigating an unrelated incident.

He has been charged with five counts of failing to comply with a probation order, four counts of theft under $5,000, two counts of failing to comply with conditions of a release order and one count of theft over $5,000. He was detained in custody.

Seven Oaks Pool to close for a year

11:55 AM

Seven Oaks Pool will be closed for repairs for about 12 to 14 months starting later this year.

The closure is set to begin Dec. 14, the City of Winnipeg said in a news release Monday. The $3.5 million in repairs will include concrete/structural work on the main tank, waterproofing and tile replacement.

The outdoor kiddie pool and splash pad will remain open during renovations, except for a six-week period. The timing of those closures have yet to be determined.

Province provides $4.5M for Indigenous language degree programs 

11:43 AM

The province is spending more than $4.5 million on new Indigenous language degree programs at two post-secondary institutions.

The University of Winnipeg will get $2.3 million to create a bachelor of arts in Indigenous language immersion in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwa). It will be Manitoba’s first immersion degree program designed for second-language learners. The program will provide a pathway to teacher certification, helping fill immersion teaching positions, the Manitoba government said in a news release Monday.

The province is also giving University College of the North in The Pas $1.49 million for capital costs to transform an existing site into a new Centre for Aboriginal Languages and Culture, and $759,000 to support program operations. A new bachelor of Indigenous languages program will focus on fluency development in Ininimowin (Cree).

“Preserving the Indigenous languages of our province means passing them on to future generations. Indigenous youth will be healthier if they can speak the traditional language of their communities,” Premier Wab Kinew said in the release. “These programs train a new generation of fluent Indigenous language speakers and teachers to carry on Manitoba’s Indigenous traditions.”

Singer-songwriter William Prince playing concert hall in April

10:31 AM

On the heels of the release of his fifth album, Further From the Country, Peguis First Nation singer-songwriter William Prince announces a Canadian tour that brings him to the Centennial Concert Hall on April 25.

The baritone-voiced Juno winner has seen his career skyrocket in recent years, winning the John Prine Songwriter Fellowship and an Americana Honors & Awards nomination. He has appeared at the Newport Folk Festival and on the Grand Ole Opry stage, and sold out shows at prestigious theatres including Massey Hall.

Joining Prince on tour is local roots act Boy Golden; frontman Liam Duncan also produced Further From the Country.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Oct. 24, at livenation.com. Prices have yet to be announced.

Fire in Victor Street home put out

10:21 AM

Crews extinguished a fire in a multi-family home on Victor Street early Monday.

Firefighters were sent to the two-and-a-half storey building on the 700 block shortly after 4:10 a.m. They declared the fire under control shortly after 4:30 a.m.

Everyone inside got out before crews arrived.

On Sunday, crews were sent to a vacant, single-storey commercial building on the 800 block of Main Street shortly after 2:45 p.m. and declared the fire under control shortly before 3:30 p.m.

The building was damaged by several previous fires, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release Monday.

Earlier Sunday, at 1:55 p.m., crews were sent to a vacant, one-and-a-half storey house on the 700 block of Talbot Avenue. They declared the fire there under control shortly before 4:15 p.m. The house was also damaged in a fire Friday. Crews were sent to the house at 11:20 a.m. and declared the fire under control about 20 minutes later.

The causes of the fires, including Friday’s, are under investigation.

Charges laid in 5-year-old homicide case

8:11 AM

Homicide charges have been laid in the 2020 disappearance of a 40-year-old Manitoba woman.

RCMP are set to release more information this afternoon in the case of Melinda Lynxleg, from Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve, who was last heard from in March 2020. Lynxleg’s body was discovered in June 2023 at an abandoned property in San Clara, and police spent years looking for answers. Last spring, for the five-year anniversary of Lynxleg’s disappearance, RCMP issued another public plea.

“Thousands of hours have been spent looking for answers, including a complete review of the entire investigation, which recently led to new information coming to light,” stated the RCMP’s April 2 news release.

A news conference is now scheduled for 1 p.m. with representatives from Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve and Manitoba RCMP’s Major Crime Services.