News briefs for Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Missing woman believed to be in Thompson area

3:29 PM

RCMP are searching for a woman who has been missing for more than two weeks.

Thompson RCMP were told on Nov. 7 that Trisha Pronteau, 33, had not been seen by family or friends for a week. She was last seen at a property on Thompson Drive and is believed to still be in the Thompson area, RCMP said in a news release Tuesday.

She was described as about 5-9 in height, with a slim build, long black hair and brown eyes.

Police asked anyone with information regarding Pronteau’s whereabouts to call the Thompson RCMP detachment at 204-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Man detained near St. John Brebeuf School

2:41 PM

Winnipeg police detained an intoxicated man near St. John Brebeuf School in River Heights on Monday. 

Officers were sent to Renfrew Street for a weapon call, Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Pat Saydak said Tuesday. No weapon was found. 

The man was detained under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act. No one was hurt. 

The Catholic school went into “lockdown” after what its principal, Nick Sagriotis, described in a letter as “a concerning interaction” on Renfrew Street between a parent and man who appeared to have a knife at about 2:45 p.m. 

Police arrived in about 15 minutes, and students were allowed to leave with their parents. Students who usually get home on their own were allowed to leave after the man was detained.

RCMP vehicle struck in Highway 59 incident

2:38 PM

A man drove into a police vehicle when officers tried to speak with him on a shoulder of Highway 59 on Monday morning, RCMP say.

A passing motorist called police after picking up a visibly upset woman near Richardson Road in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot at 7:45 a.m. The woman — a 27-year-old Winnipeg resident — said she had been a passenger in a vehicle parked nearby and that the driver was intoxicated and had a machete.

Officers saw the vehicle parked off the southbound lanes of Highway 59, near Provincial Road 210.

The man was looking at his phone when officers approached him and, after noticing them, struck the police vehicle while trying to drive away, Manitoba RCMP said in a news release Tuesday.

A 31-year-old Steinbach man is facing charges of driving over the legal limit, flight from police, resisting arrest and mischief. He was released from custody and given a court date. His driver’s licence was suspended, and his vehicle was impounded.

WestJet announces non-stop flights to Iceland

11:18 AM

Weekly WestJet flights between Winnipeg and Reykjavik will begin in 2026.

The airline announced the direct flights Tuesday, among others, as part of its summer schedule. The flights, from Winnipeg and Edmonton, are slated to begin June 27.

“The non-stop routes reinforce WestJet’s commitment to maintaining strong global connections for Canadians, while focusing on smart and sustainable growth,” a news release said.

WestJet is also set to launch three-times-per-week flights between Winnipeg and London, Ont., on May 17. The airline is also expanding flights between Winnipeg and Cancun to year-round.

Police arrest 32 in exploitation sweep 

10:46 AM

Police arrested 32 men, including at least one who was 75 years old, in a joint sweep by the Winnipeg Police Service’s counter-exploitation unit and the RCMP human-trafficking unit.

The arrests were made in multiple locations in Winnipeg between Nov. 12 and Saturday. All the men were released on undertakings to appear in court at later dates. The youngest was 18.

Fifteen vehicles were seized under the Highway Traffic Act in the sweep, which “aimed to disrupt street-level and online sexual exploitation activities.”

Manitoba Justice’s criminal intelligence centre helped with the sweep.

“This operation reflects the continued commitment of Manitoba law enforcement to proactively combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking,” the release said.

Twenty-five people working in the sex trade were offered help, the WPS said in a news release Tuesday.

Police asked anyone with concerns about sexual exploitation to call the WPS unit at 204-986-3464, the RCMP unit at 431-335-5685, Winnipeg Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Manitoba Avenue house fire extinguished

9:55 AM

The cause of a fire in a multi-unit house on Manitoba Avenue is under investigation.

Crews were sent to the building on the 500 block shortly after 6:20 p.m. Monday and declared the fire under control 25 minutes later.

The City of Winnipeg’s emergency social services team was called in to help displaced residents.

Emergency alert test set for Wednesday

9:51 AM

An emergency alert test message will be sent Wednesday, the province’s Emergency Management Organization announced Tuesday.

The test will be sent to TV, radio and compatible wireless devices through the national public alerting system at 1:55 p.m.

Not everyone will receive the test alert on their mobile devices because of device compatibility, connection to an LTE network, cell-tower coverage, and device software and settings, the Manitoba government said.

Two hurt in Trans-Canada Highway crash near Falcon Lake

9:10 AM

Two drivers were hurt in a crash west of Falcon Lake on Monday.

Falcon Lake RCMP were sent to the two-vehicle collision on the Trans-Canada Highway at Falcon Creek Road shortly after 5:40 p.m.

One driver, a 68-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital by STARS ambulance. The other driver, a 40-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries.

The highway reopened early Tuesday. The collision is still under investigation.