News briefs for Monday, May 11, 2026

Manitoba firefighters off to battle Minn. blazes

6:26 PM

A year after Minnesota firefighters stepped up to help Manitoba battle wildfires, the province is returning the favour.

“You are there for us, we will be there for you,” Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie said during question period Monday.

Two five-person crews from Manitoba travelled to the neighbouring U.S. state Saturday, a government spokesperson said.

Bushie said the help is part of the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact.

The mutual aid agreement between Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Manitoba, and Ontario was established to share firefighting resources, equipment, and personnel across international borders. It enables rapid cross-border deployment of crews and water bombers to combat severe wildfires.

More than 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres) of land were burned by more than 445 fires in 2025.

“We, unfortunately, last year had a devastating wildfire season,” Bushie said.

Manitoba has sent personnel to Minnesota, not aircraft or equipment, a government spokesman clarified.

Red River Metis election set for June 23

4:59 PM

An election date has been set for the Red River Metis to select a new president and cabinet. 

The election will take place on June 23, said David Gray, the Manitoba Metis Federation’s chief electoral officer in a Monday news release.

It will decide who will fill 22 open positions.

They include MMF president, regional vice presidents and regional executive officers.

Nominations are open until May 25 at 5 p.m. 

Police look to identify attempted home invasion suspect

3:22 PM

Winnipeg police are trying to identify a woman accused of pretending to be a police officer as she tried to barge into a home in River Park South early last month.

The Winnipeg Police Service said a woman, whose identity is not yet known, went to a home on the 100 block of Alburg Drive at about 8:45 a.m. on April 2. She told the homeowner she was a police officer and pushed her way past as she attempted to get inside and steal something from the front entryway, police said.

She did not get inside and no one was hurt. The woman drove off in an older model grey or silver Chevrolet Cobalt. The woman’s vehicle was followed by someone else driving a blue Hyundai Palisade, police said.

Police released a photo of the suspect, along with photos of the vehicles.

Major crimes detectives are looking into the attempted home invasion and have asked anyone with potentially relevant video footage, including from security or dash cameras or cell phones, to call their office at 204-986-6219. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8677 or go online. 

City to flush out water mains

12:51 PM

The city will be flushing water mains in southeast Winnipeg starting this week.

Crews will begin the annual work, which helps preserve water quality, on Wednesday.

Flushing allows the city to test the system and ensure it’s working well, a news release stated.

Crews will first flush water mains in St. Boniface, then continue in other areas until the end of August.

Affected residents will receive a notice two to four days before flushing begins on their street. A live map at wfp.to/watermains also displays that information.

RCMP investigating fatal hit-and-run in Pimicikamak 

12:03 PM

RCMP are investigating a hit-and-run collision in Pimicikamak Cree Nation that killed a 43-year-old man early on Saturday.

Cross Lake RCMP were called to Island Park Drive, near Beardy’s Point, in the northern First Nation just after 12:30 a.m., where witnesses told officers a vehicle had struck a pedestrian.

Local paramedics rushed the man to the community’s nursing station, where he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses told Mounties that a pickup truck had hit the man and then left the scene.

RCMP ask anyone with information on the collision or who may have witnessed it to call Mounties at 204-676-2600.

Beetlejuice musical coming to concert hall

10:39 AM

Broadway Across Canada is bringing the Tony-nominated musical Beetlejuice, based on Tim Burton’s beloved film of the same name, to the Centennial Concert Hall Jan. 29-31, 2027.

This musical comedy, featuring music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect and book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, tells the story of Lydia Deetz, an unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. It includes such numbers as Say My Name and The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing.

Group tickets (10 or more) go on sale today at Canada.Groups@BroadwayAcrossCanada.ca or by calling 1-800-889.8457. Single tickets will go on sale in fall of this year.

Winnipeg firefighters called to four fires Sunday evening, early Monday

10:19 AM

Winnipeg firefighters were kept busy with four fires Sunday evening through early Monday.

The first call came in at 6:15 p.m., when Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews raced to a fire on a balcony on a three-storey mixed-use commercial and residential building on the 600 block of Notre Dame Avenue.

Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading and quickly put the fire out. The fire appears to have been sparked by someone disposing of a cigarette.

Just before 11:20 p.m., crews were called to a rooming house on the 600 block of Spence Street, where they were forced out of the building due to poor conditions. Firefighters fought the fire from the outside until they were able to get back inside and extinguish the blaze by 12:20 a.m. No residents were hurt.

At about 3:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters responded to an alarm at a four-storey apartment on Guy Savoie Drive, where they found smoke in the building, but discovered that the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished a fire in a suite. Crews made sure the fire was out before leaving.

Then just before 5:30 a.m., crews were called to a four-storey apartment on the 2500 block of Waverley Street, where they again found smoke and discovered the sprinkler system had put out a fire. Firefighters double-checked the fire was out and ventilated smoke out of the building. The fire was contained to one suite, but neighbouring suites were damaged by water from the sprinklers.