News briefs for Friday, June 19, 2026

167 watercraft inspected at invasive species ‘blitz’

4:43 PM

Almost 200 watercraft were inspected as part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s first aquatic invasive species roadside blitz in Manitoba.

A partnership with the provincial government, the blitz took place from May 29 to May 31 on Highway 1 near the Manitoba-Ontario border, said a news release from the fisheries department’s prairie region.

Of the 167 watercraft inspected, 99 were compliant, 68 failed and 14 required decontamination. Only one was found with zebra mussels.

According to the fisheries department, invasive aquatic species threaten freshwater ecosystems and infrastructure and anyone found violating legislation to prevent their spread may be subject to fines up to $100,000.

Manitoba Marathon road closures start Saturday morning

2:47 PM

Roads restrictions will be in place for parts of the city in preparation for the Manitoba Marathon starting Saturday morning.

Thousands of runners will vie for personal bests in Winnipeg on Sunday and the City is cautioning drivers about road closures as a result, said a city news release on Friday.

Chancellor Matheson Road between Research Way and University Crescent will be closed starting at 8 a.m. Saturday until 3 p.m. Sunday.

On Sunday, single lanes of traffic will be affected on many roads from 2 a.m. to 3 p.m.. This includes a closure of University Crescent between Chancellor Matheson Road and Pembina Highway and no access to eastbound Jubilee Avenue from Pembina Highway.

Due to changes in the marathon route, from Portage Avenue to Wellington Crescent, there will also be numerous partial closures along Wellington Crescent, said the release. See a map of the marathon route here.

Construction-related traffic closures will also continue on Pembina Highway and Abinojii Mikanah, with Winnipeg Transit rerouted as a result.

Winnipeggers are encouraged to follow @TransitAlerts online for route changes and to visit the city’s lane-closure map for more information.

Man arrested after indecent acts in RM of St. Andrews

1:25 PM

A man has been charged after he exposed himself to two women on two different occasions in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews.

Police say on Monday, a woman reported that a man in a white vehicle had stopped in front of her, and exposed himself the evening before, said Selkirk RCMP in a news release Friday.

On Tuesday the woman spotted the man parked in a church parking lot in the same vehicle. She took note of his appearance and licence plate, turning over the information to police, said RCMP.

Later that day, police got another report from a different victim reporting the man had exposed himself to her at a carwash in Selkirk. Police said the man left a wash bay, only to return, park in the bay next to the victim and exposed himself “several times” while she washed her car.

On Thursday, the Manitoba integrated high risk sex offender unit and RCMP located the 21-year-old suspect and placed him under arrest. He’s charged with two counts of an indecent act and has been released on conditions with a court date in August.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Mantario Trail officially reopened after 2025 wildfire season

12:33 PM

The provincial government has reopened the Mantario Trail after closing it more than one year ago due to wildfire damage.

Environment Minister Mike Moyes announced the reopening in a news release Friday, saying the 64 km trail in Whiteshell Provincial Park required significant restoration work.

The province closed the trail in May 2025, after a fire that began in Ingolf, Ont., spread into the Mantario Wilderness Zone. Manitoba Parks and the South Whiteshell Trail Association partnered to complete the restoration work.

A team of 23 volunteers collectively travelled nearly 2,000 kilometres by foot and paddle to clear the trail, portages and campsites, install 700 new trail markers, 12 log bridges and a climbing rope at the Rae Creek climb and establish a new 100-metre connection to the West Caribou Lake campsite, the release said.

Future improvements will include enhanced campsite amenities, signage and mapping, the province said.

City police to discuss officer-involved shooting

11:14 AM

Winnipeg police are scheduled to hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. to discuss an officer-involved shooting that happened Friday morning.

Chief Gene Bowers is scheduled to speak to reporters, a media advisory said.

The advisory did not state the location of the incident.

‘Serious incident’ probed

10:17 AM

Officers are investigating a “serious incident” that left part of Henry Avenue taped off Thursday.

Police were called to the 100 block of Henry, near Main Street, just before 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Witnesses at the scene said people were taken away in ambulance.

The Winnipeg Police Service provided few details Friday morning but said an investigation is ongoing. Public safety isn’t threatened, Const. Stephen Spencer wrote in a statement.

Associate chief judge for reconciliation to be appointed

8:35 AM

The Manitoba government is set to appoint its first-ever associate chief judge for reconciliation Friday morning.

Both Chief Judge Ryan Rolston and Judge Jerilee Ryle, of the Provincial Court of Manitoba, will be in attendance. Ryle is a member of Lake St. Martin First Nation.

The announcement will happening at the Manitoba Law Library in the courts at 11:30 a.m.