‘Perfect storm’ leaves WSO $1.3M in debt

Gov. Gen. Arbour embarks on first official visit to Manitoba

Arbour’s three-day stop in Winnipeg and Gimli will focus on activities related to civil engagement, youth and reconciliation

Amazon in the weeds over damage to tall grass reserve

Patricia Dutchak was devastated when she first saw the wide swaths of crushed grass and upturned soil at Winnipeg’s Rotary Prairie Nature Park, a municipal heritage site.

“This is a very rare ecosystem, a remnant of tall grass prairie, there’s barely any left in the world, and to come here and see all this damage was heartbreaking,” Dutchak, chair of the Transcona Rotary Club’s parks committee, says.

The club is responsible for maintaining the protected green space, which was significantly damaged this summer when a fence between the park and the neighbouring Amazon distribution centre was relocated.

The 20-acre nature preserve is situated on a narrow tract of land on Regent Avenue West in the commercial heart of Transcona. The park received its municipal heritage designation in 1992 and is, today, surrounded by high-traffic streets, industrial warehouses and car dealerships.

Infill development on minds of all three River Heights-Fort Garry candidates

A trio of candidates will compete to become the first new city councillor in River Heights-Fort Garry since 2009.

Coun. John Orlikow, who won the seat in a byelection, is not running for another term.

Georgina Sabesky, who served as Orlikow’s executive assistant for 17 years, is now one of the candidates vying for the council seat.

Sabesky said that job gave her ample knowledge of the ward.

Police seize cocaine valued at $1.5M, about $750K in cash in raid on St. Vital house

A St. Vital homeowner and her husband were going about their business during an afternoon last month when police officers in tactical gear suddenly appeared, walking across their front lawn.

The target was a few doors down: a maroon bi-level home on a quiet stretch of Satinwood Place, within earshot of children playing outside at a nearby school.

The homeowner, who asked not to be named to protect their privacy, said the police presence caught the couple by surprise in the Southglen neighbourhood, where they weren’t accustomed to seeing that kind of activity.

“We never heard the (police) cars pull up, but there were cars blocking the entrance to the street from both sides,” said the neighbour. “They had a shield, a battering ram — everything. Just not used to seeing that.”

‘Perfect storm’ leaves WSO $1.3M in debt

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra is calling for government and public support after posting an “extremely concerning” financial deficit following its 75th season.

During the organization’s annual general meeting on Monday, board members announced a $1.3-million deficit for the 2022-23 season, owing to a drop in ticket revenue and the end of pandemic-era government support programs.

While the symphony managed to offset the deficit in its entirety through a reserve fund of federal rent and wage subsidies, the organization has said it’s facing a strained financial future.

“(The WSO) will be challenged to break even in this fiscal year,” board treasurer Jon Kliewer said in a media release. “Management and staff are dedicated to achieving a sustainable business model over time but will need substantial increased revenues to bridge this and the next two years.”