Lauded graphic novel coming to book club

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions from 1:30 p.m. until 3:15 p.m. today. After that, the moon moves from Leo into Virgo.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

This is a solid day for you because you’re motivated to work and accomplish something. (This is half the battle. Motivation is everything.) Roll up your sleeves and dig in. Talk to co-workers and friends. Be of service if you can.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Gillingham to push for new crisis response model at EPC

Mayor Scott Gillingham’s proposal to overhaul the city’s crisis-response system to try to divert thousands of calls away from police, firefighter and paramedic response, will be presented to council’s inner circle next week.

The model, described as a “fourth crisis response pathway,” would transfer 911 calls that are non-violent in nature to citywide crisis response teams. Potentially, 10,000 calls could be removed from police, fire and paramedic response, Gillingham said during the July 28 announcement.

Gillingham is set to present his idea to city council’s executive policy committee Tuesday. His motion asks that the city adopt the crisis response model, in part through a “partnership framework” with the provincial government.

The motion notes the partnership would “support a co-ordinated whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach to implementation, recognizing that sustainable crisis response reform cannot be achieved by any single organization, sector, or order of government acting alone.”

Governments chip in for housing at Portage Place, Market Lands, other city locations

A new government partnership will aim to speed up home construction, largely in downtown Winnipeg, with a goal to produce at least 740 affordable housing units.

The Build Canada Homes partnership, funded by the governments of Canada, Manitoba and Winnipeg, will support at least 821 housing units. The vast majority (811) will be in Winnipeg, while the rest will be added in Swan River.

Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson said the partnership will tackle substantial housing needs in Manitoba, at a time home prices are out of reach for many Canadians.

“Far too many people (are) sleeping outside, sleeping rough, unsheltered. Far too many people … can’t find a home they can afford,” said Robertson.

Ottawa renews commitment, provides funding, for Lake Winnipeg watershed protection

The federal government has renewed its memorandum of understanding with the province to protect the Lake Winnipeg watershed and is contributing more than $2 million for several projects to protect the basin.

Ottawa and the province have agreed to extend the current MOU for an additional five-year term, to August 21, 2031. The understanding has been in place since 2010.

“Lake Winnipeg is not only an environmental treasure, it’s also an economic treasure. But we also know that Lake Winnipeg is under pressure. Too many nutrients, particularly phosphorus, are entering the lake, contributing to harmful algae blooms and affecting water quality and ecosystem health,” said Terry Duguid, MP for Winnipeg South.

Lake Winnipeg is one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world and its watershed spans parts of four provinces and four American states. It is vulnerable to high levels of nutrients caused by agricultural runoff, sewage and other contaminants that create large algae blooms and affect fisheries.

Letters, Sept. 9

As River Heights residents caught in a swath of rain and wind on Sunday evening, we survived 10 hours with no power after a big boom and an electric arc favoured us with a strike in our back lane. So far, we have had two brief additional outages (Monday) and in the early hours of (Tuesday) morning. This doesn’t begin to compare with the damage on Mathers Avenue, which is still under repair.

All quiet on the Hellebuyck front

Pull up a chair, folks, as we address the elephant in the room. Or, to be more precise, the decorated goaltender who is not in the room. Or on the ice. Or even in the city.

Not surprisingly, the Connor Hellebuyck situation took centre stage Tuesday as members of the Winnipeg Jets held their first media session following an informal, pre-training camp skate.

“We’re definitely going to get asked about it. That’s no chirp to anybody. I think that’s just the reality of the situation,” admitted veteran defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who took part in an hour-long practice at Hockey For All Centre that involved nearly every member of the organization.

With one very notable exception, of course.