Get past ‘wreckage’ by stepping up in mature way

Bombers offensive co-ordinator Condell takes accountability for loss to Elks

Tommy Condell isn’t about to throw his hands up in frustration. That’s simply not the way the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator is wired.

And while the state of the offence remains a source of consternation for many in the Bombers fan base, Condell continues to plug away at ensuring steps will be taken to raise the efficiency levels down the stretch.

The club appeared to have taken a significant step forward in that category last Friday, jumping out to a 16-0 lead in the second quarter that became a 10-point cushion at the half after the Edmonton Elks scored a late major.

Then came a head-scratching third quarter that featured a pair of two-and-outs for the visitors at Commonwealth Stadium in what eventually became a 22-19 defeat.

Winnipeg team behind national LGBT monument spent six years bringing it to fruition

The Winnipeg team behind a national monument recognizing the LGBT Purge were in Ottawa to celebrate its official unveiling Friday.

Thunderhead is the work of local artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, Liz Wreford and Peter Sampson of Public City Architecture, and knowledge keeper Albert McLeod, who served as cultural adviser for the project.

The team beat out 31 international submissions for the project, which is permanently located at 201 Wellington St. in Ottawa along the Ottawa River, in view of Parliament.

“We are a beacon internationally around the world of what democracies can do about inclusion, about human rights,” McLeod said.

Community rallies around family devastated by fire

Dennis Lafreniere and his wife didn’t expect to celebrate 27 years of marriage Thursday in a Selkirk hotel room while reeling from a recent house fire.

The couple and their two daughters lost their home last Sunday in a raging fire that left nothing behind, but overwhelming support from multiple communities has kept them afloat.

“It’s devastating when you don’t have any clothes, any medication, all of that stuff, and it’s just so overwhelming the next morning. It’s just nasty,” Lafreniere said.

Investigators suspect the fire was caused by a fridge, freezer and battery charger that were all plugged into the same electrical line that got overheated. The house, located on Highway 59 between Selkirk and Libau, is a farmhouse built in 1943, and investigators think worn-out electrical lines also contributed to the fire, said Lafreniere.

Ottawa to announce details of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. Tuesday

OTTAWA - The federal government is set to unveil details of Canada's retaliatory tariffs against the United States on Tuesday.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu and Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon are also expected to share details of supports for workers affected by tariffs.

Solomon is also the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Communities on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border have been affected by the ongoing trade war. 

Another downtown eatery bites the dust

Another longtime downtown Winnipeg restaurant has closed its doors, leaving another hole in the city’s core.

Rudy’s Eat & Drink announced on social media it was closing after 15 years in Manitoba Hydro Place but did not cite a reason.

“Cheers to the years of local beer, burger weeks, jets games, weddings, catering, stone soup week, DJ nights, charitable events and everything in between — we will hold these memories forever,” the post said. “The end of an era — but there’s always another chapter.”

General manager Mackenzie Robb declined to comment on the eatery’s closure. Rudy’s last day of service was on Friday.

Transit drivers increasingly in peril, but city kicks safety upgrades down the road

Winnipeg Transit drivers are being assaulted with alarming frequency, yet the city continues to move at a glacial pace on a simple measure that could make their jobs safer.