Returned-gift tiff may be blessing in disguise

Gillingham promises to make north Main revitalization a second-term priority

Scott Gillingham says he will work to “reset and renew” north Main Street, if he wins a second term as mayor.

The incumbent candidate promised Tuesday to devise a long-term plan to rejuvenate that section of the thoroughfare, noting it has recently suffered from decay.

“It has a rich history, a deep and proud history. But the last couple of years, to say it’s been underperforming would be an understatement…. So many stretches of Main Street here, I see derelict buildings, boarded-up businesses, piles of rubble after fires that sit waiting to be cleaned up,” Gillingham said.

“We can disrupt what is going on and turn the tide on north Main Street.”

‘Extremely disappointed’: hunters being turned away near Bloodvein First Nation, Manitoba Wildlife Federation says

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation says hunters are again being refused access to land near Bloodvein River First Nation, a year after leadership told court it would let them through.

The senior policy adviser for the Manitoba Wildlife Federation said he’s had five reports of hunters being turned away at a checkstop the First Nation set up last year to stop the flow of drugs and alcohol into the community.

“(Checkstop officers) said they’re not allowing hunters through,” Chris Heald said. “They made that clear, and that was the end of it. This is just a rinse and repeat of last year.”

The wildlife federation took the First Nation to court last year after several hunters were refused access to Crown land during hunting season. The federation argued the checkpoint was unlawful and impedes access to hunters, who have the right to be there under the province’s Wildlife Act.

Councillor facing sex charges running for re-election

A Winnipeg city councillor who faces sexual assault charges says he is running for re-election.

A day before Tuesday’s deadline, Russ Wyatt registered to run in the Transcona ward where he has served five terms and to which he was first elected in 2002.

“After much reflection, I have decided to stand for re-election in the Winnipeg municipal election,” Wyatt said in a statement Monday.

“Time and time again, I have stood up to the powers that be, and they would love to get rid of me. But I see the mess this city is in today, with the disastrous new bus routes, ever rising water bills, developer largesse, and poverty in our streets,” he said.

Manitoba budget reveals province underspent on crucial departments related to justice, public safety

While concerns about homelessness and public safety continue to make headlines in Manitoba, the two government departments mainly responsible for addressing them came in under budget last year.

The 2025-26 public accounts, released Monday, show Housing, Addictions and Homelessness underspent its budget of $869 million by $18 million. Manitoba Justice underspent its budget of $994 million by $34 million.

The 247-page public accounts report attributes the underspending in justice mainly to “reduced impacts of contingency liabilities,” such as a court ruling or legal settlement.

The report did not explain how and why Housing, Addictions and Homelessness underspent its budget last year as the province addresses those critical issues.

Door-knocking trustee candidate calls for changes to expansive boundaries

John Baert wants all the school trustee candidates who follow in his footsteps to have far less ground to cover.

The Island Lakes father said he was, in retrospect, “naive” when he launched his campaign in the Louis Riel School Division.

“When I started knocking on doors, I had a goal to hit every single door in the ward,” said the nominee for Ward 4, which encompasses Royalwood, Southdale, Sage Creek and Island Lakes.

More than one million steps later — Baert’s Garmin watch has been tracking his canvassing efforts on evenings and weekends since mid-July — he is about 60 per cent of the way to his goal.

Safety officers responded to three assaults in first 4 1/2 months at downtown Hydro HQ

Manitoba Hydro Place beefed up its security after an employee was assaulted in the main-floor gallery while leaving work in January leading the Crown corporation to close the building to the public for several weeks while it hired and trained institutional safety officers.