Wicked lottery

Water-bus service relaunches with bigger boat

After staying docked last summer, the water-bus service stationed at The Forks is once again ferrying people up and down the Red and Assiniboine rivers.

What's Up: Tattoo Convention, Nikki Glaser, Ag Fair, Menno Simone drag show, Ami Cheon album release

Winnipeg Tattoo ConventionRed River Exhibition Park, 3977 Portage Ave.Friday, 3-11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.Tickets: $30 plus taxes at wfp.to/iRwThe air will be filled with the buzz of needle guns as over 250 artists gather at Red River Exhibition Park this weekend for the eighth annual Winnipeg Tattoo Convention.

Whether you’ve been toying with the idea of your first ink or are looking to add to your collection, the three-day event is sure to inspire and excite tattoo enthusiasts and the tattoo-curious. Artists from around the world will be convening at the show — bring your best custom art or choose from pre-drawn designs and go under the needle.

Many of the artists are taking bookings for the weekend in advance — it’s recommended you check out winnipegtattooconvention.com to see their work and whether they’re able to fit you in. Alternatively, some artists will be taking appointments on the spot.

The Winnipeg Tattoo Convention has plenty going on beyond getting inked, including a beer garden, merchandise, a market, food trucks and live music (including Sol James, Jamie Buckboro, Jess Rae, Curtis Newton and Norah Erickson).

Mayoral race lineup grows to 10 candidates

An electrical contractor has become the 10th candidate to register for the race to become Winnipeg’s next mayor.

Zac Uminski has thrown his name into the competition, after Scott Gillingham signed up to seek re-election as mayor and eight other candidates previously registered.

The father of four said concern about homelessness and addictions sparked his interest in politics.

“My campaign will focus on practical solutions to improve public safety, support families and strengthen the city services,” Uminski said. “We need safer communities.”

Canad Inns puts Portage Avenue hotel, MET, office building ‘connected campus’ up for sale

Downtown entrepreneurs are watching with wary eyes as a prominent hotel and event centre hits the market.

Drunk driver who killed cycling couple, orphaned their infant daughter, sentenced to eight years

A Winnipeg man responsible for a drunk-driving crash that killed two cyclists last summer and left their infant child an orphan has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Kuldeep Singh Gill was arrested Sept. 13 after fleeing from a high-speed collision on Kenaston Boulevard that killed 31-year-old Egor Popov and his 25-year-old common-law partner Kerry Ashley Bonner.

Gill, 46, pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of failing to stop at the scene of a collision.

Gill, who has a prior conviction for impaired driving, made a conscious decision to drive drunk, knowing it made him a danger on the road, provincial court Judge David Ireland said at a sentencing hearing Tuesday.

Once hailed as sign of strong bond, U.S. consulate in Winnipeg to close

There was much fanfare when the U.S. government re-established a permanent presence in Winnipeg in April 2001 as it unveiled its consulate and hailed it as a major achievement between two friendly nations.

“It is testimony not only to the importance the U.S. government attaches to our bilateral relationship with Canada but also to the increasing prominence of Winnipeg, Manitoba and the western region of the country in bilateral and multilateral affairs,” said U.S. Ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin at a ceremony with then-premier Gary Doer.

Fast-forward to this week when it was learned the office at Portage and Main is set to close, meaning the U.S. will lose its primary advocate for American business and trade interests in Manitoba.

Dwight MacAulay was chief of protocol for the Manitoba government in 2001, calling it a time of celebration and strength between the countries.