Pulled ’60 Minutes’ segment surfaces on web with Canadian broadcaster’s branding

PCs say Hutterite colonies singled out by Bill 21

SOURIS — Members of Hutterite colonies in the province took aim at the NDP government’s proposed changes to drinking water legislation during a public meeting Thursday in Souris.

The meeting was hosted by Progressive Conservative MLA Colleen Robbins (Spruce Woods) to hear from rural residents about their concerns over Bill 21, which the government says will improve oversight on wells and other water systems in the province.

“There’s not enough clarity, but I feel that the overreach that this bill will bring is not clearly defined, and it could have a lot of negative consequences,” attendee Gilbert Hofer, a member of Green Acres colony near Wawanesa, said after the meeting, which drew about 20 people.

The legislation would allow public health officers to designate the type of water source based on its intended use, water quality and use duration rather than solely the number of connections it has.

Men’s recovery home dedicated to ‘homeless hero’ Faron Hall’s memory

Faron Hall never got the chance to begin recovery. Once heralded as Winnipeg’s “homeless hero” after twice plunging into the Red River to save strangers from drowning, Hall told St. Boniface Street Links executive director Marion Willis shortly before his death in 2014 that he wanted help for his alcoholism.

Development turning long-vacant gas station in Selkirk into commercial hub

A plot of land that has sat vacant in Selkirk for 30 years is being redeveloped to host new businesses in the heart of the city.

The former gas station site on Main Street — between Rosser and Pacific avenues — will be turned into a commercial hub that will be home to six local businesses, and will be a big stepping stone for economic growth in Selkirk, Mayor Larry Johannson said Thursday.

“For decades this site has been a reminder of what once was. Today, it represents what is possible when investors see the potential of our community and choose to be a part of its future,” he said in a news release announcing the project and Thursday’s groundbreaking.

“This development reflects confidence in Selkirk, our economy and the direction we are heading.”

Sea Bears staff a who’s who of hustlers in the hoops community

Ilarion Bonhomme was admittedly surprised when he got the call.

Not because he wasn’t confident in his ability to take the next step, but because he knew there were so many other qualified options.

On the other side of the line was newly minted Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Raimbault, offering the young coach a spot on his staff for this summer and Bonhomme a full-time opportunity to work with professionals.

“Surprised me, yes, because obviously he’s got such a huge coaching network and he had so much conversation with so many coaches,” Bonhomme said. “For him to kind of pick me to be part of it, yeah, I was surprised and, like I said, super excited.”

Safety upgrades at Whiteshell park to begin soon

Construction on safety improvements at a site where two boys drowned in Whiteshell Provincial Park will soon get underway.

The improvements, which include new barriers and fenced lookouts, signage and a new portage for kayakers and canoeists at Sturgeon Falls, was promised by the province after the deaths of brothers Maximo Au Ramirez, 10, and Aaron Au Ramirez, 13, who went missing in Nutimik Lake on July 18.

The province said in a news release Friday the upgrades would begin shortly.

“We have a responsibility to do everything we can to make this site safer and to prevent another family from going through this kind of heartbreak,” said Environment Minister Mike Moyes in the release. “These measures will make the Sturgeon Falls area safer and ensure that Manitobans and visitors are protected when the area reopens.”