INTERACTIVE MAP: Where to eat — or avoid — in Winnipeg

Caretaker of canines: Clinic helpers keep dogs calm during blood donations

Animal lover Sophie Ethier was looking for a volunteer role when she came across an appeal for donor clinic volunteers at the Canadian Animal Blood Bank and was immediately drawn to the cause.

She’s been volunteering regularly since the summer, taking on three-hour shifts at one of the many collection clinics around the city.

A typical shift starts with a canine meet-and-greet before Ether collects pre-donation health information and weighs the dog. Then, if the donor is a new one, a regional veterinary technologist will collect blood samples to identify blood type.

Dogs, like humans, have different blood types, Ethier points out. Canine blood falls into either DEA (Dog Erythrocyte Antigen) 1 negative or positive. Only 40 per cent of dogs have type DEA 1 negative and can only receive negative blood.

B.C. Conservative’s Lorne Doerkson sets out urgent priorities to govern

VANCOUVER - British Columbia's premier-designate Lorne Doerkson's long to-do list includes lowering taxes, while reviewing the provincial finances, working with Alberta and the federal government on the proposed Pacific Link pipeline and repealing Indigenous legislation.

Doerkson laid out his priorities at a news conference Sunday, just hours after his party was elected with about two-thirds of the province's 93 seats in the legislature.

He said he has spoken to the lieutenant-governor and named Kim Henderson, a former deputy to the premier to previous Liberal governments, to lead his transition team.

"We are going to do this properly, and we are going to do it with obviously some urgency," he said. "When this government is sworn in, it will be ready on Day 1, and it will hit the ground running."

Trump says he expects trade war with Canada to end ‘pretty soon’

U.S. President Donald Trump says he expects his constantly evolving trade war with Canada to end "pretty soon" despite formal trade negotiations not resuming since they fell apart in August.

‘Exciting’ turn for mayoral candidate Noah Redden as election race enters final stretch

A small but steady stream of voters arrived at a Portage Avenue diner Sunday to meet Noah Redden, just two days after a new poll suggested the 27-year-old has emerged as a player in Winnipeg’s race for mayor.

Once a low-polling candidate, the software developer is now in third place with 14 per cent support, tied with candidate Mike Vogiatzakis, an Abacus Data survey released Friday shows.

Incumbent Scott Gillingham remains in the lead with the support of 36 per cent of decided voters — 19 percentage points lower than a September survey conducted by Abacus for the Free Press.

The new data placed former city councillor and Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Kevin Klein in second place with 19 per cent support — a drop of four percentage points since September.

Children’s story a gift from late grandfather to grandchildren as a way to remember him

Brian Bell had always wanted to write a book.

Certainly, the late Manitoba Crown attorney would have had stories, having taken on some of the province’s most notorious cases.

But the story he ended up writing was the story of his heart.

Grampie’s Heart, a children’s book written by grandfather to grandchildren, was self-published posthumously after Bell died from pancreatic cancer in January. He was 66.