Teacher went extra mile for his kids

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.

Teacher went extra mile for his kids

Beloved teacher Nicholas White will be honoured by students and colleagues at Wanipigow school on Hollow Water Reserve next month.

The 59-year-old accidentally drowned at Otter Falls in Whiteshell Provincial Park in late July.

"He was always happy, he had wonderful ideas," said student Dakota Bruneau. "He gave us second chances when maybe we didn't deserve them."

White had been swimming with his wife, Debbie, when he was overpowered by the strong current and went underwater.

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.

A bad trade deal in virtually all ways

You can’t fix stupid. And you can’t sign a contract — or a trade deal — with a proven liar, cheat and blackmailer. And sometimes, you end up having to fight.

Taxpayers federation pushes for continued federal gas tax holiday

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the prime minister to extend the 10-cent per litre gas tax holiday, set to end on Labour Day.

“We’ve done polling that shows a majority of Canadians from across the country oppose the tax coming back on at the pumps,” said Gage Haubrich, Prairie director of the non-profit advocacy group in front of the Manitoba legislature Tuesday.

Those polled in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were more opposed to the return of the federal gas tax than anywhere else in Canada, he said.

Haubrich said the group was also asking Premier Wab Kinew to “follow in the steps of (Ontario) Premier Doug Ford and send a letter to the prime minister calling on him to extend the gas tax cut as well.”

Thirteen accused in gun, drug trafficking network in rural Manitoba

RCMP and Winkler police have arrested more than a dozen people allegedly connected to a drug-and-gun trafficking network that operated in rural Manitoba.

The joint investigation began in December 2024, when officers from the Winkler Police Service asked the Mounties for help after learning kilograms of cocaine were being imported to a Winkler-area truck repair business, said RCMP Supt. Jeff Asmundson, who oversees the force’s Manitoba integrated law enforcement team.

Mounties and Winkler police gathered evidence for 19 months and expanded the probe, dubbed Project Dolor, as investigators learned other types of illicit substances and firearms were being trafficked by the network in a number of southern Manitoba communities, said Asmundson, whose team investigates serious and organized crime.

“It started as a cocaine trafficking investigation, and obviously, as we move along in a project or a file, evidence is gathered and an opportunity arose and we wanted to ensure public safety,” he told reporters Tuesday. “We were able to secure some firearms.”