Italian beach establishments close umbrellas briefly to protest long-delayed liberalization plans

Growing pains? Maybe, but it’s worth it

With Winnipeg’s free youth transit pass rolling out this month, the city should expect more young people to use the bus.

This is not a flaw in the program. It is one of the key benefits. I have spent more than a decade working on youth transit in Kingston, Ont., and more recently with communities across Canada. The lesson I keep coming back to is simple: when young people are given the chance to learn transit — use it and see it as a normal part of life — they become more confident riders. Over time, many become paying riders, too.

Even so, operational costs are a valid consideration. Winnipeg Transit runs a real system with real limits. Buses fill up. And if full buses are consistently passing people by, that hurts everyone.

The city knows this and is responding accordingly. September’s rollout will be staggered to give Transit a chance to watch where demand appears and then adjust. According to the Winnipeg School Division, older students are expected to receive passes first, with other grades following through September. This is specifically to give the system more room to adapt.

Wiseman leans on pro experience

Todd Wiseman knows what pressure feels like in a sporting arena.

The Port Moody, B.C. resident faced it every summer across an eight-year playing career as a defensive back in the Canadian Football League with the B.C. Lions, Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Wiseman, who switched from knocking down passes to knocking down birdies after the 1994 season, is feeling a different kind of weight this week in the Canadian senior men’s championship at Niakwa Country Club, but has managed it well through two rounds.

Wiseman turned in a rather clean three-under 69 on Wednesday, his two bogeys outweighed by five birdies, to grab a share of the lead in the 55-plus national event. Wiseman tied a single-round tournament low to share the 36-hole lead with Winnipegger David White and America’s top-ranked senior amateur Bryan Hoops.

All quiet on the Hellebuyck front

Pull up a chair, folks, as we address the elephant in the room. Or, to be more precise, the decorated goaltender who is not in the room. Or on the ice. Or even in the city.

Not surprisingly, the Connor Hellebuyck situation took centre stage Tuesday as members of the Winnipeg Jets held their first media session following an informal, pre-training camp skate.

“We’re definitely going to get asked about it. That’s no chirp to anybody. I think that’s just the reality of the situation,” admitted veteran defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who took part in an hour-long practice at Hockey For All Centre that involved nearly every member of the organization.

With one very notable exception, of course.

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The new moon is in Virgo.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Discussions with partners and close friends will intensify in the next few weeks and financial discussions will favour you. In fact, money might come your way. The new moon is perfect for making resolutions to improve your health.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Councillors say Main Street Project scuttles other agency’s efforts to house homeless

A Winnipeg outreach agency that’s been largely shut out of government funding says it has found housing for more people in the last five months than Manitoba’s homeless strategy that began last year.

Flash, bang … oops: police raid leads to lawsuit

A couple suing the city allege Winnipeg Police Service officers trying to execute a search warrant at their condominium complex rappelled down the side of the building, broke in their glass patio door and fired off a stun grenade before realizing they were in the wrong unit.

Saeid Ghavami and Shahla Shojaei, a married couple who are academics and scientific researchers at the University of Manitoba, filed the lawsuit in Court of King’s Bench last month over the Jan. 31, 2025 incident.

The claim names the City of Winnipeg and several officers involved in the operation, whose identities are, at this point, unknown to the couple, and are referred to as “John Does.”

Officers were attempting to execute the warrant on the third floor of the eight-storey Pembina Highway building, the court filing says. The couple lives on the fourth floor.