Quebec pastor and wife face assault charges for alleged corporal punishment

Assini Group seeks to bring more mining opportunities to 10 participating First Nations

A group of Treaty 5 First Nations have partnered to boost their role in mineral development.

“People want jobs. People want to work. People want to make a living,” said Chemawawin Cree Nation Chief Clarence Easter. He’s also president of the Assini Group.

The company, which incorporated in 2015, encompasses 10 First Nations spanning northern Manitoba. The Assini Group hasn’t inked many deals with other firms.

However, as the provincial government aims to triple mining in five years, Assini Group leads are ramping up operations.

Campaign blunder: Klein features wrong city in election video

A paid ad from mayoral candidate Kevin Klein on his commitment to Winnipeg has been pulled after commenters noticed one small error: the footage used in the ad was actually of Edmonton.

New twist in Hellebuyck saga, suspension ends Friday

Connor Hellebuyck has played the reverse Uno card. What we don’t know is if he has any intention of coming back to friendly Manitoba or if this is simply the latest attempt to put the Winnipeg Jets' feet to the flames in an effort to move him to an American market.

Empty desks: Advocates talk chronic school absenteeism

Concerned that school and government leaders are downplaying the state of student absenteeism, community organizers are strategizing to create urgency around who’s regularly missing class — and why — in Winnipeg.

The inaugural Youth at Risk in Winnipeg Symposium, held over the weekend at the Canadian Mennonite University, drew roughly 100 people to discuss barriers to attendance and brainstorm ways to remove them.

Nearly 20 years after he began calling attention to the issue, first as a volunteer with the Point Douglas Residents Committee, Sel Burrows gave an impassioned speech about the lack of political will to take meaningful action to help students from “dysfunctional homes.”

“I’ve dealt with nine cabinet ministers, Conservative and NDP, and five deputy ministers, and the issue has not gotten any better,” Burrows told teachers, reseachers and community support workers gathered Saturday on CMU’s Shaftesbury campus.

Quebec pastor, wife arrested for assaults

LONGUEUIL, Que. - Police have arrested a pastor from suburban Montreal and his wife on charges that over a 45-year period they used corporal punishment on children and encouraged their followers to do the same.

Mario Monette and Carole Van Houtte, both aged 65, are scheduled to appear in court Friday.

They face 32 charges each, including assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, threats, kidnapping and incitement to commit an indictable offence.

Longueuil police say their investigation began in February 2018 after two alleged victims complained about the couple's actions.

Salvation Army calls on Winnipeggers to donate merchandise as sales soar

The Salvation Army is taking donated merchandise from other regions to stock its Winnipeg thrift stores as increasing sales outpace local donations.

Retail activity at the charity’s eight Winnipeg locations grew more than 10 per cent year over year during several months, from January through April, and again in June.

Although local donations remain strong, they haven’t kept pace with demand, prompting the organization to supplement inventory with merchandise from elsewhere.

Ted Troughton, managing director of the Salvation Army’s thrift store operations, said rising living costs are bringing in new customers.