First live ‘murder hornet’ sighted near U.S.-Canada border, say scientists

Education minister’s reasons for revoking teacher’s licence ‘not good enough,’ judge decides

A Manitoba judge has rejected the education minister’s decision to end a teacher’s career because he repeatedly messaged with a 13-year-old girl on social media.

The plane truth about a dangerous president

U.S. President Donald Trump has crossed firmly into cutting-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face territory.

Artist’s inspired work brings Métis story back to Portage and Main

Jennine Krauchi calls them the “grandmothers.”

“They speak to you very silently. You never hear a word, but they speak,” Krauchi says, referring to the antique pieces of Métis needlework she’s carefully studied for years — a craft passed down across generations, with the pieces themselves sometimes serving as the instructive elders.

But there’s few precedents for her latest art project: a 85-foot-wide by 32-foot-high chain curtain of Métis needlework — teeming with wild flowers, infinity symbols, berries and other motifs paying tribute to Métis heritage and renewal — that drapes over the historic Bank of Montreal’s neoclassical facade.

That building, at 335 Main St., will soon bear another title: Red River Métis National Heritage Centre or La Plas Taanshi kaa-Ishipamachihoyaahk, its Michif name.

Assisted living could alleviate ‘bed block’

There is a severe shortage of public and non-profit rent-geared-to-income/services-geared-to-income assisted-living housing for older adults in Manitoba. Seniors assisted living is a form of housing that includes rent, food, laundry and cleaning services.

Presently, the provincial government almost exclusively relies on the private market to provide assisted-living housing for seniors. Monthly private-market assisted-living housing rent for seniors ranges from $3,000 to $6,000 per month. The total income for an individual older adult receiving old age security (OAS) and guaranteed income supplement (GIS) pensions is less than $2,000 per month.

It is clear that low- and fixed-income seniors are not able to afford private-market assisted-living housing, resulting in the premature entry of these older adults into long-term care homes because seniors assisted-living housing is not publicly subsidized, whereas long-term care facilities do provide income-based subsidies.

Low- and fixed-income seniors are also experiencing a food affordability crisis which is negatively impacting their health and well-being. An enhanced assisted-living housing program that includes congregate meals would play an important role in addressing this growing affordability problem, along with reducing social isolation and loneliness.

Premier tells grieving parents site of fatal collision under review

Premier Wab Kinew promised to pursue safety improvements at an Interlake intersection when he spoke to parents of some of the four teens who died in a crash at the site on the Labour Day weekend.

The collision at Highway 8 and Provincial Road 229, just west of Winnipeg Beach, prompted a review by Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, which is standard after a fatal crash, while some of the victims’ families and community leaders publicly called for changes.

“When you see the loss of these beautiful young lives, any parent, any Manitoban feels a sense of loss. On behalf of the whole province, I send my condolences to these families,” Kinew said in Winnipeg Wednesday.

“I did so directly earlier today, and I heard some of the parents’ suggestions for how we could make this safer for everybody. I committed to them that we’re going to take those actions — both stuff we can do relatively quickly and some longer-term fixes, as well.”