Privacy czar concerned about students’ personal info as scope of data breach revealed

Selkirk physiotherapist Pachal looks to finish strong at Natural Strongman Worlds

Over 250 competitors from 20 countries will descend on Paisley, Scotland, this week for the Natural Strongman Worlds. There the athletes will meet personal goals, test their endurance over a multiple-day event, and a winner from both the men’s and women’s division will be crowned the fittest of them all.

Selkirk’s own Tom Pachal will be competing in the under 80-kilogram weight class. Pachal has been surrounded by the fitness lifestyle his whole career, multitasking as a physiotherapist and owning the Iron Image Barbell Club in Selkirk.

“I’m very involved in the health, wellness, fitness, (and) rehabilitation community. I love being an overall active person and helping others,” Pachal said.

Starting off as a power lifter, Pachal was excited to transition over to the Strongman competitions, something that was less repetitive and more unpredictable.

U.S. tariffs pause elicits relief, frustration in Manitoba

Fifty per cent tariffs weren’t the only thing paused in the Canada-U.S. trade dispute.

Privacy czar concerned about students’ personal info as scope of data breach revealed

The federal privacy watchdog says he's "concerned" about a cybersecurity breach involving a student information system used across Canada, as the country's largest school board revealed the scope of the data that may have been stolen last month.

The Toronto District School Board told parents and guardians in an email Monday that its students' birthdays, addresses, health card numbers, emergency contacts and some medical information stored since September 2017 may have been included in the data breach involving the PowerSchool platform.

Certain "historical student information" – including health card numbers and home addresses – from September 1985 through August 2017 was also compromised, the school board said.

Privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne said in a statement on Monday that his office is in touch with the U.S.-based PowerSchool, which provides the affected software to schools across North America.

Pre-owned sets seller Romo’s Bricks seeks to click with Winnipeg’s Lego community

There’s no mortar in sight but there are certainly thousands of bricks at a new brick-and-mortar store in Winnipeg catering to Lego enthusiasts.

Ashton Romaniuk and Madison Froome opened Romo’s Bricks in late spring. Located at 955 Milt Stegall Dr., in the same building as CanCentral Sports Cards & Memorabilia, the store specializes in selling pre-owned Lego sets, minifigures and other Lego-related products.

“It’s something we’re both passionate about,” Froome said.

To stock the store, she and Romaniuk spent $50,000 on four large Lego collections, purchased from local collectors. Romaniuk estimates that since the store opened on June 2, inventory has grown to $250,000 worth of Lego.

Low-income residents of 114-year-old downtown block staggered by proposed rent hikes

Marcel Blanchette’s life has not travelled down a smooth road.

In 2014, he was violently assaulted in his home, an unprovoked attack that left him with severe injuries, including permanent brain damage. He underwent months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. During that time, he learned his possessions had been sold off when the Office of The Public Guardian and Trustee took over his affairs.

Twelve years later, he finds himself in another fight. This time, it comes in the form of a proposal from the new owners of the Conway Court apartment block that would nearly double his monthly rent. While he’s been able to live in the Kennedy Street unit with the support of disability income assistance for nearly five years, the sudden spike, he said, could leave him homeless.

“To go through that, and now I’m going through this, it’s another obstacle,” Blanchette told the Free Press. “I fought the Public Guardian and Trustee, and I’ll fight this too, with whatever I have.”

Somali refugee admits he helped to smuggle African migrants into Manitoba for money

A Somali refugee who was twice caught by RCMP assisting in the smuggling of desperate African migrants into Manitoba during the frigid winter — including while out on bail, months after he was first arrested with eight foreign nationals in his vehicle — has admitted he did so for money.