Winnipeg’s not a ‘war zone,’ police chief says about troubling crime stats

Winnipeg’s police chief tried to quell people’s fear, saying the city is not a “war zone,” after the service’s annual report for 2022 showed violent crime was the worst in 13 years.

“I never want to minimize victims of crime, particularly violent crime… One thing that I think is important… we’re doing a report today where we released aggregate data, that makes the whole city seem like it’s a war zone — it isn’t,” said Danny Smyth, about the department’s 2022 annual report.

The report shows drastic increases in overall crime, property and violent offences year over year, while drug, traffic and other offences, such as administrative court breaches, had dropped.

Fifty-three people were slain in Winnipeg in 2022, making it the deadliest year on record. The previous record was 44, in 2019.

Activist ‘quite angry’ about likely demolition of seized Point Douglas homes

A community activist is criticizing the province’s redevelopment plan for homes seized in Point Douglas, saying the government should rejig the plan so it creates housing for people more deeply in need.

Mount Carmel Clinic new nest for Thunderwing

Mount Carmel Clinic, with a funding boost from the province’s justice department, will take over a community program meant to co-ordinate resources for families and others at risk in Winnipeg’s inner city.

Manitoba Justice will reallocate $200,000 in funding for the Main Street clinic to administer Thunderwing Project, along with an additional $100,000 to enhance the project to support women who are in contact with the criminal justice system.

The community mobilization project co-ordinates resources across sectors for clients, aimed at improving community safety and family well-being, the government said in a news release Monday.

“Thunderwing is really a program that supports families on a journey — whatever their goals may be,” clinic executive director Bobbette Shoffner said at a news conference.

Suspect in Main Street slaying has lengthy criminal history

A man wanted by Winnipeg police for his alleged role in a Main Street slaying has a lengthy history of violent crime and weapons offences.

Aaron Wayne Azure, 38, was named as a suspect in the May 10 death of Vincent Brian Kipling, 31, last week.

Kipling, who sustained serious injuries after an assault just before 11 p.m., was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Homicide detectives obtained a warrant for Azure, who is wanted for manslaughter in the killing.

Two face charges after magic mushroom store raid

A Winnipeg police commander has slammed the accused operators of an Osborne Village storefront that openly sold magic mushrooms, alleging customers were being bilked and the psychedelic substances were packaged in “disgusting” conditions.

Police drug investigators arrested a man and woman, both 37 years old, during last Friday’s raid at Magic Mush, the retail storefront they were allegedly operating at Osborne Street and River Avenue that was selling the mushrooms, which contain the chemical compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Both are hallucinogens and restricted under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Magic Mush opened May 13.

Both suspects were inside the business at the time of the raid and were arrested without incident, Winnipeg Police Service organized crime Insp. Elton Hall told reporters Thursday.

Archdiocese sued over alleged sex crimes

A Winnipeg man who alleges he was sexually abused decades ago by two Catholic priests — including one who was convicted of sex crimes in the 1990s — is suing the Archdiocese of St. Boniface and the Red River Valley School Division.

The man, 44, claims the abuse occurred while he was a student around 1990-91 at St. Jean Baptiste Elementary, a now-defunct facility that merged with another school in the community and joined the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine in 1994.

The man, who the Free Press is not naming because of the nature of the allegations, says in the lawsuit the abuse began when he was around 10 or 11, when he was a member of the Catholic Church in St. Jean Baptiste, a francophone community about 75 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

The 15-page lawsuit was filed May 15 in Court of King’s Bench by Winnipeg-based lawyers Faron Trippier and Irina Vakurova.

Fire smouldering at Brady dump

Crews have left a fire at the Brady landfill to smoulder, warning the public that smoke will continue to be an issue until landfill workers can smother the fire completely.

Firefighters were sent to the Brady Road landfill at 5:13 p.m. Tuesday, where three large compost piles — about 90 metres long, 12 metres wide and four metres high — were burning.

The fire service said such fires involving deep piles of organic material can burn for long periods and are typically dealt with by landfill staff members, who smother the smouldering embers with soil.

“However, with high winds last evening, the fire was generating a large volume of smoke, which was blowing towards the city,” the WFPS said in a news release Wednesday morning.

First Nation files suit against Hydro over river diversion

A northern First Nation is suing Manitoba Hydro, seeking a court injunction to restrain the Crown corporation’s Churchill River diversion.

The lawsuit filed in the Court of King’s Bench last week by O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, the non-profit Community Association of South Indian Lake and the South Indian Lake Fisherman’s Association is the latest move in a long battle over the diversion and the impact the hydroelectric operation has had on Southern Indian Lake and its river system in the North.

The new action — filed on the plaintiffs’ behalf by Vancouver-based lawyers Bruce McIvor and Melissa Rumbles — seeks interim and permanent injunctions restraining Hydro from operating the diversion in a way that interferes with the plaintiff’s use of the land, including exercising treaty rights.

The First Nation and associations also want the court to order Hydro to restore the ecological integrity of the lake, as well as grant legal costs and other relief.

Human remains wash up on beach near Matlock

Selkirk RCMP are investigating after human remains were found on the shore of Lake Winnipeg near Matlock Beach Saturday.

Officers were called to the beach at about 11:45 a.m.

Manitoba RCMP spokesman Paul Manaigre said he was unsure of the condition of the body, which washed up on the shore, prompting the call to Mounties.

The identity of the remains is unknown at this point.

Accused killer’s car damaged, bullets found in bag: Mountie tells court

The trial of a man accused of slaying his neighbour on a rural Manitoba property before fleeing to Ontario nearly two years ago continued Friday, as jurors heard from a Mountie who seized the alleged killer’s car.

Eric Wildman, 36, dressed in a grey suit Friday, sat between two sheriffs next to his lawyers in the Court of King’s Bench, at times appearing to grin.

He’s charged with first-degree murder in the June 7, 2021, shooting death of Clifford Joseph, 40.

Wildman and Joseph lived on neighbouring properties outside of Stead, a small community northeast of Winnipeg.

Two men charged with killing 41-year-old man

Winnipeg police have arrested two men in the slaying of a 41-year-old father in Point Douglas this month.

Kevin James Wescoupe died in hospital after being stabbed by two men at about 1:15 a.m. May 2.

He and a friend were attacked by two strangers behind a home on the 100 block of Austin Street North.

The other victim stabilized after medical treatment.

City man charged with printing 3D guns back in custody

A Manitoba judge has revoked bail for a man accused of making and trafficking 3D-printed guns.

Jackson Prince, 18, was charged with multiple offences, including two counts of weapons trafficking, after a lengthy Winnipeg police investigation that culminated in a search at a Boyd Avenue apartment on March 31.

Police seized 3D-printed handgun receivers, a 3D-printed AR-15-style rifle that looked like a Nerf toy gun, various firearms parts, illicit drugs and a 3D printer.

Provincial court Judge Brian Corrin had granted Prince bail, despite the Crown’s objection, during a lengthy hearing on May 5. Crown attorney Vanessa Gama outlined the “strong” police case against him, and read highlights of more than 7,500 text messages reportedly exchanged between Prince and another man who allegedly sold the illegal guns as part of their partnership.

PPC leader Bernier admits violating Manitoba COVID-19 public health orders

The leader of the People’s Party of Canada has been ordered by a Manitoba provincial court judge to pay more than $2,000 in fines, after he admitted to twice violating COVID-19 public health orders.

Maxime Bernier, 60, was charged June 11, 2021, after attending rural Manitoba rallies as part of his “Mad Max” tour in the run-up to the federal election, at a time in the pandemic when all public gatherings were banned.

The veteran Quebec politician, who held the Beauce riding for the Conservatives from 2006 to 2018 before leaving the Tories and founding the PPC, was given four tickets for his actions that day.

Two were for failing to self-isolate upon entrance to Manitoba (which were stayed by the Crown two weeks ago, as there wasn’t a reasonable likelihood of conviction). At the time, people who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 needed to isolate upon arrival to the province, per the orders.

City sued by insurance firm over oozing cement

An insurance firm is suing the City of Winnipeg on behalf of Semple Avenue homeowners whose pipes were destroyed by a murky mixture of cement after a city contractor made a mistake nearly two years ago.

The two lawsuits, filed in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench on May 10, seek damages related to the 2021 incident that stemmed from work on the sewage system near the affected homes.

The lawsuits, filed by Wawanesa Insurance, allege the city was negligent in its approach to the sewer work on Semple Avenue between Scotia and McKenzie streets.

At least 12 homes were affected, though some had disruptions to the sewage system, while others had the cement mixture backup through drains, toilets and bathtubs.

Drunk driver, mother who lied to police plead guilty in fatal crash that killed 24-year-old woman

The morning after Mother’s Day, a grieving mom was in a Winnipeg courtroom to hear a drunk driver accept responsibility for ending her 24-year-old daughter’s life last spring.

“There is no justice,” Karen Reimer said outside the Law Courts Building Monday, alongside her other three daughters and their father, Doug.

“But we do want accountability.”

Dozens of family members, friends and supporters who’d packed the courtroom — most wore purple T-shirts with Jordyn Reimer’s face printed on them — stood nearby.

Police seek suspects in after-school child luring incidents

Winnipeg police child abuse investigators are searching for suspects who tried to lure school kids in a pair of events Thursday afternoon.

Police were called about the first incident at Wayoata Elementary School at about 3:45 p.m.

Officers were told a man, around age 30, approached two children, ages nine and 11, respectively, and tried to pull them toward him, police said Friday.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said the children called for help and broke away from the man, and the suspect fled on foot on Wayoata Street, toward Kildare Avenue East.

Trio arrested after teen attacked with bat

Three teens have been arrested after a teen boy was beaten with a baseball bat in a May 7 robbery outside an East Kildonan home.

Winnipeg police said the teen was attacked outside his house near McLeod Avenue and Louelda Street at about 1:30 a.m.

Officers found the boy on the ground with serious injuries. He was hospitalized in unstable condition. The teen has since stabilized and is expected to recover.

Witnesses told police the boy was assaulted on the ground by a group of people before the assailants ran away.

‘I thought I was going to die,’ says woman mauled by stray dogs on First Nation

Annabelle McKay expected the worst as the dogs set upon her in the dark and she fell to the ditch filled with water.

“They ripped my clothes right off from me. I don’t know how I managed — I don’t know how I’m still alive today,” the 52-year-old Fisher River Cree Nation woman said.

The mother of three was mauled by dogs — two or three, she said — shortly after midnight on Sunday on the northern edge of Peguis First Nation.

She spoke to the Free Press from her hospital bed at Health Sciences Centre Thursday, where she was under observation after being airlifted with serious injuries from the Interlake Indigenous community about 180 kilometres north of Winnipeg on Sunday.

Speed limit cut on Highway 59 in Brokenhead First Nation

The Manitoba government says the speed limit has been reduced on the stretch of Highway 59 that runs through Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, after an elderly pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run last month.

A government spokesperson said Wednesday that Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure had lowered the limit to 50 km/h from 80 km/h, in the community, which is about 35 kilometres northeast of Selkirk, and is on the way to Lake Winnipeg cottage country.

The spokesperson said department staff was installing new speed limit signs on Wednesday.

The First Nation’s leaders had called on the government to improve safety on the highway the day after the April 20 collision that killed a 75-year-old man, who was walking to work.

Manitoba Justice launches review into inmates’ escape in The Pas

Manitoba Justice would not explain Wednesday how three inmates, including an accused killer, escaped from the jail in The Pas Monday, but confirmed a review will be launched into the episode that had the town’s residents fearing for their safety.

“A divisional review will be launched to look at all of the factors that contributed to this incident, to help determine how it occurred and what can be done to prevent a similar situation in the future,” wrote a spokesperson for Manitoba Justice.

Escaped inmate arrested; one still at large in The Pas

The Pas has been on edge as RCMP officers flood the area in a search for a group of inmates who escaped Monday evening from the town’s provincial jail.

Two of the three missing prisoners have been located and arrested, RCMP spokesman Sgt. Paul Manaigre said Tuesday.

Kelly John Castel, 21, was still at large, as of Tuesday afternoon. He is “considered dangerous and a risk to the public,” police said.

Castel is pending on charges of robbery, carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, court records show, as well as charges related to the jail break.

Man accused of printing 3D guns granted bail

A Winnipeg man accused of manufacturing and selling 3D-printed guns as part of an alleged criminal partnership has been granted bail.

Jackson Prince, 18, was charged with multiple offences, including two counts of weapons trafficking, after a lengthy Winnipeg police investigation that culminated March 31 with a search warrant on a Boyd Avenue apartment.

Police seized 3D-printed handgun receivers, a 3D-printed AR-15-style rifle that looked like a Nerf toy gun, various firearms parts, illicit drugs and a 3D printer.

Teen stabbed over cigarette, dad says

A 15-year-old boy was stabbed after he asked a group of youngsters hanging around in a schoolyard for a cigarette, his father says.

“He was going for a walk through the park there, and he asked somebody for a cigarette… He talked to them for a couple seconds, then boom, he got stabbed,” the dad said.

Police were sent to the incident at Isaac Brock School at 1265 Barratt Ave. just after 11 p.m. Thursday after the boy ran to a nearby home following the confrontation with the four teens.

The resident called 911 and the suspects fled, police said.

Man charged with murder in burning-body slaying accused in recent stabbings

A man who was charged with second-degree murder Wednesday after a burning body was found in a Point Douglas warehouse parking lot last week is also suspected in two separate stabbings.

Emergency crews were sent to the gravel parking lot near MacDonald Avenue and Gomez Street at about 1 a.m. on April 27, where they found the victim’s body on fire.

The lot is connected to a Gomez Street warehouse that backs onto the bank of the Red River. Police initially classified the death as suspicious, but homicide detectives were handling the case.

Police announced Friday morning that the death was a homicide and that the victim was a man.

Police warn of brand-marked, toy-style 3D-printed guns

The head of the Winnipeg police organized crime division is warning the public to keep an eye out for 3D-printed pistols and rifles with distinct markings, after investigators arrested an alleged manufacturer following a multi-month probe.

Winnipeg Police Service firearms investigators began looking into the man accused of making and selling 3D-printed guns from his home in January, after a tip from the Canada Border Services Agency.

Fatal stabbing city’s 11th homicide of year

One man is dead and another in hospital after a stabbing attack in North Point Douglas early Tuesday.

Winnipeg Police Service patrol officers were called to the 100 block of Austin Street North, between Sutherland and Jarvis avenues, at about 1:15 a.m. for a reported “stabbing incident,” police said Wednesday.

They found two men suffering from stab wounds. Both were transported to hospital: one in critical condition; the other, a 38-year-old, in unstable condition later upgraded to stable.

Kevin James Wescoupe, 41, died in hospital, police said.

No structural damage for Portage Avenue train bridge

Canadian Pacific has inspected a train bridge that was struck by a construction crane Tuesday afternoon, snarling Portage Avenue traffic for hours.

“(Company) bridge inspectors determined the bridge did not sustain structural damage,” railway spokeswoman Salem Woodrow said Wednesday in a brief statement.

Winnipeg Police Service traffic division officers are investigating the incident, which occurred at about 3 p.m.

Police said a semi-truck transporting the crane collided with the bridge, which crosses Portage Avenue near Empress Street.

CRA workers remain on picket lines

Canada Revenue Agency workers in Winnipeg are still walking picket lines, as talks between their union and Ottawa continue.

The continued strike by about 35,000 members of the Union of Taxation Employees nationwide comes after its parent union, Public Service Alliance of Canada, reached deals with the Treasury Board early Monday for more than 120,000 other public servants, ending a 12-day strike.

Police scold private eye over Facebook posts relating to homicide investigation

A private investigator has drawn a rebuke from Winnipeg’s police chief over social media posts about the discovery of a woman’s partial remains in South Point Douglas last month.

Police are concerned the Facebook posts by Janie Duncan, which contained drawings of two people and details not verified by officers, could taint the homicide investigation.

Some of the posts were shared in groups which had more than 10,000 or 20,000 members.

“The private investigator… she’s been in the community a long time. I don’t always agree with the way she conducts her business,” Chief Danny Smyth told reporters at an unrelated event Monday.

Province beefing up monitoring for high-risk suspects on bail, criminals serving community sentences

The province has announced measures intended to keep a closer watch on suspects who are on bail or convicted criminals who are serving sentences in the community.

Devastated parents look for answers a year after their daughter died in collision

The Reimers don’t use the words anniversary or accident.

Accident implies no fault, they say, and anniversary is used to denote happy moments, not the day their misery and grief began.

Karen and Doug Reimer have had 365 of those days since the date of their daughter’s untimely death, when she was acting as a designated driver during a weekend trip to see family and friends in Winnipeg from her new home in Brandon.

A truck hit Jordyn Reimer’s vehicle in a residential area at Kildare Avenue West and Bond Street at about 2:20 a.m. May 1, 2022, not far from where she grew up. She died soon after.

Body found in parking lot ‘unrecognizable as human remains’

Looking over a Point Douglas parking lot early Thursday, the manager of a nearby business saw “a pile of char, charred ashes.”

It turned out to be the burned body of a person the Winnipeg Police Service has yet to identity.

“I couldn’t, at that point in time, tell that it was a body — from where I was it wasn’t unrecognizable as human remains,” the manager said Friday. He requested the Free Press withhold his name and that of the firm’s to protect their business interests.

It was around 2 a.m., when the man got a phone call from WPS detectives, requesting access to his building in an industrial area of the inner-city neighbourhood, off Higgins Avenue, to obtain surveillance tape.

Police find burning body in Point Douglas parking lot

Police are trying to make sense of the shocking discovery of a burning body in a Point Douglas warehouse parking lot overnight Thursday.

Winnipeg Police Service patrol officers responding to a call reporting the fire near MacDonald Avenue and Gomez Street arrived at the gruesome scene at about 1 a.m.

Accused in lengthy police chase involved in 2008 fatal crash

The Winnipeg man accused of leading city police and Mounties on a recent lengthy stolen-car chase was involved in two prominent stolen-vehicle collisions as a youth — including a high-profile crash that killed a cab driver in 2008.

The 31-year-old was arrested at about 1 a.m. Monday, after he allegedly led police officers from the North End to downtown to a ditch in Portage la Prairie in a stolen Chevrolet Silverado, in a pursuit that lasted more than an hour.

At least two officers suffered minor injuries when their vehicle was rammed near Fort Street and Broadway, the Winnipeg Police Service said Tuesday.

The man has been charged with 13 criminal offences, none of which have been proven in court.

Shootings linked, suspect sought

Two shootings in March that left a woman dead and six others injured are related, and one of the suspects is considered armed and dangerous, city police said Tuesday.

Homicide investigators are searching for Martin Faruq Luther, an 18-year-old Winnipeg man they suspect was involved in the March 7 shootings.

Police have issued a second-degree murder warrant for Luther’s arrest. He is described as Black, five-feet-11, with a thin build.

Luther is believed to still be in Winnipeg, Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said. Homicide detectives have not confirmed whether the shootings are gang-related.

Judge sends 67-year-old fitness trainer, bodybuilder to prison for sexually exploiting teen

A longtime Winnipeg fitness trainer and bodybuilder has been sentenced to six years in prison for sexually exploiting a vulnerable teen girl.

Valentine Payne, 67, had previously pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and two counts of disobeying a court order.

Princess Street assault becomes homicide case

Homicide detectives are investigating after a man died nearly two weeks after being assaulted in the Point Douglas neighbourhood.

On Thursday, the Winnipeg Police Service said officers were called to the 300 block of Princess Street at about 12:30 a.m. April 11, for a report of an injured man.

The officers met with the 25-year-old, before emergency medical personnel transported him to hospital in unstable condition.

Police said they determined Leo Charles Martin-Shea had been assaulted on the east side of Main Street at Stella Avenue between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. April 8.

Firefighters find body in rooming house

Winnipeg police are investigating after a body was found in a Flora Avenue rooming house by firefighters who were putting out a blaze early Thursday.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was called to the two-storey building at 612 Flora Ave., near McGregor Street, at about 12:45 a.m.

While working on the fire, crews found the victim and called police. Paramedics treated a woman for non-life threatening injuries at the scene.

Well, the city was already looking forward to a Winnipeg Whiteout, right?

And, just when we thought it was safe to put away the snow shovels…

Winnipeg residents should expect to see snow begin to accumulate by midday Thursday as two weather systems converge over southern parts of the province, Environment and Climate Change Canada says.

Justin Shelley, a meteorologist at the federal agency, said a low-pressure system centred over North Dakota was producing widespread precipitation throughout southern Saskatchewan and portions of southern Manitoba Wednesday afternoon.

The system created heavy wind gusts and high accumulations of snow, resulting in poor travel conditions in southern Saskatchewan, before it was expected to move further into Manitoba before weakening during the evening and overnight.

Ottawa needs to lead on illicit border crossings: Manitoba justice minister

Manitoba’s justice minister says he expects the federal government to find solutions to irregular crossings of the U.S. border, one day after American officials detained nine men who had walked into Minnesota.

The group crossed illicitly in a wooded area near Sprague in Manitoba’s southeast. They called 911, as they were suffering from hypothermia, and reached the RCMP.

Mounties then contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

USCBP public affairs official Steven Bansbach said agents and local emergency agencies located the group at about 4:50 a.m. Tuesday, in a flooded bog west of Warroad, Minn.

Restitution ordered in investment scheme

Winnipeg MD names health authority, doctors in lawsuit

A Winnipeg doctor has alleged he was fired by the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority after he reported another doctor’s misdiagnosis he claims led to a patient’s death.

In a statement of claim filed in the Court of King’s Bench earlier this month, Dr. Pardeep Bhanot alleged the health authority terminated his contract in August 2017 in retaliation for his report of the critical incident earlier that year.

Ross Avenue house demolished after four fires in 10 days

A pile of burnt timbers and rubble were all that was left of a house on Ross Avenue after the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service ordered the structure be knocked down, following four fires in 10 days.

Widow files suit against three hospitals, WRHA, Shared Health

The widow of a man suffering from lung cancer who died of sepsis and cardiogenic shock last year is suing three city hospitals and two health agencies, alleging he wasn’t given proper treatment, ultimately leading to his death.

Sick time, OT skyrocket for firefighters, paramedics

More ambulances, paramedics and firefighters are the answer to the staggering amount of overtime and sick days logged by Winnipeg first responders last year, their chief says.

“We are busy literally all the time now at the fire paramedic service,” said Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief Christian Schmidt.

New data show the toll exacted on the service by the pandemic, opioid crisis and increased mental health calls.

Rally remembers Mackaylah Gerard-Roussin, calls for action

The family, loved ones and supporters of an Indigenous woman who was found slain in a rural area in southern Manitoba last summer marched through Winnipeg’s downtown in her memory Saturday evening, calling for justice.

Retailers required to match ID, keep records in province’s crackdown on illegal use of bear spray

Manitoba is moving to more strictly regulate the sale of bear pepper spray, a weapon used frequently on Winnipeg’s streets.

Assaults on paramedics alarming: union head

The melee in the back of an ambulance Easter Sunday that sent a Winnipeg paramedic to hospital is just one example of the worsening violence and threats first responders face daily, says their union.

“I don’t think that there’s a paramedic that works for the WFPS today that hasn’t been assaulted, been nearly assaulted, verbally assaulted or knows somebody who’s been assaulted,” Ryan Woiden, president of Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union Local 911, said Tuesday.

“These are life-altering calls for paramedics. We signed up to help. I can’t say we signed up to put our lives in the position they’re in as often as we do.”

‘We are human, not trash’: memorial protest at Portage and Main

Hundreds of grief-stricken demonstrators shut down Portage Avenue and Main Street before marching to Winnipeg police headquarters in an emotional protest Friday evening over the death of an Indigenous mother of four this week.

Storm brings fresh snow, frustration

The two Winnipeg post-secondary students figured they were going to be late for afternoon classes Wednesday when they saw the volume of snow that had accumulated on Good Street in front of their apartment building — and on Leo Paul’s new car.

Man files lawsuit over fall on Louise Bridge sidewalk

A man has filed a lawsuit against the City of Winnipeg, seeking damages for significant injuries he says were suffered on the sidewalk of the Louise Bridge.

Restaurant owner fined under COVID orders has ticket dismissed

A Winnipeg restaurant owner fined under COVID-19 pandemic public health orders has had one of the tickets dismissed.

Judicial justice of the peace Weldon Klassen found the numbered company that ran Chaise Corydon, represented by owner Shea Ritchie, not guilty of failing to comply with a public health emergency order in provincial offences court Feb. 16.

Niverville man files complaint against RCMP

A Niverville man accused of assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop last spring has filed a formal complaint against the RCMP after a judge said the charge shouldn’t have been laid.

Man charged with murder in fatal January apartment fire

Winnipeg police homicide detectives have arrested a man accused in a woman’s death following a fire in a West End apartment in January — the city’s first slaying of the year.

Judge calls for review of segregation in Manitoba jails

A judge has recommended the Manitoba government hire a third party to review the use of segregation in the province’s jails after an inmate died by suicide in Headingley Correctional Institution in 2019.

Seventh nurse abandons HSC sex assault examination program

Manitoba’s largest hospital is turning to doctors and nurse practitioners to perform forensic exams after more than half of its nurses trained to examine sex assault survivors quit this week amid a program overhaul.

Training program for people facing employment barriers resurrected with provincial funds

A training program that teaches trade skills to people facing employment barriers has received a provincial funding boost, months after it was shuttered.

Fire calls down in 2022 but workload remains high for crews

Winnipeg firefighters were summoned to fewer calls in 2022, but they were still run off their feet as sick days and overtime surged.

Chief slams school division for hiring ‘police abolitionist’ to review program

Winnipeg’s police chief has criticized a city school division for its “curious choice” to hire a researcher who had been highly critical of police to conduct a report into its police-in-schools program.

Police investigate ‘predatory’ sex assault at Law Courts entrance

A sexual assault at an entrance to the downtown Law Courts building is raising concerns about safety, with Winnipeg’s police chief confident investigators will make an arrest.

Police said a 20-year-old woman was attacked at about 5:45 a.m. March 17, after she was followed for about one to two blocks to the courthouse’s Kennedy Street entrance between Broadway and York Avenue.

“We do believe the attack is predatory in nature. There’s always a possibility there may be other victims,” spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said Monday.

Province creates new inter-agency missing-persons unit, commits $2.1M

The Manitoba government is funding a new, co-ordinated inter-agency unit led by city police to handle missing persons cases.

Trafficker or courier: lawyers seek to make case at sentencing hearing

Crown attorneys sought to convince a Court of King’s Bench judge a man caught on police wiretaps discussing cocaine deals was a mid-level trafficker, with defence lawyers arguing he was a mere courier.

Four-year sentence for participant in fatal beating of stranger

A 24-year-old who took part in the “unprovoked and senseless” fatal beating of a homeless man in a Sherbrook Street alley more than a year-and-a-half ago will be imprisoned for four years.

Security procedures in spotlight as national lab guard accused of storing, selling drugs on premises

A 27-year-old security guard at the Winnipeg laboratory complex with the world’s strictest bio-safety security classification stored and sold illicit drugs as part of a large trafficking network while on the job, RCMP allege.

Accused in random stabbings carries court history of assault convictions

A man accused of stabbing two people at random downtown last week was arrested in October for allegedly chasing a staff member of a Main Street gathering place, threatening to spray her with a fire extinguisher while in methamphetamine psychosis.

Trafficking ring stretched across Canada: RCMP

A member of Manitoba Finance’s special investigations unit is among more than 20 people charged in connection with an alleged drug and illegal cigarettes trafficking ring.

Three stabbed, another injured in three hours of random downtown violence

Two men were rushed to hospital Friday after being stabbed — one while shopping at a store on Portage Avenue — in the latest random violence in Winnipeg’s core.

Bail reform summit produces ‘significant advancement’: Goertzen

The proposed move to put the onus on those accused of repeated violent crimes to prove they should be released on bail, rather than Crown attorneys arguing they should be kept in jail, “strikes the right balance,” Manitoba’s justice minister says.

Police seize more than $3M in heroin, opium that had been woven into rugs

Winnipeg police and federal border agents have intercepted an international drug-smuggling scheme, seizing large quantities of opium and heroin from city homes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from safe-deposit boxes.

Two killed, six injured in three shooting incidents in little more than one day

Eight people have been hit by gunfire — two fatally — in three Winnipeg shootings in a span of roughly 29 hours.

Mounties help injured while breaking up wild, social media-fuelled party outside city

An out-of-control house party in the Rural Municipality of Rosser in late February resulted in multiple injuries and thousands of dollars in damage.

Carving out a lifetime of adventure

An artist with a big heart full of tall tales, Bob Kussy died in Winnipeg with his family at his side in early January, after 63 years of life around the country and the world.

Be careful with crypto, WPS cyber-fraud investigator warns potential investors

Winnipeg police investigators recovered most of the cash one recent cryptocurrency scam victim lost, but warn such frauds are tough to track.

Province announces $12.6M grant program to help seniors buy hearing aids

The province will soon begin to offer grants to certain older Manitobans with diagnosed hearing loss to offset the costs of hearing aids.

Traffic control at St. James Street Costco on public works committee agenda

The city’s public service could be asked to study whether a traffic light or other control measure should be installed at the entrance to Costco’s St. James Street location.

Youth firearm arrest raises concerns

The West End arrest this week of a pre-teen accused of possessing a loaded, sawed-off shotgun is “critical, it’s a crisis,” one community activist says.

West end hopes Transit signs make area more inviting

THE West End Business Improvement Zone is seeking to encourage visitors to the neighbourhood to use public transit, with new digital signs of bus schedules installed at three area locations.

Bear spray sales records rarely accessed: police

Law enforcement in Manitoba do not regularly request access to retail records of bear spray sales, police authorities say.

Downtown hotel listed for sale; residents get eviction notices

The Windsor Hotel has been listed for sale.

Foundation launches campaign alerting public to human-trafficking signs

New clothes, jewelry and other unaffordable gifts. Two cell phones. New friends, frequent sleepovers, unexplained injuries. A sudden change in attitude about school and other activities. Falling grades.

Louis Riel Day celebrates history of Manitoba, Métis

Meghan McLeod does beadwork to connect with an ancestry she did not always know about.

Police seek suspects in Sunday bear spray assaults

Winnipeg police have confirmed multiple victims were injured in a spree of assaults with bear spray linked to a pair of suspects early Sunday.

String of bear spray incidents ‘may be related’: police

Winnipeg police are investigating a string of violent incidents involving bear spray in the city’s West End and downtown that may have been related.

Unannounced police drill leads to St. B school lockdown

Winnipeg police are apologizing for a “communication breakdown,” after an armed training exercise near a St. Boniface elementary school caused alarm and resulted in a facility lockdown.

New urology centre to open next year

A new urology centre, slated to open next March in the former women’s hospital on the HSC campus, got a $1-million boost Friday.

Justice ministers meeting on bail reform scheduled for March

A meeting on potential bail reform called for by provincial and territorial ministers will happen next month, the office of the federal justice minister says.

Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen and Saskatchewan counterpart Bronwyn Eyre had issued a joint letter Thursday morning to federal Justice Minister David Lametti, asking Ottawa to convene a summit as soon as possible.

Goertzen said he is seeking changes to the Criminal Code to prevent people from being violently victimized by accused offenders out on bail, by subjecting certain accused to more stringent bail considerations.

Co-accused in recent homicides has past robbery, theft convictions

One of the Winnipeg men arrested in a linked pair of recent slayings in the inner city was drawn back into crime following his mother’s 2019 cancer death, court has heard.

Kenora man arrested in bus stop machete attack

A man who was randomly attacked with a machete after getting off a bus in St. James last week nearly had his leg severed at the knee and might have to have it amputated, the Free Press has learned.

Man charged after girl attacked by dogs in Thompson

RCMP have charged a 31-year-old man after a nine-year-old girl was attacked by three large dogs in Thompson.

Mounties were called to Baffin Crescent in the northern city for a report of dogs chasing children around the street shortly after 5 p.m. on Feb. 1.

Officers couldn’t find the dogs but spoke with residents who said a child had been taken to hospital with “significant injuries,” RCMP said Tuesday morning.

Resident questions value of Whyte Ridge ‘no sliding’ signs

A Whyte Ridge grandfather views city signs warning tobogganing is banned on a hill in the suburban neighbourhood as an overstep.

Prairie gridiron fans prefer Grey Cup

In Manitoba, the big game is the Grey Cup, not the Super Bowl, a new poll has found.

Police nab two suspects after mom-and-pop shops robbed

Lisa Le has been stressed out since thieves smashed into her Pembina Highway restaurant and made off with cash and debit machines.

First Nations owed $11B in treaty payments: lawsuit

A Manitoba Indigenous man argues members of seven First Nations are owed $11 billion related to a treaty signed more than 150 years ago, in a lawsuit against the federal government.

Accused in slayings recently got out of jail

One of the men accused in two slayings and two assaults in the inner city had recently been released from jail for carrying crack cocaine and a loaded air pistol at a Higgins Avenue hotel.

Lawsuit alleges former lottery winner a drug dealer

One local lottery winner’s luck may have run out. The province of Manitoba’s criminal property forfeiture director has filed a lawsuit to seize cash, properties, a luxury vehicle and jewelry from Khalaf Shammo, 26, and his siblings and parents.

Police alerted to separate slayings two hours apart

The 25-year-old man accused in a slaying outside a Henry Avenue shelter has a history of armed assault while intoxicated.

City officer cleared in shooting

A Winnipeg police officer was justified when he shot a man, armed with knives, in the thigh last fall, the police oversight agency has concluded.

Police probe Henry Avenue death

One person is dead after an incident outside a Winnipeg shelter Thursday morning.

Wholesaler suing restaurateur over non-payment

A food wholesaler is suing the owner of a Winnipeg restaurant that became a gathering place for COVID-deniers during the pandemic before it closed.

Pratts Ltd. and Pratts Wholesale Food Service Ltd. allege Tuxedo Village Family Restaurant and its owner, Paulina Jojnowicz, owe $11,056.38 plus interest, stemming from a 2018 contract. A statement of claim was filed in the Court of King’s Bench on Jan. 23.

Resign from law society or face disbarment, disgraced city lawyer told

A Winnipeg lawyer and former property manager who admitted to misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in property trust funds has been told he can either resign from the province’s law society or be disbarred.

Catalytic converter thefts creep up

THE theft of catalytic converters is slowly increasing just months after it plummeted thanks to a new law, enforcement crackdown and tracking program.

Cold keeps doors closed at Steinbach-area schools

All Steinbach and area schools were closed Monday out of concern for the extreme cold, days after seven of them had been shuttered due to threats.

Threats close Steinbach-area schools, prompt international probe

All Steinbach schools and one in a neighbouring community closed Friday after receiving more threatening phone messages.

Transit adds voice to call for national task force

In the latest violence plaguing Winnipeg Transit, police arrested a woman accused of assaulting a bus driver and passengers — and another woman who stepped in to fight her.

Police chief asks for $1.8M to hire more 911 staff

Winnipeg’s police chief wants more funding to hire 911 call operators and dispatchers as call volumes increase and staff burn out.

Police seek man in public choking attack

Winnipeg police are searching for a male suspect after a woman was choked unconscious on a Windsor Park-area street early Saturday.

Police were called to Elizabeth Road and De Bourmont Avenue at about 12:30 a.m., where a woman in her 40s reported being assaulted by an unknown man.

The woman said she had walked west on Elizabeth, then north on De Bourmont, when a man came up behind her. He began to choke her and pulled her to the ground where she lost consciousness, police said Monday.

She fought the man off, once she came to. The suspect fled.

Lawyers in doctor’s sex assault trial to ask for stay of proceedings

Defence lawyers for a rural doctor accused of multiple counts of sexual assault intend to apply for a judicial stay of proceedings, court heard Friday.

Manslaughter conviction in 2020 fatal stabbing

A Winnipeg man has been convicted of manslaughter in a 2020 fatal stabbing precipitated by a verbal exchange over a small amount of cash.

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter, admits stabbing victim in 2021 North End group assault

A man accused in the stabbing death of a 28-year-old man on North End street in 2021 has pleaded guilty for his involvement.

Life sentence, no parole for seven years for 2019 Thompson slaying

The man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the “horrific death” of a vulnerable woman in Thompson has been sentenced to life in prison.

Doctor’s sex assault trial adjourned for third consecutive day

A rural Manitoba doctor’s trial on nearly two dozen sexual assault charges was adjourned for the third consecutive day Wednesday after court heard key notebooks from the lead police investigator appear to be unrecoverable.

The judge-only trial, scheduled for four weeks, will reconvene in front of Court of King’s Bench Justice Anne Turner Friday afternoon, when the Crown and defence lawyers are expected to discuss the plan going forward.

Dr. Arcel Bissonnette is charged with 22 counts of sexual assault for alleged offences against several female patients when he worked in Ste. Anne, a town southeast of Winnipeg, between 2004 and 2017.

Former officer gets absolute discharge on fraud charge

A now-former Winnipeg police officer who was charged with fraud over $5,000 after receiving long-term disability payments while running a private business was granted an absolute discharge Monday.

Ste. Anne MD’s sexual assault trial adjourned again to locate missing evidence

The trial for a rural doctor charged with sexual assault was adjourned for the second consecutive day Tuesday morning, to give Crown prosecutors time to obtain evidence the defence is seeking from the Sainte-Anne Police Service.

Dr. Arcel Bissonnette is charged with 22 counts of sexual assault for alleged offences against several female patients when he worked in Ste. Anne, a town southeast of Winnipeg, between 2004 and 2017.

He was initially charged in 2020 with six counts, before additional complainants stepped forward and he was charged with 16 more offences in 2021.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba barred him from practising medicine when he was first charged.

Canadian foundation misled Manitoba charities, private investors who lost more than $1M in Bolivian bank, securities commission decides

Two Christian charities and other Manitoba investors lost more than $1 million after they were misled into putting money in a Bolivian bank beginning more than 15 years ago.

Bear spray threat in attempted dognapping

Winnipeg police are seeking two women suspected of trying to steal a man’s dog in the Spence neighbourhood early Thursday.

Morden man charged in five southern Manitoba bank robberies

RCMP have arrested a suspect in a two-month bank robbery spree across rural southern Manitoba.

Steinbach man charged in 2019 abduction

RCMP have arrested a Steinbach man for the abduction of a rural Manitoba teen 3 1/2 years ago, after a lengthy, complicated and “frustrating” investigation.

City police holiday check stops net 28 criminal charges

Karen Reimer doesn’t wish her heartache on anyone — but she knows every day, someone’s life is destroyed by an impaired driver.

Sisters start fundraiser for own home care

TWO sisters, who have a neuromuscular disorder and rely on home care, fear they will lose their independence if their funding doesn’t increase.

It’s not often someone in custody asks police to take him to prison

Selkirk RCMP arrested a hitchhiker wanted on warrants Monday who is now accused of swallowing methamphetamine in an attempt to smuggle the drugs into Stony Mountain federal prison.

Alleged Selkirk school abuse victim settles suit against ex-teacher, Anglican diocese

A man who alleged he was sexually and physically abused at a Selkirk boarding school in the early 1980s has settled his lawsuit against a teacher and the local Anglican diocese.

Safety concerns sparked complaints about accused arsonist in deadly downtown fire

The behaviour of a man accused of starting a fire that killed two people and injured four others concerned at least one resident of the downtown apartment block in the months preceding the the Christmas Day tragedy.

Couple charged after 13 kids got cannabis candy in Halloween treat bags

The two people arrested by Winnipeg police for allegedly handing out suspected cannabis candies to trick-or-treaters in Tuxedo last Halloween have been formally charged.

Police probe fire victim’s death as year’s first homicide

Winnipeg police are investigating the first homicide of 2023 after a 23-year-old woman died following a fire in a West End apartment block.

Bus attack prompts offer to raise cash for car

A Winnipeg woman is so concerned about an attack on a self-employed man on a city bus that she wants to help him raise money to buy a car.

Provincial court ill-prepared for COVID crisis: chief judge

Manitoba’s provincial court was significantly challenged when the COVID-19 pandemic forced shutdowns, delays and a heavy reliance on technology to administer justice.

Grassroots effort hopes to identify ‘Buffalo Woman’

George Robinson and Darryl Contois walk north on Main Street toward the underpass at Higgins Avenue, carrying a packing tape dispenser and a shopping bag full of posters.

South Osborne mainstay ready to turn the page

Gary Nerman figures it’s time to retire, but he has about 103,000 books and vintage magazines to sell first.

‘At their wits’ end’: downtown Kenora safety issues spark civic outcry

Concerns over crime, safety and substance abuse in downtown Kenora, Ont., have come to a head, with civic officials forced to hold an emergency council meeting.

Landscaper fights off man armed with machete on transit bus

Terry Morton got on a bus near his St. Vital home Wednesday to go downtown and meet a friend Wednesday, but panicked and got off soon after.

Man charged in commercial property theft spree

A break-and-enter suspect — who came to police attention following a car crash and foot chase in Sage Creek earlier this month — has been charged with stealing more than a dozen vehicles and high-end pieces of equipment.

Two critically injured in Christmas Day apartment fire die

Two people injured in a fire in a downtown public housing apartment block early Christmas Day have died.

Warwick Apartments residents wait in wake of blaze

Some of the residents displaced by a Christmas Day blaze in a downtown Winnipeg apartment building aren’t sure when they’ll be able to return home.

Family honours slaying victim in ceremony at landfill

Before embarking on a journey of remembrance in the aching cold Friday evening, family members of a slaying victim put cedar, a sacred medicine used for healing, in their shoes.

Weather kind of hostile, but silly cycling Santa & Co. try to make less-fortunate folks smile

Old Saint Nick traded in his sleigh for a bicycle in downtown Winnipeg Friday afternoon — but the reindeer were along for the ride.

Parks tourism report draws fire

The provincial government is touting a new report that “demonstrates the significant untapped potential of Manitoba parks” but is being slammed as needless and misguided by a wilderness advocate.

St. B unveils ‘cutting edge’ operating room

St. Boniface Hospital has opened its new hybrid operating room for vascular and endovascular procedures.

Suspect sought in sex assault of 11-year-old girl

Winnipeg police are seeking a man who followed an 11-year-old girl into her St. Vital apartment building on Monday and sexually assaulted her.

IIU clears officers in drug-addled man’s suicide

Winnipeg police officers tried to negotiate with a suicidal man high on methamphetamine and cocaine who slit his own throat, dying in hospital in mid-May.

Three charged with attempted murder in hotel suite fire

Three people, including two teen girls, have been charged with attempted murder and arson in connection to a Winnipeg hotel fire early Sunday.

Cold-weather safety top of mind for homeless agencies; downtown library’s doors remain closed

With temperatures expected to remain at -15C or below for at least the next week, social service agencies that help the homeless say more needs to be done for vulnerable Winnipeggers.

Ottawa to fund study of landfill search for victims’ remains

The federal government says it will pay for a feasibility study to search a landfill north of Winnipeg where the remains of two women, believed to have been slain by alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki, are buried.

Police chief extends olive branch to slaying victims’ families

Tensions have eased following a meeting between Winnipeg’s police chief, Indigenous leaders and the family of the victim of an alleged serial killer, just days after they demanded the top cop resign.

Eleven Winnipeg teenagers accused of homicide in 2022

It’s a chilling statistic in the deadliest year on record in Winnipeg: eleven teenagers are accused of taking a life.

New commander takes over provincial RCMP

Rob Hill’s mettle was put to the test during his first posting as a Mountie 25 years ago.

Patrons left out in the cold after fatal stabbing closes Millennium Library

A stabbing death on the main floor of the Millennium Library Sunday has shaken regular patrons and shuttered the downtown facility until next week.

Dead woman’s family, First Nations call for Winnipeg police chief’s resignation

Manitoba First Nations leaders and the daughters of a woman believed to have been slain by an alleged serial killer are calling for Winnipeg’s police chief to resign after he said searching a landfill for victims’ remains would not be feasible.

Murder charge in August death of senior

Winnipeg police have arrested and charged a suspect in the slaying of an elderly man in his Cathedral Avenue home nearly four months ago.

‘Not one easy solution’ amid deadly year on Winnipeg roads

The heightened death toll on Winnipeg roads this year is “bleak” and “awful,” an active transportation advocate says.

Fatal stabbing at The Forks parkade ruled self-defence

In a rare move, Winnipeg police and the provincial prosecution service have declined to lay charges — citing self-defence — after a man died in an altercation at The Forks parkade.

Joint police operation touts arrests, weapons seizures

Police agencies targeted “prolific offenders” in rural Manitoba over five days last month, making multiple arrests and seizing 13 firearms as well as machetes, knives and batons.

Defence seeks youth sentence for son who bludgeoned mom to death

Defence lawyers for a Winnipeg man convicted of bludgeoning his mother to death when he was a teen are seeking the maximum youth sentence of seven years in custody.

Police probe fatality at Logan Avenue fire

Darius Hill was already on the phone with 911 early Sunday when he saw the smoke billowing from the house next door.

City’s record homicide levels ‘disgusting’; activist

After a deadly shooting early people slain in Winnipeg in just over 10 months, the current rate suggests the city will record more than 50 homicides by the new year.

Three men, youth charged with second-degree murder in fatal Elmwood assault

Winnipeg police homicide detectives have arrested three men and a teen accused in the slaying of a man who was found dead on an east Elmwood street last week.

Province wants $75K seized from women in scam probe

The province is going to court to seize more than $75,000 in cash Winnipeg police confiscated in July when they arrested two Ontario women accused of defrauding seniors.

‘An amazing human’: Elmwood homicide victim mourned

Family of a man slain this week in Elmwood wants their loved one remembered as someone who could light up a room with his laughter.

Two facing charges after cannabis candy given out

Two people are facing criminal charges after parents reported their children had been given bags of cannabis candy while trick-or-treating Monday.

Front-end loader intentionally crashed into store: police

WINNIPEG police are investigating after someone drove a front-end loader into a 7-Eleven store early Tuesday morning.

City records 44th homicide, matching highest-ever total

A man assaulted in West Elmwood early Monday died in hospital, becoming the 44th person slain in Winnipeg since January, which matches the highest yearly number recorded in the city’s history.

Show of support for drag queen story hour

A counter-protest outvoiced a small demonstration against a drag queen performance at a Winnipeg coffee shop Saturday.

Doctors, chamber issue plan to tackle physician recruitment

Manitoba doctors have written a prescription to ease the chronic shortage of physicians in rural and remote areas.

Vehicle in recent fatal hit, run found abandoned: police

Winnipeg police have located the vehicle involved in the city’s latest fatal hit-and-run, but have not yet made any arrests in the spate of collisions that killed five people in little more than a week.

‘Making history today’: AMC elects first female grand chief

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs have elected a new grand chief: Cathy Merrick — the first woman to lead the organization.

Voters cast their ballots, candidates confident

The two perceived mayoral frontrunners — Scott Gillingham and Glen Murray ― were confident, albeit tired, as the closure of the polls inched nearer this afternoon.

Provincial court inquest clears police in 2019 fatal shooting

A provincial court inquest has found three Winnipeg police officers were justified in fatally shooting a man high on methamphetamine carrying a hatchet.

Riel gravestone defaced, suspect sought

The Winnipeg gravestone of Louis Riel was defaced earlier this week — an incident the province’s current Métis leader calls a hate crime.

City police seize $6.3M in meth

Two men from Alberta are facing multiple charges after police raided a luxury southwest Winnipeg apartment suite last week, seizing an “alarming” 63 kilograms of methamphetamine.

New charges for convicted sex offender

A convicted sex offender who has been in and out of custody the past two-plus decades is facing new charges.

$33M pledged for Métis heritage centre

The Manitoba Métis Federation has pulled in more than $33 million in federal and provincial funding to build a heritage centre in downtown Winnipeg.

Court dismisses appeals in brutal slaying of man in apartment

Manitoba’s highest court has dismissed the appeals of four men convicted in the brutal slaying of a man in an Airbnb rental apartment in 2017.

Incorporating wisdom, funding model, candidate crossfire: mayoral roundup

Mayoral candidate Shaun Loney laid out plans for his first 100 days in office Friday.

Former high school coach charged with more sex offences

A former high school football coach accused of grooming and sexually assaulting students now faces a total of 30 charges after a 10th man stepped forward to report abuse.

Poll shines light on Winnipeggers’ after-dark safety concerns

People in Winnipeg are more afraid to walk alone after dark than anyone else in Canada, new polling suggests.

University retires hockey jersey of Manitoba player killed in crash

A young woman killed in Transcona last spring in an alleged drunk-driving collision has been honoured by her Edmonton university’s hockey team.

Police budget, bike thefts, government co-operation: mayoral roundup

Mayoral candidate Kevin Klein wants the City of Winnipeg to stop clawing back cash from the police and redirect such money toward officers on the street.

Inflation increases pressure on food banks; Harvest expects record demand during holiday season

Rising grocery prices caused by inflation is resulting in skyrocketing demand on Manitoba food banks.

Iranian-Canadians rally in support of protests in Iran on the steps of CMHR

More than 100 Iranian-Canadians protested in Winnipeg on the steps of Canadian Museum for Human Rights Saturday as anti-government demonstrations continue to roil Iran.

Effective catalytic-converter anti-theft etching program expands beyond Perimeter

STEINBACH — A anti-theft program meant to help police catch catalytic-converter thieves has expanded southeast of Winnipeg.

Former leader suing Bear Clan, board member

The former leader of the Bear Clan Patrol is suing the Winnipeg community non-profit and one of its board members for alleged defamation.

Family of 2019 homicide victim push for public info

The family of an 18-year-old woman whose death in The Pas three years ago has been declared a homicide is relieved it may soon have some answers.

Legislature camp taken down after risk escalated: police

Winnipeg police say they had no choice but to take apart a months-long encampment on the north side of the Manitoba legislature because the potential for violence had ratcheted up in recent weeks.

New sex imagery charges for man accused in COVID protest hit, run

A man charged in a hit-and-run near the Manitoba legislature in February, and later accused of posting nude images of women online without their consent, has been arrested again.

Winnipegger hopes rocks help Texans in a hard place

A Winnipeg woman has sent her messages of hope in the form of small art pieces to an American town that suffered a horrific school shooting just over four months ago.

Body found at The Pas three years ago declared homicide

An 18-year-old woman whose remains were found in The Pas three years ago has been deemed a victim of homicide.

Free Press journalist, author Frances Russell dead at 80

Longtime Winnipeg Free Press political columnist, freelance journalist and author Frances Russell has died.

Devastated family tried to get opioid user help before his death in August

The family of a man who died in hospital after being found in medical distress outside a fast-food restaurant in early August wants the world to know he was loved.

First class graduates from firefighter diversity program

The first class of a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service training program aimed at prospective firefighters from diverse backgrounds has graduated.

Daycares awarded funding for Indigenous programs

The provincial and federal governments will spend $300,000 to help 24 Manitoba daycares implement Indigenous cultural programs.

Motorcycle rider wants province to act after friend killed on muddy highway

At first the motorcycle riders thought they were coming onto a patch of new pavement on Provincial Road 311 last Saturday afternoon — not a mud slick after a morning of light rain.

City police shoot man on Point Douglas street

Winnipeg police shot a man allegedly armed with a knife Tuesday morning.

Police union president retires after eight years at helm

The longtime head of the city’s police union is stepping down.

Roofer not impressed with police response to trailer theft

A local roofing company’s project manager is frustrated after a work trailer equipped with a GPS tracker was stolen Wednesday night — and thinks police did little to help after staffers tracked it to a garage.

Police seek info after woman in wheelchair attacked

Winnipeg police are asking for the public’s help in the case of a wheelchair user who was hospitalized after an assault and robbery.

Goertzen adds bear spray to his Criminal Code-amendment wish list

Manitoba’s justice minister is lobbying the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to make it harder for criminals who use bear pepper spray in assaults to receive bail.

Two arrested in gunpoint carjacking

Winnipeg police have charged two people accused in a carjacking and attempted armed robbery Monday night.

Women warned about groper on city buses

Women who take Winnipeg city buses are being warned to watch out for a man who has groped several riders.

Mayoral candidate Motkaluk seeks to fold police board

Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk wants the Winnipeg Police Board to fire the city’s top cop — then, if elected, she would seek to have the province to abolish the board.

‘Frustrated’ civic workers’ union ramps up strike preparations

The largest union of city workers is poised to strike.

Rising emergency calls strain resources, police chief says

The skyrocketing number of emergency calls means the city’s police chief will likely soon ask for more cash.

Public trust in city police declines: survey

The perception of Winnipeg police has worsened and more people think the force is overfunded, according to a recent public opinion survey.

Police still seek to ID dead man

Winnipeg police and the provincial medical examiner’s office are trying to identify a man who died in hospital in early August after collapsing outside a McDonald’s restaurant on Main Street.

Mayoral candidate Klein promises to rev up paramedics response

Mayoral candidate Kevin Klein is pledging, if elected, to improve ambulance wait times by introducing new paramedic units focused on low-priority calls.

Mounties seek info in 2018 missing persons case

RCMP are again making a public appeal for information in the disappearance of a rural Manitoba man more than four years ago.

Winnipeg Arena Queen portrait to get public display

The enormous painting of Queen Elizabeth that watched over NHL games from the rafters of the old Winnipeg Arena for two decades will be displayed for public viewing in the coming weeks.

Fatal train crash inquest to focus on response, communication

An inquest into a fatal train derailment in a remote part of the North won’t examine whether faster or different medical treatment at the scene could have prevented the death, a Manitoba judge has ruled.

Accused teen killer fell prey to drugs, gangs: granddad

The grandfather of a 15-year-old boy accused of killing two people in Point Douglas says he was influenced by drugs and gangs in his home community and his troubles worsened when he was put into a group home.

Home Street death city’s 36th homicide of year

Winnipeg Police Service homicide investigators are searching for answers after a 66-year-old man was found slain in the West End.

Man charged with posting nude photos online without consent

A man charged in a hit-and-run near the Manitoba legislature in February has been accused of posting nude images of women online without their consent.

Cycling advocate mayoral candidate’s bike stolen

Bike theft is everywhere in Winnipeg these days — just ask mayoral candidate Rick Shone.

Manitoba funds push to lift city neighbourhood watch program

The province is giving Winnipeg police cash to help revamp the force’s citizen neighbourhood watch program.

Alleged teen killer arrested; second Point Douglas victim dies

Winnipeg police took the rare step of releasing a photo of an accused teen who remains at large after a second person died in relation to a series of vicious, random attacks in Point Douglas Monday.