Ontario’s top court set to hear Nygard’s appeal of sex assault conviction, sentence

TORONTO - The Ontario Court of Appeal is set to hear Peter Nygard's appeal of his sexual assault convictions and prison sentence today, with his lawyers arguing the Toronto trial judge made errors including admitting the testimony of an expert on trauma.

The former fashion mogul was convicted of four counts of sexual assault in 2023 and sentenced to 11 years behind bars after multiple women came forward with allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s.

His prison sentence amounts to a little less than seven years, after credit for the time he already spent in custody before and during trial.

Nygard's lawyers filed a notice of appeal in 2024, arguing his sentence was "excessive" and that the judge erred in admitting the testimony of clinical psychologist Lori Haskell on the effects of trauma.

Hopes rise for reuse of heritage buildings

The chairperson of a committee that advises city council on climate change issues is excited about a new report that outlines potential options for Winnipeg to reuse heritage buildings.

The city’s standing policy committee on property and development is scheduled to discuss the Promoting Adaptive Reuse and Preservation of Heritage report on Wednesday.

The 25-page document explores bylaws and rules Winnipeg could implement to promote the “adaptive reuse” of buildings — a recycling strategy that focuses on maintaining the structure or basic fabric of a building and repurposing its function.

Adaptive reuse would help the city reduce waste, protect historic places and add more housing options, according to the report.

Longtime chefs honoured for nutritious, delicious school cuisine for only $4 a plate

A duo of longtime chefs in the Lord Selkirk School Division have won Manitoba’s inaugural prize for “excellence in school nutrition.”

Josh Hogan and Paul Augst have won over picky eaters and a panel of judges with their rotating school lunch menu.

“We really like to focus on fresh herbs like basil, oregano and parsley. It’s an easy way to bring new flavours to the kids that’s not overwhelming,” Hogan said.

The nutrition program co-ordinator, alongside Augst, a chef with more than 30 years of experience, are being celebrated for finding a way to feed 400 children lunch, three times a week, for no more than $4 per plate.

Patient accused of assaulting, threatening Grace Hospital workers

Manitoba’s health minister is decrying recent violence after three health-care workers were assaulted at Grace Hospital last week.

The health-care workers were allegedly assaulted and threatened by an aggressive patient last week.

A 59-year-old man has been released on an undertaking after being charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of uttering threats to kill or cause harm.

Winnipeg police say the man was being treated at the hospital in the 300 block of Booth Drive between April 30 and the early morning hours of May 1 when he behaved aggressively and made sexually inappropriate comments to surrounding staff. Hospital security placed the man in restraints due to his escalating behaviour, WPS stated in a news release Sunday.

Feds, province urge court to toss ’60s Scoop lawsuits

Lawyers for the provincial and federal governments argue two lawsuits filed by the Manitoba Métis Federation over the apprehension of Métis children during the ’60s Scoop should be rejected.

In its first claim, filed in the Court of King’s Bench in November, the federation says the federal and provincial governments owe it damages for the harm caused by the ’60s Scoop to the Red River Métis as a whole.

In separate statements of defence filed in April, the two governments argue that lawsuit should be dismissed.

The Manitoba government, in its response, said it acknowledges children’s aid societies apprehended Indigenous children, including Métis, at a disproportionate rate and that many were placed for adoption in non-Indigenous homes across Canada and in the United States, which contributed to a loss in culture.

Precision ADM Inc. manufactures high-value components, devices for range of industries

There are thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of people in the United States who are walking around with Manitoba-made metal parts in their bodies.

After Winnipeg-based manufacturing solutions provider Precision ADM Inc. got started in 2015, one of its first jobs was fabricating U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved tibial trays — a critical component for knee replacement surgery that transmits loads from the femur to the tibia, ensuring stability, alignment and durability over millions of cycles of use.

Manufacturing the tibial trays for a client in the U.S. stands out as a vivid memory for Martin Petrak, the company’s co-founder and president.

“We made something that could go into a human, that should be there for the rest of their life,” he says. “We thought, we’ve finally done something significant here as an organization, as a company, with staff that believed that we could do this.”

Project brings seniors, students together over love of gardening

Seniors and high school students in North Kildonan are growing vegetables and community through a unique indoor gardening project.

Canada commits $270M to Ukraine as Carney addresses European summit in Armenia

YEREVAN - Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will contribute $270 million to help Ukraine secure critical military capabilities in its defence against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Carney made the announcement in Armenia on Monday, where he is meeting with world leaders at the European Political Community summit, a gathering focused on strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure.

The money will go toward buying items from a NATO list and brings Canada’s total monetary support for Ukraine to $25.8 billion.

"It's part of a bigger puzzle in a conflict where Ukraine is gaining some advantage," Carney told reporters.

Introducing students to the wonderful world of volunteering

Jasmin Knight has built her career around giving back to the community.

Fuelled by her own history of helping, the student concierge at Heartland International English School began organizing volunteer placements for mature students on a casual basis.

The positive feedback from students, many of whom have never volunteered before, led to the creation of the school’s Volunteer + Study program, which launched last year.

Now Knight, 31, says she can offer students a more formal method of applying for volunteer positions in the city.

Dobes, Canadiens edge Lightning 2-1 in Game 7, advance to face Sabres in second round

TAMPA - Jakub Dobes still couldn’t process it.

The Montreal Canadiens’ rookie goalie was under siege, while his team could barely generate a shot on goal. At the other end stood Andrei Vasilevskiy, a future Hall of Fame netminder he had looked up to for years.

But Dobes had always envisioned delivering when it mattered most — and he did just that Sunday night.

Dobes made 28 saves as the Canadiens stole Game 7 on the road, advancing to the second round with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning despite recording the fewest shots on goal ever in a Stanley Cup playoff victory.