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Free Press Head Start for April 9

Good morning.

After years spent in and out of jail, Nickolas Jonathan Mingo managed to stay on the right side of the law for more than a decade. Then an inheritance from his late brother sparked a descent back into drug addiction, culminating in a horrifying home invasion. Dean Pritchard has the story.

The uniquely styled globe-shaped street lights that have been a hallmark of the Exchange District are fading to black. The city is replacing the “Stittsville” lamp lights that have dotted the historic area since the 1970s with acorn-style lamps, one by one, as they near the end of their life cycle. Nicole Buffie reports.

— David Fuller

 

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Your forecast

Showers or periods of drizzle. High 7 C. UV index 2 or low.

What’s happening today

Arthur Erickson is the star of this year’s Architecture + Design Film Festival. The five-day festival, organized by the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation, opens today with two feature-length documentaries about the celebrated Canadian architect. The festival continues at various venues until April 13. Ticket info is avialbale here.

Arthur Erickson designed many iconic modernist buildings, including the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. (Colin Knowles photo)

Arthur Erickson designed many iconic modernist buildings, including the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. (Colin Knowles photo)

Today’s must-read

The Manitoba Nurses Union is calling on the NDP government to put institutional safety officers in hospitals across the province to curb “escalating” violence against staff, after a nurse was attacked in Winnipeg.

The union said the nurse was “violently” assaulted by a patient in Grace Hospital’s emergency room. A Winnipeg Regional Health Authority spokesperson said police laid charges after the March 26 assault.

“I think we need lots and lots of ISOs in this province, and not just within Winnipeg,” nurses union president Darlene Jackson said. “We are seeing violence escalating everywhere in health-care facilities. ISOs have to be the norm when it comes to security.” Chris Kitching reports.

Grace Hospital (Mike Deal / Free Press)

Grace Hospital (Mike Deal / Free Press)

On the bright side

The Center for Whale Research says one of its field biologists has spotted a new calf in a pod of endangered killer whales off British Columbia’s southern coast.

The Washington-based centre says in a Facebook post that biologist Mark Malleson encountered J-pod, part of the larger population of southern resident killer whales, as the orcas swam past Victoria Harbour on Sunday.

The centre says he observed and documented a newborn calf swimming alongside a whale known as J40 and it’s thought to be her first calf. The Canadian Press reports.

A killer whale calf is shown travelling with her mother, J35, also known as Tahlequah, in the Puget Sound area in December 2024. (Supplied / Center For Whale Research-Maya Sears / The Canadian Press)

A killer whale calf is shown travelling with her mother, J35, also known as Tahlequah, in the Puget Sound area in December 2024. (Supplied / Center For Whale Research-Maya Sears / The Canadian Press)

On this date

On April 9, 1948: The Winnipeg Free Press reported in Berlin, talks between the Soviet Union and the western powers over control of Germany saw new points of friction, and a joint four-power rule of the country looked increasingly unlikely. In Ottawa, the federal wartime prices and trade board would soon authorize increases in the prices of shortening and soap to compensate for the rise in freight rates. Read the rest of this day’s paper here. Search our archives for more here.

Today’s front page

Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Free Press.

 
 

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Federal election

Kevin Rollason:

Ready to rumble: official candidates named in Manitoba ridings

They cut it close to the deadline, but each of the three major parties has official candidates running in all 14 of Manitoba’s federal ridings. Read More

 

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press:

Mark Carney promises to streamline project approvals as he tours energy heartland

SASKATOON - Liberal Leader Mark Carney said Wednesday he wants to speed up major natural resource project approvals — something he pitched as necessary to making Canada an "energy superpower"... Read More

 

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press:

In Alberta, Carney follows Poilievre in pledging to speed up resource projects

OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Mark Carney took his promise of making Canada an "energy superpower" to the heart of Canada's oil industry Wednesday, becoming the second party leader in three days to... Read More

 

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press:

Climate change fades as a campaign issue as tariffs dominate federal election

For weeks last fall, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre challenged the Liberals to take Canadians to the polls for what he called a "carbon tax election." But the Liberals' move to end the consumer carbon price, and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation talk, have pushed concerns about climate policy to the bottom of the pile. Read More

 

Editorial:

The federal NDP — good work, but bad timing

It must be particularly galling for federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and stalwart supporters of his party. Fresh from one of the party’s most successful parliamentary periods — one where it used its support for the Liberals to strategically leverage popular programs such as pharmacare and dental care into existence — the NDP seems to be in close to free-fall, with voters fleeing their party to shore up Liberal fortunes in the current election. Read More

 
 
 

Trade and tariffs

The Associated Press:

China raising its retaliatory tariff on the US to 84%, up from 34%, effective April 10

BEIJING (AP) — China raising its retaliatory tariff on the US to 84%, up from 34%, effective April 10. ... Read More

 

Gabrielle Piché:

Manitobans bracing for negative impact

‘We see a lot of consumers just trying to figure out … what the actions of the U.S. government may have on their personal lives’ Read More

 

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press:

Trump reverses course on some tariffs but won’t change duties on Canada

U.S. President Donald Trump partially reversed course Wednesday on his global trade war following days of market turmoil — but he’s not offering any changes to the tariffs hitting Canada. Read More

 

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press:

Many Canadians and Americans are angry about U.S. tariffs: poll

OTTAWA - A new poll suggests that a large number of both Canadians and Americans feel angry about U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on imports. The Leger poll, which survey... Read More

 

George Partyka:

Buying Canadian is best move

The ongoing trade dispute with the United States is casting a pall over the North American economy. Read More

 
 

Top news

Maggie Macintosh:

Academics implore NDP to boost funding amid push to recruit U.S. researchers

More than 250 academics are calling on the Kinew government to reinstate funding to Research Manitoba if it is serious about recruiting scientists from south of the border and keeping them long term. Read More

 

Tyler Searle:

Tory releases parents’ letter to justice minister seeking information on son’s beating death in Brandon jail

HOURS after he returned to custody at the Brandon Correctional Centre, a trio of inmates targeted 44-year-old Collin Kempthorne in a vicious beating that left him “unrecognizable from the injuries” and comatose for weeks until his death. Read More

 

Scott Billeck:

Seemingly endless misery continues for fentanyl-awareness activist who lost son to powerful drug

After dedicating himself to helping others fight addiction in the wake of his son’s 2023 fentanyl overdose, Joseph Fourre now finds himself in need of help. Read More

 

Erik Pindera:

Province announces $3M for specialized Mounties amid staffing shortage

Manitoba RCMP have been given provincial cash to double the number of specialized Mounties on the force’s tactical team — but due to an officer shortage across the province, it’s uncertain when the re... Read More

 
 

New in Sports

Mike McIntyre:

Let the parties begin

Winnipeg prepares for Whiteout Mania as front-running Jets get ready for playoffs Read More

 

Mike McIntyre:

Hereditary condition brings Jets prospect Lucius’s career to an end

Chaz Lucius just couldn’t stay healthy, his body repeatedly betraying him as he struggled to get his hockey career going over the past several seasons. Now, a devastating diagnosis in the ongoing s... Read More

 

Mike McIntyre:

Jets back to filling the barn

Success on the ice leads to success in the stands Read More

 
 

New in Arts and Entertainment

Conrad Sweatman:

Showtime in Selkirk

City buys, renos shuttered historic movie theatre Read More

 

Ben Waldman:

Take a chance, have a bite

Joel Klaverkamp finds musical surprises in the small print Read More

 

The Canadian Press:

Cineplex reports $29.5M March box office, down from $59.2M a year ago

TORONTO - Cineplex Inc. says its box office revenue for March totalled $29.5 million, down from $59.2 million a year earlier when its results were powered by Dune: Part Two and Kung Fu Panda ... Read More

 
 

New in Business

Aaron Epp:

Winnipeg company reaches for stars with Moon Poker gaming app

A pair of Manitoba brothers are all-in on a poker app that offers users the opportunity to participate in Texas hold ’em tournaments for cash prizes, without the need for any purchases. Read More

 

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press:

Stock markets in Canada and U.S. soar after Trump pauses some tariffs

TORONTO - Stock markets in Canada and the U.S. shot up after U.S. President Donald Trump paused his "reciprocal" tariffs on most nations for 90 days, though he further raised his tax rate on ... Read More

 
 

Fresh opinions

Tom Brodbeck:

Long road to recovery: ER, urgent care wait times return to disastrous levels

Nothing has changed during NDP’s government’s first 18 months in office Read More

 

Peter Denton:

Lots to offer if we decide to share

To use a military metaphor, I found myself in a target-rich environment when I sat down to write this column. Read More

 

Robert Beattie, Dylan MacKay, Lauren Kelly and Aleeza Gerstein:

American scientists and increasing research funding

Born in Vestfold, Man., the son of Icelandic immigrants, Dr. Baldur Stefansson helped transform a bitter, inedible plant into one of the world’s most valuable crops. Read More

 
 

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