What’s happening today

Faouzia (Facebook photo)
Hé-ho!: Winnipeg’s Festival du Voyageur kicks off today. The annual celebration of Métis and French history and culture in Manitoba is also becoming one of the province’s largest music festivals, as well. Erin Lebar has the story. READ MORE
Cannabis retailers: The government of Manitoba revealed the identities of the four companies that will retail cannabis in the province after legalization. Those store operators will open retail cannabis locations in Manitoba, “conditional upon several factors including reaching all of the necessary agreements and providing the required documents as outlined in the RFP,” according to the province. READ MORE
Weather
Your forecast: It will become increasingly cloudy today with a high of -8 C. The wind will be from the west at 30 km/h. Expect a low of -15. For the holiday weekend, expect highs of -10, -10 and -14 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday respectively.
In case you missed it

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FRESSJoelle Saltel-Allard, former press secretary for Stan Struthers, the former minister accused of sexual misconduct, says it’s time for ex-premier Greg Selinger to walk the walk and resign.
Unwanted distraction: Two women who have accused Stan Struthers of sexual misconduct agree that former premier Greg Selinger should resign his seat. But Joelle Saltel-Allard and Shannon Van Raes are also frustrated that a dispute between Selinger and NDP leader Wab Kinew over the timing of Selinger’s political departure is detracting from the harassment allegations. READ MORE
Around the water cooler

Raymond Cormier
Cormier trial: The fate of the man accused of killing Tina Fontaine will soon be in the hands of the jury. Raymond Cormier’s defence team declined to introduce any evidence Thursday. Next week the Crown and defence will present their closing arguments. READ MORE
Trending now

Black Panther: The movie about the eponymous Marvel superhero, ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, opens today in North America. Presales for the film, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman and Lupita N’yongo, were so high it places fourth among the top five movies for presales, and first among non-Star Wars films. The movie also saw the highest-grossing single day of 2018 at the U.K. box office, and opened at #1 in all Asian film markets. The Free Press’s Randall King gives Black Panther four out of five stars. READ MORE
On this date
On Feb. 16, 1914: The Manitoba Free Press reported that smallpox was raging throughout New York state, with 105 cases in Niagara Falls alone and outbreaks in 27 cities and towns; lax methods of dealing with the disease were blamed. In Minneapolis, a 70-year-old man sacrificed his own life in saving a woman from a fire raging in a factory where they both worked. A prominent citizen in Brandon, Albert Turnbull, died after sweeping snow from the porch of his residence. READ MORE

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