Your forecast
Mainly sunny, with increasing cloudiness early this afternoon. Wind from the south at 30 km/h becoming light near noon. High -9 C, wind chill -29 this morning and -17 this afternoon. Risk of frostbite.
What’s happening today
The Astronomics and Jordie Ouellet perform at Park Alleys, 730 Osborne St., starting at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $15.
Today’s must-read
Outside her bungalow on Manitoba Avenue, a Winnipeg woman runs her fingers over a pair of bullet holes in the front window, historic marks of a neighbourhood that’s no stranger to gunfire.
The woman, who spoke to the Free Press on condition of anonymity, witnessed a brazen, daytime shooting on Wednesday afternoon that injured one person and put another in handcuffs.
She has lived in the William Whyte neighbourhood for 61 years. While the area has always had problems, she and other residents increasingly live in fear, she said. Tyler Searle has the story.

Police tape is seen Thursday in an area near Manitoba Avenue and McKenzie Street, where a shooting was reported Wednesday afternoon. (Mike Deal / Free Press)
On the bright side
Oly Backstrom’s new bling has renewed his belief in the power of Project Search — a school-to-workplace transition program for youth with developmental disabilities, which the Winnipeg-based rights activist brought to Canada.
Earlier in the school year, Backstrom was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of his devotion to better preparing students for life after graduation and combating ableism in the process.
He described the medal as “an affirmation of a gold standard,” and one that he hopes will bring more attention to local campuses facilitating inclusive internships for youth aging out of the kindergarten-to-Grade 12 system. Maggie Macintosh has more here.

Collin Jolicoeur-Mackenzie, a customer service clerk at the Madison Square Liquor Mart, is on his second three month work experience rotation. (Mike Deal / Free Press)
On this date
On Feb. 21, 1972: The Winnipeg Free Press reported in Beijing, U.S. president Richard Nixon opened a dialogue for peace with Chinese leaders. In The Pas, 39-year-old Swanson Highway from Brochet, Man., and his dog team not only won the world championship derby (with a $1,700 prize and the Labatt’s trophy) at the 25th annual Trappers’ Festival, he’d also spent two nights and three days travelling by dogsled from his hometown to Lynn Lake, in order to travel by train for the competition. 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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