Good morning!
Kickback allegations: Mayor Brian Bowman is seeking a public inquiry into allegations of kickbacks made to former mayor Sam Katz and former city chief administrator Phil Sheegl stemming from the awarding of the contract for the new police headquarters project. RCMP alleged in affidavits filed in June they believe Caspian Construction owner Armik Babakhanians paid a secret commission worth $200,000 to Sheegl, who then split it with Katz. READ MORE
Your forecast: The mild January temperatures continue. The high today will be -3 C. There’s a 30 per cent chance of light snow late in the afternoon. On Saturday, again expect a high of -3, with a 60 per cent chance of light snow. On Sunday, there will be periods of snow with a high of minus 8.
In case you missed it
PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSPrime Minister Justin Trudeau debates with hecklers in the Town Hall crowd at the University of Winnipeg, Thursday.
Trudeau in town: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got heckled in Winnipeg Thursday for his support for oil pipelines and his government’s record on indigenous issues, but his main message was that the Pallister government accept his health-care funding deal. READ MORE
Court backs evacuees: Manitoba’s highest court has ruled that 2011 First Nation flood evacuees can proceed with their class-action suit against the province. If the suit proves the province flooded out the reserves in question, as many as 4,000 people stand to receive compensation for their losses as well as damages. READ MORE
Up next
TREVOR HAGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESSFinnish phenom Patrik Laine will be the only Winnipeg Jet at the NHL all-star game in L.A. this weekend.
All-star weekend: Winnipeg Jets super-rookie Patrik Laine is heading to L.A. to hobnob with the NHL all-stars. The weekend’s festivities begin Saturday with a skills competition. On Sunday, there’s a 3-on-3 mini-tournament. READ MORE
Around the water cooler
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILESKelvin Goertzen Minister of Health
Review ordered: Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen has ordered a review into an arrangement that allows Manitobans in the southeast corner of the province to cross the border into Minnesota to receive medical treatment. The review comes after several Manitobans say they’ve gotten stuck with huge medical bills after the Health Department balked at certain big-ticket costs. READ MORE
Crokinole with rocks: What happens when you combine crokinole and curling rocks? Well, crokicurling, of course. A big board — er, sheet — is being constructed at The Forks for this new sport, the brainchild of two local women. Laugh now, but don’t be surprised if this becomes an Olympic sport. READ MORE
Trending now
Chicago: U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in an interview with ABC news that two people had been shot dead in Chicago during former president Barack Obama’s farewell address. The police department in Chicago, which is Obama’s hometown, said this was untrue.
On this date
On Jan. 1, 1972: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that a proposal from a commission headed by Gerald LeDain to give heroin to addicts legally to win them away from the illicit drug market was rejected by the Toronto of Narconon, an organization that specialized in the treatment of heroin addicts. In Poughkeepsie, New York, an FBI sharpshooter ended a hijacker’s bid to make off with $200,000 after ransoming a jetliner. In British Columbia, the southern half of the province faced a power shortage due to two 500,000-volt transmission lines being out of service. READ MORE
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