Good morning!
Premier eschews email: Premier Brian Pallister doesn’t appear to use email and does not receive documents while spending time at his Costa Rican property. That is raising questions about how much work he is actually doing while residing at his Central American getaway. READ MORE
Your forecast: The cold weather continues. Today, expect a mainly cloudy day with a high of -19 and a wind chill of -32. On the weekend, there will be sunny skies with highs of -17 on Saturday and -18 on Sunday.
In case you missed it
WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSFrom right: Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck; Michelle Gawronsky, president of Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union; and Kelly Moist, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, arrive at the meeting with Finance Minister Cameron Friesen in the Manitoba Legislative building Thursday morning.
Looking for answers: The leaders of several major unions came away from a meeting with Manitoba’s finance minister on Thursday without a clear idea what the province has in store for their members. The Pallister government has hinted for months that wage freezes and even wage rollbacks could be in the cards for public-sector workers. But union bosses said Finance Minister Cameron Friesen wasn’t showing his hand on Thursday. READ MORE
Ex-pastor sentenced: A former pastor at Gretna Bergthaler Mennonite Church has been sentenced to close to five years in prison after admitting to secretly videotaping women and girls in washrooms and watching child pornography on his work computer at church. Dean Marco Funk, 36, had been charged with two counts of producing child pornography, two counts of voyeurism and possession of child pornography. READ MORE
Up next
Photos by TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSChristina Prokopchuk restores one of the many artworks damaged by a fire last July at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral on Main Street.
Services to resume: After a devastating fire in July, Winnipeg’s Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral is set to host Christmas services in the basement of the church on Saturday. READ MORE
Attention Walmart shoppers: After a months-long spat over credit card fees, Walmart and Visa have kissed and made up. So, beginning today, Walmart is now accepting Visa cards in Manitoba once again. READ MORE
Hurry hard: Two Manitoba junior curling champions will be crowned today at the St Vital Curling Club. The junior men’s and junior women’s finals are scheduled for 1 p.m. READ MORE
Around the water cooler
Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free Press filesWinnipeg Transit drivers were ticketed 76 times in 2016, but a union rep says that number is not very high – statistically speaking
Transit drivers fined: City bus drivers racked up dozens of traffic violations, mostly for speeding, over the past two years, Aldo Santin reports. During that period, 76 photo-radar tickets, with a combined penalty of more than $18,500, were issued to transit drivers. READ MORE
Flu outbreak predicted: While it’s been a quiet flu season so far, that is likely to change, health officials in Winnipeg warn. One Winnipeg personal care home is already reporting that several of its residents are suffering from flu-like symptoms. Dr. Pierre Plourde, a medical officer of health with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, says it’s not too late to get your flu shot. READ MORE
Trending now
#WorldJuniors: Canada met the U.S. at the World Junior Hockey Championship in the gold-medal game Thursday and came away with silver. READ MORE
On this date
On Jan. 6, 1934: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that action to deal with the bonded indebtedness of the municipalities of St. Boniface, Transcona, West Kildonan, East Kildonan, Fort Garry, St. Vital and St. James was taken at a special meeting at St. Boniface city hall; one proposal that received favourable consideration was to urge the government to enact moratorium legislation in light of the municipalities’ residents diminished ability to meet increased taxation. READ MORE
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