Your forecast
Sunny. Wind up to 15 km/h. High -19 C, wind chill -36 this morning and -28 this afternoon. Risk of frostbite.
The Free Press‘s weather note on Jan. 14, 1937 (see below) got straight to the point:
A new report says the cost of insured damage caused by severe weather last year hit a record high as it totalled more than $8 billion.
According to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc., the cost of insured damage totalled $8.55 billion for 2024, topping the previous record of $6.2 billion from 2016 when wildfires tore through Fort McMurray, Alta.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the summer of 2024 stood out as the most destructive season in Canadian history for insured losses. The Canadian Press has more.
Travellers manoeuvre around buckets catching leaks at the Calgary International Airport in August after parts of its domestic terminal building were closed due to damage caused by hail and heavy rainfall, (Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press files)
What’s happening today
The first Winnipeg Story Slam of 2025 takes place tonight at the Royal Albert Arms (48 Albert St.). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for story slam sign-up, and the event kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
The open mic-style will see 10 storytellers’ names chosen from a hat; they’ll then each have five minutes to dazzle the audience with their original, unpublished and true stories, with the night’s theme being “blank slate.” Five volunteer judges will decide the winner, who will take home a cash prize.
Whether you simply want to watch or are keen on sharing your story, admission is $10, with tickets available here (where you can also look over all the rules).
Conrad Sweatman has a preview of the event here.
Winnipeg Story Slam is the brainchild of former local broadcaster and consultant Nicole Dubé. (Supplied)
Today’s must-read
The second Manitoba trial for a man accused in the 2021 shooting death of his neighbour began Monday, a year and a half after a judge was forced to declare a mistrial when the accused’s lawyer fell ill.
Eric Wildman, 38, is charged with first-degree murder in the June 7, 2021, slaying of 40-year-old Clifford Joseph.
Wildman and Joseph lived on neighbouring properties near Stead, about 90 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Erik Pindera has the story.
RCMP investigators search for evidence on Eric Wildman’s property for his connection with the homicide of Clifford Joseph in 2021. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files)
On the bright side
A spacecraft has beamed back some of the best close-up photos yet of Mercury’s north pole.
The European and Japanese robotic explorer swooped as close as 295 kilometres above Mercury’s night side before passing directly over the planet’s north pole. The European Space Agency released the stunning snapshots Thursday, showing the permanently shadowed craters at the top of of our solar system’s smallest, innermost planet.
Cameras also captured views of neighboring volcanic plains and Mercury’s largest impact crater, which spans more than 1,500 kilometres. The Associated Press has more here.
A close-up photo of Mercury showing northern plains taken by the European-Japanese spacecraft BepiColombo. (European Space Agency via The Associated Press)
On this date
On Jan. 14, 1937: The Winnipeg Free Press reported German air minister Herman Goering met with Italian leader Benito Mussonlini in Rome to determine Italy’s position on armaments and support for Germany’s colonial ambitions in its economic parleys with France. In Manitoba, driving snow and heavy winds forced the closure of many highways and halted city buses in Winnipeg. The local forecast read “DECIDEDLY COLD.” 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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