Free Press Head Start for July 27

Good morning.

The Manitoba government says it will disband the Protection for Persons in Care Office and replace it with an independent body that reports to the legislature after “sickening and repulsive” findings by the auditor general. The auditor general’s investigation found that the office responsible for protecting vulnerable people in care had dismissed allegations of sexual assault and physical and verbal abuse at personal-care homes as “unfounded,” saying they didn’t meet its definition of abuse. Carol Sanders reports.

Manitoba’s publicly delivered addictions services lack the capacity, standards and co-ordination to provide substance-abuse treatment in a timely way, Auditor General Tyson Shtykalo determined following a 15-month review of provincially funded programming. “The addictions and opioid crisis continues in Manitoba, across the country,” Shtykalo said. Danielle Da Silva has the story.

— David Fuller

Your forecast

Sunny this morning with a mix of sun and cloud and a 30 per cent chance of showers this afternoon. Expected high is 28 C, humidex 29 and UV index 8 or very high.

What’s happening today

Curated by Mahri White, Alley Fair takes place tonight from 7 to 11 p.m. in the Artspace Drayway, 100 Arthur St., near Old Market Square — it’s the second of three summer fundraising parties being thrown by the non-profit organization this year. Read more about the food, drink, games and, of course, art, here.

Eejay Chua (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The Gimli International Film Festival continues today with a schedule featuring more than 90 films — features and shorts — in multiple venues in the lakeside town until Sunday. Ben Waldman reports.

Please Handle with Care is a short that delivers the origin story of the Filipino tradition of balikbayan boxes. (Supplied)

Today’s must-read

The Winnipeg Police Service closed its downtown headquarters to the public Wednesday, after windows were vandalized by people protesting the arrest of an Indigenous man who has helped lead the calls for landfill searches. The arrest of 27-year-old Tre Lennox DeLaronde has highlighted the tension between MMIWG activists and a private security company that was hired by the City of Winnipeg to keep watch on protesters set up near the Brady Road landfill. Chris Kitching has the story.

The front of the Winnipeg Police Service's downtown headquarters was taped off Wednesday, after a small group protested the arrest of an Indigenous man who's been calling for landfill searches. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press)

The front of the Winnipeg Police Service’s downtown headquarters was taped off Wednesday, after a small group protested the arrest of an Indigenous man who’s been calling for landfill searches. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press)

On this date

On July 27, 1971: The Winnipeg Free Press reported technical difficulties experienced on the Apollo 15 lunar mission meant the astronauts might have to restrict their activities to orbiting the moon. Winnipeg city council voted to reverse a 1966 regulation that made striking workers ineligible for welfare assistance. On an official visit to Beijing, Canadian Conservative leader Robert Stanfield took the unusal step of speaking out in defence of the people and the government of the United States. 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.

Top news

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press:

First Nation suing Canada, Winnipeg over water

WINNIPEG - An Anishinaabe community in northwestern Ontario is suing the federal government and the City of Winnipeg, claiming it hasn't been compensated for a diversion to supply Manitoba's capital w... Read More

Erik Pindera:

Inefficient provincial court system’s impact most severe in North: auditor general’s report

Manitoba’s auditor general has found the Justice Department does not efficiently manage provincial court services, with access to justice most deeply impacted in the North, where technology is not ade... Read More

Maggie Macintosh:

Teacher, mother of dyslexic child decries Manitoba’s new reading-instruction guidelines

Against the backdrop of a contentious debate about the best way to teach children to read, Manitoba has published new guidelines for reading instruction that officials say take a holistic approach in ... Read More

Mickey Djuric, The Canadian Press:

Trudeau overhauls cabinet, with focus on economy

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a massive overhaul to his cabinet two years into his latest mandate, with about three-quarters of cabinet portfolios switching hands... Read More

New in Sports

Joshua Frey-Sam:

Giant-killer Legionaires clinch MJBL title in grand style

For the first time in 13 years, the St. Boniface Legionaires are Manitoba Junior Baseball League champions. The Legionaires put the icing on a dominant finals performance with an 11-0 mercy-rule vi... Read More

Jerrad Peters:

Shrewd coaching decisions propel Canada

You have to tip your cap to Bev Priestman. Knowing her side required an adjustment, a spark, after drawing Nigeria nil-nil to open the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Canada manager rang the chang... Read More

Donald Stewart:

Tough enough

Manitoba Mountie defends Toughest Competitor Alive title Read More

New in Arts and Entertainment

Eva Wasney:

Nothing to cry about

Two decades into their career, Tegan and Sara have found their groove Read More

Alan Small:

Country singer realizing her dreams

Childhood determination pays off with arena gig Read More

Ben Sigurdson, Alan Small, Ben Waldman, Jen Zoratti:

What’s up: Party at Exchange District, music tours, and Real Love Summer Fest

Artspace Presents: Alley Fair Today (July 27), 7-11 p.m. Artspace Drayway, 100 Arthur St. Tickets $65 plus fees can be found here Artspace and friends are once again throwing a party in one ... Read More

Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press:

Sinéad O’Connor, gifted and provocative Irish singer-songwriter, dies at 56

LONDON (AP) — Sinéad O’Connor, the gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s and was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for he... Read More

New in Business

Gabrielle Piché:

‘You’re buying a lifestyle’

Multimillion-dollar homes for sale a sign of Winnipeg’s changed real estate market Read More

Martin Cash:

German firm wants to build solar panel manufacturing operation in Manitoba

The province has agree to work with a German company that wants to build a $3-billion solar panel manufacturing operation in Manitoba, but the access to the key ingredient for the project — pure quart... Read More

Gabrielle Piché:

Industry eyes Manitoba tourism program expansion

On the packing list: fishing rod, winter coat and pyjamas. Beginning this winter, fishers and tourists might be able to spend a night on the ice of 20 Manitoba lakes. The province announced a to... Read More

Fresh opinions

Editorial:

Know when to punt

Teams have two plays to gain 10 yards in the Canadian Football League before the offence must decide whether to gamble on third down or punt the ball away. Read More

Charles Adler:

The peculiar, scary neighbours

If I were a religious person, I’d be thanking God every morning, afternoon and night for an extra long grocery list of items. Read More

Shannon Sampert:

Votes, wedges and political tricks

Well, we’re not talking about health care anymore, are we? Just like that, the Manitoba Conservatives may have found something to push the front-page focus off of health care and onto the wedge issue of searching the landfills, ahead of an election on Oct. 3. Read More

Head Start