Free Press Head Start for Nov. 30

Good morning.

The University of Manitoba has suspended a nursing student for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year after she made a series of posts on social media — which senior administrators have deemed antisemitic — that condemned the Israeli government. Maggie Macintosh reports.

A new report from Harvest Manitoba shows food bank use has continued to skyrocket in Manitoba as more than 50,000 people went to a food bank in the province every month this year — a 30 per cent increase compared to the same time last year. Malak Abas has the story.

— David Fuller

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Your forecast

Flurries ending this morning, and then a mix of sun and clou, with wind from the northwest at 20 km/h. High-2 C, wind chill – 14 this morning and -6 this afternoon.

What’s happening today

The Winnipeg Jets host the Edmonton Oilers at Canada Life Centre, starting at 7 p.m.

Today’s must-read

True North Real Estate Development says it needs six more months to determine if it will carry out a $550-million plan to buy and transform Portage Place.

The real estate division of Winnipeg Jets owner True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd. is asking for a deadline extension on its option to purchase the mostly vacant downtown shopping centre, seeking to push that date to June 30, 2024 (from Dec. 31). Joyanne Pursaga has the story.

Portage Place shopping mall in downtown Winnipeg. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)

On the bright side

Astronomers have discovered a rare in-sync solar system with six planets moving like a grand cosmic orchestra, untouched by outside forces since their birth billions of years ago.

The find, announced Wednesday, can help explain how solar systems across the Milky Way galaxy came to be. This one is 100 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. A light-year is 9.7 trillion kilometres. The Associated Press reports.

An artist's rendering of the Cheops telescope in orbit above Earth.(European Space Agency via The Associated Press)

An artist’s rendering of the Cheops telescope in orbit above Earth.(European Space Agency via The Associated Press)

On this date

On Nov. 30, 1958: The Winnipeg Free Press reported the $2-million worth of assets of the bankrupt San Antonio gold mine in Bissett, Man., had been sold to an undisclosed buyer for $185,000; included in the sale were the mine, equipment and claims, but not the townsite at Bissett. Marshal Tito asserted Yugoslavia’s independence in an address rebuking Kremlin officials. In Leningrad, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet made its first-ever appearance in the Soviet Union; despite receiving only a muted response from the capacity crowd, the troupe was nevertheless brought back out by the audience for half a dozen curtain calls. 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.

Why this ad?

Top news

Katie May:

Province adding medical, surgical beds at Grace Hospital to relieve strain on ER

The addition of 31 treatment beds at Grace Hospital over the next year is being hailed as an “important first step” in relieving the strain on the west Winnipeg facility’s frequently overwhelmed emerg... Read More

Marsha McLeod:

Lawyer questions police officers at joint inquest

This week, after eight prior days of testimony, a different tone emerged in the small courtroom where a joint inquest into the deaths of five men is being held. The five men died following altercation... Read More

Chris Kitching:

City’s infrastructure to-do list tops $12B

Winnipeg’s infrastructure deficit has climbed to $8 billion, as per a new 10-year capital project blueprint that is largely made up of unfunded proposals, such as a new Arlington Bridge. Read More

New in Sports

Taylor Allen:

Walters ready to roll

With a new contract in his pocket, Bombers GM gets down to business of building 2024 team Read More

Mike Sawatzky:

Royals dominant in sweep of Vikings

Lord Selkirk faces Steinbach Monday in varsity girls AAAA volleyball final Read More

Mike McIntyre:

Vilardi bitter about ex-teammate’s injury-causing ‘stupid play’

Time clearly hasn’t healed all wounds when it comes to Gabe Vilardi. Sure, the Winnipeg Jets forward has recovered from a knee injury suffered Oct. 17 and it’s likely he’ll be in the lineup Thursday n... Read More

Mike Sawatzky:

Taylor keeps possession of Sea Bears’ GM, coach titles

Mike Taylor and the Winnipeg Sea Bears caused a major stir with a playoff berth and record-breaking attendance during their inaugural season in 2023. Now, that partnership has a degree of permanence. Read More

New in Arts and Entertainment

Ben Waldman:

Their favourite things

Child cast of The Sound of Music become family on set Read More

Jen Zoratti:

Shape-shifting landscape beautiful and foreboding

Exhibition highlights changes in Canada’s North Read More

AV Kitching and Ben Sigurdson and Alan Small and Eva Wasney and Jen Zoratti:

What’s up: Many holiday markets, and an evening with Peter Mansbridge

Galleries and studios in the Exchange District shift into holiday mode when the calendar flips to December tomorrow. Among the many offerings at First Fridays at the Exchange is a trunk sale presented by Women Helping Women Beadwork, which will take place at the C2 Centre for Craft, 329 Cumberland Ave. Read More

New in Business

Martin Cash:

Upgrades speed up northern train trip

Work along Hudson Bay Railway completed for season Read More

Gabrielle Piché:

Manitoba farms report lower net income, higher operating expenses

Manitoba farms experienced a loss of net income amid higher operating expenses in 2022 despite a rise in food prices and payments to farmers, recent Statistics Canada data found. Read More

Martin Cash:

Delta 9 Cannabis confident about growth in international market

The imbalance between supply and demand in the Canadian cannabis business these days — there’s way more supply than demand — has inspired some producers to look for markets overseas. Delta 9 Cannabis,... Read More

Fresh opinions

Editorial:

Keeping the wheels going round and round

Were one to be seeking an informed — and, no doubt, impassioned — perspective on the importance of timing, a discussion with a would-be bus rider waiting at a Winnipeg Transit stop might be an interesting place to start. The timing — as in lateness, infrequency and occasional complete absence — of scheduled bus service is central to any conversation about Winnipeg’s much-maligned transit system and its viability as a means of navigating this mid-sized but sprawling city. Read More

Paul Samyn:

Your support builds a better Free Press

My editor’s toolkit has recently seen the addition of what I call the “if nots.” It’s a handy device that calibrates what the Free Press does in view of the gloomy state of the broader news industry. Read More

Dan Lett:

This just in … we swept the office and didn’t find any federal government censors

Stop the presses. Barricade the doors. The feds are coming for our newsrooms. So says Conservative MP Rachael Thomas, her party’s heritage critic and a special guest last week at Manitoba Tory MP Jame... Read More

Head Start