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Free Press Head Start for Nov. 4, 2025

Good morning.

A Manitoba child-welfare agency made continued attempts to have a man placed on the provincial child abuse registry — even after he was found not guilty in criminal court of committing sex offences against his daughter. Erik Pindera reports.

A longtime trustee in the River East Transcona School Division has been suspended for three months for breaching the board’s code of conduct — the third time he has been censured in as many years. Maggie Macintosh has the story.

— David Fuller

 

 

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Your forecast

Mainly cloudy. High 9 C. UV index 1 or low.

What’s happening today

The federal government is set to unveil its budget today — the Liberals’ first fiscal update in almost a year and the first summary of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s agenda since the party released its spring election platform. The Canadian Press reports.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, shakes hands with Finance Minister Francois Philippe-Champagne in March. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press files)

Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, shakes hands with Finance Minister Francois Philippe-Champagne in March. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press files)


The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (85 Israel Asper Way) hosts author and accessibilty consultant Max Brault, launching his new book The Race to the Starting Line, in which he digs into key elements of the Accessible Canada Act, which aims to make Canada barrier-free by 2040.

The event runs from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include a e-book or audiobook copy of The Race to the Starting Line as well as refreshments, and are available here.


November’s Speaking Crow open-mic poetry night takes place tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Boniface library (100-131 Provencher Blvd.), hosted by Angeline Schellenberg; this month’s featured reader is Ontario poet Susan Wismer.


Keep abreast of literary news and events in Ben Sigurdson’s weekly Paper Chase column.

Today’s must-read

Premier Wab Kinew condemned a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that rejected mandatory minimum sentences for possessing child pornography, saying not only should pedophiles serve jail time, “they should bury you under the prison.”

The high court ruled Friday that one-year mandatory minimum jail sentences for accessing or possessing child pornography are unconstitutional.

“This is, like, one of the worst things that anyone can do,” Kinew said, referring to child pornography at an unrelated event Monday.

The court said that although jail sentences contribute to the objectives of denunciation and deterrence, they also remove judges’ discretion to impose alternatives to imprisonment when appropriate. Carol Sanders has the story.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)

On the bright side

When Lambert started losing his vision and slowing down a few steps, it became clear that he needed to be relocated to a place where he could age safely and still be with his friends.

But he couldn’t be placed in just any nursing home — because he is a critically endangered African penguin. Instead, the New England Aquarium in Boston, where the 33-year-old Lambert was born and has lived his entire life, decided in February to open a geriatric island for him and its six other aging penguins.

“Honestly, it sort of started off as a joke. It’s like, ‘Oh, well, why don’t we give them an old folks home?’” Eric Fox, associate curator of penguins at the aquarium, said. “But the more we were looking at their welfare data and understanding what ailments they go through, what physical limitations they have, we started to realize that we were on to something.” The Associated Press has more here.

A southern rockhopper penguin at the New England Aquarium in Boston. (Robert F. Bukaty / The Associated Press files)

A southern rockhopper penguin at the New England Aquarium in Boston. (Robert F. Bukaty / The Associated Press files)

On this date

On Nov. 4, 1946: The Winnipeg Free Press reported an appeal against the conviction of Lawrence Deacon in the slaying of taxi driver Johann Johnson would be launched by his lawyer; Deacon had been sentenced to death. Two men were being held by city police in connection with a mysterious death in an automobile in the West End. 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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Top news

Joyanne Pursaga:

Customers shocked by water and sewer bills face ‘unacceptable’ call wait times to speak with city staff

When her water and sewer bill suddenly tripled, Faye Tardiff says she was quick to report the apparent error. Read More

 

Chris Kitching:

Rural homeowner not facing charges after taking down threatening yard display

A southeastern Manitoba man will not face charges for a Halloween display that depicted the hanging of municipal council members outside his home, RCMP confirmed Monday. Read More

 

Erik Pindera:

Court compels former Sikh leader to explain fortune

Unexplained wealth order granted for first time; former head priest accused of stealing $400K in donations Read More

 

Nicole Buffie:

Doctor assaulted at HSC on first weekend with around-the-clock police presence

More action needed to improve safety, Doctors Manitoba says; woman, 30, faces charges Read More

 
 
 

New in Sports

Ken Wiebe:

Lowry gets the green light

Jets’ captain cleared to make season debut against Kings Read More

 

Taylor Allen:

O’Shea preaches continuity; ‘The sky isn’t falling,’ head coach says

Bombers’ roller-coaster season crashes to an end in Montreal Read More

 

Laurie Nealin:

Skate Canada gold has extra meaning for Stellato-Dudek

SASKATOON — Standing atop the medal podium Saturday night after clinching a third consecutive Skate Canada International gold, Deanna Stellato-Dudek was moved to tears as she took in the pageantry. Tw... Read More

 
 

New in Arts and Entertainment

Conrad Sweatman:

Born under fire

As the only province to enter Confederation to the sound of gunshots, Manitoba’s political history is anything but boring Read More

 

Denise Duguay:

All types of TV to cure what ails you

Cathartic raging, outside-the-box thinking, virtuous sleuthing and safe-vacation practices Read More

 

Ben Waldman:

Bearing the weight of history

With few words, play captures isolation, ethnic cleansing behind residential schools Read More

 

The Associated Press:

Diane Ladd, 3-time Oscar nominee, dies at 89

OJAI, Calif. (AP) — Diane Ladd, a three-time Academy Award nominee and actor of rare timing and intensity whose roles ranged from the brash waitress in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” to the schemin... Read More

 
 

New in Business

Aaron Epp:

Mining sector rides groundswell of support

Record numbers expected for Central Canada Mineral Exploration Convention reflects confidence of companies: event chair Read More

 

Gabrielle Piché:

Unique Bunny jumps to 10 stores, with eye on future expansion

Ekam Verma’s shopping trip might be sparked by an email: we’ve restocked. Her destination? Unique Bunny. Verma scanned the aisles of Unique Bunny’s McPhillips Street location on Monday — her go-to Japanese eyeliner was across the store; South Korean cleansing foams and pore repair serums stood nearby. Read More

 
 

Fresh opinions

Dan Lett:

Departing ethics commissioner takes pride, but no pleasure in historic consequences of Stefanson probe

Just six months after he made political history by recommending a former premier be fined for breaching ethics laws, Jeff Schnoor is leaving his position as Manitoba’s ethics commissioner to take on a similar role with the Province of British Columbia. Read More

 

Editorial:

Keeping forward momentum to slow drug deaths

For the first time in five years, there is a glimmer of hope in Manitoba’s drug overdose crisis. Read More

 

Judy Waytiuk:

Poilievre’s maple MAGA methodology

The guy standing behind Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in the news conference (his public safety critic, Frank Caputo) bore a profoundly unsettling, heavyset resemblance to Trump acolyte Stephen Miller, a similarity that distracted me briefly from Poilievre’s remarks until I heard his outrageous claim that Prime Minister Mark Carney first approved Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s tariff ad and then torpedoed the trade talks with the U.S. Read More

 
 

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