This morning
Accused killer haunted by another crime: The man charged with manslaughter in the slaying of a young woman in Lac du Bonnet grew up struggling with his mother’s unsolved killing. Jordan Belyk’s mom was found beaten in her Winnipeg home in 2011. “Finding out that I lost the woman who gave me life made my heart drop to my stomach,” he told the Free Press earlier this year. “It made me angry, and I turned to substance abuse and had to go to counselling.” READ MORE
Your forecast: It will be mainly sunny today, with a high of 13 C.
In case you missed it
Photos by RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSJoy Finnimore gets in one last day of play with her mom Melanie at the Ronald McDonald House in Winnipeg on Wednesday before heading to her home in Portage la Prairie.
Joy to behold: A little girl who has been at Winnipeg Children’s Hospital since she was born 30 months ago was finally able to go home Wednesday night. Joy Finnimore has a rare, life-threatening complication of a condition known as cystic hygroma and set a record as the longest-staying guest at the hospital’s Ronald McDonald House. Carol Sanders reports. READ MORE
Sexual assault statistics: Winnipeg had the highest annual average rate of sexual assaults reported to police from 2009 to 2014, a Statistics Canada report released this week states. Prof. Karen Busby, director of the Centre for Human Rights Research at the University of Manitoba, says the data show city police are more likely to lay charges than in other communities. Dylan Robertson reports. READ MORE
Rail cars to be removed: Via Rail plans to start moving its stranded rail cars out of Churchill by ship this weekend. The news is a blow to the northern community, which lost rail service 19 weeks ago because of spring flooding. Residents have said they would form a blockade to prevent the railway from removing what’s seen as Churchill’s last remaining federal asset. Dylan Robertson reports. READ MORE
Up next
Lane Dorsey photoThe Spice Girls took the ‘90s by storm. Now, Wannabe is carrying on their legacy.
Spice up your life: Wannabe, a Spice Girls tribute act, is performing at the Park Theatre tonight. The Toronto group is touring to mark the 20th anniversary of the Spice Girls’ debut album. Entertainment writer Jen Zoratti says the British pop group’s messages of girl power and female friendship struck a chord when she was in junior high. READ MORE
Around the water cooler
TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSWinnipeg Jets fans with jerseys of former players, Mark Stuart, Alexander Burmistrov, Ondrej Pavelec and Teemu Selanne, in the crowd during NHL hockey action against the Toronto Maple Leafs’ on Wednesday.
The beginning of the end? Paul Wiecek says the extended honeymoon the Jets have enjoyed since moving to Winnipeg may be coming to an end. Expectations for the team are high this season, and its fan base’s collective patience may begin to wane after an opening-night blowout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Wiecek writes in his latest column. READ MORE
Sad state of affairs: Independent MLA Steven Fletcher’s antics in the legislature Wednesday accomplished little, other than providing some comic relief and showing the sorry state of politics in this province, Dan Lett writes. The fact all three Liberals voted with Fletcher on all his points of privilege is fuelling speculation the MLA, expelled from the Tory caucus, may join the Grits. READ MORE
Trending now
Connor McDavid: The Edmonton Oilers captain and MVP recorded the first opening-night hat trick in the franchise’s history Wednesday evening, playing against the Calgary Flames. READ MORE
On this date
On Oct. 5, 1932: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that forest fires were sweeping through heavily timbered areas in western Oregon; two villages had been destroyed, a town was threatened, and losses were estimated in the millions. Meanwhile, in Hamilton,. Ont. a fiery debate raged among the authorities of the United Church over whether church officials should face mandatory retirement at age 65. In Europe, Britain sought a conference with other nations over whether Germany could withdraw from disarmament talks. READ MORE
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