Good morning!
Manitoba slighted: Prior to Wednesday’s federal budget, Manitoba’s wish list had included $60 million to combat kidney disease, settlement of a $34-million dispute over medevac flights for First Nations patients, more money to help asylum seekers crossing into Manitoba, and $60 million for a National Research Council “factory of the future.” Manitoba’s requests were all but ignored. As columnist Dan Lett put it: “For anyone looking for evidence of the woeful state of relations between Manitoba and Ottawa, it could be found in Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s lean and lifeless federal budget.” READ MORE
Your forecast: For the discerning readers who rely on Head Start for help with their morning wardrobe selections, we offer two words: lighten up. Today’s high will be +6 C, so it’s safe to stash the scarf and put away the parka. The weekend weather looks equally nice, with abundant sunshine and highs of +7 on both Saturday and Sunday.
In case you missed it
PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
Drunk driver gets a break: Stephan Jade Anderson, 30, had a blood-alcohol reading of .185, more than double the legal limit, when he drove the wrong direction on the Perimeter Highway and slammed into another vehicle, injuring three people. When paramedics arrived, Anderson joked with them and offered high-fives as they tried to help the injured people. Perhaps surprisingly, the Manitoba Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday it would be unfair to make Anderson serve his full sentence. Mike McIntyre reports. READ MORE
Flip-flop on organics collection: Winnipeg’s effort to establish a curbside organics pick-up program has been postponed indefinitely. Council on Wednesday effectively rescinded the instruction given to the administration in April to develop a comprehensive strategy on how to reduce organic waste. Aldo Santin reports. READ MORE
Up next
New therapeutic centre: It’s a big day for Macdonald Youth Services, which today opens its new therapeutic centre at 175 Mayfair Ave. The 33,000-square-foot facility replaces older buildings and centralizes staff currently in other locations. One-third of the space is devoted to therapeutic programs such as art, music and cultural activities. Macdonald programs include a walk-in shelter for youth, specialized counselling, group homes and mobile crisis teams.
Jets game will be a yawner: The red-hot Winnipeg Jets, who have won points in their past four games, play the Kings tonight in Los Angeles. The game doesn’t start until 9:30 p.m. Manitoba time. At schools and offices tomorrow morning, watch for a lot of bleary-eyed fans who stayed up late to watch tonight’s game.
Around the water cooler
CTV Winnipeg is being sued by a Crown attorney.
CTV sued: Manitoba Crown attorney Debbie Buors is suing CTV for reporting Feb. 2 that she threatened the husband of Andrea Giesbrecht, a woman Buors was prosecuting for storing the remains of six fetuses in a storage locker. The TV network allegedly reported Buors encountered Jeremy Giesbrecht in a courthouse hallway and told him to “move or I will kill you.” Buors says the report was untrue and her reputation was damaged. Mike McIntyre reports. READ MORE
“Softly, deftly, music shall caress you…”: That unforgettable lyric from The Phantom of the Opera will transport Winnipeg audiences beginning Aug. 23, it was announced Wednesday. Fifty-two cast and orchestra members will perform, making it one of the largest touring productions on tour in North America. Tickets go on sale April 1. READ MORE
Trending now
#PastTenseSongs: Hit songs hold wisdom after the fact, particularly such reflective tunes as “I Didn’t Really Ever Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “You Stopped Believin’,” “Didn’t Worry, Was Happy” and “You Woke Me Up Before You Went Went.”
On this date
On March 23, 1964: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that the Soviet Union threatened to leave the United Nations if it were to lose its vote in the General Assembly for failing to pay its share of UN peacekeeping costs. The United States secretary of state said the U.S.S.R. had agreed to return two U.S. airmen shot down over East Germany. French president Charles De Gaulle received adulation from a huge crowd while visiting Fort-de-France, Martinique. READ MORE
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