Good morning!
A “Three-P” budget: Political junkies live for provincial budget day, some folks pore over the details of the government’s financial blueprint to gauge its impact on their households, while others ignore its release entirely. It’s up to you where you fit in, but there’s no shortage of Free Press coverage of the budget, which Manitoba’s new finance minister describes as “principled,” “practical” and “positive.” The first Tory budget in 17 years freezes taxes, offers some tax cuts and maintains levels of government spending. READ MORE
Your forecast: Wednesdays aren’t exactly the most heralded days of the week, but this one — we can safely say — really sucks. The rain will fall until late in the afternoon, with amounts up to 10 millimetres, and the wind from the northeast could gust to 60 km/h. The daytime high is just 13 C. Expect a break from the gloominess Thursday, with a mix of sun and clouds and a high of 20 C. There’s a 30 per cent chance of showers on Friday and a high of 20 C, while the weekend forecast calls for sunshine and daytime temperatures in the low 20s.
In case you missed it
SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILESClive Weighill of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Protecting indigenous women: A Canadian police chief gave a sobering assessment of the problem of missing and murdered indigenous women in the country. Saskatoon Police Chief Clive Weighill, president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, said indigenous women will continue to go missing and become homicide victims if governments don’t address the root causes for why they become vulnerable. He said if problems like poverty and homelessness are not solved, indigenous women will continue to end up in vulnerable situations. Weighill was speaking Tuesday at a conference in Winnipeg is entitled “Moving Forward Safer Futures” that has brought together police, policymakers and indigenous people. READ MORE
Alive and kicking: Canadians still crave their newspapers, and the federal government can ensure they get their fix for locally produced news by updating the way the country regulates and taxes the industry, Free Press publisher Bob Cox said Monday, speaking as the president of the Canadian Newspapers Association to a House of Commons committee in Ottawa. Cox noted four in five Canadians still read a newspaper weekly and most local papers still make a profit. But falling ad rates and ad buys are hurting the industry, and the feds can help ease the sting by advertising in newspapers instead on the Internet. READ MORE
Finally going home: It’s the day thousands of residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., have been waiting for as residents of some neighbourhoods return today at 9 a.m. CDT. According to the Alberta government, road blocks will be lifted and government reception centres will be open for business. READ MORE
Up next
Tribute dinner: Winnipeg pays tribute to the men and women of Canada’s military, as well as veterans and their families, this evening at the inaugural Winnipeg Tribute Dinner. Corporate and community leaders, VIP guests and notable military figures will be on hand for the event, which raises money to support military programs and organizations in Manitoba. Retired Canadian general Rick Hillier is the master of ceremonies for the dinner, which begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. at the RBC Convention Centre.
The morning after: A day after releasing the provincial budget, Manitoba’s finance minister, Cameron Friesen, addresses business leaders this morning at the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce breakfast, 8 a.m., at the Fort Garry Hotel.
Around the water cooler
Justin Atelard Catcheway has been sentenced in the 2014 death of 24-year-old Justin Desmarais.
Eight years for taking a life: A Winnipeg gang associate has been sentenced to eight years in prison for beating a man to death during a rowdy house party. Justin Catcheway, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the January 2014 attack on Justin Desmarais, 24. The Crown had been seeking a 12-year sentence. The men had been partying, which included using cocaine and drinking booze, when a fight erupted, court was told. READ MORE
Much-needed Hip check: Fans of the Tragically Hip will be grateful Ontario’s attorney-general, Madeleine Meilleur, is looking into how so many tickets to the Canadian rock band’s cross-country concert tour were sold out instantly when they went on presale Monday. Many fans rushed to social media to complain about exorbitant prices on secondary resale sites that climbed into the thousands of dollars. The Hip announced last week that lead singer Gord Downie has terminal brain cancer and would embark on a brief summer tour in parts of Canada. READ MORE
Jays back on track?: After a rather disappointing start to the 2016 Major League baseball season, the Toronto Blue Jays are beginning to hit their stride. The Blue Jays, who made the playoffs last season for the first time since their second straight World Series championship in 1993, knocked off the New York Yankees 4-1 on Tuesday night and have won seven of their last 10 games and are now 28-26 on the season. READ MORE
Trending now
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSJets fans Willow Parke (left) and Kaylee Allan scream for joy at The Forks Tuesday following the announcement of the NHL’s return.
#NHLJets: The club hasn’t played a game in nearly two months, so why is it trending? Well, it’s a big anniversary for the Jets, that’s why. Five years ago, on May 31, 2011, the NHL officially returned to Winnipeg after a 15-year absence. READ MORE
Hunter Tootoo: Canada’s fisheries minister, Hunter Tootoo, citing “addiction issues,” has resigned from the federal cabinet and is leaving the Liberal caucus. READ MORE
On this date
On June 1, 1940: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that four-fifths of the British Expeditionary Force had been successfully evacuated by sea from Flanders despite a “Nazi-laid trap” in the area, and it looked likely the remaining British troops would make it out as well. The Germans lost 500,000 men in their efforts to annihilate the British in Flanders. Canada’s memorial at Vimy Ridge to soldiers killed in the Great War was destroyed in deliberate bombing by German forces.
|
