Good morning!
Your forecast: It just ain’t right. It’s looking like the final long weekend of the summer – a final hurrah for the kids before they load up their backpacks and head back to school – is going to be a colossal dud, as far as the weather goes. Environment Canada is calling for showers beginning Friday morning and wrapping up sometime late Sunday. Of course, today and Thursday should be nothing short of spectacular, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the low 30s… perfect for some sweaty, grubby yard work after a long day at the office.
In case you missed it
George Guimond
Manhunt underway: Winnipeg police are still searching for the man accused of manslaughter in the city’s 16th homicide of 2015. An arrest warrant is out for George Alan Guimond, 35, who is wanted in connection to the stabbing death of Darryl Arthur Abraham, 36, last week in a housing complex on Donwood Drive in North Kildonan. Witnesses have said the incident occurred around 5 a.m. after an all-night house party.
RCMP probe continues: The Mounties continue to investigate the construction of Winnipeg’s police headquarters. On Monday, a Winnipeg judge said the probe is ongoing, also suggesting the scope of the investigation has broadened. In December, RCMP began looking into the city’s renovation of the former Canada Post building on Graham Avenue into a new home for the Winnipeg Police Service. The project, originally estimated at $135 million, has cost the city $212 million and is years behind schedule. The project was the subject of a pair of external audits commissioned by the city and forwarded by Manitoba Justice to the RCMP in August 2014 — along with a whistleblower’s letter alleging doctored invoices and a payment to a member of city council.
Time to trade it in: Patients getting a ride in an ambulance will have a smoother ride when 52 ambulances – or a third of the province’s fleet – are replaced soon. Premier Greg Selinger made the announcement Tuesday, pledging over $6 million for new ambulances equipped with better suspension. Brent Curry, a paramedic in Portage la Prairie, said there’s plenty of wear and tear on ambulances and he’s seen some with nearly half-a-million kilometres on the odometer before the vehicles are even five years old.
Up next
Kathy Kmonicek / The Associated Press FilesBark in the Park has been a success in other baseball fields, such as at Citi Field in New York.
Bark in the Park: You say you love your dog, but, be honest, when do you ever take your pet anywhere more exciting than a walk around the block with baggie in hand? Tonight could be a special night for you and your furry friend. Dogs are invited to join their owners at a Goldeyes game at the baseball club’s brand-new event, Bark in the Park. The event will feature Pawparazzi Photos, the Pooch Smooch Cam, and seventh-inning fetch, plus dog treats and giveaways. For those concerned, there will be a designated “puppy potty” turf area located by the registration tent.
Guido Amsel: The man charged with mailing several targeted bombs is back in court this afternoon to continue a bail hearing. The judge said last week she could give her decision today, or reserve it for yet another day. Amsel is facing more than a dozen charges including three counts of attempted murder — against his ex-wife, Iris Amsel, his ex-wife’s lawyer, Maria Mitousis, and against his former lawyers at a Stradbrook Avenue office.
Mandatory transparency: By today, First Nations were to have filed their financial information or risk losing a portion of federal government funding, according to a deadline set by Aboriginal Affairs. In Manitoba, 44 of 63 First Nations have yet to post their financial information online. Look for this issue to be contentious: some First Nation leaders view the demand as invasive and paternalistic, while federal officials insist disclosure is essential for accountability.
Around the water cooler
Janek Lowe / Winnipeg Free Press FilesBuilt in the 1960s, this fake tree stump in the middle of the woods was never used for its intended purpose, but it has still been a destination spot for decades.
Smokey stumped: A huge concrete tree stump, originally meant to support a statue of Smokey the Bear before the route of the Trans-Canada Highway was changed, has been an oddity and destination spot in the forest for decades. But now, with a contractor granted rights to excavate gravel and sand in the area, the longtime landmark and meeting place is scheduled to be moved. READ MORE
Whoa, there: Cavalia’s Odysseo show — featuring a 65 horses under a majestic big top tent constructed for the performances — is generating plenty of buzz ahead of its opening on Sept. 10. But some showgoers may feel the need to pull on the reins, as ticket prices range from $60.50 to $134. READ MORE
Trending now
Efrem Lukatsky / The Associated PressUkrainian soldiers wait for their turn to pay the last tribute to a coffin bearing the body of National Guard soldier Igor Derbin who was killed in a Monday clash, at a military base in Novi Petrivtsi outside Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday.
Ukraine explosion: A third member of Ukraine’s National Guard died Tueday, raising the total to three officers killed and about 130 people injured after a grenade exploded outside parliament in Kiev on Monday during a protest. It was the worst violence in the capital since the government took power in February 2014.
Ryan Goins: The kid’s a gamer, and he’s trending in Canada. The second baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays stroked a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift his club to a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. The bomb extended the 27-year-old Texas native’s hitting streak to a career-high 11 games and he’s raised his average from .220 to .246 over the streak.
On this date
On September 2, 1969: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that an army coup had ousted King Idris in Libya, proclaiming the North African country the Libyan Arab Republic. Six accidents claimed the lives of Winnipeggers over the Labour Day weekend. Justice Minister John Turner said wiretaps and other forms of electronic snooping should be made illegal if there were to be any meaningful protection of individual privacy. Marchers in the Labour Day parade to the grounds of the Legislative Building commemorated 50 years since the Winnipeg General Strike. More than 200,000 students across Manitoba returned to school after a two-month break.
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