The Wrap: Bullying investigated, Stefanson resigning, Skibicki’s jury selected, Vincenzo’s Mercato and a preview of The Comeback

RCMP are investigating a bullying incident after teenagers from a southern Manitoba school were allegedly spanked, slapped, “dry-humped” and threatened by another group of students while on a camping trip in northern Manitoba.

Students from a Norway House school allegedly targeted teen boys from Elm Creek School, southwest of Winnipeg, during a multi-day “truth and reconciliation” student exchange trip.

Reporter Tyler Searle talked to RCMP, school division officials and the parent of a student on the trip.

Former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson, the first woman to have held the province’s top office, is resigning her legislature seat, ending a 23-year career in politics.

She described “challenging times” during her tenure as premier in the midst of a global pandemic and economic hardship.

Legislative reporter Carol Sanders has the story from under the dome on Broadway, while former MLA Rochelle Squires reflects on Stefanson’s tenure at the province’s helm.

Twenty-two prospective jurors appeared before Court of King’s Bench Justice Rick Saull over the course of 90 minutes Thursday, with 10 women and four men ultimately being selected for the trial of accused killer Jeremy Skibicki.

Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the 2022 killings of four Indigenous women. The trial will begin hearing evidence on May 8.

Dean Pritchard reports from court.

Part of the family behind De Luca’s gourmet grocery store has branched off and started its own venture: Vincenzo’s Mercato.

Vincenzo De Luca is three months into operating the market, which comes after 33 years spent at the De Luca’s location on Portage Avenue.

Located in a former gym on Taylor Avenue, Vincenzo’s Mercato has aisles laden with pasta, cheese and homemade sauces as well as a coffee bar and deli area.

Before putting pen to paper on The Comeback, Trish Cooper and Sam Vint had never written a full play together.

But for years, the married couple has been gathering the material that made the culture-clash comedy possible: the embarrassing encounters, the confusing conversations and the beautiful moments that undergird the messiness of domestic life in Winnipeg.

Ben Waldman talks to the pair about the ways their courtship and creative partnership dovetail in The Comeback, which has its world premiere at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre tonight.