The Wrap: Daycare inclusion, Winnipeg crime trends, a drug queenpin, and your guide to summer patios
It'll stop raining eventually, right?

As part of a months-long investigation into the state of child care in Manitoba, the Free Press examined the Inclusion Support Program.

It’s designed to help the province’s most vulnerable children; in reality, it’s a bureaucratic nightmare that creates more problems than solutions, leaving families feeling abandoned.

Reports of violent crime in Winnipeg increased for the third year in a row in 2023 amid a slight drop in overall crime, new police data showed Tuesday.

The Winnipeg Police Service’s annual report for 2023 also showed a record number of calls from the public and upward trends of youths accused of violent crime, prompting an appeal for a holistic approach.

Reporters Chris Kitching and Erik Pindera report — Chris reviews what the report tells us about the state of crime in Winnipeg, and Erik talked to officials with the city and province, with criminologists and other experts about what the statistics mean.

Sandra Guiboche sold a product she was proud of, took pains to ensure its quality, and oversaw a production and distribution network comprised of dozens of people, raking in more than $600,000 in profit in three months.

But Guiboche wasn’t selling some new high-end consumer good — she was pedalling crack cocaine and didn’t hesitate to use violence to ensure her sales targets were met.

Guiboche, 60, is alleged to have dealt drugs in the Point Douglas area off and on for 25 years. She was among 27 people arrested in the spring of 2021 following a months-long investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than $2.3 million worth of drugs and property.

Court reporter Dean Pritchard attended her sentencing hearing today.

Patio season is here: A time when restaurants, bars and cafés across the city unfurl umbrellas and turn any sliver of space — be it sidewalk or streetfront — into an outdoor oasis.

To help make the most of this fleeting season of sunshine and outdoor dining, we’ve put together a local patio-hopping guide to keep you eating and drinking al fresco from sun up to sun down.