The Wrap for July 19: Teacher misconduct issues, zebra mussels in Clear Lake, global outage, legions and Winnipeg love stories

Issues related to teacher misconduct in Manitoba are playing out on two fronts — in the courtroom in a high-profile sex abuse case and behind the scenes at the legislature where the union is pushing for a revamp of a new law that calls for greater transparency.

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society has been calling on the province to change aspects of the law on teacher discipline, effectively “watering down” the legislation, critics say. If successful, the changes would keep the public in the dark about wrongdoing, they warn.

At the same time, court documents reveal the union is paying the legal fees of a former Winnipeg high school football coach who has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing former students. Critics say the competing interests — defending its members while influencing how discipline is adjudicated — underscore the need for an independent body to handle teacher misconduct cases in Manitoba.

Katrina Clarke takes a closer look at the issues.

On July 17, Parks Canada snorkellers found one live mussel and an empty shell on a rock in the high-risk boat launch area, suggesting there’s “probably a localized infestation in the boat cove,” said Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid, Canada’s special adviser on water.

Water samples collected in the area between June 19 and 27 have tested positive for zebra mussel DNA.

Widespread global outages caused by a faulty update sent to Microsoft Windows-based computers by U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected airlines, banks, hospitals, grocery stores and media outlets worldwide.

In Manitoba, all Dynacare labs were closed, some flights were cancelled, and Fringe Festival attendees could not buy tickets online.

Other places affected by the outage include the Winnipeg Goldeyes and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

Chris Kitching reports on the local impacts.

Long gone are the days when legion halls were havens for war vets. Today, it’s a different community where diverse opinions are shared, most often civilly, over cheap beers.

Out-of-town fringe performers share their “first Winnipeg fringe” experiences, what they love about Winnipeg and what they’d change with Arts & Life reporter Ben Waldman.