The Wrap: Horror in McCreary, the Idaho stop, Copp on the course, and underground opera

Manitoba RCMP provided disturbing details Wednesday about the series of events that led to a triple murder-suicide that rocked the small western Manitoba community of McCreary Friday morning.

The terror began late at night when a woman’s former common-law husband forcefully entered her home. She was able to escape to a nearby wooded area and hid for 11 hours until Mounties found her. Meanwhile, her former spouse drove to a nearby home and killed her brother and parents.

This is the second act of such violence, with multiple homicides, within the province in the past six months. Women’s advocates worry Manitoba’s escalating rate of intimate partner violence will get worse unless there are sustained efforts to prevent violence and support survivors.

Some cyclists are calling on the province to change a traffic law so bike riders can legally treat stop signs as yields and roll on through any clear routes.

The “Idaho stop,” as it’s known, was legalized in that state in the early 1980s and has since been linked to a decline in collisions between cyclists and cars, cycling advocates say.

But while they expect removing the requirement for bikes to make a full stop would improve safety, others fear it could introduce new risks.

Brothers Andrew and Tyler Copp were both talented hockey players as kids, but life ultimately took them in different directions.

You might recall Andrew’s name from the hundreds of games he played with the Winnipeg Jets before he was traded to the New York Rangers in 2022, then signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings.

The former Jet’s younger brother Tyler is among the 156 golfers who will tee it up beginning Thursday morning in the CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open at Southwood Golf & Country Club.

Sportswriter Mike McIntyre talks to Tyler about his rookie campaign on the pro circuit and about chatting with Jets centre Mark Scheifele at his brother’s wedding about the Manitoba Open, which Scheif’s played in twice as a sponsor’s exemption.

The Manitoba Underground Opera is headed into the woods for its latest production, transforming the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Muriel Richardson Auditorium into the vast forest setting of Hansel and Gretel.

Arts reporter Ben Waldman delves into the indie opera company’s ethos and the sense of immersion offered in its latest production.