The Wrap: Inquest questions, school suspensions, farm carbon tax, budget bites and sugar substitutes for holiday baking

Good evening. Here’s a look at what our newsroom has been working on today:

'He was just a terrified guy'

Four years after her husband died following an altercation with Winnipeg police, Asha Bagot arrived at the first day of the inquest into his death with an open mind.

Those hopes evaporated last month when the court began playing a surveillance video of Michael Bagot’s last conscious moments.

Investigative reporter Marsha McLeod talks to Bagot’s family about the questions the inquest has left them with.

Marsha McLeod:

Cries for help

Michael Bagot’s family hoped the inquest into his death following an altercation with police would bring closure. Instead, they have more unanswered questions Read More

Marsha McLeod:

The Inquest Files

A four-part investigation into judicial oversight of fatal shootings by Manitoba police Read More

Get ready to savour Manitoba's freshest summer flavours

'No one wants to suspend a kid'

Manitoba Education has released a new policy directive and companion guide on minimizing the use of out-of-school suspensions in kindergarten to Grade 12.

“It’s easy to kick kids out,” Education Minister Nello Altomare told the Free Press. “I think we have to do a better job of ensuring that we’re meeting their needs.”

Maggie Macintosh:

‘Ensuring that we’re meeting their needs’: province puts student suspensions on notice

Manitoba Education is urging school leaders to find alternatives to student suspensions, warning the disciplinary tool can “significantly alter the trajectory of one’s education and life — in some cas... Read More

'It’s easier to lead people with a carrot than beat them with a stick'

Farmers are asking the federal government for an exemption from carbon taxes on the natural gas and propane used on farms.

With carbon pricing exemptions a controversial and, at times, partisan wedge issue nationwide, some worry this exemption will spark a fatal erosion of the federal government’s cornerstone environmental policy.

Farmers, on the other hand, argue rising carbon costs are hurting the agricultural sector’s ability to stay competitive and drive innovation that could reduce emissions.

Julia-Simone Rutgers takes a deep dive into farmers’ hopes the fuel used to keep barns warm and grain dry will be the next to get some relief from the carbon price.

Julia-Simone Rutgers:

The tax in the henhouse

Manitoba farmers lobby for more industry-specific exemptions from federal environmental policy Read More

'This is exactly the kind of menu that people need'

Just months ago, Nick Graumann struggled to get customers into Nick’s on Broadway.

Then he pasted a new menu on the window: “Budget Bites.”

Three-dollar quesadillas and perogies, $4 wraps and sliders. The downtown Winnipeg restaurant now sells out regularly and sometimes can’t keep up.

Gabrielle Piché:

Changing it up

From budget menus to pop-ups, biz and consumers adapt to sticker shock Read More

'Who’s got the time to experiment?'

If you’ve been coming up empty on a search for sugar for holiday baking, you’re not alone.

Local shelves have been emptied of white granulated sugar amid an ongoing strike at the Rogers Sugar refinery in British Columbia.

Chef Richard Warren offers tips for home bakers navigating the local sugar shortage and a recipe for festive Candy Cane Brownies made with coconut palm sugar.

Eva Wasney:

Sweet victory over sugar shortage

A chef offers tips for home bakers navigating the sugar shortage Read More

Day 7: Candy Cane Brownie

When asked for a holiday recipe sans regular sugar, chef Richard Warren opted for a festive brownie made with coconut palm sugar (a sweet alternative made from palm-tree sap). The result is a fluffy, ... Read More