The Wrap: Manitoba Hydro, Bell MTS scam, RWB season preview, and the Lowry-Niederreiter-Appleton line

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

'Manitobans need to be concerned'

Questions surrounding the dismissal of longtime former Manitoba Hydro boss Jay Grewal dominated a combative, hours-long meeting on Thursday.

Opposition PCs attempted to characterize the former CEO’s firing as political — repeatedly describing it as suspicious — while the board chair insisted the decision was made following a months-long executive leadership assessment, and in line with best practices in board governance.

Meanwhile, Manitoba Hydro reported more red ink in a quarterly fiscal update, forecasting a $190-million net loss for the fiscal year that will end in March. That is $29 million higher than the loss predicted in the last quarterly update.

Danielle Da Silva:

Sparks fly over Hydro CEO firing

Tory critic calls timing ‘suspicious’; board chair defends decision-making process Read More

Danielle Da Silva:

Manitoba Hydro forecasts $190-M net loss for fiscal year

Financial losses at Manitoba Hydro are forecast to deepen amid ongoing drought conditions in the province. The publicly-owned utility announced a projected $190-million shortfall in its third-quart... Read More

'Be paranoid all the way'

A Winnipegger who was nearly taken in by a scammer is warning others to be cautious when someone calls offering a discount on phone service — and he’d like Bell MTS to warn people about the scam so they can be on the alert.

“It was very convincing,” says Thomas Novak. “I just want to make sure no one falls for this.”

Kevin Rollason:

Savvy senior snuffs out scammer slinging sweet phone savings

The voice on the other end of the telephone sounded like a Bell MTS employee offering a 40 per cent discount on Thomas Novak’s phone bill. But Novak realized it was a scam when the caller asked him... Read More

'It’s a ballet that’s about the battle inside yourself'

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s forthcoming 2024-25 season is all about contrasts. New and classic. Dark and light.

So it only makes sense to include Jekyll & Hyde, Val Caniparoli’s ballet based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 gothic novella.

Jen Zoratti tells you about the PG-13 Canadian première and what to expect from the rest of the season, which includes Giselle, Nutcracker, Bolero, Angels in the Architecture and Hikarizatto.

Jen Zoratti:

A study in counterpoints

RWB’s coming season juxtaposes shadow and light, torment and joy Read More

'It’s a dominant line'

The trio of Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton do a lot of heavy lifting for the Winnipeg Jets and bring their proverbial lunch buckets to work on a daily basis.

They’ve been the most consistent line for the Jets during this impressive season, which continues with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Ken Wiebe reports on why head coach Rick Bowness has been reluctant to break them up since they were put together early in the season — even with some goal-scoring issues the Jets have been battling through of late.

Ken Wiebe:

Consistent and dependable

Jets third line comes up big at both ends of the ice Read More