Residents raise stink over mystery smell

A city councillor is calling for more immediate public health notifications after a strong odour sparked alarm.

Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge–East Fort Garry) shared an open letter Thursday about a noxious odour affecting residents in the Lord Roberts and Riverview neighbourhoods.

Rollins fielded an influx of queries Thursday as locals asked what was causing the smell and whether it was toxic, she said.

It seems the smell came from CN Rail’s yard in Fort Rouge. A train derailment happened in the area on Dec. 28. Crews have been cleaning up since.

Katz will voluntarily testify at WPS inquiry, lawyer says

Former Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz will voluntarily testify at the public inquiry into the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters scandal, his lawyer has confirmed.

Earlier this week, inquiry commissioner Garth Smorang issued an interim report confirming that public hearings will start Feb. 10. Smorang noted that a number of key figures in the inquiry received advanced “notices of alleged misconduct” to help them prepare for the hearings.

The inquiry has the power to subpoena testimony if the witnesses can be served with legal documents in Manitoba. Smorang said in his report that three potential witnesses do not reside in Manitoba and thus cannot be compelled to testify. None of the three had indicated they would testify voluntarily.

That led to some speculation that Katz — a central figure in the police headquarters project who lives in Arizona for at least a part of the year — might not participate in the hearings.

Federal gun buyback program inefficient, not well run, Manitoba premier says

WINNIPEG - Manitoba's NDP government has joined some other provinces in pushing back against a planned federal gun buyback program.

Premier Wab Kinew says Manitoba will not administer the program, which is aimed at compensating gun owners who voluntarily surrender weapons that have been banned in recent years.

The federal government has budgeted more than $700 million for the buyback effort, which includes semi-automatic and assault-style weapons.

Public Safety Canada says a six-week trial run in Nova Scotia saw 25 now-prohibited firearms retrieved from licensed owners.

Corrupt ex-WPS officer’s colleague pleads guilty to breach of trust, theft charges

A Winnipeg Police Service officer arrested alongside his disgraced colleague for stealing cash and other evidence has pleaded guilty.

Matthew Kadyniuk, 34, admitted to breach of trust and theft under $5,000 in court Friday morning. Kadyniuk was charged in November 2024 as part of an investigation into his actions and those of his colleagues, dubbed Project Fibre.

The probe stemmed from multiple reports from confidential sources that he and others had been “associating with and providing police information to non-police actors involved in illicit activity.”

Some time in 2024 Kadyniuk and his partner, Elton Bostock, were called to a staged vehicle break-in outside a Super 8 Motel on Niakwa Road, with an undercover RCMP officer acting as the victim.

Manitoba First Nation urges province to address hotel space for evacuees

WINNIPEG - The Canadian Red Cross says some evacuees from a northern Manitoba First Nation rocked by a severe water crisis won't be displaced for a second time in as many weeks, as the community's chief called on the province to do more to ensure they get priority in hotels. 

About 1,200 residents from Pimicikamak Cree Nation have been staying in Thompson, although it's unclear how many are in the city's hotels or have other accommodations. 

Chief David Monias had said he was concerned some would have to leave Thompson, due to a minor hockey tournament there this weekend.

The Red Cross said Thursday that accommodations in Thompson have been secured for evacuees, although some may need to temporarily go to another location in the city depending on room availability.

Critics of proposed N.D. mega-dairies make case at Winnipeg conference

Opponents of two mega-dairies set for North Dakota hope findings of a cross-border commission will convince state and federal governments to reconsider the projects they say will threaten the waters of Lake Winnipeg.