News briefs for October 19, 2019

Rookie defenceman Carson Lambos scored his third and fourth goals of the season to lead the Winnipeg Ice to a 4-1 Western Hockey League triumph over the Saskatoon Blades at Wayne Fleming Arena Saturday night.

It was Winnipeg’s first win in four tries on home ice.

Chase Hartje and Connor McLennon also scored for the Ice, which improved to 5-4-1 overall.

Riley McKay had the lone goal for the Blades, who dropped to 7-5-0-1.

Justin Trudeau extolled the Liberals’ record in government and attacked his main opponent, Conservative Andrew Scheer, in a rousing 15-minute speech in Winnipeg this evening.

Wearing a white shirt and tie, with sleeves rolled up, Trudeau said Scheer would rip up Canada’s climate change plan and cut programs that help ordinary Canadians.

He told a packed crowd at the Punjab Cultural Centre that the election isn’t just about choosing  a government for the next four years but for the next 40 years.

Two people have been arrested in connection to an unprovoked machete attack that sent a man to hospital in critical condition and a robbery where the weapon was used to threaten staff at a convenience store earlier this week. 

On Oct. 14, Winnipeg police located a man, in his late 20’s, bleeding badly from his leg at approximately 4:50 a.m. in Fort Rouge. The victim was taken to hospital in unstable condition and later upgraded to stable.

Police allege the man was walking towards the downtown area when two suspects attacked him with a machete without warning and walked away. 

The Major Crimes Unit continued the investigation and later identified the two suspects, who are also believed to be responsible for a robbery at a convenience store in South Osborne on Oct. 14 around 6:30 a.m. 

Both suspects were arrested at a hotel in the Polo Park area on the evening of Oct. 18. They were detained in custody. 

Arlen Justin Drew Robert Sumner, 20, of Winnipeg has been charged with one count of aggravated assault, robbery, mischief under $5,000, as well as two counts of possession of a weapon and five counts of failure to comply with recognizance by a justice.

A 17-year-old Winnipeg woman has also been charged with aggravated assault, robbery and mischief under $5,000. 

Jason Kenney is a man on a mission to oust a prime minister and a federal government that he says has badly damaged the country’s oil industry.

Kenney is in Winnipeg today stumping for local Conservative candidates, including former city councillor Marty Morantz in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley.

In a speech at Morantz’s campaign headquarters, Kenney said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hurt his province by cancelling pipeline projects.

He said the carbon tax is “all economic pain and no environmental gain.”

Police have charged two men and seized nine firearms and 1,200 rounds of ammunition in connection to a home invasion in the Maples last weekend that ended with a man suffering multiple gunshot wounds. 

The Winnipeg Police Service said in a release Saturday that officers responded to an incident on the 400 block of Adsum Drive on Oct. 12 around 10:40 p.m. Residents in the area reported seeing people enter a house and hearing gunshots. 

Upon arrival, police found an unconscious man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital in critical condition and later upgraded to stable condition. 

Two days later, officers arrested two suspects in separate residences in the neighbourhood. One suspect was wearing two sets of body armour — without a valid permit — at the time of his arrest. Both men were detained in custody.

Jaycee Ryan Danielson, 18, of Winnipeg, faces nine charges, including armed robbery using a firearm, aggravated assault and possession of a loaded prohibited weapon.

James Cole Richard, 24, of the Lake St. Martin area, faces 13 charges, including armed robbery using a firearm, aggravated assault and possession of a loaded prohibited weapon. 

The investigation by the Major Crimes Unit is still underway.

Police are warning the public to be wary if an individual calls them up, claims to be a criminal investigator and asks for money owed to the Canada Revenue Agency. 

The Winnipeg Police Service continues to receive reports of a scam believed to be targeting local phone numbers. 

During some calls, victims are told to dial the local police’s non-emergency line (while the call is ongoing) to confirm an investigation into their finances is underway. Although the victim may believe they have started a new call, the scammer has remained on the call. 

Police have also received reports of a scammer using “Caller ID spoofing” to contact a victim from what fraudulently appears to be the WPS non-emergency line (204-986-6222). The scammer then pretends to be a police officer and attempts to convince the victim to transfer them money. 

Officers remind the public to be cautious of unexpected callers, never assume incoming call display is accurate and have discussions with older loved ones to ensure they are protected against scams. 

The Manitoba Bisons posted their first victory over Calgary in five seasons, downing the first-place Dinos 43-29 in Canada West conference university football action at IG Field.

Manitoba (4-3), which led 33-7 at halftime, wrapped up a playoff spot and could face the Dinos (5-2) in a first-round playoff series.

The Bisons went unbeaten at home for the first time since 2014. They end the 2019 regular season this Friday in Regina against the Rams.

The Western Hockey League’s Winnipeg Ice made a major trade Saturday afternoon, acquiring 19-year-old winger Jackson Leppard from the Prince George Cougars for a package of players and draft picks.

In return for Leppard, in his fourth full season in the WHL, the Ice sent 19-year-old defenceman Marco Creta, 18-year-old forward Holden Kodak, a third-round pick in the 2021 bantam draft, a third-rounder in 2022 and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2020.

Leppard, from North Vancouver British Columbia, was the eighth-overall choice in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. The 6-2, 200-pounder has one goal in five games this season.

In 67 games in 2018-19, Leppard had 10 goals and 29 points in 67 games. 

The Winnipeg Jets have placed a pair of veterans on the injured-reserve list and will likely call up at least one skater from the Manitoba Moose.

Blue-liner Anthony Bitetto (lower body) and forward Mark Letestu (undisclosed) are both out of the NHL club’s lineup for the foreseeable future.

Bitetto is listed as day to day, while Letestu is still underdoing some tests and won’t play at least until after the Jets’ outdoor game against the Calgar Flames in Regina next weekend.

Meanwhile, centre Bryan Little confirmed he’s returning to the lineup Sunday when Winnipeg hosts the Edmonton Oilers. Game time is 6 p.m.

He suffered a concussion during the preseason has missed nine games to start the 2019-20 season.

Little skated on a line during this morning’s practice with wingers Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers.

The Colin Kurz foursome from Winnipeg is on top of the world.

The Canadians captured the world mixed curling championship today in Aberdeen, Scotland, defeating Andy Kapp of Germany 6-5 in the final.

Kurz, with third Meghan Walker, second Brendan Bilawka and lead Sara Oliver, went undefeated in the preliminary round and then beat Norway in the semifinal.

“World champion has a good ring to it,” Kurz told reporters. “We’re very happy, it hasn’t really sunk in yet, but it’s kind of what we came here for. That we were able to achieve that I couldn’t be happier for the team.”

At just 17, Walter becomes the youngest player in history to win a world mixed gold medal.

The family of Taylor Pryor has called off the search for the 21-year-old Winnipeg woman after she was found dead.

Pryor went missing on Thursday afternoon near the University of Manitoba campus in south Winnipeg.  

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney will be in Winnipeg tonight to prop up the Tory campaign in the competitive Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley riding ahead of election day. 

The leader of Alberta’s United Conservative Party, Kenney was elected premier earlier this year. He has made a name for himself as both a popular and controversial politician who is staunchly pro-pipeline and champions social service cuts.

Kenney is expected to campaign with candidate Marty Morantz, a former city councillor who is running to represent the southwest Winnipeg riding in Ottawa. The duo is expected to campaign at 3244 Portage Ave. at 5:30 p.m. 

Morantz is running against incumbent Doug Eyolfson (Liberal), Steven Fletcher (PPC), Ken St. George (NDP) and Kristin Lauhn-Jensen (Green). 

The aftermath of the Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm has blocked nearly all of the trails in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

The province is advising the public against backcountry travel in the park while staff work to clean up tree debris throughout the fall.

Heading into the home stretch of his campaign for re-election, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg to rally his Prairie supporters tonight.

The Liberal Party of Canada rally starts at 7 p.m. at the Punjab Cultural Centre located at 1770 King Edward St. 

The campaign stop will mark Trudeau’s second visit to Winnipeg during the race. His first one took place the day after the "brownface" revelations. Rather than making a policy announcement, he offered a public apology to Canadians in downtown Winnipeg on Sept. 19.