News briefs for Saturday, October 1, 2022

Winnipeg police are investigating a man’s death after he was found outside of a residence in the Spence neighbourhood Friday.

Police were called to the 500 block of Balmoral Street around 8:23 a.m. following a report of suspicious circumstances. When police arrived, they found the man dead.

The homicide unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

An 18-year-old man has been detained and is facing various assault and weapons charges after two Thursday morning incidents.

Winnipeg police were called to the 400 block of Sherbrook Street at 3:34 a.m. following a report of a shooting.

Outside of a residential building, police found an injured man who was taken to hospital in critical condition. The man has been upgraded to stable condition. Police say a group forced their way into a suite when he was sprayed with bear spray and shot.

At 4:38 a.m., police were called to the 100 block of Westgrove Way for a report of a man with a gun.

Police say a group broke into a home, pointed a gun at a woman and demanded her property. Bear spray was also discharged in the house.

Officers saw a man in the area and took him into custody around 6:40 a.m.

Both incidents are under investigation.

 

A man from Gretna and a woman from Roseau River have been arrested after Winnipeg police conducted a traffic stop around midnight Thursday.

Police say they pulled over a vehicle with unmatched license plates in the 700 block of Burrows Avenue. When officers searched the vehicle they found a loaded handgun, cocaine, methamphetamine, cell phones, a scale and packaging materials.

The investigation found the handgun was one of 13 reported stolen from a break-in that took place in June 2021 in the 300 block of Burrows Avenue.

The pair remains in custody.

Mayoral candidate Rana Bokhari is pledging to impose the city’s five per cent accommodation tax on short-term rentals, which would include platforms such as Airbnb.

“With a shortage of affordable housing in the city, it is frustrating to lose potential housing to the short-term rental market,” said Bokhari in a release Saturday.

The accommodation tax bylaw came into effect June 1, 2008 and is charged on accommodations that span less than thirty nights, although some exceptions apply.

Including short-term rentals in the bylaw would “add approximately $2.2 million to city coffers annually,” said the release.

The Winnipeg Jets have cut 16 players from training camp as they get closer to their opening-night roster.

Forwards Mikey Eyssimont, Jeff Malott, Daniel Torgersson, Henri Nikannen, Chaz Lucius, Alex Limoges, Nick Jones, Cole Maier, Evan Polei and Wyatt Bongiovanni, defencemen Ashton Sautner, Leon Gawanke, Declan Chisholm, Simon Lundmark and Tyrel Bauer, and goaltender Oskari Salminen have all been assigned to the Manitoba Moose.

Eyssimont, Malott, Sautner and Gawanke must first pass through waivers before they can join the AHL club.

Winnipeg now has 31 skaters left in camp — four goaltenders, 17 forwards and 10 defencemen.