News briefs for Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Manitoba figure skaters on fire at nationals

10:45 AM

Winnipeg junior pair skaters Ava Kemp and partner Yohnatan Elizarov are in a great position heading into Day 2 of the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Oshawa, Ont.

The duo is in second place after Tuesday’s competition and will perform their free program today, with a chance to advance to the worlds in Calgary later this winter. Canada has three spots for junior pairs teams at the upcoming worlds.

In junior women’s singles, Breken Brezden of Dauphin is fifth out of 18 young skaters as she makes her debut at the nationals. She performs her free skate later today.

Affordable housing unit to be built near U of W

11:51 AM

Ground broke on a new affordable housing complex near the University of Winnipeg Wednesday.

The more-than-$17.4-million project will include 69 units. Developers are focusing on housing Indigenous students, young families and elders.

Ottawa is providing $15.6 million to the complex. Opaskwayak Cree Nation is contributing $1.8 million, and the province — through Efficiency Manitoba — is giving $105,000.

Construction is expected to end in the summer of 2024.

Hardrick returning to Bombers for seventh season

2:08 PM

Jermarcus Hardrick is staying in Winnipeg.

The Blue Bombers announced on Wednesday the re-signing of the veteran right tackle to a one-year deal.

Hardrick, a 32-year-old who originally joined the Bombers in 2016, was a CFL All-Star in 2021 and was named to the CFL Players’ Association All-Star squad in 2022.

The University of Nebraska product was scheduled to become a free agent in February.

MPI rates to nudge up

2:43 PM

Manitoba drivers will have to pay slightly more for car insurance as of April 1.

The Public Utilities Board released an order Wednesday that means premiums will go up by 1.54 per cent, on average.

Rates paid by individuals will vary depending on their vehicle and driving record.

The board drew attention to MPI’s significant increase in operating expenses, mostly due to staffing increases.

Staffing has increased to 2,348 in the 2023-24 budget, compared to 1,939 workers before the pandemic.

RSV hospitalizations climbing

2:49 PM

Nineteen children’s surgeries have been postponed in Manitoba to date because of ongoing high patient volumes caused by RSV-related illness.

In the past week, two surgeries were postponed and an additional eight to 10 elective procedures were not scheduled as part of the hospital’s plans, announced in December, to prevent the pediatric intensive care unit from becoming overwhelmed in the face of so many hospitalizations.

Shared Health released the updated information this afternoon, stating a majority of the 17 patients in the pediatric ICU as of first thing Wednesday morning are babies no more than a few months old with respiratory symptoms.

Influenza rates have likely peaked, in-hospital tests show, but cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continue to surge, Shared Health stated.

Thompson RCMP search for woman missing since November

3:11 PM

RCMP in Thompson are searching for a woman missing since early November.

RCMP said the Thompson detachment received a missing person report for Kayla James, 31, on Jan. 5, after she was last seen on Nov. 8 last year.

RCMP said James is 5-5 and 199 lbs, with long black hair and brown eyes. Mounties think she could be in Thompson or Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, which is about 80 kilometres west of the northern city.

RCMP asked anyone with information on her whereabouts to call the Thompson detachment at 204-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Missing senior from Fort Rouge found

3:53 PM

An 81-year-old man who went missing just before noon Wednesday has been found police said.

The Winnipeg Police Service asked for the public’s help in finding Peter Reimer Wednesday afternoon.

Reimer was considered a vulnerable person.

Snowmobiler, 73, killed in highway collision with truck

4:39 PM

A 73-year-old man was killed in a collision involving a snowmobile and a vehicle in Steinbach on Wednesday morning.

The Steinbach man was trying to cross Highway 12 near Clearsprings Road when his eastbound snowmobile was hit by a southbound pickup truck driven by a 45-year-old Ste. Anne woman at about 7:40 a.m., according to the RCMP.

The man, who was wearing a helmet, died at the scene. The woman was not injured.