West End house fire under investigation, no injuries reported

9:32 AM

Investigators are probing the cause of a blaze that engulfed a vacant house in the West End and prompted neighbours to evacuate their residences on Sunday evening.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to reports of a fire in a residence on the 400 block of Agnes Street shortly after 9 p.m. on March 12.

“Two neighbouring homes were temporarily evacuated as a precaution. A Winnipeg Transit bus provided shelter for approximately eight residents who were temporarily displaced,” states a news release, which notes no injuries were reported.

Firefighters were met with smoke and flames coming from the home when they arrived on the scene and worked to both put out the fire and protect neighbouring buildings from it. Crews declared the fire under control within an hour.

Doobie Brothers play downtown arena Oct. 22

10:49 AM

Fans of the Doobie Brothers will be listening to the music Oct. 22 when the 1970s and ’80s hitmakers play the Canada Life Centre.

Tickets to the 50th anniversary tour concert go on sale March 17 at 10 a.m. at livenation.com and ticketmaster.ca; however, there are fan-club presales beginning Wednesday.

The Doobies in 2023 include two original members of the band that began in 1970, Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston, as well as vocalist Michael McDonald, who sang hits such as What a Fool Believes and Minute by Minute, and multi-instrumentalist John McFee, both of whom joined the band later in the ’70s.

Workers Compensation Board workers announce strike action

11:37 AM

The union representing workers at the Workers Compensation Board and SAFE Work Manitoba says they will be on strike starting March 21.

CUPE 1063 said on Monday that the strike decision, for workers in Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson, was made after the union’s executive committee voted unanimously for a full strike following two years of unsuccessful negotiating since the last contract expired.

The union said it gave management five working days of notice.

The union says it is still willing to continue bargaining “if they are willing to offer something better”.

Two stabbed downtown — one shopping in store

11:48 AM

Two men were rushed to hospital after being stabbed downtown — one while shopping in a store.

Winnipeg police said on Monday both victims, who were in their thirties, were taken to hospital in unstable condition and later upgraded to stable.

Police said the first victim was shopping in a store in the 200 block of Portage Avenue when he was confronted by a man with a knife and stabbed on Friday at about 5:10 p.m.

The suspect fled the store and a few minutes later the same suspect confronted another victim who was walking on the sidewalk and, after a quick conversation, stabbed him.

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man and charged him with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a weapon.

Grey Cup official announcement expected Tuesday

12:04 PM

The CFL is expected to officially award the 2025 Grey Cup to Winnipeg this week.

League commissioner Randy Ambrosie, Bomber officials and delegates from the city and province, including Premier Heather Stefanson and Mayor Scott Gillingham, will be on hand Tuesday for “a special announcement”, set for 11 a.m. at the Pinnacle Club at IG Field.

Winnipeg last played host to the championship game — and the week-long festivities leading up to it — in 2015.

The 2023 Grey Cup is slated for Hamilton on Nov. 19, while Vancouver will host in 2024.

Winnipeg police search for woman missing since February

12:36 PM

Winnipeg police are searching for a missing 25-year-old woman.

Rose Strang was last seen on Feb. 28 in the Maples, police said.

She is 5′-8″ and 200 lbs with dark, wavy hair with blue and green highlights and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white puffer jacket, black pants and black, red and white shoes.

Police ask anyone who knows where she might be to call the missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.

Judge rules Stefanson violated Conflict of Interest Act, no penalty issued

12:55 PM

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson violated conflict of interest rules when she failed to disclose $31 million worth of property sales, according to a decision by Court of King’s Bench Justice Anne Turner.

However, Stefanson will not face any penalties for failing to report the disposition to the conflict of interest commissioner as Turner found the violation to be “inadvertent.”

Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont sued Stefanson for failing to disclose the sale of three properties in 2016 and 2019.

In 2019, the McDonald Grain Company Ltd. — Stefanson is listed as a director — sold the Ritz apartment block at 859 Grosvenor Ave. for $7 million and Drury Manor at 1833 Pembina Hwy. for $22.5 million. Stefanson did not file a statement disclosing the disposal of assets within the 30-day window required.

In a written decision released Friday, Turner wrote Stefanson failed to file the form required under law and was an “unintended breach” of the act due to inattention. However, the evidence demonstrates the failure was inadvertent, in keeping with section 22 of the act.

“While inattention to the details of legislation is not something MLAs should strive for, (section 22) of the act clearly mandates that I cannot impose a penalty where a breach of the act was inadvertent,” the judge wrote in the decision.

Turner also found Stefanson was not required to withdraw from meetings or voting on Bill 12 (The Red Tape Reduction and Government Efficiency Act) under the law.

Province announces $4.1 billion infrastructure strategy

1:03 PM

The Progressive Conservatives announced a $4.1 billion multi-year infrastructure strategy on Monday.

The plan outlines more than 800 approved capital projects over the next five years. It targets Manitoba highways, water control and northern airports.

Once construction is complete, people will be able to travel to Ontario on four-lane highways and drive around the Perimeter without stopping, among other things, according to the provincial government.

It has launched an interactive map detailing project locations and statuses.

Former Bison player Onyemata signs huge deal with Falcons

2:06 PM

Former University of Manitoba Bisons football star David Onyemata has agreed to a three-year, US$35 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, according to reports.

The 30-year-old defensive tackle was a 2016 fourth-round pick of the Saints and had spent his entire career in New Orleans.

He was the first Manitoba player ever drafted by an NFL squad.

Onyemata is originally from Nigeria but immigrated to Canada when he was in his late teens.

He began playing football when he arrived at the U of M, and was Canadian university football’s top lineman five years later (2015).

Man charged with arson in Rennie Hotel fire

2:14 PM

Lac du Bonnet RCMP have arrested a man accused of setting a fire that burned down a small town hotel last December.

Mounties responded to a blaze at the Rennie Hotel on Winnora Avenue in Rennie at about 3:50 a.m. on Dec. 8. The hotel, built in 1939, was completely destroyed.

An investigation by the Office of the Fire Commissioner later determined the fire was arson.

RCMP arrested Pelle Lambiase, 64, of Rennie, on Saturday. He was charged with one count of arson and released. He’s next due in court on May 1 in Beausejour.

Teulon woman killed in weekend highway crash

3:00 PM

A woman was killed when a truck and SUV collided on a highway in the RM of Rockwood on Saturday.

The crash happened on Highway 415 at about 3:30 p.m. RCMP said Monday that a pickup truck was headed south on Road 3 East when the driver entered an intersection when it was unsafe to do so. The truck collided with an SUV going east.

An 82-year-old woman who was a passenger in the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. The 55-year-old male driver and the other passenger in the vehicle, a 91-year-old man, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. All three are from Teulon.

The driver of the truck — a 29-year-old man and a passenger, a 28-year-old man, were not hurt. Both men are from Stonewall.

The driver of the truck was arrested and is facing charges of impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm.

Man, 36, arrested after stolen box truck chase

4:27 PM

Winnipeg police arrested a man accused of driving a stolen box truck erratically throughout the city.

Police were called to north Winnipeg just after 12 p.m. Sunday for a report of the stolen Peterbilt box truck, which was being tracked by GPS. It had been stolen in the Omand’s Creek industrial area, police said.

Officers saw the vehicle near Jefferson Avenue and King Edward Street and followed it through Seven Oaks, River East and Transcona, trying to get the vehicle to stop. At Gunn Road and Day Street, police deflated the truck’s tire. The truck then nearly sideswiped a police vehicle before it hit a snowbank on the 900 block of Redonda Street.

A 36-year-old man from Winnipeg is charged with flight while pursued by a peace officer, resist a peace officer, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, dangerous operation and fail to comply with the condition of a release order. He was detained.