News briefs for Friday, April 14, 2023

Jets to meet Golden Knights in first round of playoffs

12:45 AM

The Winnipeg Jets will meet the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Jets clinched the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference following a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, leaving them to wait to find out who their opponent would be in the postseason. That was determined late Thursday, following a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, earning the Golden Knights top seed in the West.

The other option would have been the red-hot Edmonton Oilers, who earned a victory over the lowly San Jose Sharks Thursday that forced Vegas to earn at least a point against the Kraken to surpass Edmonton for top spot in the Pacific Division and a chance to host the Jets in Round 1. The Golden Knights have beat the Jets in all three games they’ve played this season, with Winnipeg earning just a single point from a 2-1 overtime loss back in January.

Game 1 and Game 2 will be played in Vegas on Tuesday and Thursday, with Game 3 and Game 4 in Winnipeg still to be determined.

Body found in burning garage

10:04 AM

Police are investigating after a body was found inside a burning garage on Mountain Avenue.

Fire crews were sent to the fire in the 500 block of Mountain at about 5:30 a.m. Friday. Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service members found a dead adult inside the garage and advised police.

The body was transported to hospital pending an autopsy.

The major crimes unit is investigating.

The Winnipeg Police Service is asking anyone with information about the incident to call investigators at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).

Allied health workers support strike vote

10:53 AM

Allied health workers have voted overwhelmingly in support of a strike.

On Friday, the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals said 99 per cent of its membership voted in favour of walking off the job if contract negotiations with their employers do not progress.

The union’s bargaining committee called for a strike vote last month and the vote was held this week.

MAHCP represents rural paramedics and emergency dispatch; diagnostic imaging and laboratory technologists; mental health and addictions counsellors, respiratory therapists, midwives and over 40 other specialized professions. Over 6,5000 workers are represented by the union and are employed by Shared Health and regional health authorities in Manitoba.

Workers have been without a new collective agreement for over five years.

“This strike vote result vote clearly shows they are done waiting,” MAHCP president Jason Linklater said in a release.

Firefighters douse blaze in Albert Street hotel

11:02 AM

Firefighters doused flames in an Albert Street hotel early Friday morning.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said crews were called to the hotel at 2:42 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke coming from the building.

They got the blaze under control by 3:10 a.m., WFPS said. No one was hurt and the fire is under investigation.

Retired couple wins $60 million on single lottery ticket

11:57 AM

A retired couple who have won the largest single retail lottery ticket win in Manitoba’s history say they’ll use the $60 million to give back to their community — and hit Vegas.

Janice and Randy Glays purchased the winning ticket — a $6 Lotto Max quick pick — from the St. Anne’s Road Superstore March 31. When they won, they wondered if it was an April Fool’s joke.

“I’ve never seen such a big number, I couldn’t believe it,” Randy said.

The win is just $20 short of the all-time biggest win in Manitoba, awarded to a family of four on a ticket sold through PlayNow.com in 2021.

The winning numbers were 1, 3, 26, 28, 36, 47 and 50.

Four weeks, no COVID deaths

3:00 PM

Manitoba hasn’t recorded any COVID deaths for four consecutive weeks, the longest stretch of time without any fatalities from the virus since 2020.

Zero new deaths were reported for the week of April 2 to 8, according to the latest data available in the provincial government’s respiratory virus surveillance report. There were 132 COVID cases lab-confirmed that week, as well as 53 hospital admissions and eight intensive care admissions among patients who tested positive.

The case count is up slightly, but hospitalizations are relatively steady.

There were 121 cases reported, including 57 hospitalized patients with COVID and 10 in intensive care, during the week of March 26 to April 1. The week before that, 146 COVID cases, 59 hospitalizations, and 11 ICU admissions were reported.