News briefs for Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Jets lose 4-2 to Predators

9:40 PM

The Winnipeg Jets lost 4-2 to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night at Canada Life Centre.

Gustav Nyquist, Kiefer Sherwood, Filip Forsberg and Jason Zucker gave the visitors a commanding lead by early in the third period. Late goals from Alex Iafallo and Mason Appleton made the score a bit more respectable.

Winnipeg’s top scorer, Mark Scheifele, missed the game due to illness, while winger Gabe Vilardi missed a seventh straight game due to an undisclosed medical issue.

Winnipeg falls to 41-19-5, while Nashville improves to 38-25-4 including 11-0-2 in the last 13 games.

The Jets return to action Friday night when they host the Anaheim Ducks.

Minimum wage increasing this fall

1:47 PM

Manitoba’s minimum wage is increasing 50 cents on Oct. 1.

It’s going up to $15.80 in the fall, Premier Wab Kinew said Wednesday.

“That’s in keeping with the framework for minimum wage in Manitoba right now,” Kinew said at an unrelated news conference.

His government could raise the minimum wage by more under legislation passed by the Tories, but Kinew said his government is sticking to a 50 cent increase for Oct. 1.

“We’ll have engagements and conversations with many folks about this, but the main point is the minimum wage is going up to $15.80,” he told reporters.

Motion to study living wages passes city committee

10:39 AM

The City of Winnipeg looks poised to study the cost of implementing a living wage but isn’t moving to add one.

Council’s executive policy committee voted Tuesday in favour of a call to review an estimated living wage in Winnipeg, how many city workers would receive a raise to reach that rate and how much the change would cost.

The motion also calls for an estimate of “cascading costs” associated with higher wages that could be sought for workers in municipal jobs whose pay currently matches, or is just above, the living wage level, as well as how existing city health and pension benefits might offset the wage rate needed for municipal workers.

It also calls for details on the cost of applying a living wage to employees who work for contractors providing city services.

If council approves the motion, a report would be due in about four months.

EPC voted to take no action on a previous call to implement a living wage for all city workers by Jan. 1, 2025, as well as employees of contractors who provide city services.

None of the city’s motions on a potential living wage have dictated the exact pay level, though discussions have been based largely around a wage of $19.21 per hour, as recommended by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Police release images of man wanted in homicide probe

9:32 AM

Winnipeg police have released two photos of man they call a person of interest in the killing of a 26-year-old last month.

Kevin Delaney Flett died in hospital after being found critically injured near Maryland Street and Wellington Avenue around 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 25.

“The homicide unit believes the individual seen in (these) images is a person of interest, and police are requesting the public’s assistance to identify him,” the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Wednesday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 204-986-6508, Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS, or go online at winnipegcrimestoppers.org.