News briefs for November 30, 2020

The downtown Winnipeg Hudson’s Bay store is closing sooner than expected.

“In light of recently announced restrictions on non-essential retail by the Government of Manitoba, we have made the decision to close this location today,” said a spokesperson from HBC.

The store has been trying to clear out their stock recently and were even selling chairs from the former Paddlewheel Restaurant. The company says they will continue to serve Winnipeggers at their Polo Park and St. Vital locations.

Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said in a statement to the Free Press that she has seen news of HBC’s early closure. She added more support is needed for other downtown businesses.

“While we expected the doors to close this winter, it’s still difficult to lose a business that’s been around for so many decades. We know businesses, especially those downtown, are facing multiple challenges right now so it’s critical they receive additional support to survive the second wave of COVID-19.”

OTTAWA — The Manitoba Metis Federation has convinced a federal judge to review whether a national regulator should have halted the construction of a transmission line to Minnesota, after the province reneged on a benefit deal.

The MMF revealed Monday that the Federal Court of Appeal agreed on Nov. 19 to hear its arguments, that the Canada Energy Regulator did not live up to Ottawa’s constitutional duty to protect Indigenous treaty rights, by approving the project.

The federal Liberals approved the project on a vaguely worded condition that the province uphold its commitments to Indigenous people.

Premier Brian Pallister had cancelled a $67.5-million tentative deal Manitoba Hydro signed in order for the MMF to not challenge the project, which he deemed "hush money."

The federal appeal runs parallel to a provincial suit, which the MMF lost in March and then appealed to the Court of Queen’s Bench; a hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16.

Winnipeg police officers who broke a man’s arm during an arrest on Sargent Avenue in May will face no criminal charges.

The Independent Investigation Unit, a provincial watchdog that probes police conduct, did several interviews, speaking with four civilian witnesses, and also relied on officers’ notes, audio recordings of the 911 call and medical reports.

Police had initially been called to the scene after an alleged assault on a woman. The man still faces charges arising out of the incident.

The provincial men’s and women’s curling championships will be played simultaneously under one roof in Selkirk from Feb. 2 to 7.

The field for the Viterra Championship has been sliced in half to 16 teams, while the Scotties is now down to eight teams, Curl Manitoba announced today.

Regional qualifiers for the two events will take place in mid-January. The plans hinge on the state of the pandemic in the province and the approval of Manitoba Health.

Hockey Manitoba announced Monday it has cancelled its provincial minor hockey competitions slated to take place throughout the province in February and March 2021 due to the pandemic. Games will not be rescheduled.

The cancellation will provide leagues with more time to plan the current season and the ability to extend the season past February.

Once play resumes, provincial leagues will still have the ability to name a provincial champion and compete to represent Manitoba at a national tournament.
 

Provincial health officials announced 343 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 more deaths in Manitoba Monday.

There are 9,260 active cases in Manitoba, with 342 people in hospital, 43 of them in intensive care.

The five-day test positivity rate is 13.4 in Manitoba, and 13.7 in Winnipeg.

The new deaths include:
• a man in his 30s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a woman in her 40s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a woman in her 70s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at Health Science Centre unit GA3;
• a woman in her 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, linked to the outbreak at Fairview Personal Care Home;
• a man in his 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, linked to the outbreak at Fairview Personal Care Home;
• a man in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud region, linked to the outbreak at Villa Youville Personal Care Home;
• a man in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at Charleswood Care Centre;
• a man in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at Golden Links Lodge;
• a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at St. Norbert Personal Care Home;  
• a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region; and
• a man in his 90s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud region, linked to the outbreak at the Bridgepark Manor assisted living facility.  

Of the new cases announced Monday, 207 are in the Winnipeg health region, 53 in Southern Health; 23 in Interlake–Eastern; 14 in Prairie Mountain; and 46 in Northern Health.

The City of Winnipeg has begun to refund its impact fee, though it’s not clear exactly when some homeowners will get their money back.

The city began issuing refunds Monday for $37 million in impact fees and interest. The money goes to whoever directly paid the fee, which in many cases was the home’s builder.

In July, a judge found the city’s version of the fee is “a constitutionally invalid, indirect tax” and ordered that it be refunded to homeowners, though that process is subject to clauses in individual home contracts.

The city expects to provide most of the refunds by Dec. 14, 2020.

Winnipeg police are investigating after a man was assaulted with a weapon in the city’s Centennial neighbourhood early Monday morning.

The man was taken to hospital in unstable condition after police responded to a call at a home in the 300 block of Ross Avenue at 1:11 a.m. His condition was later upgraded to stable, police said in a news release.

Police arrested another man and a woman after the second man, also injured, appeared at a home in the 600 block of McGee Street soon after the assault. He was treated in hospital, released, and taken into custody. Police didn’t release any other details.

Police ask anyone with information to call them at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.

Manitoba drivers can expect another rebate cheque from Manitoba Public Insurance amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cheques for roughly $100 each will be issued to policyholders in late December or early January, Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced Monday on behalf of MPI. A total $69 million is expected to be doled out to roughly 675,000 Manitobans in this second rebate.

The first rebate, a response to the financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring, returned $110 million to insured Manitoba drivers in May. 

Winnipeg’s annual winter parking ban comes into effect early Tuesday morning.

As of 2 a.m. on Dec. 1, residents won’t be allowed to park on snow routes between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. daily until March.

Snow routes are labelled with street signs, and residents can also check whether they’re parked on a snow route by checking the address on the city’s website, consulting the interactive map, or by calling 311.

Artis Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)  has reached an agreement with Sandpiper Group to cancel a pending special meeting of shareholders and trustees have agreed to step down in favour of a slate that Sandpiper has nominated.

As well, Armin Martens, the founding CEO of the Winnipeg-based REIT, and CFO Jim Green have agreed to step down.

The action arose after Artis proposed spinning off its retail properties into a separate REIT, something that Sandpiper, a significant shareholder, objected to.

In a statement this morning, Martens said, "I am pleased that Artis was able to reach an agreement with Sandpiper that Artis believes is in the best interests of the REIT and all of its unitholders… I feel this is an appropriate time for leadership renewal and succession."

Two people were taken to hospital in stable condition and a dog was rescued after a house fire on McDermot Avenue Sunday night.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews responded to the fire at the two-storey home in the 800 block of McDermot Avenue at 9:35 p.m. Sunday. They declared the fire under control less than an hour later.

It was one of two house fires that kept crews busy Sunday night. At 9:13 p.m., firefighters were called to a two-storey home in the 300 block of College Avenue. All of the occupants got out of the house before crews arrived and no injuries were reported.

Both fires are still under investigation.