Man pleads guilty to murder in abduction

A Winnipeg man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his part in a fatal kidnapping plot targeting a rival drug dealer.

Sonny Balemba was one of three men charged in the September 2024 killing of 22-year-old Zeyad Shammo.

Balemba and co-accused Robert James Chaykowski, both 26, were arrested days after the killing. Co-accused Chad Jason Dandan, 25, was arrested just last week in Surrey, B.C. on a Canada-wide warrant.

Chaykowski and Dandan are each charged with first-degree murder.

Manitoba Tory leader rebuked for comments to non-binary cabinet minister

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Opposition leader Obby Khan was castigated Tuesday by legislature Speaker Tom Lindsey for remarks made toward a non-binary cabinet minister that Lindsey described as hateful and dehumanizing.

Khan, however, rejected Lindsey's version of events, which included the release of a short audio recording. He said he meant nothing hateful when he called deputy premier Uzoma Asagwara a "terrible person" and added the remark "whatever you are."

The controversy erupted during a raucous question period on March 17. The NDP complained to Lindsey that Khan had made the remarks, which were not captured clearly by the official legislature livestream recording amid a lot of heckling.

On Tuesday, Lindsey ruled on the matter and released a 15-second snippet of audio recorded by different microphones inside the chamber.

Manitoba woman who survived Dominican bus crash fights for compensation

A Winkler woman who survived a bus crash that killed two Manitobans in the Dominican Republic is still feeling the effects of broken bones as she fights to be compensated for lost wages.

Justina Bueckert touched down in the Punta Cana airport on March 1 with a new friend, Ivy Last-Klippenstein. Bueckert, 44, was taking time off following a break-up, moving back to her hometown and opening a home-based massage therapy practice.

After a two-hour luggage delay, Bueckert, Last-Klippenstein and 13 others climbed on a bus that would take them to their resort on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. It was raining on and off and the traffic was ‘chaotic,’ Bueckert said.

An hour or so into the ride, the bus driver took an exit off the highway a little too fast. Bueckert remembers the panicked look on his face.

Care home sued over alleged abuse

The daughter of an 85-year-old who died after she was allegedly neglected and abused at a Winnipeg long-term care home is suing the facility’s current and former operators.

Cari Goncalves filed the lawsuit in the Court of King’s Bench late last month on behalf of her mother Olga Ozubko’s estate.

Ozubko died on Sept. 15, 2024, following a medical emergency days earlier at Poseidon Care Centre, where she had lived since August 2022.

The lawsuit claims her death was the result of improper care she received at the facility, which exacerbated her existing medical issues.

Feds, city, province join forces with First Nation to build 150 apartments in St. James

More than a century after its lake became the source of Winnipeg’s drinking water, Shoal Lake 40 First Nation is leading a major housing development in the city, backed by more than $51 million in government funding.

The federal government announced the combined funding Tuesday to build 150 apartment units at 2675 Portage Ave. in the city’s St. James neighbourhood. The development will include one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

Shoal Lake 40 Chief Herb Greene said the project carries historical significance.

“This development is about three things: history, teamwork, and the future,” Greene said during a sod-turning ceremony Tuesday. He noted for more than 100 years, Winnipeg was in dire need of a reliable source of clean drinking water.

Ottawa kicks in $5M for Headingley water reservoir project

The federal government announced Tuesday it is investing in a Headingley water reservoir, as Winnipeg struggles to lock down funding to get its massive sewage treatment plant project to the finish line.

Winnipeg West MP Doug Eyolfson was in the RM of Headingley Tuesday afternoon to announce $5 million in direct funding for the construction of a water reservoir and pumping station through the federal Build Communities Strong Fund, which will distribute $51 billion across the country over 10 years.

Headingley is one of 13 communities in Canada, and the only one in Manitoba, that announced it was receiving direct funding for infrastructure projects through the fund.

“This has been a growing community for quite some time. And when you have a community that’s growing without investing in the vital infrastructure — like water and waste — then it’s going to be more difficult,” Eyolfson said.

City to start treating ground squirrels in nine parks

The city will begin using pesticides to control its ground squirrel population Tuesday.

Two rodenticides will be used to treat athletic fields at nine parks in the city.

The parks are: Beryl Watts Park/Vince Leah Community Centre, Charleswood Place, Fairgrove Bay Park, Shaughnessy Park, St. James Memorial Sports Park, Theodore Niitzhotay Fontaine Park, Weston Memorial Community Centre, Woodsworth Park and Valour Community Centre – Clifton Site.

The city said in a Tuesday news release it was forced to close some of the fields over the past few years because of ground squirrel damage. “The treatments we chose are used in most major Canadian cities. They pose limited risk to other animals and people,” the release stated.

Caring for native flowers and grasses helps former adult educator find ‘hope and joy in a dark time in the world’

After a career guiding newcomers through the logistics of life in Winnipeg, from registering with a family doctor to figuring out the transit system, Gerry Pearson turned her sights toward helping the city’s native plants settle back into place.