News briefs for Tuesday, March 11, 2025

UPDATE: Little Saskatchewan First Nation man reported missing, found safe

4:12 PM

RCMP have reported that Vernon Catcheway, 37, of Little Saskatchewan First Nation has been safely located.

He had been reported missing Tuesday morning.

The Gypsumville RCMP would like to thank the public and the media for their assistance.

Teen bit officer in hospital bathroom: police

3:02 PM

A teenager allegedly bit a police officer while barricading herself in a hospital bathroom after her arrest.

Police arrested a 17-year-old female who was wanted on several arrest warrants while they were on the 700 block of Pacific Avenue on an unrelated matter at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

“The suspect was intoxicated and transported to hospital in stable condition for medical assessment,” the WPS said Tuesday.

Later, at about 11:50 p.m., the woman barricaded herself in a bathroom and bit an officer “in the lower body,” police said.

The officer suffered minor injuries but requires medical followup, the WPS said.

A Winnipeg resident has been charged with assaulting a peace officer and failing to comply with conditions of a release order. She was wanted on three counts of failing to comply with a sentence, two counts each of assault and failing to comply with conditions of a release order and a single count of failing to comply with a sentence.

She was detained in custody.

Bus passengers attacked, woman charged

2:53 PM

A woman is facing charges after a bus passenger was pushed, another was elbowed in the face and a man was punched, bitten and had his hair pulled out.

The incident happened on a Winnipeg Transit bus near Balmoral Street and Sargent Avenue at about 4 p.m. Monday.

A woman “who appeared to be intoxicated and behaving aggressively” confronted two passengers at “random,” the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Tuesday.

While pushing one of the passengers, the attacker elbowed a woman in her 20s in the face, the WPS said.

The woman then attacked a man in his 50s, yanking his hair out.

“Bystanders intervened, restrained the suspect and waited for police,” the WPS said.

The man was taken to hospital in stable condition, while the woman who was elbowed declined medical attention.

“The two passengers of the initial altercation left before they were identified,” the WPS said.

A 22-year-old woman is facing charges of assault and assault causing bodily harm. She was released on an undertaking.

Officers continue to investigate, the WPS said.

Ottawa gives another $27.3M to End Homelessness Winnipeg

1:31 PM

The federal government will provide another $27.3 million in funding to End Homelessness Winnipeg.

The funds are through the Designated Communities and Indigenous Homelessness streams of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.

The funds bring the total allocation for Winnipeg through these streams to $174.7 million from the 2019-20 through 2027-28 fiscal years.

Winnipeg Liberal MP Ben Carr and End Homelessness Winnipeg CEO Jason Whitford held a news conference on the announcement on Tuesday afternoon.

Strike deadline set for CFS workers at three agencies

10:24 AM

Workers at three child and family services agencies are set to go on strike in two weeks unless deals are reached on new contracts.

The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union announced the March 25 deadline on Tuesday in the wake of layoff notices at the separate Métis and Michif child and family services. The MGEU said Monday that workers at Southeast Child and Family Services have recently been threatened with layoffs, too.

Workers will go on strike on March 25 unless new agreements are reached.

The MGEU said 220 and 110 workers at the Métis and Michif agencies have been without contracts since Jan. 31, 2023. At Southeast, 170 employees have been without a contract since March 31, 2022.

Teen, 17, missing again

9:25 AM

RCMP are looking for a teenager who has gone missing for the second time in just over a week.

Marika Flett, 17, was last seen at a home in northwest Winnipeg at about 8 p.m. Saturday. She was reported missing hours later, at 12:15 a.m. Sunday.

She is described as being 5-5 in height, with a slim build, dark shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes. The teen was wearing a black jacket, brown Uggs and a small backpack when she was last seen.

RCMP asked anyone with information about where Marika might be to contact their Selkirk detachment at 204-482-1222, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

On March 1, police were told Marika had last been seen at a home in West St. Paul on Feb. 28. RCMP asked for the public’s help in finding her on Wednesday and announced Friday that she had been found.

Three hospitalized after Langevin Street apartment fire

9:19 AM

Three people were taken to hospital with serious injuries after an apartment fire in St. Boniface on Monday night.

Firefighters were sent to the 400 block of Langevin Street at 8:23 p.m. Everyone inside got out of the building on their own, but three occupants were transported to hospital in unstable condition, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release Tuesday.

On Tuesday, at 5:52 a.m., fire crews were sent to a mixed residential and commercial building on the 200 block of Polson Avenue. They declared the fire under control at 6:25 a.m. Everyone inside got out of the building before fire crews arrived.