News briefs for Monday, May 12, 2025

Fire extinguisher used as weapon in store

3:19 PM

Police say a man sprayed a fire extinguisher towards employees while stealing items from a store Sunday.

The Winnipeg Police Service said Monday that a man was seen lighting a fire in a garbage bin in the area of 300 Portage Avenue at 5:54 p.m. Nearby security personnel were able to extinguish the fire.

The man went to Carlton Street near Portage Avenue and damaged City of Winnipeg property valued at about $100, police said.

The man then went to a retail store on the same block of Portage and tried to buy items but didn’t have enough money. He “became irate,” used the store’s fire extinguisher and stole about $130 in items, the WPS said.

No one was hurt, the WPS said. Officers arrested a man in the area of Portage and Hargrave Street.

A 45-year-old man is facing robbery, arson and mischief charges.

Crews battling big wildfire around Gunn Road

3:01 PM

Fire crews were battling a large wildfire around Gunn Road in north Transcona on Monday afternoon.

A spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in an email that the fire is threatening structures in the 600 block of Gunn and the nearby area.

“Residents are not being asked to evacuate at this time,” the City of Winnipeg said on social media, as of 3:15 p.m.

“All evacuations are for commercial buildings, and firefighters are working with people in those buildings directly. Residents in the area should stay in their homes at this time.

Residents were advised to avoid the area.

Passersby stopped at the end of Wabasha Street, near Larche Crescent, to watch the plumes of smoke from the fire.

The billowing black smoke could be seen from as far away as downtown.

Firefighters were sent to the area shortly after 2 p.m.

The City of Winnipeg said on social media at 2:45 p.m. that Gunn Road is closed to traffic between Plessis Road and Redonda Street.

Manitoba Hydro said in a social-media post that more than 1,200 customers are without power so that firefighters can safely battle the blaze. The public utility estimated on its website that power would be out until shortly after 6 p.m.

Truck smashes into building at Logan and McPhillips

2:51 PM

A semi-truck crashed into a business at the intersection of Logan Avenue and McPhillips Street on Monday afternoon.

A truck with Industrial Container Service marked on the driver’s door hit Mid-West Sheet Metal at 1100 Logan Ave. sometime before 1:27 p.m.

It appears two cars were also involved in the crash.

The City of Winnipeg said on social media that traffic signals were knocked down and not functioning.

Eastbound lanes on Logan were closed, and the southbound curb lane on McPhillips was closed, the city said in the post.

Store worker blasted with bear spray

1:53 PM

Two men have been charged after a security worker at a grocery store was blasted with bear spray.

Police were sent to the Sobeys near the intersection of Abinojii Mikanah and St. Anne’s Road at 7:55 p.m. Saturday. They were told two men stole merchandise, sprayed the victim, stole the person’s cellphone and fled on foot.

Shortly afterward, officers learned two suspects had been seen on the first 100 block of Marlene Street. Officers arrested two men and seized a canister of bear spray.

The Winnipeg Police Service later determined the men blasted a woman with bear spray in a parking lot on the 400 block of Beliveau Road on April 27. The victim, 37, had asked them to leave after seeing they were using electrical outlets in the private lot to charge one or more phones at about 5:30 p.m.

Two Winnipeg men, ages 24 and 18, have been charged with robbery, weapons offences, and failing to comply with a probation order, conditions of an undertaking, or both.

City to flush water mains

1:36 PM

City crews will begin flushing water mains in southeast Winnipeg on Wednesday.

The city said in a news release Monday that it is bringing the annual program back to help preserve water quality.

“Flushing water mains lets us test the system to make sure it’s working as designed and helps us maintain excellent quality water,” Mike Szmon, manager of water services, said in the release.

Crews will begin in the Maginot neighbourhood. The other areas they expect to work on before the work is done around the end of July are:

• Windsor Park
• Niakwa Place
• Niakwa Park
• Southdale
• Southland Park
• Royalwood
• Island Lakes
• Fraipont
• Sage Creek

Residents will be notified two to four days before the flushing work starts, the release said.

The city’s website says water pressure might decrease during flushing. After flushing, residents might experience discoloured or cloudy water, or a chlorine taste and smell.

“These changes are temporary and should resolve themselves in a few hours,” the website states.

MPI to offer driver’s ed summer school

12:16 PM

Manitoba Public Insurance will offer a condensed version of its high school driver education program this summer because of high demand.

Driver Z — which includes e-lessons, virtual and in-person classes, and in-car learning — is normally 12 weeks but is being offered over five weeks this summer. The condensed course features two weeks of virtual classes and three weeks of in-car lessons.

Condensed courses will be held in July in Winnipeg, and also in Arborg, Beausejour, Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach and Winkler. Courses will be in August in Winnipeg, and also in Brandon, Steinbach, The Pas and Winkler.

Registration for summer courses begins at 8 a.m. on May 28.

Faulty cord thought to have caused Strathcona Street house fire

11:16 AM

A house fire on Strathcona Street on Sunday is believed to have been caused by a faulty extension cord.

Crews were sent to the bungalow on the 1200 block at 6:24 p.m. and declared the fire under control 25 minutes later.

Everyone inside got out before fire crews arrived. Firefighters found a cat inside and returned it to its owners.