News briefs for Friday, May 30, 2025

One taken to hospital after vehicle fire

4:34 PM

A person was taken to hospital in unstable condition after a vehicle fire spread to the grass and brush around it.

Firefighters were sent to a field near the 2200 block of Main Street at 9:46 a.m. Friday. They were told a person might be trapped in the vehicle and that the fire was quickly spreading.

When crews arrived, they learned the two people inside the vehicle had gotten out. One was taken to hospital.

Crews extinguished the grass fire, which covered an area of about two acres.

Earlier that day, a high-rise building on Evergreen Place sustained significant water damage after a fire triggered the sprinkler system. Crews were sent to the building at 7 Evergreen, which contains apartments and offices, at 8:41 a.m.

Light smoke had activated the sprinkler system, and damage from the first itself was minimal, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release.

The city’s emergency social services team was sent to the site to help residents whose suites were impacted. 

“Currently, we are not able to confirm how many suites are impacted or how many residents are displaced,” the WFPS said.

Another measles exposure site announced 

3:33 PM

The province is notifying the public of another location where people might have been exposed to measles.

The site is Moonlite Auto Body in Winkler. The exposure times are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 23, May 26 and May 27.

More information on measles and immunization can be found on the province’s website.

Louise Bridge closed through July after corrosion found

1:40 PM

The Louise Bridge is expected to be closed until the end of July so workers can make more repairs.

The City of Winnipeg closed the bridge for its annual inspection and maintenance May 23. The inspection uncovered corrosion that must be fixed before the bridge can reopen, the city said in a news release Friday.

The bridge remains open to pedestrians and cyclists, but access might be closed intermittently.

Man wearing ankle bracelet arrested with homemade gun

11:02 AM

A man is facing charges after he allegedly walked into a restricted area while wearing a GPS-monitored ankle bracelet Wednesday night.

Winnipeg police were told the man had entered an area near a preschool and playground, breaching conditions of a release order, at about 10 p.m.

Police arrested the 39-year-old man near Higgins Avenue near Sutherland Avenue roughly an hour later. Officers found ammunition and a zip gun on him, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Friday.

Man killed in Miniota crash

10:54 AM

A man is dead after a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle tipped over in a ditch in Miniota early Thursday.

Elphinstone RCMP were sent to the crash site on 5th Street at 5:50 a.m. Emergency crews were already there.

The lone person in the vehicle, a 46-year-old Prairie View man, was declared dead at the scene.

It is believed the vehicle was being driven northbound when it veered northeast and into the steep ditch and tipped, RCMP said in a news release Friday. The driver was not wearing a helmet, police said.

Free CMHR admission for wildfire evacuees

10:47 AM

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is offering free admission to wildfire evacuees starting Friday.

“In moments of great difficulty, we have an opportunity to be there for each other. That’s why we’re taking the step of offering free admission for wildfire evacuees,” CMHR CEO Isha Khan said in a news release.

“As folks come to Winnipeg, and are staying in temporary shelters or with family or friends, we hope this can provide a good way to take their mind off things as they wait to hear news of their homes and communities.”

The museum is always free for all Indigenous visitors, and for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month, including this Sunday.

Woman sexually assaulted, stabbed in Dauphin

10:28 AM

Police say a woman was rushed to hospital in critical condition after she was sexually assaulted and stabbed by a stranger, who also stabbed another woman, early Thursday.

Dauphin RCMP were sent to the area outside a business on 2nd Avenue Southwest at about 3 a.m. and found a 25-year-old woman who had been stabbed with a knife. She was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

While there, officers were told about another stabbing at a home on 2nd Avenue Northeast. Police found a 53-year-old victim who said she had been sexually assaulted.

Patrolling officers arrested a 31-year-old man, and a police dog found the knife police believe was used in the attacks.

Neither woman knew the suspect, RCMP said Friday.

Marcus Mclean, 31, of Brandon has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, sexual assault with a weapon and uttering threats. He has a criminal record but no convictions for sexual offences.

Mclean was convicted in 2022 of two counts of break-and-enter with intent and two counts of mischief to property. In April 2019, he was sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including mischief to property, uttering threats, and possession and use of a stolen credit card.

Polo Park security guards blasted with bear spray

10:12 AM

Two males have been charged after several security guards were blasted with bear spray at Polo Park mall.

The Winnipeg Police Service said two males broke into a truck in the parking lot at about 9 a.m. Sunday. A witness confronted them, and the males went into the mall.

Inside, they broke into a store, pried open several drawers and stole a laptop, then forced their way into a second store and tried to break open a cash box, the WPS said.

The teens then sprayed several guards and tried to run, police said. They were arrested near a mall entrance at 9:16 a.m.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with 18 offences related to weapons, breaking and entering, and breaching court orders. He was also wanted on five arrest warrants for court breaches.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the same number of offences. He was wanted on a warrant for suspension of his conditional supervision.

Both males remain in custody, the WPS said in a news release Friday.

Another fire at vacant warehouse 

10:01 AM

Crews again extinguished a fire at a vacant warehouse on Archibald Street early Friday.

Firefighters were sent to the single-storey building on the first 100 block at 2:11 a.m. after members of the Downtown Community Safety Partnership reported the blaze. Crews declared the fire under control at 3 a.m.

“The building was damaged by previous fires,” the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release, with the first one happening on the morning of Nov. 25, 2023.

Bissett ordered to evacuate because of wildfire

9:43 AM

The community of Bissett has been ordered to evacuate because of an encroaching wildfire.

Bissett declared a state of emergency on Thursday night and ordered everyone out of the community by 8 a.m. Friday, the community said in a social-media post.

Residents in the community, located about 230 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, were asked to exit the region via provincial road 304 on the west side of the community and stop at the checkpoint to register.

A fire in Nopiming Park and near Bird River continues to grow, prompting Bissett’s evacuation. The fire is more than 124,000 hectares in size.

Hotel rooms were booked at the Morris Stampede Inn and the Viscount Gort Hotel for residents, the post said.

A fire truck and backup unit drove around the community at 6 a.m., sounding their sirens as a two-hour warning to evacuate.

In Flin Flon, the last bus carrying evacuees leaves at 11 a.m. Friday, a social-media post from deputy mayor Allison Dallas-Funk said. She said in a short phone call that the town is going door-to-door with RCMP officers to ensure no one is left behind before loading up the last bus.

Officers have gone door-knocking, visited apartments and checked senior complexes to ensure no one was missed.

Dallas-Funk asked anyone who is still in Flin Flon, or suspects someone is still there, to call 204-687-0838.