News briefs for Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Province scraps proposed Disraeli Freeway drug site

5:28 PM

Premier Wab Kinew said Wednesday his government has decided to nix the proposed plan for a supervised drug consumption site near the Disraeli Freeway.

He said community opposition prompted the decision. The site is close to a day care and high school.

He said a new location must be found and it must be “a good fit” for the community.

Recently, the government delayed the rollout of the site by saying it would open within the NDP’s first term in office, versus by the end of 2025, which was the original target.

Body parts found on riverbank near University of Manitoba

4:41 PM

Human body parts were found on the bank of the Red River near the University of Manitoba on Tuesday afternoon.

Winnipeg Police Service spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said officers were called to a report of suspicious circumstances at the riverbank near Markham Road and University Crescent at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The officers found and recovered partial human remains.

“It is still too early to confirm the identity of the partial remains and this investigation is continuing,” said McKinnon in an email late Wednesday afternoon. “We recognize the sensitivity of this information.” 

Four new measles cases in Manitoba

4:11 PM

Manitoba announced four new confirmed cases of measles in the past week, bringing the total to 191 confirmed and 16 probable cases since February.

The numbers are accurate as of Saturday. August had the lowest count of confirmed and probable measles cases (29) since April, when 17 were reported.

Public health officials also announced two new measles exposure sites Wednesday:

• People who attended at the Winkler Medical Clinic on Aug. 28 from noon to 3 p.m. are asked to monitor for symptoms until Sept. 19.
• People in the Boundary Trails Health Centre emergency department on Aug. 28 from 1:45 p.m. to Aug. 29 at 4:45 p.m. is also asked to monitor for symptoms until Sept. 20.

Initial measles symptoms begin to appear seven to 21 days after being exposed to the virus and include: fever, runny nose, drowsiness, irritability and red eyes. The characteristic blotchy red rash appears around 14 days after exposure, usually starting on the face.

An infected person is contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after. The highly contagious virus spreads mainly through the air from coughing and sneezing; droplets can stay in the air for several hours.

Manitoba First Nations Police Service names new chief

4:00 PM

The Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNPS) has named a new chief of police, following the sudden death of its top leader earlier this year and an “extensive national search” for a replacement, the law enforcement agency announced Wednesday.

Jason Colon has been appointed to lead the service, which has detachments in nearly a dozen First Nations across Manitoba.

Colon has been in place as the service’s interim chief since the death of Chief Doug Palson in a January house fire.

A MFNPS press release said that Colon would bring a “wealth of experience, integrity, and community-first leadership” to the role. 

A member of Norway House Cree Nation, Colon has worked as an inspector with MFNPS since 2021, according to his LinkedIn page. He began his career in law enforcement in 1997 and has worked for several different agencies, including the Blood Tribe Police Service and Winnipeg Police Service.

In the press release, Colon said he is dedicated to promoting “modern, community-based policing focused on compassion and cultural awareness.

“Together with our team and partners, we will address public safety needs and support First Nations communities across Manitoba,” he added.

A swearing-in ceremony for Colon will be held at a later date, the release noted. 

Man arrested in Waywayseecappo fatal shooting 

3:53 PM

A man is in custody after a fatal shooting Aug. 31 in Waywayseecappo First Nation.

Manitoba First Nation Police Service officers were sent to a residence at 6:15 p.m. and found a 23-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, where he later died.

Police said the suspect and victim knew each other.

Earlier Wednesday, RCMP issued a warrant for the arrest of Ferlin Bone, 32, on second-degree murder charges and asked the public’s help to locate him.

By Wednesday afternoon, Bone had turned himself in to MFNPS.

Guns seized in Dauphin after alleged video chat threat

2:16 PM

Two people were arrested after RCMP seized guns at a Dauphin residence following a report a teen had threatened another teen during a video chat.

RCMP executed a search warrant at a home on Davidson Avenue West on Monday, a Wednesday news release said. Days earlier, police received a report that a 16-year-old boy threatened a 15-year-old boy with a weapon during a video chat.

Numerous firearms were seized, as well as a prohibited magazine, a Taser, and organized crime paraphernalia, police said.

A 49-year-old woman and 16-year-old boy were arrested and face multiple charges.

They were released on undertakings with future court dates.

Crews extinguish two house fires

12:00 PM

Residents were able to safely evacuate before crews extinguished two separate house fires in Winnipeg.

In the first, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were sent to a house on Mathers Bay West in River Heights on Tuesday at 8:28 p.m., a city news release Wednesday stated.

Firefighters had the blaze, believed to have been caused by a clothing dryer in the house, under control by 9:16 p.m.

The following day, crews were sent to a house on Invermere Street, in the Whyte Ridge neighbourhood, at 2:35 a.m.

The fire was deemed under control by 3:36 a.m. It remains under investigation.

No one was hurt in either fire.

City’s north end sewage treatment plant upgrade increases by $47.5M

11:48 AM

The City of Winnipeg looks set to pay an additional $47.5 million for what was already its most expensive infrastructure project.

A new staff report seeks city council approval to cover a contractor’s claim for rising labour, material, equipment and subcontractor costs on the first phase of the north end sewage treatment plant upgrade.

The cost of the first phase of work would rise from nearly $518 million to more than $565 million, within an overall $3-billion upgrade, if the increase is approved.

In June, water and waste officials warned the project’s price was at risk of increasing by “tens of millions” of dollars due to the claim.

The latest report calls for the extra cash to come from an environmental projects reserve, which it says would have “no immediate impact on sewer rates.”

City staff urge council to approve the overrun to avoid arbitration, which it says would be “likely to significantly increase overall costs.”

Council is expected to cast a final vote on the funding request on Sept. 25.