News briefs for Monday, September 29, 2025

Several downtown streets slated for temporary closure Tuesday

3:48 PM

Several roads in downtown Winnipeg will be temporarily closed Tuesday to accommodate a march honouring survivors of the residential school system on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The fifth annual Orange Shirt Day Healing Walk and Powwow, hosted by the Southern Chiefs Organization, will begin at 9 a.m. at the Oodena Circle at The Forks. From there, hundreds of people are expected to march through downtown Winnipeg to the RBC Convention Centre, where a powwow will take place throughout the afternoon.

Southbound Main Street, between York Avenue and Portage Avenue, will close midday when the walk is active on Main Street, the City of Winnipeg announced in a news release Monday afternoon.

The following streets will also be affected:

• Northbound Edmonton Street (closed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Westbound Forks Market Road from Israel Asper Way to The Forks (closed 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• Northbound Israel Asper Way from Forks Market Road to York Avenue (closed 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• Westbound York Avenue from Israel Asper Way to Main Street (closed 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• Northbound Main Street from Portage Avenue to York Avenue (closed 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• Eastbound Portage Avenue from Main Street to Edmonton Street (closed 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• Eastbound York Avenue between Edmonton Street and Carlton Street (closed 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

The city provides regular updates on lane closures online. Transit re-route and schedule information is available on the Winnipeg Transit webpage, or by contacting 311.

Two inquests called over 2022 correctional centre deaths

1:31 PM

Manitoba’s chief medical examiner has called provincial court inquests into two deaths in 2022 in correctional centres in the province.

Ryan Nepinak, 37, was found hanging in the Winnipeg Remand Centre on Jan. 28, 2022 and pronounced dead the next day at St. Boniface Hospital. His death was ruled a suicide. The medical examiner’s media release Monday marks the first time Nepinak’s name has been made public by provincial officials.

Denis Mutz, 35, was found unresponsive in his cell at Stony Mountain federal prison on Aug. 16, 2022 and soon pronounced dead. Officials found drug paraphernalia in his cell and the medical examiner deemed his death an accidental overdose of carfentanil, fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The dates of the two inquests, which are meant to examine the circumstances of the deaths and determine what can be done to prevent similar deaths in the future, will be decided at a later date.

City byelection advance polls open Monday

12:53 PM

Advance voting in the Elmwood-East Kildonan byelection began Monday.

The Elmwood-East Kildonan ward byelection, which is to be held Oct. 25, had to be called after former area city Coun. Jason Schreyer died in April.

Eligible voters in Elmwood-East Kildonan, as well as voters in Pembina Trails ward 1 and Louis Riel ward 3, where school trustee positions are vacant, can vote in advance at the city administration building at 510 Main St. from Monday through Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. On Oct. 16, the polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Eligible voters can also cast advance ballots from 4 to 8 p.m. from Oct. 14-16. On those days, Elmwood-East Kildonan voters can attend the Chalmers Community Centre, Pembina Trails ward 1 voters can go to École Charleswood School and those in Louis Riel ward 3 can go to Collège Jeanne Sauvé.

Man charged after police pursuit

12:40 PM

A police pursuit that began downtown early Sunday ended in St. Vital after officers deployed a spike strip to stop the vehicle.

Police first spotted a red Dodge Ram 1500 doing burnouts at the intersection of William Avenue and King Street shortly after 1 a.m. Nuit Blanche Winnipeg was going on at the time, and there was heavy pedestrian traffic, the Winnipeg Police Service said Monday.

“When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver continued to drive recklessly before fleeing towards Main Street. A second traffic stop was attempted, but the driver ignored officers’ directions to exit the vehicle and fled at a high rate of speed southbound on Main Street,” police said.

A police helicopter tracked the driver heading east on Traverse Avenue near Kitson Street, where officers put down a tire deflation device and punctured multiple tires, the WPS said.

The suspect stopped at the intersection of Dakota Street and St. Mary’s Road, where officers used their vehicles to box the truck in. The driver rammed a police vehicle before officers arrested him as he tried to flee on foot, WPS said.

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the incident, police said.

A 24-year-old man is facing numerous charges, including assaulting a peace officer, impaired driving and fleeing from police. He was released on an appearance notice.

Jets’ Hellebuyck misses practice

12:37 PM

The MVP of the Winnipeg Jets was MIA on Monday.

Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, did not participate in the team’s training camp skate. He was briefly on the ice warming up, but then left before the official practice got underway.

“He didn’t feel quite right so he came off,” said coach Scott Arniel. He did not provide any further details including whether it was injury or illness.

Hellebuyck did not play in the club’s first four preseason games but was set to get in the net for the final two this week — Tuesday in Minnesota and Friday in Calgary. Arniel wouldn’t say if that plan could now change.

Jets defenceman Samberg out 6-8 weeks with broken wrist

12:32 PM

The Winnipeg Jets will be without one of their top defencemen to start the new hockey season.

Dylan Samberg suffered a broken wrist on Saturday night in a preseason game against the Calgary Flames. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks, according to coach Scott Arniel.

Samberg, 26, is coming off his best season as a pro and just signed a three-year contract extension this summer, which pays him USD $5.75 million annually.

Winnipeg does have some recent experience of playing without Samberg. He missed 22 games last season after suffering a broken foot blocking a shot.

The Jets begin the 2025-26 campaign on Oct. 9 when they host the Dallas Stars at Canada Life Centre.

Missing Dauphin man found dead

12:17 PM

Mounties have ended the search for a 41-year-old Dauphin man who has been missing since Sept. 18, announcing Monday he has been found dead.

Investigators do not suspect criminality played a role in Ernest Chartrand’s death, the Manitoba RCMP said in a news release.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family, friends, and community at this time,” it said.

RCMP did not provide details about where Chartrand’s remains were located. Police published photos of the man on Sept. 22, asking the public to help find him.

Police said he had connections in Winnipegosis and Camperville, but was believed to be in the Dauphin area.

Man arrested, charged in random sexual assault

12:07 PM

A man is in custody and has been charged with sexual assault after Winnipeg police say he followed a woman into her apartment building and randomly sexually assaulted her Saturday night.

The victim, in her 30s, told police the suspect followed her into the lobby of a Mandalay Drive apartment building at 10:20 p.m. and “grabbed her in an unwanted sexual manner,” the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Monday.

“He began punching her repeatedly, and fled from the building before she called police. She sustained minor injuries, but did not require further medical attention,” police said. 

Officers arrived on scene at 11 p.m. and arrested an 18-year-old man outside the building without incident, WPS said.

The suspect and the victim did not know each other and the incident is believed to be random and unprovoked, police said.

The man is charged with sexual assault, assault cause bodily harm and three counts of breaching a release order. He had an existing warrant out for his arrest, police said.

Province installing digital message boards, cameras to major highways

12:01 PM

The Manitoba government is installing digital message boards and highway cameras to a number of major roads across the province.

The province said Monday the 20 new digital message boards will be placed on Provincial Trunk Highways 1, 1E, 6, 75, 100 and 101, near Emerson, Portage la Prairie, Thompson and Winnipeg, among other locations. The signs will show live updates on delays, road closures, detours and weather advisories.

The province began installing the signs in July and the system is expected to be fully operational later this year.

Officials are also installing 19 cameras on high-traffic routes, which are to capture road conditions every 15 minutes and upload information to Manitoba511.

Winnipeg firefighters battle blaze in industrial building

10:54 AM

Firefighters battled a blaze inside a two-storey industrial building in Winnipeg’s inner-city Sunday night.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were called to the building in the 800 block of Henry Avenue shortly after 8:30 p.m., the city said in a news release.

The fire was declared under control about two hours later.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.