News briefs for Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Teen bear-sprayed at Polo Park

12:24 PM

Police say a male bear-sprayed a random stranger in his young teens in Polo Park mall before running off.

Officers were sent to the mall at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Paramedics helped the victim there.

Other people in the area might have also been affected by the spray, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Wednesday.

The attacker said something to the victim before spraying him, the release said. He was described wearing a black hoodie with the hood up and tied, blue jeans and black running shoes.

Police asked anyone with information about the incident to call the WPS major crimes unit at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).

Tires slashed in Selkirk, culprit targeted red vehicles

11:37 AM

A man has been charged after someone targeting red vehicles slashed tires on more than 20 of them in Selkirk on Saturday.

RCMP received multiple reports about the tire slashings at about 9:30 a.m. Officers saw many damaged tires in a parking lot on Jemima Street. Witnesses said the culprit had used a knife.

A total of 45 tires were slashed on 23 vehicles, RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

Mounties arrested a man at 5:45 p.m.

A 44-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with 23 counts of mischief and one of  possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. An RCMP spokeswoman said police do not know why vehicles of a specific colour were targeted.

Police asked anyone who was a victim of a similar incident in Selkirk this weekend to call RCMP at 204-482-3322.

City replacing glass with polycarbonate at some bus shelters

11:26 AM

The city is installing impact-resistant polycarbonate panels at 30 high-use bus shelters as a pilot project.

The material is 250 times more impact resistant than safety glass and is already used by several other Canadian transit systems, the City of Winnipeg said in a news release Wednesday. It will make shelters safer and more weather-resistant, Mayor Scott Gillingham said in the release.

The city has spent more than $1 million replacing broken shelter glass since 2020. Polycarbonate costs about 15 per cent more than safety glass, the release said.

Winnipeg Transit crews have refitted three shelters with the material and repaired glass panels at 70 locations in recent weeks, the city said.

“New council-approved encampment regulations state that transit shelters cannot be used for camping or storage, ensuring they remain accessible and functional for riders at all times of the year,” the release said.

“We will evaluate the on-street performance of polycarbonate through the winter months. If successful, there is the potential to expand the pilot project to more shelters in 2026.”

New traffic lights at Wilkes Avenue and Charleswood Road

10:52 AM

New traffic signals have been set up at the intersection of Wilkes Avenue and Charleswood Road.

“The community has spoken loud and clear that Charleswood has Wilkes Avenue running through it, and they do not feel safe with the current infrastructure,” Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood Coun. Evan Duncan said at the intersection Wednesday.

“They want controlled intersections. They want speed reductions. And they want to be able to drive safely along this stretch of Wilkes that connects the Perimeter to Route 90.”

Qualico funded the installation, which cost about $350,000, as part of a development agreement for Ridgewood West. The City of Winnipeg will fund maintenance and operating costs for the signals, estimated at $5,000 annually.

Bombers announce annual team award winners

10:27 AM

CFL clubs announced their team winners for the 2025 Most Outstanding Player Awards this morning.

The voting was conducted by four members of the local chapter of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and the league’s head coaches.

The following players are the Blue Bombers’ nominees for the league awards:

• Most Outstanding Player: running back Brady Oliveira
• Most Outstanding Canadian Player: running back Brady Oliveira
• Most Outstanding Defensive Player: defensive back Evan Holm
• Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: left tackle Stanley Bryant
• Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: kick returner Trey Vaval*
• Most Outstanding Rookie: kick returner/defensive back Trey Vaval*

*Indicates unanimous selection

The next round of voting for the CFL awards will see the West and East Division winners announced next week, followed by the CFL’s Player Awards on Nov. 13 at the Club Regent Event Centre during the Grey Cup festivities in Winnipeg.