News briefs for Wednesday, January 28, 2026

No charges against officers after suspect’s fall

3:17 PM

Manitoba’s police watchdog has ruled officers will not face charges after a man sustained serious injuries while being arrested.

Winnipeg Police Service officers were sent to a suite in the 200 block of Bertrand Street on July 10 of last year regarding a man “in crisis who was armed with an edged weapon,” the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said in a news release Wednesday.

After the man was handcuffed, at about 9:30 p.m., officers were escorting him out of the building when he broke away and fell down the stairs. Officers provided first aid and called for an ambulance.

The man was sent to Health Sciences Centre in critical condition and treated for a “possible traumatic brain injury,” the release stated.

Six officers, two civilian witnesses and the affected person were spoken to by investigators before the civilian director made the decision to not authorize charges. The investigation is now considered closed.

Extreme weather blamed for drop in blood donations

1:58 PM

Canadian Blood Services is pleading for blood and plasma donations, blaming winter storms and extreme cold for cancelled appointments around the country.

Ron Vezina, a spokesperson for the organization, said there has been 1,500 fewer donations than expected over the last six days alone.

“Hospitals have the blood they need today, but that could change if we are not able to collect a consistent supply,” said Vezina in a news release.

The charity is adding extra incentive: anyone who books and attends a blood or plasma appointment or joins the stem cell registry before March 31 can enter to win round-trip tickets to anywhere Air Canada flies.

To book an appointment, visit blood.ca, use the GiveBlood app or call 1-888-2-DONATE.

Walk-ins are also welcome.

Famed curler found after being reported missing

11:39 AM

Winnipeg police say Don Duguid has been located.

Duguid, 90, was reported missing after being  seen today near Empress Street and St. Matthews Avenue at about 6 a.m. Just after 2 p.m., the Winnipeg Police Service said Duguid had been located.

“Thank you to the Winnipeg Police, the RCMP as well as the individuals and community organizations that helped look for my father Don Duguid since he went missing,” Duguid’s son Terry, the Liberal MP for Winnipeg South, said.

“He has been located safely and is on his way home. Many thanks for all of the kind messages of support.”

Two dead after head-on collision on Highway 8

9:35 AM

Two women are dead after a head-on collision on Highway 8 in the RM of St. Andrews Tuesday afternoon.

Selkirk RCMP responded to the scene near Whytewold Road around 12:10 and learned a vehicle travelling south on Highway 8 collided head-on with a vehicle travelling north.

The driver of the northbound vehicle, a 26-year-old woman from the RM of Gimli, was pronounced dead on scene. The other driver, a 20-year-old woman from Winnipeg Beach, was rushed to hospital but died from her injuries.

The investigation continues.

Nairn Avenue closed due to fire at Dufresne Furniture warehouse

8:36 AM

Nairn Avenue in East Elmwood is closed in both directions due to an active fire at the Dufresne Furniture warehouse at 874 Nairn Ave.

Fire crews are expected to be on scene throughout the morning. The road is blocked between Chester Street and Kent Street and water from fire trucks has flooded the streets.

Crews were called to the building around 2:25 this morning with reports there was a fire. Firefighters are using aerial ladders to spray water on the fire as it is unsafe to enter the building. The Dufresne showroom at 880 Nairn appears to be unaffected by the fire.

No injuries have been reported.