News briefs for Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Beausejour break-and-enter suspect sought

6:19 PM

Beausejour RCMP are searching for a man accused of attempting to break into a house in the small town in the middle of the night, only to be scared away by the homeowners.

Mounties were called to the break-and-enter at a home on the 800 block of Ashton Avenue in Beausejour just before 2:30 a.m. on March 29, after the homeowners heard loud noises coming from the front door and saw a man trying to kick it in, RCMP said.

The suspect saw the homeowners and ran off. RCMP officers, as well as a drone operator and a police dog, were not able to find the suspect.

Mounties said officers have now identified the suspect as Jacob Ashe, a 22-year-old from the Rural Municipality of Reynolds. He’s wanted on a warrant for break-and-enter, mischief and for two counts of failing to comply with a bail order.

Ashe is about 5-11 and 185 lbs, with red hair and blue eyes.

RCMP ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Beausejour detachment at 204-268-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. If a member of the public spots Ashe, Mounties say to call 911.

19 MITT programs transferring to RRC

4:34 PM

Students and staff at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology have learned about the future of the school. 

Nineteen programs will transfer from the MITT to Red River College as the results of an academic program review has now been completed for the soon-to-be-closed post-secondary school. 

“Our institutions have come together to do this in-depth review over the last few weeks, to finalize the adoption of programs for the fall 2026/2027 academic year,” said an update posted Wednesday. 

“The primary goal of the academic program review was to preserve training capacity across key industries in Manitoba, utilizing a student-centred lens.”

Vacant Salter Street home demolished after fire

4:04 PM

Nobody was hurt as fire crews responded to an early-morning blaze at a vacant home on Salter Street Wednesday morning.

Crews were called to the 300 block around 5:40 a.m. and they found the house engulfed in smoke and flames.

An emergency tear down was ordered so crews could fully put out the fire and to ensure the scene is safe once they leave.

Damage estimates are not available and the fire remains under investigation.

Carman teen killed in Highway 3 crash

2:04 PM

A 17-year-old boy is dead after a two-vehicle crash east of Carman on Wednesday morning.

RCMP said the collision happened just after 6:30 a.m. on Highway 3. Police said that it appeared the accident happened when an eastbound truck, driven by the teen, slid and hit another truck heading westbound.

Snow- and slush-covered road conditions are believed to have been a factor in the collision, RCMP said in a release on Wednesday afternoon.

The teen, from Carman, died from his injuries, police said. The 4o-year-old Winnipeg man was taken to hospital in Winnipeg and was stable.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Police arrest man after rooftop HVAC units stripped of metal

1:56 PM

Winnipeg police have arrested a man accused of stripping out and stealing metal from heating, ventilation and air conditioning units on the rooftops of more than a dozen local businesses and churches in recent months.

The thefts caused about $500,000 in damages, the Winnipeg Police Service said Wednesday.

The thief damaged HVAC units on at least 14 rooftops across the city from Jan. 22 and March 9, police said. In the middle of the spree, on Feb. 6, police said the thief stole an SUV parked on Sherbrook Avenue to use during the thefts.

Property crime investigators identified a suspect and soon learned he had gone to metal scrap yards around Winnipeg at least 28 times to sell stolen metal, police said.

RCMP officers arrested Christopher Sawatzky, 35, on Monday in St. Andrews on an outstanding warrant and handed him over to Winnipeg property crime investigators.

He’s been charged with 12 counts each of theft over $5,000 and mischief over $5,000 and two counts each of theft under $5,000, mischief under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. He was also charged on a warrant for assault, uttering threats and a court order breach.

He was held in custody.

Alberta clipper slams into province, shuttering schools, highways

8:56 AM

An Alberta clipper that slammed into parts of the province overnight shuttered several schools across Manitoba on Wednesday morning.

Due to the weather and road conditions, all schools in the Border Land, Evergreen, Hanover, Interlake, Lakeshore, Lord Selkirk, Mountain View, Prairie Rose, Red River Valley, Seine River and Swan Valley school divisions were closed for the day.

The Franco-Manitoban School Division cancelled classes for the day at Aurèle Lemoine (St. Laurent), Plaine Days (Laurier). Saint-Georges, Lagimodière (Lorette), Pointe des Chênes (Ste. Anne), Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Sainte-Agathe, Saint-Joachim (La Broquerie), Réal-Bérard (St-Pierre-Jolys), and Gabrielle-Roy (Île-des-Chênes).

The storm also forced a number of highways to close down due to poor winter driving conditions and poor visibility, including Highway 5, from Ochre River to Grandview, Highway 10, from N. Ent. Riding Mountain National Park to Pine River, Highway 20, Ochre River to Fork River, Highway 20, from Fork River to Winnipegosis, Highway 83, from Russell to Roblin and Highway 276, from Jct of Highway 269 to Skownan.

Meanwhile, Highway 3 from Carman to 3.2 kilometres east of Carman was closed due to a motor vehicle crash.