News briefs for Monday, July 6, 2026

Tornado warning, flooding as storm hits Kenora

3:37 PM

Several roads flooded in Kenora after communities and cottage areas in northwestern Ontario were hit by severe weather today.

A tornado warning was issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Heavy rain fell in Kenora, where 9th Street North was closed due to flooding, Ontario Provincial Police said.

Bernier Drive and Transmitter Road also had “heavy” flooding, police said.

Police station proposal rejected

1:30 PM

A call to lease a former grocery store to house a new South Winnipeg police station has been rejected.

Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) raised a motion calling for the new use of the former Dakota Family Foods at 1099 St. Mary’s Rd., noting the vacant site has a large parking lot and prominent location.

On Monday, council’s property and development committee decided to take no action on the motion, receiving it “as information” instead.

Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood), the committee’s chairman, said there are several factors that must be considered in selecting police station locations. He said the matter should also be handled by the Winnipeg Police Board, not the property and development committee.

Mayes said he will consider proposing the issue again at the police board’s September meeting.

The city has not set aside any money to add a new police station.

City to fog for mosquitoes Monday after wind delay

1:08 PM

City crews will fog for mosquitoes Monday night after high winds thwarted an attempt to do so Sunday.

Weather permitting, the city plans to begin spraying at 9:30 p.m. in more than a dozen insect management areas. That’s expected to wrap up by 6:30 a.m.

Fogging won’t take place during heavy winds or when temperatures fall below 13 C.

The city will spray with DeltaGard. It asks residents to drain water from eavestroughs and unused containers, dump standing water and cover rainwater collection containers, pools and water tables.

For more information and exact fogging locations, visit winnipeg.ca/insectcontrol

Santa Parade organizers warn of vendor application scam

11:54 AM

Organizers of the Manitoba Hydro Santa Parade are warning the public about a scam involving fraudulent emails offering vendor booths for the 2026 parade.

In a notice issued Monday, parade organizers said the emails falsely claim businesses can apply for vendor space, list booth prices and promise invoices once applications are approved.

Monica Derksen, parade director, stressed in a release that the emails are not legitimate. The parade does not have a vendor program, is not accepting vendor applications and is not collecting vendor fees for the 2026 event.

Anyone who receives the emails is urged not to respond, send money or personal information, or click on any links or attachments. Recipients are instead encouraged to forward the messages to parade organizers so the incidents can be documented.

Organizers said official communications are sent only through authorized email addresses and official channels.

New council candidate in Mynarski

11:04 AM

An environmental protection group organizer is vying to represent city council’s Mynarski ward.

Natalie Smith, a campaign and outreach organizer with the Wilderness Committee, has registered to compete for the seat, after previously running in the 2022 municipal election.

“I’ve been a strong advocate for the community, going back to my younger years in university… I had a lot of good folks around me telling me you should get involved in municipal politics,” said Smith.

If elected, she plans to advocate for several changes, including a pitch for more senior government support.

“Folks are really concerned about the lack of investment in the ward. We see a lot of vacant, derelict buildings. We see a lot of issues around our unsheltered neighbours and addictions. We have to get people the supports that they need. I’m a huge advocate for social and public housing and I know that the city often doesn’t have a lot of money to invest in those things. But I think we need someone who can advocate to other levels of government,” said Smith.

Coun. Ross Eadie was first elected to represent Mynarski in 2010 and says he will run again in the Oct. 28 election.

Ayaz Noor-Mohammed and Harold Brazil have also registered to run in Mynarski.

RCMP probe two serious crashes in 25 minutes in southern Manitoba

10:55 AM

Pembina Valley RCMP are investigating two serious collisions that occurred within 25 minutes of each other last Friday in southern Manitoba.

The first collision was reported just after 11 a.m. on Highway 30, south of the Highway 14 junction in the Rural Municipality of Rhineland. Police say a pickup truck drifted into the oncoming lane, colliding head-on with a semi-trailer. The 78-year-old truck driver suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a Winnipeg hospital.

About 25 minutes later, officers responded to a single-vehicle rollover at the intersection of Highway 3 and Road 14 West in the RM of Dufferin.

Police say a red SUV attempting to turn south onto Road 14 crossed into oncoming traffic, causing another SUV to swerve to avoid a collision. The vehicle struck a culvert, rolled into a water-filled ditch and came to rest on its roof.

The 47-year-old male driver from Oak Bluff was able to free himself from the vehicle and was treated at the scene by paramedics. RCMP say the driver of the red SUV briefly stopped before fleeing south on Road 14 West. The driver is described as a Black woman wearing a purple shirt.

Both collisions remain under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Pembina Valley RCMP at 204-822-4476 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.