News briefs for Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Jets keep rolling, beat Blue Jackets 5-0

9:47 PM

The Winnipeg Jets tied a franchise record on Tuesday night, winning a seventh straight game with a 5-0 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Canada Life Centre.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 29 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.

Cole Perfetti led the way offensively with two goals and an assist. Brenden Dillon, Josh Morrissey and Gabe Vilardi had the other tallies, while captain Adam Lowry had two assists.

Winnipeg is now 27-9-4 on the year, which is the best record in the NHL.

They are 11-0-2 in the last 13 and 15-1-2 in the past 18

The four-game homestand continues on Thursday with a visit from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Police cadets injured in collision with bus downtown

5:40 PM

Winnipeg police cadets suffered minor injuries when their vehicle and a Winnipeg Transit bus collided at a downtown intersection Monday night.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said the collision is under review.

The cadets, travelling in a marked SUV, were westbound on St. Mary Avenue and the bus was headed north on Vaughan Street. The incident happened shortly after 11:30 p.m.

The SUV went off the road and ended up partially on top of a concrete barrier next to the Manitoba Archives building.

Missing man last heard from in November

3:14 PM

Minnedosa RCMP are searching for a missing man last seen in late November.

Adam Oswald, a resident of the Rural Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne, was last seen at a home on Highway 16 in the municipality on Nov. 27 and was in contact with a family member on Nov. 29. He has not been heard from since.

Oswald, 45, was reported missing to RCMP on Saturday morning.

“Family and police are concerned for Oswald’s well-being,” RCMP said in a news release Tuesday. “It is not uncommon for him to be out of touch with family members, but this length of time is unusual.”

Oswald might be in Winnipeg, RCMP said.

He is described as 6 feet tall, 190 pounds, with dark hair that is short on the sides and long on the top, often worn in a ponytail. He has green eyes, a Canadian flag tattoo on his right shoulder and a scar beside his left eye. He might have grown a beard since he was last seen, RCMP said.

Oswald was wearing a brown quilted jacket, a zip-up black and grey sweater, blue jeans and brown boots. He was driving a black 2018 Ford F150 pickup truck, with Manitoba licence plate No. KXD 328.

Minnedosa RCMP are asking anyone with information about Oswald’s whereabouts to call them at 204-867-2916 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Wait times indicator down

2:55 PM

A technical issue with a third-party vendor brought down Winnipeg’s online ER wait-time indicator tool Tuesday.

The online indicator is meant to provide a real-time snapshot showing wait times at emergency departments, urgent care centres and walk-in clinics.

Posted on the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s website, the wait-time indicator is run by a third-party tech company, Vital Hub.

An issue at Vital Hub took the wait-time tool offline just before noon Tuesday, a WRHA spokesperson said, indicating posted wait times will resume once the problem is fixed.

Winnipeg budget to be unveiled Feb. 7

2:50 PM

The City of Winnipeg’s next budget will be revealed on Feb. 7.

The preliminary 2024-2027 multi-year financial blueprint will be released at a special executive policy committee meeting next month, a news release issued Tuesday said.

The timeline will allow 23 days for councillors and the public to read the plan before it is reviewed by standing policy committees on March 1. Those meetings will allow presentations from public delegates.

Council is expected to cast a final vote on the budget on March 20.

Business fined after explosion, injury

12:25 PM

A Manitoba business has been fined after pleading guilty in connection with an explosion that seriously injured a worker in June.

Manitoba Labour and Immigration said in a news release Tuesday that Prairieview Custom Basement pleaded guilty to a charge under the Workplace Safety and Health Act on Nov. 1.

A worker employed by Prairieview was working in an excavated area at a residential property, applying coating to a foundation that had recently been torch-treated to remove moisture, on June 23.

After several minutes, the vapour ignited and caused an explosion, and a worker suffered “significant injuries,” the release said.

The employer admitted to failing to ensure the area had been adequately ventilated during the application of the coating.

A fine and court cost fee of $7,070 was imposed by the court.

Suspect sought in assault at bus stop

11:43 AM

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man suspected of pushing over a woman waiting for a bus in the Garden City area.

The Winnipeg Police Service said the 64-year-old victim was waiting for a bus in the 2300 block of McPhillips Street on Nov. 17 when a stranger who “appeared agitated” confronted her.

After a brief conversation, the man “forcefully pushed the victim from behind, causing her to fall to the ground,” the WPS said.

A passerby helped the victim, who required medical attention.

The suspect, who fled in the company of a female, is described as in his 20s, about six feet in height, with a thin build. Security images from a Winnipeg Transit bus released by police show a man with a black tuque, a black puffy vest, a red long-sleeved shirt and dark pants.

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

Bombers veteran Bryant plans to keep playing

11:27 AM

Stanley Bryant, arguably the greatest offensive lineman in CFL history, has no plans to retire.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters spoke with reporters in a video call from the CFL’s off-season meetings in Nashville, Tenn., and said none of their pending free agents — including veteran left tackle Stanley Bryant — have told the club they’re retiring. Bryant will be 38 next season.

CFL free agency begins Feb. 13 and Bryant, running back Brady Oliveira, receiver Dalton Schoen, right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, and defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat are some of the big names who have yet to re-sign.

Main Street Project launches online 50/50 raffle

9:53 AM

Main Street Project has launched its first-ever online raffle to raise funds for food programming.

The charity is hoping to raise $15,000 through the 50/50 raffle. Nearly $3,000 had been raised as of late Tuesday morning.

“We do our best to ensure folks in the community do not go hungry,” spokesperson Cindy Titus said in a news release. “Raising funds for our food programming will help us continue to provide nutritious meals to the community we support.”

Main Street Project provides 1,000 meals per day through various programs, including its emergency shelter and weekly food bank services.

Tickets — $10 each, three for $20 or 10 for $50 — are on sale till Jan. 31. The draw will be held Feb. 1.