News briefs for Tuesday, April 9, 2024

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Jets beat Predators 4-3 in overtime

9:44 PM

Kyle Connor scored in overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was the only reason it got beyond regulation, stopping 45 of 48 shots.

Gabe Vilardi, Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo scored the other goals for Winnipeg. Tommy Novak, Spencer Stastney and Ryan O’Reilly replied for Nashville, which had erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period.

Winnipeg improves to 48-24-6 and moves into second place in the Central Division. Nashville falls to 45-29-5 and clinched a playoff spot with the point.

The Jets have now won four games straight and head to Dallas to face the first-place Stars on Thursday.

Jets to unveil Whiteout street party plans

3:45 PM

The Winnipeg Jets will announce their plans for Whiteout playoff street parties on Wednesday morning.

A news conference with Kevin Donnelly of True North Sports & Entertainment, United Way Winnipeg CEO Michael Richardson, Premier Wab Kinew and Mayor Scott Gillingham is scheduled.

The Jets clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs last week.

Bill would exempt some from publication of name changes

3:30 PM

A bill that would exempt some transgender and other members of the LGBTTQ+ community from having a legal notice published when they change their name was introduced Tuesday.

Bill 33, the Change of Name Amendment Act, would exempt transgender, two-spirit, non-binary and gender-diverse people from having their names published in the Manitoba Gazette if the reason for the change relates to their gender identity.

Once a name change has been approved by Vital Statistics, the person’s new name, former name and city or town of residence are published in the Gazette.

There is already an option to request that the publication be waived if it would “cause undue hardship” or “would be contrary to the public interest,” or if the applicant has been “commonly known” by the new name. The province said in a news release that the option is an unnecessary barrier for some LGBTTQ+ people that can cause “harm” and “could even lead to further discrimination or harassment.”

The amendment would also update the Change of Name Act to use gender-neutral language.

Historic shuttered theatre in The Pas gutted by arson

12:05 PM

Police are searching for an arson suspect after the shuttered Lido Theatre in The Pas was set ablaze.

The fire at 220 Edwards Ave. was reported to RCMP at about 4:40 a.m. Monday. Firefighters from The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation extinguished the blaze after a few hours, RCMP said Tuesday.

The theatre was built in late 1929 and was the first in Western Canada designed specifically for movies with sound, the Manitoba Historical Society’s website states.

Mounties said that, with help from the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the preliminary investigation has determined the fire was arson. Police are asking anyone with information about the blaze to call 204-627-6204 or Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

The shuttered Lido Theatre in The Pas was gutted in an arson on April 8, 2024. The suspected cause is arson. (Supplied)

Man, 46, fatally shot

11:54 AM

A 46-year-old man who was shot is the city’s latest homicide victim.

The Winnipeg Police Service said officers heard gunshots at about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday. A man suffering from a gunshot wound was found outside near Furby Street and Cumberland Avenue.

Officers gave the man emergency medical care. He was transported to hospital in critical condition and died from his injuries. Police identified him as Edison Leslie Erskine of Winnipeg and notified his family.

The WPS homicide unit is asking anyone with information about the incident, including security video, to call investigators at 204-986-6508, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or winnipegcrimestoppers.org.

Man fleeing police hurt in crash, IIU investigating

11:49 AM

A man fleeing police suffered a broken leg when he was thrown from a motorcycle in the Garden City area Sunday.

City police told the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba that officers saw a motorcycle exit the rear lane of Hallet Street onto Rover Avenue at about 12:16 p.m. and noted the licence plate was expired and registered to a different bike.

The driver sped off when officers tried to stop the bike, police said, and it later struck a door of a vehicle making a left turn from Templeton Avenue onto Meredith Bay.

The driver of the motorcycle landed in the front yard of a nearby home. Police said he tried to flee but was arrested after a “brief” use-of-force encounter.

The man, who suffered a fractured right leg and cuts and bruises, was taken to Health Sciences Centre.

The IIU is asking witnesses or anyone who has video footage that might help investigators to call 1-844-667-6060.

Lighthouse to shine at Club Regent

11:10 AM

Club Regent Event Centre will turn back the clock 50 years on Aug. 14 when 1970s hit band Lighthouse takes the stage at the Transcona casino.

Tickets go on sale Thursday at ticketmaster.ca, with prices starting at $35 plus fees.

Lighthouse won the Juno Award for group of the year for three years in a row, 1972, ‘73 and ‘74, owing to hits such as Pretty Lady and One Fine Morning.

The 2024 Lighthouse lineup includes founding members Paul Hoffert and Ralph Cole, as well as several original members of its horn section.

Also coming to the Club Regent is the Ultimate Taylor Swift Tribute, with British singer Katy Ellis performing Swift’s hits, Nov. 3. Tickets, which begin at $29 plus fees, also go on sale Thursday at ticketmaster.ca

Winnipeg to host CEBL championship weekend in ’25

10:59 AM

The Manitoba capital will now stage a second Canadian sports championship in 2025.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears will host the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s championship weekend in August 2025 at the downtown arena. The club, along with provincial and city officials, made the announcement Tuesday morning.

The CFL championship (Grey Cup) has already been awarded to Winnipeg for November 2025.

The pro hoops celebration includes the top CEBL teams competing to win the league championship trophy, a concert lineup, minor basketball events, and other community activities.

“The basketball community in Winnipeg has demonstrated overwhelming support for the Sea Bears and the CEBL since Day 1, and they continue to establish Winnipeg as a basketball hotbed, quickly setting the standard for excellence in our league,” said Mike Morreale, commissioner and co-founder of the CEBL.

Montreal is slated to host the 2024 championship weekend.

Driver in critical condition after two-vehicle crash

9:17 AM

A 41-year-old man is in critical condition after a collision between a pickup truck and a car at the intersection of Dunkirk and Parkville drives Monday.

Winnipeg police were sent to the scene at about 5:40 p.m.

Emergency workers transported the driver of the car to hospital in critical condition, where he remained Tuesday morning. Two children in the car were taken to hospital for precautionary measures.

The 45-year-old male driver and lone occupant of the truck remained at the scene.

The cause of the crash has yet to be determined, but a spokesman for the Winnipeg Police Service said he doesn’t expect anyone will face criminal charges.

Traffic division investigators with the WPS are asking anyone with information about the crash, or video of it, to contact them at 204-986-7085, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or winnipegcrimestoppers.org.

A two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Dunkirk and Parkville drives on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press)

Fire at Brady landfill Monday night

9:08 AM

A fire sparked at the Brady Road landfill Monday night.

Fire crews were called to a debris fire at Brady Road Resource Management Facility at 8:31 p.m. Monday. Wildland fire-fighting units and water tankers remained on scene through the night and left at just before 3 a.m. Tuesday.

The cause of the fire has not been determined yet and there were no injuries.