Stretch of west Winnipeg without power after unplanned outage
6:43 PM
A large swath of homes and businesses in western Winnipeg was without power after an unplanned outage cut electricity for Manitoba Hydro customers Tuesday afternoon.
The issue began around 3:20 p.m. and was impacting roughly 1,300 customers by 6:30 p.m., Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura said.
Crews were sent to the scene to determine what caused the outage and restore power, he said.
The Crown corporation’s online outage map showed the issue was resolved for all but around 30 customers by 7 p.m.
The affected area encompassed a stretch of King Edward Street between Logan and Saskatchewan avenues, and as far east as Keewatin Street between Notre Dame and Selkirk avenues.
It included parts of Red River College Polytechnic’s Notre Dame Campus, according to the map.
Buck Pierce named head coach of B.C. Lions
4:28 PM
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be without their offensive guru moving forward, as Buck Pierce has been named the new head coach of the B.C. Lions.
Pierce, who spent the last four seasons as Winnipeg’s offensive co-ordinator, was announced Tuesday afternoon as the new bench boss in B.C. The 43-year-old was considered a frontrunner for the job and is now the 28th head coach in franchise history.
“Buck was a candidate we identified early in this process as someone who is ready to step in and lead our franchise,” Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden said in a statement. “His track record in the Canadian Football League as both a player and a coach says it all.”
Pierce returns to B.C., where his CFL journey first started as a quarterback with the Lions between 2005-09, before spending his final season there as well, retiring in 2013. Pierce played for the Bombers for four seasons and then coached in Winnipeg for 10, first as running backs coach (2014-15), then quarterbacks coach (2016-19) and offensive co-ordinator (2021-24).
During his time in Winnipeg, Pierce helped lead the Bombers to a pair of Grey Cup victories (2019, 2021) and five consecutive Western Division championships (2019, 2021-24).
“I’m extremely excited and honoured to take this next step in my coaching career with the organization that originally brought me here nearly 20 years ago,” said Pierce. “The building blocks are in place here and we look forward to getting to work as we strive to bring the Grey Cup back to British Columbia.”
Missing Headingley teen likely in Winnipeg: RCMP
3:54 PM
RCMP are searching for a missing teenage girl from Headingley who went to Winnipeg Monday and did not return.
Brooke Kenny, 14, was reported missing on Monday at about 4:30 p.m. She lives at a home in Headingley and hasn’t been seen since about noon on Monday, RCMP said.
She was supposed to meet with someone at a 7-Eleven store on the 1100 block of Portage Avenue in the city and Mounties believe she is still in Winnipeg.
She’s about 5-0 tall and 105 pounds, with black hair. Kenny was last wearing a black hoodie, a light green jacket with fur on the hood, and red and black pyjama pants.
Mounties ask anyone who may have information on her whereabouts to call the Headingley detachment at 204-888-0358 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Brooke Kenny, 14, went to Winnipeg on Monday and hasn’t been seen since.
Death of man in Canupawakpa First Nation being treated as slaying
3:28 PM
RCMP and First Nations police are treating the death of a man who disappeared from Canupawakpa First Nation last month as a homicide.
Manitoba First Nations Police Service officers were called to check on the wellbeing of a 37-year-old man from the community, which is just south of Virden, on the afternoon of Nov. 22, but weren’t able to find him, even after follow-ups, RCMP said.
MFNPS officers then found the man dead on Saturday and called in RCMP major crimes and forensics investigators for assistance.
Police ask anyone with information to call the MFNPS tip line or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Portage & Main construction set to ramp up
2:37 PM
Construction to reopen Winnipeg’s most famous intersection to foot traffic is set to ramp up this week.
Expect new long-term lane closures on Portage Avenue and Main Street as soon as Wednesday, the City of Winnipeg said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
The city said pre-construction traffic signals and underground work at the intersection concluded last week and sewer repairs and demolition of the existing barricades are planned in the coming days.
New restrictions this week include: the closure of the southbound curb lane on Main between Portage and Pioneer avenues; the closure of the eastbound curb lane on Portage Avenue between Fort and Main streets; and a permanent no right turn restriction from northbound Main onto east Portage.
The city encourages Winnipeggers to consider alternate routes as traffic will be restricted throughout the intersection over the next six months.
Man slain in Thompson
1:15 PM
A 31-year-old man was stabbed to death in Thompson Monday afternoon.
Thompson RCMP were called to the scene in the Eastwood neighbourhood of the northern city at about 1 p.m., where they found the man injured.
He died in hospital and Mounties determined the stabbing occurred in a home near where the victim was found.
Local RCMP, along with major crimes and forensics officers, are still probing the incident. No arrests have been made.
RCMP ask anyone with information to call the Thompson detachment at 204-677-6909/6911 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Woman dies after Furby Street stabbing
12:26 PM
A woman has been charged with second-degree murder and robbery after another woman died in hospital after being stabbed in a Furby Street apartment Monday evening.
Winnipeg police were called to the apartment on the 200 block of Furby in West Broadway at about 5:30 p.m. Monday, where officers found a woman in her 20s with serious injuries. Police tried to give her medical care before she was rushed to hospital in critical condition, where she later died.
Another woman in her 20s was found inside a suite of the apartment, arrested and charged. She’s been detained.
Homicide detectives are still investigating and working on notifying the victim’s family.
Detectives ask anyone with information to call their office at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.
Vacant Young Street house that burned twice to be demolished
12:15 PM
Officials have ordered a vacant house on Young Street that caught fire early Tuesday, which had already been damaged in a prior blaze, to be demolished.
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were called to the house on the 400 block of Young at about 6:30 a.m., where they found flames and smoke coming from the building.
Firefighters used a ladder to attack the blaze from the outside and worked to protect a neighbouring house from the flames. Crews declared the fire under control by 10:30 a.m.
The building was badly damaged and WFPS ordered the building demolished over structural concerns.
WFPS says the roads in the area will remain closed as crews complete their work. Water used to fight the fire has created slippery conditions and city workers plan to apply sand and de-icing materials as needed.
The home previously burned in May 2021. The home was already vacant at that time.
Portage couple were victims of double homicide: RCMP
11:58 AM
Two people who were found dead in a Portage la Prairie home were the victims of a double homicide, RCMP said today.
Investigators believe the slayings were targeted and there is no danger to the public.
Police said the victims, a 37-year-old woman and 42-year-old man, were in a relationship.
RCMP discovered their bodies when officers were called to a home on Oak Bay at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Police did not release any information on possible suspects.
Suspect accused of pointing gun in Thompson parking lot arrested
11:57 AM
Thompson RCMP arrested a man accused of pointing a gun at people in a business parking lot last Thursday.
Mounties were called to the parking lot on Caribou Road in the northern city at about 7:30 p.m. and patrolled in the area, finding a suspect nearby.
Police did not find a gun.
A 22-year-old man from Thompson has been charged with pointing a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, failing to comply with a probation order, and two counts of possessing a weapon contrary to an order.
He remains in custody.
Jets place Ehlers on IR, recall Lambert
11:31 AM
The Winnipeg Jets will be without Nikolaj Ehlers for at least two more games after the team placed him on injured reserve on Tuesday morning.
Because the move is retroactive to Nov. 29, Ehlers wouldn’t be eligible to return before Friday. A further update will be provided by Jets head coach Scott Arniel is expected to be provided after the morning skate.
Ehlers suffered a lower-body injury during the second period on Friday night after throwing a hit on Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorefeyev.
The Jets also recalled forward Brad Lambert from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. The 30th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has three goals and 11 points in 16 AHL games this season.
All signs this morning point to Lambert making his Jets’ season debut against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, as he was skating at centre on a line with Gabe Vilardi and Cole Perfetti.
The Jets, who are 18-6 this season, are looking to snap a three-game losing streak as Connor Hellebuyck makes his 20th start of the season.
Pembina Trails School Division network disrupted by ‘unusual activities’
10:32 AM
Pembina Trails School Division is using outside experts to investigate “unusual activities” that were detected within its network system Monday morning.
In a letter to parents, Supt. and CEO Shelley Amos said some of the division’s systems, including phones, are offline as a result of the activities, which were detected by Pembina Trails’ information technology staff.
“We immediately contacted third-party experts to investigate. Our investigation is ongoing, and we will provide further updates as we know more,” Amos wrote. “Our schools remain open and classes are continuing. For urgent communications, you may continue using Edsby and/or email your school directly.
“We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this and we sincerely regret any inconvenience.”
Some systems were still offline Tuesday morning.
Amos won’t have time for interviews with media, because she is “extremely busy” working to fix the “technical problems,” according to a division spokesperson.
Peguis woman killed in impaired driving crash, Mounties say
10:08 AM
A Peguis woman is dead after a highway crash south of Fisher Branch on Nov. 29.
In a news release Tuesday, RCMP said a pickup truck driven by a 60-year-old Gardenton man collided head-on with an SUV on Highway 17, six kilometres south of the rural town, about 150 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
The 69-year-old driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene while her 71-year-old passenger was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the pickup truck was also taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, then arrested for impaired driving causing death.
He was released from custody.
RCMP continue to investigate.
The Forks bridge counterweight to be taken down as part of repairs
10:02 AM
The counterweight that sits above the rail bridge at The Forks will be removed as the first step in extensive repairs planned for the structure.
The bridge has been closed since since June 2023 and could cost over $10 million to fix. There is no scheduled reopen date.
The Forks is working with artist Mike Valcourt to display his mural on the counterweight inside the market, officials said Tuesday.
