Baseball can look forward to a number of improvements at Blue Cross Park this summer. (GOLDEYES.COM)

The Winnipeg Goldeyes are heading into the 2026 American Association season with a revamped Blue Cross Park, highlighted by a new LED field lighting system.

The LEDs, from Ballpark Lighting Inc., replace the old incandescent setup with energy-efficient fixtures capable of dynamic colour changes and customizable light shows for player intros, home runs, and other in-game moments.

“We can’t wait to bring our game presentation experience to a whole new level with this new LED system and create memorable moments for all of our passionate fans,” said general manager Andrew Collier, in a release.

Skysuite guests will find new polished concrete flooring throughout the level — a continuation of interior updates made last season. The grandstand also received attention, with a full seat inspection resulting in the replacement of any visibly worn seating. Flooring improvements were also made to the Craft Beer Corner to match the two patios added in 2024.

A larger bicycle parking area with enhanced lighting has been added after the team noticed near-capacity bike parking on multiple game days last season.

The most notable new addition may be Sol Bistro, a locally-owned concession opening on the concourse behind Section O near Gate Two. The menu features Asian-fusion options including rice bowls, Korean fried chicken, and lumpia.

The Goldeyes open the 2026 season on May 15 in Franklin, Wisconsin against the Milwaukee Milkmen. The home opener at Blue Cross Park goes May 19 at 6:30 p.m. versus the Kane County Cougars.

(FILE)

Winnipeg firefighters responded to two fires in less than 24 hours, including a significant commercial blaze that took more than two hours to bring under control.

Crews arrived at a commercial building in the 1000 block of Henry Avenue just after 2:30 a.m. Friday to find heavy flames and smoke.

The Hazardous Materials team also responded to reports of chemicals inside.

The fire was declared under control at 5:08 a.m. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.

On Thursday night, crews responded to a grass fire near Lagimodiere Boulevard and Dugald Road just before 8 p.m.

The blaze covered roughly 400 square metres and was fought using WFPS Bisons — specialized wildland vehicles capable of travelling on uneven terrain while spraying water. The fire was under control within an hour. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.

By Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

Vicky Eatrides, chairperson and CEO of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, participates in an interview at the CRTC’s offices in Gatineau, Que., on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

CRTC chairperson Vicky Eatrides says the regulator would like to move more quickly to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system, but implementing the new rules is complex work and the CRTC must consider conflicting opinions.

“We would all like to go faster,” she said in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press. “It’s balancing getting it done quickly and getting it done right. These are hugely complex issues.”

The CRTC has taken a lot of heat from critics who say it is taking too long to complete its work. On Tuesday, CPAC, the Canadian service that provides direct coverage of political events, said the CRTC’s delay in implementing the Online Streaming Act was partly to blame for its decision to cut two flagship news programs.

In a social media post reacting to the cuts at CPAC and the associated layoffs, Culture Minister Marc Miller said he was “disappointed that the CRTC is not moving faster to fully implement the Online Streaming Act, a law that ensures online streamers pay their fair share.”

The Liberal government passed that legislation in 2023, setting up the CRTC to regulate streaming companies.

The regulator initially said it would aim to begin the last phase of that work — implementing the new regulatory framework — in late 2024. The CRTC has introduced some new regulations, such as a new definition of Canadian content and initial contribution requirements for streamers, but has yet to hold consultations on other aspects of the bill.

Eatrides said the work involves “literally completely overhauling decades-old regulatory frameworks … frameworks that have been in place forever.”

“There are a lot of separate issues and tricky issues,” she said, citing as one example the fact that the CRTC must account for English and French markets that are very different.

The CRTC must also consider the interventions it receives through its public consultations. In the case of the Online Streaming Act, that means looking at more than 1,700 different submissions, according to a CRTC spokesperson.

“Having heard from so many different interveners with wildly different views on all of these issues, we’ve taken an approach where we’re trying to deal with issues almost on a progressive basis,” Eatrides said.

The CRTC has prioritized getting some decisions out quickly, she said — including one to grant CPAC’s request to increase the wholesale fee from which it draws its revenues.

Eatrides said the CPAC job losses are “troubling” and the CRTC granted the increase CPAC requested “within the time frame that they asked for.”

But Christa Dickenson, CPAC’s president and CEO, said in an earlier interview that was a short-term fix and the broadcaster had expected the CRTC to have a longer-term solution to funding in place by now.

One thing that hasn’t affected the ongoing work, Eatrides maintained, is political pressure.

The U.S. has identified the Online Streaming Act and Online News Act — which the CRTC is also in charge of implementing — as trade irritants ahead of negotiations on the continental trade pact. United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reiterated his opposition to the Online Streaming Act while testifying at a Capitol Hill committee Wednesday.

“We’re takers of legislation,” Eatrides said. “Of course, we know what’s happening globally, and we keep an eye on what’s happening, but we’re really focused on our mandate and getting the job done that was given to us by Parliament.”

Asked whether the CRTC has had to adjust how it does that work because of political pressure, Eatrides said the regulator bases its decisions on the public record, including the many conflicting interventions it has received.

So does she worry the government could eliminate two pieces of legislation the CRTC has now spent years working on?

“Our focus is really on getting to decisions, getting the right decisions in place so that we can fulfil the mandate that was given to us by Parliament. So that’s really what we’re focused on. And that keeps us busy,” Eatrides said.

She also pointed to an initial decision in 2024 to require streamers to pay five per cent of their annual Canadian revenues to funds devoted to producing Canadian content as one element the CRTC moved to put in place quickly.

Streamers have launched a court challenge of that initial decision, and in December 2024, the Federal Court of Appeal put a pause on the payments, estimated to be at least $1.25 million annually per company, until it releases its decision — which it has yet to do.

The CRTC has continued to work on establishing a final regime for streamers’ financial contributions regardless, Eatrides said.

“We’re moving ahead,” she said, noting it’s not unusual for various parties to challenge CRTC decisions on both broadcasting and telecom.

If the court strikes down the initial contribution requirements, that won’t necessarily put an end to the CRTC’s work, Eatrides indicated.

“We’ll need to see what the court decision says, but we’ve certainly been given a mandate to ensure that there are contributions for the Canadian broadcasting system. So we will continue that work and we’ll see how we might need to adjust.”

A 74-year-old man is in custody after an 80-year-old woman was found dead at an apartment complex in St. Vital late Tuesday night.

Officers responded to the 1200 block of St. Anne’s Road just before 11:30 p.m. to find the woman suffering from fatal injuries. Investigators determined the two parties were known to each other, and a male suspect was arrested at the scene.

Jose Francisco Raulino has been charged with second-degree murder and remains in custody.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the homicide unit at (204) 986-6508 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (204) 786-TIPS.

(UFFW 867 / FILE)

Two people were sent to hospital after a fire in the Lord Roberts neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to reports of a fire in a house in the 400 block of Brandon Avenue just before 1 p.m.

Crews arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the house, but quickly contained the blaze.

Paramedics assessed two patients and transported them to hospital in stable condition.

The fire is under investigation. No damage estimates are available.

Goldeyes’ outfielder Roby Enriquez (DAVE MAHUSSIER / WINNIPEG GOLDEYES)

The Winnipeg Goldeyes have re-signed outfielder Roby Enriquez for the 2026 season.

The 29-year-old hit .280 for the team in 2025, with 13 doubles and 22 runs batted in. He struck out just 35 times in 243 at-bats.

Enriquez joined the team in 2024 and posted a .296 batting average along with 18 doubles, three home runs, and 42 RBIs.

“Getting Roby back is a huge boost for our lineup,” said Goldeyes skipper Logan Watkins. “We thought we had probably lost him to Mexico, so adding him this late in the offseason is really significant for us. He’s excited to be back and with us for a full season, and I think he’s going to have a great year.”

A left-handed batter, Enriquez also has experience playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League and has represented the island in the Caribbean Series.

In a separate transaction, the Goldeyes released rookie infielder Mason Dobie.

Enríquez Re-Signs as Goldeyes Add Late Lineup Lift

?? https://t.co/ejEI0U9YeF#LetsGoGoldeyes pic.twitter.com/0Oy8OUonNP

— Winnipeg Goldeyes (@Wpg_Goldeyes) April 23, 2026

The City of Winnipeg will begin controlled burns in natural areas this week, weather permitting.

The city anticipates to conduct burns throughout the city until about June 12.

“We will only do so when wind conditions are suitable and with appropriate fire guards in place,” a press release said.

Controlled burns are conducted to preserve and restore prairie land, while preventing weeds from invading endangered plant communities.

The city has been carrying out controlled burns on tall grass prairies since 1986.

An RCMP patch is worn by an officer at RCMP “E” Division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns)

A male youth is in custody after allegedly arriving at Green Valley School in Grunthal armed with a handgun, a loaded magazine, loose ammunition, and knives.

St. Pierre-Jolys RCMP were notified around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday that a youth was heading to Green Valley School with a firearm. Officers responded immediately and alerted school staff, who located the teen on school property and convinced him to hand over the weapons without incident.

Police arrested the youth upon arrival and seized the weapons. He is charged with possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes, carrying a concealed weapon, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a restricted or prohibited weapon, and possession of a weapon obtained by crime.

RCMP are not disclosing the teen’s age, citing the small size of the community and the risk of identification. The investigation is ongoing.

By Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press

The exterior of the Manitoba Legislature is seen in Winnipeg, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

The Manitoba government faced accusations from the Opposition Wednesday of not having its elbows up when it comes to government contracts.

The province signed a three-year contract for food services in hospitals, jails and some other facilities last fall with Aramark Canada — a company based in Mississauga, Ont. Aramark’s global headquarters is in the United States.

The deal, worth $36 million, should have gone to a Manitoba company, especially in light of Premier Wab Kinew’s Buy Canadian policy announced a year ago in response to tariffs imposed by the United States, Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan said.

“This premier sent $36 million to a company owned and operated out of the United States of America, and I’m sure there’s many, many more,” Khan told reporters.

The NDP government said Aramark Canada is a domestic company with more than 200 Manitoba workers that won a competitive bidding contest.

“It was an open process,” Mintu Sandhu, the minister for public service delivery, said.

Aramark Canada said in a written statement it has served Canadians for 75 years.

“We have more than 13,000 employees across the country — from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia to Nunavut. We live and work in the communities we serve,” the statement read.

Khan said choosing a Manitoba company would have kept more money here.

“There are a lot of Manitoba-owned and operated companies, homegrown companies here, that do the exact same thing,” Khan said.

The contract was originally listed last fall on a government disclosure website as having a value of $12 million over three years. Over the winter, the dollar figure was updated to $36 million.

The original dollar amount was a “placeholder” annual figure that was later changed to reflect the total spend, Sandhu said.

Winnipeg police and emergency crews respond to a double shooting at an apartment complex in Inkster Gardens on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (STAN MILOSEVIC / SUBMITTED)

A man is dead and a woman is in stable condition following a domestic shooting at a Winnipeg apartment complex Tuesday night.

Officers responded to a report of gunshots at a building in Inkster Gardens at 10:32 p.m. and found two adults with serious gunshot wounds inside a suite. Both were taken to hospital by ambulance.

The woman, in her 30s, was initially in critical condition before being upgraded to stable. The man, in his 50s, remained in critical condition and died from his injuries on Wednesday.

Police determined the shooting was domestic in nature. No suspects are outstanding.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigators at (204) 986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (204) 786-TIPS

Get ready to tee up, golfers. Winnipeg’s public golf courses are set to open this weekend.

Canoe Club, Crescent Drive, Kildonan Park, and Windsor Park golf courses will open for the season on Saturday, April 25.

Golfers can book tee times beginning today online or by calling the pro shops or 311.

Special green fees are in effect until Saturday, May 9 at all courses, except for Crescent Drive.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears have added a familiar face to the CEBL landscape, signing forward Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. for the upcoming season.

The 6’10” Tilmon Jr. won a CEBL championship with the Hamilton Honey Badgers in 2022, leading the league in field goal percentage at 63.9 percent that season. He followed it up in 2023 by shooting 61.1 percent from the field, ranking second in the league.

Tilmon Jr. most recently played for the Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G League, averaging 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He has also represented the United States on the USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team in both 2025 and 2026.

“The addition of Jeremiah gives our group an experienced winner up front,” said head coach and general manager Mike Raimbault. “We are looking forward to his ability to play with physicality and lead from the centre position.”

J TILLLLY ?

We have signed ?? Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. for the 2026 @CEBLeague season.

Details ? » https://t.co/2GNlXTBHXR pic.twitter.com/Pdk0vFYdtt

— Winnipeg Sea Bears (@wpgseabears) April 22, 2026

A 45-year-old man is in custody after a smoke-screen training grenade was discovered in his possession at the Grace Hospital on Monday.

Winnipeg police responded at around 5:30 a.m. to the 300 block of Booth Drive after security flagged an intoxicated man on the premises. During the interaction, staff found the grenade and called police. The device was turned over to the bomb unit, which determined it was non-explosive but active.

Kevin George Daniels has been charged with possession of a firearm, possession of a restricted or prohibited weapon, and two counts of possessing a firearm part or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order. He remains in custody.

Police say the origin of the device is under investigation.

Guns seized after Manitoba RCMP executed a search warrant in the RM of Dauphin on April 15, 2026. (RCMP / HANDOUT)

A 73-year-old Dauphin man is facing firearms and gun smuggling charges after RCMP recovered seven handguns at his residence, at least two of which were stolen from the United States.

The investigation began in March after U.S. Customs and Border Protection notified Manitoba RCMP that Wilfred Kachurowski had been arrested at a gun show in Newfolden, Minnesota on March 21 for allegedly stealing a handgun. He was charged with felony theft, released on bail, and returned to Canada on March 28.

Investigators with the Manitoba Integrated Law Enforcement Team and the RCMP National Weapons Enforcement Support Team obtained a search warrant for his property in the RM of Dauphin. When officers executed the warrant on April 15, they found seven handguns — several of them loaded and none stored in compliance with regulations.

Kachurowski has been charged with weapons trafficking, importing unauthorized weapons, multiple counts of unauthorized firearm possession, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a restricted firearm, and unsafe storage of firearms. He has been remanded into custody.

The investigation is ongoing.

By Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

Canadian and American flags fly near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada-USA border crossing in Windsor, Ont. on Saturday, March 21, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rob Gurdebeke)

Piling his shopping bags into his vehicle’s trunk outside a Houston grocery store last week, Texan Herman Moreno said he doesn’t think Canada has any kind of trading relationship with Texas at all.

“Canada better straighten up, bro,” he said. “If they want their money, they better straighten up.”

Canada is actually the Lone Star State’s second-largest trading partner. Many Texans like Moreno don’t know anything about it.

Moreno proudly said he voted for U.S. President Donald Trump three times and he’d vote for him a fourth time if he could. He’s a veteran who moved from Michigan to Texas three years ago to help raise a grandchild born with a disability.

What little he thinks he knows about Canada appears to have been culled from right-wing social media platforms that are increasingly parroting narratives from Alberta separatists.

“Canada wanted to be a state,” Moreno told The Canadian Press last week.

For a long time, Canada was quiet about its contributions to the U.S economy, said Laura Dawson, an expert on Canada-U.S. relations and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition.

“We did fly under the radar for so many years and in some ways it was a benefit,” Dawson said.

Texas imported $38.6 billion in goods from Canada in 2024, with automobiles, aircraft and oil topping the list. Texas also sells a lot to Canada — $36.6 billion in exports in 2024.

A report by the Future Borders Coalition released last year also pointed to Canadian private sector investors like Brookfield that have made large-scale commitments to data centres and energy infrastructure in Texas, and to the massive investment footprint of Canada’s public pensions.

Canada’s low-profile approach may no longer be working, Dawson said.

American support for free trade has plummeted and was dropping even before Trump’s return to the White House. While Canada might not be the main target of all that anger, Dawson said, it risks getting swept aside by it unless it does a better job of educating Americans about the benefits of trade.

“There are very few businesses in Texas, or politicians, who think badly of Canada,” she said. “But Canada will often be lumped into foreign traders and actions against foreign traders, whether that’s Mexico or China.”

The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA, is up for mandatory review this year. The continental trade pact, negotiated during the first Trump administration, has shielded Canada and Mexico from the brunt of Trump’s tariffs.

While Prime Minister Mark Carney has worked to diversify Canada’s trading markets, Dawson said geography ensures that trade with the United States will remain important for many industries.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was in Mexico this week for CUSMA negotiations. Talks between Washington and Ottawa have yet to officially launch.

Texans are much more aware of issues with Mexico. They will freely share their concerns about manufacturing jobs moving south, or frustrations over drugs and people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Many will also say trade with Mexico is important.

There’s a lot of Mexican representation in Texas, from business associations to research and policy organizations.

Canada does have a consulate general in Dallas and some other business organizations, but Dawson said it’s a much smaller presence and they’re run “on a shoestring budget.”

Without those long-standing relationships, Dawson said, many Americans who hear the president claim that large amounts of fentanyl are crossing the border with Canada — a claim that is not supported by U.S. government data — are more likely to believe it.

Canadians have been obsessively talking about the country’s trading relationship and investments in the United States since Trump began his campaign of tariffs and erratic threats of annexation. It’s not the same for Texans.

Scott Curtis, a Texan and retired NASA employee, said he recognizes he doesn’t know many details about bilateral trade but he assumes that “Canada is more dependent on the U.S. than we are on them.”

“The extremes in both countries are the loudest,” Curtis said in Houston last week. “The average Texan and the average Canadian would just like to exchange some gulf shrimp for some maple syrup.”

Brandon Rottinghaus, a political-science professor at the University of Houston, said Canada is not discussed much in Texas. People who work in industries with close ties to Canada, like oil and energy, are aware of the relationship but that information doesn’t filter down to the general public, he said.

“I don’t think most people — voters or even party officials — are talking much about the Canada-Texas energy ties,” he said. “That’s not to say they’re not important, because they definitely are.”

While Canadian businesses and provincial leaders, particularly those from Western Canada, have more long-standing relationships with their Texan counterparts, “you will see very few official Ottawa delegations,” Dawson said.

Energy Minister Tim Hodgson travelled to Houston in March for the CERAWeek energy conference. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was also in Texas the same month and met with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

Dawson said Ottawa needs to make an “institutional investment” in Canada-U.S. diplomacy — not just for the CUSMA review or the remainder of Trump presidency, but in the interests of long-term stability.

“Germany, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Britain, France … all of those countries are highly, highly invested in outreach and public education in the United States on commercial interests that Canada’s just not doing, has not been doing for years,” she said.

Texan Louise Bennet said she knows that trade between Canada and the United States is important. Stopping to get her weekly groceries in Houston, Bennet said Canada needs to speak up.

“Why wouldn’t they?” she said. “If they are trying to do trade and want people to know, they should be loud about it.”