(FILE)

A Winnipeg firefighter and a resident were taken to hospital following a fire at a two-storey rooming house on Saturday.

Emergency crews were called to the 300 block of Redwood Avenue just after 9:30 p.m. and had the blaze handled by around 10 p.m.

All residents evacuated the building.

One resident was transported to hospital in unstable condition. A firefighter injured at the scene was taken to hospital in stable condition.

The fire remains under investigation.

(UFFW 867 / FILE)

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to two residential structure fires within 24 hours, leaving one person dead and three others hospitalized.

Crews were called to a two-storey apartment building in the 400 block of Ross Avenue just before 1:30 p.m. Friday after reports of heavy black smoke.

Firefighters entered the building and brought the fire under control by 1:57 p.m. One person was found inside the suite where the fire started and was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

In the early hours of Saturday, crews responded to a two-storey house in the 500 block of Flora Avenue where initial reports indicated people may have been trapped. Firefighters rescued three residents from the burning home. All three were transported to hospital — one in unstable condition and two in stable condition.

The fire was declared under control at 3:40 a.m.

Both fires remain under investigation. The Ross Avenue fire is being investigated jointly by the WFPS and Winnipeg Police Service.

By Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, left, makes a diving pass against the Stampeders during first-half CFL football action in Calgary on June 5, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers charged out of the gate to start their 2026 CFL season by beating a team they couldn’t last year.

The Bombers defeated the host Calgary Stampeders 30-28 in a tug of war that ended with Sergio Castillo’s walkoff field goal from 38 yards out for the win Friday at McMahon Stadium.

Winnipeg, which went 0-3 against Calgary last season, trailed by a point with 64 seconds remaining.

Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., had just marched his offence out of Calgary’s end zone and 104 yards down field for the quarterback to score on a three-yard dash.

Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros connecting with Ontaria Wilson on a 27-yard throw, plus five- and eight-yard carries by running back Brady Oliveira, put Winnipeg in range for Castillo.

“It was a wild game,” Collaros said. “Pure CFL football right there. The conditions were crazy. The wind was nuts pretty much the entire game. I thought we did a good job of handling that in all three phases and playing high IQ football.

“It just feels good, coming to somebody’s house and winning a game.”

Wind gusts up to 57 km/h out of the southwest at kickoff switched directions by the start of the second half.

Oliveira, Tim White and Bryce Perkins scored touchdowns for the visitors. Castillo produced 11 kicking points, including two of the three punt singles Winnipeg scored in the game.

Winnipeg’s defence tightened in the second half after giving up three touchdowns to trail 21-16 at halftime.

Adams was sacked three times in the fourth quarter — twice by Jake Ceresna and once by Willie Jefferson.

“All three phases certainly came through, but we ended up getting to Vernon quite a bit, I guess, in that second half,” Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “Great effort by the front and that relentless sort of pass rush, which was right on time.”

Ceresna recorded three sacks in his debut for Winnipeg. Friday’s game was his first since last September’s Labour Day game at McMahon Stadium when he was an Edmonton Elk.

The 31-year-old shut his 2025 season down after that game to deal with a knee injury.

“This is where my season ended last year, so I just wanted to make sure I had a great game and kind of right the ship,” Ceresna said.

“I was hurt a lot of last year, so it felt good to just be running out there and kind of feeling back like myself again.”

Collaros completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 233 yards, a touchdown throw and one interception.

Dedrick Mills and backup quarterback Quincy Vaughn each scored short-yardage touchdowns and Erik Brooks had a touchdown catch for Calgary.

Adams was 17 for 27 in passing for 239 yards and one touchdown throw.

“Long season. No one wins or loses the Grey Cup in Game 1,” Adams said.

Calgary’s Jude McAtamney kicked four converts, but missed a 45-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter in front of an announced crowd of 17,743 at McMahon Stadium.

“When you play Winnipeg, I swear, it comes down to a kick 50 per cent of the time or more. They made theirs,” Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson.

“They outplayed us in the second half big time.

“In the CFL, you get opportunities to win these close games, you’ve got to win them, especially at home.”

The Stampeders went 11-7 last season to finish third in the West Division ahead of the Blue Bombers at 10-8.

Winnipeg crossed over and fell 42-33 to the Montreal Alouettes in the East semifinal. Calgary lost 33-30 to the B.C. Lions in the West semifinal.

Friday’s first half featured a running backs duel. Mills, the CFL’s leading rusher in 2025, ran for 95 yards and a touchdown and Oliveira for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Mills finished with 112 yards on 16 carries and Oliveira compiled 113 on 15 in the game.

Collaros, 37, was coming off a mediocre 2025 by his standards with almost as many interceptions (16) as touchdown throws (17). His 3,048 passing yards was his lowest total in five years.

Friday’s game was the quarterback’s first under new offensive coordinator Tommy Condell.

“I felt good,” Collaros said. “There will definitely be some things to clean up. I can think of two or three off the top of my head where decisions that I made, I would have liked to go elsewhere with the football in those moments. But for the first game, I thought we did a pretty good job.”

Calgary was minus veteran kicker René Paredes (groin) and defensive linemen Folarin Orimolade (Achilles) and Jaylon Hutchings (hamstring).

Paredes’ run of 247 consecutive CFL games since his 2011 debut came to an end. First-round global draft pick McAtamney of Derry, Northern Ireland, drew in Friday for Paredes.

Up Next:

Stampeders: Bye week.

Blue Bombers: Home-opener Thursday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Winnipeg police officers will begin using body-worn cameras as part of a six-month pilot project. (WPS / HANDOUT)

The Winnipeg Police Service is launching a six-month body-worn camera pilot project, equipping 40 frontline officers with Axon Body 4 cameras.

The pilot, which will begin June 10, will see officers wear the cameras during regular duties, including responding to calls for service, self-initiated interactions, and enforcement and investigative activities.

“The WPS will seek input from community members and partner organizations to better understand perspectives, questions, and concerns, to ensure the pilot project is informed by meaningful input as it progresses,” police said in a release.

Community engagement will be part of the process, with the WPS planning public forums and an online survey to gather input from residents and partner organizations.

Other police forces across the province already use body-worn cameras, including the Manitoba First Nations Police Service and the Manitoba RCMP.

No timeline has been given for a decision on permanent adoption following the conclusion of the pilot.

A hiking trail in Whiteshell Provincial Park. (TRAILS MANITOBA / FACEBOOK)

Recreational trails across Manitoba are receiving an injection of funding from the provincial government.

More than $200,000 was announced on Friday at the legislature ahead of Trails Day on June 6.

A total of 19 projects will see funding through the 2026 Trails Manitoba Grant Program.

Among the recipients are the Winnipeg Trails Association, the Beausejour Active Transportation Committee, the Crow Wing Trail Association, the Boyne Valley Trail Committee, the Steep Rock Cottage Owners Association, and the Rossburn Subdivision Trail Association. A full list of grant recipients is available at trailsmanitoba.ca/grants.

“Trails make it possible for hundreds of thousands of people of all ages and abilities to experience something magical,” said Anders Swanson, executive director of the Winnipeg Trails Association, in a release.

“Trails help connect us all to nature in this place we call home. We are pleased to see this support to help grow our capacity to try to do more.”

The province also announced the opening of two new backcountry campsites on the Black Wolf Trail in Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park. The sites are first-come, first-served and are intended to support growing demand for multi-day hiking experiences in central Manitoba.

Harry Lazarenko Bridge (MANITOBA HISTORICAL SOCIETY)

The Harry Lazarenko Bridge will close this weekend as the city conducts routine maintenance and inspections.

The closure will be in effect from 6 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 7.

Drivers planning to cross the Red River at Redwood Avenue will need to take an alternate route.

Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the weekend with alternating sidewalk closure on either side of the bridge.

Motorists are asked to allow for additional travel time and use alternate routes to reach their destinations.

(BIKE WEEK WINNIPEG / HANDOUT)

Bike Week Winnipeg is teaming up with YMCA-YWCA Winnipeg for three free neighbourhood bike parties at community hubs across the city this month.

The events are open to everyone — no YMCA membership required — and will feature free bike tune-ups, bike decorating, games, test rides, and refreshments for all ages.

“Each year we put on events for all ages and try to reach every corner of the city to celebrate the joy of cycling for everyone,” said Dave Elmore, Bike Week board chair.

“After last year’s successful events, we’re excited about this continued partnership with the YMCA-YWCA clubs of Winnipeg allowing us to bring our programming to green spaces in diverse
neighbourhoods and meet people where they are at.”

The three parties take place at:

• Portage Community Hub (3550 Portage Ave.) — Friday, June 5, 5–7 p.m.
• South Community Hub (5 Fermor Ave.) — Wednesday, June 10, 5–7 p.m.
• Elmwood-Kildonan Community Hub (454 Kimberly Ave.) — Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. — noon

The parties are part of the broader Bike Week 2026, running June 7-13, which includes group rides, workshops, open shop hours, Bike to Work Day and Bike to School Day on June 9, the fourth annual Kidical Mass family ride on June 13, and the Rolling Through Red River Métis History group ride on June 11.

A full calendar of Bike Week events can be found at bikeweekwinnipeg.com.

Watch highlights from last year:

Earl Giesbrecht collects his winnings during a news conference in Winnipeg on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (WCLC)

A Whitemouth man is Manitoba’s biggest LOTTO 6/49 winner ever after claiming a $46 million Gold Ball jackpot from the May 16 draw.

Earl Giesbrecht said he had no idea the magnitude of what he’d won when he first scanned his ticket at the store.

“I thought it was $46 thousand at first,” he said. “When I started counting the zeroes, the cashier said, ‘It’s actually $46 million,’ and I just about fell over.”

Giesbrecht said the shock left him rooted to the spot.

“I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I had to call my brother just to come and sit with me in the store. I didn’t think I could even drive myself home!”

The win surpasses the previous Manitoba LOTTO 6/49 record of $27.5 million, set almost exactly five years ago on the May 12, 2021 draw.

Giesbrecht says he plans to buy a house, help his children, and pay off his ex-wife’s mortgage. He’s also reconsidering his semi-retirement.

“I’m thinking about maybe becoming fully retired… we’ll see!” he said. “It feels fantastic — it’s unbelievable. I’m giddy!”

His winning ticket was purchased at First Stop Grocers at 115 Railway Avenue in Whitemouth.

Earl Giesbrecht speaks to the media at a news conference in Winnipeg on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (WCLC)

(Pharmacist image via Shutterstock)

Manitoba’s pharmacy association is calling on the province to expand what pharmacists are allowed to treat, warning it has fallen further behind the rest of Canada and is at risk of losing a generation of newly trained healthcare professionals.

Pharmacists Manitoba says between 130,000 and 225,000 Manitobans currently lack access to primary care, and argues that expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice is one of the fastest ways to close that gap.

“When people don’t have timely, reliable access to primary care, their health can suffer and conditions may go untreated, said Gayle Romanetz, president of Pharmacists Manitoba, in a release. “It can ultimately lead to avoidable visits to the hospital or ER.”

Manitoba pharmacists can currently assess patients and prescribe for 14 medical conditions — the lowest of any province in Canada. By comparison, Saskatchewan allows 41, Alberta 58, and B.C., the next closest, permits 31. The association is asking the province to expand that list to 41 conditions when the legislature next sits again in the fall, covering everything from strep throat and ear infections to yeast infections, cold sores, and travel medications.

According to a recent Pharmacists Manitoba survey, 62 percent of current pharmacy students are considering leaving the province to work where they can use their full training, while 53 percent of recent graduates are weighing the same move and seven percent have already signed contracts elsewhere.

“Manitoba is basically training pharmacists for other provinces. It doesn’t make much sense,” said Andrea Lear, CEO of Pharmacists Manitoba.

Premier Wab Kinew said on Thursday the province is open to having a conversation with the organization on the issue.

“We’ve done this [expanded pharmacists’ scope] in a few areas,” Kinew said during a media scrum with reporters. “The question is just about… in which areas.”

More than 1,700 pharmacists work across roughly 500 locations in 90 Manitoba communities, according to figures released by the organization.

A 67-year-old Winnipeg man faces three sexual assault charges after a series of incidents in Norwood East and Archwood on May 25.

Just before noon, police say a man grabbed and sexually assaulted two teenage girls near Horace Street and Des Meurons Street. The victims escaped and sought help at a nearby school.

Shortly after, the same man is said to have approached a group of girls in a school yard in the 200 block of Youville Avenue during recess, making comments about their appearance before they fled.

Just before 12:30 p.m., he approached a woman in her 20s mowing her lawn in the Archwood neighbourhood and allegedly sexually assaulted her. She escaped and called police.

Abdenour Khelifi was arrested the next day in the 400 block of Edgewood Street. He has been released on conditions that include restrictions around those under 18.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact police at (204) 986-6245 or Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-TIPS.

By Ian Bickis, The Canadian Press

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew waits before the Speech from the Throne, at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski)

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he wants a “people-first” approach to artificial intelligence as he announced that a massive data centre southeast of Winnipeg will not go ahead.

Kinew said Thursday that the sheer size of the project, the energy it will consume and its impact on the community outweigh the limited gains.

“There’s a big threat to the environment and not much benefit to the economy,” he told reporters at the Manitoba legislature.

He said he was also skeptical of the long-term demand for centres of this scale given advances in computing.

U.S.-based Jet.AI and Consensus Core Technologies, a British Columbia firm, were hoping to build a centre powered largely by natural gas turbines near Ile des Chênes.

The companies say they’ve secured 142 hectares of land in the area for the project, which could scale up into the hundreds of megawatts or even into the gigawatts.

Consensus CEO Wayne Lloyd said in a statement that the company was reviewing the premier’s comments and looks forward to a “robust engagement process” with the Manitoba government.

He said the project doesn’t need power from the provincial grid, though the companies have also promoted that the land is near major electrical infrastructure to offer cost-efficient power.

Lloyd said the project would provide more benefits than some data centres.

“It creates a significant amount of well-paying union jobs both during and after construction,” said Lloyd. “It will also provide millions of dollars in annual local tax revenue that would directly fund major community benefits.”

Kinew said Manitoba has existing AI data centres and will have more, but said the hyperscale operations are a far different order of magnitude.

He said by comparison, the data centre would use 100 times the power of an operation like the Selkirk steel mill and that the energy could go toward more productive uses.

“If we could do 100 Selkirk steel mills or a data centre, which one is going to create more long-term benefits, which one is going create more happiness, which one’s going to create more jobs?”

Chuck Davidson, CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, said the premier should make clear what kind of AI projects the province is interested in, since more projects will be coming.

“This issue isn’t going away any time soon,” said Davidson.

“It’s going to be important for the premier and the government to indicate now in terms of, if you don’t want the mega data centres, what is the size and scope that you think makes the best sense for Manitoba?”

The announcement came on the same day Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the federal AI strategy that aims to capture more of the technology’s economic potential.

In a release, the federal government noted Canada is among the slowest countries to adopt AI at scale, which risks undermining trust and driving Canadian talent and startups abroad.

Kinew said that while it’s clear AI is transforming the economy and society, it’s not known what direction that change is headed.

“I think Manitobans want that to happen in a way where AI serves us, and we’re not servants to AI,” said Kinew.

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police “E” Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 13, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

A 39-year-old Winnipeg man has died after a single-vehicle ATV crash in Lake St. Martin First Nation.

Manitoba RCMP responded to the scene on Obushkudayang Boulevard at around 2:20 a.m. on May 30.

Officers located two men, both from Winnipeg, near the ATV with serious injuries.

A 50-year-old man was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been discharged.

The other man was pronounced deceased at the scene.

RCMP continue to investigate and ask anyone with information on the crash to call the Gymsumville detachment at (204) 659-2682 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

A Winnipeg Police Service shoulder badge is seen at the Public Information Office in Winnipeg, on September 2, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski)

A 21-year-old Winnipeg man is in custody after police recovered a stolen vehicle in the Maybank area.

On Monday, keys to a 2022 Kia Forte were stolen during a break-in at a residence in the 1000 block of Boston Avenue.

The following day, officers spotted the stolen Forte parked under the train bridge near Tache Avenue and Provencher Boulevard. The suspect was taken into custody, and a hatchet was found on the front seat of the vehicle.

Deshawn Joseph Colomb faces charges of break, enter and theft of a dwelling house, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon, and failing to comply with a probation order.
He has been detained in custody.

(WILDLIFE HAVEN / FACEBOOK)

The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre is receiving $650,000 from the provincial government to fund significant at its facility.

Premier Wab Kinew made the announcement Wednesday, saying the funding will modernize the centre’s infrastructure and expand its capacity to care for injured, sick, and orphaned animals.

Wildlife Haven, located south of Winnipeg near Ile des Chenes, has cared for more than 55,000 animals since 1984, with annual admissions growing from around 200 in the 1980s to more than 2,000 today.

The grant will fund repairs to the main building and raptor enclosures, safety upgrades, a modernized contact centre, and two new outdoor enclosures for aquatic mammals and waterfowl.

The province is also putting $5 million toward a new animal health centre at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

By The Canadian Press

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew helped release Lumi the lynx into her new enclosure at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Lumi was found last fall after a dog attack killed her mother and left her injured and orphaned. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Manitoba’s premier was on hand to lend a hand as Lumi the orphaned lynx began her new life at Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Zoo.

Lumi was found last fall after a dog injured her and killed her mother.

The attack left the wild cat with a damaged eye and seizures, and veterinarians determined she couldn’t be released back into the wild.

Premier Wab Kinew has been checking on Lumi since she was rescued, saying he feels a connection because the lynx is his clan animal.

Lumi has been in quarantine at the zoo since March and is now free to explore her surroundings.

Charlene Berkvens, director of animal health at the zoo, says Lumi is doing well after eye surgery and that her seizures seem to have stabilized.

Kinew says the return is uplifting for all.

“Seeing my relative, in a new happy home is very, very positive, and I think Manitobans love wildlife and love animals so much,” Kinew said Wednesday.