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After a surprisingly successful regular season on the ice, the Winnipeg Jets begin their post-season quest for the Stanley Cup Sunday; a lengthy playoff run is good for the bottom line now and, True North believes, in future ticket sales

Kelly Taylor and Ken Wiebe 9 minute read Yesterday at 6:55 PM CDT

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MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck (37) works out for the film with assistant coach Wade Flaherty during practice at the Hockey For All Centre Friday.

‘Man, it’s war’

Jets, Avs hunker down for what could be epic first-round series

Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe 10 minute read Yesterday at 6:45 PM CDT

FREEPIK Desperate to recruit doctors, some Manitoba municipalities are taking matters into their own hands — even though health care is not their responsibility.

Diagnosis critical: desperate Manitoba municipalities recruiting doctors on their own

Firms help lure physicians from out of country

Carol Sanders 7 minute read Yesterday at 6:15 PM CDT

Mom issues social media warning after pics of daughter altered; man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography

Dean Pritchard 4 minute read Preview

Mom issues social media warning after pics of daughter altered; man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography

Dean Pritchard 4 minute read Yesterday at 6:07 PM CDT

As a marketing professional, Margaret depended on social media for her livelihood.

And like so many young parents, it was her go-to place to document family milestones and post cute pictures of her kids.

But after a longtime friend was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, Margaret says she is “relearning how to live life” without social media. The images in question were photos of Margaret’s daughter taken from her online accounts and altered to appear as child sex abuse images.

“Social media is scary,” said Margaret, not her real name. “To find out that innocent pictures were taken by a family friend and used in that way, I had to stop. Social media scares the s—- out of me. I’m not comfortable sharing my kids ever on there anymore. I’ve had to stop working on there.”

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Yesterday at 6:07 PM CDT

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
The Law Courts building at 408 York Avenue.

City firefighter who died by suicide mourned amid calls for better mental health supports

Chris Kitching 4 minute read Preview

City firefighter who died by suicide mourned amid calls for better mental health supports

Chris Kitching 4 minute read Yesterday at 3:45 PM CDT

The wife of a veteran Winnipeg firefighter who died by suicide expressed hope for change Friday, while he was remembered as a devoted and loving person at a funeral attended by hundreds.

Preston Heinbigner’s death has prompted calls for better mental health supports for first responders, and for the death to be officially recognized as occurring in the line of duty.

“April 9th should not be marked as a day of pain and sadness, but rather a day that caused everyone to pause, a day that started a discussion and a day that brought about change,” his wife, Shayda, who is pregnant with their second child, said during her eulogy at Springs Church.

She encouraged those in attendance to close their eyes and take a deep breath.

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Yesterday at 3:45 PM CDT

Firefighters from across the province are rallying around the family of Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service member Preston Heinbigner, who died April 9. (GoFundMe)

City criticized as wait times rise on utility billing centre’s phone lines

Joyanne Pursaga 4 minute read Yesterday at 6:58 PM CDT

Those who call Winnipeg Water and Waste’s Utility Billing Centre may want to prepare for a long wait, a frequent customer warns.

For several years, Peter Tod has relied on using his speakerphone to call (204) 986-BILL (2455), so he can continue working while he waits for an answer.

“The average wait time for me is probably anywhere from 25 minutes to over an hour. I’ve been in construction for over 26 years in Winnipeg, so I have to phone them a lot (to get) water meters installed,” said Tod, owner of PCTod Construction.

He’s also endured similar waits to check on issues related to his home water account, which Tod said resulted in a 47-minute wait before he hung up without connecting earlier this month.

Opinion

People dying while NDP ponders; no need to re-invent supervised drug site wheel Tom Brodbeck 4 minute read Yesterday at 1:17 PM CDT
The courts and climate change Editorial 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT
The impact of diabetes on Manitoba health care Jon Gerrard 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

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JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
Royal Winnipeg Ballet soloist Yayoi Ban.

All heart, no fear

Royal Winnipeg Ballet soloist Yayoi Ban taking her final bow

Jen Zoratti 8 minute read Yesterday at 4:54 PM CDT

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS
Jonathan Kozub has been the official photographer for the Winnipeg Jets since 2011 and the Manitoba Moose since 2002.

Snapshots and slapshots

Winnipeg Jets’ official photographer captures the passion from the best seat in the house

David Sanderson 9 minute read Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

Don Guilford, a cattle farmer near Clearwater who conserves wetland on his property has entered into partnership with Ducks Unlimited to preserve the wetlands. (John Woods / Free Press)

A shifting tide

A growing number of Prairie farmers are opting to sustain, rather than drain, the landscape’s small but vital wetland potholes

Julia-Simone Rutgers 15 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Indigenous woman’s daughter sues WRHA, Grace Hospital and staff, claims racial bias contributed to death

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Preview

Indigenous woman’s daughter sues WRHA, Grace Hospital and staff, claims racial bias contributed to death

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Yesterday at 3:32 PM CDT

A 68-year-old Indigenous woman with a history of respiratory conditions died in Grace Hospital after receiving negligent medical care at least partially due to her race, her daughter claims in a lawsuit.

Jean Kemash, who had been experiencing shortness of breath and chills over several days, died after she went to the hospital’s emergency department on April 15, 2022.

Winnipeg lawyer Phillip Cramer filed a lawsuit on behalf of Kemash’s daughter, Kelly Jean Medwick, in Court of King’s Bench Monday, naming the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Grace Hospital, two doctors and two nurses as defendants.

None of the defendants have filed statements of defence in response. A spokesperson for the WRHA, which oversees the hospital, said the authority would not comment on a matter before the courts.

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Yesterday at 3:32 PM CDT

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
The Grace Hospital at 300 Booth Drive.

Canada urges halt to escalating violence as Israel suspected of airstrike on Iran

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Canada urges halt to escalating violence as Israel suspected of airstrike on Iran

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:26 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau again called for the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East Friday, following an airstrike in Iran widely suspected of being a retaliatory attack by Israel.

"Everything needs to be done to prevent further escalation in the region, to get back on a track toward supporting people in the region," Trudeau told reporters in Victoria.

Canada condemns Iran's "absolutely irresponsible" missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend, Trudeau said.

The two countries have been in a proxy war for decades, but Iran struck Israel directly for the first time Saturday in retaliation for what it believed was an Israeli attack on its embassy in Syria.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:26 PM CDT

A woman walks past a banner showing missiles being launched, in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 19, 2024. Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones early Friday morning, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country. On the missiles, a decorative sign reads:

Chief facing child-sex charges removed from boards

Free Press staff 2 minute read Preview

Chief facing child-sex charges removed from boards

Free Press staff 2 minute read Yesterday at 4:34 PM CDT

A Manitoba First Nation chief accused of sexually assaulting a young child has been removed from the boards of a child and family services agency and a regional tribal council.

Christopher Traverse, chief of Lake St. Martin First Nation, has refused calls to resign as leader of the community, following his arrest by Winnipeg police Feb. 1.

The 40-year-old is facing charges of sexual assault, possessing and creating child pornography, and sexual interference.

The offences allegedly occurred in late December 2023.

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Yesterday at 4:34 PM CDT

Christopher Traverse, chief of Lake St. Martin First Nation, has refused calls to resign as leader of the community. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)

Creditors have chased owner of condemned rowhouses for years, court records show

Tyler Searle 5 minute read Preview

Creditors have chased owner of condemned rowhouses for years, court records show

Tyler Searle 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:02 AM CDT

The man at the centre of an appeal to save a crumbling row of townhouses in the Lord Roberts neighbourhood has faced legal troubles in recent years, with allegations of unpaid vendors, mounting utility bills and deceptive realty dealings.

Alen Planincic owns property on the 300 block of Arnold Avenue currently subject to a city-imposed vacancy order citing unsafe and unsanitary living conditions. He is scheduled to appear at an appeal hearing before the property and planning committee Monday.

The building has drawn the ire of nearby residents, who describe it as a magnet for crime, drug use and filth with little to no oversight from Planincic or Rahim Mirza, the realtor he formerly referred to as his property manager.

Mirza has denied he was ever tasked with managing the townhouses and was simply a listing agent. He has cut all ties with the Arnold property, he said.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:02 AM CDT