Waters remain murky in unchartered Hellebuyck trade request territory

ST. LOUIS — The thing about being in unchartered waters is that the answer to the next question isn’t always readily apparent either above or below the surface.

Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been doing his best to ensure the upcoming two-game road trip against Central Division opponents doesn’t include a three-ring circus. But with news coming over the weekend that the suspension for goalie Connor Hellebuyck is set to expire on Friday, the club has to prepare for the next step in that process.

The problem, as Arniel conceded during his session on Monday afternoon before the team departed for Missouri, is that some of the hypotheticals need to be eliminated from the equation before the proper response can be determined.

“When it comes to Helly’s scenario, honestly I don’t really have a lot of information,” said Arniel. “I know everybody knows (about) Friday. That’s all we know.”

Bullet to the face nets 7.5 years behind bars

Calling it “intimate partner terror,” a judge sentenced a Winnipeg man to seven-and-a-half years in prison for firing a loaded handgun held to his partner’s head causing her life-altering injuries.

The woman, who the Free Press is only identifying as A.W., watched as Machuor Akau sat silently and stared at the ground as Manitoba Judge Sidney Lerner read his ruling Monday.

Akau, 28, who pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, possession of a prohibited weapon, pointing a firearm and criminal negligence causing bodily harm, didn’t speak during the sentencing or look at his victim or her family members as court progressed.

At a previous proceeding, Crown prosecutor Ari Millo had requested a sentence of eight years, while defence counsel Saul Simmonds argued for between five and six.

Yager ready to fly with the Jets

Brayden Yager understood the assignment.

By recording five goals and nine points in six American Hockey League games with the Manitoba Moose to open the season, it was clear Yager brushed aside any lingering disappointment of being the last cut by the Winnipeg Jets following a strong training camp.

Yager, who set up the tying goal and scored the game-winner for the Moose on Sunday against the Texas Stars, was officially recalled by the Jets on Monday morning.

The 14th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft was essentially the extra forward during line rushes, but did see some action with the penalty kill and the second power-play unit with the NHL club on Monday, so it’s still unclear whether or not Yager will be in the lineup against the St. Louis Blues.

Shilo resource centre on alert to help base families affected by deadly training incident in Alberta

Military officials were unable to say Monday whether any soldiers from Canadian Forces Base Shilo were among the four dead and 39 injured Saturday when a fast-moving grass fire engulfed a training area at a base in Alberta.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence in Ottawa told the Free Press Monday they did not know yet if anyone from Shilo was participating in the exercises at CFB Wainwright, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, when the fire tore through the area.

The Shilo Military Family Resource Centre, located about 30 kilometres Southeast of Brandon, was offering counselling and other assistance to families of soldiers stationed there.

“We understand that this tragedy may also be deeply felt by members and families here at CFB Shilo,” the MFRC said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Across the Canadian Armed Forces, our communities are connected through shared experiences, friendships, service and sacrifice.”

Campaign blunder: Klein features wrong city in election video

A paid ad from mayoral candidate Kevin Klein on his commitment to Winnipeg has been pulled after commenters noticed one small error: the footage used in the ad was actually of Edmonton.

The 55-second video is rife with Edmonton landmarks, including one shot that appears to feature the Alberta legislature’s visitor centre, and another with the 100 Street Funicular, a popular tourist attraction in Edmonton.

The ad, which was published to Meta users last week including those on Facebook and Instagram, focuses on safety concerns in Winnipeg and bureaucratic red tape impacting local businesses, with Klein appearing at the end.

It has since been deleted by Klein’s campaign, but archival data from Meta shows it was online starting Oct. 15 and cost around $1,000.

Prosecutions branch reviewing new evidence from police HQ public inquiry

Prosecutors are reviewing new evidence from the public inquiry into Winnipeg’s police headquarters project to determine whether criminal charges could be pursued.

The Manitoba Prosecution Service said Monday the review, launched in July, is examining whether evidence presented during the inquiry could change previous decisions not to lay charges in the scandal-plagued project.

The $2.1-million public inquiry took place over 27.5 hearing dates between February and May, and commissioner Garth Smorang released his final report Monday.

The prosecution service has twice previously explored criminal charges stemming from the project.

Tire store theft sting nets four arrests

Four people have been arrested after the Winnipeg Police Major Crimes Unit launched an investigation into several break-ins and thefts targeting tire retailers in the city.

Between Sept. 12 and 29, police responded to multiple commercial break-ins resulting in estimated losses of between $50,000 and $60,000, police said in a news release.

During that time, retail stores in the 1600 block of Kenaston Boulevard and the 800 block of Leila Avenue also reported theft of merchandise valued at approximately $3,250 combined.

On the evening of Sept. 26, one of the suspects used false identification to rent a truck from a commercial rental company.

Mayoral hopeful Woodstock promises to fast-track approvals for Indigenous-led projects

Mayoral candidate Don Woodstock promised Monday to create a new municipal office to “level the playing field” and fast-track city approvals for Indigenous led-projects.

The office would create a direct pipeline for those projects when undergoing zoning regulations and setting up municipal services, such as sewage, so development timelines can be met or sped up, he said Monday.

The office would also be an “important step” in restoring equity for Indigenous developments, Woodstock said.

“If you’re Indigenous, I’m going to make sure that I put in place something that will tell you that under no circumstances you’ll be discriminated against because of your nationality, race, colour, creed,” he said.

Contractor overcharged city more than $40M during police HQ construction, inquiry commissioner concludes in final report

The final public inquiry report into construction of Winnipeg Police Service headquarters concludes there was misconduct and inflated costs and calls on the city to make changes to prevent the project’s shortcomings from being repeated.

Problems related to the headquarters at 245 Smith St. have plagued the city for more than a decade. First expected to cost $135 million, the price soared to $214 million, and included expenses related to flood damage and security upgrades.

An external audit found the project was severely mismanaged. RCMP completed a lengthy investigation into fraud and forgery allegations but no criminal charges were laid.

During the inquiry, a forensic accountant estimated $45 million to $50 million in excess claims were filed. Armik Babakhanians, owner of main headquarters contractor Caspian Projects, strongly denied allegations that his company overcharged the city.

Red Cross volunteer honoured for years of service

Melanie Young was taken aback when she was awarded the Order of the Red Cross after 14 years of service.

“I appreciate it but it’s still a surprise. I feel like I don’t deserve it. There’s so many volunteers and so many teams everywhere involved in what we do. So many others that deserve it,” says the Canadian Red Cross volunteer.

The Pas resident was given the organization’s highest honour for supporting Manitobans during some of their most difficult moments at a private ceremony this month.

Young was the only recipient of the award in the province this year and is one of 483 Canadians to have received the honour since its creation in 1984.

Word test

TESTING

Premier Wab Kinew is an imported Manitoban, born in Kenora and raised on Onigaming First Nation in Treaty Three (in northwestern Ontario) before his family moved to Winnipeg. He’s the son of well-known Anishinaabe leader and traditional knowledge keeper Tobasonakwut Kinew and Kathi Kinew.

These are the words we provided feedback on: Boniface, Cockburn, Dauphin, Dene, Hellebuyck, Iafallo, Íslendingadagurinn, Kinew, Kildonan, Malak Abas, Métis, Newfoundland, Orlikow, Pembina, Portage la Prairie, Premier, Regina, St. Vital, Samyn, Schiefele, vínarterta, Wiebe, Generation Z.

Salvation Army calls on Winnipeggers to donate merchandise as sales soar

The Salvation Army is taking donated merchandise from other regions to stock its Winnipeg thrift stores as increasing sales outpace local donations.

Retail activity at the charity’s eight Winnipeg locations grew more than 10 per cent year over year during several months, from January through April, and again in June.

Although local donations remain strong, they haven’t kept pace with demand, prompting the organization to supplement inventory with merchandise from elsewhere.

Ted Troughton, managing director of the Salvation Army’s thrift store operations, said rising living costs are bringing in new customers.