Gillingham wins mayoral race

Scott Gillingham was projected as the winner in Winnipeg’s mayoral election Wednesday night, securing a second term while political newcomers won or led about half of the races for councillor.

Gillingham had 39.23 per cent of all votes with 168 of 245 tabulators reporting unofficial results, followed by Kevin Klein (20.53 per cent), Noah Redden (19.58 per cent) and Mike Vogiatzakis (10.12 per cent) in a field of 12 candidates.

The other candidates were Mazher Alam, Johnny Calderon, Chris Clacio, Tracey Drexler, Brad Gross, Umar Hayat, Joshua Pagdato and Don Woodstock.

Gillingham led public opinion polls during the campaign, although nearly 60 per cent of 685 respondents in Abacus Data’s final pre-election survey said it’s definitely or probably time for a new mayor.

Cab driver dies in suspected hit and run

An official with a Winnipeg cab company said one of its drivers died in a collision on Salter Street Wednesday morning.

“It looks like it was a T-bone accident,” said Ram Valluru, general manager of Duffy’s Taxi, about the 6:30 a.m. collision between the cabbie and another vehicle. Traffic was redirected between Aberdeen and Redwood streets for several hours as police investigated.

He said his driver, a man in his late 40s, has a wife and two teenage children. His death has saddened his co-workers.

“I visited their house today to pass along my condolences,” Valluru said. “I know him very well, this driver.”

NDP introduces last-minute rent-hike bill, Tories say it will cause administrative nightmare

A day before the legislative session ends, the NDP government introduced a bill to ensure landlords can’t charge tenants backpay for approved above-guideline rent increases.

Bill 59, the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (2), would prohibit a landlord who has applied for a rent increase above the maximum permitted by regulation from charging tenants the new rate until it is approved.

Premier Wab Kinew announced earlier this month that renters would not have to pay the increases until the provincial Residential Tenancies Branch hears landlords’ arguments and issues its decisions.

“We recently passed legislation in the house to make sure life will be more affordable,” Kinew said at a news conference on Oct. 20, referring to a new rent bill introduced in March and expected to become law before the session ends on Oct. 29. He was flanked by Winnipeg tenants facing rent increases of more than 50 per cent.

Wolseley perfumer given reprieve in dispute with city

A perfumer who sells fragrances from a store on the first floor of his home in Wolseley won’t have to close in mid-November after all.

Michael O’Malley says La Parfumerie can stay open while the municipal government processes a conditional use order, which he planned to submit Wednesday.

“If we have to go through city council again… I’ll need a lot of people from my community to show up,” O’Malley said. “I hate to have to keep doing this… I’m just incredibly grateful to the people of Winnipeg.”

He had feared he’d have to shutter the business, which he has operated in his 145 Evanson St. home for 27 years.

Bombers look to avenge past playoff losses to Argos

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers should see blue and white confetti in their nightmares.

Despite being favourites on both occasions, the Bombers lost the 2022 and 2024 Grey Cup games to the Toronto Argonauts — not that anyone around these parts needs a reminder.

While they’ll never be able to rewrite history, the Bombers can at least get a taste of revenge Saturday when the rivalry adds another chapter with the two sides battling in the Eastern semifinal at BMO Field.

That’s got to add some fuel to the fire, no?

‘Mom and dad’ Pereira and Michaud lead Team Canada at Kelowna Grand Prix

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud’s spirits couldn’t be higher as they begin their fourth ISU Grand Prix season this weekend at Skate Canada International as Team Canada’s top medal prospects.

Fresh off a decisive victory at Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany last month, the reigning world pair skating bronze medallists were riding a wave of confidence and excitement — and feeling “a mom and dad energy” — as they contemplated the assignment ahead in Kelowna, B.C.

“To go out and win our first Challenger (event) was a great confidence boost in our back pocket,” said Pereira, who admitted to a case of jitters before taking the ice in Oberstdorf.

“No matter how many years you do this, you still always get the first competition nerves. We’re just glad we were able to remind ourselves how to handle that and put out two great skates.”

Manitobans head to the polls as municipal election wraps up

Alison Ivey has never missed voting in an election.

Shortly after 8 a.m., she lined up at Strathmillan School, in Silver Heights, to cast her vote on the final day of the Manitoba municipal election.

Ivey, 69, said she’s hopeful Winnipeg will choose the right people to serve the city. Homelessness was the biggest issue for Ivey when deciding who she would select on the ballot.

“I think it’s a shame in this day and age that we still that problem. It should have been addressed years ago,” she said.

Woman with schizophrenia pleads guilty to stabbing caretaker in neck

A Winnipeg woman previously found not criminally responsible for stabbing three people is now facing a possible prison sentence for stabbing her apartment caretaker in the neck while in the grip of a psychotic delusion.

Victoria Nuoi, 34, has pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault for the April 2025 attack.

At a hearing Tuesday, Crown attorney Marla Bettencourt recommended Nuoi, who lives with schizophrenia, be sentenced to four years in prison, while her lawyer Chris Gamby urged provincial court Judge Dale Harvey to sentence her to three years supervised probation.

Harvey reserved his decision, saying he needed time to consider the widely disparate recommendations.

Wheat City mayoral candidates hit streets

BRANDON — The two mayoral candidates made their final pushes Tuesday to woo voters in Manitoba’s second-largest city.

Incumbent Jeff Fawcett said he and his team have been to nearly every doorstep in the city, while challenger Len Isleifson, a former Tory MLA, said he has covered most parts of Brandon and was even on a second go-round in some areas.

“I’m working my tail off to try to make sure that people do get out to vote, and the people I speak to, I feel fairly optimistic,” said Fawcett, who is running for his second term. “But people have to vote.”

The Brandon Sun joined both Fawcett and Isleifson as they went door knocking one day before Manitoba’s elect new municipal councils.

Advocate calls for speed traps at site of crosswalk fatality

A longtime community advocate says safety must be improved on the section of Main Street where a man in his 60s was hit by a truck Friday and later died.

In a video of the crash obtained by the Free Press, the man, who hasn’t been identified, crosses at a crosswalk at Main Street and Jarvis Avenue at around 7:45 p.m. He was walking across the southbound lanes toward Austin Street North, as signals flashed overhead. When he reaches the northbound lanes of Main Street, he’s hit by a pickup truck and slides down the rain-slicked street for several metres. He died in hospital.

“It’s a death that shouldn’t have happened,” said Sel Burrows, a longtime community leader and founder of a crime hotline in the area.

Burrows said the location has been a problem “for many, many years.”

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.

Dru Brown leads Bombers in first post-season practice

History continues to repeat itself for Zach Collaros.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback suffered yet another setback over the weekend and there’s a strong possibility he will miss Saturday’s Eastern semifinal against the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field.

The 38-year-old, who is listed on the injury report with a rib injury, watched Tuesday’s practice in street clothes as backup pivot Dru Brown worked with the starters.

Collaros was driven into the turf by B.C. Lions defensive lineman Nathan Cherry late in the third quarter of last Friday’s regular-season finale in Vancouver.