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.

Detox centre ready but staffing challenges persist

Peter McMullen’s decade-long struggle with addiction gives him insight into the challenges Lighthouse Mission hopes to address with a new Main Street detox facility focused on connecting people with longer-term treatment.

McMullen, executive director of Lighthouse Mission, knows how difficult it can be to navigate Winnipeg’s addiction treatment system, particularly when someone is ready to seek help but the services they need aren’t immediately available.

Now, after years of planning and a lengthy renovation of two century-old buildings, the downtown organization is preparing to open a 10-bed detox facility at 667 and 669 Main St., with five beds each for men and women.

The facility could begin accepting clients as early as November, provided Lighthouse Mission can overcome one final hurdle: recruiting enough staff to operate it.

Province looks to keep nearly $1M from traffic stop

The RCMP constable could see that Alireza Haghgoo was nervous.

The 22-year-old, seated as a passenger in a rental Nissan SUV the Mountie pulled over for speeding outside Brandon in late July, was breathing heavily and tapping his foot constantly, as the carotid artery on his neck visibly pumped blood.

He had good reason to be jumpy — considering Mounties found nearly $1-million in cash that justice officials allege is drug money in the car he and Ahmad Shahpoor Ahmadi, 44, were driving from Calgary to Toronto.

The province’s director of criminal property forfeiture filed a lawsuit in the Court of King’s Bench last week in an attempt to keep the more than $956,000 in cash seized during the traffic stop on July 31 as well as a more than $70,000 watch.

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.

Manitoba premier offers condolences after CFB Wainwright tragedy

Premier Wab Kinew said Manitoba “stands ready to help in any way we can” and will lower its flags to half-mast after a large fire tore through a Canadian Forces Base in Wainwright, Alta. Saturday, resulting in four confirmed deaths and dozens of serious injuries.

“This is a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, those who were injured and everyone affected,” Kinew said in a statement Sunday.

“We know there are families waiting for news about their loved ones, and our thoughts are with them, too.”

Kinew said he was in touch with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and federal Defence Minister David McGuinty to offer Manitoba’s assistance and share condolences.

New twist in Hellebuyck saga, suspension ends Friday

Connor Hellebuyck has played the reverse Uno card.

What we don’t know is if he has any intention of coming back to friendly Manitoba or if this is simply the latest attempt to put the Winnipeg Jets feet to the flames in an effort to move him to an American market.

Prior to puck drop on Saturday afternoon, when the Jets were getting set to host the Carolina Hurricanes, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that the three-time Vezina Trophy winner and one-time Hart Trophy winner informed the organization he wanted to return on Oct. 2 and that his holdout has now shifted to a team-imposed suspension that can officially come to an end Friday.

The Jets were able to extend his suspension (for failing to report to training camp) because of a clause in the collective bargaining agreement, Article 15.13, subsection (c)(v), which reads: “If a player who has not received permission to be absent from training camp returns to the club, he shall be subject to a disciplinary suspension of reasonable length.”

Granite Curling Club wants judge to stop work on housing project, review city’s decisions

The Granite Curling Club has filed a new court action asking a judge to review and quash City of Winnipeg decisions on a controversial project that would construct a 110-unit housing complex on its parking lot — and to issue an injunction stopping work for now.

The new notice of application, filed in the Court of King’s Bench on Wednesday, comes as a judge mulls his decision on an earlier court application from the club over how the city moved forward on approving the development.

The developer has since begun what it calls “investigative work” at the site, conducting some digging to prepare for a heritage resources impact assessment that will determine whether the area has archeological significance, the chief executive of the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corp. Inc. 2.0 said earlier this week.

Work at the site prompted the club’s lawyers to file the new application, which will have its first hearing on Oct. 26.

Bayer Canada begins construction on new R&D facility in St. B

Instead of canola on Friday, there was sod.

But in two years’ time, by current estimates, the bare plot of land in a St. Boniface industrial park will hold canola samples and seeds for testing.

Bayer Canada officially broke ground on a 60,000-square-foot research and development facility Friday morning.

“It’s about bringing new and better innovation to farmers,” said Kacy Perry, Bayer Crop Science Canada’s country division head.

Team president locked out, day after speaking out on arena’s closure

A longtime team official in Manitoba’s hockey community says he’s being punished by the City of Winnipeg for speaking out about the poor condition of one of its rinks.

Barry Bonni, president of the River East Royal Knights, has occupied an office at Terry Sawchuk Memorial Arena for more than four decades.

On Friday, he was locked out.

“They’re on the war path,” Bonni said.

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.

Police HQ report to be released Monday

The province confirmed Friday the final report of the public inquiry into the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters will be released on Monday.

The release will take place at a media conference with commissioner of the Winnipeg Police Service Headquarters inquiry Garth Smorang, scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at the Manitoba Legislative Building.

The $2.3-million public inquiry took place over 27.5 hearing dates between February and May.

The city has faced myriad problems related to the WPS headquarters, a former Canada Post office building and warehouse at Smith Street and Graham Avenue, for more than a decade.