Health-care workers worry province rushing to open temporary Dauphin hospital

The province says it is on track to reopen the flood-damaged Dauphin hospital emergency department on Labour Day, but some of health-care workers worry the reopening is being rushed.

The temporary emergency department will operate on the main floor of Dauphin Regional Health Centre, using temporary power and water while restoration work continues in other areas of the hospital. The facility was forced to close on July 1 after significant flooding hit the region. More than 50 patients had to be evacuated.

When it opens Sept. 7, the temporary emergency department will provide services 24-7, a Manitoba government news release said.

Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, said it’s her understanding crews are “rapidly cleaning” an area of the flooded hospital, but said critical necessities, like running water and flushing toilets, will be missing.

Man charged with murder, arson in North End blaze

A 22-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and arson in connection with a North End fire Thursday.

Ismail Abdihakim Ali was arrested at the scene of a blaze at a home at 344 St. Johns Ave. just before 10:30 p.m., a Winnipeg Police Service news release said Monday.

Mark Bosadas Marmeto, 35, died from his injuries Saturday.

“It’s devastating to hear somebody has passed,” said Nestor de Quiroz, whose uncle owns the home.

Winnipegger battles through partially torn MCL to claim U20 wrestling world title

Kaura Coles admits she’s not the strongest, fastest or most athletic amateur wrestler.

But that hasn’t stopped the 19-year-old from Winnipeg from becoming the best in the world.

Coles, representing London-Western Wrestling Club out of London, Ont., won gold in the 53-kg division at the U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Aug. 19.

She’s only the fifth Canadian to win a U20 world title.

Committee vote brings outdoor learning facility one step closer for Riel school division

Plans for an outdoor education facility that would host Indigenous and land-based learning for the Louis Riel School Division are moving forward.

The one-storey, 10,869-square-foot (1,010-square-metre) building would feature three classrooms, seven offices, multi-purpose rooms, workstations and common areas. The site would also offer an entry plaza and an outdoor classroom on 8.2 acres (3.3 hectares) of land at 3280 St. Mary’s Rd. in the St. Vital Perimeter South neighbourhood.

Existing buildings would remain and be used as a bus maintenance shop, outdoor material storage sheds and a covered outdoor work area.

Once the facility is built, students could take field trips to the site to learn about the environment, as well as Indigenous culture.

Naked man dies after jolt from police Taser

A Transcona man says he was lucky to be awake early Sunday when, shortly after 4 a.m., a stranger smashed through his screen door and kicked in the front door of his home.

“It’s all I can think about, like what if I was sleeping?” said the man, whom the Free Press is not naming to protect his identity. “Being awake gave me just a couple of extra seconds to deal with him before he got his whole body in.”

He was sitting on his couch when he heard the glass shatter and saw someone trying to force his way inside.

“Glass flew in and this guy — he was a big guy — tried to climb through the screen door,” the man said. “I hopped off the couch and just remember screaming for help. Well, of course it’s four in the morning, so nobody’s going to help, right? I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Heavy rain, wind sweep across Manitoba communities

Kelvin Siemens hoped he was dreaming when a tornado touched down near his home Sunday evening.

When he woke up the next morning, the southwestern Manitoba farmer confirmed it was no dream, as his barn and hay shed was toppled and a pile of rubble was left behind.

“This kind of devastation can really test your constitution,” Siemens, 65, told the Free Press from his farm just south of Kola, a small community in the Rural Municipality of Wallace-Woodworth.

The tornado was reported near Elkhorn, about 105 kilometres west of Brandon, at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday. A second tornado touched down near Maryfield, Sask., located southwest of Elkhorn.

Additional candidates register for Winnipeg’s fall election

Every city council ward is set to have a contested race in the Oct. 28 municipal election, barring any withdrawals, after additional candidates registered for two contests.

Dennis Bayomi is running in Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood, where Evan Duncan is the incumbent candidate.

Bayomi is president and co-deputy leader of the Green Party of Manitoba. He’s run for the Greens in provincial and federal elections.

Fred Morris registered to run against incumbent Cindy Gilroy in Daniel McIntyre.

Foreign workers at Manitoba hotel are owed $138K in unpaid wages and fees, labour board rules

BRANDON — The Manitoba Labour Board has ordered the Western Star All Suites Hotel to pay nearly $138,000 in unpaid wages and administrative fees after it dismissed the appeals involving three foreign workers employed by the company.

In a decision dated Aug. 25, the board ordered 6692452 Manitoba Ltd. (doing business as Western Star All Suites Hotel), 1638185 Alberta Ltd. and company director P.X. to pay a total of $137,915.79 to the Employment Standards Branch for wages owed to foreign workers S.J., J.B. and G.R.

The decision was edited to protect the personal information of the employees, who worked at a hotel, reportedly in Melita, at different times and also lived there during their employment.

The board stated the employees were owed wages after hearing evidence about long working hours, irregular payments, inadequate employment records and working conditions.

Winnipeg police ID deceased man, notify family

Winnipeg police have been able to notify next-of-kin about the death of a man found unresponsive on a city street in July.

The man was identified after police asked for the public’s help and issued a composite sketch and description of the unknown man on Friday.

On Sunday, police said his family has been notified and thanked the public. Additional details about the man were not released in order to respect the family’s privacy, police said.

The man died in hospital after being found unresponsive July 28 at the corner of Main Street and James Avenue in Winnipeg, and investigators’ previous efforts to identify him were unsuccessful.

‘Fine wine’: Vintage Collaros shows up in big win over Als after 38th birthday

Zach Collaros was in no mood for I-told-you-so’s.

There were no references – either thinly veiled or direct – to the naysayers, many of whom thought the Blue Bombers were in deep trouble as the league-leading Montreal Alouettes rolled into town on a roll for a matchup on Friday that could have left Winnipeg with a sub-.500 record heading into the Labour Day Classic.

No, that’s not Collaros’ style or part of how he operates.

After outduelling Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander in a convincing 44-28 victory, Collaros stood in front of a group of reporters and displayed almost no emotion, despite delivering what can easily be described as his best showing of the season.

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.

Council candidates call out vandalism after campaign signs defaced in Waverley West

A council candidate in Waverley West said she will not be intimidated after 16 of her campaign signs were vandalized this week — some with apparent gang symbols.

Nafiya Naso is the second candidate in the ward whose signs were defaced this month. Jasmine Brar, who is also running for the council seat, had some of her signs broken on Friday along Kenaston Boulevard and signs near Naso’s that were also defaced on Saturday.

Earlier this month, Eaglewood Park in the nearby Prairie Pointe neighbourhood was also vandalized with graffiti that included homophobic slurs, anti-India messages and repeated references to “3LK” — a symbol Naso believes is associated with a gang.

Naso’s signs, located along Waverley Street near Tim Sale Drive and across from École South Pointe School in southwest Winnipeg, were spray-painted with apparent gang signs, crude drawings and other messages, including “loser” and “Ur not winning” written across her name and photograph.