Man accused of assaulting unconscious woman has lengthy record of abuse

A convicted sex offender accused of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman last week — only to be stopped in the process by police officers — has a lengthy history of abusing vulnerable victims.

Harley Aaron Okemow, 34, was arrested Oct. 21 on Stanley Street, near Henry Avenue, and charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm.

He had been released from provincial jail in mid-September, with a sentence of two years of supervised probation plus the time he served behind bars awaiting court, after pleading guilty to several breaches of court orders committed earlier this year.

“Mr. Okemow … does have a serious record … that includes sexually offending against six different victims, five of which were children,” said Crown prosecutor Katie Dojack at Okemow’s sentencing last month.

Western inland ports form alliance

CentrePort Canada Inc. has formed an alliance with three other inland ports.

President and CEO Carly Edmundson signed a memorandum of understanding in Ottawa on Monday with Global Transportation Hub Authority, located in Regina; Port Alberta, located in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region; and Prairie Economic Gateway, a shovel-ready collaboration between the City of Calgary and Rocky View County.

The newly formed Canadian Inland Ports Alliance will align on major inland port initiatives, strengthening seaport-to-hinterland connectivity and supporting a more resilient, diversified and competitive Canadian trade network, the alliance announced in a news release.

The four ports have been in conversation since the summer, Edmundson told the Free Press on Monday. The alliance responds to growing pressures facing Canada’s trade and transportation network, including congestion, shifting trade partners, supply chain disruptions, marine gateway constraints and the need for stronger inland capacity.

Cabinet minister guilty of ethics violation may have buyer for family business two years after offering to sell

Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures Minister Ian Bushie has a potential buyer for Grandpa George’s gas and convenience store at Hollow Water First Nation after offering it to sell it two years ago when he was found guilty of an ethics violation.

“Grandpa George’s is currently in negotiations with a buyer and that process is ongoing,” Bushie’s press secretary Caedmon Malowany said in a prepared statement Monday.

Bushie held a news conference in 2024 to say he would voluntarily sell the business after he violated provincial ethics rules.

The MLA for Keewatinook, who was not available for an interview Monday, was not required to sell the gas bar after former ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor ruled in September 2024 that Bushie inadvertently violated the new Conflict of Interest (Members and Ministers) Act.

Property tax hike included in Gillingham’s costed platform

Mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham says property taxes will rise another 3.5 per cent in 2027, with no set cap on potential increases in each of the following three years, if he is re-elected as mayor on Wednesday.

A new property tax target would instead be determined by city council for the following three budget years, with a goal to keep annual hikes “close to inflation,” respect affordability and protect essential services, Gillingham said while releasing a costed election platform Monday.

“To say today we’re going to set a (property tax hike) target, set an amount without knowing where the inflationary rates would go would be irresponsible,” he said.

In his 2022 election campaign, Gillingham promised to raise taxes by 3.5 per cent per year. However, the city instead imposed a 5.95 per cent property tax hike in 2025, Winnipeg’s largest single-year increase since the 1990s.

Deer Lodge Centre taking over operations of Charleswood adult day program slated for closure

An adult day program set to close at the end of the month in Charleswood has been spared.

The provincial government announced Monday that is ensuring adult day programming for seniors continues in the same Charleswood space after Lions Housing Centres announced Oct. 30 would be its last day.

“All of the participants are going to be able to continue at that same location,” Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara said in an interview Monday.

The funder — the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority — and the operator, Lions Housing Centres, sent a letter Sept. 16 to the 107 day club members and their families informing them of the closure without providing a reason. The letter said the WRHA was working closely with partners to explore options for current participants and individuals on the waiting list and that a home care case co-ordinator would contact them with options to try to meet their needs.

Police probe weekend vandalism spree as dozens of school buses taken out of service

Vandals used fire extinguishers to damage dozens of Winnipeg School Division buses and an elementary school in a pair of weekend break-ins, disrupting transportation or lessons for potentially hundreds of students.

Several buses were taken out of service, resulting in cancellations or delays on some routes Monday, after 45 parked vehicles were damaged in a lot on Selkirk Avenue, west of Keewatin Street.

“We occasionally will have a fire extinguisher stolen or a little bit of damage, but this was certainly the largest-scale vandalism that we’ve seen in our (transportation) yard,” said Matt Henderson, superintendent of Manitoba’s largest school division.

“The result of that was a number of bus routes had to be cancelled (Monday), which is really problematic. There’s an added stress on families to get their children to school.”

Man stabbed outside shelter dies days later, manslaughter charges laid

A violent altercation outside Winnipeg’s largest homeless shelter turned fatal days later, leaving staff and community members mourning the loss of a man who was well known to them.

Police were called to Siloam Mission around 10:30 a.m. Saturday Oct. 17 after a fight broke out in the shelter’s parking lot on the 300 block of Stanley Street, leaving a 31-year-old man with stab wounds.

Officers found the man in critical condition and rushed him to hospital, where he remained until his death on Tuesday Oct. 20.

On Monday, police identified the victim as Jereth Joseph James Clarke, a member of Norway House Cree Nation who had been staying in Winnipeg.

Asessippi counting on flood relief to save ski season

BRANDON — Asessippi Ski Area and Resort remains optimistic about the coming ski season, but is depending on disaster financial assistance to repair roughly $2.2 million in flood damage, a spokesperson said.

The ski resort plans to replace several pieces of equipment, including motors for destroyed lift shacks that power the Porcupine and Bear chairlifts, compressors and a pumphouse for snowmaking, and a damaged transformer, assistant manager Shannon Johnston said.

Some of the work will only take place this year if provincial funding is provided for relief from flood damage in June and July, she said.

“There is some stuff we are paying for, but we don’t have $2.2 million extra laying around for all of this. So yeah, we do need the help,” Johnston said. “We are looking at over $2 million in cost for replacement of these things.”

Memorable Jets debut for Mercer

It didn’t take Dawson Mercer long to find out what a friendly Manitoba reception looks — and sounds – like.

The newest member of the Winnipeg Jets was taken aback when the public address announcer singled him out on the walk to the ice at Princess Auto Stadium, prompting the crowd to provide a warm ovation for Mercer prior to the 2026 Heritage Classic game with the Montreal Canadiens.

“It kind of caught me off guard when I got introduced when I was walking out there, so that was pretty good to get that welcome,” said Mercer, who was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in Friday’s blockbuster deal for Connor Hellebuyck. “Having the Jets flyover was pretty sick. That was pretty memorable also.”

Although he was held off the scoresheet in Sunday’s 2-1 loss, Mercer made a favourable first impression, taking 20 shifts for 15:22 of ice time, recording two shots on goal and a blocked shot while skating alongside captain Adam Lowry and Isak Rosen (who scored the lone goal for the Jets).

Pharmacist fined for dispensing incorrect dosage

A Winnipeg pharmacist has been fined for misconduct after dispensing a mistakenly high dose of an anti-psychotic, harming her patient.

Rumina Ishani was fined $3,500 and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs by the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba earlier this month, after pleading guilty to professional misconduct.

The college, in a written disciplinary decision, said the incident occurred on Aug. 12, 2025, at the Marion Street Shoppers Drug Mart where Ishani worked at the time.

She filled an aripiprazole prescription for a patient that day. The patient had first been given the anti-psychotic at that pharmacy in November 2023 at two milligrams a day for 30 days, and was again prescribed the drug in February 2025 at one mg/day, which was increased to two mg/day in March.

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.

School division’s mental-health liaison helps students in crisis access help faster

A youth experiencing a mental-health crisis at a River East Transcona school was connected with specialized care within hours this fall, offering an early example of how a new partnership is helping students in distress.

After the teen made statements that raised safety concerns, school administrators contacted a newly appointed mental-health crisis liaison, who arrived within 30 minutes, assessed the situation and met with the student, their family and school staff.

By the end of the morning, the student was admitted to a crisis stabilization unit for several days, and arrangements were made for followup therapy.

The intervention was possible because of a pilot partnership between RETSD and The Link: Youth and Family Supports, which began at the start of the school year.