Meet old flame with open mind, no expectations

Peguis daycare at the centre of child abuse allegations has been operating without licence

The Peguis First Nation daycare subject to an RCMP probe into allegations children were being abused at the hands of employees has been operating without a license.

Three employees were implicated in a recent Child and Family Services investigation into the daycare, including a woman who served as the facility’s administrator and her son who also worked there.

Current and former staff have now come forward with accusations the administrator was covering up misconduct complaints against her son, despite his co-workers repeatedly bringing concerns to her attention.

“I didn’t care that was her son. I told her. She said, ‘I will deal with it.’ Obviously she didn’t,” a current staff member said.

Belarus runner alleges Olympic team tried to send her home

The Markham sprinter picked up where he left off in Rio, reaching the podium in the 100 metres — won by a guy he’d never heard of. De Grasse’s specialty, the 200, is just around the corner, Rosie DiManno writes.

Jets backup goalie has things to think of other than hockey

The balance David Rittich needed came in a way he least suspected.

Performance (ice-cream) art

As 2020 resolutions counter temptation, Teri-Lynn Friesen and Élise Page will be waiting to console those who slip — and they’ll have ice-cream scoops at the ready.

Late last year, the creative duo opened Fête — Winnipeg’s newest coffee and ice-cream parlour, offering an ever-changing menu of 16 made-in-house ice-cream flavours, affogato and, if it’s Sunday morning, pancakes.

There’s also no pressure to pick a flavour at first sight; the shop offers unlimited samples.

“If you gave up coffee, we’re here for you when you need to come back. If you gave up sweets, we’re also here for you,” said Friesen, co-owner of the shop at 300 Assiniboine Ave.

Megan Wolff an ‘incredible mother, incredible teacher’

Megan Wolff was the kind of teacher who always had former students dropping by Room 107 to poke their heads into her classroom, catch up, or give her a hug — if not all of the above.

Those closest to Wolff say she was born to be a loving mother to her two children and the hundreds of nursery students she took into her care throughout her career of more than 10 years in the Winnipeg School Division.

“She would do anything for my sister and I, and anyone she loved — and that included her students. She gave her all to her students,” said her adult son, Alex Kirbyson.

Every year around Christmas, Wolff was overwhelmed by handmade cards, chocolates and other gifts of appreciation. This year, she was unable to give a proper goodbye to her students at École J.B. Mitchell School before the winter break.

Another fresh start for North Portage

It’s hard to believe that a good chunk of Portage Place mall will face the wrecking ball. As a mixed-use development, Portage Place’s history is marked by controversy and unmet expectations of being an upscale retail centre tasked with saving Winnipeg’s downtown.

To understand the gravity of this week’s announcement regarding new owner Starlight Investments’ planned $400-million retrofit of Portage Place, it’s important to look back to 1984, when Winnipeg’s economic outlook was bleak and our city had weathered the tumultuous 1970s.

It was also this period that tore open the economic and social fabric of the fabled stretch of Portage Avenue, between Eaton’s and the Bay, that had long been the retail heart and soul of not only the city, but also Western Canada.

The story of the mall’s transformation is also indicative of just how dramatic has been the transformation of downtown, and our broader economy, over the past 35 years. What is central is the shift from Winnipeg’s historical “desperation planning” model, dependent on deep subsidies and government-led support, to the more recent private-sector-driven approach.