Winnipeg-born author-illustrator wins Swedish prize

Physician watchdog under fire for ‘outrageous’ policy

The Manitoba physician watchdog’s policy of deferring its own investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct while a police probe is ongoing is “outrageous” and is further evidence an independent review is needed into the regulatory body, critics say.

Asham Stompers ready to make some noise

The first week of Folklorama is just days away, and the Heather Curling Club is being transformed into a Canadian winter wonderland. For seven days, it will be home to the brand-new Métis Pavilion.

“I didn’t tag that bear,” Arnold Asham says, amid whirring power tools, referring to the giant polar bear skin that serves as the stage’s backdrop. “I won it in a bonspiel.”

Asham, 68, is a former professional curler and the founder of Asham Curling Supplies, one of Manitoba’s most successful Métis-owned businesses. He’s also the founder of the Asham Stompers, the Métis dance group which performs over 100 shows a year and even has its own festival, Stomperfest, which takes place over the September long weekend.

Now, he can add Métis Pavilion co-ordinator on his resumé.

Winnipeg Jets’ Hellebuyck wins Vezina Trophy

EDMONTON — There was no red carpet for Connor Hellebuyck to walk, no glitzy awards ceremony on the Vegas strip as is typically the case. Just a quiet steak dinner with family at his Michigan home Monday evening followed by a virtual announcement that his spectacular season had ended with a Vezina Trophy.

It may not have been as he dreamed it, thanks to COVID-19, but it didn’t dull the occasion one bit. The Winnipeg Jets star was named the NHL’s best goaltender in a ceremony prior to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final.

“It was just one of those moments where I couldn’t believe that it actually happened. Everyone had a big smile on their face and they were all clapping. It was just a proud moment,” Hellebuyck said on a Zoom conference call shortly after the announcement was made.

It’s the first time a Jets netminder — from either the 1.0 or 2.0 eras — has won the award, and the first major individual trophy for any Jet since Teemu Selanne won the Calder for rookie of the year way back in 1993.

Gas, travel limits in parts of B.C. after storm

VANCOUVER - The British Columbia government is rationing gasoline and restricting travel in southern parts of the province after an unprecedented storm severed highways and cut supply lines.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said Friday a limit of 30 litres of fuel per visit to a gas station is an important step to maintaining the supply as the province works to bring in more gas by truck and barge from Alberta, Washington state, Oregon and California.

He said the order would apply for 10 to 11 days, and he trusts that people won't be greedy and will keep critical services in mind as they focus on residents whose communities have been devastated by flooding.

The orders apply to residents of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, southwestern parts of the province and the Sunshine Coast.

‘No CUSMA, no booze-ma’: Kinew

With the next round of tariffs set to hit Canadian goods next week, and a new report suggesting Manitobans could be severely impacted if the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement on trade breaks down, Premier Wab Kinew pledged Wednesday to keep working with the U.S. ambassador — and keep American booze off Manitoba shelves, for now.

Kinew described the province’s current stance as “no CUSMA, no booze-ma,” but if putting American liquor back on store shelves can help a successful renegotiation of the trade deal, Manitoba will join the rest of Canada in supporting that negotiation.

But if U.S. President Donald Trump “continues to call himself the tariff man and self-immolate in a way that harms the average American,” he said, American booze, which was first pulled from Liquor Mart shelves in response to tariffs in February 2025, will stay off shelves.

“I think what you’re likely to see is, at the 11th hour, something to come forward. And we’ll be there alongside the other provinces, to say, ‘Yeah, this is a good deal, let’s go ahead and try to get things back to normal,’” Kinew told reporters.

Libau man warns Manitobans after contracting West Nile Virus

A Manitoba man is warning others about the presence of West Nile virus in the region, as he’s concerned his case has not been announced by the province.

Todd Holmes was informed he had contracted West Nile virus on Friday, several days after he attempted to donate blood in Selkirk. Canadian Blood Services called to tell him his sample tested positive for the virus.

Holmes said he was contacted by the province about his diagnosis on Tuesday afternoon, yet a website that logs cases of West Nile in the province continues to reads zero.

He decided to take matters into his owns hands by posting about his plight on social media.