Heed lesson on ex-hubby’s loutish behaviour

No place for politics behind wheel of crime of opportunity

The Winnipeg Police Service recently did an excellent job of acknowledging carjackings — the oft-violent theft of an occupied vehicle — are on the rise.

Police confirmed last week, in the first four months of 2022, there have been 59 reported carjackings. It is a pace that far exceeds the last three years, when the city logged an average of 120 occupied vehicle thefts annually.

WPS also did a good job of explaining it believes the spike in carjackings was due to increased “desperation” among those with substance abuse problems.

What local police did not say is this is hardly a Winnipeg problem; auto thefts in general are on the rise almost everywhere. Toronto has logged 93 carjackings in the first five months of 2022, up from 21 over the same period the year before. In Montreal, police reported more than 6,500 vehicle thefts in 2021, a 36 per cent increase over 2020.

Home is where heart is

More than 25 years after the dramatic film Pay It Forward inspired moviegoers to engage in acts of goodwill, serial reciprocity is alive and well at Pristine Roofing and Siding.

Natural disasters, accidents or wear and tear can put a roof in rough shape, risking the overall well-being of a home. Since not everyone can afford the repairs needed to feel safe and secure in their own house, staff at the Winnipeg company decided to do something about it.

Last year, Pristine launched its “Pay It Forward Project.” Manitoba residents can nominate someone who’s fallen on hard times and is in dire need of a new roof. The company chooses one recipient annually and does the repair work for free.

“We’re always looking at ways that we can help our community out,” says Don Fata, sales manager, who, along with Ash Boyd, started Pristine in 1998.

Manitoba communities smash heat records

Parts of Manitoba smashed temperature records over the weekend, amid an ongoing heat wave that is not expected to break for several days.

Environment and Climate Change Canada projected temperatures to reach the mid-30s in southern Manitoba Monday, with the humidex making it feel more like mid-40s.

The heat threat prompted Environment Canada to issue an orange-level heat warning across southern Manitoba. A yellow-level warning was issued for central parts of the province, where temperatures are expected to reach the low 30s but feel hotter with the humidity.

Even parts of northern Manitoba, where temperatures are forecast around 30 C, are under yellow-level warnings, Environment Canada said.

Education review must focus on kids

In January, Manitoba Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced the creation of a commission to review the provincial school system and propose a “‘renewed vision for kindergarten to Grade 12 education,’ to ‘ignite change’ to existing systems, structures and programs.”

The impetus appears to be concern that the province’s students were “falling behind those in the rest of the country,” particularly in math, science and literacy. And so, according to the minister, “Nothing is off the table.”

Goertzen referenced accountability for student outcomes, because the idea that there were multiple sources of responsibility seemed to frustrate him: “If we’re all responsible, then really nobody is responsible.”

When thinking about what parents want from schools, I would wager that most would reply with a version of “to have my kid’s needs met, and to help them learn.”

Olympics overnight: Synchro divers spring to silver, while Penny Oleksiak powers relay team to Canada’s first medal in Tokyo

Here’s what you missed overnight and need to know about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this morning.