Indigenous CMU students welcome teepee on campus

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.

Jets hold first practice since Covid-19 shutdown

Walking out of Rogers Place in the wee hours of March 12, I had no idea when the Winnipeg Jets might skate again — or what it might look like when they did. After all, the world was changing due to COVID-19, and a big win over the Edmonton Oilers earlier that night was quickly rendered meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Now, 124 days later, we finally have some answers, along with a whole host of new questions. What went down Monday morning inside Bell MTS Iceplex, as the most unique training camp in club history got underway, was like nothing anyone associated with the sport has ever experienced before.

There were mandatory nasal swabs up the noses of all Jets players, along with health questionnaires and digital temperature checks for those of us entering the facility. Masks were required at all times. The rink lobby, normally a hub of activity whenever the hometown team hits the ice, was a ghost town and closed to the public. Handshakes among colleagues I haven't seen for four months were replaced by distant waves and muffled, socially distant pleasantries, just as hugs and high-fives among players were a no-no.

A workspace was created in the Press Box Restaurant, with tables spaced out against against glass that fogged up every few minutes. It didn't take long to remember why hockey and hot summer weather don't typically work well together. Forget the wind chill, does anyone know the humidex?

Tories’ big Hydro lie just got fatter

The Manitoba Hydro pig has been back to the salon for a whole new shade of lipstick.

Subject to months of increasingly shrill criticism, the Progressive Conservative government has unveiled new political spin on Bill 35, the controversial proposed law that re-invents the process of setting annual electricity rate increases.

A coalition, which includes consumers groups and the province's biggest industrial power users, is united in its condemnation of Bill 35, portraying it as a dangerous and needless disembowelling of the Public Utilities Board that will ultimately push the cost of electricity in Manitoba to historic heights.

On Thursday, the Pallister government decided to make an attempt to meet the criticism head on. Finance Minister Scott Fielding and Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced amendments to Bill 35 that they said would ensure predictable, affordable electricity rates for at least the next three years, at rates that are slightly below the average rate increases approved by the PUB over the past decade.

HSC nurses concerned info hacked in cyberattack

Health Sciences Centre workers are concerned their personal information has been compromised after a ransomware attack at Manitoba’s largest hospital.

Shared Health said Monday a cyberattack had affected certain facility maintenance systems, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as door access at HSC.

While Shared Health said patient information hasn’t been compromised, it has not assured workers that their information is secure, the president of the Manitoba Nurses Union said Wednesday. She noted employee badges allow HSC staffers to access different parts of the hospital.

“Those (identity) badges hold a lot of information — personal information,” Darlene Jackson said. “This is all their personal information, their date of birth — their everything is on there.”