Close to 5,000 net new health-care workers added since 2023 election, province says

More doctors and nurses are working in Manitoba than ever before but health-care challenges remain, Premier Wab Kinew says.

The province has added 4,725 net new health-care workers to the provincial system since the NDP won the October 2023 election, Kinew told reporters Tuesday.

The government’s total includes 370 doctors, 1,464 nurses, 2,152 health-care aides and 607 allied health professionals, a group that includes physiotherapists, dietitians, paramedics, medical lab technologists and others.

Kinew said more doctors and nurses are working in Manitoba than ever before.

Pharmacist who failed to disclose addiction, couldn’t account for ‘staggering’ amount of drugs fined $100K by disciplinary panel

A June 9 disciplinary decision found more than 39,000 doses went unaccounted for while Glen Pauch, who worked at a Portage la Prairie pharmacy, was consuming drugs and improperly dispensing controlled substances — including opioids oxycodone and hydromorphone, and Concerta, a stimulant prescribed for ADHD — to 11 patients.

Province officially recognizes arboriculture as a trade

Arboriculture has officially been recognized as a trade in Manitoba, which industry experts say will help address the increased demand for tree experts across the province.

RRC shelter support worker program grads seek to make difference in lives of province’s most vulnerable

Pauline Pollard didn’t hesitate when asked what advice she would give her teenage self, a pregnant young mother of one in an abusive relationship.

“Leave sooner,” she said, citing everything she’s learned over the last 25 years, including at Red River College Polytechnic’s shelter support worker program.

The 43-year-old said she has “a lot of compassion” for women of all ages who find themselves stuck in unsafe situations.

It’s far easier in retrospect to see the warning signs, noting that in her case, an ex-boyfriend started confiscating her clothes and makeup before his controlling behaviour escalated to physical violence.

Costco breaks ground on new West St. Paul store

Construction has begun on the American retailer's newest Manitoba location which developers expect will open in August 2027.

Rookie defensive lineman’s history hits just as hard

Michael Fletcher hasn’t exactly been able to ease into things since bringing his talents up north.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers threw the rookie defensive lineman to the wolves in training camp, which led to him being released for a few days because of an injury before being signed to the practice roster.

“He’s willing to do whatever and he proved that during camp. We wore his ass out. He took so many reps in camp because we kept losing guys, losing guys, losing guys, and we just kept giving him more reps because we had to, to get practice in,” said head coach Mike O’Shea after Tuesday’s practice.

The Bombers (5-4) are in Edmonton on Friday to challenge the Elks (7-3).

First week at supervised drug consumption site issue-free: premier

There were no issues to report after the first week of operations for Manitoba’s first supervised drug consumption site, Premier Wab Kinew said Tuesday.

The Winnipeg space, operating temporarily out of the fenced-off parking lot at 366 Henry Ave. while the adjacent building, which is to become the permanent site, undergoes renovations, opened Aug. 11.

Opening the long-awaited supervised consumption facility was a 2023 NDP election promise to keep people alive in the midst of a toxic street-drug crisis.

Kinew said the facility, which is being run by the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre for the province, had quietly served at least 125 clients as of earlier in the week.

‘Take it to the bank’: premier insists temporary ER will open in Dauphin by Labour Day, but nurses skeptical

Premier Wab Kinew insisted Tuesday that the flood-shuttered Dauphin hospital will have a temporary emergency department in place by Labour Day, but offered no details on the plan.

“I’m here telling you, take it to the bank — Labour Day — emergency department services in Dauphin,” the premier said when asked about it at an unrelated news conference in Winnipeg.

The Dauphin Regional Health Centre was forced to evacuate 54 patients and close its doors on July 1 after the Parkland region experienced severe flooding.

“You’re going to see temporary structures being stood up there over the next few weeks with an opening day of Labour Day because we know how important health care is to people in Dauphin.”

City rescinds Balmoral Street property owner’s order to clean up encampment

A West Broadway landlord is off the hook for clearing a large riverbank encampment after the City of Winnipeg rescinded an order threatening to stick him with the cleanup bill.

Marvin Sharp, CEO of Astroid Management Ltd., which operates the Pen-Eve Apartments at 35 Balmoral St., said he received a call from the city Tuesday letting him know the order has been cancelled.

In a statement from the city, an official said the order was shelved due to an existing and active easement on the property.

“We have been communicating with the property owner throughout this process and they have been informed of this development,” a spokesperson said.

Rural Manitoba homeowner charged with shooting at accused thieves

A homeowner in southern Manitoba has been charged after he fired shots at a group of people accused of stealing from his property, police say.

Officers were sent to the Rural Municipality of Dufferin Saturday after a report of a theft in progress. RCMP said four people went to the property, located about 95 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, and returned later the same day driving two vehicles stolen from Watrous, Sask.

The owner of the property, a 66-year-old man, saw the suspects on a motion-activated camera and saw someone transferring fuel from a portable container into one of the stolen vehicles. The man confronted the group and fired shots towards the vehicles, police said.

Three people stayed at the scene until officers arrived and took them into custody, RCMP said. Various items believed to have been stolen from the property were found in the back of a truck. A fourth suspect fled in the other vehicle.