The Canadian Press

The Manitoba legislature is to return today with a throne speech outlining the Progressive Conservative government’s agenda for the coming year. 

It is to be read by the newly named lieutenant-governor of Manitoba, Anita Neville.

Premier Heather Stefanson has said her government plans to focus on affordability, economic growth, health care and reducing crime. 

Before the autumn break, the government passed several bills into law, including one that sets debt-reduction targets for Manitoba Hydro and caps annual rate increases.

Firefighters in Regina are combing through the splintered remains of a multi-unit house checking for survivors after an explosion Sunday that was so loud, people in other parts of the city reported hearing it.

"We believe that everybody right now that lived in the property has been accounted for but ... we're searching the property completely with heavy equipment right now, pulling it apart piece by piece just to make sure nobody else was in the property," deputy fire chief Gord Hewitt said by phone Sunday evening. 

It has been three years since Ralph Wild last attended a Remembrance Day ceremony in person, but in some ways it's like he never left.

"I guess I've done this so many times it has got to be old," the 104-year-old veteran said with a chuckle.

Wild has been attending events on Nov. 11 for as long as he can remember — often as one of the distinguished guests. 

While he jokes they're often the same, this year brought something different for him. 

"First time I had to lay the wreath. I (used) to carry the torch," he said Friday.

The Manitoba government is promising $200 million to ease the strain on the health-care system and add some 2,000 professionals to the front lines.

Premier Heather Stefanson says the plan includes pay incentives for weekend shifts and incentives for nurses who work full time.

The government is also going to cover licensing fees for two years for all licensed health-care professionals, and offer money to help medical clinics and doctors' offices expand their hours.

Health Minister Audrey Gordon says details of the payment amounts still have to be worked out.

The family of a Saskatchewan farmer who served with the Canadian military in Afghanistan says he has been killed fighting in Ukraine.

Joseph Hildebrand, 33, died recently in Ukraine, said his brother Jake. The family was notified by some other people in his unit.

“He was a good man with strong values who stood up for what he believed,” Clayton Hildebrand, his third cousin, said Tuesday.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League says it is expanding to Winnipeg for the 2023 season.

Winnipeg will be the league's fifth expansion since it launched in 2019 with six teams.

The league said Winnipeg's name and logo will be announced at a later date.

The CEBL, now with 11 teams, is the largest wholly Canadian professional sports league. The CFL and soccer's Canadian Premier League, which recently added a new team in Vancouver FC, each have nine franchises.

The Manitoba government is spending $1.5 million to help a new digital media studio and training centre.

StudioLab XR is a 460-square-metre virtual production studio in downtown Winnipeg,

Economic Development Minister Cliff Cullen says the money will help create good paying jobs and attract new interactive digital media and film productions.

The studio will include production space and a classroom with new technology.

Cullen says it will provide industry training to more than 250 people over three years.

WestJet says a system-wide outage is impacting its operations, resulting in "growing delays" across its network and cancellations.

The Canadian airline says its contact centre is unable to access guest reservations as a result of the outage.

WestJet says it's working to restore service to its system, though it hasn't provided a reason for the outage.

Calgary International Airport says in a tweet that guests flying through its airport may be delayed "due to a WestJet global IT outage." 

It says guests should check with their airline for flight information.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson announced millions more dollars for new detention cells at Brandon police headquarters Friday — the latest in a string of recent promises focused on crime and public safety.

"Today's announcement caps a week of new initiatives and millions of dollars invested making our communities safer," Stefanson said.

"Our government will do whatever it takes to support our law enforcement personnel and our cities and communities with a crackdown on criminals and violent crime."

Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says the Progressive Conservative government is not planning to call an early election.

Goertzen, who is also the Tory house leader, says the government fully intends to stick to the scheduled date of Oct. 3 of next year.

Goertzen says there are some exceptional circumstances such as an emergency that could prompt an early vote, but the Tories plan to stick to the set date.