Shannon Dueck

The provincial government announced yesterday new funding in order to target firearms trafficking and violent crime in Manitoba.

Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says his government is allocating more than $1.4 million to Manitoba Prosecution Service (MPS) to fund 10 new positions which will increase capacity to address firearms trafficking, manufacturing and related violent crime in Manitoba. 

Manitoba's Economic Development and Investment Minister says our province's fiscal position continues to improve. 

Jeff Wharton says Manitoba has regained more than 100,000 jobs after losing 90,500 during the pandemic in April 2020. He says employment expanded by 3.2 per cent last year, representing the second-largest growth in recorded history, trailing only 2021. 

A meteorologist with Environment Canada says it will be, at times, a snowy long weekend for southern Manitoba with a few different systems expected to pass through.

Terri Lang refers to it as a mixed bag of weather. She says the systems headed our way are from the Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories.

"People should expect some snow, of course, as these systems come through," explains Lang. 

And, because of the winds associated with these systems, Lang says there will also be blowing snow as they pass through. 

It is another sign of spring. Our province today announced that ice cutting will begin next week on the Red River in order to reduce the potential impacts of ice-jam flooding.

The ice-jam mitigation program, which consists of cutting and breaking river ice, was launched in 2006 to reduce the risk of flooding caused by ice jams on the lower Red River and several other rivers. Ice jams form when floating ice is blocked from moving downstream, forcing water to back up and overflow riverbanks.

Snow and blowing snow Tuesday evening resulted in whiteout conditions, and forced the closure of many highways in southern Manitoba. However, there were no official weather warnings issued by Environment Canada, which left people scratching their heads.

Manitoba's Economic Development and Investment Minister says our province's fiscal position continues to improve. 

Jeff Wharton says Manitoba has regained more than 100,000 jobs after losing 90,500 during the pandemic in April 2020. He says employment expanded by 3.2 per cent last year, representing the second-largest growth in recorded history, trailing only 2021. 

Batten down the hatches for what is expected to be a blustery 24 hours in southern Manitoba. And that wind will push our unseasonably mild weather out of the area for at least a couple of days.

Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada says we are under the influence of a low-pressure system. As of early Tuesday morning, the centre of that low-pressure system was already in Ontario. Hasell explains there is a frontal structure that is spread across Manitoba. She notes northern areas are already quite cold, while the portion south of this front remains in a warmer air mass.

One person was airlifted to hospital Tuesday morning following a two vehicle crash southeast of Blumenort.

Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe says their crews were called out shortly before 9 am to the intersection of Road 40N and Road 35E. 

Wiebe says the crash involved two vehicles. Each vehicle had only one occupant.

"One of the drivers needed to be extricated and was transported with STARS," says Wiebe.

He notes the other driver was transported to hospital by ground ambulance.

RCMP are asking Manitobans to be on the lookout for three suspects wanted in a homicide near the Manitoba/ Saskatchewan border Friday morning. 

On Friday, shortly after 4 am, Esterhazy and Broadview RCMP received a report of a break-and-enter and suspicious death at a residence approximately 20 kilometres south of Stockholm and Esterhazy.

A woman from southeastern Manitoba is hoping to become the next leader of the Green Party of Manitoba.

Janine Gibson lives on a solar-powered co-op farm south of Steinbach. Her name will be on the ballot in the online vote taking place between March 13th and 23rd.

Gibson is no stranger to elections, having run in seven federal elections and three provincial elections.