CHVN

Focus on the Family's founder James C. Dobson passed away Thursday morning. 

"Today we remember a hero of the faith," says Focus on the Family on their Facebook page. "Our Founder, Dr. James C. Dobson, passed away this morning."

Focus on the Family radio programs that often include the voice of Dobson are played on over 3,000 radio facilities in North America and in twenty-seven languages in approximately 4,130 additional facilities in over 160 other countries.

Winnipeg is preparing to host the Canadian Elite Basketball League Championship Weekend, CW25, and 10,000 people are expected to attend the festivities Downtown.

The weekend will kick off with a free street festival with activities for all ages. There will be several musical performances by local and national artists, food trucks, a market, and three-on-three basketball before the on-court action begins.

The Eastern Conference Final is on August 22 at 5 p.m. with a battle between the Scarborough Shooting Stars and Niagara River Lions at the Canada Life Centre.

Powerful thunderstorms ripped through Southern Manitoba Wednesday night, delivering strong winds, hail, and a lot of rain.

Meteorologist Keane Kokolsky of Environment Canada says it originated as a low-pressure system in Montana, which drew in a hot, humid air mass over Southern Manitoba.

A  judge, best known for his compassion and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, has died. 

Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully on Wednesday after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. 

"Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond," said his family in a post on social media. "His warmth, humour, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him."

Judge Caprio was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2023. He underwent treatment and reached remission. However, he fell ill recently. 

An intense storm system that moved through the province on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning has left numerous people without power.

Manitoba Hydro says the storm brought power lines down in several areas, including the city of Winnipeg. 

"Stormy weather brought down several lines in River Heights," said Manitoba Hydro in a post on social media. "We got some power restored early this morning as soon as winds died down enough to work safely, but there is considerable damage."

Several people have been displaced following a fire early Thursday morning in Point Douglas. 

At around 2:20 a.m., the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was called to the 100 block of Halet Street, where they found smoke and flames coming from a multi-family residence.

Firefighters quickly applied water to the fire and eventually moved inside to battle the flames. It took about half an hour to get the fire under control.

Some residents had to be assisted out of the building by crews, while others self-evacuated safely. 

No injuries were reported. 

The storm isn't finished just yet as another wave of severe thunderstorms rolls through southern Manitoba early Thursday morning. 

UPDATE: The severe thunderstorm watch for Winnipeg ended at 6:33 a.m.

Previously:

"We're not out of the woods just yet," says Keane Kokolsky, a meteorologist from Environment and Climate Change Canada (EC). "Severe thunderstorm watches do remain in effect for most of southern Manitoba."

After undergoing hip surgery earlier this week, Pastor Greg Laurie, lead pastor of Harvest Church in California, is giving thanks to God for allowing him to share his goodness, even before the procedure took place. 

"From the moment I walked into the hospital, God surrounded me with believers — the receptionist, the nurses, even my doctor, who asked me to pray for him before his surgeries that day," said Laurie in a post on social media. "My anesthesiologist was also a Christian. What a blessing!"

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is set to meet today with federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, along with industry groups, to discuss the steep Chinese tariff on Canadian canola seed. 

Kody Blois, the parliamentary secretary for Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison are also to attend the meeting in Saskatoon.

A press conference is scheduled following the discussion. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to have her first official meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington today amid ongoing tensions in the bilateral relationship.

Anand and Rubio have previously spoken by phone, including in June ahead of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc cycled through Washington in July looking for a tariff offramp but instead U.S. President Donald Trump boosted duties on Canada to 35 per cent.