Classic107

Quebec Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia was elected Speaker of the House of Commons on Monday — after an unusually dramatic race that saw the only Conservative contenders drop out of the running at the last minute.

Conservative MPs Chris d'Entremont and John Nater both put their names forward but withdrew on the House floor before the election began Monday morning.

The Liberals currently have 169 seats in the minority Parliament, leaving them three seats shy of the 172 required for a majority.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon says the NDP will not be granted official party status because the law says a party needs at least 12 seats to be recognized.

The NDP was reduced to just seven seats in last month's election.

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies has told The Canadian Press he spoke with the Prime Minister's Office about obtaining official party status for the NDP in the House of Commons.

Davies pointed to several past instances of provincial legislatures granting party status to an opposition party.

Three teens were taken into custody following a weekend robbery in St. Vital.

Just before 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, officers say the youth entered a business in the 700 block of Dakota Street, grabbed merchandise and attempted to leave without paying. 

A staff member attempted to stop the teens, but was sprayed with bear spray. The youths fled before police arrived. 

Officers located the suspects near the business and arrested them without incident. 

While celebrations of culture continue across the province for Asian Heritage Month, the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba is balancing revelry with reflection on the struggles and lessons of the past to continue to work towards a more equitable future. The organization will be “Honouring Resilience, Uplifting Stories” with a lecture-conversation of the same name taking place this week in association with the Seven Oaks School Division and the Writers’ Union of Canada.  

This week on Classic 107, we’re turning the spotlight on one of Spain’s most iconic composers: Isaac Albéniz. Born May 29, 1860, Albéniz was a prodigious pianist and composer whose music captures the vivid colors, rhythms, and soul of Spain. To mark his birthday, we’re dedicating the 1 PM hour all week to his piano music, with a complete broadcast of his monumental suite "Iberia" and a performance of his Piano Concerto.

After thirty years of teaching in Winnipeg, and forty years of teaching in total, one local music teacher is saying farewell to the studio.  

Earlier this month, Laurel Howard, a string instructor and Suzuki music teacher in the Wolseley area, hosted her final studio recital at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, closing out a career that has touched countless musicians and lives.  

Over 300 people have been evacuated from Pimicikamak Cree Nation as a wildfire approaches near the northern Manitoba community. 

As a precaution, 216 people were evacuated to Winnipeg and 86 to Thompson on Saturday. 

55 firefighters have worked around the clock battling the blaze, and as of Sunday, Chief David Monais said the fire was considered stable. However, according to the province's fire status report, the fire continues to burn out of control, reaching 1,500 hectares.

King Charles is set to open a new session of Parliament on Tuesday, seated in a throne that incorporates a piece of English walnut from Windsor Great Park, a preserve of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

The Royal Family connection is especially appropriate given that the Queen was the first sovereign to deliver a speech from the throne in Canada, a role usually fulfilled by the Governor General.

Talks between Canada Post and negotiators from its union are expected to resume over the next few days, its union said Sunday after the two parties met amid warnings of mail delivery delays tied to a national ban on overtime for postal workers.

In an afternoon statement, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said its negotiators had "worked hard to carefully evaluate" Canada Post's latest offers and prepare responses ahead of the day's meeting with the employer and the mediators. 

While wildfires in eastern Manitoba remain out of control, officials say progress on suppression efforts has allowed limited access to resume in parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park.

As of 9 a.m. Sunday, permanent residents, cottagers, commercial operators and daytime visitors are permitted to return to the Pointe du Bois area, including Provincial Road (PR) 313. However, Manitoba Parks warns the wildfire risk remains high and conditions could change quickly.