The Canadian Press

Canada's premiers plan to hold a news conference in Winnipeg today as children's hospitals struggle to deal with a wave of child illnesses. 

Hospitals across the country have been cancelling some surgeries and appointments as they redirect staff amid an increase in pediatric patients.

Admissions are surging under a triple-threat of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and COVID-19 at a time when the health-care system is grappling with record numbers of job vacancies.

The Green Party of Manitoba is planning to elect a new leader March 26.

The party has laid out the rules for the campaign to replace James Beddome, who announced in the spring he would not seek another term.

Party members are to vote online and by mail-in ballot, and leadership hopefuls have to put up a $200 entry fee.

Candidates have until Feb. 24 to sign up members eligible to vote in the contest.

The Greens have never won a seat in the legislature but have seen their vote share increase since Beddome became leader in 2008.

An official at the children's hospital in Winnipeg says the number of patients has dropped in recent days, but there are still concerns about the effects of the flu this winter.

Dr. Karen Gripp, the medical director of the hospital's emergency department, says the department is now seeing an average of 146 patients a day, down from an average of 170 in November.

She says Manitoba may be near the peak of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, but flu cases are still rising.

Winnipeg police have released more details about their decision to not search a landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women believed to have been the victims of a serial killer as family of one of the women shared their disappointment at Parliament Hill. 

Police say they believe the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran ended up in the Prairie Green landfill north of the city in the spring.

Cambria Harris said Tuesday in Ottawa that she shouldn't have to beg for officials to search for her mother.

By Sidhartha Banerjee and Marisela Amador in Montreal

A solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held Tuesday to mark the 33rd anniversary of the École Polytechnique mass shooting, one of a handful of tributes planned throughout the day.

On Dec. 6, 1989, a man motivated by a hatred of feminists shot and killed 14 female students and injured 13 other people at the Montreal engineering school.

A 101-year-old message has been discovered by workers removing the base of a former statue in front of the Manitoba legislature.

Workers have been removing, piece by piece, the large base that held a statue of Queen Victoria. The statue was toppled last year by protesters. Its head was removed and thrown in the nearby Assiniboine River. The base is being removed to make way for a replacement.

All-star linebacker Adam Bighill has signed a two-year contract extension with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The 34-year-old Bighill was scheduled to become a free agent in February 2023.

Bighill will return to Winnipeg for a fifth season and his 11th in the Canadian Football League. 

He led the Blue Bombers in total defensive plays in 2022, with 72 tackles, two sacks, one interception and one tackle for a loss.

He was named a West Division All-Star for the eighth time in his career and a CFL Players’ Association All-Star for a fifth time. 

The inquiry into the Liberal government’s historic choice to invoke the Emergencies Act to quell weeks-long demonstrations against COVID-19 mandates last winter is now moving into its public policy phase.

The Public Order Emergency Commission is expected to hear this week from about 50 experts who will share their perspectives on the use of the Emergencies Act, including whether it needs updating.

An RCMP officer in Manitoba is facing assault charges after the province's police watchdog completed its investigation into a woman who was injured while in custody. 

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba says their investigation determined there are reasonable grounds a criminal offence occurred. 

The unit was notified this past July that a woman was treated for a broken nose and wrist after she was held in Portage la Prairie, Man., west of Winnipeg. 

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have started assembling their forces for a run at a fourth straight Grey Cup appearance.

The Blue Bombers announced Saturday that they have signed all-star defensive end Willie Jefferson to a one-year contract extension. Jefferson was set to become a free agent in February.

The six-foot-seven, 242-pound Jefferson is a four-time CFL all-star and was named the league's outstanding defensive player in 2019.

the native of Beaumont, Texas, was named a West Division all-star in 2022 after leading the club with seven sacks.