Winnipeg police are on the lookout for a robbery suspect, 29 year old Stephane Martin Bissonnette, who escaped custody while at the Health Sciences Centre. It’s unknown why Bisonette required hospitalization but he was awaiting trial on robbery and firearm offenses. Anyone with information on Bissonnette is asked to call Crime Stoppers.
Workers and equipment are getting ready to start pumping out the half-million gallons of fuel from the crashed cruise ship off Tuscany. The Concordia ran aground and capsized on Jan. 13 after the captain ran it into a reef, forcing the evacuation of 4,200 passengers and crew. So far 15 bodies have been found.
Brandon firefighters had to deal with a massive fire in the Sturgeon Tire building around 5:15 last night. It was also the reason 500 Manitoba Hydro customers were without power between 6:30 and 7 p.m. They had to shut the power off to protect equipment, and for the safety of the folks fighting the fire. The building was destroyed and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The 9 million dollar International Polar Bear Conservation Centre is now open at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg. It has a research component, an interactive gallery for guests to learn about polar bears and their habitat and will be a nursery for orphaned or injured bears.
Did you see all the emergency vehicles out at the James Armstrong Richardson Airport last night? The pilot of an Air Canada regional jet, bound for Edmonton, decided to return to Winnipeg after a nose indicator light came on in the cockpit. The plane landed with no problems just before 7:30, but there were fire units from the airport and city, and paramedics standing by, just in case.
A fire yesterday afternoon caused an estimated 80,000 dollars of damage to a youth group home on Kent Road. The fire apparently started in a bedroom. There were no serious injuries and the cause is under investigation.
The Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail is expected to open today from The Forks to Churchill Drive. Information on the ice trail can be found online (at rivertrail.ca, or sentierdhiver.ca). Access to all of the skating trails is free. Skate rentals are available at The Forks.
Looking to add a furbaby to your family? Tomorrow, the Winnipeg Humane Society is having a one day Puppypalooza on medium & large puppies where qualified pups are only $100 to adopt.
The Manitoba government is providing nearly $2.5 million to rural communities affected by record flooding last year. Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says the 42 grants issued to 34 communities will help communities get back on their feet. Projects include restoring damaged tourist facilities, co-ordinating plans for residential and tourism redevelopment and promoting “buy local” campaigns.
Peter Nygard has won Round 3 of his legal battle with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The case is one of many launched by Nygard relating to CBC’s Fifth Estate documentary, Larger Than Life. Nygard claims the CBC induced and conspired with Nygard employees to breach confidentiality agreements they had signed with the fashion company in the making of the documentary. A separate criminal suit was also launched for defamatory libel. All allegations have yet to be proven.
