Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 22, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2024 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM SECTION B CONNECT WITH WINNIPEG’S NO. 1 NEWS SOURCE ▼ CITY ● BUSINESS Fuel for a rethink of driving habits T HE abrupt shutdown of an Im- perial Oil pipeline that carries fuel to Winnipeg is surely an inconvenience. Economically, it’s bad news because it could have a negative effect on trade and retail sales. The trucking industry has already been impacted. However, it’s also an opportunity: a chance for Winnipeggers, including businesses, to explore ways to burn less carbon-emitting fuel. Some fuel stations around Winnipeg have been limiting, or are sold out of, gasoline after the pipeline was shut down for repairs. Imperial Oil says the pipeline — which runs from Gretna, near the U.S. border to Winnipeg — will be out of commission for three months. While industry officials and pol- iticians have assured Manitobans there is no immediate threat of a fuel shortage (since gas is being delivered by truck and rail instead), there are visible signs of a supply disruption. Hastily scrawled “Out of gas” signs are popping up at some pump loca- tions. Those will surely become more common, as will capping the amount of fuel motorists can buy. The wrong and dangerous response to this inconvenience (which is all it is right now, it’s not a crisis) would be to hoard fuel in jerry cans in your garage or backyard. For starters, there’s no need to do so. Fuel is available for sale and, by all accounts, will continue to be so for some time. It may just take people a little longer to get it. Second, hoarding will only exacer- bate the situation by increasing de- mand unnecessarily. Third, and most important, it’s dangerous. Storing fuel in jerry cans — or worse, containers not designed to hold fuel — increases the risk of combustion and fire. A more appropriate and healthier re- sponse would be to use this situation to re-evaluate how much carbon-emitting fuel we use in our lives. Granted, some of that consumption is not discretionary. For those who need their vehicles for work, or have no other way of commuting to places they must be, there’s not much wiggle room. For many, though, there are alternatives to driving, especially for able-bodied, single-occupant motorists. Transit is the most obvious alterna- tive. It’s not an option for everyone, especially in Winnipeg, which has a substandard public transportation sys- tem (the government should take this opportunity to re-evaluate how poorly it funds transit in Winnipeg). But it is available to many and, while perhaps inconvenient and less comfortable than getting into a remote-started vehicle, it is often a viable alternative to driving. Walking is also not an option for ev- eryone, but it goes without saying most people could walk a lot more to reach their destinations, myself included. Many of us are lazy. We like conve- nience and it’s far easier to get into a vehicle to commute a kilometre or two (sometimes less) than it is to walk. Cycling. Again, not everyone has that choice, but with warmer weather just around the corner, biking to work, school, the store… wherever, is a viable alternative for many. Fortunately, the city has made prog- ress expanding its network of dedicat- ed cycling routes. It is far easier to get around on a bike today in Winnipeg than it was 25 years ago. The city has a long way to go before it can claim to be cyclist-friendly, but it’s headed in the right direction. Perhaps the fuel-sup- ply disruption could help accelerate that process. Some people can work from home more often, carpool if possible (or more often) or even stay home instead of making a discretionary commute. TOM BRODBECK OPINION ● BRODBECK, CONTINUED ON B2 RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS QUIET REFLECTION Frank Cicco shines up his 1966 Cobra in preparation for the Piston Ring’s World of Wheels, Thursday at the convention centre. The 47th annual edition of the show, which opens this afternoon and runs until Sunday, showcases classics, customs, trucks, motorcycles and celebrity guests for local car enthusiasts. Parents charged in three-month-old daughter’s drug poisoning death Accused guilty of assaulting baby’s mom last year T HE man charged this week in the drug poisoning death of his daughter more than two years ago pleaded guilty last fall to twice as- saulting his co-accused — the infant’s mother. On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Police Service announced Christopher Mat- tern, 39, and Alison Kimberly Muise, 40, had been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life to three- month-old Layla Mattern Muise. She died of fentanyl and methamphetamine poisoning in February 2022. Last October, Mattern pleaded guilty in provincial court to two counts of as- sault against Muise, as well as breach- ing court orders that prevented him from contacting her. Court was told Mattern and Muise had been together for several days at Muise’s home, a rental in the Westdale neighbourhood, despite a court order barring Mattern from contacting her. As they were having a conversation on March 16, Mattern got angry and punched Muise in the head about five times, Crown prosecutor Jay Funke told court. She got him out of the house and called police, who got a warrant for his arrest. He wasn’t arrested until June 25, when Muise came home to find Mat- tern inside at about 3:30 a.m. Funke told court Muise had allowed Mattern into her home earlier, despite court orders, but had expected him to leave before she returned. Mattern accused Muise of being with another person romantically. She told him to leave, but he grabbed her by the shirt and punched her in the mouth, the prosecutor told court. He then grabbed her right arm and twisted it behind her back, telling her he would break it, but she managed to get free. As he went to the back door, he threatened to kill her, court heard. She again called police, who arrested him. He was later let out on a release or- der, but was arrested again for breach- ing court orders on Sept. 16. He was held until his Oct. 10 hearing in front of provincial court Judge Michelle Bright. Defence lawyer Matthew Munce told court Mattern was born in Winnipeg and had been adopted at birth. He com- pleted Grade 9 and worked steadily as a drywaller, roofer and in general con- struction. He had two sons, at the time 9 and 13, Munce said, and a limited crim- inal record. Baby Layla, who had died 20 months earlier, was not mentioned in court. Munce told court Mattern had been dealing with an addiction to crystal meth, but had been clean about three weeks prior to his arrest in September. Bright sentenced him to 16 days in jail, on top of time served, and a year of supervised probation, which includ- ed conditions he attend counselling and treatment. Muise has no criminal record. Family court documents indicate she has been in custody disputes about an older child, born in 2017, with the boy’s father and her parents. ERIK PINDERA ● ACCUSED, CONTINUED ON B2 Keep gas supply fair: Kinew M ANITOBA Premier Wab Kinew is calling on gasoline suppli- ers not to ration fuel after an unplanned pipeline shutdown south of Winnipeg earlier this week. Blaming “market inefficiencies” for some city gas stations running out of fuel, limiting gas purchases or closing some pumps this week, Kinew said he’s directed oil and gas companies to fair- ly distribute fuel to suppliers so all gas stations and fuel retailers have access across the province. “We need to ensure that there is regular entry into the province of these 50,000 barrels a day that are coming in by train car and truck, but we also need to make sure that that supply is being distributed equitably across the differ- ent regions who need it, across the dif- ferent sectors of the economy — we’re heading into seeding season as well — but also, to all the different retailers of fuel in our province,” the premier said at an unrelated news conference Thurs- day. “We’ve communicated this directly to the oil and gas companies that you need to provide access to all the suppli- ers and distributors so all of the retail- ers can have access.” A government spokesman told the Free Press there are no significant con- cerns about supply at this time. During question period, Kinew said most suppliers told the government they have an 11-day supply of gasoline, while some have enough to last two weeks, as shipments continue. Kinew said he has called in the feder- al Competition Bureau to ensure equit- able distribution of gasoline during the shutdown of the Imperial Oil pipeline, located between Gretna and Winnipeg. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Competition Bureau said it would investigate if it finds evidence of price fixing, supply restriction, market allo- cation or any other anti-competitive be- haviour in the gasoline market. While motorists have been told not to fill extra jerry cans or stockpile gas, “suppliers should not be hoarding gas- oline, either,” he said. Unplanned maintenance of the pipe- line, which supplies gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to Winnipeg and surround- ing communities, means fuel is being brought in by trucks and trains. Imperial Oil announced last Sunday crews need to replace a section of pipe that runs under the Red River near St. Adolphe, about 30 kilometres south of Winnipeg. The pipeline is expected to be out of commission for three months. Edmonton-based company spokes- woman Keri Scobie said truck and rail deliveries are happening seamlessly, while a supply team works “around the clock.” It was business as usual at most Win- nipeg gas stations visited by the Free Press Thursday afternoon. Calls for equitable fuel distribution across regions, sectors during pipeline shutdown KATIE MAY AND CHRIS KITCHING MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS A sign at 204 Fuels at 465 Pembina Hwy. says the location is out of gasoline on Thursday. ● GAS, CONTINUED ON B2 ;