Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 1, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba For more information Call: 204-697-7001 or 1-800-542-8900 to suspend your print delivery, or visit winnipegfreepress.com/customer_service Winnipeg Free Press general contest rules apply. PLUS, you will be entered into a weekly draw for a chance to win 1 of 5, $ 15 gift cards to Save-On-Foods! Gift card draws will take place every Monday for the preceding week. Winners will be contacted by phone and cards will be available for pick-up at Winnipeg Free Press. Winners do have an option to receive the card by mail, but the Winnipeg Free Press will not take responsibility for any cards not received in this manner. Gift card promotion runs from June 24, 2024 through September 9, 2024. All winners must collect their card by October 1, 2024. Hospital Vacation Donation Program By choosing to keep your digital access, you will be directly supporting our hospital patient program! Going on Holidays? TAKE US WITH YOU! Enjoy full digital access while vacation. $ 15 HOME DELIVERY SUBSCRIBERS THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2024 B2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS I CITY / PROVINCE A provincial spokesperson said the residen- tial tenancies branch’s investigation is currently underway. Reed has since moved to a new home, where he feels safer. He’d like to see a more accessible av- enue for tenants seeking support, such as a 24-7 phone line. He’d also like to see Vasas penalized for the evictions at 285 College. “It is the inhumanity and the psychopathy of someone to put profit ahead of people, with no re- gard for legislation, which I find really shocking and hypocritical,” he said. Meanwhile, it was quiet at the College Avenue building Wednesday morning. The fire escape doors had been propped open as renovations con- tinued and security vans remained parked along the street. A sign on the building warned tenants that au- thorities had “master key access to building” and would be patrolling when necessary. “Govern yourself accordingly,” the sign read. One tenant, who asked to not be named, was scrambling outside the building. She said she was never told who her new landlord was, and doesn’t know where or to whom the rent should be paid. “(Employment and Income Assistance) wants that information before my rent is paid, and to- morrow’s (Aug. 1),” she said. The woman was one of the tenants recently evicted and stayed in a hotel on an emergency basis covered by the Jordan’s Principle program and, briefly, with family in Sagkeeng First Nation, before moving back in with her three-year-old child. “I had no choice but to move back here, because it’s hard finding a place… I’m still looking for a new place, but for now, it’s within my budget,” she said. “I have to stay here. I have no choice.” malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca LANDLORD ● FROM B1 Ticketmaster offered affected account holders complimentary, one-year credit and identity mon- itoring. While Peters can’t conclusively say the data breach was to blame for the unauthorized charge on his credit card, the experience cemented his feelings about the company. The soured music fan wants to see Live Na- tion and Ticketmaster break up the monopoly on ticket sales to make events more accessible for fans. He’d also like to see damages paid to affect- ed customers for the grief of the data breach. “But it would take more than that for me to ac- tually go back to buying Ticketmaster tickets,” he said. - with files from the Canadian Press nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca TICKETS ● FROM B1 The province and city argued that the issue of overpayments could and should have been raised through processes available under the Provincial Offences Act. The two governments contended that it was an attempt to re-litigate criminal pro- ceedings through the civil courts. Such attempts are regularly tossed out as an abuse of process. Alternatively, the governments argued, the causes of action were doomed to fail, as they lack constituent elements. Acheson argued the claim does not abuse pro- cess, as he is not challenging the speeding con- victions, but the correct amount of the fines, to which Chartier agreed. Acheson also argued the claim raises reason- able causes of action. While Chartier ruled the claim has merit re- lating to the governments allegedly enriching themselves unjustly and making negligent mis- representations, he disagreed that the province and city fraudulently misrepresented the matter. The judge instead ruled the allegations are only that the governments were aware or should have been aware the tickets weren’t issued properly. He also decided rectification — a remedy where a court orders a change to a written document to indicate what it should have said originally — did not apply as a cause of action, as tickets don’t con- stitute a contract or agreement. erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca PHOTO RADAR ● FROM B1 STUDENT AID UPDATING ALLOWANCES THE province is making sure Manitoba Student Aid shelter allowances more accurately reflect actual housing and rental costs for the upcoming academic year. Beginning Aug. 1, student aid shelter allowances will reflect 2022 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. rental data, the province said Wednesday in a news release. To date, shelter allowances for student aid have been aligned with 1998 CMHC rental rates and updated annually based on the Consumer Price Index inflation rate. Since then, rental costs increased above the rate of general inflation. Shelter allowances are used to calculate Manitoba Student Aid applicants’ expenses, based on their living situation and location of studies. The information is used to determine financial needs and the amount of funding awarded to applicants. Updating the rate used to determine shelter costs brings the province in line with recent changes announced to the Canada Student Financial Assistance program. The federal government also plans to use 2022 CMHC data to calculate loan amounts for the 2024-2025 school year. Aligning the way shelter allowances are calculated means Manitoba can continue to use one needs assess- ment to administer both provincial and federal student financial assistance, the release said. Manitoba Student Aid delivers federal and provincial financial assistance to supplement post-secondary education costs. It is available to residents studying in and outside the province. A REQUEST FOR BLOOD DONATIONS CANADIAN Blood Services is calling on Winnipeggers to include a blood donation in their long-weekend plans. Though hospitals have enough blood to meet current needs, donations are falling short of ongoing demand, the organization says. A donor centre at 777 William Ave. will be open this weekend — Friday, Saturday and Monday — with 322 available appointments to fill. “Every available appointment needs to be filled this weekend, and throughout the summer, to ensure there is always enough blood and plasma available for patients when and where they need it,” the news release says. According to Canadian Blood Services, just one in 76 Can- adians donates blood, despite one in two being eligible. “This dedicated but small group of donors have been supporting patients in Canada,” the release says, adding new donors are needed to keep pace with growing demand. There is a particular need for those with O-negative, O-positive or B-negative blood types. With recent changes to donation criteria, Blood Services notes, those deemed ineligible in the past could be able to donate now. To book an appointment, visit blood.ca, download the “GiveBlood” app, or call 1-888-236-6283. MEN ARRESTED AFTER LENGTHY CHASE WINNIPEG police arrested two men after a lengthy stolen vehicle chase culminated at Charleswood Road and Roblin Boulevard early Wednesday. Officers spotted a stolen truck being driven in the Varsity View neighbourhood of southwest Winnipeg shortly after 1 a.m. and, along with other patrol and tactical officers, unsuccessfully tried to stop it. The Winnipeg Police Service helicopter pilot located the vehicle from the air, allowing officers on the ground to follow for about 40 minutes, including on a section of the Perimeter Highway and into Headingley. Police used stop sticks – devices that puncture tires when driven over – to get the vehicle to stop. No one was reported hurt. Police confirmed the vehicle, a 2006 Ford 350 pickup truck, was stolen in Portage la Prairie. Officers arrested two men and found cocaine and meth. A 34-year-old man from Winnipeg has been charged with dangerous driving, fleeing police, drug possession, possession of an identity documents, possession of prop- erty obtained by crime over and under $5,000 and with six court order breaches. He was detained. A 46-year-old man from Winnipeg has been charged with drug possession and possession of property obtained by crime over and under $5,000. He was released on a promise to appear. SUSPECTS SOUGHT AFTER MAN SHOT IN RIVERTON A MAN from Lynn Lake was hospitalized in stable condi- tion after he was shot in a home in Riverton on Sunday. RCMP from the nearby Gimli detachment were called to the home at about 10:50 p.m., where they were told four men, one of whom had a gun, had come inside and confronted two other men. Amid the altercation, one of the suspects fired the gun. A 44-year-old man from Lynn Lake was hospitalized in stable condition, while the other man in the house, a 33-year-old from Riverton, wasn’t hurt. Mounties are asking for anyone with information to call the Gimli detachment at 204-642-5106 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. IN BRIEF Speed likely a factor in fatal four-vehicle Perimeter crash: RCMP P RELIMINARY evidence gathered by Manitoba RCMP suggests the four-vehicle collision that killed a man in his 20s and seriously injured another on the south Perimeter Highway early Tuesday was likely caused by speeding. Three pickup trucks and a semi-trailer crashed at the intersection of Highway 15 and Highway 101 at about 12:35 a.m. Tuesday. The first pickup truck made contact with another truck while the three pickups were travelling westbound on Highway 15. The crash caused the second pickup truck to hit the third one, and both went through the inter- section. The driver of the first pickup was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second pickup driver was hospitalized. The semi-trailer had been stopped at a red light in the southbound lane of the Perimeter Highway, said RCMP. On Wednesday, RCMP spokesman Sgt. Paul Manaigre said Mounties are still gathering further information about how fast the vehicles were trav- elling, but investigators believe speed was a factor. “Based on the officers speaking with the other two drivers, it would appear that the deceased driver had come from behind them at a very high rate of speed,” said Manaigre. “We don’t know how fast the other two were go- ing but if this is correct, that would explain how the second truck was clipped if he wasn’t able to control his truck.” The semi-trailer driver, a 69-year-old who wasn’t hurt, also told RCMP that he saw the truck that hit him going at a “very high rate of speed.” “Our traffic analyst will be examining the data from each of the vehicles to see if that (speed) in- formation can be retrieved,” said Manaigre. “Hopefully they’ll be able to get better info from each of the vehicles in order to get a better picture of what took place.” The Oakbank RCMP detachment is leading the investigation. Officers from multiple detachments, as well as the Winnipeg Police Service, responded to the collision. erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca ERIK PINDERA TYLER SEARLE / FREE PRESS FILES Tenants getting kicked out of 285 College Ave. sparked a bad memory for one of the landlord’s former tenants. Birchwood Terrace residents allowed inside There were tears and hugs as tenants who’ve been liv- ing away for nearly three months were finally allowed to return to their suites at Birchwood Terrace this week in order to pack their things after being evacuated in May because of dangerous structural issues in the west Portage Avenue apartment complex. Judith Stanley, one of about 250 tenants who received 12 hours’ notice to get out of the property after an emergency order was issued, said Lakewood Agencies building management has scheduled times this week for people to remove their belongings. No one is allowed to stay in the building yet, she said. “It was very emotional,” she said. Structural damage was found on several steel sup- ports in the underground parkade and residents were removed May 9. A recent email from management suggested the earliest possible date for people to move back into their suites is Sept. 1, with details to be provided sometime after mid-August. Stanley has been able to move approximately 30 boxes of her belongings and isn’t done yet. “We’re still not allowed to take out any furniture or anything like that,” she said. “It’s still going to be a long haul.” ;