Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 6, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba Do not put yard waste in your recycling cart or bin.Yard waste contaminates other recyclables and can damage processing equipment. You can drop off extra yard waste at a 4R Winnipeg Depot for free!Space provided through a partnership between industry and Manitoba communities to support waste diversion programs. winnipeg.ca/4RDepotFree PressSERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2024Trudeau meets officials, evacuees following Jasper wildfire AARON SOUSA Hinton, Alta. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Hinton, Alta., to get a briefing on the status of the Jasper wildfire, as well as meet with the province’s premier and evacuees who fled the blaze that destroyed a third of the town. Trudeau toured the mobile incident command centre in Hinton on Monday, but was not expected to tour the town of Jasper itself. He was expected to meet with evacuees later in the afternoon. Wearing a blue shirt with rolled up sleeves and blue jeans, Trudeau walked into the command centre, where he greeted Premier Danielle Smith and the province’s public safety minister, Mike Ellis. He also shook hands with wildfire officials and military personnel and participated in a moment of silence to honour a firefighter who died over the weekend. Trudeau did not speak with reporters while he was in Hinton. After meeting with Trudeau, Smith told reporters there is work to do collaboratively with the federal government to help Jasper rebuild, and she gave temporary housing as an example. “Not only is that going to be important for the residents that lost their homes, but also the seasonal workers, and on top of that, all the workforce that is going to be needed to help rebuild,” she said. More than 20,000 people were evacuated from the town and Jasper National Park nearly two weeks ago as a wildfire inched closer to the area. The national park and townsite remain under an evacuation order. Christine Nadon, incident commander for the municipality of Jasper, said being able to provide temporary housing to those who lost their homes is standard practice in cases like this. The town is expected to take charge of those supports, she said Monday. “There are active conversations between all levels of government at this stage, but we don’t have a timeline or a specific plan for temporary housing at this time,” Nadon said. Smith said it is important to have a unified command, involving the municipal, provincial and federal governments. She said she hopes the collaboration continues through reconstruction. She wanted Trudeau to see that “unified command works,” she said. “We’ll be able to _ do things a lot faster with all three levels of govern- JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FOLKLORAMA CENTRE STAGE A performer dances at the First Nations Pavilion in the Convention Centre Sunday as part of the opening week of Folklorama. The annual cultural celebration at pavilions around the city featuring entertainment, food and culture displays runs through Aug. 17. Former hockey coach drops lawsuit, lifetime ban reduced TYLER SEARLE A former coach who sued Manitoba’s minor hockey authority has abandoned his lawsuit, saying expensive and challenging litigation forced him to accept an out-of-court settlement last month. Plaintiff David Brown filed a motion to stop his case against Hockey Manitoba on July 24, court records show, ending his pursuit for a judicial review of the administrative body that governs minor hockey within the province. Brown wanted a provincial judge to examine the organization to ensure its appeal processes are fair, reasonable and lawful. He claimed Hockey Manitoba unfairly upheld a St. Vital Minor Hockey Association decision to permanently ban him from coaching after a post-game dispute with a referee last year. Brown attempted to appeal the decision with the association and Hockey Winnipeg before bringing it to Hockey Manitoba. “We’ve all managed to look bad in some way — what’s disappointing to me is that I felt like I was the only one that owned up to anything I did wrong,” Brown said in an interview with the Y'ree Press last week. “I have been and always will be accountable for my own actions. I lost my temper at an official and I needed to be better, but I will also always stand up to abuses of power and bullying.” According to court documents, Brown was an assistant coach for the under-18 St. Vital Bruins during a playoff game in March 2023 when he began to argue with official Ryan Sutherland. • COACH, CONTINUED ON A2 David Brown has abandoned his lawsuit against Hockey Manitoba seeking a judicial review and accepted a settlement reducing his lifetime ban from coaching to five years. JOHN WOODS/FREE PRESS ment working together,” she said. Bus tours of the devastation for residents whose homes were lost or damaged began Monday, after being postponed on Sunday due to the weekend death of a firefighter who was battling the blaze. The 24-year-old who lived in Calgary died Saturday after a tree fell on him. His identity has not been released. Trudeau has said he is heartbroken by the news and is thinking of the man’s family, friends and fellow firefighters. • JASPER, CONTINUED ON A3 Harris set to name VP choice ahead oj rallies COLLEEN LONG WASHINGTON — The dates are set. The venues are chosen. The only thing missing from this week’s campaign blitz with U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and her 2024 running mate is the name of the running mate. After a weekend spent interviewing finalists, Harris must decide on her wingman before the two set off today on a tour across key battleground states where they will introduce the new Democratic ticket to voters and highlight the stakes of the election. Everything about her campaign has been rapid-fire out of necessity. She’s only been a candidate for a little over two weeks, since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race following a dismal debate performance and escalating calls within the Democratic party for him to step aside. The Democratic National Committee chair said Friday that Harris had already secured enough votes to become the party’s nominee and will accept the nomination Monday night when voting ends. About 8 in 10 Democrats say they would be somewhat or very satisfied if Harris became the Democratic nominee for president, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which was conducted after Biden withdrew from the race. Harris has had to do condensed vetting of her potential running mates as the party’s convention draws near. That means there’s not much time left for advocates for and against different picks get in their final licks. Harris was zeroing in on three running mate contenders, whom she interviewed Sunday in Washington. They were Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, according to a person familiar with the process who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations. Three other men have been in the mix: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. • HARRIS, CONTINUED ON A2 TODAY'S WEATHER SUNNY. HIGH 24 — LOW 17 O CITY WATER BUS SERVICE RETURNS TO RIVERS / B1 ;