Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 21, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba Capturing the moments of your Manitoba Choose from 150 years of Free Press archived photos. M A K E S A N I D E A L G I F T winnipegfreepress.com/ photostore SERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2025 WEATHER SCATTERED FLURRIES. HIGH -16 — LOW -19 ARTS MEMOIR RECOUNTS LOSS AND HOPE / C1 Police board seeks legal advice in search for new chief SCOTT BILLECK THE Winnipeg Police Board has sought external legal advice in its protracted search for the city’s next police chief. Coun. Markus Chambers, who chairs the police board, stopped short of saying it’s back to the drawing board in the endeavour to replace Danny Smyth, who retired in early September. “I wouldn’t say that,” Chambers said Monday, after the board voted in favour of the 2025 preliminary police budget. “We’re doing everything that we can now to make sure we’re doing this in a proper way.” He said the board wants to ensure a proper vetting process. “Included in our due diligence, we’ve gone out and sought independent legal advice and we’re making sure that we’re acting in accordance to the poli- cies and procedures that are set.” The board thought it best to seek advice from a private law firm and not the city’s in-house legal team. “We wanted independent advice so that there is no appearance of bias,” he said. The councillor gave no indication when the successor will be named. On Dec. 17, the Free Press reported the announcement was on hold because of questions about deputy chief Gene Bowers, who, sources said, had been recommended for chief by the board. Concerns about the veteran officer were emailed to members of the police board, a source said. No one has confirmed Bowers was the chosen candidate. Art Stannard has been acting chief since the departure of Smyth, who announced in December 2023 that he planned to retire. Chambers said Monday the search had gone smoothly until last year’s final public meeting, when new infor- mation came forward. “I’ll take full responsibility,” Cham- bers said, acknowledging his error on Dec. 6 when he announced a decision had been made and the announcement was a week or so away. “I can’t take responsibility for all of the information that’s come in subse- quently.” Sworn in as U.S. president for second time, pledges ‘America’s decline is over’ Trump back in power W ASHINGTON — Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. president Monday, returning to power with a promise to end America’s decline and to “completely and totally reverse” the actions of the man who drove him from office four years ago. Trump overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, and he planned to act swiftly after the ceremony. Dozens of executive orders had been prepared for his signature to clamp down on border crossings, increase fossil fuel development and end diversity and inclusion programs in the federal government. The orders were the first step by the incoming Republican president to unravel the Democratic agenda of Joe Biden, whose term ended at noon, moments before Trump took the oath of office. A desk was set up on stage at the Capitol One Arena so Trump could start signing the paperwork before an audience of cheering supporters who wore Make America Great Again hats. The celebratory event resembled one of Trump’s campaign rallies, but with all the official fanfare of the presidency, including military bands. Earlier in the day, Trump declared in his inaugural address that the gov- ernment faces a “crisis of trust.” Un- der his administration, he said, “our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced.” Trump claimed “a mandate to com- pletely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal,” and promised to “give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom.” “From this moment on,” he said as Biden watched from the front row, “America’s decline is over.” The executive orders are the first step in what Trump calls “the com- plete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense.” Frigid weather rewrote the pag- eantry of the day. Trump’s swear- ing-in was moved indoors to the Capitol rotunda — the first time that has happened in 40 years — and the inaugural parade was replaced by an event at a downtown arena. Trump supporters who descended on the city to watch the ceremony outside the Capitol from the National Mall were left to find other places to view the festivities. At the Capitol, Vice-President JD Vance was sworn in first, taking the oath read by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on a Bible given to him by his great-grandmother. Trump followed, using both a family Bible and the one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his 1861 inaugu- ration. ZEKE MILLER, CHRIS MEGERIAN AND MICHELLE L. PRICE SAUL LOEB / POOL PHOTO VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Donald Trump takes the oath of office during the presidential inauguration in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Monday. UNITED States President Donald Trump suggested he is considering Feb. 1 as the day he plans to slap Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent tariffs after he returned to the White House on Monday evening to sign a stack of unrelated executive orders. “We are thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada because they are allowing vast num- ber of people, Canada is a very bad abuser also, vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in,” he told reporters Monday night. The comment was made after Trump officials suggested to report- ers he would only sign a memo- randum telling federal agencies to study trade issues, including alleged unfair trade and currency practices by Canada, Mexico and China. Trump also said he may consider imposing a universal tariff on all countries. “We’re not ready for that yet,” Trump said. “Essentially all coun- tries take advantage of the U.S.” Federal and provincial officials in Washington were relieved that tariffs on Canadian goods were not part of Trump’s inaugural speech and were not on a list of policy pri- orities released by the White House. Many said Canada can’t afford to be complacent ahead of what could be a brutal hit to the economy. “It’s always good news when you’re not mentioned, so I prefer that,” said Liberal MP John McK- ay, who co-chairs the Canada-U.S. interparliamentary group. That sentiment was echoed in Manitoba. “Everybody’s just sort of holding their breath,” said John Morris, co-director of the Mining Associa- tion of Manitoba. Canadian government officials and industry leaders have spent the weeks preceding Trump’s inaugura- tion meeting with American coun- terparts, stressing the importance of the countries’ trade relationship and debating retaliation measures if the new president follows through on tariff threats. Trump first touted a 25 per cent blanket tariff on Canadian imports in November. GABRIELLE PICHÉ ● MANITOBA, CONTINUED ON A2 ● POLICE CHIEF, CONTINUED ON A4 ● TRUMP, CONTINUED ON A2 ● MORE COVERAGE — A3, B5 RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Deputy Chief Gene Bowers was the police board’s recommended candidate for the Winnipeg Police Service top job, sources said. Manitoba biz community ‘holding their breath’ Threat of tariffs missing from inauguration speech, but president later says they could be imposed Feb. 1 ;