Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 6, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba A2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM Coun. Sherri Rollins, whose Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry ward includes the former police station, said she’s long awaited a better use for the site and thinks housing would be a great fit. “I would like to be there the day that they tear it down. It will feel like work completed to me. It’s ugly,” said Rollins. Initially, Pembina Trails School Division expressed interest in potentially using the site to support Vincent Massey, which was worth exploring, she said. “In terms of urban planning, it is important to kind of go to that school division and say, ‘What do you need?’ It is very contiguous property with all these public services,” said Rollins. Provincial staffing and school funding changes compli- cated that option, she said. The Pembina property is one of five city-owned lots that was earmarked for sale or lease to create affordable hous- ing in March through the city’s Housing Accelerator Fund land enhancement office. The other properties include 825 Taché Ave., 795 William Ave., 425 Osborne St., and 569 Watt St. The plans are connected to the city’s agreement under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, which aims to help trigger more home construction, including afford- able units. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca X: @joyanne_pursaga NEWS TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2025 VOL 154 NO 147 Winnipeg Free Press est 1872 / Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 2025 Winnipeg Free Press, a division of FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership. Published six days a week in print and always online at 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 3B6, PH: 204-697-7000 CEO / MIKE POWER Editor / PAUL SAMYN Associate Editor Enterprise / SCOTT GIBBONS Associate Editor News / STACEY THIDRICKSON Associate Editor Digital News / WENDY SAWATZKY Director Photo and Multimedia / MIKE APORIUS NEWSMEDIA COUNCIL The Winnipeg Free Press is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to determine acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please send them to: editorialconcerns@freepress.mb.ca. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at www.mediacouncil.ca and fill out the form or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. 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Call or email before 10 a.m. weekdays or 11 a.m. Saturday City: 204-697-7001 Outside Winnipeg: 1-800-542-8900 press 1 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.; 7 a.m. - noon Saturday; Closed Sunday TO SUBSCRIBE: 204-697-7001 Out of Winnipeg: 1-800-542-8900 The Free Press receives support from the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the Government of Canada Wayne Ewasko, who was interim PC leader at the time, apologized March 5 for refusing to search the landfill, a week after the province announced unidentified human remains had been discovered there. The remains were since identified as belonging to Myran and Harris. Khan promised to improve “the tone of question period” as the legis- lative session resumed after being on break since April 24. “A new day has begun,” Khan told the chamber. He promised to hold the NDP government to account for what he described as its failed promises to fix health care, make life more af- fordable and keep Manitobans safe. Khan said the official Opposition also plans to prevent question period from descending into a ruckus, as witnessed of late. On April 22, for instance, there was an uproar in the house when PC MLA Greg Nesbitt suggested a $10,205 contract for counselling ser- vices paid for by Finance Minister Adrien Sala was for his own therapy. The government said after question period the contract was to provide counselling services for searchers looking for human remains at the Prairie Green Landfill. The next day, Nesbitt, the member for Riding Mountain, requested and received a rare apology from the speaker. Nesbitt accused speaker Tom Lindsey — the NDP MLA for Flin Flon — of taking sides, not maintaining order and allowing government benches to drown out his right to ask questions about the contract. Lindsey said he shouldn’t have told Nesbitt he couldn’t ask a question in the house where free speech is upheld. Nesbitt, however, was the one apologizing Monday for his “inap- propriate” choice of words in asking Sala about the contract for coun- selling services. The PC MLA said he apologized in person to Sala that morning and was apologizing to all members publicly in the chamber for “any unintended consequences of the way my questions were worded.” Khan said he didn’t ask Nesbitt to apologize. “Greg (Nesbitt) came to me and said he wants to do this. He thought it was the right thing to do,” Khan told reporters. “Of course, I support him as the leader and also, the greater picture is it is signifying a real change in the PC Party Manitoba. We are setting a new tone.” Sala said he accepts Nesbitt’s apology, “but this isn’t about me,” the finance minister said outside the chamber. “I think the proper thing to do here is to ensure that those landfill work- ers who are the recipients of those supports hear an apology from him and their team,” Sala said. — with files from Nicole Buffie carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca “I was shocked, I couldn’t believe the Jets came back, and then I was really excited — obviously, the ref was, too,” Polanski said. “It’s awesome. I feel like the Jets have kind of been looked down on recently with their losses, so I was very excited. It was pretty awe- some.” Meanwhile, one city business is making it... snow-ish. Dreamcatcher Promotions, a local First Nations-run business, has print- ed 120,000 Whiteout rally towels, with another 40,000 on the way as the Jets gear up to host at least the first two games of the second-round best-of-seven series against the Dal- las Stars, which begins Wednesday night. Owner Michelle Cameron, who is from Peguis First Nation, said their machines have been running 14 hours each day. “It’s been a dream come true,” said Cameron, who watched with teary eyes as 15,225 of her towels were waving inside the arena when she attended Game 1 of the opening round. “As a First Nation-owned company, we don’t get these opportunities. So for us, it’s unheard of.” The partnership began after Cameron met Jets co-owner Mark Chipman at a local event a few years ago. A coffee meeting followed and she pitched the company’s growing capacity. “He was impressed by our story of growth and wanted to work with an Indigenous company. The opportuni- ty came and we seized it,” Cameron said. Dreamcatcher Promotions started printing different Jets-branded T-shirts and hats, and the partner- ship has blossomed ever since. “Because of the tariffs, it was im- portant the Jets supported Canadian and local, and that’s why ‘printed locally’ is also on the towels.” Annabella Maguet wasn’t just wav- ing the towels — she was wearing them Sunday. Maguet collected several towels from Games 1, 2 and 5, enough to fashion her own Whiteout-themed pants and jacket. “After Game 1, I saw one of my friend’s moms, who had made pants from old whiteout towels, and I thought it was such a good idea, so I kind of re-created her look,” she said. She didn’t stop there, however. After Game 5, Maguet and her mother, Carolyn, managed to find a few more, enough to sew together the matching jacket. “I got so many compliments, and so many people were asking if I would sell to them or how much I was charging for them, which is funny because I’m not really a seamstress. I just fix up my family’s clothes and my brother’s hockey gear,” she said. Sunday night’s thrills rippled south down Carlton Street, and hung a right on Broadway, leading to the Manitoba legislature. “I left a good chunk of my voice (at the game), but I will always be able to say, ‘Go Jets go!’ and ‘We want the cup!’” said Premier Wab Kinew during Monday’s question period, repeating the chant three times to cheers from the assembly. New Progressive Conservative Leader and former Blue Bombers offensive lineman Obby Khan also took the opportunity to salute the moment. “Go Jets go!” he said while re - ferring to the “incredible overtime action.” — with files from Maggie Macintosh scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca Finger-lickin’ playoffs, baby! Even KFC is leaning into the playoff energy, embracing a long-running local meme that ties its acronym to the Winnipeg Jets’ leading scorer. The brand, which partnered with the Jets earlier this season, is playing along with fans who’ve dubbed Kyle Connor “Kyle F---ing Connor” for years. “It became very clear to us how much Jets fans love ‘KFC’, with many rocking their own version of KFC bucket hats with Kyle’s face pasted on,” said Lauren Pottie, a senior manager at KFC Canada. “So the KFC-KFC connection really was borne out of that and with the playoffs, we knew this was the time to celebrate these local rituals and go all in.” Pottie said the partnership between the Jets and the fried chicken giant is about connecting with the local culture and the fans. Connor has been working with the brand, they said. “We do have plans beyond this ad campaign to enrich the game-day experience of Jets fans. We’ve partnered with local creators and huge Jets fans to build on the momentum and excitement that surrounds these playoffs,” Pottie said. That includes some unique KFC swag to help fans cheer on the Jets and Connor at an upcoming game, Pottie said. Details on that are still to come. TORIES ● FROM A1 HOUSING ● FROM A1 MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS A former police station on Pembina Highway owned by the city has sat mostly vacant for more than a decade. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS New Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan apologizes Monday for his party’s refusal to search a landfill for victims of a serial killer. SUPPLIED Annabella Maguet’s Whiteout outfit made from towels given out at playoff games. SUPPLIED JETS ● FROM A1 ;