Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 21, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba TOP NEWS A3 TUESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2025 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM Poilievre faces calls to apologize to RCMP OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons Monday afternoon to a chorus of calls from across the aisle for him to apologize over comments he made last week about the RCMP. Government House leader Steven MacKinnon twice challenged him dur- ing question period to apologize “to the people of this chamber and this House” for accusing the RCMP of covering up for former prime minister Justin Tru- deau. “Last week, the leader of the Oppos- ition put into question the independ- ence of our judiciary, the independence of our prosecutors, of the police — in fact, the very police that put their lives on the line to protect him,” MacKinnon said. Poilievre re- sponded by saying the Liberals were “trying to distract from their infla- tion, rising cost of living, by talking about their corrup- tion.” He did not apologize. In an inter- view with a You- Tube channel re- leased last week, Poilievre said Trudeau “probably” violated the Criminal Code during the SNC-Lavalin affair. “These would normally have led to criminal charges, but of course the RCMP covered it all up,” he told North- ern Perspectives. Poilievre also said Trudeau broke the law when he took a “free vacation from someone with whom he had gov- ernment business,” alluding to the 2016 Aga Khan scandal. In the interview, Poilievre said the Trudeau-era scandals “would normally have led to criminal charges, but of course, the RCMP covered it all up and the leadership of the RCMP is, frankly, just despicable when it comes to enfor- cing laws against the Liberal govern- ment.” He offered no proof of a coverup. Poilievre’s spokesperson sent a writ- ten statement on his behalf on Monday afternoon, saying he stands “shoulder to shoulder with the brave men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve.” “My comments were directed to former RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki, who has a lengthy track record of publicly documented scandals, de- ception and political interference to the benefit of the Liberal government,” the statement said. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May held a press conference on Monday afternoon to call on Poilievre to retract his comments and apologize. “You have to know something about the law before you spout off that a for- mer prime minister should be in jail,” she said. May noted that the former ethics commissioner found Trudeau broke the ethics code when he took a vacation to the Aga Khan’s private island, and said it was not a Criminal Code offence. “So where is Pierre Poilievre’s notion that the former prime minister should be jailed? It’s deeply worrying, because this is the kind of thing that’s going on right now in (U.S. President Donald) Trump’s United States,” she said. Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said he felt the comments were “Trumpian” and had no place in Canada. “Questioning the integrity of the RCMP is also reminiscent of Donald Trump, who is politicizing the justice system, politicizing the police. These are not only irresponsible comments but, frankly, they undermine our democratic traditions and institutions and they’re wrong,” he said. Reporters asked a number of Con- servative MPs about Poilievre’s com- ments as they arrived for question period on Monday. They all avoided the questions, either by staying quiet or by simply stating they support their lead- er. Both Davies and May declined to say whether they think Poilievre ought to remain as Conservative leader. Conservative party members will decide that during a leadership review at the party’s convention in Calgary in late January. — The Canadian Press SARAH RITCHIE Pierre Poilievre Stolen ID used in eight Liquor Mart thefts A WOMAN has been charged with more than two dozen offences for thefts at Liquor Marts around the city starting in mid-September. More than $2,300 worth of items were stolen, the Winnipeg Police Ser- vice said in a news release Monday, adding a stolen driver’s licence was used to enter the stores. The WPS property crime unit took over the investigation on Oct. 6. The first incident happened at the Rivergrove Liquor Mart at 2615 Main St., on Sept. 15, when a woman stole a bottle of liquor. The next day, a woman stole eight bottles of liquor from the 1662 Main St., location. Later the same day, she stole eight more bottles from the Gar- den City Square store at 915 Leila Ave. On Sept. 18, a woman stole eight bot- tles from the Osborne Village location at 469 River Ave. The next day, some- one stole seven bottles from the Fort Garry store at 1235 Pembina Hwy. On Sept. 29, a woman stole nine bot- tles from the Dominion location at 21 Marion St. On Oct. 1, a woman stole 15 bottles from the 1662 Main location and then 11 more from the Leila location. The last incident had the highest value of the thefts, with the items valued at $455. Police obtained a warrant for the ar- rest of a 33-year-old woman. Another warrant had already been issued for her. She turned herself in at WPS head- quarters Friday. She is charged with eight counts each of theft under $5,000, identity fraud and identity theft, and a single count of posses- sion of an identity document. She has also been charged with three counts of theft off the first warrant. She was detained in custody. Shawn McGurk, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries’ director of corporate security, said the suspect is accused of using multiple identifications that “bore a resemblance” to her. He said controlled entrances and the Crown corporation’s ability to review “historical data” aided the investiga- tion by its security team and police. “For those who repeatedly com- mit these types of crimes, it is not a matter of if they get caught, it is when,” McGurk said in a statement provided by a liquor & lotteries’ spokesperson. fpcity@freepress.mb.ca SUPPLIED Customers must now provide ID to enter liquor stores: the woman charged in a spate of thefts across the city provided stolen ID, police say. U.S. booze down the drain M ANITOBA Liquor and Lot- teries has disposed of nearly $29,000 worth of spoiled U.S. booze. The province pulled all American products off Manitoba Liquor Mart shelves earlier this year in response to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The move comes after Liquor and Lotteries said in August it hadn’t had to deal with any “significant spoil- age.” “These were wines and cream li- queurs that had expired and could not be resold,” a spokesman for Glen Simard, the minister responsible for Liquor and Lotteries said Monday in an email. Simard was not available for an interview. “As long as Donald Trump con- tinues to try to destroy the Manitoba economy, the province remains com- mitted to keeping U.S. liquor off the shelves,” Caedmon Malowany wrote. Premier Wab Kinew announced Feb. 2 American products would be removed from Manitoba store shelves after Trump’s threats. The Crown corporation also halted orders of American booze, which Kinew said would take an $80-million bite annu- ally out of the U.S. economy. The U.S. booze already in stock was worth $3.4 million in “duty paid land- ed cost.” Its retail value is estimated to be worth several times that amount, with markup and taxes. Costs associ- ated with the removal of U.S. products from shelves during February and March — overtime costs, additional labour costs and lost revenue from marketing programs — are estimated at $70,099.12. Disposing of the expired wines and creme liqueurs in an environmentally friendly way cost about $2,400, Liquor and Lotteries said in an email Mon- day, noting alcohol that can’t be sold must be processed and destroyed. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries does not have the equipment to destroy and dispose of the alcohol on site. It con- tracts a company that can safely “neu- tralize the alcohol and dispose of it in an ethical, sustainable, and environ- mentally friendly manner” and re- cycle the resulting glass, cardboard, plastic and aluminum cans. A spokesman for the Manitoba Gov- ernment and General Employees’ Union, which represents Liquor Mart employees, said it was unclear how the booze was disposed of and none was offered to workers. “I do know our members do not get liquor for free or at a discount,” he said in an email. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries said it is gearing up for a busy holiday season and doesn’t expect any other warehouse-stored U.S. booze to be disposed of by year’s end. Two months ago, the Liquor and Lotteries said in an email that Amer- ican products have a long shelf life and “there is not any significant spoil- age of U.S. products for (Manitoba Li- quor and Lotteries) to manage.” The Crown corporation couldn’t provide the retail value of the U.S. booze it has in storage, but pointed to the 2023-24 annual report that noted the gross profit margin for liquor products was 52 per cent that fiscal year. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Some American wine, cream liqueur spoiled, Manitoba to keep American spirits off shelves CAROL SANDERS CHRIS KITCHING / FREE PRESS FILES In response to U.S. tariffs and threats of annexation, Manitoba took millions in American liquor off the shelves. It’s now having to dump some of the expired hooch. ;