Right coyote killed, DNA analysis confirms

The Manitoba Conservation Officer Service confirmed Jan. 4 that one of the five habituated coyotes euthanized was a DNA match to one of the victims in two separate attacks last summer. The first attack involved a nine-year-old boy who needed 24 stitches after being bitten on the back of his head on June 24. The second attack involved a four-year-old girl who was hospitalized with undisclosed injuries on June 30. Both attacks occurred in the North Kildonan area. The Province reminded the public to not feed wildlife to help prevent coyotes from approaching people in the future.

Short-term solutions for intersection near Carberry

A third party is recommending three short-term solutions to improve road safety at the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway, just north of Carberry, after 17 seniors died following a collision June 15. The report suggests widening the median, building a roundabout or a restricted crossing U-turn or J-turn, preventing people from driving straight through an intersection. The Province is investing $12 million in the design and calling on the community for feedback.

No provincial tax on gas

The Province announced a six-month gas tax break, saving people 14 cents per litre at the pump, beginning Jan. 1. This break refers to the amendment of Bill 3, the fuel- tax amendment act, meant to alleviate financial stress. They expect the average family in Manitoba will save about $250 on gas for the next six months, according to a news release.

Talk of police body cameras resurfaces

Recent fatal shootings by Winnipeg police officers, in addition to a November inquest into five men who died in police custody, have led city councillors, the police board and the Province to reopen conversations about funding police body cameras. This multi-million-dollar idea has been scrapped twice in 2015 and 2021, with an estimated annual operating cost of $4 million and $7 million for about 1,300 cameras.

Student killed during wellbeing check

A 19-year-old international student studying at the University of Manitoba died after being shot by a Winnipeg police officer at 2:22 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Witnesses at an apartment building called emergency services, saying Afolabi Stephen Opaso was experiencing a mental-health crisis. Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said at a news conference that Opaso was holding two knives when the police shot him. The student’s family is searching for answers about his death as the police watchdog takes over the investigation.

National Ribbon Skirt Day

Jan. 4 marked the second annual National Ribbon Skirt Day in Canada, celebrating Indigenous identity, culture, resilience and strength. Bill S-219 “An Act respecting a National Ribbon Skirt Day” was created after an 11-year-old girl from Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan was shamed for wearing a ribbon skirt to school on “formal day” in 2020. This year, a large gathering of Two-Spirit people, women and girls wore their skirts to host a powwow at Polo Park.

Published in Volume 78, Number 13 of The Uniter (January 10, 2024)