Latest news with #CBCManitoba
CBC
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Fire in east Winnipeg exposed area that is 'ticking time bomb': city councillor
Social Sharing An area of east Winnipeg that was swept up in a grassfire on Monday is a ticking time bomb, according to Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona). Dozens of vehicles in an auto storage yard off Gunn Road, which divides Winnipeg and the rural municipality of Springfield, were destroyed by flames fuelled by high winds and dry conditions. The fire, which started around 2 p.m., was contained around 5 p.m. but not before propane tanks in the Oluspe Autos and Parts yard exploded, nearby hydro transformers melted, and other businesses were damaged and evacuated. The path of the blaze was marked Tuesday morning by blackened fields and a post-apocalyptic-looking mass of burned-out cars. Wyatt did not yet have complete information on the losses but said it was fortunate no one was hurt. The area has several industries and manufacturing plants, some using highly flammable materials, that might not be adequately protected. "We have a lot of, I guess you would almost call them ticking time bombs," he told CBC Manitoba Information Radio host Marcy Markusa. "[In] the RM of Springfield … they do not have fire hydrants, they do not have a full-time paid fire services, it's volunteer." Directly across Gunn from the auto yard — within the boundary of the RM — is a plant that produces a variety of chemicals and fertilizers. "It was crucial that the fire be knocked down ASAP, and it was," Wyatt said. "It was quite a day." He did not yet have complete information on the losses. The owner of Oluspe Autos and Parts did not want to comment. Brian Seaton, fire chief in the RM of Springfield, took exception with Wyatt's suggestion that the municipality might not have proper protection for the industrial park. He wanted it made clear the Springfield fire department was called to assist city crews, and water supplies that had been strategically set up by Seaton were used to fight the fire. When he became chief three years ago, Seaton said, he approached several businesses and established water supplies at the businesses "because I know that's our biggest problem." "I won't give you companies names, but [there are] … a lot of companies within the industrial area that can supply me water." The city's closest hydrants are on Redonda and Day streets, which bookend the block of Gunn that was burning. Those were too far away to hook up to, Seaton said. Thanks to the his prior arrangements "we had more water than we can actually shake a stick at," he said. The closest source of water couldn't be accessed because of the thick toxic smoke blanketing the business where it was located, so crews used the next nearest one, Seaton said. "That's why I always have a backup to a backup plan. That's how we … controlled that situation." The department recently added a new tanker for one its three fire stations "so that adds even more water supply," Seaton noted. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but Wyatt says much of the area is threaded by rail tracks and it's not uncommon for passing train wheels to send sparks into nearby dry grasses. "In the past we've had issues. About 15 years ago we had a massive fire in the RM of Springfield that affected a plastics plant that was caused by sparks from a train," Wyatt said. Fire near Balaban Place Around 4:30 p.m. Monday a fire also erupted near Balaban Place, a residential area also in Wyatt's ward. Those flames spread across several acres and threatened homes before firefighters brought them under control. The cause of that is also under investigation but "there is a very active rail line behind Balaban Place," Wyatt noted. As for the Gunn Road area, the fact it is overseen by two municipal governments is an issue within itself when it comes to regulating development, Wyatt said. He's hoping Monday's incident can lead to improvements in the area, or at least some conversations about it.
CBC
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Celebrate Earth Day with CBC Manitoba at FortWhyte Alive
Celebrate Earth Day with CBC at FortWhyte Alive What better way to celebrate Earth Day, than to learn more about our planet and how to protect it? CBC is proud to support FortWhyte Alive's 2025 Earth Day event, being held April 27. Activities will include guided hikes, outdoor activities, nature talks with different experts, eco-crafts, dipnetting, bonfire and marshmallow roast and other educational outdoor activities and games. CBC Manitoba will be on site from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Check out our bird-themed videos, take a photo at our photobooth and pick up an eco-friendly giveaway. FortWhyte Alive is opening its new visitor centre, Buffalo Crossing, at 2505 McGillivray, the most environmentally friendly commercial building in the province on April 23. Check it out during your Earth Day visit, and learn more here. Entrance fees to FortWhyte Alive from April 23-27 are waived to celebrate the opening of Buffalo Crossing. Earth Day at FortWhyte is also presented by Access Credit Union.
CBC
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Propagandhi remains calm inside the storm
Exclusive CBC Manitoba interview shows a band finding peace in today's world They've been heralded as one of Canada's most prolific and outspoken punk bands. After 30 years and on the eve of their first album in eight years, 'At Peace' -- Winnipeg's Propagandhi have decided to slow down these days. Albeit, just sonically. Actively involved from the start At the forefront of the 90s punk explosion, Propagandhi stood out. Sure, the band had the aggression and angst commonly associated with the genre but at the time there was no other band as socially conscious and politically charged as these three young musicians from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Today, their 1993 debut album How to Clean Everything has been heralded as, not only, the sound that defined the label that released it, Fat Wreck Chords but a wake up call in the minds of many middle-aged adults who first discovered them as teens. With handouts, speeches and information behind important local causes their live shows were as equally as educational as they were entertaining. This approach however wouldn't appeal to all of their new found fans. Those who had heard them and fell in love with their fast, melodic punk rock would soon realize that they stood for much more and became vocally uncomfortable with their approach. This would lead the band to releasing a sophomore album aptly titled, Less Talk, More Rock. A response to anyone in the audience who had demanded they worry less about social and political issues of the time and just focus on the music. The band would further display their stance by putting the words, Pro-feminist, animal-friendly, animal-friendly, gay-positive on the album's artwork. As time went on the band continued to champion causes important to them but through each album would start to delve more into the thrash metal style that they adored. Opening the door even further to a larger and more dedicated fan base. Fans so dedicated that a podcast would eventually be created for analyzing their songs and lyrics as they became recognized for decades around the world not just as one of punk rocks strongest advocates for change but a band that could shred too. At peace, these days On March 10, after eight years of silence, the band woke their fans up from their slumber with the surprise release of At Peace. The lead single of off the album with the same name out on Epitaph Records on May 2, At Peace didn't just include their signature riffs and insightful and poignant lyrics. It also seemed to convey a sense of being in the right place at the right time as the news becomes increasingly more anxiety inducing day after day. Surprisingly, however, on this song lead singer Chris Hannah proclaims,"I am at peace, though presently convulsed with grief, I am at peace". Words seldom spoken by a band who had always been vocal on what mattered to them while championing to change things for the better. Understanding the importance of these words, CBC's Jim Agapito sat down with Propagandhi for their first-ever band interview with CBC (less guitarist Sulynn Hago) to discuss the new single, new album, today's political climate and why they've decided to slow down through it all.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Yahoo
Winnipeg woman run over after dispute about empty spot in parking lot: Police
A woman in her 30s was run over by a vehicle following an argument with a driver about saving an open parking spot in Winnipeg, police say. The Winnipeg Police Service responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian in a parking lot on St. James Street near Wellington Avenue on Saturday around 2:30 p.m., according to a news release on Sunday. The victim was standing in an unoccupied parking stall to save it for a family member who was driving through a lot at a recreational facility, police said. As the woman waited for them to drive up, a separate vehicle arrived first. The driver began arguing with the woman and proceeded to drive into the stall, knocking her to the ground, police said. The woman became trapped under the front tires of the SUV before the driver left "with no concern" for the victim, police said. The woman was taken to hospital in stable condition with lower body injuries. Police said they arrested a 40-year-old woman and charged her with assault with a weapon and driving carelessly under the Highway Traffic Act. She was released on an undertaking, police said. More from CBC Manitoba:
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
32,000 Manitobans accessed birth control in 1st months of province's free contraceptive plan
Nearly 32,000 Manitobans accessed birth control in the first four months after the rollout of a free prescription contraceptives program, the province says. Under the program, launched last October, eligible residents can access 60 commonly used birth control methods, including contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), hormonal implants and contraceptive injections. Oral contraceptives — often referred to as "the pill" — were the most commonly dispensed product between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31, a government spokesperson told CBC Manitoba in an emailed statement, with 31,931 individuals getting a prescription dispensed under the plan over that period. However, the spokesperson said the province could not provide any information on the number of people who opted for the pill compared to those who requested alternatives like IUDs and hormonal injections. When the plan, which was estimated to cost the province about $11 million annually, was announced last year, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said it would save individuals hundreds of dollars, suggesting it could save up to $10,000 over a person's lifetime. "Costs should never be a barrier to you receiving the health care you need, and we all know that reproductive health care is health care," Asagwara said at an August news conference. Manitoba's latest budget, released Thursday, promises another $7 million to include copper IUDs and Plan B emergency contraceptives — sometimes called the "morning-after pill" — under the free birth control plan. Previously, only hormonal IUDs were covered. Under a change announced in this week's budget, the province is putting up another $7 million in funding to include copper IUDs and Plan B emergency contraceptives under the free birth control plan. Previously, only hormonal IUDs were covered. (Ben Nelms/CBC) While pills are the most common contraceptive, Kemlin Nembhard, executive director at Women's Health Clinic in Winnipeg, says the clinic has noticed an increase in requests for IUDs — a small, T-shaped, intrauterine device that can protect against pregnancy for nearly a decade. "The hormonal IUD can provide protection for up to eight years, so that's eight years where you're not having to think every day, 'did I take my pill?'" said Nembhard, adding IUDs can offer discreet protection for people in abusive situations who may be at risk if pills are discovered. "It really does provide this level of autonomy for somebody that sometimes a pill does not." Women's Health Clinic executive director Kemlin Nembhard said the province's program has made it more affordable for people to access IUDs. (Jaison Empson/CBC) However, IUDs can cost up to $600, Nembhard says, making them more expensive upfront compared to $25 per month pills. "Now that we have this new program, it makes it more affordable for people to be able to do that," she said. The clinic had been calling for an expansion of the provincial program to include copper IUDs and Plan B since the plan was announced, and Nembhard says she's happy to see some gaps filled in this week's budget. "It's great that the Manitoba government is doing this. Even though there's things I wish they would add to it, hands down, it's great," she said. "This is what democracy is about." For decades, the Women's Health Clinic has offered free birth control to Winnipeggers and would like to see the government follow suit and add barrier methods like condoms, which also protect against sexually transmitted diseases, to its plan, said Nembhard. Despite some gaps, Haran Vijayanathan, the community health and wellness director at Klinic Community Health, said the program shows the NDP government is "taking steps in the right direction." "We're able to offer more informed conversations so people can make informed decisions about the health care that they are receiving, and the contraceptives that might work for them in their particular situation," Vijayanathan said, adding he'd like to see vulnerable populations who might not have access to health cards included in the plan in the future. "When the cost is taken away from it, then options become more available."
