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Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘All about Desi'
The final whistle blew on Desiree Scott's international career in the 55th minute on Saturday. The Winnipeg-born midfielder, who was representing her country for 188th time in Team Canada's friendly against Haiti on home turf, hugged every player and staff member as she exited the pitch, then blew a kiss to the crowd inside Princess Auto Stadium and held her hands over her heart as the 9,211 strong sent her off with a standing ovation. It was the last time that the 37-year-old would don the Red and White in her illustrious career. DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Desiree Scott (11) takes a selfie with fans following her final international match with the Canadian women's national soccer team. Canada beat Haiti 4-1 on Saturday. 'For me, it's just you kind of take a minute to soak it in. In my hometown, Canadian jerseys, Scott Jerseys — just a feeling of true gratefulness and pride for having just repped this jersey for so long, and just so thankful for everyone who supported me,' said Scott, who had 200 family and friends in attendance. 'It was a wonderful moment.' Affectionately known as 'The Destroyer' during her 14-year career, Scott leaves the international stage as one of the most decorated Canadian women's soccer players. She helped Canada win bronze at the London 2012 and Rio 2016, respectively, then reached the top of the mountain at Tokyo 2020. She is one of three players to win three consecutive Olympic medals. 'End of an era, as they say,' said Scott, who was the last player remaining from the 2012 squad. 'Again, not too many players get to write their own script. So, for me to be able to be here, allow myself a game with the team, allowing me to enjoy this moment with the squad one more time, it's things you will never forget. This team's in great hands. You saw some wonderful play out there today — build-up play, combo play, confidence on the ball — and they're going to be doing great in the build-up to the next World Cup.' 'Not too many players get to write their own script. So, for me to be able to be here, allow myself a game with the team, allowing me to enjoy this moment with the squad one more time, it's things you will never forget.'–Desiree Scott The No. 7-ranked Canadians put together a convincing 4-1 victory over the No. 51-ranked Haitians. It brings Team Canada's record to 4-0 all-time against Haiti. Janine Sonis assisted on all four of Canada's goals. Sonis fed Adriana Leon twice in the opening 10 minutes, then found Shelina Zadorsky on a corner kick in the 50th minute. Olivia Smith put a bow on the match in the 90th minute, finishing a Sonis pass with a sweet header. Batcheba Louis registered the lone reply for the Haitians in the 52nd minute. While a victory was important, teammates and coaches made it clear that the day belonged to Scott. 'It was perfect,' said assistant coach Natalie Henderson, who filled in as head coach for Casey Stoney. DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Desiree Scott (11) signs jerseys for fans following her final international match with the Canadian women's national soccer team. Canada beat Haiti 4-1 on Saturday. 'We were super clear as a team that today was all about Desi and what she's done for the game and what she's done for this team. We wanted to give her the best send-off possible, so it was a very good way to start the game and get that send-off going.' Henderson, who only recently joined the national program, had never coached Scott prior to this week. Still, it didn't surprise her when the veteran embraced her upon being subbed off. 'That epitomizes her as a human being, to be honest. We haven't known each other very long, just a few days, but the fact that we have that connection already and to be able to celebrate her is super important,' Henderson said. 'The way she is with people, whether you've known her a long time or whether you've known her a short time, she has a presence when she enters a room, and she's very well loved, and you can sense that right away. I'm really grateful I got an opportunity to spend a few days with her and got to know her as a person, and she deserved everything that she got today.' Scott's international career, which began in 2010, ends with the fourth-most caps by a Canadian and tied with Hege Riise (Denmark) and Laura Georges (France) for the 40th most all time. 'It's been a lot of emotions,' said Leon, who joined the program in 2012. 'A few of us were in tears before the game, and last night, just hearing the speeches and everyone speak about her. She's left such a great mark on so many people.' DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Team Canada's Desiree Scott (11) carries the ball up the pitch in her final international match with the Canadian women's national soccer team. Canada beat Haiti 4-1 on Saturday. 'She's been such a force for this team for so long, and it feels like the end of an era almost. We're going to miss her deeply.' The significance of the occasion was felt on the Haitian bench. Head coach Malou Quignette said the crowd made it difficult for his team to settle into the match. 'We knew before the game that today will be a special day for (Canadian fans). We tried to not focus too much on it and analyze your opponent exactly like it was a normal game. We saw the atmosphere just in the warmup… she's a legend. She deserves this type of event,' Quignette said. Scott announced her retirement from the club and national level last October after 10 seasons in the National Women's Soccer League. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. In January, however, she came out of retirement to sign with the Ottawa Rapid FC of the Northern Super League. Scott will continue to play in the NSL for the remainder of its inaugural season. She has business that needs to be handled. DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Canada's Janine Sonis (16) and Haiti's Kethna Louis (20) fight for the ball. Canada beat Haiti 4-1 on Saturday. 'One thing I don't have on my list is a championship with my club, so we're going to try to work hard and get that box ticked,' she said. X: @jfreysam Joshua Frey-SamReporter Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh. Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
27-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Turn on that barbecue and get grilling
It's a subtle shift. As warm weather settles in for good, the sweet, smoky smell of outdoor cooking becomes an evening staple of neighbourhoods across the city. Make the most of grilling season with reader recipes for Barbecue Lean Pork from Anita Lee, Gale's Barbecue Trout from Gale Petreny and Auntie Shirley Potatoes from Patti Mersereau-LeBlanc. Want to share a recipe? Visit to fill out the submission form. Barbecue Lean Pork JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Anita Lee's barbecued pork dish is easy and flavourful. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Anita Lee's barbecued pork dish is easy and flavourful. Ingredients Directions Note: The pork can be basted with the remaining marinade half-way through cooking. If cooking on the barbecue, place the meat on the grill over medium heat and keep a close eye to ensure the sugary marinade doesn't burn. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Anita Lee's pork dish can be done on the barbecue or in the oven. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Anita Lee's pork dish can be done on the barbecue or in the oven. — Anita Lee Gale's Barbecue Trout Ingredients Directions Freepik Adding lemon to barbecued trout is never a bad idea. Freepik Adding lemon to barbecued trout is never a bad idea. 'Many years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Cranberry Portage to officiate at a local wrestling tournament. While I was up there, I was invited to go ice fishing. We caught a number of lake trout and my host taught me how to cook up our catch. Maybe it was the fresh-caught trout or the pride in catching the fish, but this was the best fish I had ever tasted. This is the only recipe I use now to barbecue fish and is a gold standard in our family. Even the kids that don't like fish love this recipe!' — Gale Petreny Auntie Shirley Potatoes Ingredients Directions 'When I was a child my family would go out on my Auntie Shirley and Uncle Dalton's house boat on the weekends. There was camping, fishing, and swimming all weekend. Endless fun! And of course my aunt would make these potatoes. I loved them. Throughout the winter I would ask my mom to make them but didn't know what to call them, so they became Auntie Shirley Potatoes.' — Patti Mersereau-LeBlanc Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Few details in redacted 911 report
Details are scant in a publicly released Telus report explaining a recent 911 outage, during which a Manitoba man died of a heart attack while family and friends tried to call first responders. Dean Switzer, 55, died March 23. His loved ones spent 90 minutes near Fisher Branch attempting to call 911. The incident happened during a days-long network outage affecting cellphone users contacting the Brandon public safety communications centre. The outage spanned March 22 to March 24. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Innovation and New Technology Minister Mike Moroz described the cybersecurity event as ���a continent-wide breach of a private company,��� and that it ���certainly��� affected more than just Manitoba. Telus sent a final investigative report, dated May 16, to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which regulates Canada's telecommunications sector. The public copy redacts the cause of the outage. It does not state how many people were affected or what was done to solve the issue. Telus didn't answer a Free Press question about what it was doing to avoid repeat occurrences. 'The technical details could, if made public, provide a roadmap for bad actors to attack Canadian 911 networks, and as such is treated consistently by Telus in a confidential manner,' the company's report states. Key findings have been discussed with the Switzer family, Telus spokeswoman Liz Sauvé wrote in a statement. The Switzer family could not be reached for comment this weekend. Telus cast blame on Bell: 'The facilities in question are leased from Bell,' its report reads. That led to an investigation between the two service providers, which ended with the identification of a failure on Bell's side, causing Telus' 911 'trunks' to fail, the document states. 'Since the outage, TELUS has made numerous enhancements to its 911 call-routing protocols,' the memo continues. Bell didn't respond to questions by print deadline. Telus has extended its 'heartfelt condolences' to the Switzer family, Sauvé wrote. '911 is the most important service we provide as a telecommunications company, and we design our networks to ensure disruptions are exceedingly rare and resolved as quickly as possible,' she said. 'Our customers' inability to access 911 the evening of Mr. Switzer's passing is something we are taking extremely seriously.' The March outage led to debate in Manitoba's legislature earlier this month. Innovation and New Technology Minister Mike Moroz said he met with Telus officials on the matter. 'We are deeply concerned about the situation,' Moroz said May 15. '911 should be there when you need it, particularly in a medical emergency.' He asked Telus to notify the province during future outages. He wasn't available to speak on the new report by print deadline. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. The Progressive Conservatives are calling for a public inquiry and the release of 'all pertinent documents' from Telus, said MLA Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli). 'They're alluding to, if they made too much public, that it would give people that are up to no good (the ability) to mess with the system,' Johnson said. 'If it's that vulnerable, the government should make an inquiry.' The provincial government should ensure all phone service providers are able to provide reliable 911 access, he continued. He's planning to circulate a petition for a public inquiry this week. Telus is based in British Columbia. It saw an 8.2 per cent increase in its net income last year, reaching a total $938 million. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Many parts to fighting addictions crisis
Opinion The evidence of Winnipeg's ongoing addictions crisis is all around — so you may want to watch your step. The Free Press reported earlier this week that city staff had removed 944 used needles from downtown parks, along with more than 200 pipes, 28 bags with drugs or traces of drugs, and needle-disposal kits, between April 22 and May 1. A city project to send staffers to clean up such dangerous debris from 'high risk' parks will run until October. MIKE DEAL/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Discarded needles It's a solid bit of civil service, for the city to take responsibility for removing used drug paraphernalia — particularly the needles, which pose a huge risk to those visiting the park. Winnipeggers owe their thanks to the workers taking on this unsavoury task. However, we should hope that soon such an exhaustive effort is not necessary in the near future. As Mayor Scott Gillingham correctly noted, the detritus littering city parks is only a byproduct of the city's drug crisis, and dealing with that crisis must be a priority. Supervised consumption sites, including one currently and controversially proposed for the Point Douglas neighbourhood, will be part of the solution. Giving drug users a safe place to consume their supply — and leave behind spent materials for safe disposal — means less of it ends up in the grass at the local park. Levi Foy, executive director of Sunshine House, told the Free Press it is also the case that drug users will seek out other public spaces, such as libraries, for these activities for want of a supervised consumption site. The need to get a handle on the addictions crisis is great: according to the city's website, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responds to 10,000 service calls related to substance use per year. Last year, 570 Manitobans died over suspected drug-related causes last year, the highest number ever recorded in the province. These deaths are attributed in part to a toxic drug supply, something a supervised consumption site — which can check drugs to see if they have been tampered with — will also help to address. But it will take more than just going down the SCS route. There are also non-governmental solutions, such as the work of advocacy and non-profit groups which go out of their way to help with the cleanup, and provide services to those in the grip of addictions. They deserve, and crucially need, support for the work they do. The city and province should both lend an ear, and useful dollars, to their cause. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. As ever, dealing with the problem for good comes down to the long, tiring work of addressing the root causes of this crisis. A provincial strategy to address homeless and relocate individuals from risky encampment living is making progress, albeit more slowly than once expected. Stable solutions on the poverty and housing fronts will be key to addressing the addictions crisis, but those are complex problems in need of comprehensive solutions, none of which will be found overnight, or even by year's end. In the meantime, civic authorities and good Samaritans will have to do their best to ensure a safe environment for everyone. While the city waits for supervised sites to come online, cleanup efforts like the one at downtown parks are important for giving us peace of mind on that front. City council approved $60,000 for this seasonal work to be done. It will require more funding if the project is to be extended into the winter. Based on results so far, it seems well worth the money.
