Critics are once again slamming the provincial government’s plan to build a luxury spa on the former site of Ontario Place — this time over allegations that the company set to run the multi-billion-dollar project misrepresented itself and exaggerated its experience in order to secure the deal.

Five people were arrested early Wednesday morning when police searched a central Halifax residence as part of an ongoing weapons investigation.

A 49-year-old man from Red Lake, Ont., has been charged with sexually assaulting a teen girl in Winnipeg.

An Ontario man has been charged after the trailer of a transport truck which crashed near Long Harbour was found to be full of contraband tobacco.

The vehicle went over an embankment on the Long Harbour Access Road just before 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

RCMP held the scene overnight. The next day, RCMP searched the truck and found that it was “full of contraband tobacco.”

The exact quantity of the seizure is still being processed.

The operation to remove the truck forced an extended closure of the Long Harbour Access Road on Monday.

The 53-year-old driver has been released from custody and will appear in court at a later date to answer to a number of charges.

A public safety alert has been released by the Regina Police Service (RPS) for Jason Paul Thorn, a high-risk sexual offender who is unlawfully at large. 

Thorn is described as a 48-year-old male, who is 5'9" tall, weighing approximately 170lbs, with a medium build, brown eyes, and greying black hair.

Jason Paul Thorn has a criminal history which includes sexual offences and a history of reoffending, the Regina Police Service notes that Thorn poses a high risk for sexual offences against female children.

RPS stresses that the warning is intended to allow the public to take preventative measures and discourage any forms of vigilantism or unreasonable conduct against Thorn.

Out on legislated, statutory release since March 31, 2025, Thorn was living with court-ordered conditions in the Heritage neighborhood of Regina in a residence that provides supervision and monitoring of his activities. He is considered unlawfully at large since the latest unsuccessful attempt at contact. An investigation into his location has been launched and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Efforts the quickly and safely apprehend Thorn are currently underway, anyone with information that could assist the police are asked to contact the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

A former Swift Current Legionnaires player is facing several charges in Regina.

Mason Strutt is charged with uttering threats, possession of a dangerous weapon, assault, and two counts of animal cruelty.

Strutt is in custody and is set to appear in Regina Provincial Court tomorrow by video at 9:30 AM.

Strutt, originally from Estevan, played three seasons with the Legionnaires from 2016-2019.

He went on to play with the Estevan Bruins in the SJHL for parts of two seasons.

People in the Bay of Islands have launched a petition, complaining about being left in the dark regarding that cargo ship which ran aground off Lark Harbour a couple of months ago.

The Baltic III ran aground in mid-February, but it has been slow-going for the salvage company ever since. Local residents, especially the fishing community, are worried of a spill, which would contaminate rich fishing grounds. The lobster season is about to start.

One idea was to build a road to the site but there does not appear to have been any movement in that regard.

Resident Richard Sheppard says they haven’t been able to get any information on plans or timelines.

He says the next storm could be the one that does it.

“If that fuel leaks out, that’s the end of the fishery in the Bay of Islands,” he says.)

Twenty-three years after prisoners won the right to vote, Sen. Bernadette Clement visited nine correctional facilities in order to prepare a report about the challenges that still exist for elections held inside.

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A defence lawyer told a court Wednesday she had concerns about her client’s mental state even as the defendant insisted on reviewing Crown disclosure for charges on which he was still unrepresented.

Timothy James Kalinowski, 36, of no fixed address, appeared in person and in custody in Fredericton provincial court Wednesday morning.

Judge Mary Jane Richards noted the proceeding was set for the purpose of scheduling trial dates for various charges to which the defendant had already pleaded not guilty.

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Alex Iafallo to a three-year contract extension, the NHL club announced Wednesday.

During her first couple of months as the Library Director, Aubrey Walker has been hard at work to get the Jake Epp Library back to being a strong community space.

After serving as interim director, Walker officially took on the role of Library Director in February.

She is no stranger to the large public library having worked at there for 15 years, including the last decade as Assistant Director. Walker says stepping into the permanent leadership role in February has been a rewarding shift.

“I’m so excited,” Walker says. “The level of support that I have is absolutely amazing. And it means that we’re going to do great things.”

Library board chair confident in Walker’s leadership

Carolyn Graham, Chair of the Jake Epp Library Board and former library director, says the board is confident in Walker’s leadership and excited to see the library continue evolving under her guidance.

The two have worked together for several years, and Graham says she’s seen firsthand Walker’s commitment to the library and the community it serves. Graham also points out that the library board members are all fairly new, bringing to the table a lot of enthusiasm and determination to making the library a strong and vibrant centre for the community.

New business manager role created to support growth

To better support the library’s operations, a new role has been created — Business Manager. Walker says this change allows her to focus more on strategic direction and programming, while day-to-day financial responsibilities are handled by someone with a strong background in business.

“Libraries need someone who is passionate about the library world and someone who is great with finances — that’s a rare combo,” Walker explains. “So we decided to split the responsibilities and bring in two skilled people.”

Alyssa Pankratz has taken on the new Business Manager position, having started about five weeks ago. Walker says the partnership has already proven to be a good fit.

“She comes out with so many ideas,” says Walker. “We just work so well together to figure out, outside of the box, where we can go from here.”

Building a vibrant, welcoming space for the community

Walker says one of her top priorities is to keep the library vibrant, useful and accessible for everyone. She emphasizes the importance of the library as a “third space” — a community hub where people can gather, relax, and connect without needing to spend money.

“We want to make sure that we are a safe and vibrant community space,” Walker said. “We’re the one place that people can come and not spend money if they choose not to. That’s so important, and we want to stay strong in that.”

She noted that staff are full of creative ideas and use a “sticky ideas wall” in the staff area where suggestions for new programs and initiatives are constantly posted.

Walker says the library is planning a variety of new programming and fundraising initiatives in the coming months to help engage the public and continue building on the library’s strengths.

No easy way forward

The past few years have been challenging for the library, with frequent changes in the library director position and financial struggles.

Even though she knows there is a lot of work to do, Walker is not only confident in the future of the public library, but she is also excited for what lies ahead.

Winnipeg is about to have the first acute-care hospital in Canada that offers free life-saving products from a vending machine.

A joint news conference called by the Registered Nurses Union and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association over the lunch hour was cancelled after the groups met with NLHS officials.

The two organizations called the news conference to talk about proposed plans to move adult gynecology inpatients to the Janeway.

However, the event was cancelled after a meeting with NL Health Services CEO Pat Parfrey and other officials.

Parfrey clarified that no decision has been made on moving adult gynecology services to the Janeway.

The NLMA and RNU say NLHS has also committed to consult with frontline workers and representative organizations before any decisions are made.

The NLMA says it agrees with that approach, and will advise if a decision is made contrary to the advice of physicians.