WINNIPEG — Buying a bottle of booze at a Liquor Mart will soon get you no closer to paying for a vacation.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corp. announced it is flying away from being part of the Air Miles program, after almost 30 years of helping its eligible customers rack up reward points.

“We are exploring what other loyalty programs are available and whether they would be a fit for Manitoba Liquor Marts,” an MLL spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“We’ll follow our usual procurement process if we decide to engage with a new provider. Until then, Manitobans can expect to continue receiving the superior service and experiences that Liquor Marts are known for.”

WINNIPEG — Lawyers for a man who alleged he was repeatedly sexually assaulted as a child by a now-dead Catholic priest in rural Manitoba and Winnipeg in a 2023 lawsuit recently reached a confidential settlement with the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.

Terms of the settlement, which was reached in the fall after a private judicially assisted dispute resolution in front of a Court of King’s Bench justice in September, are not included in public court records reviewed by the Free Press.

The lawsuit, which was filed in June 2023 and named the archdiocese and archbishop as defendants, was officially discontinued in November.

The plaintiff, now in his early 60s, claimed the alleged abuse began when he was eight-years-old in 1972 and lasted until 1982.

NEW CANNED VEGGIES TARIFF

OTTAWA — The federal government is levying a temporary 10 per cent tariff on some imported canned vegetables to help domestic vegetable growers.

The Department of Finance says the move addresses critical circumstances and immediate challenges the Canadian canned vegetable industry faces.

It says canned vegetable imports from the United States, Mexico, Israel, Chile and developing countries will not be subject to the tariff.

Invasive species ‘blitz’

Almost 200 watercraft were inspected as part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s first aquatic invasive species roadside blitz in Manitoba.

The blitz took place from May 29 to May 31 on the Trans-Canada Highway near the Manitoba-Ontario border, the fisheries department said in a news release. Of the 167 watercraft inspected, 99 were compliant, 68 failed and 14 required decontamination. Only one was found with zebra mussels.

The department says invasive aquatic species threaten freshwater ecosystems and infrastructure and anyone found violating legislation to prevent their spread may be subject to fines up to $100,000.

WINNIPEG — Mounties are investigating the suspicious death of a 21-year-old man in Leaf Rapids.

Officers received a report of “an unresponsive male lying in an open area within the community” shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday. They responded to the scene and found the man dead, RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

Police are asking anyone with information related to the death to contact investigators at 204-427-2469, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at manitobacrimestoppers.com.

» Winnipeg Free Press