Pearson relishing time behind bench

If you asked Ken Pearson when he began his career behind the bench 30 years ago how long he’d last in the business, he wouldn’t have had a clue.

Now, it’s safe to say it’s become more than anything he would have ever expected.

The head coach and general manager of the Neepawa Titans checked off two big milestones on Sunday night after coaching his 1,500th game in the Canadian Junior Hockey League following a 4-2 win over the Dauphin Kings at Credit Union Place. The victory was the Titans 18th of the season and was also the 750th of Pearson’s career in the regular season.

It’s hard to put into words what significance just a pair of numbers means to a person, but for Pearson, it’s rather simple.

Rally calls on Canada to oppose Cuba blockade

WINNIPEG — Tears streamed down Tim Gordienko’s face Saturday afternoon as he spoke about the people of Cuba.

“The people are so genuine — genuinely friendly,” he told a reporter. “We’re like the same people, like brethren. It’s not fair, what (the United States is) doing to these people.”

Holding a sign that said, “Trump: Hands off Cuba,” Gordienko was one of the approximately 60 people who gathered outside the U.S. Consulate in Winnipeg, close to Portage and Main.

Organized by the Manitoba-Cuba Solidarity Committee, the event was one of several held across the country to bring awareness to Cuba’s plight and call on the Canadian government to help the Caribbean country.

Reimer named Canada’s top doc

WINNIPEG — The physician who became a face of Manitoba’s COVID-19 response has a new title — Canada’s top doc.

Joss Reimer has been named Canada’s next chief public health officer. It’s a role once filled by Theresa Tam, who wore the shoes while Reimer was medical lead of Manitoba’s COVID-19 vaccine implementation task force.

Reimer will start on April 1, federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel announced Friday. Her term lasts three years.

“I couldn’t be more grateful,” Reimer said, adding she’ll be working to fight medical misinformation and disinformation during her tenure. Her appointment comes as measles cases in Canada are spiking; Manitoba leads the pack with at least 157 cases so far this year.

Consortium plans investment in Thompson nickel mine

WINNIPEG — A newly formed company said it expects to invest as much as $280 million in nickel mining activity in Thompson.

Vale Base Metals, which owns the nickel mining operation, announced on Thursday it has partnered with three companies — Exiro Minerals Corp., Orion Resource Partners LP and Canada Growth Fund Inc. — to create a new business that will be known as Exiro Nickel Company.

The new owners aim to double production in five years and add to the operation’s current workforce of 700.

“We want to ramp up production and we want to get back to what peak periods of production were in the past,” said Shastri Ramnath, CEO of the new consortium, on Thursday.

Developer says he ‘aggressively’ pursued police HQ contract

WINNIPEG — The key Winnipeg developer behind the downtown police headquarters project testified Thursday that he “aggressively” pursued civic officials during the bidding process — promising it would become their “legacy for many years to come” if he was awarded the contract.

“When I go after projects, I go to the top,” said Armik Babakhanians, the owner of Caspian Projects and a part-owner of Caspian Construction.

“I pursue as aggressively as I can, and I’m not apologizing.”

Problems with the headquarters project at 245 Smith St. have plagued city council for years. The building opened in June 2016 at a cost of $214 million, well above its original $135-million price tag and an external audit found the project had been severely mismanaged.

New app touted for hospital safety

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is implementing new safety and security measures at the Brandon Regional Health Centre that include more on-site officers and the launch of a mobile app.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara highlighted a raft of measures — some of which were previously announced — in response to health-care workers’ ongoing concerns about threats and physical attacks on the job provincewide.

“Violence has absolutely no place in health care — none whatsoever — especially against those who are providing care each and every day to Manitobans at the bedside,” Asagwara said at a news conference at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.

“Every single health-care worker deserves to feel safe at their jobs on the front lines, and there is no exception to that.”

Former CAO denies fabricating land deal

WINNIPEG — The city’s former top bureaucrat was accused of making up a land deal to cover up a bribe and avoid criminal charges during the public inquiry into the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters project Wednesday, which he promptly denied.

Michael Finlayson, a lawyer for the City of Winnipeg, asked former Winnipeg chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl to respond to several assertions the city argues took place.

Finlayson suggested a document was manufactured to create a reason why Armik Babakhanians, owner of key headquarters contractor Caspian Construction, made a payment to Sheegl when he was CAO.

“As you know, the city takes the position that the so-called trust agreement that on its face (was made) in 2012 … was in fact created by you in 2017 after a story about money going to you and (former mayor) Mr. (Sam) Katz hit the media,” suggested Finlayson.

Winnipeg protest bylaw stalled after hundreds object

WINNIPEG — A bylaw that proposed a ban on “nuisance” protests within 100 metres of certain locations has been shelved indefinitely after intense public pushback and a protest that drew hundreds to city hall Tuesday.

City council’s executive policy committee heard from about 100 members of the public Tuesday, who gave speeches in opposition to the proposed Safe Access to Vulnerable Infrastructure bylaw. The proposal was drawn up to limit “nuisance” demonstrations and intimidation within 100 metres of schools, places of worship, libraries, cultural centres, hospitals and other locations.

The proposed bylaw would have prohibited any protest that blocked access to spaces for people or vehicles and used megaphones or voice amplifiers, with fines starting at $500 for a first offence, up to $5,000.

Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood), who put forward a motion calling on council to draft the bylaw in September, said on Monday that he changed his mind and would pull the proposal after receiving much public feedback.

Balancing act

Abigail Hawkins performs in the acro dance, solo, own choice, 18 years and under category during Day 3 of the dance portion of the Brandon Festival of the Arts at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium on Tuesday. See more photos on Page A3. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Tournament crowns its champions

Minot Wolves goalie Macklin Kelly (41) takes a shot by Brandon Wheat Kings forward Keane Forsythe (16) in the crest of his jersey as he makes one of his 46 saves in a 3-2 victory. On the left, Wolves defenceman Renden Roteliuk (5) throws an arm around the neck of Wheat Kings forward Jaxon Bishop (11) to keep him contained.

Minot Wolves forward Finnigan Durno (7) goes down to a knee to score what proved to be the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings in the under-15 AA final at the Tournament of Champions on Sunday afternoon at Enns Brothers Arena as defenceman Kayde Jackson (91), goalie Lyndan Spurway (64) and forward Easton Mcburney (44) look on. Abram Wheeler and Maddox Kotaska also scored for Minot and Wolves goalie Macklin Kelly made 46 saves, with Oliver Marvin and Lawson Newman replying for Brandon.

Meanwhile, in the U13 AA girls final, the Southeast Goldwings blanked the Lumsden Lynx 4-0, and in an all-Brandon final in the U11 A division, the AtoMcSkyBlue Wheat Kings beat the AtoMcBlack Wheat Kings 6-3. Marx Boguski scored twice for Blue while Kasey Calvert had a natural hat trick for Black. (Photos by Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)

Sticks and gloves fly as the Minot Wolves celebrate their 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings in the under-15 AA final.