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Lanette Siragusa

Former Shared Health CEO paid nearly $1M in 2025

By Nicole Buffie 5 minute read Preview

Former Shared Health CEO paid nearly $1M in 2025

By Nicole Buffie 5 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

WINNIPEG — The former CEO of Shared Health received nearly $1 million in salary and other pay last year, despite working for only one month before being fired following a provincial health-care system audit.

Lanette Siragusa was paid $988,520 in 2025 and was at the top of the health authority’s latest compensation disclosure.

Siragusa and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority leader Mike Nader were removed from their roles in February 2025 following the release of a financial audit that showed, apart from Southern Health, the province’s other health regions regularly overspent their budgets.

A Shared Health spokesperson would not provide a breakdown of Siragusa’s compensation, but said the total figure includes regular earnings and certain “legislative and contractual payments,” such as vacation and severance, which were paid out at the time of her departure from the organization.

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2:00 AM CDT

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Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew meets Dauphin resident David McRae as he cleans out his apartment between shifts on Thursday. McRae was at home when water started coming in through his front door. (Mike Deal/Winnipeg Free Press)

Dauphin residents still getting sense of damage

By Tyler Searle 5 minute read Preview

Dauphin residents still getting sense of damage

By Tyler Searle 5 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

WINNIPEG — Three days after floodwater swamped David McRae’s bachelor apartment, forcing him and his neighbours to seek shelter at the neighbouring fire hall, the Dauphin resident said he and many others are just beginning to take stock of the damage.

“Water started coming in from the door, the baseboard heaters — even through the floor,” McRae, 23, said.

“I didn’t know if I was going to have a place to actually come back to. For me, this was terrifying. I am still kind of shaking at this point.”

By Friday, much of the water had receded from Dauphin streets and sidewalks. McRae and his neighbours at the single-storey apartment block on 2nd Street NW were among hundreds of people drying out their homes and belongings after 119 mm of rain fell on the Parkland city from Sunday to Tuesday.

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2:00 AM CDT

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More than 50 provincial roads — including this section of Highway 10, north of Pine River — along with numerous municipal roads, remain damaged, flooded or washed out. (Government of Manitoba)

Widespread flooding forces evacuations

By Zoe Pierce 5 minute read Thursday, Jul. 2, 2026

WINNIPEG — Evacuations are underway at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre and in parts of Swan River as widespread flooding continues to impact Manitoba’s Parkland region and parts of the Interlake, leaving dozens of communities under states of local emergency and washing out roads across the area.

The province says 30 states of local emergency have been declared in relation to the flooding, while more than 50 provincial roads — along with numerous municipal roads — remain damaged, flooded or washed out as the region deals with the aftermath of heavy and unprecedented amounts of rainfall.

“As many Manitobans are celebrating our national holiday today, there are many of our fellow Manitobans, our friends, neighbours and family members, who are dealing with terrible, terrible flooding impacts,” Premier Wab Kinew said in a Wednesday news conference.

In Swan River, about 150 homes are being evacuated after flooding cut off road access in parts of the community. Residents are being relocated to safer areas within the town, with helicopters being used to assist with the evacuations.

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Wally Daudrich

Daudrich running for Keystone Party

By Carol Sanders 5 minute read Preview

Daudrich running for Keystone Party

By Carol Sanders 5 minute read Thursday, Jul. 2, 2026

WINNIPEG — Almost immediately after quitting the Progressive Conservative party, right-wing populist Wally Daudrich has secured the nomination to run for the Keystone Party in The Pas-Kameesak July 21 byelection.

“We’re going full gas pedal ahead here,” Keystone Party Leader Kevin Friesen said Tuesday, confirming the controversial and socially conservative Daudrich will be the candidate running under the small-government, balanced-budgets, parental-authority-over-children’s-education party’s banner.

“Wally has come around to realize that you can’t fix the way politics is in Manitoba on the (PC) front,” Friesen said.

Daudrich, a Churchill tourism operator, narrowly lost the PC leadership to Obby Khan in 2025 and was disqualified by the Tories from seeking the nomination in Turtle Mountain, a PC stronghold. The Tories said he violated their constitution.

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Thursday, Jul. 2, 2026

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PAST IMPORT DRAFT PICKS

2 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 30, 2026

PREVIOUS IMPORT DRAFT SELECTIONS

Round, pick number, player, position, country, regular season WHL games played.

2025

(CHL allows three players per team for first time.)

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Canada’s Stephen Eustaquio (7) scores their opening goal against South Africa during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Canada advances with late goal

7 minute read Preview

Canada advances with late goal

7 minute read Monday, Jun. 29, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Even after scoring one of the biggest goals in Canadian soccer history, Stephen Eustaquio remained humble.

The 29-year-old midfielder played hero on Sunday, chesting down a ball in the second minute of second-half stoppage time and sending a right-footed shot swinging into the bottom of the net to give Canada a 1-0 lead over South Africa in a round-of-32 FIFA World Cup game.

Minutes later, the final whistle sounded and Canada had its first-ever win in the knockout round of the men’s tournament.

Eustaquio recognized the importance of his strike, but was quick to play down his role.

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Monday, Jun. 29, 2026

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Wiebe gives update on $1M security fund

By Carol Sanders 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

WINNIPEG — A $1-million security enhancement fund for places of worship and cultural centres announced in January has been fully allocated, but the funds have not yet flowed, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said this week.

“It’s really about just ensuring that the right resources are going to the areas where we’re going to have the biggest impact to keep people safe,” Wiebe said in an interview.

The province announced the fund to support Manitoba communities facing acts of hate, targeted intimidation and vandalism by helping community organizations strengthen safety measures, improve preparedness and install security infrastructure to meet specific needs.

It followed a series of hate-motivated attacks targeting Jewish and Muslim communities.

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Susan Oakley holds two large hailstones that fell in Sanford on June 9. (Susan Oakley photo)

Researchers take stock of storm

By Nicole Buffie 5 minute read Preview

Researchers take stock of storm

By Nicole Buffie 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

WINNIPEG — Researchers have collected eight-centimetre hailstones and surveyed homes damaged by hail from storms that slammed southern Manitoba this month to better understand their predictability and impact on insurance.

Jack Hamilton, a researcher with the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory, and his team have been gathering evidence and data from the June 9 storm that brought record rainfall to Winnipeg and surrounding communities, downed trees and power lines and resulted in basement and overland flooding. Two minor tornadoes were confirmed, in Ste. Anne and Dufrost.

“In terms of severity, it was quite severe,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton has been working with the Northern Hail Project, which researches hailstorms to better detect them and predict their size. Hamilton and his team went to homes that had siding panels full of holes from hail that travelled at 94 kilometres per hour, or about as fast as the speed of an average Major League Baseball fastball.

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Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

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RECENT WINNERS

1 minute read Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

Recent winners of the Crocus athlete of the year awards.

2025

• BOYS: Seth McAuley

• GIRLS: Rebecca Alebiosu

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Winnipeg’s Dalhousie School is being renamed Aniibiminan School, Pembina Trails School Division announced Wednesday. (Mikaela MacKenzie/Winnipeg Free Press files)

Winnipeg school renamed

By Maggie MacintoshLocal Journalism Initiative 2 minute read Preview

Winnipeg school renamed

By Maggie MacintoshLocal Journalism Initiative 2 minute read Thursday, Jun. 25, 2026

WINNIPEG — Dalhousie School has been renamed after an Anishinaabemowin word that translates to “summer berries.”

The Pembina Trails School Division has unveiled Aniibiminan School as the new title of its elementary building at 262 Dalhousie Dr.

The division shared the phonetic pronunciation — “Aniibiminan (uh-NEE-bih-mih-nahn), from which the word ‘Pembina’ originates” — in a news release Wednesday.

“Aniibiminan captures a deep sense of connection to the land on which the school lies and the adjacent forest, which the school regularly uses for outdoor education and land-based learning,” chief superintendent Shelley Amos said in the release.

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Thursday, Jun. 25, 2026

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Linda Smith is grieving the death of her golden doodle, Lily, after it was mauled to death by another dog in Winnipeg’s North Kildonan neighbourhood on Tuesday. (Supplied)

10-pound dog mauled to death in Winnipeg

By Tyler Searle 5 minute read Preview

10-pound dog mauled to death in Winnipeg

By Tyler Searle 5 minute read Thursday, Jun. 25, 2026

WINNIPEG — A 73-year-old Winnipeg woman is grieving the death of her goldendoodle, Lily, after she was mauled by another dog during a walk in North Kildonan Tuesday.

Justin Smith said his mother, Linda Smith, was walking Lily near Chornick Drive and Malcana Street around 12:30 p.m., when a large-breed dog broke free from its collar and leash and pounced on the smaller dog.

Lily, who weighed only 10 pounds, suffered devastating injuries.

“It was over before it started,” Justin Smith said. “The damage was intense. She was unrecognizable.”

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Thursday, Jun. 25, 2026

Local

RECENT RECIPIENTS

1 minute read Thursday, Jun. 25, 2026

Other recent winners at Vincent Massey.

2025

• BOYS: Zach Redekop

• GIRLS: Kypling Black

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