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.

WINNIPEG — The provincial government is being urged to call an inquest into the deaths of two people who had donated plasma at for-profit collection centres in Winnipeg.

Health Canada has promised to investigate the deaths, which occurred in October and January at two Grifols Plasma Donation Centres in Winnipeg.

However, the Manitoba Health Coalition said Health Canada licenses Grifols and it has a conflict of interest.

“We want as independent and (thorough) an investigation as possible for the loved ones of these Manitobans who died, to get real answers and so that harm like this doesn’t happen in the future,” coalition executive director Noah Schulz said at a news conference Friday.

Here’s a look at Manitoba’s complete roster for the Road to Okotoks qualifier that begins today:

Players

Cole Adamson — Winnipeg

Hayden Arkin — Headingley

WINNIPEG — An American company is conducting Manitoba’s online time-change survey despite the NDP government’s condemnation of U.S. tariffs and its call to buy local.

The government said Friday it’s looking for a Canadian company to do the work instead of Granicus LLC, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

“Transition work is already underway to establish a new process for selecting a Canadian company to host the EngageMB platform this summer,” a provincial spokesman said.

In November, the government’s throne speech promised measures to “Trump-proof” Manitoba’s economy, including replacing the previous government’s contract with Aspira, a Texas firm, to provide provincial park passes.

BRANDON UNIVERSITY

An occasion years in the making for hundreds of BU students arrives this week. Brandon University will recognize the Class of 2026 during convocation ceremonies at the Healthy Living Centre. The ceremony for the Faculty of Science and School of Music will be first, at 10 a.m., on Thursday, followed by the Faculty of Education at 2 p.m., the same day. The Friday ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. for health studies, and at 2 p.m. for the Faculty of Arts. For friends and family not able to attend in person, the ceremonies will also be live-streamed at BrandonU.ca/Convocation.

A bus trip to Winnipeg is being organized for June 6 for BU alumni, students and employees who would like to see “Rattle: A Sixties Scoop Play.” Written by Brandon University professors Darrell Racine and Dale Lakevold, the award-winning play is based on the true stories of two former BU students. The play will be staged June 3-7 at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film in Winnipeg, and the deadline to register for the bus trip is May 29 at 3 p.m. For more details about the play and the bus trip, visit Events.BrandonU.ca.

Children from kindergarten through Grade 8 can explore their interests in science, arts and physical education through Mini University this summer. Weeklong programs are available in 30 areas for senior campers, 15 areas for junior campers and in 10 specialty camps. Sessions take place from July 6 to Aug. 28. Registration and more details are available now at MiniU.BrandonU.ca.

WINNIPEG — A small town in eastern Manitoba is abuzz with excitement after one of its residents claimed a record $46-million jackpot in last Saturday’s Lotto 6/49 gold ball draw.

Dileep Kumar, who owns First Stop Grocers in Whitemouth, said the lucky ticket was purchased at his store by a regular customer, who returned Tuesday to scan the ticket and find out if he was a winner.

“I felt really happy for him when he won that jackpot,” Kumar told the Winnipeg Free Press Thursday. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

Kumar wasn’t at the store when the man checked his ticket. One of Kumar’s employees called to inform him a customer had won a $46,000 prize in the national lottery game.