A 15-year-old Brandon boy is in stable condition after he was attacked by another boy with a sword at Neelin High School Tuesday afternoon. Police say the victim suffered stab wounds to his chest, forearms, hands and thighs. Police say the school was in lockdown when officers arrived, and they used a stun gun to disarm the suspect. A 16-year-old boy is in custody. The school is open today, but Grade 12 provincial exams today and Thursday will not take place. The school division also says counsellors will be on site for any students who need support.
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The cellphone ban policy in Manitoba schools, enacted just this year, is getting high marks. Last summer, the government banned phone use for K-to-8 students during school hours, and during class hours for high school students. A report today says kids are less distracted, more focused, and socializing more with each other instead of relying on their devices.
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Ottawa wants to help boost a historically weak summer job market for students by expanding its Canada Summer Jobs program. It offers wage subsidies to businesses hiring young people for seasonal work. A report in May said 1 in 5 students aged 15 to 24 were unemployed – the highest rate since 2009.
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A 68-year-old Quebec woman died, and four others were injured, after a crash between an SUV and a truck on Monday. Virden RCMP say it happened at the intersection of Highway 83 and Provincial Road 257 in the RM of Wallace-Woodworth. Police do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
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The fire danger in most of Manitoba remains low-to-moderate today with just the northeast under a high to extreme risk. There have been 116 fires to date, above the average of 103 for this time of year…25 are still active.
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Parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba are set to re-open today. The province says the fire burning in the Mantario wilderness zone is still out of control, but is being held. Residents, cottagers, and commercial operators will have more access to the park including to Crowduck and Big Whiteshell Lakes. Seasonal campers will be allowed back starting June 13th.
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It looks like Manitoba’s high wildfire risk will continue through the summer. Environment Canada unveiled its seasonal summer outlook Tuesday, predicting higher-than-normal temperatures throughout most of the country,
including Manitoba. And it’s not clear whether precipitation will do much to ease the fire risk. Summer rain is hard to predict because it’s driven by scattered thunderstorms and local downpours.
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Population growth is out of control according to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, and he’s calling on the Liberal government to further reduce immigration. He says the border has been left wide open causing the free flow of drugs, illegal migration, human trafficking and much worse. There was a surge in Canada’s population between 2021 and ’24, jumping by nearly 9%.
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The number of Canadians returning from travel to the United States by land and air continues to decline. Stats-Canada says it dropped by 38% in May compared to the same month in 2024 – the fifth straight month of declines. Fewer Americans have also been travelling north. In March, most Canadian airlines reduced flights to the U.S.
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A temporary victory for the Trump administration. A U.S. federal appeals court says President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs can remain in place while a case is heard. A lower court had found the devastating duties
unlawful. The appeals court says Trump is legally using his powers to address the national emergencies of trade deficits and drug trafficking.
