Leons Headlines April 24: Manitoba officials have issued flood warnings for the Icelandic, Fisher & Assiniboine Rivers amid rapid snowmelt with recent snowfall & strong winds in parts of northern MB.
-Peguis floodwaters could start to recede soon as provincial staff support flood prep for the Parkland area, hit hard by spring snowstorms this month.
-Downtown Brandon is losing 2 major bank branches; RBC will close its Rosser location mid-Oct & BMO will relocate from Rosser to Park.
-Brandon City Council is asking the province for permission to lower residential speed limits below 50 km/h.
-A teenager is in custody facing charges after allegedly taking a handgun & knives to school in Grunthal Wed morning.
-MB paramedics union says Shared Health is using funding meant for vacant paramedic positions to temporarily hire lower-skilled emergency medical responders due to staff shortages.
-‘Outrageous’ number of new things to learn at AMM’s spring convention in Brandon this week delegates say.
-Manitoba municipalities are calling for RCMP contract changes as policing costs grow.
-Canada Life says a cyber incident may have exposed some customer data but is contained & under investigation.
-Travel MB says road trips are trending this summer as more Manitobans choose to drive or RV travel amid costly & uncertain flights.
WHAOH FOR SNOW! Snowblowers are roaring across Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba as early-season snow events keep equipment busy. Conditions are especially active in rural areas where repeated snowfall is driving demand for clearing.
TWN says it’s not done yet! It’s a Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba storm system, but strong winds are expected to be the bigger concern. Gusty conditions could reduce visibility and make travel difficult even outside of heavy snow bands.
Cost of flying just keeps rising. WestJet has increased baggage fees for the third time in three years, adding more cost pressure for travelers. The changes come as airlines continue adjusting pricing amid rising operational expenses.
CAREFUL USING YOUR CELL PHONE! A security warning has been issued about suspicious text messages following a major arrest in Toronto involving an SMS blaster device. Officials are cautioning people to avoid clicking unknown links or responding to unexpected messages after one of the first group of arrests of it’s kind in Canada.
Bob Odenkirk’s Normal was filmed in Carberry/Selkirk and Winnipeg! And Henry Winkler recently highlighted Winnipeg while speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers. The film continues to draw attention to Manitoba’s growing role in major productions.
Most don’t remember Henry as the FONZE on HAPPY DAYS!
Here’s the trailer for NORMAL, Filmed in MANITOBA!
INVASION of the AMERICANS. Beyonce is now Canadian. Madonna. Timothée Chalamet and anyone else with Canadian relatives. Millions of Americans could now be considered Canadian under a new law discussion, depending on evolving citizenship or residency interpretations. The situation is still developing and remains subject to official clarification.
https://apnews.com/article/canadian-citizenship-americans-new-law-5b8f7da8ce6cfea759b85a3577150407
Rationing gas, cancelled flights BUT RATIONING CELL PHONE USE?!?! Uh-oh, this could be bad, very bad. Britain is being warned about the risk of mobile signal rationing as network demand continues to grow. Officials are exploring ways to manage capacity during peak usage periods.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/38897578/mobile-data-rationing-surge-pricing-reeves-energy-costs
Where is everybody?!?! Tourists have reported visiting a water park with nearly empty rides and full staffing, creating an unusually quiet experience. The low crowds highlight uneven travel demand in certain destinations.
