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Ukrainian serviceman Dmytro hugs his wife Larysa after she being evacuated from their Russian-occupied hometown as they cross the Belarus-Ukraine border in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Evacuees reunite with family at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border after fleeing Oleshky

Derek Gatopoulos And Efrem Lukatsky, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:42 PM CDT

CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian-held territory Saturday in a major evacuation operation carried out under the most significant truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 4 1/2 years ago.

Evacuees wrapped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and reunited with family members. Volunteers with hand-drawn welcome signs handed out coffee to the weary travelers who had journeyed by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Residents of nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights to greet the convoy.

Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who helped her flee.

“We love them, we love them,” she said through tears. “We know that they are protecting us. And a deep bow to them, and a deep bow to their parents, for having such children. I am proud, I am simply proud.”

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Lifestyles

A man walks through steam pouring from a downtown building vent as the sun rises in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday February 19, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The times aren’t a-changin’ in Western Canada but there’s still adjustments ahead

Ian Bickis, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

The times aren’t a-changin’ in Western Canada but there’s still adjustments ahead

Ian Bickis, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:09 AM CDT

WINNIPEG - The clocks aren’t changing Sunday in the western half of the country, but that doesn’t mean changes aren’t coming as British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, northwestern Ontario and the Northwest Territories all chose this year to stick with daylight time.

Kids heading to school, construction workers to the worksite and adrenalin-seekers to the slopes are some of those facing the challenge of darker mornings in the months ahead.

In Winnipeg, the sun isn't going to rise until almost 9:30 a.m. in late December. In Edmonton, sunrise at that point will be around 9:50 a.m. In Prince Rupert, B.C., it will be after 10 a.m.

In exchange, there will be more light in the evenings. But the decisions to end time changes, stemming from widespread popular support, have raised safety and health concerns, as well as some practical challenges.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:09 AM CDT

Local

Prime Minister Mark Carney, third from left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, third from right, attend a meeting with Canadian and European Union delegates at the EU-Canada summit in Montreal on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

‘Associate’ EU membership for Canada not a ‘short-term’ project: expert

The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘Associate’ EU membership for Canada not a ‘short-term’ project: expert

The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:10 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney has laid out a timeline that would see Canada sign an agreement on a new partnership with the European Union in the next seven months, if all goes well.

Carney said Friday that Ottawa and Brussels are working toward the "deepest possible partnership short of accession" that would see Canada become "the European Union's first associate member."

He said in the coming months, the two sides will meet to "determine the full substance, scale and scope of this new form of membership."

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, championed the idea of associate membership in Strasbourg, France, last month. On Friday, she said she believes in building a partnership with Canada that "comes closer to membership than anything we've done before."

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:10 AM CDT

Business

President Donald Trump reacts with supporters during a campaign rally at Rock Hill Sports and Event Center, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Rock Hill, S.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)

No matter what happens in the midterms, Canada-U.S. tensions are likely to remain

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

No matter what happens in the midterms, Canada-U.S. tensions are likely to remain

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:10 AM CDT

DETROIT - Democrats are hoping Tuesday's midterm elections will give them the power to rein in U.S. President Donald Trump — but Canadians hoping for an outcome that stabilizes the rocky bilateral relationship may be disappointed.

Once-safe Republican seats are now in peril and control of Congress could flip. Trump's poll numbers are plummeting thanks to his unpopular war in Iran, rising energy prices and inflation.

Polling shows Democrats are favoured to take the House, where a net gain of three seats would give them a majority.

The future of the Senate is less clear. Democrats need a net gain of four seats for a majority, and some polling shows that is within reach.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:10 AM CDT

Local

RCMP traffic enforcement seen in Steinbach last month. (Facebook)

RCMP flag ‘concerning’ spike in fatal collisions

2 minute read Preview

RCMP flag ‘concerning’ spike in fatal collisions

2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:10 AM CDT

WINNIPEG — Manitoba RCMP are boosting traffic enforcement after a spike in fatal collisions.

So far this year, 73 people have been killed in 65 collisions — a 28 per cent increase from the 57 deaths in the same January to October period last year, the Mounties said Friday.

The increase in fatalities is 28 per cent higher than the province’s five-year average.

“It’s concerning to me personally, but it’s also concerning to us, the RCMP, to see this many crashes occurring and this many people losing their lives,” RCMP traffic services enforcement commander Staff Sgt. Jon Greer said.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:10 AM CDT

Local

Manitoba Public Insurance announced Friday rates will rise by 1.77 per cent on April 1, representing an annual increase of $21.89 to the average private passenger vehicle policy next year. (Mikaela MacKenzie/Winnipeg Free Press files)

Regulator urged to force MPI to lower its insurance rates

Nicole Buffie 3 minute read Preview

Regulator urged to force MPI to lower its insurance rates

Nicole Buffie 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:18 AM CDT

WINNIPEG — A citizen-led coalition has urged the Public Utilities Board to order Manitoba Public Insurance to lower its rates, which it says would force the Crown corporation to tackle rising claims costs.

The Consumers Coalition described MPI as “risk-averse” at a hearing this week to discuss its application for a rate increase.

“The last three (general rate applications) have demonstrated that the corporation is running out of ideas and tools to mitigate rate increases and are executing a strategic plan grounded in their legacy business model,” said Katrine Dilay, a lawyer for the Public Interest Law Centre who spoke on behalf of the coalition.

Dilay said the coalition believes MPI is riding out the cost pressures and passing them on to ratepayers rather than preparing for the future.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:18 AM CDT

Local

Manitoba Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable presents the Governor General’s Academic Medal and plaque to early childhood education program grad Julia Dionisio during Friday’s fall graduation ceremony. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

Assiniboine grads urged to keep learning

Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Preview

Assiniboine grads urged to keep learning

Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Yesterday at 1:02 AM CDT

Education is about the ability to keep learning, not just the specific skills taught in classrooms, Assiniboine College president Mark Frison told new grads on Friday.

The ability to continue learning, he said during the college’s fall graduation ceremony, allows students to remain valuable even when careers change.

More than 460 students graduated from 32 programs — including comprehensive health care aide, practical nursing, advance agriculture and early childhood education — at the ceremony in the Manitoba Room at the Keystone Centre.

“Everything you learned is going to help you out in some way,” Frison told the grads. “Even if you change occupations, not only does that subject matter remain useful in your life, but learning how to learn is obviously equally important.”

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Yesterday at 1:02 AM CDT

Local

Barenaked Ladies to headline Countryfest for Canada Day

1 minute read Yesterday at 1:00 AM CDT

Canadian music legends Barenaked Ladies are coming to Dauphin for the city’s annual Countryfest next summer.

Dauphin’s Countryfest announced the 2027 headliners for the outdoor music festival in a news release Friday.

Barenaked Ladies will headline the first day of the festival — which lands on Canada Day — to “provide a distinctly Canadian soundtrack to the celebration of our nation’s birthday,” the release said.

Nate Smith will lead the country lineup with a return performance after last year’s show was disrupted by a thunderstorm.

Local

Man admits waving handgun at off-duty cop

Tessa Adamski 2 minute read Preview

Man admits waving handgun at off-duty cop

Tessa Adamski 2 minute read Yesterday at 1:00 AM CDT

A 20-year-old man admitted he brandished a black handgun and waved it at an off-duty police officer who was stopped at a traffic light in Brandon in a July 2025 incident.

Jibriel Ahmed pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose in Brandon provincial court on Friday morning. Another weapons charge for pointing a firearm was stayed by the Crown.

Around 10 p.m. on July 16, an off-duty officer reported to police that he was in the 1500 block of 18th Street when a green Hyundai pulled up beside him and a passenger produced a black handgun before doing a U-turn to leave the area, Crown attorney Easton Lacey said.

“Less than five minutes later, police were en route to the area and observed the suspect vehicle travelling northbound,” she said.

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Yesterday at 1:00 AM CDT

Local

The Brandon courthouse on 11th Street. (File)

Time served for assaulting ex-girlfriend, bringing knife to ER

Tessa Adamski 4 minute read Preview

Time served for assaulting ex-girlfriend, bringing knife to ER

Tessa Adamski 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:59 AM CDT

A man received a three-month sentence for time served in custody after he assaulted his former partner and brought a knife into the Brandon emergency room while experiencing a meth-induced mental health crisis.

Jesse Wielenga, 40, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court on Thursday to one count of assault, breaching a no-contact order and breaching an order not to possess any weapons.

In the first incident on July 17, Wielenga and his ex-girlfriend got into an argument when she was gathering her personal belongings at his residence around 7 a.m., Crown attorney Andrew Sieklicki said.

“The situation escalated when Mr. Wielenga, using both hands, shoved (the woman) onto the couch,” he said, adding that he threw a box at her that contained a watch.

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Yesterday at 12:59 AM CDT

Local

Jeremy Bray of Rivers says he was happy to do his part to help convince Canada’s Drug Agency to expand its drug coverage recommendation to include adults over 25 with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes muscles to progressively weaken. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)

Bray hails CDA decision as ‘huge milestone’

Rylee Gerrard 4 minute read Preview

Bray hails CDA decision as ‘huge milestone’

Rylee Gerrard 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:58 AM CDT

A Westman resident left his impact on federal policy earlier this week when Canada’s Drug Agency expanded its coverage recommendation for two life-sustaining medications to include adults over 25.

Jeremy Bray, 31, lives in Rivers and works from home as a data consultant for the Louis Riel School Division.

He was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes muscles to progressively weaken.

Bray’s medication, called risdiplam and sold under the brand name Evrysdi, slows the progression of the incurable disease, and without coverage, Bray could have been on the hook for roughly $300,000 annually for the treatment.

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Yesterday at 12:58 AM CDT