The most-read stories on CTV Winnipeg in 2024

Historic events, community pride and significant losses dominated headlines in Manitoba in 2024.

Here’s a list of the most-read stories of each month of 2024 on CTV News Winnipeg.

January

Man fatally shot by Winnipeg police was international student, lawyer says

Afolabi Stephen Opaso, 19, was an international student originally from Nigeria who was studying at the University of Manitoba. He was fatally shot by police on New Year’s Day after reports he was acting erratically and armed with two knives. Danton Unger reports

Is an electric vehicle in a Manitoba winter a good idea? These EV drivers weigh in

Canada is setting new standards for electric vehicle availability and it's going to require more EVs. But are these vehicles up to the challenge of Winnipeg's cold winters? Jon Hendricks reports.

Winnipeg restaurant owner dead following confrontation: police

Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, the 51-year-old owner of Cork and Flame, was killed in a confrontation outside of his restaurant. A 38-year-old man was charged in his death. Alexandra Holyk reports.

Manitoba RCMP are shown on scene at a home in Carman, Man. on Feb. 12, 2024 following the suspicious deaths of five people in the area a day earlier. (Source: Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)

February

First-degree murder charges laid in deaths of five family members in Manitoba

A 29-year-old Manitoba man has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder after he allegedly killed five members of his family, including his three children. Devon McKendrick reports.

'No one listened': Mother of teen slain in Carman says CFS ignored her safety concerns

The grieving mother of a teen who was among a family killed in Carman, Man., is demanding answers – saying her daughter was placed in the home where she died by Winnipeg Child and Family Services despite warnings that it wasn't safe. Danton Unger reports.

From Scandals to The Pal, a look back at storied Winnipeg bars and clubs that have come and gone

The Winnipeg bar and nightclub graveyard is riddled with favourite haunts that have come and gone in a blaze of strobe lights and thumping subwoofers. Katherine Dow takes a look back.

March

Curler Harris will appeal suspension after missing Scotties due to doping violation

Briane Harris's absence from Canada's national women's curling championship has officially been explained. The Winnipeg curler tested positive for trace amounts of Ligandrol in an out-of-competition doping control test conducted on Jan. 24. She is currently awaiting a decision. John Chidley-Hill reports.

Mitzi's Restaurant in Winnipeg serves its last famous chicken fingers

The days of serving chicken fingers, honey dill sauce, and Chinese food with a smile came to a close for the downtown Winnipeg staple, Mitzi’s Restaurant. Sadly, ower Shirley Eng passed away in November this year. Joseph Bernacki reports.

'You just have to laugh': Winnipeg woman's car stolen, recovered and then stolen again

A Winnipeg woman said she can only laugh at her bad luck after her car was stolen in November, recovered – and then it was stolen again.

'Long time coming:' Manitoba premier apologizes to two men switched at birth in 1955

Manitoba’s premier officially apologized to two men who were switched at birth in a Manitoba hospital more than 60 years ago. Charles Lefebvre reports.

Carla Anne Ferguson is holding a bottle of Umary Hyaluronic Acid Dietary Supplement pills on April 16, 2024. (Danton Unger/CTV News Winnipeg)

April

'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug

A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health. Warnings were issued by Health Canada in the wake of the story. Danton Unger reports.

'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date

A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression. Jeff Keele reports.

Gone, but not forgotten: Iconic restaurants live on in the memories of Winnipeggers

From the Tiki stylings of The Beachcomber, to the Shanghai Restaurant in Chinatown, defunct restaurants live on the hearts and stomachs of Manitobans. The public sent in dozens of restaurants we missed on our list. Joseph Bernacki reports.

'Magical feeling': Clouds don't spoil eclipse viewing party in Winnipeg

A total solar eclipse travelled across North America, with the sun going directly behind the moon on April 8.

Manitoba was not under the path of totality, but parties at the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg and The Leaf allowed people to view the eclipse safely. Kayla Rosen has more.

May

Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible

Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argued he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder. Danton Unger reports.

'Inhumane conditions': 68 dogs pulled from Winnipeg home 

Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history. Charles Lefebvre reports.

'A special bird': The unbreakable bond between purple martins and humans

Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.

Purple martins have returned to North America – including the Canadian prairies – for their breeding season, a celebratory sight for bird lovers in the province. Devon McKendrick has more on the special bird.

June

Blockade briefly stops Pride Parade in downtown Winnipeg

Winnipeg’s Pride Parade was temporarily blocked by protesters on Portage Avenue. Kayla Rosen reports. 

A look at the aftermath of Karl Lent's house following an explosion next door in Transcona on June 26, 2024. (Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg)

'Like an earthquake': Transcona house levelled by explosion, nearby homes damaged

One home was completely levelled and others suffered significant damage after an explosion rocked a Transcona neighbourhood. Devon McKendrick reports.

'People get very sick': Manitoba sees rise in rare, potentially fatal bacterial infection

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a bacterial infection that can cause meningitis (severe brain and spinal cord inflammation) and is potentially fatal. Katherine Dow reports.

No charges for driver in 2023 Manitoba bus crash that killed 17 seniors: RCMP

Manitoba RCMP and Crown prosecutors will not lay charges against the bus driver involved in a crash with a semi-truck in 2023. Katherine Dow explains.

July

'Justice was served today': Winnipeg serial killer Jeremy Skibicki convicted on four counts of first-degree murder

A Manitoba judge found serial killer Jeremy Skibicki guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, ruling he was not suffering from schizophrenia when he ‘mercilessly’ killed four Indigenous women. Danton Unger reports.

Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill

A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill. Jeff Keele reports.

'Her whole future ahead of her': Sask. photographer captures Manitoba graduate posing on iceberg

Some say a photograph is simply a memory frozen in time – and a high school graduation photo taken in Churchill, Man. takes that adage to a completely new level. Daniel Halmarson has more.

High school graduate Emily Dingwall floats atop an iceberg in Churchill, Man. on July 7, 2024. (Source: Brandy Bloxom Photography)

August

Winnipeg serial killer handed four life sentences in murders of Indigenous women

Convicted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki was handed four life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years in the murders of four Indigenous women. Danton Unger reports.

'Intimate partner violence' led to triple homicide in McCreary: Manitoba RCMP

A "horrific act of intimate partner violence" is what led to a triple homicide in McCreary, Man. Devon McKendrick reports.

10 Winnipeg 7-Elevens facing closure due to crime

Two Winnipeg city councillors say company officials have told them 10 city stores are on the chopping block, but they are looking for help to avoid the drastic measure. Jeff Keele reports.

September

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick dies after collapsing outside Winnipeg courthouse

The Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs died after collapsing outside of the Manitoba courthouse on Sept. 6.

Grand Chief Cathy Merrick was speaking to reporters following the not-guilty verdict for Robert Jeffrey Morden in the death of William Ahmo, when she collapsed.

'It hurts': Missing six-year-old boy in Manitoba found dead

The body of Johnson Redhead, a six-year-old boy from Shamattawa First Nation, was found days following his disappearance on Sept. 18. Devon McKendrick reports.

Inside a Manitoba ghost town, a group of ladies works to keep it alive

It's eerily quiet in Lauder, Manitoba. Abandoned homes line the streets, a rusty swing set in an overgrown yard creaks in the wind. The town is a ghost of what it once was, yet inside there is a small community that is thriving. Danton Unger reports.

'It starts off innocent': Manitoba man loses $185,000 to crypto-romance scam

A Manitoba man is warning others after he fell victim to an elaborate online scam over the summer.

In a matter of months, 62-year-old Ernie Kiss lost $185,000 in what experts describe as a cryptocurrency romance scam. Daniel Halmarson reports.

October

'Did he live? Did he die?': A decades-old mystery stretching from Manitoba to Ireland

The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth. Daniel Halmarson helps decode the mystery.

Winnipeg School Division apologizes over message displayed during professional development day

The superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has apologized over a message displayed during a professional development day on Wednesday.

The in-service day took place at the Canada Life Centre, with about 5,000 WSD staff attending the event. Chris Emdin, a Columbia University professor, was the keynote speaker at the professional development day. During the keynote presentation, the scoreboard displayed the statement, “Resistance to colonialism is not terrorism.”

Kayla Rosen and Charles Lefebvre report.

Disgraced former Winnipeg football coach sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual assault

A disgraced former Winnipeg high school football coach convicted of sexual assault and luring will spend 20 years behind bars. Danton Unger reports.

'You were innocent': Judge acquits Manitoba man 50 years after murder conviction

An Indigenous man convicted of killing a restaurant worker 50 years ago was acquitted Oct. 3 by a judge who called the case a wrongful conviction that involved systemic discrimination. Steve Lambert reports.

Winnipeggers arrested after images surface of cats being tortured, killed online

Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed. Kayla Rosen reports. (Warning: This story contains disturbing details).

Unicity Shopping Centre - Nov 24,2024

November

Winnipeg police shoot, kill suspect after officer stabbed in the throat

Manitoba’s police watchdog is investigating a deadly police shooting at Winnipeg’s Unicity Shopping Centre on Nov. 24. Jon Hendricks reports.

Manitoba RCMP issue Canada-wide warrant for Ontario semi-driver charged in deadly crash

Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that left an eight-year-old girl and her mother dead.

Death of Manitoba infant being investigated as a homicide: RCMP

Back in June, human remains of an infant were found on a property just off Highway 6 in the RM of Grahamdale. Investigators have now identified the remains as Xavia Skye Lynn Butler, who police believe was between one and two years old when she died. Devon McKendrick and Charles Lefebvre report.

100-year-old Winnipeg man walks blocks to see his wife

It's considered lucky to live to be 100, but often when you hit that milestone, you're faced with significant mobility issues.

Not Winnipeg's Jack Mudry. The centenarian regularly walks five blocks to get where he wants to go, the care home where his wife Stella lives. Jon Hendricks reports.

Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville, chancellor of the Order of Manitoba, presents Manitoba's highest honour to Murray Sinclair during an investiture ceremony at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg Thursday, July 25, 2024. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73

Murray Sinclair, who was born when Indigenous people did not yet have the right to vote, grew up to become one of the most decorated and influential people to work in Indigenous justice and advocacy.

A former judge and senator, one of Sinclair's biggest roles was chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools. The father of five died peacefully Nov. 4 in a Winnipeg hospital.

December

Northwestern Ontario community fined for refusing to celebrate Pride Month

An Ontario town and its mayor have been fined a total of $15,000 for refusing to celebrate Pride Month. The town has now appealed the ruling. Kayla Rosen reports.

Young Manitoba woman dies after medical emergency during dental appointment

The Manitoba Dental Association (MDA) said it will investigate a critical incident where a young woman from the Morden-Winkler area died following a dental appointment. Katherine Dow reports.

'The Wild West': Winnipeg looking to put an end to bus fare evasion

A push is on to get more people to pay for their rides on Winnipeg buses. Right now, the city is losing millions of dollars a year because of fare evasion. Jeff Keele reports.

Manitoban thankful for being found after early morning crash in October

A Manitoba man still can't believe he was found after being in an early morning crash on a rural Manitoba road at the end of October that left him with significant injuries to both legs. Devon McKendrick reports.