With Bell Media bean counters axing almost 5000 jobs nationally and dumping weekend and noontime newscasts in Winnipeg, the public is again being abandoned by corporate newsrooms.

Episode 14 starts with a look at the impact on the ability of their newsroom to properly report the news, and our efforts to ensure vital information and investigations continue to be made available to residents and stakeholders.

The hypocrisy of issuing life-shattering layoffs immediately after the “Bell Let’s Talk” charade of caring about mental health is now frequently noted as the brand burns itself to the ground..

13:51 Part 2- An example of the kind of news CTV Winnipeg might have telecast this weekend is the budget battle brewing in St. Boniface.

City belt-tightening proposals to close area outdoor pools is meeting fierce opposition in Windsor Park/Winakwa and around Happyland Park.

We air out the well-founded grievances of the residents who point out the City itself fails to follow policy and to staff the pools properly. This also impacts area families outside of those neighborhoods- as when the mismanaged Norwood Pool was demolished a few years ago, they were told to attend the other facilities, now also slated for demolition with no replacements planned.

23.00- Councilor Matt Allard has asserted he will fight the cuts and try to save the amenities.

“Splash Pad were meant to replace wading pools, not pools. And two pools in exchange for one splash pad is not fair to the residents of St. Boniface,”

You’ll hear his Facebook post, where he cites the meth crisis and rising crime as reasons to preserve recreation in the working class neighborhoods in his ward.

“After I had time to cool off I looked at the budget and talked to a few colleagues, I realised that there is a good argument to change the budget and save the pools.

“I am doing everything I can, talking to colleagues and city administration to reverse this decision.”

He says he’ll lobby for other councilors to vote with him. Will it be too little, too late?

Here’s a CBC Radio interview about the battle.

35:53 Part 3- Another story people won’t see on CTV Winnipeg this weekend but that we will tell you about, is a pro-Hamas rally planned for Sunday.

Organizers say it will use tactics to get public attention that have been banned in Toronto- by occupying a traffic overpass.

It’s another in a long line of antisemitic antics that Winnipeg leaders fail to denounce or prevent. Listen to the details as we close the episode.