Scott Billeck's Avatar

Scott Billeck

@scottbilleck.bsky.social

Reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press. winnipegfreepress.com

3,090 Followers  |  248 Following  |  349 Posts  |  Joined: 03.07.2023
Posts Following

Posts by Scott Billeck (@scottbilleck.bsky.social)

So in major pain and pissing pure blood, I called my surgeonโ€™s answering service at 2am. Thirty minutes later one of my surgeonโ€™s residents found me in the waiting room and got me into a room right away. I shouldnโ€™t have had to do that. ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ
Our healthcare is โ€œfreeโ€, but itโ€™s far from good.

03.02.2026 02:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

4 days after having a kidney removed due to cancer, I went to St B because my urine was the colour of cola.
I was told there would be an 18 hour wait! They only decided to take a urine sample after I raised hell. Then I was told that I wasnโ€™t in danger of dying so I had to keep waiting.

03.02.2026 02:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Investigations underway after patients die following multiple-hour ER waits at Winnipeg hospital Two families are seeking answers after their loved ones died following prolonged waits in the St. Boniface Hospital emergency room last month โ€” cases that have sparked an internal hospital review and....

Investigations underway after patients die following multiple-hour ER waits at St. B
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

03.02.2026 01:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Former Manitobans living in Minnesota wracked with fear, disgust as turmoil continues to unfold Amy Hewett-Olatunde apologizes again and again as her voice cracks at the other end of a phone call, emotions overtaking her mid-sentence. The former Manitoban, who has taught in Minnesotaโ€™s Twin Citi...

Waiting to exhale: Former Manitobans living in Minnesota wracked with fear, disgust as turmoil continues to unfold
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

30.01.2026 23:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 20    ๐Ÿ” 9    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 10    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Preview
Five charged with extortion of core-area convenience stores City police have arrested four men and one woman and are searching for two others in connection with a wave of extortion attempts and arsons that primarily targeted core-area businesses, the Free Pres...

BREAKING: Five charged with extortion of core-area convenience stores
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

27.01.2026 00:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Yeah. Makes a lot of sense. Itโ€™s incredible how much he, and Republicans, are just able to watch him trample everything that makes America American.

25.01.2026 02:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Vacant Winnipeg Main Street hotel โ€˜total lossโ€™ after overnight fire An overnight blaze Wednesday that destroyed a dilapidated hotel, forced the evacuation of about 150 people from a shelter next door and shut down Main Street traffic in both directions is being descri...

Vacant Main Street hotel โ€˜total lossโ€™ after overnight fire
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

14.01.2026 22:35 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Seasonโ€™s messages of love and joy at St. Vital group home for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities Thereโ€™s a promise of warmth inside before anyone opens the door. On the deck, a table wearing a thin layer of fresh snow has been transformed into a greeting. โ€œHappy Winter,โ€ it reads, etched by hand....

โ€˜Thereโ€™s peace hereโ€™: Seasonโ€™s messages of love, joy and family on full display at St. Vital group home for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

24.12.2025 00:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Seasonโ€™s messages of love and joy at St. Vital group home for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities Thereโ€™s a promise of warmth inside before anyone opens the door. On the deck, a table wearing a thin layer of fresh snow has been transformed into a greeting. โ€œHappy Winter,โ€ it reads, etched by hand....

โ€˜Thereโ€™s peace hereโ€™: Seasonโ€™s messages of love, joy and family on full display at St. Vital group home for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

24.12.2025 00:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Work is being done on that, I assure you. Keep watching this space. Last night wasnโ€™t about getting into the nuance. It was about reporting on the town hall, and what residents and business owners who, mostly, vehemently oppose the idea in their neighbourhood.

17.12.2025 17:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I appreciate the suggestion. The story was a report on the town hall, and not a delve into the benefits of a safe consumption site. While people seem to want to help, the context here is theyโ€™re already in an impoverished are plagued by crime and drug use. They see SCS as bringing more.

17.12.2025 17:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Residents, biz owners plead with NDP to scrap plan for Henry Avenue drug site Many of the residents and business owners who packed a town hall across the street from the proposed supervised drug consumption site in the North Logan neighbourhood on Tuesday night, voiced fierce o...

Residents, biz owners plead with NDP to scrap plan for Henry Avenue drug site

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

17.12.2025 03:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Few public figures have faced a year as punishing as Pierre Poilievre has in 2025. He started with a 25-point poll lead, only to suffer a dramatic election lossโ€”along with his own seat. Since then, he has watched Liberals near a majority as his MPs abandon him.

12.12.2025 07:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Preview
Main Street Project says occupants in a lurch after city cleared out Mostyn Park camp

Main Street Project says occupants in a lurch after city cleared out Mostyn Park camp

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

12.12.2025 00:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Itโ€™s very popular, Iโ€™m told.

11.12.2025 22:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Sour Puss. Staff told me itโ€™s really the only drink that thereโ€™s no comparison for.

And some higher-end bourbons out of Kentucky, such as Woodford Reserve.

11.12.2025 21:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Sex offender accused in St. Vital school washroom incident twice breached court order at nearby high school: police A convicted sex offender who allegedly grabbed a young girl at a St. Vital elementary school two weeks ago is now facing new charges after police say he showed up twice at a nearby high school in viol...

Sex offender accused in St. Vital school washroom incident twice breached court order at nearby high school: police

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

11.12.2025 01:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Eager Winnipeggers line up to snap up sorely missed star-spangled booze Lorraine Goudie stepped out of her warm car and into the first spot in a line at the Crestview Liquor Mart โ€” a queue that soon stretched south along the L-shaped strip mallโ€™s corridor on a frigid Wedn...

Eager Winnipeggers line up to snap up sorely missed star-spangled booze

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

10.12.2025 21:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 3

He was charged in March, as the article states. Released with a slew of conditions, which he breached, as the article says. The community wasnโ€™t alerted, as our previous reporting said, because he essentially didnโ€™t qualify for it. Dakota said police never told them. Police dispute that.

06.12.2025 17:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Winnipeg encampment clearing strains agency beyond its limits: Street Links director Marion Willis picked up her phone Thursday morning sounding both exasperated and exhausted. โ€œIโ€™m just swamped,โ€ the executive director of St. Boniface Street Links said with a deep sigh. โ€œIโ€™m frustrat...

Encampment clearing strains agency beyond its limits: Street Links director

Says ban lacks support strategy; city touts โ€˜compassionate approachโ€™

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

06.12.2025 03:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Parents miffed by lack of communication about sex offender involved in school incident Parents are concerned they werenโ€™t warned a convicted sex offender, who is accused of grabbing a child in an elementary school last week, had been removed from a nearby high school that morning and in...

Parents miffed by lack of communication about sex offender involved in school incident

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

06.12.2025 03:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud believes sheโ€™ll have greater impact by attacking homelessness on another front If there is one thing Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud knows, itโ€™s that tackling Winnipegโ€™s homelessness crisis requires support and ideas from all corners of the city. She has witnessed the crisisโ€™s impact f...

โ€˜Sheโ€™s kind of that unicornโ€™
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

21.11.2025 22:31 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Keeping the lights on: Winnipeg restaurants plan security upgrades in aftermath of arsons A serial arson spree in Winnipeg could lead to security changes for MLAs and their constituency offices, while some business owners spend thousands to add surveillance cameras or brighter lights.

Keeping the lights on: restaurants plan security upgrades in aftermath of arsons
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

21.11.2025 14:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Man charged in Winnipeg arson spree worked at two of the businesses targeted A man accused of setting more than a dozen fires downtown and in the north part of the city has personal connections to at least two of the businesses that were targeted.

Man charged in arson spree worked at two of the businesses targeted
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

21.11.2025 14:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Suspected arsonistโ€™s arrest a relief for targeted Manitoba cabinet ministers, business owners A 35-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged in a five-month spree of arson attacks against the constituency offices of two NDP government cabinet ministers, downtown restaurants and bars and other loc...

Suspected arsonistโ€™s arrest a relief for targeted cabinet ministers, business owners
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

20.11.2025 02:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 12    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
โ€˜Keeping her name out thereโ€™: family marks 15 years since Indigenous woman vanished Time has stood still for the family of Amber Guiboche. Monday will mark 15 years since the young Indigenous woman vanished without a trace โ€” a painful milestone that brings no new answers, only the en...

โ€˜Keeping her name out thereโ€™: family marks 15 years since Indigenous woman vanished
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

09.11.2025 01:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Theft and violence across Winnipeg take serious toll on business owners Last week, an employee at a business in Winnipegโ€™s Westwood neighbourhood found herself targeted when a customer hurled a cup of coffee at her.

Wholesale mayhem, retail nightmare
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

06.11.2025 23:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
RCMP investigating macabre display threatening rural officials in yard on โ€˜sovereign landโ€™

RCMP investigating macabre display threatening rural officials in yard on โ€˜sovereign landโ€™
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

31.10.2025 21:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Losing homelessness adviser disappointing, but new role โ€˜positive development,โ€™ premier says Manitobaโ€™s premier says he would have preferred that his hand-picked adviser on homelessness stay in her role, after she resigned less than a year into the job. But a day after Tessa Blaikie Whiteclou...

Losing homelessness adviser disappointing, but new role โ€˜positive development,โ€™ premier says
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

31.10.2025 21:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Downtown Winnipeg restaurant blaze rekindles fire fears Another downtown restaurant burned early Thursday, reigniting concerns over a rash of fires that have plagued the cityโ€™s downtown and Exchange District neighbourhoods in recent months. Winnipeg Fire P...

Downtown restaurant blaze rekindles fire fears
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

23.10.2025 22:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0