Stony drug-detection cuts threaten safety

It seems penny-wise and pound-foolish to impose austerity measures on efforts to stop the flow of illicit drugs at a time when those efforts are becoming more aggressive, ambitious and profitable than ever.

Red card for FIFA, Infantino

It took longer than most people thought it would, but U.S. President Donald Trump finally brought his brand of chaos to the men’s World Cup soccer tournament — and immediately soiled the pitch.

Trump was infuriated by a questionable red card shown to top U.S. forward Folarin Balogun during the American team’s July 1 match with Bosnia and Herzegovina — disciplinary action which meant Balogun was ejected from the game and suspended for his country’s next match versus Belgium on Monday, July 6.

Spurred on by officials including Andrew Giuliani (yes, the son of Rudy), director of the White House task force on the World Cup, Trump called up his bosom buddy, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, that very evening to ask that something be done about the suspension. He called Infantino again on July 4.

Lo and behold, FIFA announced July 5 that its disciplinary panel had suspended the application of Balogun’s one-match ban for a year, making him eligible to play in the Belgium game (which the U.S. lost 4-1, by the way). Multiple news reports quickly revealed Trump’s calls to Infantino — reaction was equally swift.

Mosquito-free summers nice while they lasted

It was nice while it lasted, wasn’t it? And it certainly seemed to last a long, lovely time. But with this spring and early summer’s unusually heavy rainfall and significant standing-water accumulation, our blissful vacation from mosquito swarming and swatting is most definitely over.

Emergency responders overburdened

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service’s first comprehensive annual report offers an uncomfortable but necessary reality check. Winnipeg’s emergency responders are being asked to do more than ever, while the public is waiting longer than it should when every minute matters.

A record 136,198 incidents in 2025, including nearly 115,000 medical calls, reflects a system under relentless strain. Much of that pressure is being driven by the ongoing addictions crisis, which now generates roughly 27 emergency calls every day related to drugs or alcohol.

Opioid overdoses, alcohol intoxication and mental health emergencies have become routine parts of the workload for firefighters and paramedics, even as they continue responding to fires, traffic collisions and countless other emergencies.

The report should serve as a call to action for both city hall and the Manitoba government.

Vaping: a clear and present danger

The numbers are startling. According to a recent Free Press story, nearly one-fifth (18.4 per cent) of Manitoba teens in grades 7 to 12 reported using ‘vapes’, known more formally as e-cigarettes, within the month prior to answering a Health Canada survey in 2023-24.

Anything seems possible now

For the sake of history, and accuracy, it’s important that Winnipeggers should record and reflect on all of the bad things that did not happen when the City of Winnipeg finally, thankfully, re-opened Portage and Main to pedestrians just over one year ago.

Traffic did not gridlock.

Pedestrians were not mowed down like traffic cones.

It did not divert much-needed financial resources away from more important infrastructure projects.

Plan for 24 Sussex Drive makes sense

It has, for more than a decade, been this country’s highest-profile vacant dwelling.

Prior to 2015, however, 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa had been the official residence of Canada’s prime ministers for more than 60 years, an address whose mention conjured notions of prestige and distinction akin to those associated with 10 Downing Street in London or the White House in Washington, D.C.

After years of deferred maintenance and, one might argue, outright neglect, the 35-room mansion that was home to every prime minister from Louis St-Laurent to Stephen Harper is no longer fit for human habitation. Among the concerns that led Justin Trudeau to opt not to live at 24 Sussex — choosing instead to dwell at nearby Rideau Cottage — were a leaky roof, cracked windows, failing plumbing, faulty wiring and the presence of asbestos in the structure’s 160-year-old construction materials.

Current Prime Minister (and non-Sussex resident) Mark Carney thinks it’s time for 24 Sussex to reclaim its status as the PM’s official residence. Last Friday he unveiled plans for a massive redesign and renovation plan and a fundraising campaign that will invite Canadians to contribute to the project.

Downtown crackdown necessary

It has stirred controversy and been met with loudly voiced objections from some interested parties, but this much can be said about the recent police crackdown on open drug use and trafficking in Winnipeg’s downtown core: Doing nothing was not an acceptable option.

Canada’s ‘heroes’ on the pitch

“You guys are Canadian heroes!” Jesse Marsch, the head coach of Canada’s national men’s soccer team, was effusive in praise of his players after they defeated South Africa on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Wonders of science never cease

Scientific study, however specialized, can bring a huge variety of benefits — sometimes, from something as simple (and occasionally irritating) as a ground squirrel.

Trump sullies U.S. 250th celebrations

United States President Donald Trump is undermining his country’s momentous 250th anniversary celebrations by single-handedly making the celebrations about himself and not the country nor the citizens that he allegedly represents.

The “America 250 Commission” was created nearly a decade ago to serve as a non-partisan coordinator of anniversary events. The centrepiece of the commission’s events is a star-studded benefit concert in Los Angeles that has been dubbed “America’s block Party.” The gala, featuring big-name musical artists, will connect remotely to smaller, community-level parties across the country.

Trump, unsuccessful in efforts to take over the commission, decided to create his own organization, Freedom 250, to hold a rival event at Washington, D.C.’s famed National Mall that he is calling “The Great American State Fair.”

Trump’s plans to steal attention from official 250th anniversary events began to fall apart in recent weeks, as many of the musical acts pulled out and some states refused an invitation to participate. Undeterred, Trump stepped in as the headlining act to deliver a blistering, campaign-style speech at a time when Americans are being encouraged to lay down their partisan swords and celebrate the nation.

Brexit: 10 years after

On June 23, 2016, a bare majority of the U.K. population — just 51.9 per cent — voted to leave the European Union in a national referendum on the question called by then-prime minister David Cameron.

PMO stumbles with Sio Silica communique

While attending the G7 summit last week in Évian, France, Prime Minister Mark Carney touted “new investment partnerships” between Canada and Germany, including a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Canadian-based Sio Silica and German solar technology firm RCT Solutions for the extraction of high-purity silica sand used in solar-panel manufacturing.

Hockey Night in Canada: A cultural tradition forever changed

When the puck drops this fall on the National Hockey League’s 2026-27 season, for the first time in nearly three-quarters of a century there will be no games available on CBC. Hockey Night in Canada, as Canadian sports fans have known it for generations, has ceased to be.

Justice system should reflect people it serves

Manitoba’s justice system has struggled for decades with a reality that should concern every resident of the province: Indigenous people are dramatically overrepresented in the courts and in custody.