Love at first sight could be your imago

Downtown no place to be after dark, huge majority of Winnipeggers say in survey

Most Winnipeggers are afraid to walk alone downtown and believe the city needs more police officers, a new survey finds.

Winnipeg Police Service released its 2026 citizen survey Friday.

Downtown safety appears to remain a major concern, with just 44 per cent saying they feel very or reasonably safe walking alone in the area during the day. The number plummets to eight per cent overall at night, down from nine per cent in 2024, the last time the survey was conducted.

This year, 14 per cent of men felt very or reasonably safe walking alone downtown at night, compared to just three per cent of women.

A life's story: ‘Ivor the Driver’ found his calling in the ranching life

Ivor Asham’s family couldn’t have picked a better image to accompany his obituary. There he is, riding Flash, his beloved brown and white quarter horse, a black cowboy hat on his head and a drink in his hand.

Asham owned and operated Birds Hill Park Ranch for nearly 35 years, where he shared his lifelong passion for horses with thousands of visitors. He moved hay, harnessed horses and drove the wagons, introducing himself as “Ivor the Driver.”

Over the years, Asham built a reputation as the quintessential cowboy.

There’s a restaurant at the ranch filled with memorabilia that he collected over the years. Calgary Stampede posters, cowboy boot-shaped shot glasses, a child’s rocking horse, a wagon wheel and numerous photos of legendary actor John Wayne are just some of the items that line the walls.

Debut adult novel proves a twisty, satisfying cozy mystery

The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Toronto author Vikki VanSickle is a metaphysical mystery with identity and self-acceptance at its core. It leans into the “cosy” category, despite a spatter of salty language.

VanSickle is a writing instructor and TV commentator, and is best-known for her books for children and teens, including the award-winning The Winnowing.

The 1998 disappearance of 17-year-old Ginny Evans haunts the Ontario town of Stanfield. The girl’s mother clings to hope that Ginny ran away to escape her abusive father, and is living a safe and happy life elsewhere.

Others believe she was murdered — but not dumped in a nearby lake, as the recently deceased and long-maligned “Hannah the Mystic” once suggested.

Artist’s inspired work brings Red River Métis story back to Portage and Main

Jennine Krauchi calls them the “grandmothers.” “They speak to you very silently. You never hear a word, but they speak,” Krauchi says, referring to the antique pieces of Métis needlework she’s carefully studied for years. But there are few precedents for her latest art project: a 85-foot-wide by 32-foot-high chain curtain of Métis needlework that drapes over the historic Bank of Montreal’s neoclassical facade.