Song and dance

Frustrated owners won’t rebuild demolished Boujee

The co-owner of a former Main Street restaurant vows he will not rebuild in Winnipeg’s downtown, owing to constant crime and vandalism in the area.

Kanish Sood, who is one of three partners of the now-demolished Boujee Restaurant and Bar, said he did everything he could to keep the building safe from vandals after it was hit by arson last October.

“After that (fire), there is about already 15, 20 times there has been break-in in the property,” Sood said Monday. “We have been informing police continuously that there is continuously break-ins. People are trying to go inside the building and stealing things, but there was no action.”

After Boujee was torched, Sood and his partners locked the building and boarded it up. They also hired private security to monitor it. The break-ins continued.

Student union coalition scrutinized, accused of providing minimal benefit for fees paid

Despite being labelled as “permanently closed” online and maintaining a website filled with outdated information, a coalition of student unions is defending itself as an active entity deserving of fees in spite of its low profile.

The Canadian Federation of Students and its local chapter, better known as CFS-MB, collect annual membership dues from campuses across the province to support their advocacy work.

Alan Saji Koshy’s advice to new and returning students to the University of Winnipeg? “Start asking questions.”

“We pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for practically no benefit and students don’t even know (CFS-MB resources) exist,” the recent graduate and former student association president said.

South Osborne: doing it right

Every year, Time Out, which publishes listings magazines, websites and apps for 333 cities around the world, creates a list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods.

Take a hike... or a bike ride on these Winnipeg trail options

We’re halfway through the 10-week summer holiday and if your family is anything like mine, it’s very likely you’ll be in full-blown survival mode at this point.

You’ve already visited all the popular ice-cream spots in the city (and if you haven’t then you’ll find a list of our faves here) , you’ve ticked every box in our Road Trip Bingo Card and answered every single question in the our How Well Do You Know Your Province Quiz (Part 1 and Part 2) … and there are still 29 days to go before school starts on Sept. 8.

If you’re running low on ideas, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered, with not one, not two, but three cycling/walking routes to help you squeeze a bit more fun from what’s left of the holidays. Grab your helmets, lace up your sneakers, pack water bottles and get outside to explore different neighbourhoods in the city.

NOTE: Check the Winnipeg Trails website before you leaving to make sure paths are open and in working order, especially if we’ve had a bout of nasty weather.

The right plan for reliable energy

Manitoba Hydro’s long-term energy plan is before the Public Utilities Board for public hearings. Debate is healthy, but not when critics ignore the facts.

Ex-Winnipegger taking second shot at Grand Beach-to-Gimli fundraising swim

Jonathon Fenton has some unfinished business in Lake Winnipeg.

Last summer, the 62-year-old attempted to swim from Grand Beach to Gimli, making it 16 kilometres before shoulder problems forced him to stop.

Now, the two-time cancer survivor, who lives in Alberta but grew up in Winnipeg, is returning for a second try — hoping to complete the crossing while raising money for cancer care and research through the second year of his Jonny’s Big Swim fundraiser.

Fenton will get at it Saturday morning, weather and water conditions permitting. The full route from Grand Beach to Gimli is about 26 kilometres, though Fenton said he may stop at Willow Point, just south of Gimli, which would shorten the swim to roughly 22 kilometres.