A friend in need

Mom spearheads fight for rehab services

Four years ago, a car crash permanently changed Will Castor’s life.

The 28-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury that required a long recovery as he worked to relearn skills many people take for granted, such as eating, speaking and getting out of bed.

A key part of that journey was First Steps Wellness Centre, a Winnipeg rehabilitation facility, where Will worked with therapists to regain independence and connect with others facing similar challenges.

But on June 5, financial constraints forced First Steps to close, leaving families without the specialized therapy they had come to rely on.

Letters, July 14

I commend James Wilt on his column on Manitoba Hydro’s options for increased electrical generation. For years Manitoba Hydro has put too many eggs in one basket by relying almost entirely on water power for electricity.

Gold mine accused of sparking wildfire that caused evacuations

Several property owners are suing a Lynn Lake-area gold mine over a massive wildfire that burned more than 210,000 acres last spring, causing evacuations as the flames closed in on the community.

Provincial conservation officials alleged in court documents filed last year the wildfire started May 7, 2025, after a controlled burn pile reignited at Alamos Gold Inc., located about 7.5 kilometres northeast of Lynn Lake. The blaze spread to within five kilometres of the small northern community.

A Manitoba government spokesman said Monday the fire remains under investigation.

The wildfire led to the late May 2025 evacuations of Lynn Lake, home to nearly 600 residents and located about 800 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, and Marcel Colomb First Nation.

U of W falls back on tuition hikes amid budget crunch

The University of Winnipeg has joined other public post-secondary institutions across the province in hiking tuition rates by four per cent — as high as possible — for the fall.

Domestic fees are increasing by more annually in 2026-27 than they have in eight years in Manitoba.

International rates, which are unregulated and roughly four times those paid by their Canadian peers, are rising even higher.

U of W’s board of regents approved a $180.7-million budget on June 22 that increases costs in undergraduate and graduate programs and phases out “low rate” courses on the downtown campus.

Winnipeggers try to cool off as heat wave persists

Mark Boissoneault woke up Monday to dozens of calls from Winnipeggers desperate for their air conditioning units to be fixed.

The owner of Tradesman Heating and Air Conditioning said the 30 air conditioning repairs they’ve done daily since a heat wave hit the city is triple the number they do on a regular summer day.

“We actually can’t keep up,” he said.

The mercury hit 35.3 C in Winnipeg Sunday, according to Environment Canada. The humidex made it feel like 48.

Bjorck inks three-year, entry-level contract with Jets

Putting pen to paper was merely the next step in the journey for Viggo Bjorck.

Now that the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft has inked his entry-level deal with the Winnipeg Jets, the real fun begins.

This is standard operating procedure and was basically a formality after Bjorck’s club team Djurgardens announced publicly over the weekend that the skilled forward was leaving the Swedish Hockey League to pursue NHL opportunities.

Bjorck signed his three-year pact on Monday and it carries a cap hit of US $1.075 million in the NHL, with the ability to make another US$1 million per season if he hits his performance bonuses.