Rita Letendre, renowned as a pioneer of Canadian abstract art, dead at 93

Whistleblower pharmacist fined for misconduct after complaint

A Manitoba pharmacist who made complaints against a colleague that led to sanctions against him has now also been fined due to her own conduct.

Stellar year for Manitoba artists at WCMAs

Manitoba acts earned top honours at this past weekend’s Western Canadian Music Awards in Victoria, including pop artist of the year for Begonia, a francophone artist of the year award for Jocelyn Baribeau, video director of the year for Taylor Brown and two awards for the Brandon-raised Fontine, who took home prizes for rock artist and Indigenous artist of the year.

It was double time for the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, which for the second consecutive year was named Western Canada’s jazz artist of the year.

The recognition comes on the strength of the WJO’s most recent recording, Forgotten Stories Suite, a project by local woodwind specialist Sean Irvine that blends spoken word, instrumental soundscapes and sung vocals to amplify stories of queer experience.

“As I started becoming a composer, I was thinking about what I had to say,” says Irvine, a musician with a doctorate of jazz performance from the University of Toronto and a master’s in performance and literature from Brandon University.

Infill development on minds of all three River Heights-Fort Garry candidates

A trio of candidates will compete to become the first new city councillor in River Heights-Fort Garry since 2009.

Coun. John Orlikow, who won the seat in a byelection, is not running for another term.

Georgina Sabesky, who served as Orlikow’s executive assistant for 17 years, is now one of the candidates vying for the council seat.

Sabesky said that job gave her ample knowledge of the ward.

Manitoba Federation of Labour calls for independent review of Workers Compensation Board

A major labour association is calling for an independent Workers Compensation Board review as Manitoba leads the country in workplace injury rates.

Last year, 2.5 employees in every 100 reported a workplace injury serious enough to take time off, WCB tracking shows. The number is higher than any other province — just as it has been for the past three years, according to the Manitoba Federation of Labour.

(In 2025, the next highest time loss injury rate was in British Columbia: 2.04 people for every 100.)

“Our prevention work in Manitoba is failing Manitobans,” said Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour. “We need an independent review to help shine a light on, ‘What is happening on the prevention front of WCB?’”

Abstract art pioneer Rita Letendre dead at 93

TORONTO - Rita Letendre, renowned as a pioneer of Canadian abstract art, has died.

Gallery Gevik in Toronto says Letendre died Saturday at age 93 after a long illness.

The painter, muralist and printmaker rose to prominence in the 1950s for her association with Quebec's influential abstract artist groups, Les Automatistes and Les Plasticiens.

She continued to experiment with form and technique throughout her career, setting herself apart with her bold palette and geometric style, as exemplified by her recurring motif of arrows.