Solo sojourns more than worth initial angst

Manitoba budget reveals province underspent on crucial departments related to justice, public safety

While concerns about homelessness and public safety continue to make headlines in Manitoba, the two government departments mainly responsible for addressing them came in under budget last year.

The 2025-26 public accounts, released Monday, show Housing, Addictions and Homelessness underspent its budget of $869 million by $18 million. Manitoba Justice underspent its budget of $994 million by $34 million.

The 247-page public accounts report attributes the underspending in justice mainly to “reduced impacts of contingency liabilities,” such as a court ruling or legal settlement.

The report did not explain how and why Housing, Addictions and Homelessness underspent its budget last year as the province addresses those critical issues.

Revealing statements by Trump about courts

Analyzing the utterances of U.S. President Donald Trump may seem like the ultimate sort of mug’s game — they are varied, contradictory, rambling, pugilistic, sometimes wheedling and the list goes on.

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: Caution. Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions from 3 a.m. until 10:55 p.m. After that, the moon moves from Aquarius into Pisces.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

There’s a moon alert all day so restrict spending to food and gas, and postpone important decisions. However, you are the artisan of the zodiac, and a moon alert is an excellent time for socializing and making art.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Firefighter admits to conditional sentence breach

A Winnipeg firefighter previously jailed for criminally harassing two different women has been released from custody after admitting to breaching a conditional sentence order.

Christopher Goethals, 59, was arrested July 21 after an alert from his ankle monitor six days earlier showed he had driven within 400 metres of the workplace of a former girlfriend he had been ordered to have no contact with.

Goethals pleaded guilty Wednesday to not being in possession of a copy of his conditional sentence order, a requirement of his sentence.

Crown attorney Amanda Heslop withdrew a breach charge related to Goethals’ electronic monitoring conditions and stayed a third charge of disobeying a court order.

Don’t miss these 10 concerts during a jam-packed season

Shorter days and dipping temperatures also trumpet the launch of another jam-packed arts season, with a full slate of world-class concerts.

Here is a list of Top 10 concerts that have caught our eye from now until the snow flies, listed in chronological order:

1) Da-da-da-daaaah! The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 79th season with one of the most iconic symphonies in the classical canon on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Centennial Concert Hall. The first in its renamed Masterworks series (formerly Saturday Classics) features maestro Daniel Raiskin leading the players through Beethoven’s roiling Symphony No. 5, a.k.a. “fate knocking at the door,” as well as Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. The program that repeats Sunday at 2 p.m. also features Dark Nights, Bright Stars, Vast Universe from WSO’s newly minted composer-in-residence, Kelly-Marie Murphy; the work is inspired by the “night sky and themes of curiosity and discovery.” For further information, see wso.ca.

2) Manitoba has long been hailed as “the singing province,” with Winnipeg’s diverse choral groups promising to enthrall fans once again with their latest offerings. Local a cappella vocal ensemble Dead of Winter joins forces with the Juno-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir (Julia Davids, artistic director/conductor) in Where Waters Meet on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 3 p.m. at the Desautels Concert Hall. The collaborative program features works by founder/composer Andrew Balfour, who has Cree heritage, Carmen Braden (Yellowknife, N.W.T.), Sherryl Sewepagaham (Cree-Dene, Little Red River Cree Nation), and the late Cris Derksen (NorthTall Cree). The matinee performance also includes guest appearances by the University Singers and local Inuit throat singers Aleatra Sammurtok and Zeann Manernaluk. Check out deadofwinter.ca.

Seven Oaks tour blends ghastly theatrics and local history

History buffs and ghostbusters will be exploring one of Winnipeg’s oldest homes and grounds by candlelight this weekend.

“Spirits of Seven Oaks brings together two things already woven into the place: history and haunting. You’re not just going to hear history, you get to walk through it,” says Tracey Turner, curator and manager of Seven Oaks House Museum.

For more than a decade the national historic site has hosted similar events during the early autumn lead up to Halloween. In the past, the first half, which takes place in rooms throughout Seven Oaks House — the oldest standing home in Winnipeg — were led by a museum interpreter, while the outside portion is led by Matthew Komus, author of Haunted Winnipeg and Haunted Manitoba.

“With ghost stories, I’ve always been interested in tying it to the place,” says Komus, whose book Haunted Winnipeg is now in its ninth printing. “It’s part of who we are. That’s something that we really focus on. Most of the stories we talk about, it’s about a rural settlement. We’re on the estate, though a lot of it is a neighbour.”