Award-winning chef to close Máquè

Down-to-earth diner fuses Filipino flavours, family and fortitude

There is a photomontage on one wall of Charlee’s Restaurant & Lounge devoted entirely to enduring Elmwood businesses such as the Thirsty Duck Café, Kool Deelites, Bath Fitter and Video Cellar.

Little did Charlee’s owner Charlie Villapando know as he was stringing the black-and-white shots together that his no-nonsense, homestyle diner at 185 Stadacona St. would grow to be a pillar of the working-class community, as well.

It was definitely a struggle for the first year and a half, Villapando admits, seated inside the 160-seat establishment that will toast its 20th anniversary in December. Besides relying largely on friends and family members who were willing to wait on tables for free, he was alone in the kitchen for 15 hours a day, seven days a week.

“I can’t tell you how many times I slept here on four chairs pushed together, simply because it would be 2 a.m. by the time I was done cleaning and whatnot, leaving just a few hours before I had to be back for breakfast,” he continues, casually dressed in jeans, sneakers and a dark cotton hoodie. “Thinking about it now, I probably should have put a cot in my office, except I never wanted to make it too comfortable. Thankfully, more people started to find us, I was finally able to afford staff and here we are, almost 20 years later, with me sleeping much better.”

Builder beefs up security after string of blazes

A Winnipeg builder said he’s had to beef up security around his developments after one of his projects sustained significant damage Wednesday in suspected arson cases.

Building generational equity

Ayobimpe Omisore is a Winnipeg single mother of four who knows all too well about working just to make the rent.

A little more than a year ago, she was struggling to pay $2,400 a month for a two-bedroom unit in St. Norbert.

She picked up extra shifts whenever she could as a health-care aide to keep up with the costs.

“I was lamenting about it at work one day, and a colleague said, ‘If you’re paying this much on rent, I think you can afford a mortgage,’” says Omisore, who came to Canada four years ago from Nigeria where she worked as a logistics manager.

Winnipeg Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey Devils

Connor Hellebuyck finally got his wish. Kevin Cheveldayoff finally got an offer he couldn’t refuse. And a long-running sports soap opera has finally ended.

The Winnipeg Jets pulled off a blockbuster deal Friday morning, shipping their disgruntled franchise goaltender to the New Jersey Devils for a package including four players and two draft picks.

Although they liked the return, nobody within the organization was popping champagne. This was, in many ways, a dark but necessary day.

“It certainly hasn’t been fun. There’s no question about it. But at the end of the day, Connor made his choice. And, as an organization, we had to act accordingly and we did,” the general manager said during an afternoon news conference inside Canada Life Centre.

Winnipeg Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey Devils

Connor Hellebuyck has been traded.

The Winnipeg Jets announced Friday morning they have sent the netminder to the New Jersey Devils for four players and two draft picks.

The Jets are receiving: Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, Nico Daws and Nick Bjugstad.

More to come.

First Crumbl cookie shop opens in Winnipeg

The early birds got their cookies.

Klaudia and Jayson Ballantyne were the first in line for the grand opening of Winnipeg’s first Crumbl location at 1570 Regent Ave. West, arriving at 2 a.m. Friday — six hours before the cookie chain was set to open.

The brother and sister brought their lawn chairs and blankets and hunkered down.

Roughly 90 minutes later, by their count, the next customers arrived.