Go with the flow at what may be extra-steamy soirée

August in the kitchen garden

Lynne Hermiston is passionate about growing her own food. Her backyard food garden in south Winnipeg is an amazing example of the abundance and diversity of food that can be grown in a relatively small space. But it’s also a prime example of how a zest for learning innovative methods can make food gardening more fun.

Hermiston’s backyard is approximately 10 metres wide and 15 metres deep. The growing area consisting of raised beds and a couple of in-ground beds between her deck and back fence is about nine metres deep. There is not a single blade of turf grass in sight. The design for this attractive and productive space was created by Classic Landscaping four years ago. A series of raised wooden beds mulched with straw are neatly arranged on a light grey, slate-like surface. An inviting centre arbor acts as a focal point and supports climbing plants. The square-shaped raised-bed area receives eight to nine hours of sun daily. It is flanked on one side by a long, linear-shaped bed, planted with flowering perennials that attract and support pollinators.

The food plants Hermiston is growing this summer include tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beets, chickpeas, beans, onions, sweet potatoes, horseradish, garlic, peppers, carrots, pumpkin and cauliflower. She is growing Chinese Pink celery, an heirloom variety with bubblegum-pink stems, for the first time, as well as eggplant.

She also grows salad greens and herbs, which have made delicious additions to her summer recipes this year. Only a few harvests remain of the spinach she planted. But, compared to last year’s growing season, some food plants are taking their time, Hermiston says.

‘Disrespectful’: residents frustrated after Wyatt arrives hour late to committee meeting

Several Winnipeggers attending a city development hearing on Thursday expressed frustration that one councillor arrived about an hour late, delaying the matter from being heard.

Coun. Russ Wyatt, who continues to attend city hall while facing criminal charges, began participating in the 9:30 a.m. East Kildonan-Transcona community committee meeting at 10:35 a.m.

A resident who hoped to speak at the meeting about a development plan in south Transcona noted the tardiness led the committee to bump the topic down on its agenda, while dozens waited to speak on it.

Christina Pyra eventually opted to leave city hall instead of waiting for her turn to make a presentation, to avoid missing a work commitment.

Aunt’s hidden, mysterious life unlocks a moving meditation on humanity and family

Valérie Perrin is not a household name on this side of the pond, but in France her novels have garnered multiple awards. In Tata, Perrin’s fourth novel but the second translated to English, a simple but intriguing premise unfolds into a complex, multi-faceted story, one that seemingly incorporates the lessons of not only her three prior novels but also her several produced screenplays.

Scene 1: Paris, an upscale apartment in the autumn of 2010. Agnes, a celebrated film director, is publicly lauded but privately still reeling from her divorce three years ago. The phone rings. On the other end is a provincial police officer from Gueugnon, who regretfully informs her that her aunt, Colette Septembre, was found dead in her home that morning.

But Agnes reacts with confusion, not grief — Aunt Colette died three years ago.

It’s a great set-up for a thriller, although this isn’t one.

Revered Broadway rail anchors Winnipeg’s resilient skateboarding scene

The Woodsworth Building at the corner of Broadway and Kennedy Street is an accidental, unofficial mecca of Winnipeg skateboarding.

Development turning long-vacant gas station in Selkirk into commercial hub

A plot of land that has sat vacant in Selkirk for 30 years is being redeveloped to host new businesses in the heart of the city.

The former gas station site on Main Street — between Rosser and Pacific avenues — will be turned into a commercial hub that will be home to six local businesses, and will be a big stepping stone for economic growth in Selkirk, Mayor Larry Johannson said Thursday.

“For decades this site has been a reminder of what once was. Today, it represents what is possible when investors see the potential of our community and choose to be a part of its future,” he said in a news release announcing the project and Thursday’s groundbreaking.

“This development reflects confidence in Selkirk, our economy and the direction we are heading.”

Could renewed interest in strategically critical rare earth elements finally make sub-sector profitable?

Rare earth elements are among the most critical of mined resources for modern economies.

They’re essential in manufacturing specialized magnets used in a host of technologies from wind turbines and electric vehicles to hard drives, smartphones, television screens, and fibre optics. Most notably, however, rare earth minerals are increasingly vital to the defence industry.

These 17 elements — closely related chemically and usually found all together in mineral deposits — have indeed been growing in geopolitical importance as the United States, Canada and other Western nations recognize their dependence on production from China.

It is the world’s largest producer and processor of rare earths, including the most in-demand elements neodymium and praseodymium used to manufacture very light and powerful magnets for an array of technologies, including the most advanced weapons of modern warfare.