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Fatal house fire, hydro hike, Pimicikamak power outage, Saunic, Jets
Plus: He’s got muscles like Superman and a Maple Leaf on his head

Good evening. Here’s a look at what our newsroom has been working on today:

 

'...We could have been there quicker, and maybe we could have made a difference'

Malak Abas and Erik Pindera:

Frustrated firefighters’ union president laments staffing shortage after fatal house fire

A local comedian killed in a Nassau Street house fire Monday afternoon is being remembered for his big heart, as the union representing city firefighters warned of further tragedies if staffing shortages are not addressed. Read More

 
 
 

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'Hydro is in a really, really, really bad spot'

Erik Pindera and Carol Sanders:

PUB approves 4 per cent rate hike, higher than Hydro requested

Utility’s costs rising faster than revenue streams: expert Read More

 
 

'We have people at risk'

Chris Kitching:

Hundreds evacuated amid power outage in Pimicikamak

More than 300 Pimicikamak Cree Nation residents have been moved to other communities in Manitoba amid a power outage that is now not expected to be resolved until 6 p.m. on New Year’s Day. The evac... Read More

 
 

'Somewhere you can go just to hang out'

Aaron Epp:

‘Affordable, approachable’ Nordic pursuits

Sauna, cold plunge business Saunic expands to second Winnipeg location in early 2026 Read More

 
 

'Keep trying everything until you find something that works'

Mike McIntyre:

‘You’ve got to score goals in this league’

Lack of secondary scoring Jets’ biggest problem, says legendary coach Read More

 
 
 

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Local

Melissa Martin: Nestaweya River Trail opens for the season
Malak Abas: Fire chief defends response time to fatal Nassau Street blaze
Nicole Buffie: Shatter-resistant bus shelters smooth as glass — so far
Melissa Martin and Scott Billeck: Power outage left Pimicikamak in dark, cold since Sunday
Tyler Searle: Firm involved in Parker Lands project asks for extension
Tyler Searle: It’s déjà vu for opponents of proposed housing development near riverside ‘oasis’ in 2018
Kevin Rollason: ‘Stunned’ chief justice, longtime philanthropists among new Order of Canada members
Jeff Hamilton: Winnipeg family shattered as teacher’s obsession with young girl went unnoticed, unpunished
Scott Billeck: ‘Life and death’: Pimicikamak leaders plead for help as power outage reaches third day
Chris Kitching: Winnipeggers up in arms as wait for compensation ruling stretches nearly two years amid airline regulator’s 88,000-case backlog
 

Opinion

Stuart Chambers: Why I expelled AI from the classroom
Maureen Scurfield: Shifted child-care plan could benefit you both
Dan Lett: Feeling somewhat fresh, optimistic after washing off the stench of 2025
Editorial: Creating financial distance from Donald Trump
Stéphane Allard: Mark Carney and judo politics
Free Press: Letters, Jan. 2
Paul Samyn: Truth matters more than ever in the Age of Make-Believe
Kate Kehler: NIMBY by another name
Pam Frampton: Hopes and fears for the coming year
Tom Brodbeck: Battered, broke Manitobans watch reality steamroll political promises in 2025
 

Arts & Life

Conrad Sweatman: Animal Nation includes rural and Indigenous people in its portraits of Prairie and northern animals
Conrad Sweatman: Music ’N’ Mavens plans biggest season yet with addition of evening shows
Georgia Nicols: Today’s horoscope
Denise Duguay: Laughing — and screening — all the way to 2026
Martin Zeilig: Considering options and community after prostate cancer diagnosis
 

Sports

Ken Wiebe: ‘Maybe in 2026, we can start scoring some goals’: Jets’ losing streak continues
Ken Wiebe: Defensive implosion sees Jets losing streak stretch to eight games
Ken Wiebe: Morrissey eager to make Olympic history of his own
Ken Wiebe: Jets’ Morrissey joins two Manitobans on Team Canada
Mike McIntyre: Changes long overdue as Jets’ tailspin continues with loss to Oilers
Free Press staff: O-lineman Eli signs two-year deal to stay with Bombers
 

Business

Aaron Epp: The Forks Market to serve up second helping of Sharecuterie
Gabrielle Piché: Negotiating turbulent waters of year ahead for Manitoba's business leaders and community
 

Canada

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press: Canadian furniture and cabinet industry still reeling after Trump pauses tariff spike
Craig Lord, The Canadian Press: Carney will meet with Ukraine’s allies in Paris as peace talks intensify
The Canadian Press: Canada pushes back on Chinese military drills in Taiwan Strait
Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press: Many mark the new year with ‘exhilarating’ polar dip in icy water
The Canadian Press: Global Affairs Canada not aware of any Canadians hurt or killed in Swiss bar fire
Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press: Spy watchdog reviewing Canadian security agencies’ use of artificial intelligence
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press: Remote work option ending for thousands of public, private sector workers in 2026
The Canadian Press: In the news: End to remote work, New Year’s bar fire, Quebec’s first babies of 2026
The Canadian Press: Downed power line in northern Manitoba repaired, electricity being restored
The Canadian Press: Snowmobiler dies in avalanche in Rocky Mountains in northeastern B.C.
 

World

Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press: A forgotten chapter: The stories of Allied POWs in Nagasaki during the atomic bombing
Will Weissert, The Associated Press: Trump wants to overhaul the ‘president’s golf course.’ He hasn’t played there yet
John Leicester, The Associated Press: Director of Swiss hospital describes the rush to treat the injured from Alpine resort bar fire
Jamey Keaten, Stefanie Dazio And John Leicester, The Associated Press: Swiss investigators believe sparkling candles atop wine bottles ignited fatal bar fire
Jamey Keaten, Stefanie Dazio And John Leicester, The Associated Press: What to know about the Swiss Alpine bar fire that killed 40
Illia Novikov, The Associated Press: Zelenskyy names Ukraine’s head of military intelligence as his new chief of staff
Wafaa Shurafa, The Associated Press: A grandmother and her grandson burn to death in a Gaza tent; Angelina Jolie visits Rafah crossing
The Associated Press: Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 rattles southern and central Mexico
The Associated Press: Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row
Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press: Wall Street joins global markets in upbeat start to 2026
 

Try our Year-End News Quiz!

Test your news savvy with 12 questions about local events in 2025.

2025: The Year In News Quiz

Twelve questions — one per month — about the news in 2025. Take the quiz

 
 
 

One last thing...

As 2026 approaches, we’re looking back at some of the best Free Press writing in 2025.

In April, arts writer Ben Waldman interviewed creator Richard Comely about Captain Canuck in the run-up to the 50th anniversary of the comic’s Winnipeg-printed initial run.

The bilingual special government agent, eco-warrior and Canadian defender is one of the most enduring independent comic book heroes in Canadian history.

 

Ben Waldman:

A true Canadian flex

In today’s tumultuous times, a virtuous, bilingual, red-and-white clad superhero comes to the country’s defence Read More

 
 

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