Your forecast
Mainly sunny. Wind from the northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40. There is a weather alert for the city of Winnipeg: Yellow Warning — Cold; areas affected include Manitoba lakes, the Interlake region, the Red River Valley, and east of the Manitoba lakes. High -19 C, wind chill -41 this morning and -29 this afternoon. Frostbite in minutes. UV index 1 or low.
Schools in some divisions may be closed today, or have cancelled school bus service because of extreme cold. See this map of school divisions in Manitoba and click on the division to see any announcements or warnings.
About 130 runners braved the weather to participate in the 13th annual Frostbite River Run in support of the Riverview Community Centre on Sunday. (John Woods / Free Press)
What’s happening today
🍗 Fried Chicken Fest is on now until Jan. 24 at various locations; click here for more information.
Today’s must-read
The City of Winnipeg is reporting a big increase in housing starts in 2025 but some argue the construction isn’t the right type to address a severe shortage.
In a rare Sunday news release from the mayor’s office, the city said it saw 4,993 new housing units begin construction, a 12.3 per cent increase from 2024, according to newly released data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The figures represent the second-highest annual total in the city’s history, the release said, noting the 12.3 increase more than doubled the Canadian average of 5.6 per cent.
Coun. Evan Duncan, the city’s chair of the property and development committee, called the figures welcome news. Nicole Buffie has the story.
Nearly 5,000 new housing units began construction in Winnipeg in 2025, a 12.3 per cent increase from 2024. (Mike Sudoma / Free Press files)
On the bright side
One month, Jason Reynolds could see. The next month, he couldn’t.
In July 2019, Reynolds was fully sighted, living in Steinbach and working as a long-haul trucker. By August, he was off the road and visiting doctors to find out why he was losing his vision. He hasn’t been back to work since.
Today, Reynolds can see sharp contrasts in colour, notice movement and discern whether it’s light or dark outside. But he has no vision in his left eye, and says it feels as though someone is holding up “four pieces of wax paper” over his right eye.
Shortly after losing his vision, Reynolds was introduced to the CNIB Foundation, the non-profit organization that delivers programs and advocates for people impacted by blindness.
After going through a program that helped him adapt to blindness, Reynolds started signing up to help the organization. Aaron Epp has more here.
Jason Reynolds, who volunteers with CNIB’s advocacy mentorship program, is trying to increase awareness of people with sight loss. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)
On this date
On Jan. 19, 1926: The Manitoba Free Press reported in Ottawa there would be no support from the Progressives for Conservative prime minister Arthur Meighen’s amendment on tariffs, which was couched in protectionist terms; meanwhile negotiations were ongoing concerning members of the Progressives joining Meighen’s government in certain portfolios. A Western Canadian printing plant in Manitou was completely gutted by fire. Search our archives for more here.
Today’s front page
Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Free Press.
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