Winnipeg-based artist finalist for prestigious Sobey award

Prost! Raise a glass to Oktoberfest

As September comes to a close, a pair of local breweries are bringing some serious gemütlichkeit.

For the uninitiated, gemütlichkeit’s a word that doesn’t translate neatly from German to English, but which roughly means friendliness and good cheer.

Both Devil May Care Brewing Co. (155 Fort St.) and Kilter Brewing Co. (450 Rue Deschambault) are hosting Oktoberfest parties this weekend featuring food, music, games and, of course, plenty of beer.

Both breweries are rolling out special releases to coincide with their respective Oktoberfests — expect malty festbiers, marzens, rauchbiers and other German-inspired brews, served up in hefty steins alongside Bavarian-inspired fare. Devil May Care’s festivities run through to Sunday and feature eats by Freebird Kitchen, while Kilter keeps the party going through to Saturday, Oct. 3, and is offering pretzels and Oktoberfest-themed hot dogs. Lederhosen is encouraged.

Is a better Winnipeg on the horizon?

Four Free Press columnists weigh in on the challenges ahead and how the city can become better.

Concrete doc befits brutalist Winnipeg

Moviegoers across North America are pounding the pavement and lining up around the block to see The History of Concrete, small-screen documentarian John Wilson’s feature-length debut.

Winnipeg a character all its own onscreen

Watch something shot in Winnipeg with a Winnipegger, and you will be treated to a live running commentary. We can’t help playing “spot the location.”

When we recognize that field/statue/mall/intersection/theatre, we have to say it. It’s practically civically mandated.

A friend told me she was at a film screening at which people literally applauded footage of the Mint. (That likely would have been 2005’s The Constant Gardener.)

Being excited about seeing Portage Place Mall at Christmastime in the trailer for Violent Night 2 — and then exclaiming, to your husband, “Oh, look, it’s Portage Place Mall at Christmastime!” — is not, I will admit, particularly cosmopolitan behaviour. In fact, I could be accused of suffering from a mild case of Podunkitis.

Time for the PUB to review Winnipeg water rates

We take you now to just over a month ago, to the Public Utilities Board and its decision about water and sewer rates for Russell, Binscarth, Angusville, Rossburn and Gambler First Nation.

Why? Just wait.

The area is supplied with water and sewage services by the Russell-Binscarth Water and Wastewater Utility, which has a total of 1,014 customers.

As the PUB noted in an Aug. 27, 2026 order on the utility’s rates, “The [water treatment plant] gets water from two groundwater wells that were upgraded in 2016 and the raw water main was installed in 1984. The water distribution system is primarily cast iron pipe. The raw water line will need to be upgraded in the near future to keep up with demand.”

Blue Bombers whiff on their opportunities to put game away

In theory, Bryce Perkins has a simple job.

When it’s third and short, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers trot out the short-yardage quarterback, and all he has to do is plunge forward for a yard or two to make everyone on his sideline happy.

But on Friday night against the visiting Toronto Argonauts, he went above and beyond his job description.

The Bombers, down 24-21 with six minutes left, faced a third-and-one from their own end when Perkins found a hole and burst through it for a 76-yard touchdown to put the home team in front 28-24 late.