Treasure hunter had good head on his shoulders

Fringe reviews #15: Button-mashing mayhem

Babel, Chase Padgett, Dirk Darrow, The Glass Between Us, K-Tel Demon Hunters, Mr. Richard, Penny Ashton, Grant Canyon, Rocky Horror Show, Wisecracks for Weirdos

‘It wasn’t a fit’: Redblacks coach on sending QB Dru Brown back to Winnipeg

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Redblacks may be 0-5, but Ryan Dinwiddie has no regrets about how the Dru Brown situation unfolded.

The head coach and general manager also stands by his decision to name Jake Maier — who has struggled mightily this season — the team’s starting quarterback over Brown.

“When you make a decision, and you feel this guy is your best quarterback, what am I going to do, cater to Dru and say ‘Hey, you don’t want to be the backup? OK, we’re gonna name you the starter.’ That’s not how things work,” Dinwiddie told the Free Press in a one-on-one chat.

“It worked out that way, it wasn’t a fit, and now we’re trying to move forward and trying to find some answers here in our building.”

Safe-walks program around downtown venues to launch after pleas from WSO performers

The city will provide safe walks and patrols will be increased around downtown arts venues in response to performers and staff feeling unsafe while working in the inner city.

The safety measures are part of the new Performing Arts Wayfinder Program, which will use $100,000 in funding from the mayor’s office for two additional Downtown Community Safety Partnership staff members to focus on safe walks and patrols for performers, audience members and staff.

The program is scheduled to begin in September and run through June 2027.

The initiative comes after members of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra reached out to Mayor Scott Gillingham in a letter outlining their concerns about safety for musicians, other staff and their patrons.

Fringe reviews #16: I need an extra show

Filthy Fakespeare, Just You and Me, The Review, Serious Comedy, This Is, You Are Happy, Real Grilfriend, Push Your Wheelchair

Treasure hunter had good head on his shoulders

Treasure Trader is Indiana Jones, minus the rolling boulders, aliens and savage tribesmen. The late Billy Jamieson, an eccentric antique treasure-hunter from Toronto, was the real deal.

At age 57, Jamieson passed away from a sudden heart attack in 2011 -- after Season 1 of his series had largely finished shooting. The producersö with the help of his fiancée Jessica Phillips, were able to put together eight complete episodes, and the series' summer run (it airs on History Television tonight at 9 p.m.) has showcased Jamieson's unique personality and talents.

The art-treasure lover never seems to meet a mummy, a tribal mask or a samurai sword he doesn't want to cart back home with him. His devotion and enthusiasm explain why Jamieson was given the show to begin with: He loves his work and he's made for the camera -- a veritable rock star in the world of ancient treasures and oddities.

The network itself sums up Jamieson's larger-than-life persona like this: "Part P.T. Barnum, part Indiana Jones, part Mick and Keith."

‘Heartbreaking loss’: Sandy Bay First Nation offers condolences after apparent dog attack

Leaders with the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation are offering their condolences after an animal rescue worker died following an apparent dog attack in the community and say the “stray and aggressive” animals are a longstanding issue.

Amanda Nobiss, 37, was volunteering in the community on the shores of Lake Manitoba with K9 Advocacy. Her remains were discovered on Friday morning.

The Manitoba First Nations Police Service said in a news release that it had been contacted by a friend of Amanda’s who was trying to locate her, around 12:45 a.m.

Using her cellphone location, police determined she appeared to be in Sandy Bay, said the release. Resources were dispatched to the area, including a drone, but due to the large radius of the cellphone “ping,” no one was located until 6 a.m.