Renowned film critic got start at Free Press

Klein wants city-run, maintained ‘bridge’ space for homeless people

Mayoral candidate wants city to set up a 24-hour community space pilot project for homeless Winnipeggers

Renowned film critic got start at Free Press

Leonard (Len) Klady, a former film writer for the Winnipeg Free Press, founding member of the Winnipeg Film Group (WFG) and pre-eminent entertainment industry journalist, has died at the age of 67 in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with cancer in November, according to his wife, Beverly Walker.

The Winnipeg-born Klady spent the last few decades headquartered in Los Angeles, where he wrote for Variety, Screen International and Movie City News. Educated at the University of Manitoba, Klady caused ripples in the local film scene even before the Winnipeg Film Group was created in 1974.

“I met him when I was a teenager,” said Greg Klymkiw, current executive director of the WFG. “He used to program this amazing film series in the auditorium of the Manitoba Museum. I went to every single film he ran there and one day, he just said: ‘You’re coming to every movie. Do you want to take tickets for me and I’ll let you in for free?’”

That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship for Klady and Klymkiw — bonding over their mutual passion for cinema and cigarettes.

Global prediction markets, local presence

Winnipeg’s mayoral race has reached a new platform: illegal online betting.

Incumbent Scott Gillingham took the lead on U.S.-based Polymarket on Thursday afternoon. Some $15,335 had been invested in his win (from 54 per cent of bettors).

Gillingham also led on Kalshi, another U.S. prediction market. Half of bettors were banking on his victory (a ‘yes’ share was 60 cents at the time).

Kevin Klein trailed in second place in both Polymarket and Kalshi contracts; Mazher Alam had garnered $2,256 and third place on Polymarket; Don Woodstock claimed third place on Kalshi by 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

More than 60,000 Manitobans rely on food bank each month, Harvest Manitoba report says

Linda Smith first turned to Harvest Manitoba in the early 1990s when her husband became permanently disabled. Now, on a fixed income, she continues to access the food bank to make ends meet.

Smith is one of more than 60,000 Manitobans now relying on food banks each month as demand continues to grow, a new report by Harvest Manitoba reveals.

The organization said in its 2025-26 impact report, released Thursday, that 61,188 people accessed a food bank in the province in March. Nearly half of them were children. The number of people accessing food banks in the province since 2020 has ballooned by more than 150 per cent, including more seniors, like Smith, than ever before.

Smith, a mother of five now in her 70s, first went to Harvest Manitoba in 1991 when he husband was disabled, and then again in the mid 2000s following a major car accident that led to a brain stem injury that forced her out of the workforce.

‘Extremely disappointed’: hunters being turned away near Bloodvein First Nation, Manitoba Wildlife Federation says

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation says hunters are again being refused access to land near Bloodvein River First Nation, a year after leadership told court it would let them through.