Sagkeeng First Nation member named WAG curator of Indigenous and contemporary art

Four councillor candidates vie for wide-open Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry ward

One of Winnipeg’s most densely populated wards is up for grabs come election day.

Four candidates are in the running in Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry, with the councillor position wide open after area Coun. Sherri Rollins announced in July she would be withdrawing her candidacy.

Journalist Brook Jones, hospitality worker and union organizer Carson Mauthe, city planner Jeff Palmer and retired finance worker Kevin Stuart have thrown their hats in the race.

Palmer has worked as a city planner for more than 20 years, in both the non-profit and private sectors, including CentreVenture and the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation.

Sagkeeng First Nation member named WAG curator of Indigenous and contemporary art

Jaimie Isaac has been named the new curator of Indigenous and contemporary art at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Over the past two years, Isaac — who is of Anishinaabe and British heritage and a member of Sagkeeng First Nation — made an impact during her time as the WAG's Aboriginal curatorial resident. During her residency, she curated four exhibits that explored everything from treaties and residential school experiences to reconciliation. She is also a member of the WAG's Indigenous advisory circle, which leads the development of Indigenous-focused exhibitions, education, community outreach, partnerships and programming.

"In her short time so far at the WAG, Jaimie Isaac has assembled some of the gallery’s most thought provoking and unique exhibitions, built important new partnerships and engaged new audiences with art," Stephen Borys, the gallery's director and CEO, says in a release. "I have no doubt that she will continue to drive dialogue in our community— educating, critiquing and celebrating the complexities of Canadian identity, Indigenous culture and issues that motivate art production today. There is perhaps no better moment than now to analyze, document and exhibit Indigenous contemporary art in Canada, and we are excited to continue working with Jaimie in this regard."

Isaac, too, is excited to continue developing programming and partnerships, as well as acquire Indigenous and contemporary art for the WAG's collection.

Half Pints Brewing out of bankruptcy, back on shelves

A pioneer of Winnipeg’s craft brewing scene has reopened under new ownership.

Bayer Canada begins construction on new R&D facility in St. B

Instead of canola on Friday, there was sod.

But in two years’ time, by current estimates, the bare plot of land in a St. Boniface industrial park will hold canola samples and seeds for testing.

Bayer Canada officially broke ground on a 60,000-square-foot research and development facility Friday morning.

“It’s about bringing new and better innovation to farmers,” said Kacy Perry, Bayer Crop Science Canada’s country division head.

De Havilland calls for national water bomber fleet as it scrambles to meet demand

MONTREAL - On July 13, a pair of Canadair water bombers touched down on the Seine River, skimming along its surface to refill their water tanks as they battled a wildfire south of Paris.

The "super scoopers," with their signature ketchup-red wing tips on a mustard-yellow body, sucked up 6,000-plus litres from France’s most famous waterway in one go as part of a fight against the flames then rampaging across Europe.

The event in north-central France underscored how wildfires are ranging even farther from their traditional grounds and fuelling an urgent need for water bombers to fend off climate disasters.

The iconic Canadair turboprops serve as the only amphibious firefighting aircraft currently in production built from the outset for that purpose, rather than being retrofitted to douse flames.