Cold War space-race stanzas stunning

Cold War space-race stanzas stunning

Ken Hunt’s The Lost Cosmonauts (Book*hug, 130 pages, $18) considers the space race between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. and mourns its dead.

Hunt meditates on how “humanity maintains its long-term plan: // to populate the Milky Way, taming its stars, / and huddle near these lights, in vaulting abbatoirs.”

In concept, ambition and technique, The Lost Cosmonauts is absolutely stunning in every way. Delivering beautiful and engrossing poems on a weighty subject with a light touch, Hunt’s lines “(shatter) our atmosphere in fugues of grinding fire.”

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West Broadway residents demand mayor take action on drug crisis

The laughter of children playing outside has been replaced by open drug use, vandalism and incidents of theft that have put residents of West Broadway on edge.

Cab companies hailed for improved Indigenous relations

Three taxi drivers have been fired and others suspended without pay since a zero-tolerance policy for mistreatment of Indigenous passengers was implemented by Winnipeg’s two largest cab companies.

Unicity Taxi and Duffy’s Taxi began working with the guidance of an Indigenous-led safety committee to improve driver-passenger interactions in 2022, including the filming of a series of training videos and building in-depth policies in response to passengers’ complaints.

At a Thursday event to recognize the action group, leaders from both companies said there’s been a sharp decline in the number of complaints.

Unicity Taxi manager Abhishek Tara said three of their drivers have been fired since they adopted the zero-tolerance policy, which commits to investigating complaints of harassment, violence, abusive language and racism against passengers. Each vehicle is equipped with video and audio surveillance that’s accessible only to police and the city’s vehicles for hire department.

Photos reveal ‘pretty nasty’ scene inside flooded Dauphin hospital

Prairie Mountain has released 22 photos depicting the muddy mess in the Dauphin hospital left by floodwater last month that has shut down the regional facility for as long as a year.

Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak said he understands the photos were released in response to criticism from some who wonder why the hospital will be closed for as long as a year.

“(The public) needed to see the scale and the scope of the damage,” he said. “And the pictures that PMH released today, I think have really opened people’s eyes as to what’s gone on at the hospital.”

He said 80 people are working to clean the filthy facility in conditions that are “less than ideal.” Sections of the hospital still have no power and there’s no air circulation as a result.

Fringe foot traffic gives Exchange shops boost

This year’s edition of the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival has brought a rise in customer numbers, businesses in the Exchange District say, noting more events like it would also improve the area’s safety.

The increased foot traffic that accompanies the annual downtown event has Más Coffee Co. logging roughly 50 extra customers per day — “a huge increase,” said coffee shop employee Jay Koensgen.

“We’ll have our regulars come in, of course, but since then, Fringe has definitely boosted it.”

Koensgen said he thinks it would make a huge difference for businesses in the area if events like Fringe happened more often. “It’s just good for like economical stuff, environment, community bringing everyone together for a common cause would be really good.”

Turnover contributes to mistakes in Manitoba’s financial reporting: AG

A report by Manitoba’s auditor general says errors continue to occur in the province’s financial reporting.

“The preparation of the public accounts is inherently complex and requires a co-ordinated effort across government,” Tyson Shtykalo said in his 60-page report. “It is not an easy task, and reducing the number of errors and deficiencies will require sustained focus from both the office of the provincial comptroller and departments.”

The auditor general looked at the public accounts from April 2020 to September 2023 and has since followed up to determine whether problems it identified have been corrected. Thursday’s report made 18 recommendations to reduce errors and improve reporting.

Shtykalo said the system, in which deputy ministers oversee departments, is decentralized, and there’s the need for ongoing guidance and training.