Double trouble

Local fans feel ‘Spanish euphoria’

Chants of “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé” and “where is Messi?” could be heard echoing through Winnipeg’s downtown as Spain defeated Argentina in extra time to become World Cup Champions on Sunday.

What one World Cup announcer dubbed “Spanish euphoria,” was certainly on full display at True North Square on Hargrave Street where more than 500 people gathered to take in the tournament’s conclusion and celebrate the sport, which is quickly becoming Canada’s new game.

“Go Spain,” Cole Lacap, yelled at the top of his lungs after he watched Ferran Torres’ score the goal that would take Spain to a 1 - 0 victory over Argentina and send Spanish fans in Winnipeg into a frenzy.

“It was amazing. Spain definitely deserved that,” said Lacap, who had the red and yellow Spanish flag gripped tightly for much of the game.

Blue Bombers’ Reese picks up the pieces

David Reese admits his new routine took some getting used to.

No, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers rookie defensive end wasn’t talking about the transition to the CFL game.

That’s been relatively smooth, especially over the past two games as his playing time has increased and he worked his way into a starting role.

But after spending eight years in the NCAA due to a host of injuries and circumstances such as a global pandemic, Reese said there were times he wondered if he shouldn’t be walking into a classroom, burying his head in a textbook or preparing for the next exam.

City denies teen received ‘life-altering injuries’ from police dog bite in lawsuit defence

City officials have denied a 17-year-old girl’s claim she received life-altering injuries when a Winnipeg police dog bit her, arguing her lawsuit over last year’s incident should be rejected.

The teen, whom the Free Press is not naming because she is a minor involved with a police matter, seeks unspecified damages from the City of Winnipeg, in a statement of claim filed in the Court of King’s Bench in March.

The teen, described as “a small, slightly built girl,” claims she was “attacked, arrested and detained” by several Winnipeg Police Service officers around 1 a.m. on June 4, 2025.

The girl’s court papers say that in order to detain the teen, officers first deployed “a large, vicious and dangerous, non-human, canine animal,” which the lawsuit calls the “beast” in subsequent references.

Mosque’s restorative justice program helps newcomers find their way

The Masjid Bilal is a chunky grey building just off Logan Avenue surrounded by warehouses and railyards. It looks more like a bunker than a mosque.

But on a summer Friday afternoon, its green-and-white carpeted interior is humming with activity. Two men in white robes and flat woolen caps are seated on the carpet poring over a copy of the Qur’an. A few young boys dodge through hallways, poking curious noses into open doors. At the back, next to a table piled with prayer mats, two girls in hijabs share schoolyard gossip. In the kitchen, women are cooking up pots of rice and chicken for people who will soon arrive for Friday prayers.

The Masjid Bilal is a community hub for members of Winnipeg’s African diaspora as well as Muslims from many other countries.

It’s also home to the Bilal Community and Family Centre, an innovative, community-centred nonprofit that is meeting vital needs for newcomers in this city.

Fringe reviews #9: Farming for fringe gold

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