Yanni coming to Concert Hall

Happily guiding others through city’s art world

The last Saturday in September is fast approaching and Ed Benjamin, 69, is gearing up for his regular volunteer stint at Nuit Blanche.

While he hasn’t grabbed this year’s T-shirt yet — he’ll only be able to pick it up during Friday’s orientation — he’s more than prepared for his 5:30-9:30 p.m. shift on Sept. 26.

This will be Benjamin’s sixth year volunteering at the annual contemporary art festival, now in its 16th year.

“I think it’s the best night of the year in Winnipeg, just a fantastic night. And having done it once, I just want to keep going back. It’s very intense but it’s not a significant commitment, it’s just one night, so it’s easy to commit to it,” he says.

CMU instructor uses camper audio studio to capture stories of human connection in a time of isolation, alienation

GRUNTHAL — Last Sunday, David Balzer parked his vintage 1978 Triple E Surfside camper trailer on a church lot in town and, like an itinerant priest with a mobile confessional, prepared to hear people’s stories.

It was a crisp sunny morning. Inside the trailer were a pair of yellow mugs that matched the trailer’s egg yolk trim. On a table were two microphones.

Outside the trailer stood a sandwich board with an invitation: “Step in.”

Balzer doesn’t actually hear confessions, but he does perform what some might consider a priestly duty: helping people share their stories.

Former Bombers linebacker Gauthier enjoying career as electrician

Most professional football players don’t ride off into the sunset on their own terms.

Shayne Gauthier was well aware of that, but it didn’t make it sting any less when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers informed the veteran linebacker that they weren’t bringing him back for 2026.

“I was really hoping to play one more (season) because it would have been my 10th season, so, I’d say it didn’t really end the way I wanted,” Gauthier recently told the Free Press.

“It left a little sour taste in my mouth, but that’s part of pro sports. If everybody got the ending that they wanted, then it wouldn’t really work.”

Yanni coming to Concert Hall

YANNI, a self-taught Greek composer and musician celebrated for his lush, new-agey compositions and his psychedelic concert trappings, will be coming to Winnipeg in August on a tour through Western Canada.

Yanni and orchestra play the Centennial Concert Hall on Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the Winnipeg show are $78-$98 and go on sale to the general public March 23 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.ca, or in person at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Yanni’s world tour commences April 17. On tour, Yanni and his orchestra will play favourites from throughout his career, as well as selections from his 2011 release Truth of Touch.

Driver of stolen vehicle facing impairment, other charges after fatal high-speed crash in West Kildonan Sunday

A 19-year-old man faces impaired driving and other charges after a crash involving a stolen vehicle in north Winnipeg killed a 20-year-old woman and another left another woman with life-threatening injuries.

The Winnipeg Police Service said officers spotted a 2022 Honda CR-V travelling north on McGregor Street at a high rate of speed shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday. The SUV allegedly ran a red light at Leila Avenue and collided with a 2023 Kia Seltos.

The force of the impact sent the CR-V airborne before it struck a traffic light standard, rolled and hit a tree, causing “catastrophic damage,” police said.

Four people were inside the mangled CR-V. A 20-year-old woman and a 22-year-old woman were taken to hospital in critical condition, where the younger woman died. The 22-year-old remains in critical condition.