Tri-colour mint cookies

Khan cites infighting, quits as Tory leader

Manitoba’s Leader of the Opposition is stepping down.

Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan announced late Monday afternoon he is quitting caucus and will sit in the legislature as an independent MLA, effective today.

He cited internal party fighting for his decision.

The former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman survived a caucus confidence vote Friday. He said there were 13 votes for him to remain and six against, with one person absent.

Province to acquire campground near former residential school

A burial site for dozens of children who died while attending the Brandon Indian Residential School will be acquired by the province, the Free Press has learned.

Premier Wab Kinew will announce the province’s plan to protect Turtle Crossing Campground at a news conference in Brandon Wednesday to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The move is in partnership with the City of Brandon.

The graves of at least 56 children are located at the campground, the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation has said, pointing to a geophysical study conducted by an archaeology firm in 2018.

There have been longstanding concerns from Indigenous leaders and community members that people were camping on the resting place of children victimized by colonialism.

Acquisition of former residential school grounds will help educate future generations: premier

Premier Wab Kinew says a former Brandon-area campground acquired by the province will help educate future generations about the horrors of residential schools.

“We live in an era where people are trying to deny what happened in residential schools,” Kinew said during a Tuesday afternoon visit to Turtle Crossing Campground, near the former Brandon Indian Residential School. “It’s an important part of our national history, and keeping that truth alive.”

Kinew officially announced the province’s plan Tuesday, in partnership with the City of Brandon, to acquire and protect the site where the bodies of more than 50 Indigenous children are located.

The premier said the property has “huge national significance” for education about residential school history because it is one of the “most documented” in the country. He carried photographs, and some 20th century newspaper clippings from the Brandon Sun around the site Tuesday.

Manitoba PCs choose Narth as interim leader; ‘deeply hurt’ Khan blasts former caucus colleagues

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative caucus chose MLA Konrad Narth as interim party leader Tuesday to replace Obby Khan, who quit a day earlier after he said he was stabbed in the back by a small group of caucus members plotting in secret to oust him.

Hero fought to remember children lost at residential school

The story of the gravesites of students who attended the Brandon Indian Residential School underneath the Turtle Crossing Campground is truly a Manitoba tragedy.

Tri-colour mint cookies

THIS tri-colour mint cookie from Edna Mroz will liven up any cookie tray.

Tri-colour mint cookies 500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder228 g (1 cup or 250 ml) butter or margarine250 ml (1 cup) granulated sugar1 egg2 ml (1/2 tsp) peppermint extract5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla10 drops each of green and red food colouring

In small bowl, combine flour and baking powder, In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and egg until fluffy. Add peppermint and vanilla. Divide dough into three equal pieces. Colour one red, one green and leave the last plain. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Divide each colour of dough into 4 equal parts, and roll each part into a rope about 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) diameter. Put one each of the red, green and white ropes together and form into a twist. Slice off 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) slices and roll gently into a ball. (Roll as little as possible to keep colours distinct.) Place balls on ungreased cookie sheets with room to spread. Dip bottom of a glass in sugar and flatten each ball to 3 to 6 mm (1/8-ü inch) thick. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned on bottom.