Hot stuff: New ‘Joy of Cooking’ coming out in November

New tour firm seeks to display ‘hidden gem’

Desiree Rantala has serious Manitoba bona fides.

The 34-year-old grew up in two northern First Nations communities and has lived in Gimli and Dauphin. She’s worked in marketing roles at the Manitoba Museum, Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone and Travel Manitoba, and she’s travelled to New York and Vancouver to promote the province.

Now, Rantala has launched a tour company called Toba Tripper.

“We’re a hidden gem that has so much to offer,” the Winnipeg resident said. “We have so much to see and I really hope that people leave my tours appreciating the beauty of Manitoba a little bit more.”

Jets defenceman spent whole summer working on getting to the next level

Tyrel Bauer makes no apologies for the pugilistic piece of his path.

The Winnipeg Jets defenceman is ready to drop the gloves and throw down when the situation calls for it and he takes great pride in protecting his teammates.

It’s a big part of the reason Bauer will be among the 23 players submitted by the Jets on the opening-day roster on Monday.

“I’ve fought and clawed, both metaphorically and literally and now I just want to show that I can play as well,” Bauer said during a chat with the Free Press during training camp. “(Toughness) is always something that I have, it’s always something in my back pocket and something that I take a lot of pride in doing, for my teammates, for the city and the people who invest in this hockey club. That will never change.

Is another goalie on Jets’ wish list?

Kevin Cheveldayoff and company are down to the short strokes.

With the opening-day roster due on Monday afternoon, the Winnipeg Jets took steps on the weekend to get down to the final number.

As it stood on Sunday, the Jets were down to 24 healthy players in training camp after centre Danny Zhilkin and defenceman Henry Thrun were placed on waivers.

With a maximum of 23 spots available, the only things left to determine are whether the Jets are interested in claiming a more experienced goalie to serve as the backup to Stuart Skinner and if centre Brayden Yager will break camp with the big club.

For the LARPers of Misthaven, adventuring is serious business

I’m about to have my ass handed to me by a burly man in his late 30s wielding a foam sword.

“Don’t hurt him,” a fellow Live Action Role Player (LARPer) tells my opponent before we spar.

“How could he hurt me?” I think. “It’s foam.”

He patiently explains every mistake I make while effortlessly beating me. It’s meant to be instructive, but inadvertently adds insult to injury. And, yes, I do get a little hurt, though it’s my fault: I smack myself in the face with my own shield, hiding the pain like a kid around older, stronger boys at recess.

What’s open, what’s closed, what’s up in Winnipeg on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Sept. 30, 2026

The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day, as it's known in Manitoba, happens Sept. 30 with many commemorative community events scheduled.