Keep your kettle whistling all year round by growing your own tea plants

Outbreak should never have happened

The headline offered a vague sense that something had been accomplished, but it most certainly did not describe anything worth celebrating:

“Manitoba declares measles outbreak over.”

The news item in the Oct. 17 Free Press noted provincial public health officials had confirmed Manitoba’s last laboratory-confirmed case of measles was identified in August, and that the absence of any new cases since had allowed for the aforementioned declaration.

The end of the outbreak — which began in February 2025 and included a significant stretch this year during which Manitoba experienced more measles cases than any other province — is certainly worth noting. But it bears reminding that the real story here is that this province, and others across Canada, experienced a resurgence of this highly communicable but successfully eradicated disease in the first place.

WAG-Qaumajuq names first Indigenous director, CEO

John Mahli Lawa’ Hampton has been selected to take the helm of Canada’s oldest civic art gallery, WAG-Qaumajuq announced Thursday.

Reynolds exerts ‘maximum effort’ to boost Winnipeg after quick meet with mayor

Ryan Reynolds wasn’t wearing his Deadpool suit, but that didn’t stop Mayor Scott Gillingham from wanting to talk about films with the Vancouver-born Hollywood movie star.

Reynolds, who appeared at IG Wealth Management's 100th anniversary celebration Wednesday at the RBC Convention Centre, took to social media afterward, sharing a photo of himself with Gillingham and trumpeting the province’s tax incentives.

“An incredible place to shoot,” the Instagram post read.

On Thursday, Gillingham said the actor, best known for portraying an irreverent, erratic anti-hero on the big screen, is a “really nice gentleman.”

Keep your kettle whistling all year round by growing your own tea plants

The typical backyard food grower is familiar with planting greens, tomatoes, peppers, squash, herbs, berries and other staples, plus perhaps a few exotic crops that are difficult to find at the grocery store. Beverages, however, aren’t usually at the top of their lists.

I’ve written about growing coffee indoors, but that’s more for sport than supply, as an average houseplant can be expected to produce only enough beans for a single cup. Growing tea plants in the garden, however, can provide enough leaves to keep your kettle whistling year-round.

Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, a cold-hardy variety native to China, is a multi-branched shrub best for growing in U.S. hardiness zones 7 and 8, although it may survive winters in zone 6b with protection. Camelia sinensis var. assamica, which leans more tree than shrub, is native to India and only recommended for zones 8 and up. Some other cultivars may push those boundaries.

These evergreen plants are easy to grow in deep shade to full sun (although part sun or light shade are ideal), requiring only well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH.

Another strong outing from Skinner, but Jets unable to lock down lead

DALLAS — Stuart Skinner did everything in his power to ger the Winnipeg Jets back in the win column.

A 35-save effort included plenty of highlight-reel moments, but the Jets were unable to lock down a lead late in the third period and lost 3-2 in overtime to the Dallas Stars on Thursday at American Airlines Center.

“Stu kind of got us a point there, to be honest with you,” said Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi. “They were better than us. Their structure, they played a really tight checking game, and we couldn’t really get much going offensively. They obviously outplayed us, and when you give up that many chances, eventually, Stu can’t stop everything.”

Both of the goals the Jets allowed in regulation came with Stars goalie Jake Oettinger on the bench in favour of an extra attacker — once on a delayed penalty call during the third period and then with two minutes to go in the third period when Mikko Rantanen found Roope Hintz alone in the slot.