FDA resuming some food inspections halted by shutdown

Water-bus service relaunches with bigger boat

After staying docked last summer, the water-bus service stationed at The Forks is once again ferrying people up and down the Red and Assiniboine rivers.

What's Up: Tattoo Convention, Nikki Glaser, Ag Fair, Menno Simone drag show, Ami Cheon album release

Winnipeg Tattoo ConventionRed River Exhibition Park, 3977 Portage Ave.Friday, 3-11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.Tickets: $30 plus taxes at wfp.to/iRwThe air will be filled with the buzz of needle guns as over 250 artists gather at Red River Exhibition Park this weekend for the eighth annual Winnipeg Tattoo Convention.

Whether you’ve been toying with the idea of your first ink or are looking to add to your collection, the three-day event is sure to inspire and excite tattoo enthusiasts and the tattoo-curious. Artists from around the world will be convening at the show — bring your best custom art or choose from pre-drawn designs and go under the needle.

Many of the artists are taking bookings for the weekend in advance — it’s recommended you check out winnipegtattooconvention.com to see their work and whether they’re able to fit you in. Alternatively, some artists will be taking appointments on the spot.

The Winnipeg Tattoo Convention has plenty going on beyond getting inked, including a beer garden, merchandise, a market, food trucks and live music (including Sol James, Jamie Buckboro, Jess Rae, Curtis Newton and Norah Erickson).

Homegrown grub: Resto turns to the Leaf for freshest ingredients

The term “eat local” has taken on a whole new meaning at Gather Craft Kitchen and Bar, where the journey from plot to plate is measured in footsteps rather than miles.

Head chef Mike Licharson has expanded the restaurant’s focus on local sourcing by incorporating fruit and vegetables grown in The Leaf’s biomes and outdoor kitchen garden into his menu.

Bananas from the tropical biomes star in his banana-bread French toast and accompanying banana compote. Leeks, braised slowly and paired with Manitoba-grown beluga lentils, and Swiss chard — which takes the place of grape leaves in Licharson’s play on classic meze dolmades, a nod to the chef’s Greek-Ukrainian-Irish heritage — are both grown in the outdoor kitchen garden.

The park’s produce complements the restaurant’s other locally sourced ingredients, Licharson says.

Asian supermarket T&T to open at Polo Park

T&T Supermarket — the largest Asian grocery chain in Canada — will open in CF Polo Park.

It’s inked a deal for 48,000 sq. ft. in the mall’s lower level. The shop will open in spring of 2028, T&T announced Thursday.

It’s touting a full T&T experience with a self-serve hot food bar featuring Peking duck and a sushi counter and rows of fresh Asian produce, including durian, and live seafood.

Shoppers will be able to buy more than 150 varieties of baked bread and at least 50 styles of desserts and pastries.

Federal government to build $267-M emergency research lab in Winnipeg

The federal government says it will build a $267-million medical countermeasures laboratory in Winnipeg with the goal of preparing Canada for future pandemics or outbreaks.

Expected to open in 2033, the national site will help the country develop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostic tools, Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid said.

“This is a big deal for our city and for our province, a big deal for life sciences in Canada,” he told reporters Wednesday. “This facility is going to help protect the nation and help protect the world.”

Ottawa said the site — to be located next to the National Microbiology Laboratory’s Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health on Arlington Street, just north of William Avenue — draws on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.