Single-use plastic bags banned as next round of B.C. plastic regulations kicks in

Disgraced ex-dean landed job at German university after fleeing Winnipeg

Before he was arrested in a posh Paris suburb, the disgraced dean of Manitoba’s only law school — who fled the country following a 2020 expense scandal — kept a low profile at a German university.

Winnipeg soldiers help search and rescue efforts in Wainwright

Eleven military search and rescue technicians from Winnipeg were deployed to Wainwright, Alta., following the fire that killed four soldiers and injured 39 others during a live-fire training exercise Saturday.

It was the largest mobilization of SAR techs, elite primary-care paramedics in the Royal Canadian Air Force, in recent memory, a military spokesperson told the Free Press.

Every SAR tech available from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, located at 17 Wing Winnipeg — even those off duty — were sent to CFB Wainwright.

The technicians, who are trained to jump from aircraft into extreme environments, parachuted onto the scene from a CC-130H Hercules airplane to provide care for those injured in the fast-moving grass fire that had engulfed a training area.

Single-use plastic bags banned as next round of B.C. plastic regulations kicks in

VICTORIA - Plastic shopping bags and other single-use products are no longer available at British Columbia stores as the government implements the latest step in its plan to phaseout certain plastic items and keep harmful chemicals out of landfills.

Businesses may no longer provide single-use plastic shopping bags, and they must charge a minimum of $2 for new reusable bags or 25 cents for new paper bags.

A statement from the province says food-service businesses are also restricted from distributing single-use containers with certain plastics that are hard to recycle, including "biodegradable" and "compostable" plastics as well as polystyrene foam.

Food-service businesses have been barred from offering disposable plastic utensils since December 2023, with some exceptions, such as plastic lids for drinks.

Theatre goes goblin mode

Although they star in an upcoming local production of the Scottish Play, goblin thespians Wug, Kragva and Moog left it to director Rebecca Northan to handle publicity and interviews.

Were they also scared to utter the real title — saying “Macbeth” inside a theatre is believed to be bad luck — aloud?

“The goblins don’t know anything about our superstitions,” says Northan, an actor-writer-improv artist who last season performed and directed Murder-on-the-Lake, an immersive murder-mystery, for the Shaw Festival.

Northan, who co-created Goblin:Macbeth with Bruce Horak and Ellis Lalonde, can’t speak for her folkloric co-workers, but says the Halloweenish trio were inspired to mount the show after being impressed by Shakespeare’s firm grasp on the realm of fantasy.