Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorship

What's Up: Brew at the Zoo, Neighbour x Neighbour fest, Fiver, Exploration of Contentment, Mangofest

Brew at the ZooAssiniboine Park Zoo, 2595 Roblin Ave.Friday, 7-10 p.m.Tickets $68 hereIn July, Winnipeg beer drinkers flocked to Blue Cross Park for the return of Ballpark Brewfest; in August, they convened at Le Patio 340 for the Winnipeg Beer Festival.

And on Friday, lager lovers and hop heads will descend on the Assiniboine Park Zoo for the annual Brew at the Zoo, which sees local breweries pouring their wares alongside a range of national and international products. (Note: the zoo proper is not open to Brew at the Zoo guests.)

Among the locals taking part at this year’s Brew at the Zoo are Kilter Brewing Co., Heritage Farms Brewing Co., Dastardly Villain Ale Works, One Great City Brewing Co. and Barn Hammer Brewing Co. Locals pouring non-beer options include Brat Cat Mead Co., Shrugging Doctor Beverage Company and Patent 5 Distillery.

Brew at the Zoo, then, offers much more than beer, with a range of ready-to-drink cocktails, coolers, cider, wine and spirits being poured throughout the event; non-alcoholic options include kombucha and non-alcoholic beer.

‘Huge resource gaps’: judge shortage leads to circuit court cuts

A shortage of judges is forcing Manitoba’s provincial court to slash sittings across the province.

The court announced in a notice to the profession Wednesday that it will be reducing the number of annual court sittings at nine rural circuit locations and St. Boniface provincial court in Winnipeg by 68 sittings, effective April 1, 2027.

The reductions are necessary to balance “access to justice needs with the complement of judicial resources currently insufficient to maintain the current court schedule,” said the notice, signed by provincial court Chief Judge Ryan Rolston.

Affected circuit courts include Altona, Arborg, Beausejour, Easterville, Cranberry Portage, Lundar, Grand Rapids, Moose Lake, and Pine Falls.

U of M students call for ban on far-right group

Some University of Manitoba students are calling on their school to ban a far-right group from campus after posters promoting mass deportations were found during the summer break.

More than 50 people rallied on Wednesday, the first day of classes, to make known their concerns about a group called the Dominion Society of Canada.

The protest was organized after a supporter of the self-described nationalist group posted a video over the Labour Day weekend that shows him putting up flyers in Fort Garry.

“Canada is a really beautiful country and I have been welcomed here by a lot of beautiful people and it’s been amazing, but when I see harmful rhetoric online and now, on campus, it gives me a lot of anxiety,” said Ela Ancheta, an arts major at U of M.

Manitoba gains doctors for third straight year, but loses at pandemic-level rate: report

Manitoba is adding doctors at a record clip — but it’s also losing them at a rate not seen since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, a physicians advocacy organization cautioned Wednesday.

Ottawa to spend $5M on HIV self-testing kits

Manitoba, which has the country’s highest HIV rate, will receive a significant share of $5 million in federal funding for HIV testing and supports.

The province declared a public health emergency over rising HIV rates in May. Manitoba’s HIV rate is more than three times the national average. In 2024, the province had 19.5 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 5.5 nationally.

Dr. Joss Reimer, Canada’s chief public health officer, said Thursday at the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network in Winnipeg, said one in 10 Canadians who have HIV do not know their status.

“Knowing one’s HIV status enables access to prevention options, or for those who test positive, early treatment to improve outcomes and prevent transmission,” Reimer said.

Childfree Winnipeg group gives women without kids a place to gather

Katelyn Sawatzky founded Childfree Winnipeg Women in 2021 to bring together women who don’t have kids — be it by choice or circumstance — and do not plan on raising children.

The group is designed to help them share experiences and build meaningful friendships.

The community welcomes cisgender, straight, transgender, bisexual and lesbian women. Parents, including empty nesters and men, are turned away.

“Our group is a safe space where women can hang out with other women without being asked when you’re going to have kids or why you don’t have kids … where you don’t feel like you have to validate or defend your choices in any way, because everyone gets it,” Sawatzky says.