UN: No screen time for babies; only 1 hour for kids under 5

Decision on corridor for Trans-Canada twinning near Ontario border expected this fall, province says

The Manitoba government is taking more time to evaluate and select a preferred corridor for the twinning of a 16-kilometre section of the Trans-Canada Highway near the Ontario boundary.

An earlier timeline indicated Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure expected to choose an alignment by the fall of 2025. A provincial spokesperson told the Free Press on Monday a decision is expected this winter, but a different spokesperson said Wednesday a decision is expected this fall.

“The department continues to evaluate corridor alternatives and will undertake additional geotechnical, environmental and design work as part of the (functional design study) to support the selection of a preferred corridor,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The study, which will include Crown-Indigenous and public consultation, is expected to be completed in late 2027, with a detailed design to follow.

What’s up

Summer Movie Night: JawsBarn Hammer Brewing Co., 595 Wall St.Today, 7 p.m.FreeIt was the first film to be marketed in North America on LaserDisc (in MCA DiscoVision, no less). The main character doesn’t have a name, but was dubbed Bruce by its co-stars. And a prosthetic arm made for the film didn’t look realistic enough, so a cast member was buried in the sand with only her arm sticking out.

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws was a sensation upon release, overtaking The Godfather as the highest grossing film at the North American box office (a title it held until Star Wars was released two years later). The film follows the plight of a New England town terrorized by a massive great white shark, and the ragtag trio that set out to take down the beast after a series of attacks.

Tonight at Barn Hammer, you can revisit the film that had so many afraid to go in the water (and spawned Roy Scheider’s infamous line “you’re going to need a bigger boat” which, according to IMDb, he improvised).

The film gets going at 7:30 p.m., but pop by the brewery tap room beforehand for some pre-show trivia (such as the above nuggets). There will be happy hour-priced pints, a themed cocktail and even a candy bar for viewers of all ages to enjoy. Admission is free.

Report draws link between missing Indigenous women and trafficking across Canada

A new analysis of online sex advertisements featuring Indigenous women has identified cross-country corridors that are highly indicative of sex trafficking, while revealing insight into how women and girls are exploited in Winnipeg.

Body of 11-year-old Calgary boy missing for two weeks found in water pipe

CALGARY - An 11-year-old Calgary boy who disappeared two weeks ago has been found dead in a labyrinth of pipes under the city, police announced Wednesday.

Chief Katie McLellan said the boy, named Parker, was discovered in a small water pipe underneath Deerfoot Trail, the city's major north-south expressway.

"For nearly two weeks, so many people woke up hoping it would be the day Parker came home," McLellan told reporters.

"Instead, we are here sharing news that is heartbreaking for his family and for everyone who has been carrying that hope."

Use it twice: a data centre we could support

In June, Premier Wab Kinew rejected a massive AI data centre planned near Île-des-Chênes. The project would have used 500 megawatts of power, which is about the same as the Grand Rapids generating station, and would have run on six natural gas turbines. Kinew said the environmental cost was too high and the long-term benefit for Manitobans was too low.

He made the right call. But simply saying no to data centres is not enough.

Winnipeg is a cold city. Data centres are basically huge electric heaters with computers inside. Almost every watt they use turns into heat, and most facilities pay to release it into the air. In a city that spends half the year paying to stay warm, that’s not just waste; it’s an opportunity. The idea is simple: use the energy twice. First for computing, then for heating our buildings.

The stakes are real. Manitoba Hydro’s new resource plan says peak demand will exceed our capacity as early as 2029 or 2030, and that the province will need about 1,760 additional megawatts of dependable capacity by 2035.

South Osborne residents fail in bid to prevent construction of 131-unit apartment tower

A proposed 10-storey highrise on an empty south Osborne lot will move forward despite concerns from residents about the impact the building will have on nearby parking and traffic.

The city-owned lot at 425 Osborne St., which previously served as a gas station but has long sat vacant, will be developed into a mixed-use residential building with 131 units, 39 of which would be affordable, along with additional office space for the adjacent Winnipeg Transit garage and the Transit customer service centre across the street, along with a two-level parkade for tenants and Transit employees.

The property is being developed by the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corp. 2.0, and designed by Prairie Architects Inc.

At a meeting held by city council’s appeal committee Wednesday, several residents said while they supported the idea of more housing in the Lord Roberts neighbourhood, they had lingering concerns about the impact the development will have on the already-busy area.