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Free Press Head Start for July 14, 2025

Good morning.

Starting this fall, Manitoba expects to mandate standards for working with asbestos, the cause of the majority of workplace deaths in the province. Malak Abas reports.

After 17 years at the helm of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Stephen Borys is stepping into a new field: consulting. The longtime director and chief executive officer oversaw the creation of Qaumajuq, the 40,000-square-foot addition to the WAG that houses the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art. Gabrielle Piché has the details on Borys’ career transition.

Manitoba’s minister responsible for accessibility says she and her staff will undergo training after she made controversial comments about a sign-language interpreter following a speech last month. Nahanni Fontaine made the announcement in a social media post yesterday. Read more here.

And legendary Canadian musician Bruce Cockburn — who performed at the first Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1974 — received a key to the City of Winnipeg over the weekend. Eva Wasney has the story.

 

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Your forecast

High 22 C. Increasing cloudiness, with a 60 per cent chance of showers late this morning and this afternoon. UV index 6, or high. A poor air quality warning is in effect because of wildfire smoke. See more from Environment Canada here.

What’s happening

This week, the Winnipeg Fringe Festival begins. Opening night is Wednesday at 6 p.m. The festival runs through July 27, and you’ll be able to find our coverage and show reviews here.

Today’s must-read

As the wildfire threat prompts precautionary evacuations in Thompson, long-term care residents in that city are being sent to a personal care home in Flin Flon. Residents of Flin Flon’s Northern Lights Manor were evacuated in late May and are waiting to return home, but this move will further delay their return. Meanwhile, evacuations are underway for Island Lake First Nations. Gabrielle Piché has the story.

Ludwig Krzak, a Flin Flon Northern Lights Manor resident, was evacuated to Winnipeg and is waiting to return home. (Supplied)

Ludwig Krzak, a Flin Flon Northern Lights Manor resident, was evacuated to Winnipeg and is waiting to return home. (Supplied)

On the bright side

Longtime Winnipeg Fringe volunteer Wendy Molnar has been involved with the festival since 1990 in a variety of roles, including taking tickets, ushering people to their seats and assisting with the children’s programming.

“Winnipeg was very welcoming to me and it was just a fun time, so I kind of got hooked on it,” Molnar says. “Here I am, 35 years later, still volunteering and still enjoying every minute of it.”

Aaron Epp shines the spotlight on Molnar’s contributions here.

Wendy Molnar has been volunteering with the Winnipeg Fringe Festival for 36 years. (Brook Jones / Free Press)

Wendy Molnar has been volunteering with the Winnipeg Fringe Festival for 36 years. (Brook Jones / Free Press)

 

On this date

On July 14, 1922: The Manitoba Free Press reported Canadian railway workers could expect a wage reduction of between five and eight cents an hour. In London, British prime minister Lloyd George recommended that Germany be given respite in paying war reparations. Author H.G. Wells was asked to run as a candidate for Parliament by the Labor party. Read the rest of this day’s paper here. Search our archives for more here.

Today’s front page

Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Free Press.

 
 

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Top news

Joyanne Pursaga:

New transit system working through ‘glitches’

Bus stop adjustments likely: councillor Read More

 

Malak Abas:

Province to mandate asbestos standards

Targets cause of majority of workplace deaths in Manitoba Read More

 

Gabrielle Piché:

Thompson long-term care residents to move to Flin Flon amid wildfire threat

Louise Last expected her dad to come home Monday. He and fellow long-term care residents left Flin Flon in late May, evacuating to Winnipeg and other areas to escape wildfires. A July 10 letter ... Read More

 

Gabrielle Piché:

Longtime WAG CEO departs to start consulting firm

‘I see it as a very natural transition’ Read More

 

Free Press staff:

Fontaine commits to training after ASL comments

Manitoba’s minister responsible for accessibility says she and her staff will undergo training after she made controversial comments during a speech last month. Nahanni Fontaine made the announceme... Read More

 

The Canadian Press:

Military says over 1,000 people flown from fire-threatened Manitoba community

The Canadian Armed Forces says it's evacuated over a thousand residents of a northern Manitoba community threatened by a wildfire, while towns and villages in the province are welcoming cooler weather... Read More

 

John Longhurst:

Drab parking lot planted the idea to remake Graham Ave.

Cathy Campbell was tired of seeing parking lots when she looked out the window from her office in Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Six years ago, when she was rector of the church, located at 256 Smit... Read More

 
 
 

New in Sports

Zoe Pierce:

‘A dream come true’

Draxl makes history as first Canadian to win Winnipeg Challenger title Read More

 

Joshua Frey-Sam:

Bombers eager to bounce back against Stampeders

History on the side of the Blue and Gold in wins coming off bye weeks Read More

 
 

New in Arts and Entertainment

 

Hazy shade of summer: Folk Fest sees sold-out crowds despite smoky air

Wildfire smoke didn’t deter attendees or performers at the 50th Winnipeg Folk Festival, which saw sold-out crowds at Birds Hill Park July 10-13. Read More

 
 

New in Business

Aaron Epp:

It’s not a party without chips

Ste. Anne-based La Cocina Foods sets table for fire-delayed 40th anniversary celebrations Read More

 

The Canadian Press:

Union head condemns attack on Winnipeg firefighter hit with pole during vehicle fire

WINNIPEG - The attack of a Winnipeg first responder who was allegedly hit with a pole by a man while responding to a vehicle fire is being condemned by the city's firefighters' union. United Fire F... Read More

 
 

Fresh opinions

Editorial:

Who’s pulling the levers behind AI’s ‘intelligence’?

Another day, another reason not to trust artificial intelligence models — or the people running them. Read More

 

Stephen Borys:

A deepening of public service

Last week, after 17 years at the helm, I stepped down as director and CEO of the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Qaumajuq to launch a new cultural initiative called Civic Muse. I wanted to take a moment to share a few reflections on what we’ve built together at the WAG Read More

 

Kyle Hiebert:

Canada and its military spending quagmire

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in early June that Canada would finally meet NATO’s military spending target of two per cent of GDP. Weeks later, that pledge was obsolete. At its recent summit in Brussels, the Western alliance agreed to raise the benchmark to five per cent by 2035. Read More

 

David Nutbean:

AI ‘slop’ and the end of the internet

The end of the internet will be brought about because it will no longer have any value to humans. The internet that once held great promise to bring humans universal knowledge, connectivity, freedom and education will turn into a wasteland of unreal, unbelievable and untrustworthy AI slop. Read More

 
 

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