Minimum wage up, moon mission, boy kibble
Plus: Heated Rivalry fanfic with a Winnipeg backdrop

Scott Billeck:

Siloam CEO orders staff to go ‘media silent’

Press barred from events as tensions rise over hiring Read More

Erik Pindera and Tyler Searle:

Former Tory cabinet minister Fielding charged with sexual assault

Court documents say both Fielding and the victim, a 34-year-old woman, were working at KPMG at the time of the alleged assault. Read More

Aaron Epp:

Attention-getting connections

April Fools’ Day jokes highlight real-life issues, joys of local small businesses, owners say Read More

AV Kitching:

Popularity of sweater with Manitoba roots goes galactic after visit to stars

It’s the ultimate interstellar fashion moment; a vintage-inspired Mary Maxim fox knit, worn by Ryan Gosling’s character in his latest blockbuster Project Hail Mary, has sent the crafting world spinning. Read More

Julia-Simone Rutgers:

Overland oil

What’s old is new again, from a looming energy crisis sparked by war in the Middle East, to strategies to mitigate it, such as an Arctic pipeline Read More

David Sanderson:

Ain’t life grand?

For versatile musician, there are 88 simple keys to happiness Read More

Jen Zoratti:

Joy story

Winnipeg-born author Kate Bowler faces hard facts on search for meaning of happiness in 'Joyful, Anyway' Read More

Conrad Sweatman:

Powerful voices

Hip-hop duo spread the word about social justice, education at STEM outreach program Read More

Erik Pindera:

U of W wants former president’s lawsuit thrown out

The University of Winnipeg has asked the court to toss out a lawsuit filed by its former president over his unceremonious ouster late last year. Todd Mondor, who was the university’s president and ... Read More

Kevin Rollason:

U of M tuition poised to climb four per cent

University of Manitoba students are facing the highest tuition hike in years. Prabhnoor Singh, president of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union, said the province’s decisio... Read More

Free Press staff:

Teen charged in knife attack at U of M fitness centre, victim in hospital

A teenager has been charged after a man was stabbed at a University of Manitoba fitness centre Thursday night. Police say that at about 7:30 p.m., a 17-year-old male suspect and the 32-year-o... Read More

Aaron Epp:

City’s first Costco Business Centre officially opens

A crowd of about 40 customers gathered by 6:30 a.m. Friday, awaiting the grand opening of Manitoba’s first Costco Business Centre at 1315 St. James St. Read More

Aaron Epp:

Hair today, client-specific therapies tomorrow

Harmony Aesthetics banks on cryogenic storage, preservation, future utilization of hair follicle stem cells Read More

Malak Abas:

On schedule: provincial minimum wage to rise to $16.40/hr in October

Manitoba’s minimum wage is set to rise 40 cents in October, leaving labour and business advocates split on the benefit of continuing to tie the baseline to the rate of inflation as the cost of living ... Read More

Sarah Raza, The Associated Press:

Electric bikes can be fast and dangerous. Here’s how to stay safe

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The 14-year-old was riding an electric bicycle at an estimated 25 mph when he slammed into Janet Stotko during her evening walk, leaving her unconscious and bleeding ... Read More

Eva Wasney:

Bodychecks and pirouettes

Royal Winnipeg Ballet featured in popular Heated Rivalry fan-fiction series Read More

Janine LeGal:

Guys for good causes

Lifelong friends united by desire to give back Read More

Joshua Frey-Sam:

Goodbye, Goldeyes — hello, Manitoba Mosquitoes

Club announces single-game alternate name change, jersey Read More

Joshua Frey-Sam:

Hildebrandt back with the Sea Bears

Homegrown forward happy to ink contract with hometown club Read More

Tyler Searle:

Winnipeg dad, young son captivated by first mission to moon in more than a half-century

Father hopes witnessing the launch might leave an impression on his son who has developed a budding interest in astronomy. Read More

Dan Lett:

Those guaranteed rights and freedoms we all have? Well, here’s the thing…

How’s this for perverse? At a time when democracies all over the world are under siege from messianic, authoritarian leaders with no regard for basic human rights, the Supreme Court of Canada is gr... Read More

Niigaan Sinclair:

Spying on Indigenous peoples fuels mistrust, threatens Canada’s economy and society

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association published thousands of pages in 2019 that it had fought for years to be released by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The heavily redacted... Read More

Jen Zoratti:

Boy Kibble craze a soul-destroying approach to maxxing meal plans

Sometimes, when I am filling my dog’s bowl with tiny brown triangles, I have the (depressing) thought: I wish there was such a thing as human kibble, so I didn’t have to work out what to feed myself all the time. Pre-portioned, perfectly macro-balanced sustenance, so I can just eat my People Chow and move on with my day. Read More

Carol Sanders and Tyler Searle:

Kinew should make ‘history’ again with tax relief, beleaguered Manitobans say

Premier Wab Kinew’s suggestion that the 2024 gas tax holiday was “the most important thing that a provincial government ever did in the history of Manitoba” is no comfort to residents facing even high... Read More

Joel Schlesinger:

Consume, at what cost?

New report points to growing trend of lower-income earners struggling to keep up, prop up system requiring continual growth Read More

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press:

Food inflation spiked 7.3% in January. Here’s what’s driving the increase

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada reported an easing in the headline inflation rate Tuesday but a jump in the pace of food inflation amid tax changes and lingering pressures at the grocery store continue to ... Read More

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press:

An inside look at how your loans — and spending — affect your credit score

Having a variety of loans could help strengthen your credit score — or harm it, depending on your spending and payment history. But a credit card, car loan and mortgage work differently, maki... Read More

Jimmy John’s opens fourth local location

Sandwich shop chain Jimmy John’s has expanded its presence in Winnipeg with the grand opening of its fourth location. Local franchisees Mark Beyer and Derek Nieroda opened the restaurant at 1857B G... Read More

Derek Gatopoulos And Theodora Tongas, The Associated Press:

Want to renew healthy eating habits? Greek monks have a spring playbook

TRIKORFO, Greece (AP) — Can a centuries-old ritual of spiritual renewal rekindle a New Year’s resolution to build healthy eating habits before it fades in the spring? For six weeks ev... Read More

Ben Sigurdson:

Easter mains prove easy to pair with wine

Whether or not you and your people celebrate Easter next weekend, it’s as good an excuse as any to gather with family and friends over a nice meal. A traditional Easter dinner usually consists of g... Read More

What’s up

Free Press staff recommend things to do this week Read More

Alison Gillmor:

Agatha’s Almanac, portrait of 90-year-old Manitoban’s quiet life, packs powerful punch

‘You can have a life of joy and hope and love,” says Agatha Bock, the somewhat reluctant star of this luminous, lovely documentary. “But it’s not always easy.” Read More

Denise Duguay:

Narco nannies, sharks and other TV dangers

Anticipation has value, but it requires familiarity. Those viewers in that camp are already counting the days to the likes of the next Margaret Atwood-inspired feminist dystopia, The Testaments, which premières the first three of eight episodes on April 8, on Disney+. Read More

Alison Gillmor:

‘They Will Kill You’ thin on story, but plenty of slapstick, gore galore

Gutsy heroine can’t even save comedy/horror/action flick Read More

Alison Mayes:

Queen’s motivations not fully explored in RMTC’s royal drama The Last Wife

Why is it that in the game of chess, the queen can move as much as she wants, all over the board, but the king can only move one square at a time? When King Henry VIII asks that question in the feminist play The Last Wife, it’s a metaphorical recognition that his sixth wife, Katherine Parr, is using her wits to strategically outplay him. Read More

The week that was: March 23 to March 29

This week's news quiz topics include: bowling, pigeons, the provincial budget and more. Take the quiz