Teen athlete dies, removing encampments, Halloween reads
Plus: Meet Winnipeg's biggest Blue Jays fan

Connor McDowell:

Chief says he was behind legal threat over boats being allowed on Clear Lake

CLEAR LAKE — The chief of a western Manitoba First Nation is taking responsibility for the boat ban at Clear Lake last summer, saying he threatened Parks Canada with legal action if motorboats were al... Read More

Joshua Frey-Sam:

High school football player who suffered neck injury dies

The family of a Winnipeg high school football player is mourning his death following a severe neck injury he sustained in a game earlier this month. Read More

Chris Kitching:

The road not taken: lowest number of Manitobans in three decades cross border at Pembina in July, August

Many Manitobans appeared to skip U.S. road trips over the summer as the number of southbound travellers hit at least a 30-year low — excluding COVID-19 pandemic years — at a major border crossing south of Winnipeg. Read More

Joyanne Pursaga:

City rolls out plan to remove camps from public spaces starting mid-November

Co-ordinated approach called reasonable, compassionate Read More

Dan Lett:

North End sensibility, vast northern responsibility

Manitoba Anishinaabe MP Rebecca Chartrand driven by experience growing up surrounded by poverty, violence and tragedy Read More

Julia-Simone Rutgers:

Bumper crop of adversity

From drought to downpours and toxic smoke to tariffs — it was a summer of challenges down on the farm Read More

Chris Kitching:

Clinging to hope

Twenty-five years after Beverley Rowbotham was slain, her family believes a mysterious letter could shed light on the case that gripped Manitoba Read More

Katie May:

Polar bears share their prey

U of M research underscores importance of species to future of Arctic Read More

Dennis Hiebert:

Free speech and universities

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The Canadian Press:

Part-time faculty on strike at two Halifax universities

HALIFAX – Part-time faculty at Halifax’s Saint Mary’s University went on strike Thursday, joining their peers from Mount Saint Vincent University, who went on strike the day prior. C... Read More

Cassidy McMackon, The Canadian Press:

U of T emergency fund offers ‘lifeline’ to researchers facing U.S. funding cuts

TORONTO – The University of Toronto has created an emergency fund to support its researchers who are facing unexpected losses in funding to due cuts and policy changes at U.S. federal research a... Read More

What’s up: Celebrating Halloween

Free Press staff recommend things to do this week Read More

Ben Sigurdson:

Spooky-themed drinks are treats for adults

Every year around this time, I weigh the pros and cons of tasting through a gourd number of pumpkin-flavoured beers. Perusing the shelves this year, though, I found there actually weren’t that many to... Read More

Jen Zoratti:

Let the teens have their Halloweens

It’s that time of year when parents take to social media to ask a variation of the same question: is my teenage child too old to go trick-or-treating? The answer is no. Read More

Fearful fictions

A selection of horror, dread and other terrifically creepy tales Read More

Conrad Sweatman:

Canadian horror picks with slashed budgets, killer scores

Canadian films, at least outside Quebec, don’t get enough love. Lo-fi grit, unrefined performances and other rough edges often take on an endearing quality in Canadian music. In film, they tend to tri... Read More

Aaron Epp:

Spooky season spending stays strong

Halloween-themed retailers, events, locations report solid level of engagement, enthusiasm amid economic uncertainty Read More

Joyanne Pursaga:

Winnipeg water, sewer rate hikes on horizon — but not as bad as originally feared

Plan depends on nearly $1B in funding from feds, province for sewage plant overhaul Read More

Jesse Brogan:

Need for winter clothes outstripping supply

United Way Koats for Kids accepting donations of cold-weather gear Read More

Joyanne Pursaga:

Durand-Wood wins Elmwood-East Kildonan council seat in decisive byelection victory

Community activist and first-time candidate earns 31% of the vote Read More

Eva Wasney:

Counting on fans for countdown to 60th Festival du Voyageur

Festival du Voyageur is seeking memories and memorabilia to help celebrate an upcoming milestone anniversary. Read More

Melissa Martin:

Students write next chapter in Free Press media literacy project

Manitoba educators and students have a new toolkit to help prepare youth to navigate the tumultuous media world. Read More

Scott Billeck:

Ho ho home run: Winnipeggers caught looking at city’s biggest Blue Jays fan

The city’s biggest Toronto Blue Jays fan is hard to miss — a 14-foot-tall Santa inflatable towering over a backyard fence in south St. Vital. Santa has traded his Blue Bombers gear for a Blue Jays jer... Read More

Conrad Sweatman:

FortWhyte’s visitor centre recognized with award for sustainable construction

FortWhyte Alive’s new Buffalo Crossing visitor centre has thundered past nearly 1,000 submissions to win the prestigious Holcim Foundation Awards. Read More

Scott Billeck:

Funding to help newcomers find their feet

Groups get nearly $900,000 in one-time grants Read More

Janine LeGal:

Moving mountains — and planes and hearts

Gathering thousands on tarmac to kick off fundraising perfectly embodies can-do spirit of United way, campaign chair says Read More

Melissa Martin:

Hope in the ‘hood

History of violence draws popular YouTuber to Winnipeg, but he discovers ‘good people’, caring community Read More

Niigaan Sinclair:

Panicked B.C. citizens could learn from Naawi-Oodena

At Winnipeg's former Kapyong Barracks, Treaty 1 is creating a space for everyone to enjoy. Citizens of Richmond, B.C., should take note. Read More

Tom Brodbeck:

Without apology, Stefanson’s political legacy tarnished forever

One of the most troubling aspects about former premier Heather Stefanson’s 2023 ethics breach isn’t just what she did — it’s that she still doesn’t think she did anything wrong. Stefanson was fined $1... Read More

Joel Schlesinger:

Halloween spare change

Some thoughts on year’s scariest holiday — from frights to wallets to trick-or-treating nostalgia from decades past Read More

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press:

Thinking of going on strike? Here’s how to budget for your union’s next job action

Air Canada workers did it. So did Canada Post staff and Canadian National Railway Co. labourers, too.   Over the last few years, scores of Canadians have walked off the job in hopes of landing higher... Read More

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press:

Bank of Canada lowers key interest rate but signals cuts may be done

OTTAWA – The Bank of Canada is signalling it might be done cutting interest rates in the short term but that doesn’t mean economic growth is going to pick up quickly after a “structu... Read More

The Associated Press:

A recipe for Fish Stick Panzanella from ‘The Blue Food Cookbook’ elevates a frozen staple

Fish sticks, like any other frozen, breaded product, conjure up visions of a utilitarian meal. But there’s no reason fish sticks, which really can be very tasty, can’t be lent a little class by pairin... Read More

Hilary Fox, The Associated Press:

Be inspired and bewitched by culinary creations on ‘Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking’

LONDON (AP) — In the early hours of the morning, while everyone is asleep, something magical is being cooked up on the set of “Harry Potter.” Hagrid, Dobby and Voldemort are all there, but … they’re e... Read More

Katie Workman, The Associated Press:

A cheese lover’s cheat sheet to picking the right mozzarella for every dish

If you’ve ever wandered into the cheese section with the innocent intent of “just picking up some mozzarella,” you know it’s not that simple. What was once a single white orb in plastic wrap is now an... Read More

Jen Zoratti:

Home is where the art is

WAG-Qaumajuq exhibit explores Canadians’ penchant for staycations Read More

Ben Waldman:

From obscurity to a cultural icon

Play lovingly rendered but incomplete look at longtime Cercle Molière leader Read More

Ben Waldman:

Afterlight shines again

Two years after it premièred inside the Salle Pauline-Boutal, a bloodsucking romantic musical written by and starring Sharon Bajer and Duncan Cox is alive again. Read More

Holly Harris:

Galaxy of cello stars galvanize revived festival

The third International Cello Festival of Canada roared back to life with an embarrassment of riches Tuesday, as it officially launched a weeklong celebration of the perennially popular string instrument that runs through Saturday. Read More

The week that was: Oct. 20 to Oct. 25

This week's news quiz topics include: Scattered Seeds market, American booze, the local music scene and more. Take the quiz