The Wrap: Landfill healing lodge, Delta 9 creditor protection, Fringe kickoff, and free skateboarding lessons
Plus: a ghost gun manufacturer continues making illegal firearms... from prison

When a search for two slain Indigenous women begins at a Winnipeg-area landfill, a healing lodge nearby will provide space for their families to gather, access supports and wait for updates.

The 1,800-square foot, ready-to-move building was delivered to the privately owned Prairie Green Landfill late last week, as site preparations and detailed search planning continued.

Chris Kitching talks to relatives of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris about the lodge, and to the project manager about preparations for the search, expected to begin this fall.

Blake Ellison-Crate, 26, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count each of manufacturing firearms and trafficking firearms during a time when he was already in prison serving a 12-year sentence for trafficking firearms.

Ellison-Crate “is currently serving … the longest sentence imposed in Canada for these types of offences, yet that did not deter him from continuing to commit these offences while in federal custody,” Crown attorney Vanessa Gama told provincial court Judge Mark Kantor.

Court reporter Dean Pritchard has the story.

An annual summer holiday for theatre-goers since its debut in 1988, this year’s Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival opens tomorrow and offers 1,250 performances by artists from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Germany, Brazil and Japan.

Two years after the fest’s return from a pandemic-enforced two-year hiatus in 2022, the number of indoor companies participating in the festival continues to climb back toward 2019 levels.

Ben Waldman looks at the time-honoured tradition of Winnipeggers hosting out-of-town fringe performers, and provides some tips on enjoying this year’s festival.

With the threat looming that its lender might be making a move to seize its assets, Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. has filed for creditor protection with the courts.

To others in the Manitoba cannabis space, it’s not a pleasant sight to see Delta 9 struggling; the company is a cannabis pioneer and the largest player, by far, in the province.

Business reporter Martin Cash talks to the company about the proposal filed under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, and to experts about what it means for the industry.

Whether you’re just starting, have a few skills under your belt, a kid, or an adult — Sk8 Skates is helping the Winnipeg community learn the sport of skateboarding, free of charge.

Free skateboard lessons are being offered at The Forks from noon to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, until Aug. 16. These sessions are open to skaters of all ages and skill levels, providing an excellent opportunity for both beginners and experienced skateboarders to learn from four veteran instructors.

Zoe Pierce talks to instructors, parents and kids about the opportunity.