Train derailment, First Nation power outage, homeless encampments, Top 5 visual art exhibitions of 2025, former Jet Roslovic
Plus: How do Winnipeg Jets players choose their sticks?

Good evening. Here’s a look at what our newsroom has been working on today:

'In what ways can we enhance the safety provisions'

Chris Kitching:

Derailment shows rail study on track: Axworthy

Incident highlights what could have happened with dangerous cargo, residents say Read More

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'Our nation expects an urgent and co-ordinated response'

Erik Pindera:

Hydro races to restore power to northern First Nation amid frigid temps

Pimicikamak declares state of emergency after downed line cuts electricity Sunday night Read More

'Housing would be the ultimate goal… this would be temporary'

Scott Billeck:

Getting a handle on homelessness

Councillor believes managed-encampment pilot would prove beneficial for Winnipeg crisis Read More

Visual art exhibitions that turned our heads in 2025

Jen Zoratti:

Made you look

From tiny beads to sweeping statements, 2025’s art exhibitions had an impact Read More

'A chance to help a good team get a couple of inches better'

Ken Wiebe:

Oilers the right fit for Roslovic

Former Jet providing much-needed secondary offence for team led by McDavid and Draisaitl Read More

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Local

Scott Billeck: Hebrew immersion elementary school on guard after antisemitic vandalism at synagogue, high school

Scott Billeck: Mostyn Park quiet a month after homeless encampment vacated, cleaned up

Malak Abas: Jail doors open at McCreary RCMP detachment turned vacation rental

Maggie Macintosh: U of M contest gives high schoolers keys to Manitoba Museum

Kevin Rollason: Honeymoon ‘completely tainted’ after baggage fiasco

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press: Kinew, leaders visit Manitoba First Nation dealing with frozen water crisis

Nicole Buffie: Politicians, Indigenous leaders tour devastation in Pimicikamak after power outage

Dean Pritchard: Winnipeg teen gets 18 months probation for Walmart heist

Joyanne Pursaga: Sheegl pays city court-ordered $1.15M for police headquarters bribe

Chris Kitching: Unlivable conditions after outage leave emotional Pimicikamak resident uncertain about future

Opinion

Ken Clark: Recall legislation that’s serious

Editorial: Transit service must be dependable

Stephen Borys: The idea of the museum, revisited

Free Press: Letters, Jan. 8

Maureen Scurfield: Nest mess could help you press on for success

Rebecca Chambers: Defending democracy with fluency in finding fact amid all the fiction

Niigaan Sinclair: Response to Pimicikamak’s four-day outage an improvement, sadly

Dan Lett: Carney’s response a concern after Trump goes looting in South America

Tom Brodbeck: Manitobans have heard NDP promises; now they want results

Editorial: In Winnipeg, change has to come

Arts & Life

Free Press: What’s up: Writers Round, Queer Newfoundland Hockey League, sound bath

Randall King: Director roars about making film during Winnipeg winter

Conrad Sweatman: Field guide focuses on variety of architectural styles in Canada

Georgia Nicols: Today’s horoscope

Free Press: American actor praises burgers at VJ’s Drive Inn

Jen Zoratti: Series continues to mine later-life feminine reality for laughs, insight

Conrad Sweatman: Mixed-media artist works slowly to examine rapid ramifications of social media

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press: ‘Wrong Husband’ and ‘Blue Heron’ among TIFF’s picks for best Canadian films of 2025

Andrew Dalton And Jonathan Mattise, The Associated Press: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are officially divorced after 19 years of marriage

Sports

Taylor Allen: Bombers score well above average on CFLPA report cards

Taylor Allen: Olympic-bound skip credits Carruthers reigniting his love for the game

Ken Wiebe: Jets’ Arniel demands more effort to spark turnaround

Joshua Frey-Sam: Dedicated volunteers Kelly and Sandy Taylor receive prestigious Archery Manitoba award

Ken Wiebe: Moose’s Zhilkin on verge of making NHL debut

Laurie Nealin: High-stakes tourney promises to thrill as skaters battle for Olympic berths

Mike McIntyre: Jets GM continues to preach patience despite club’s basement status

Ken Wiebe: Jets fail to finish as losing streak reaches 10 with OT loss to Vegas

Taylor Allen: Steinbach hits it out of the park as Grand Slam host

Joshua Frey-Sam: Kapusta sniping her way to breakout campaign

Business

Aaron Epp: Botanical PaperWorks changes hands, keeps environmental ‘heartbeat’

Free Press staff: McEwen finalizes Canadian Gold purchase

Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press: Stock markets in Canada, U.S. reach new highs amid continued focus on Venezuela

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press: Alberta launches website for potential new West Coast oil pipeline

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press: Air Transat pilots approve new contract that locks in big gains

Michael Liedtke, The Associated Press: Trump Mobile’s golden phone remains nowhere to be found

Malak Abas: Check out the renovated Langside Grocery

Aaron Epp: Manitoba premium simulator company real slice of Golf Haven

Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press: Canadian, U.S. markets rise after raid on Venezuela as oil market comes into focus

Nicole Buffie: Downtown restaurant owners hit by serial arsonist plan to reopen with better security

Canada

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press: Rogers puts $50M to address excessive screen time among teens and tweens

The Canadian Press: In the news: Airlines overhauling routes, RCAF retention via pay hike, gear boosting

The Canadian Press: Victims’ families mark six-year anniversary of Flight PS752 downing in Iran

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press: Calls for caution as Carney prepares to meet Xi amid new global political order

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press: RCAF commander reports progress on filling recruitment, retention gaps

The Canadian Press, The Canadian Press: Chrystia Freeland resigning as Toronto MP on Friday

The Canadian Press: Vancouver orchestra won’t sue violinist who broke NDA to speak out about alleged rape

The Canadian Press: Civil case against estate of Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau is dismissed

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press: Ottawa says 25 banned guns were collected and destroyed in buyback pilot program

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press: Man receives suspended sentence for defacing National Holocaust Monument

World

Wafaa Shurafa And Sam Metz, The Associated Press: Relative of 11-year-old girl killed in Gaza says Israeli gunfire was responsible for her death

Michael Liedtke, The Associated Press: Gmail adds new AI features, turning it into a personal assistant

Stephen Groves And Joey Cappelletti, The Associated Press: Senate considers limiting Trump’s war powers after Venezuela raid

The Associated Press: The Latest: Rubio to meet with officials from Denmark and Greenland

Kareem Chehayeb, The Associated Press: Lebanese military moves to new phase of disarming non-state groups like Hezbollah

Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press: Protests in Iran sparked by economic woes spread nationwide, activists say

Anthony Izaguirre, The Associated Press: Hochul and Mamdani to unveil free child care plan in New York City

Giuseppe Distefano And Giada Zampano, The Associated Press: Europe’s most active volcano is erupting, and tour guides are told to stay away

Claudia Ciobanu, The Associated Press: Denmark sees talks with the US as a chance for ‘the dialogue that is needed’ over Greenland

Darlene Superville, The Associated Press: White House will present Trump’s ballroom project for a review months after construction began

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One last thing...

As 2026 approaches, we’re looking back at some of the best Free Press writing in 2025.

Last January, hockey writer Ken Wiebe asked seven Winnipeg Jets — four forwards and three defencemen — about how they choose their most critically important piece of equipment: the stick.

The stories he heard range from superstition to experimentation and evaluation of the physics of length and curve.

Ken Wiebe:

Flex, specs and heft

Whether sticking with what they know or branching out into cutting-edge technology, Jets players put a lot of thought into their ‘lumber’ selections Read More

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