Maxime’s restaurant, set to close soon, ‘cannot keep up with the demand’

Manitoba workplaces becoming increasingly violent

A middle school student file documenting more than 40 violent outbursts in a single year.

A gun kept under the pillow of a home-care patient who has dementia.

A drug-fuelled rage during which a man suffering from a contagious disease spat on and wrapped his hands around the throat of a first responder.

These are among the hazards that front-line employees in health care, education and other public sector positions are navigating when they clock in for a shift.

Folk fest donates leftover food to Siloam Mission

Thousands of meals will be served at Siloam Mission this week thanks to a massive food donation from the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

More than 4,200 pounds — about two tonnes — of surplus food from the four-day festival that wrapped up Sunday was delivered to the mission on Monday.

The donation, consisting of prepared food, protein, dairy and fresh produce, is expected to provide enough ingredients to prepare about 6,000 meals for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

“We are part of the Winnipeg community and when we can give back, we do,” said folk festival executive director Valerie Shantz.

Look who’s coming back: a sneak peek at fringe faves

It’s all in the game at this year’s Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival. Though the majority of the indie performances at this year’s fest don’t have to do with video games, the “Play Hard” theme will surely yield dozens of critical hits for veterans and newbs alike.

Daycare connected to fire-damaged apartment shuttered

A Winnipeg mother is scrambling to find care for her autistic son after a fire at a connected Manitoba Housing building shuttered a West Broadway daycare.

The daycare, licenced for 45 children, was forced to lock its doors after a fire at 25 Furby St. sent eight people to hospital early Thursday morning.

Parents were informed about the closure of the Cornish Child Care Centre on the morning of the blaze. When Tara Gogal saw the extensive damage to the building, she knew her three-year-old son Finn would not be able to go back any time soon.

“I said to myself: ‘it’s impossible this daycare is opening,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine the amount of damage.”

First-aid volunteers treat folk fest attendees suffering from heat

Shade was at a premium at Birds Hill Provincial Park over the weekend as Winnipeg Folk Festival goers tried to keep cool during an extreme heat wave.

Heat warnings were issued across southern Manitoba and temperatures peaked at 35 C Sunday afternoon.

First-aid volunteers were seen administering cold compresses to several overheated attendees. STARS air ambulance responded to a medical call at the park on Saturday night, but did not transport the patient to hospital. By Sunday at noon, EMS had been called to the festival nine times.

“This is not an unusual number of calls for us or other events of our size,” festival executive director Valerie Shantz said.