Applied commerce

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Manitoba exports to U.S., China plummet

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview

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Manitoba exports to U.S., China plummet

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Wednesday, Jul. 9, 2025

While Manitoba’s exports to the United States and China plunged earlier this year, the dollar value of its imports soared.

U.S. imports to Manitoba hit roughly $10.97 billion in January through May — an eight per cent increase from the same time in 2024. Meanwhile, imports from China jumped 6.9 per cent year-over-year, totalling $684 million.

“It’s surprising,” said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

He’s tracked a sentiment across businesses to bring their supply chains closer to home. Uncertainty has rocked the private sector since Donald Trump was elected U.S. president in November. Tariffs and tariff threats have made regular headlines, shaking operations and causing companies to pause future investments.

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Wednesday, Jul. 9, 2025

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Files
Canola and corn grow south of Rivers on Tuesday. Canola oil and meal have been slapped with massive import tariffs by the Chinese government, leading to a downturn in trade.

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Downtown pilot project will add furniture, art, picnic tables to Graham Avenue

Joyanne Pursaga 4 minute read Preview

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Downtown pilot project will add furniture, art, picnic tables to Graham Avenue

Joyanne Pursaga 4 minute read Monday, Jun. 23, 2025

Over the next three weeks, the city aims to breathe new life into a four-block stretch of Graham Avenue, with a bright new look, ping pong tables, street furniture and art.

As the Free Press reported last week, a pilot project will see Graham reserved for cyclists and pedestrians between Carlton and Garry streets, once a new primary transit network removes buses from the area on June 29.

On Monday, the city laid out its vision for the pilot, which is expected to continue at least until the end of summer.

“The buses will move off of Graham Avenue and in just three weeks … after that, we will completely transform this stretch of Graham,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.

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Monday, Jun. 23, 2025

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Mayor Scott Gillingham speaks at the launch of the re-imagining Graham pedestrian placemaking project at Graham Avenue on Monday.

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Decade of pride in custom power products for Strong Electric

Aaron Epp 6 minute read Preview

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Decade of pride in custom power products for Strong Electric

Aaron Epp 6 minute read Monday, Jun. 23, 2025

If there’s one thing Darrell Driedger likes, it’s a challenge.

“I’m a custom guy all the way,” he says of his interest in creating unique products. “I’m in my glory when I get a set of plans from a client, can offer suggestions on the design and build and then figure out how we can make it work.”

Driedger is the chief operating officer at Strong Electric Manufacturing Inc., a Winnipeg business that provides standard and custom engineered solutions for the electrical industry.

Located at 906 King Edward St., beside its sister company, SCT Welding, Laser & Manufacturing Co., Strong Electric focuses on electrical distribution products of up to 25,000 volts for the commercial, industrial, utility and mining markets.

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Monday, Jun. 23, 2025

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Darrell Driedger, chief operating officer at Strong Electric, 906 King Edward Street, on the shop floor with a 2000amp breaker being assembled for an industrial building site. Strong Electric manufactures products for the electrical industry.

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Animal Services asks for help building sensory garden

Massimo De Luca-Taronno 3 minute read Preview

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Animal Services asks for help building sensory garden

Massimo De Luca-Taronno 3 minute read Monday, Jun. 23, 2025

The City of Winnipeg is counting on dog lovers to make life easier for furry companions who end up in its shelter.

Jennifer Medlicott, the communications co-ordinator at the Animal Services Agency, said there’s a desperate need to create a sensory garden in the facility’s outdoor play yards. The agency, at 1057 Logan Ave., generally houses more than two dozen dogs at a time.

“We’re just looking for opportunities to make the lives of the animals in our care better and I just think we just saw an opportunity,” said Medlicott on Friday. “We dream of a future where we have a large-scale transformation, but we were also trying to look at some short-term solutions and that’s where the sensory garden came up.”

A sensory garden is an area designed to stimulate one or more of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. It incorporates trees, flowers, and any other elements in nature to help reduce stress.

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Monday, Jun. 23, 2025

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS
Sebastian, a two-year-old American Bull Dog mix, runs over one of the enrichment structures at Animal Services.

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Part toy, part fashion, the arrival of the viral Labubu was a long time in the making

Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

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Part toy, part fashion, the arrival of the viral Labubu was a long time in the making

Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Labubu, the plush toy from China's Pop Mart is a social media darling, but the toothy little monsters are far from an overnight success. Having appeared a decade ago, Labubus may have finally cemented their place in the collectible toy market for years to come.

The Labubu, by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung, first appeared with pointed ears and pointy teeth, in three picture books inspired by Nordic mythology in 2015.

In 2019 Lung struck a deal with Pop Mart, a company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers, to sell Labubu figurines. But it wasn't until Pop Mart started selling Labubu plush toys on key rings in 2023 that the toothy monsters suddenly seemed to be everywhere, including in the hands of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and NBA star Dillon Brooks. K-pop singer Lisa of Blackpink began posting images of hers for her more than 100 million followers on Instagram and on TikTok, where Labubu pandemonium has broken out.

There are 1.4 million #Labubu TikTok posts and counting, videos of fans unboxing them, showing styles inspired by them, and of course, Labubu cosplay.

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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

This image provided by Pop Mart, shows Labubu, the plush toy from China’s Pop Mart. (Pop Mart via AP)

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Oreo maker Mondelez sues Aldi, alleging grocery chain copies its packaging to confuse customers

Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

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Oreo maker Mondelez sues Aldi, alleging grocery chain copies its packaging to confuse customers

Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press 3 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

Snack food maker Mondelez International is suing the Aldi supermarket chain, alleging the packaging for Aldi's store-brand cookies and crackers “blatantly copies” Mondelez products like Chips Ahoy, Wheat Thins and Oreos.

In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Illinois, Chicago-based Mondelez said Aldi’s packaging was “likely to deceive and confuse customers” and threatened to irreparably harm Mondelez and its brands. The company is seeking monetary damages and a court order that would stop Aldi from selling products that infringe on its trademarks.

Aldi didn't respond to messages seeking comment. The U.S. branch of Aldi, which is based in Batavia, Illinois, was named in the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Mondelez displayed side-by-side photos of multiple products. Aldi’s Thin Wheat crackers, for example, come in a gold box very similar to Mondelez's Wheat Thins. Aldi’s chocolate sandwich cookies and Oreos both have blue packaging. The supermarket's Golden Round crackers and Mondelez’s Ritz crackers are packaged in red boxes.

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Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

This combo of images shows, top row from left, Mondelez's products Nutter Butter, Chips Ahoy! and Oreo cookies; bottom row from left, shows Aldi’s products, Peanut Butter Creme, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Original Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Filing, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Glenview, Ill. (AP Photos/Nam Y. Huh)

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Rent-free months and gift cards: How Toronto-area landlords are vying for tenants

Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

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Rent-free months and gift cards: How Toronto-area landlords are vying for tenants

Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

TORONTO - Toronto landlords are trying to lure in tenants with rent-free months, complimentary Wi-Fi and $500 gift cards amid an unprecedented supply of condos and lower rents.

Real-estate market experts say the fierce competition – which extends beyond the Greater Toronto Area – is giving renters more negotiating power, echoing trends last seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two months of free rent, free parking and gift cards for food delivery or public transit are among thousands of dollars' worth of perks and discounts advertised on Toronto rental listing websites and apps.

While such incentives are ubiquitous in Toronto, landlords in other GTA cities and the Greater Hamilton Area are also locked in a tight contest that benefits renters.

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Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

Condo towers dot the Toronto skyline Jan. 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

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Big Ocean breaks new ground as K-pop’s first deaf group

Juwon Park, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

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Big Ocean breaks new ground as K-pop’s first deaf group

Juwon Park, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Big Ocean, a three-member K-pop group composed entirely of artists with hearing disabilities, is redefining the limits of music and performance — one beat at a time.

When Big Ocean takes the stage, they seamlessly incorporate sign language into their performances. But their polished shows are built on extensive preparation using high-tech tools born from necessity — vibrating smartwatches that pulse with musical beats and LED visual metronomes that flash timing cues during practice sessions. This technological approach represents significant progress in South Korea’s entertainment industry, where career opportunities for people with disabilities have historically been limited.

The trio, PJ, Jiseok and Chanyeon, made their debut in April 2024 and recently wrapped a solo European tour marking their first anniversary. The band performed in four countries, including France and the U.K., while promoting their second mini-album, “Underwater,” which dropped on April 20.

PJ rose to prominence as a YouTuber who educated viewers about hearing disabilities. Chanyeon previously worked as an audiologist. Jiseok was a professional ski racer.

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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Members of K-pop band Big Ocean, Jiseok, PJ and Chanyeon, from left to right, participate in an interview with The Associated Press in Seoul, South Korea, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

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The penny costs nearly 4 cents to make. Here’s how much the US spends on minting its other coins

Wyatte Grantham-philips, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

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The penny costs nearly 4 cents to make. Here’s how much the US spends on minting its other coins

Wyatte Grantham-philips, The Associated Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — The impending “death” of the U.S. penny has spotlighted the coin's own price tag — nearly 4 cents to make and distribute each, or quadruple its value.

Months after President Donald Trump called on his administration to cease penny production, the U.S. Mint announced this week that it had made its final order of penny blanks — and plans to stop making new 1 cent coins after those run out.

Coin production costs vary thanks to different raw metals used, complexity of their designs, labor needed and more. Many of those expenses have been on the rise — and the penny isn't the only coin entering our wallets today that costs more to make than it's worth (enter the nickel debate).

Here's a rundown of U.S. Mint production costs from the government's latest fiscal year.

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Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

FILE - Freshly-made pennies sit in a bin at the U.S. Mint in Denver on Aug. 15, 2007. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

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Toronto Zoo warns of extinctions if Ontario mining bill becomes law

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

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Toronto Zoo warns of extinctions if Ontario mining bill becomes law

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

TORONTO - Species could go extinct if Ontario passes a controversial mining bill that is set to transform its approach to endangered species and the environment, the Toronto Zoo warned the province.

Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, would strike a blow to the recovery of several species the institution has been trying to save, said Dolf DeJong, the zoo's CEO, at a committee hearing at Queen's Park on Thursday.

If and when the bill becomes law, DeJong wants the province to step up with funding so it can dramatically increase its biobank with Ontario species that could die off as a result of the legislation.

"We're concerned this act will result in the erosion of biodiversity and the loss of species at risk," DeJong said.

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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

A Blanding's turtle is shown in this undated handout photo provided by the Toronto Zoo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Toronto Zoo
*MANDATORY CREDIT*

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Innovative horse simulator helps riders with disabilities get in the saddle

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

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Innovative horse simulator helps riders with disabilities get in the saddle

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

VICTORIA - "Do you want to go faster?"

Jayne Imeson already knew the answer she was going to get from her six-year-old son, Casey, sitting astride his new steed in a park in Central Saanich, B.C.

He nodded with a smile. "Always faster -- this kid loves his speed," Imeson said.

Casey's usual ride is a Fjord horse named Valla, but on Thursday, he became the first official user of the MiraColt horse-riding motion simulator developed for the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association.

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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Six-year-old Casey, of Saanich B.C., becomes the first official user of the new MiraColt Horse-Riding Motion Simulator as Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association board chair Liz Gagel assists him at a demonstration hosted by the VTRA in Central Saanich, B.C. on Thursday, May 22, 2025. The simulator is the first of its kind by pairing a commercially available simulator with software developed at the University of Victoria in Victoria, B.C. to create a more authentic and motivating experience for riders. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Wolfgang Depner

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En 2025, des Jardins St Léon encore plus tournés vers le local

Jonathan Semah 4 minute read Preview

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En 2025, des Jardins St Léon encore plus tournés vers le local

Jonathan Semah 4 minute read Saturday, May. 3, 2025

Les Jardins St-Léon, le marché extérieur situé sur St Mary’s, ouvre ses portes au public ce 30 avril. Colin Rémillard, copropriétaire, fait le point sur la saison qui s’en vient.

Même si la création des Jardins St-Léon remonte à 1979 par Lise Mulaire et Denis Rémillard, l’excitation est toujours la même quand la date de l’ouverture est connue. Cette année 2025 ne fait pas exception au regard de toutes les réactions enchantées sur les réseaux sociaux quand la compagnie a annoncé son retour pour ce 30 avril.

À l’image des internautes, Colin Rémillard, copropriétaire des Jardins St-Léon a hâte d’accueillir le public et travaille avec son équipe de 55 personnes sur les dernières préparations.

“Tout se passe bien, nos étagères sont déjà bien remplies et nous continuons de les remplir. On a quelques nouveaux employés, mais aussi beaucoup de retours d’anciens, ce qui est toujours un bon signe. La météo a l’air de bien s’annoncer. L’année dernière a été plus occupée que l’année précédente et l’on verra ce qui va passer cette année.”

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Saturday, May. 3, 2025

Archives La Liberté
Colin Rémillard, copropriétaire des Jardins St-Léon, a repris l’affaire en 2016.

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Red River course focuses on Indigenous cooking techniques, ingredients

Eva Wasney 6 minute read Preview

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Red River course focuses on Indigenous cooking techniques, ingredients

Eva Wasney 6 minute read Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2025

With the lunch rush over, the kitchen takes a collective sigh of relief. Jokes are cracked while the flattop is scraped clean and smiles float around the room as prep stations are tidied for the next day’s service.

Gabriel Nanacowop, who had some nerves about overseeing Wiisinin Diner as chef-of-the-day, is feeling particularly satisfied.

“It was good, fast-paced,” says Nanacowop, one of 11 students enrolled in Red River College Polytechnic’s Indigenous Culinary Skills program.

Red River has been offering the yearlong certificate program for nearly a decade. In it, Indigenous students are given a crash course on food preparation, kitchen safety and business basics, with a focus on cultural ingredients and cooking techniques.

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Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2025

Ruth Bonneville / Free Pres
Gabriel Nanacowop (left) and Kendrah Sinclair finish preparing lunch with their
classmates for guests at Wiisinin Diner.

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Une technologie de pointe au Manitoba

Hugo Beaucamp 5 minute read Preview

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Une technologie de pointe au Manitoba

Hugo Beaucamp 5 minute read Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025

À Saint-Eustache, la compagnie Tritec Concrete se lance dans la commercialisation d’une technologie d’élimination des déchets organiques aux nombreux avantages.

Sur le terrain de la compagnie Tritec Concrete, aux abords de Saint-Eustache à l’ouest de Winnipeg, une machine d’une dizaine de mètres de haut se dresse à l’extérieur, derrière les hangars.

Il s’agit d’un prototype de Rapid Organic Converter (ROC). Celui-ci fonctionne en continu depuis 2016 et a vu le jour sous l’impulsion de Jamie Dufresne, propriétaire de Tritec Concrete, qui a travaillé pendant une bonne partie de sa carrière dans la recherche et le développement.

“Je cherchais un moyen de récupérer les déchets agricoles, que nous brûlions à l’époque, et de trouver un moyen de le granuler ou l’ensacher. Le système actuel consomme tout ce qui est organique.”

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Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025

Marta Guerrero photo
David Paz, président-directeur général de Tritec Concrete.

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Employees aim for the stars at Magellan Aerospace

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Employees aim for the stars at Magellan Aerospace

3 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

When making a major career course correction, Julie Robichaud did the math. She calculated that a job at Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg would give her wings to soar to new and higher professional goals.

“I had just come out of 10 years in hospitality and decided to switch gears, so I started at Magellan at three days a week and they quickly moved me to five days,” says Robichaud.

“It’s been great. The company is very good about giving me the educational and other supports I need to succeed and to grow.”

Magellan Aerospace is a global company that designs, engineers and manufactures aeroengine and aerostructure components for the aerospace and space markets. Located in Winnipeg, the company’s employees build everything from complex aircraft assemblies to satellite buses.

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Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen visits Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg, to discuss the upcoming Artemis launch with the team.

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Le rêve sucré de Linh Tran

Jonathan Semah 4 minute read Preview

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Le rêve sucré de Linh Tran

Jonathan Semah 4 minute read Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025

Avec Rêverie, une boulangerie sans gluten, Linh Tran voit un projet qu’elle a en tête depuis plusieurs années se concrétiser. Si elle s’est lancée dans le sans gluten, c’est avant tout pour des raisons personnelles. Mais, elle observe une demande en hausse année après année.

Tartes, cookies, beignets, gâteaux, desserts et biscuits, en parcourant la page Instagram et le site web de Rêverie, difficile de résister à la tentation face à toutes ces douceurs. Mais pour en arriver là, il a fallu des années d’essais et de pratique à Linh Tran.

Alors qu’elle a quitté son emploi au Centre de santé Saint-Boniface il y a quelques mois, la pâtissière est maintenant totalement concentrée sur Rêverie.

Une passion dès l’enfance

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Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025

Marta Guerrero photo
Linh Tran avec certains des biscuits à trouver sur sa boutique en ligne.

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Province invests $17M in Magellan Aerospace to create additional jobs, training

Martin Cash 5 minute read Preview

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Province invests $17M in Magellan Aerospace to create additional jobs, training

Martin Cash 5 minute read Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025

The NDP government is continuing its aggressive support of Manitoba’s aerospace industry, announcing Thursday a significant investment in Magellan Aerospace.

The province is providing Magellan with an $8 million grant and a $9 million loan (to be repaid over 12 years). The investment expects to lead to the creation of more than 60 positions at Magellan. (Its current workforce is about 650.)

The financial assistance will leverage additional capital investment from the company. It is a global player in the aerospace industry, with head offices in the Greater Toronto Area. In addition to its Winnipeg plant, Magellan has three manufacturing operations in Ontario, six in the U.S, six in Europe and two in India.

The Winnipeg plant has been around for close to 100 years. In addition to being a centre of excellence for the company when it comes to machining aero-engine parts, it is also Magellan’s space centre, having manufactured five satellites currently orbiting the Earth.

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Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
The Magellan Aerospace building in Winnipeg.

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How changing demographics and tastes are shaping Canada’s grocery stores

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

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How changing demographics and tastes are shaping Canada’s grocery stores

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

It’s mid-December at a large supermarket in Mississauga, Ont., and Christmas music plays softly over the speakers as customers roam the aisles, picking the perfect lemon and eyeing the large olive counter in the middle of the store.

But this isn't just any grocery store. Walk past the produce and the olives, and you'll see trays of tabbouleh, hummus and fattoush, as well as shawarma cooking on rotating spits. Further, you’ll find a large dessert section with neat displays of golden baklava and other sweets. Behind two swinging doors, rows of puffed-up pita bread emerge on a conveyor belt from the oven, ready to be packaged and sold to customers.

This is Adonis, a Middle Eastern grocer that got its start in Montreal in 1978. The grocer is gearing up to open its 16th store, this one in London, Ont., next summer to meet demand from customers who often travel weekly to shop at the Mississauga location.

Specialty stores like Adonis are enjoying growth thanks to not only immigration but also the more diverse tastes of younger generations.

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Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

Baklava is put into a display counter at the bakery in the Adonis grocery store in Mississauga, Ont. on Monday, December 16, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

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Slow fashion houses embrace made-to-order to reduce waste

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

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Slow fashion houses embrace made-to-order to reduce waste

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

TORONTO - On occasion, fashion designer and clothier Katelyn Woodburn is accused of running a scam.

When a customer makes a purchase without reading the "about" section on her website or following her on social media, they might send an email a week or two later saying something like: "Where's my order? It hasn't even shipped yet? What's going on?" Woodburn recounted from her Vancouver studio.

"Which is a totally reasonable response," she added. Consumers are conditioned to expect instant gratification when it comes to clothes shopping, but that's not really how Woodburn does things.

"I'll say, 'Oh, your shirt is being cut out. We're going to sew it tomorrow.' I tell them the whole process of what's happening. And 100 per cent of the time, I get a response going, 'Oh my gosh, I didn't even realize. This is so cool, no rush at all.'"

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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Fashion designer and clothier Katelyn Woodburn poses in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Victoria Black *MANDATORY CREDIT*

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Poll highlights belief in rising corruption

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Friday, Nov. 29, 2024

Manitobans’ trust in businesses — and government’s ability to address corruption — is on a downhill slope, a new Angus Reid Institute poll found.

“I feel like things are getting more and more shifty, especially after COVID,” said Will Houston, as he shopped in a Winnipeg supermarket this week.

Prices across the board have skyrocketed over the past few years, he noted.

“I fully acknowledge that there are supply chains and there’s people who need to be paid all the way back to the producer,” Houston said. “But I think that there are people who are taking a higher cut than they used to.”

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The gift of hijab: Fashion designer found empowerment in modesty

AV Kitching 7 minute read Preview

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The gift of hijab: Fashion designer found empowerment in modesty

AV Kitching 7 minute read Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024

As a Muslim woman living in Canada, Hafsa Altaf faced countless challenges on multiple fronts when navigating the fashion industry as a woman in a hijab.

Rejected by local trade shows and craft markets and criticized by detractors in the South Asian community who disapproved of her sartorial ambitions, the 27-year-old artist and designer remained undaunted.

Undeterred by naysayers, she relentlessly called and emailed event organizers, determined to convey the values and mission of her label, Fashion by Hafsa.

Facing down the conservatism of her community was an altogether different struggle, but it was also one of the “greatest things” she has ever done, says the Pakistani-born Canadian, who moved to Saskatchewan with her family when she was four.

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Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Hafsa Altaf moved to Saskatoon from Pakistan at age four; she came to Winnipeg to study fashion design.

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Husband-and-wife food bloggers show how two chefs can navigate the home kitchen and stay happy

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

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Husband-and-wife food bloggers show how two chefs can navigate the home kitchen and stay happy

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Husband-and-wife food bloggers and podcasters Sonja and Alex Overhiser have a new cookbook that uses a simple step to keep the kitchen a less heated place for two chefs: clear, alternating roles.

“A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together” lays out ingredients and directions for a wide array of dishes, like any other cookbook, but also divides the cooking tasks — one home chef is designated a square, the other a triangle — so neither is overwhelmed or resentful.

“Everything is more fun together, we think. And so we found that about cooking,” says Sonja Overhiser from their home in Indianapolis. “You’ll stay doing it if you’re doing it with someone else.”

So to make their Meatballs with Fire-Roasted Marinara, one chef preheats the oven and then starts to make the marinara sauce, while the other prepares the meatballs. They come together at the end to coat the cooked meatballs with the sauce and add Parmesan cheese and basil.

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Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

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New Jenna Rae cookbook focuses on bakers’ favourite home recipes

Eva Wasney 6 minute read Preview

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New Jenna Rae cookbook focuses on bakers’ favourite home recipes

Eva Wasney 6 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024

There’s a sweet new edition on the way.

Sisters Jenna Hutchinson and Ashley Kosowan are expanding their successful local bakery business with a new cookbook venture. Jenna Rae Cakes at Home: Our Favourite Recipes to Enjoy with Family and Friends hits bookstores Oct. 8 and features more than 100 colourful, family-friendly recipes.

The cookbook is a followup to their first release, Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats, and is a labour of love that brings together the twins’ individual interests.

“Ash was meant to make cookbooks,” says Hutchinson, whose passion for cake design prompted the entrepreneurial siblings to open their first Jenna Rae Cakes shop in 2014.

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Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024

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Almond Nail Bar digs into expansion mode

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Preview

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Almond Nail Bar digs into expansion mode

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Friday, Aug. 30, 2024

Winnipeg’s newest export is packing its polish.

The first out-of-province Almond Nail Bar has quietly opened in Burnaby, B.C. Chinh La, the franchise owner, is preparing for a big unveiling in September.

His shop’s opening will be followed by one in Ontario and two more in British Columbia. Back in Manitoba, locations in Niverville and Steinbach are brewing.

In Winnipeg — where La and his wife own two locations — things are “very busy.”

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Friday, Aug. 30, 2024

March 3, 2026