‘A life-or-death program’: non-profit’s successful at-risk youth training awaits Ottawa funding decision

An inner-city non-profit that helps at-risk youth in Winnipeg has warned it will be forced to end an employment and training program March 31 unless government funding comes through.

A year of federal funding is set to run out for Resource Assistance for Youth’s Level Up! program, which has educated and secured work experience for more than 350 young people since 2020.

“We’re in that moment where no level of government has said, ‘We want to continue to support this going forward,’” said Kate Sjoberg, RaY’s executive director.

The paid training program involves six weeks of in-class learning and 12 weeks of work experience with a local employer. Participants also receive housing and mental-health and other supports.

Construction groups miffed by new fee on public-sector projects

Three large construction associations in Manitoba say the cost of huge public projects will soar thanks to a new fee implemented by the province, and they want the auditor general to investigate it.

The fee is applied to projects covered by Manitoba Jobs Agreements, which launched last year to try to ensure more local workers and contractors benefit from big public-sector projects. Builders must pay 85 cents per hour, per worker.

The Winnipeg Construction Association, Manitoba Heavy Construction Association and the Construction Association of Rural Manitoba attacked the fee in a joint letter Thursday.

“The 85 cents per hour has nothing to do with wages of workers on site,” said Darryl Harrison, director of the Winnipeg association. “Every cent… (could) be spent in other ways that help the Manitoba taxpayer.

Friends’ infill complexes ensure designs fit, respect older neighbourhoods

A couple of childhood friends are taking a sensitive approach to infill housing, including a recently completed fourplex in Norwood they say fits the mature neighbourhood.

B2K Builders, co-founded by Matt Vis and Brandon Bunkowsky, incorporated their company in 2024, but are already in the process of breaking ground on their third project.

“It takes so much time for neighbourhoods to really come alive. And so we really see the value in infill in these more centralized, mature neighbourhoods,” Bunkowsky said.

A fourplex on Des Meurons Street is a new build in the established Norwood area, but Bunkowsky believes infill housing is the best way to densify neighbourhoods, increase property values and address Winnipeg’s urban sprawl.

Province intends to create registry of Manitoba-certified Red Seal tradespeople

The Manitoba government plans to create an online public registry of certified tradespeople.

After 43-year career at the zoo, Janice Martin returns to lend a hand

Armed with a zoology degree from the University of Manitoba, Janice Martin started work at Assiniboine Park Zoo in 1980 and never looked back.

She spent 43 years in various roles at the zoo until she retired in 2023. Retirement, however, was just a long lunch break for Martin. After four months away, she was back as a dedicated volunteer.

“I first started in Aunt Sally’s Farm in the summer of 1976 before going into university in the fall. Right after I graduated, there was an opening at the zoo. It was the perfect opportunity and I grabbed it. I worked my way through different areas over the years, first as a zookeeper, then a supervisor and finally as a curator for 10 years before I retired,” Martin, 68, says.

She volunteers approximately three times a week. For two of those days, she supports the zoo’s enrichment program by creating items to engage and stimulate natural animal behaviour.

Ukrainian Guide to Winnipeg directory puts focus on area businesses, services run by Ukrainians

A new online directory brings together Ukrainian-owned businesses and service providers in Winnipeg.

The brainchild of Mila Shykota, a provincial government worker who immigrated to Winnipeg in 2022 after Russia invaded her native Ukraine, the directory features 138 businesses — a number she says she adds to every day.

“I came up with the idea a year ago, when I initiated a project at work celebrating our diversity, since our team is very multicultural,” Shykota said on Friday.

She invited co-workers to represent their own country in some way, be it cuisine, culture or heritage. She said when she was preparing her own presentation, she decided to collect data on all of the Ukrainian restaurants and souvenir boutiques in Winnipeg so her colleagues could experience her culture.

Tired of theft, local businesses consider IDing customers, making diners pre-pay

Fed up with shoplifting or dine and dashes, the owners of two Winnipeg businesses are considering asking customers to show identification when they enter, among other extra security measures.

AI — when you find your servant is your master

When I was 17 and fresh out of high school, I spent a couple of months with friends in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and landed a summer job at an A&W drive-in.

Two-thirds of Manitobans using AI, but a lot aren’t happy about it, survey reveals

Manitobans admit they rely on artificial intelligence for daily activities, but are troubled by the emerging technology’s impact on the environment, job security and beyond.

Union coalition demanding government action on downtown safety

Eight unions have joined forces to create urgency around worker concerns about safety — on the job and on their commutes — in downtown Winnipeg.

Volunteering at aviation museum sparks love of learning, sharing knowledge for former Air Force pilot

Gary Hook was a fighter pilot, commanding officer and senior flight instructor during his 43-year career in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Hook, 72, piloted more than 15 types of aircraft across Canada and Europe.

These days, the aviation buff volunteers as a tour guide and gallery interpreter at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, at 2088 Wellington Ave.

“There’s no shortage of good stories to tell about the aircraft, the people and the eras of aviation they flew in,” Hook says.

Show her the money

Slogans and even legislation only go so far in a world in which cash rules everything around us.

That remains true today, especially for women on the eve of International Women’s Day, commemorating the long fight for equality, rights and liberation.

Society has made strides, including legislation ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work.

It must also be recognized — especially on the financial ledger — more work needs to be done. Financial inequality remains a glaring sore spot.

International Women’s Day spotlight on invisible work

As I watch my daughter celebrate another birthday, I find myself thinking about work in a different way.

Not the headlines about promotions, pay gaps or glass ceilings (although those still matter), but about the quiet work that keeps organizations running. The work that rarely shows up on a resumé, that does not earn awards or headlines, but without which everything else starts to crumble.

In HR, I see it all the time. There are women in every organization who keep the gears turning, often without recognition. They remember everyone’s birthdays and make sure the new hire feels welcomed. They notice when tensions are brewing between colleagues and take small steps to prevent confrontation. They keep institutional memory alive, quietly teaching the new generation how things work, sharing lessons learned. They fix problems before anyone even notices there was an issue.

This is invisible labour, and it is work. Emotional labour, relational labour, the work that goes into making a workplace humane, functional, and often even enjoyable. It does not show up in org charts. It is rarely celebrated at awards banquets. And yet, it is the glue that keeps workplaces together.

Students build confidence, businesses at JA Manitoba trade fair

Tasvee Jain has an entrepreneurial spirit and a sustainable product to sell — all before graduating high school.

The Grade 12 student at Morden Collegiate Institute is the president of Luxe Prep, a student-led business that has tapped a local cabinet company to turn its offcuts into kitchen staples.

She and her fellow students built the business from the ground up through the Junior Achievement Manitoba Company Program, which brings its annual Student Trade Fair to St. Vital Shopping Centre today in Winnipeg.

The after-school program, which teaches financial literacy education to youth, asks students to build a business from a concept, to selling shares to gather capital, to making and marketing their product. Pitching their product is also key: Tasvee’s team will be offering free recipes at their booth.

Many Canadian women seeing limited pathways to promotions, according to study results

Many younger women in Canadian workplaces are facing career stagnation, according to new data, with a vast majority reporting no clear path to advancement and the need for upskilling.

Data from Fora: Network For Change, a nonprofit group focused on gender equity in the workforce, found that 93 per cent of Canadian women and gender-marginalized workers between the ages of 18 and 29 see no clear pathways to a promotion at their workplace. Additionally, 85 per cent said they do not feel professionally challenged or stimulated.

“These are the individuals that are being significantly impacted by the state of the economy, particularly around underemployment,” said Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, CEO of Fora.

According to Fora, the findings show that workforce participation rates alone do not comprehensively detail the health of the labour market for younger workers. Other preliminary findings showed that respondents expressed desires for career-specific training and mentorship, as well as referral pathways, clear advancement structures and living wages.

Retired nurse doesn’t mind doing laundry to help raise money for Children’s Hospital Foundation

Donna Askew has been doing other people’s laundry for more than 20 years, but she doesn’t mind. It’s all for a good cause.

It’s fair to say Askew has washed, dried, mended and hung up thousands of shirts, blouses, dresses, T-shirts and trousers during her tenure as volunteer laundress at the Nearly New Shop at 961 Portage Ave.

“You name it, I’ve washed it… underwear and socks and lots of bedding and tablecloths and runners… if you’ve washed it at home in your washer, I’ve washed it in mine,” she says, laughing.

The shop attracts more than 50 customers daily, many who have come to rely on it.

Burger King to bring AI-based voice coach to Canada later this year

When you stop at a Burger King later this year, staff may have an artificial intelligence-based coach in their ears.

Restaurant Brands International, the owner of the fast-food giant, revealed Thursday that it is bringing its new Patty tool to Canada in the second half of 2026.

Patty is a voice-based assistant which will be piped through the headsets Burger King staff wear, listening to their conversations and prodding them toward more attentive customer service and efficiency.

The tool will be able to remind employees how to make food orders and help them upsell customers.

People First president focuses on helping those who need help

Heidi Hutchison is frank when describing her commitment to People First of Manitoba, a group that represents Manitobans who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I don’t stop,” the volunteer says. “People First does not stop for me at all. Period.”

After founding People First of Winnipeg a few years ago, Hutchison was elected president of the provincial chapter in 2025.

Members of People First have the opportunity to socialize, share experiences, advocate for change, and learn new information and skills.

Tax-filing season begins today. Here’s all you need to know

Gather your tax slips and receipts because it's that time of the year. The 2025 tax-filing season officially kicks off on Monday. It will last a little over nine weeks, ending with the April 30 deadline for most taxpayers.

Untapped workforce

When we think about hiring people with disabilities, the images that often come to mind are limited and old-fashioned. Some people still assume disability means only certain basic roles or supports.

That narrow view misses a more important truth: people with disabilities and neurodivergent professionals bring distinct strengths and capabilities that can enrich workplaces and contribute to innovation, performance and long-term success.

People with disabilities remain significantly underrepresented in the workforce.

According to Statistics Canada, the employment rate for Canadians with a disability was about 46 per cent in 2024, compared with 66 per cent for those without a disability — a gap that has stubbornly persisted over time. That means a large share of Canadians who could work do not have paid employment opportunities at the same rate as others.

‘Neighbourhood staple’ Oakwood Cafe to shutter

At one of the Oakwood Cafe’s last lunch rushes, one might guess the restaurant packed full of diners was influenced by the announcement a day earlier the decades-old South Osborne neighbourhood institution would be closing its doors for good.

That’s partially true — some customers beeline to veteran server Kendra Menard with questions, well-wishes and hugs — but every time it happens, a chain reaction follows: diners just here for lunch, shocked, ask their companions if it’s true, if the Oakwood is really closing.

Menard has been a server at the Oakwood for 23 years, almost half her life. It shows: while speaking with the Free Press on Friday, she welcomes guests by name and preps drinks at tables reserved by regulars before they show up.

Pointing to a single-seat table, she tells a story of a regular, Bob, who was at that table for breakfast nearly seven days a week for years. Menard’s children shovelled his snow and staff would call to check on him if he didn’t show up.

Eviance to develop success strategy for women entrepreneurs with disabilities

The federal government has tabbed nearly $800,000 for a new project that aims to help women entrepreneurs with disabilities succeed.

Liberal MPs Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, from Quebec, and Ginette Lavack, who represents St. Boniface—St. Vital, announced on Friday that Eviance (formerly the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies) will receive $797,557.

The organization, which is headquartered in Winnipeg, will use the federal investment to develop a strategy to promote opportunities and resources for women entrepreneurs with disabilities across Canada through community engagement, including focus groups and interviews.

Eviance, in partnership with Toronto-based think tank New Power Labs, will engage women entrepreneurs with disabilities to identify key issues and help shape solutions that create more equitable opportunities for success.

Elmwood students’ clothing venture instils pride, breaks down stereotypes in blue-collar neighbourhood

Xander Woodley is spending his fourth period filling orders.

The Grade 12 Elmwood High School student pulls a blank sweatshirt from the supply closet and double-checks the customer’s purchase: one double-extra-large GPS Crewneck in navy.

He walks over to the heat press at the back of the graphics lab and flips through a stack of transfer sheets to find the correct design.

“It’s a map of our community of Elmwood; these are all of the streets, as well as the Red River and co-ordinates of where we are,” Woodley says, pointing to the line-art rendition of the northeast Winnipeg neighbourhood, the ward boundaries of which run from McLeod Avenue to the Canadian Pacific mainline and from the eastern bank of the Red River to Lagimodiere Boulevard.