Demand for Naloxone training workshops grows as drug crisis intensifies

Melanie Leslie-Bernard was driving home two weeks ago and decided to pull over after seeing three people who appeared disoriented on a West-End street.

One was draped over the curb on Sargent Avenue near Dominion Street and appeared to be overdosing.

Leslie-Bernard and several other bystanders called 911, but no one knew how to help while they anxiously waited for emergency crews.

“In those first couple minutes when responding to an urgent situation, if you don’t know what to do and you don’t have that 911 operator helping you, it’s very scary and it’s very stressful,” said the 39-year-old social worker, who uses they/them pronouns.

Hegseth announces new policy to test troops for low testosterone

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that he is rolling out a new screening program for “testosterone deficiency” among troops, calling it necessary to allow them to operate at their "absolute best.”

The screenings will be conducted annually as part of service members' required medical screenings for those 30 and older, he said. Troops under 30 can volunteer to be tested. In a video on social media, Hegseth said receiving testosterone replacement therapy would be voluntary.

In the video, Hegseth simply refers to troops, though it appears he is talking about only testing men in uniform for hormone irregularities.

The move comes as other Trump administration officials have begun to advocate for men to have easier access to testosterone replacement therapies, but the messaging from Hegseth and others blends known science on the hormone with broader, and less substantiated, claims.

What a way to fly — if you’re rich

When my husband and I were catching a flight from Roatán, Honduras, to Toronto earlier this year, we shared a taxi to the airport with an acquaintance.

He was an amiable guy and we made small talk. I noticed he got jostled travelling over the bumpy island roads same as we did, even though he was one of those annoyingly well-put-together travellers who seemed unfazed by the crushing humidity that was making my hair stick to my neck and forehead. Perhaps he was wearing one of those breathable fabrics that wicks away moisture.

And though I had heard he had travelled to many parts of the world, I noticed his luggage wasn’t quite as “seasoned” as ours.

We shook hands at departures, and the light rhythmic whir of his pristine wheelie bag quickly faded as he melted into the throng at Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport while we were still gathering our bags.

Home residents turn to agency after operator lays off 70 staff who unionized

Residents of a Winnipeg retirement home have taken matters into their own hands after the majority of the facility’s home-care aides were laid off following their unionization.

A committee of residents have banded together to work with a private agency to staff Shaftesbury Park Retirement Residence after many of its existing aides complete their final shift on Monday.

“It is heartbreaking because there are a lot of vulnerable people here who are not capable of advocating for themselves,” said Joelle Robinson, who has lived at the home since 2023 after she suffered a brain aneurysm. “We’re trying very hard to make it so that our residents aren’t completely up the creek.”

Robinson, a retired lawyer, joined Terry Hopkinson and several other residents of the South Tuxedo home to create a committee and send out a request for proposal to eight companies that specialized in seniors care.

bet365 expands Canadian footprint with launch in Alberta’s gaming market

Trip Stoddard and bet365 are expanding their Canadian footprint.

Alberta officially opened its regulated sports betting and iGaming market Monday, becoming the second Canadian province to do so. Ontario became the first to offer a regulated, private market for online gaming April 4, 2022.

And like it did in Ontario, bet365 is among the operators that will set up shop in Alberta.

“Canada is a key market for bet365, and cementing our brand’s presence in Alberta marks another milestone in our long-term commitment to Canadian sports fans,” said Stoddard, head of development at bet365. "We're proud to work alongside Alberta's regulators to give fans a trusted platform to engage with the sports they love through a responsible, world-class experience."

U of W falls back on tuition hikes amid budget crunch

The University of Winnipeg has joined other public post-secondary institutions across the province in hiking tuition rates by four per cent — as high as possible — for the fall.

Domestic fees are increasing by more annually in 2026-27 than they have in eight years in Manitoba.

International rates, which are unregulated and roughly four times those paid by their Canadian peers, are rising even higher.

U of W’s board of regents approved a $180.7-million budget on June 22 that increases costs in undergraduate and graduate programs and phases out “low rate” courses on the downtown campus.

Mom spearheads fight for rehab services

Four years ago, a car crash permanently changed Will Castor’s life.

The 28-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury that required a long recovery as he worked to relearn skills many people take for granted, such as eating, speaking and getting out of bed.

A key part of that journey was First Steps Wellness Centre, a Winnipeg rehabilitation facility, where Will worked with therapists to regain independence and connect with others facing similar challenges.

But on June 5, financial constraints forced First Steps to close, leaving families without the specialized therapy they had come to rely on.

Tanmaxxing trend leaving gen Z cooked

Tanning isn’t new and, like every beauty norm, has seasons where it’s in and seasons where it’s out. But unlike their bronzed forebears, gen-Z tanfluencers know the risks of sun exposure.

Sports gambling marketing during World Cup raises concerns about negative influence on susceptible audiences

It’s just a game. And in the case of the World Cup over the last few weeks, it’s a beautiful game — dozens of them, in fact.

Yet interspersed amongst the exciting broadcast play on the pitch, advertising for sports gambling has raised concerns fun and games may come at too high a cost for some.

A recent New York Times feature pointed to a bonanza for the gaming industry globally, with one analyst stating the flow of bets amounts to as many as 10 Super Bowls.

Billions are likely to be made by online gambling platforms from what has been called the biggest gambling event in history. The other side of that coin is billions of dollars will be lost by sports fans willing to wager on a game’s outcome.

How great managers adapt without playing favourites

One of the most common pieces of leadership advice is also one of the most misunderstood: “Give each employee what they need to perform at their best.”

It sounds simple enough, until you become a manager and discover the minute you treat people differently, someone inevitably says, “Why does she get that?” or “How come he gets special treatment?”

Middle managers often find themselves caught, well, in the middle. Senior leaders expect them to bring out the best in every employee, while employees expect everyone to be treated the same. Those two expectations can feel completely at odds.

The truth is good management has never been about treating everyone identically. It has always been about treating everyone fairly.

Homeless face even more peril in high heat after drug use crackdown, advocates say

Advocates say the recent police crackdown on open drug use on Winnipeg streets has driven members of the homeless community into the shadows and will put them at risk during the heatwave this week.

“That was a really ugly week and a half in the city’s history. The results have been devastating,” said Kate Sjoberg, executive director of Resource Assistance for Youth, who has been highly critical of the 10-day drug sweep in which more than 100 people were detained for drug use or trafficking.

She said the crackdown has made it harder for some homeless people to receive help because they’ve moved to less visible areas to avoid police.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for southern Manitoba that warns of intense heat that will last into next week. It’s expected to reach up to 45 degrees Celsius on Sunday, when the humidity is factored in.

Province has ‘serious concerns’ with Winnipeg personal care home

The Manitoba government has placed licensing conditions on a Winnipeg personal care home after an inspection uncovered “serious concerns” related to the safety of senior residents.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara confirmed the province issued the order against the Extendicare Heritage Lodge — an 86-bed nursing home at 3555 Portage Ave. — effective June 9.

“This is an important oversight tool, and it is not used lightly. Conditions are imposed when there are serious concerns that require enhanced oversight and clear, corrective action,” Asagwara said in a statement.

“Our expectation is simple: Extendicare must meet the standards Manitoba seniors and families deserve. We will continue working with the (Winnipeg Regional Health Authority) to monitor this facility closely and ensure the required improvements are made.”

FIFA World Cup, youth job gains gave the labour market a lift in June

OTTAWA - The FIFA World Cup and a better summer jobs market for young workers appeared to drive steady gains in Canada's labour market last month.

Employers added 18,000 jobs in June, Statistics Canada said Friday, mostly in part-time and private sector work.

That pushed the unemployment rate down a tenth of a point to 6.5 per cent, back to where it stood in January.

Employment gains narrowly topped economists’ expectations heading into the release but mark a slowdown from the 88,000 jobs added in May.

Apartment rents continue to climb in Manitoba

Winnipeg saw a marginal increase — 0.9 per cent — to $1,678, according to a July 2026 Rentals.ca report, which shows June data.

Celebrating an important milestone in their new country

Fourteen high school graduates gathered at Zaytoon on Wednesday to celebrate a milestone that represented years of hard work and adjustment.

The recent grads, all newcomers or refugees, arrived at the Osborne Village restaurant to find it decked out with balloons and flags from various countries for a special graduation dinner to honour their achievements.

The event was hosted by the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, which supports newcomer youth through programs including an after school program and homework and education for youth program.

“This is one of the biggest milestones in their life,” said Arshdeep Virk, IRCOM after-school program educator. “For some of them, coming from countries of war and different situations, them being able to come here and then graduate from high school is a big thing.”

Play for all: story time inspires students to fight for accessible playgrounds

Concerned about injustice on their school jungle gym, St. Vital students spent months researching upgrades to make playgrounds more accessible for children in Manitoba.

Darwin School is dismissed for the summer, but one of its teachers plans to resume an advocacy project after the break.

“It’s not fair,” 12-year-old Selena Wei said about the fact one of her classmates — along with other children who use wheelchairs — can’t fully experience the pea-gravel playground at 175 Darwin St. and others like it.

“A playground is a really big part of a child’s life. It’s where they experience most of their outside time and where they’re the most social,” Selena said.

Winnipeg high school football coach subject of hazing investigation

Manitoba’s independent teacher commissioner is investigating the head coach of the Grant Park Pirates football program amid allegations of team hazing.

The AAAA varsity team is at the centre of a probe into allegations student-athletes who played for Doug Kovacs during the 2025-26 school year drew blood while carrying out a locker room ritual.

Multiple sources confirmed Kovacs was put on leave from Grant Park High School in the spring in response to a complaint about his coaching style.

“There’s a lot of different red flags here,” said one parent of a football player who was recently contacted about the case by the office of commissioner Noni Classen.

Craft ministry crochets scarves, tuques, more for vulnerable Winnipeggers

It’s a sunny summer’s day with barely a cloud in the sky but Winnipeg’s bitter winter is already on the minds of the folks gathered in the small library at Epiphany Lutheran Church (200 Dalhousie Dr.).

Every first and third Wednesday of the month, armed with needles and hooks, they knit and crochet for two hours, transforming “oodles of yarn” into scarves, tuques and headbands, to be distributed to the city’s most vulnerable residents.

The church’s volunteer craft ministry was resurrected in early 2023 by Lynnette Stamler, a retired nursing academic who returned to Manitoba after a 27-year career abroad.

“The group had started several years ago when a few ladies got together to make prayer shawls which they gifted to individuals in need. Then during the COVID-19 pandemic it went the way of all good things,” Stamler explains.

Vaping: a clear and present danger

The numbers are startling. According to a recent Free Press story, nearly one-fifth (18.4 per cent) of Manitoba teens in grades 7 to 12 reported using ‘vapes’, known more formally as e-cigarettes, within the month prior to answering a Health Canada survey in 2023-24.

Roughing it (less): Handy items for novice campers to make the great outdoors tolerable

I hate camping.

I loathe the very idea of leaving the comfort and safety of home to sleep in a random field, where not only will I be exposed to the elements, but will also be at the mercy of all manner of creatures, from ursine to canine to insectan.

I do not want to hike up a hill just to share one outdoor tap with 12 others, standing alongside them as I brush my teeth.

I do not want to queue for 15 minutes, then part with a $2 coin to wedge myself into a shower stall just to stand under a piddly stream of lukewarm water while trying my best to swiftly soap up and sponge off lest I irk the rapidly growing line of campers outside.

‘Death is everywhere:’ Alberta art exhibit on mortality is actually full of life

EDMONTON -

In a corner of the Royal Alberta Museum, two chalkboards hang on the wall to capture random thoughts on death.

One scribbler wants to come back as a grilled cheese sandwich.

Several, before they breathe their last, want the hometown Edmonton Oilers to again win hockey’s Stanley Cup.

The dream of the ’90s is alive in summertime

“Nineties Summer” is trending. People are longing for a slower summer, a less scheduled summer, the kind of summer they had when they were kids.