Caring for native flowers and grasses helps former adult educator find ‘hope and joy in a dark time in the world’

After a career guiding newcomers through the logistics of life in Winnipeg, from registering with a family doctor to figuring out the transit system, Gerry Pearson turned her sights toward helping the city’s native plants settle back into place.

Rent control killing jobs: landlords

Companies are laying off staff and pausing major investments ahead of changes to Manitoba’s rental market.

One Manitoba company that works primarily on apartment buildings has had four projects put on hold and had to lay off roughly a dozen staff.

“That’s been a common theme with my peers… They’re all having to do the same,” said Con-Restor Technologies owner Stephane Phaneuf.

The Manitoba government plans to change how rental property managers can apply for above-guideline increases this spring. If implemented, landlords won’t recoup renovation costs through rent as quickly.

Trump administration terminates agreements to protect transgender students in several schools

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department said Monday it has terminated agreements with five school districts and a college aimed at upholding protections for transgender students, backing away from requirements negotiated by previous administrations that took a different interpretation of civil rights.

The decision removes the federal obligations for the schools to keep up measures such as faculty training on abiding by a students' preferred name and pronouns and allowing students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

One of the school systems, Delaware Valley School District in rural eastern Pennsylvania, received notice of the change from the Trump administration in February and has since voted to roll back its antidiscrimination protections for transgender students. Another district, Sacramento City Unified, said Monday it "remains committed to the support of our LGBTQ+ students and staff.”

The other affected districts are Cape Henlopen School District in Delaware, Fife School District in Washington, and La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and Taft College in California.

Tailors age out of the workforce even as demand for their skills grows

NEW YORK (AP) — Hunched over a sewing machine, Kil Bae is hemming a dress inside his Manhattan tailor shop when a new customer stops by with a vintage Tommy Hilfiger jacket he wants taken in.

The modeling agent paid $20 at a thrift store for his reversible bomber style that's plaid on one side and red on the other. He's willing to spend $280 to have it slimmed down. Alteration requests with such a price disparity would have seemed odd a few years ago, the tailor says, but are helping to keep the bobbins bobbing at his one-man shop, 85 Custom Tailor.

Bae carefully examines the cotton jacket before moving in to pin it, circling the customer like a sculptor with a chisel. He started training as a tailor at age 17, in his native South Korea. Now 63, he's part of a shrinking breed in the U.S., where professional sewers, dressmakers and tailors are aging out of the workforce as their services find fresh demand.

Shoppers who grew up on disposable fast fashion are enlisting tailors and seamstresses to give off-the-rack purchases a custom fit or personal flair, to revive secondhand finds or to extend the lives of their wardrobes, according to fashion industry experts. Weight-loss drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy mean more Americans are seeking adjusted waistbands, tapered sleeves and other types of resizing, Bae said.

Papiiro opens doors, journals in Village

At Papiiro, the fine arts of stationery design, decoration and curation are taken to another level.

The 109 Osborne St. shop’s offerings range from basic pens and notebooks to the hyper-niche tools of a journaler’s dreams — stickers of all sizes of anything you can think of, colourful clamps to hold down papers down while you work, even posture-correcting stuffed animals to lean against to stop hunching while you work.

But owner Cay Iledan’s favourite thing is simple: a customizable multi-pen that can be filled in-store with different ink colours and even mechanical pencil graphite. It’s a range of options all in one spot, much like the store itself, which has stocked imported stationery from Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines since it opened one month ago.

“It’s things that we don’t often see in Winnipeg, we often see stationery shops that carry what we have in bigger cities like Toronto or Vancouver. It’s just giving the people in Winnipeg a lot more options in terms of stationery, not just only from Staples or from (Canada-wide chain Japanese goods store) Oomomo or something like that,” Iledan, 39, said Thursday.

U of M researchers recommend better chlamydia screening after analysis of Prairie infection rates

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are recommending improved chlamydia screening and wider data collection after a study analyzed significant spikes in reported infection rates.

Dachshund playgroup completes a social circle

It’s just before 7 p.m. on a sunny Tuesday evening in March, and dachshunds are descending upon Earl Grey Community Centre from every direction, straining at their leashes to get inside.

These pups know what’s up. It’s time for the wiener dog play group.

You can hear the excited barking before you step foot in the gym. About 20 dogs are here tonight. The majority are dachshunds in a variety of colours and sizes, but the group is not wiener-dog exclusive: a Pomeranian and a couple of Shih Tzus are playing, too.

One of the regular pups, Zeus, is celebrating a birthday tonight. It’s clear he’s ready to “pawty”; he has a Birthday Boy ribbon affixed to his harness.

A legal reckoning for social media firms

It has been referred to as a bellwether case, a landmark decision and a profound “enough is enough” moment.

On schedule: provincial minimum wage to rise to $16.40/hr in October

Manitoba’s minimum wage is set to rise 40 cents in October, leaving labour and business advocates split on the benefit of continuing to tie the baseline to the rate of inflation as the cost of living grows.

The minimum wage will rise to $16.40 per hour from $16/hr on Oct. 1. (The provincial government is required to announce the incoming minimum wage by April 1 each year.)

Provincial legislation ties the mark to inflation — the 40-cent increase is in line with Manitoba’s 2.7 per cent inflation rate in 2025 — and in 2022, the former Progressive Conservative government amended the rules to allow minimum wage be boosted beyond inflation, but only if inflation exceeds five per cent.

However, that same legislation prevents the province from closing the gap between the minimum wage and the cost of living, said Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck.

West Broadway drop-in offers supports, programs, safety for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

West Broadway has become home to the first drop-in centre in the city to support people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Winnipeg dad, young son captivated by first mission to moon in more than a half-century

Father hopes witnessing the launch might leave an impression on his son who has developed a budding interest in astronomy.

Invasive species on the march, threaten city’s ash, elm trees

Winnipeg’s tree canopy is under siege.

The emerald ash borer has made a resurgence — after nearly a decade of minimal spread — and another invasive insect is bearing down on elm trees, which are already at risk of Dutch elm disease.

First Nations chiefs demand apology after PM said he could ‘outlast’ protester

OTTAWA - Two First Nations chiefs are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to apologize for saying he could "outlast" a First Nations woman who was protesting over mercury poisoning in her community.

Chrissy Isaacs, a Grassy Narrows woman suffering from mercury poisoning, was in Toronto on Monday to demand compensation from the provincial government for mercury contamination.

The Dryden Paper Mill released thousands of kilograms of mercury into Grassy Narrows' river system from the 1960s to the 1970s. It's widely considered to be one of the country's worst environmental disasters and community members are still dealing with the fallout today.

Isaacs and a group of community members and their supporters attended a news conference Carney held on Monday with Ontario Premier Doug Ford to announce new funding for housing. She and the other protesters could be heard chanting and shouting in the background about the mercury contamination.

Hershey says it will shift back to classic recipe for all Reese’s products after criticism

Hershey said Wednesday it will use classic recipes for all Reese’s products starting next year, a change that comes after the grandson of Reese’s founder criticized the company for shifting to cheaper ingredients.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have always been made with real milk chocolate or dark chocolate and peanut butter. But a small portion of Hershey’s and Reese’s products, like mini Easter eggs, are now made with a coating that contains less chocolate.

Hershey said that in 2027, it will shift those products to “their classic milk chocolate and dark chocolate recipes.”

The Hershey, Pennsylvania-based company said it will also be making other changes to its sweets portfolio next year, including transitioning to natural colors and enhancing Kit-Kat’s recipe to make it creamier. The company said it plans to increase its research and development funding by 25% next year.

Home care assessment wait times stagnate

Wait times to be assessed for home care in Winnipeg haven’t improved in five years, including since the pandemic, when services were stretched to the limit.

In addition, as the population ages, hiring key home-care staff hasn’t kept pace, unions say.

Roughly half of people seeking home care through the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority waited 16 days or longer in 2025.

In 2021, that number — the midway point between the longest and shortest wait times — was 14 days, data obtained via a freedom of information request show.

The hazards of cherry blossom crowds prompt warnings from police in Richmond, B.C.

RICHMOND - Joanna Yue, dressed in a billowing pink, layer-cake dress, struggled to capture a sense of movement among the clouds of cherry blossoms that have transformed Larry Berg Flight Path Park on the main road to Vancouver International Airport.

Posing for selfies in front of her phone mounted on a tripod, Yue, from Calgary, struck various poses, flouncing in her sparkly dress. But she knew to keep her hands off the blossoms.

"I don't know if you noticed, but as I was swinging, I'm the one moving, not the tree," said Yue, a former Vancouver resident who was in town to visit family.

The park, directly in line with the airport's south runway, is a favourite with plane spotters, but in recent days it has been taken over by crowds of cherry blossom fanciers.

Protecting mature trees should be a priority

I have to tell you — there are days when I am utterly gobsmacked by the stuff people do.

Popularity of sweater with Manitoba roots goes galactic after visit to stars

It’s the ultimate interstellar fashion moment; a vintage-inspired Mary Maxim fox knit, worn by Ryan Gosling’s character in his latest blockbuster Project Hail Mary, has sent the crafting world spinning.

Clowns take to the streets of Bolivia to protest decree that could crush their livelihoods

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Dozens of clowns marched through the streets of Bolivia’s capital on Monday to protest a government decree that limits extracurricular activities, threatening their livelihoods.

Wearing full face paint and their signature red noses, the clowns gathered in front of the Ministry of Education in La Paz to oppose a decree published in February. The new mandate says schools must comply with 200 days of lessons each year — effectively banning schools from hosting the special events where these entertainers are frequently employed.

“This decree will economically affect all of us who work with children,” said Wilder Ramírez, a leader of the local clown union, who also goes by the name of Zapallito. The clown told journalists that “children need to laugh” while his colleagues wondered out loud if Bolivia’s Education Minister had ever had a childhood.

Clowns in Bolivia are often hired for school festivities to entertain children during breaks from their regular lessons. One such upcoming event is Children’s Day, which the country celebrates on April 12.

Boy Kibble craze a soul-destroying approach to maxxing meal plans

Sometimes, when I am filling my dog’s bowl with tiny brown triangles, I have the (depressing) thought: I wish there was such a thing as human kibble, so I didn’t have to work out what to feed myself all the time. Pre-portioned, perfectly macro-balanced sustenance, so I can just eat my People Chow and move on with my day.

Racing pigeons, airports and compassion

It may be there is such a thing as too much precaution.

A family in Winnipeg’s West End was left disappointed this week when they were informed they have to take down their backyard aviary, which is home to 12 racing pigeons. The pigeons are beloved companions of one of the children in the family who is autistic and non-verbal, and for whom the pigeons provide important emotional support.

It is a bit of a saga. The coop was constructed about one year ago by Ronald Lobo, who was not aware he needed a permit for the birds. After being visited by a bylaw officer following up on complaints, the family sought and obtained approval for the structure.

Neighbours appealed the decision, citing sanitary and other concerns, but the decision not to allow the family to keep the coop came partly as a result of concerns raised by the Winnipeg Airport Authority as well. The family’s home falls within the bounds of the WAA’s airport vicinity protection area, and the airport was concerned the birds’ flights to and from the property could pose a risk.

Quebec man charged with fraud in local ‘grandparent scam’

Winnipeg police have arrested a 24-year-old Quebec man in a so-called grandparent scam carried out last month.

Police said Friday that a person in their 80s was contacted by someone posing as a justice official. The caller claimed a relative had been arrested and that money was needed to keep them out of jail.

After the victim agreed to pay the amount, an unknown man arrived at their home to collect the money.

The victim later learned from family members that the story was false, and reported the incident to police.

Province making up chaotic, inadequate child-care ‘plan’ as it goes along

The Manitoba government can point to a lot of ink spilled — and a lot of money committed — on child care over the past few years. Fees have come down to $10 a day. New spaces have been promised. Workforce strategies have been rolled out.

On paper, it all sounds like progress.

But a scathing new report from Manitoba’s auditor general makes one thing painfully clear: when it comes to actually delivering child-care spaces where and when families need them, the province has badly dropped the ball.

And both the former Progressive Conservative government and the current NDP one are equally to blame.