Senior squeeze: Many older Manitobans are in an increasingly precarious financial situation

Terisa Taylor is deemed a low-income senior, based on the federal tax bracket classification, but the numbers don’t take a full measure of the person.

At age 73, the St. Boniface resident relies on the three acronyms synonymous with aging — CPP, GIS and OAS — to make ends meet.

Manitoba Rental Assistance helps cover about half her apartment costs, but she gave up her car when it became clear it was no longer affordable.

Despite that, Taylor considers herself one of Manitoba’s more fortunate seniors since she’s able to continue to pursue a meaningful life.

Non-profit to operate home for young moms in River Heights

A home in River Heights will soon be filled with Indigenous mothers and mothers-to-be receiving care and wraparound supports.

Come this summer, a six-bedroom home on Lindsay Street will provide three to six months of pre- and post-natal care and programs.

Hillary Thompson, an 18-year-old who is in her third trimester, has already picked her bedroom.

The spacious room on the main floor has plenty of space for her and a crib, and she can decorate it the way she wants. It’s a far cry from the homes she grew up in as a foster child, she said.

Traffic reporter Dev Oza steers into slapstick of our daily commute

Did you hear the one about the traffic reporter who moonlights as a standup comic?

King Charles ‘expressed his concern’ over Alberta separatism in meeting: grand chief

EDMONTON - The grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations says King Charles "expressed his concern" after hearing about Alberta's separatist push in a face-to-face meeting with Indigenous leaders on Wednesday.

Grand Chief Joey Pete, who was part of a delegation of Treaty 6 chiefs who went to Buckingham Palace, said in a news release that the King was "very interested" in what the Indigenous leaders had to say.

"We made him aware of the separatism issue in Alberta and the threat to treaty it represents," the chief said.

"He expressed his concern and committed to learning more."

Marc Miller says Musqueam deal has ‘nothing to do with’ private property

OTTAWA - Culture Minister Marc Miller says a rights acknowledgment agreement between the federal government and the Musqueam First Nation has "nothing to do with" private property.

He says instead that the agreement signed last month is a small step forward for a First Nation that has been fighting for its rights ever since British Columbia was settled.

The government says the agreement recognizes Musqueam Aboriginal rights "including title within their traditional territory," which the nation asserts is an area encompassing much of Metro Vancouver.

Critics have suggested the agreement could affect private property ownership, but Miller says right-wing parties have been using the issue in a "cynical attempt to try to whip up votes."

Muslim community breaks fast at Grand Iftar to raise funds for people in Sudan, Gaza

Almost 300 people from the Winnipeg Muslim community assembled Sunday evening for a Grand Iftar to break their fast and to donate to those who are suffering in Sudan and Gaza.

The iftar — the evening meal served at sunset to break the daily fast during the month of Ramadan, which began Feb. 17 and continues until March 19 — was sponsored by the Manitoba office of Islamic Relief Canada, an international organization that provides humanitarian aid around the world.

A total of $71,000 was raised at the iftar, which will be used to provide food, vouchers, medicine, water and hygiene kits for people in Sudan, which is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises due to conflict. Food and water will also be supplied to people in Gaza.

This is the fifth time Islamic Relief Canada has held a Grand Iftar during Ramadan in Winnipeg. About $100,000 was raised last year.

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.

Newcomer school to close amid immigration clampdown

English-language teachers are warning the consequences will be far-reaching when a school for newcomers — called “a beacon of hope”— closes its doors.

Winnipeg’s Enhanced English Skills for Employment is shutting down March 31.

“It’s sad for the students. It’s sad for the teachers, but it’s also sad for the community, Manitoba at large,” said Allyn Franc, a longtime teacher at the school that rents space on the Canadian Mennonite University campus at 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.

For more than 20 years, the school has been running free intermediate-level language classes on literacy and workplace etiquette.

Transfer program adds to Manitoba First Nation’s bison population

The herd of bison that calls Chitek Lake Anishinaabe Provincial Park in Manitoba home just grew a little larger.

‘Free advertising for Winnipeg:’ stars put spotlight on city

Movie stars' unsolicited endorsements are among the most effective ways to build the reputation of Manitoba, which is increasingly becoming a destination for the film and travel industries.

Sacred red thread around devotee’s wrist a source of protection for Hindus

In the Hindu faith, when the sacred red thread is tied around a devotee’s wrist, it is a symbol of divine protection and blessings.

Made from cotton yarn, with predominantly red and some yellow threads, the protective amulet is typically wrapped around the wrist either five or seven times with three knots. Its red colour signifies good fortune, vitality and positive energy, while its yellow hue signifies wisdom, purity and spiritual energy. The thread is approximately six to 10 inches in length. Varying traditions will determine which wrist, right or left, the thread is tied on for males and females.

Tied by a Hindu priest, while a mantra, or sacred hymn for protection is recited, the thread is referred to as raksha sutra, a Sanskrit word that means a thread of protection. Devotees also refer to it as mauli translated from Sanskrit to mean being “above all”, referring to the sanctity of the thread. With the purpose to ward off negative energy, whether bad habits, sickness or evil eyes, “the thread is used for protection from all dangers … people use it as a protection from regular problems of life”, says Pandit Venkat Machiraju, one of the Hindu Society of Manitoba’s priests. He further shares the red thread negates negative forces occupying space in your mind and thoughts as well as it removes any negative aura around you.

At the start of religious ceremonies, the thread is tied before rituals begin. Devotees wear the thread for the duration of all rituals, which for different ceremonies can be performed over many days. Machiraju says the thread reminds devotees of the auspiciousness of their duties, adding “it is a protection for the entire ritual process and ensures the rituals are completed successfully.” The raksha sutra is tied and worn during Hindu rituals for poojas/yajnas (holy offerings), festivals, weddings and temple visits.

Five examples of representation in recognition of International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day on Sunday, the Free Press is spotlighting five Manitobans doing impactful work in sports.

Alyssa White — para hockey athleteWhite was 14 when she made the Canadian women’s para hockey squad.

“It’s kind of wild still to me to think about because I had only started playing hockey a year prior to that,” said the now 20-year-old.

Children’s book on Ramadan put back on school shelves

A Ramadan-themed children’s book is returning to elementary school shelves in Winnipeg following public outcry.

The Louis Riel School Division announced on Friday afternoon that it was bringing Upside-Down Iftar back into circulation.

The newly released picture book by Palestinian author Maysa Odeh is about a girl and her grandmother preparing a traditional dish for their family to break their fast together after sunset.

It was temporarily pulled from schools last week following a complaint about an illustration of a map.

Tories say high-earners could flee if NDP targets province’s wealthiest in upcoming budget

Premier Wab Kinew’s suggestion that the provincial budget on March 24 may squeeze the the “top one per cent” — the richest Manitobans — was met with both positive and negative responses Friday.

Kinew, who dropped the hint in a local radio interview without providing more details, wasn’t made available Friday to clarify who or how, “We’re going to have some help in the budget on the education property tax front, and we might be asking the top one per cent to help us out with that.”

The NDP government is staring down a $1.6-billion deficit while vowing to balance the province’s books in its first term. If the plan is to lean on some of Manitoba’s top earners, how big are those incomes, and will that drive those people away?

To get into Manitoba’s top one per cent of income earners in 2023 required an income of $235,100 or about $244,000 in inflation-adjusted terms, University of Manitoba economics professor Jesse Hajer said Friday.

Dollarama violence, online video spark Indigenous group’s call for probe into security firms’ training, policies

An Indigenous advocacy group — including former NDP deputy premier Eric Robinson — is calling for a thorough investigation after a video surfaced online appearing to show a store security guard using brass knuckles to beat an Indigenous man suspected of shoplifting.

The 23-year-old security guard is facing several charges, including assault with a weapon and unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon.

The Indigenous Peoples Alliance of Manitoba is seeking a broad examination of private security practices affecting Indigenous people in Winnipeg.

“The incident has brought long-standing concerns to a head,” Robinson said.

Former Democratic presidents remember the late Rev. Jesse Jackson during final public tribute

CHICAGO (AP) — From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to prominent pastors, stories of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s influence on politics, corporate boardrooms and picket lines loomed large Friday at a celebration honoring the late civil rights leader.

The public tribute — with appearances by Grammy-winning gospel singers and Jennifer Hudson — felt at times like a church service and others like a political rally. Many, from former President Bill Clinton to the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader and founder of the National Action Network, likened Jackson’s death to a call to action, from speaking out against justice to voting in the midterms.

Former President Barack Obama said Jackson's presidential runs in the 1980s set the stage for other Black leaders, including his own successful 2009 presidency and reelection.

“The message he sent to a 22-year-old child of a single mother with a funny name, an outsider, was that maybe there wasn’t any place or any room where we didn’t belong,” Obama said to the boisterous crowd of thousands. “He paved the road for so many others to follow."

Kids’ book pulled from division shelves over map illustration

A school library-technician is raising concerns about the swift removal of a new children’s book about a Palestinian family preparing to break their fast during Ramadan.

The Louis Riel School Division has taken Maysa Odeh’s Upside-Down Iftar off its shelves in response to a complaint about an illustrated map.

The superintendent says the decision isn’t final, but the case has left one elementary school employee “feeling quite uncomfortable.”

“The process for challenging books is supposed to be quite long and involved,” said the library technician, who agreed to an interview on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution at work.