Drumming program connects Southeast Asian students with traditional instrument, heritage

For many young musicians at Arthur E. Wright School, tabla class begins with a bow and tapping their music teacher’s toes.

Amjad Sabir isn’t all that fussy about formalities, but he recognizes his students’ families have taught them these gestures are important to show respect towards their Indo-Canadian elders.

“I just want to spread this art,” said Sabir, who is affectionately known as “guruji” — meaning esteemed teacher in Hindi and Punjabi — inside the kindergarten-to-Grade 8 building in the Maples.

The art in question? A pair of hand drums, known as tabla, that create a wide range of tones.

Hockey games and missed opportunities

When I was 16, I quit hockey. I was a closeted teenager, and I was sick to death of the bullying, the violence, and the culture. Hockey made me ashamed. For a decade, I found it easier to come out of the closet than to tell people I had once loved hockey.

Duelling protests in Winnipeg condemn, celebrate strikes on Iran

The courtyard outside the U.S. consulate in downtown Winnipeg hosted contrasting demonstrations Sunday as Manitobans reacted to U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran’s regime and the latter’s retaliatory attacks.

Peace Alliance Winnipeg condemned the joint strikes, with supporters holding signs reading “No war on Iran” and “Ceasefire,” shortly before members of Winnipeg’s Iranian diaspora danced and waved flags while celebrating the death of Iran’s supreme leader and expressing hopes of “liberation.”

“All of us hope that soon the Islamic Republic of Iran will be overthrown, and we hope for the return of Pahlavi monarchy to Iran,” said Iranian Monarchists of Manitoba manager Shahla Shojaei, who moved to Canada from Iran in 2017.

“The reason that I came here (to Canada) was because there is no freedom in Iran. Human rights were suppressed.”

Three determined church members join forces to build thriving social community for seniors in the West End

In an increasingly chaotic and complex world, loneliness and isolation have become all too common in many communities. For many seniors, it can be particularly challenging to find a place to comfortably and easily belong.

The solution need not be complicated. In fact, a few caring volunteers can make all the difference in the world. Three women have stepped up to help a community experiencing isolation.

Denise MacRae from St. Paul’s Anglican Church, along with Cathy Campbell and Pat Stewart, both from St. Matthews Anglican Church, were well acquainted with the needs of community members. They consulted with drop-in participants from previous groups and met with Anglican partners to see how they could move forward with a space at West End Commons, in an area they all know and love.

“It was decided that we focus on seniors. Their wish was to have a place to meet and visit and see each other. And so it began,” MacRae explained, about the group that meets for a few hours at the Commons on McGee Street every Monday afternoon.

Canadian sovereignty is not just about borders, but culture too

It was “elbows up” in Davos — then came “leg up” in Ottawa.

The bawdy moment between Prime Minister Mark Carney and actor Hudson Williams happened in late January when both were at a gala celebrating the country’s film and TV successes.

“Do the leg thing,” Carney instructed Williams, one star of Heated Rivalry, the Canadian-made gay love story about hockey rivals and overnight international smash hit. Williams swung one leg up onto the prime minister while photographers captured the viral moment tossed into their lap.

Whether or not Carney has seen Heated Rivalry, it’s hard to imagine a sleeker image for elbows-up nationalism: loudly Canadian but still cosmopolitan, pro-hockey but not exactly hoser-ish — and eager for international markets.

Purim treats shared with others

Volunteers with the grassroots, non-profit organization Urban Wagons have been walking the downtown streets of Winnipeg every Monday evening for the last three years offering seasonal clothing, self-care products, bottled water, hot soup, plastic wrapped sandwiches, granola bars and fruit to any unsheltered and vulnerable individuals that they encounter.

This week their food offerings will include a new item: triangular shaped fruit or poppyseed filled pastries called hamantashen. Hamantashen are the traditional food associated with the Jewish holiday of Purim.

Purim is a widely celebrated, joyous festival commemorating events that occurred in the fourth century BCE after Haman, an adviser to the Persian King Ahasuerus, plotted, with the king’s assent, to murder the regime’s Jewish population. Haman’s plan was foiled when the king’s wife, Queen Esther, a secret Jew, risked her life by revealing her true identity to her husband and entreated him not to annihilate her people. Thanks to her courage, the Jewish population of Persia was saved and Haman was punished for his malevolent machinations.

The story of Purim is recounted in the Old Testament Book of Esther, or Megillah Esther, which is read aloud in synagogue on the eve of and during the day of the holiday. Listening to the reading of the Megillah is one of the main mitzvot, or commandments, associated with Purim, which begins this year on the evening of March 2.

Mayor encouraged after downtown housing unit approvals reach 15-year high

The city approved more than 1,000 new downtown housing units last year, marking a 15-year high, while work continues to help entice people to move to the area.

Building permits were issued for 1,040 new downtown dwelling units in 2025, nearly double the 596 issued in 2018 and greatly improved from the 141 granted during the post-pandemic slowdown in 2022, city data show.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said the permit data reflects renewed interest in developing downtown.

“Before the pandemic, Winnipeg’s downtown had a lot of momentum and now we really see that momentum is really strong again,” he said.

Federal judge extends order protecting refugees in Minnesota from being arrested and deported

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Friday extended an order protecting refugees in Minnesota who are lawfully in the U.S. from being arrested and deported, saying a Trump administration policy turns the “American Dream into a dystopian nightmare.”

U.S. District Judge John Tunheim granted a motion by advocates for refugees to convert a temporary restraining order that he issued in January into a more permanent preliminary injunction while the case develops further.

The order applies only in Minnesota. But the implications of a new national policy on refugees that the Department of Homeland Security announced Feb. 18 were a major part of the discussion at a hearing held by the judge the next day.

“Minnesota refugees can now live their lives without fear that their own government will snatch them off the street and imprison them far from loved ones,” Kimberly Grano, an attorney with the International Refugee Assistance Project, told The Associated Press.

Manitoba premier says U.S. men’s hockey team offside on Trump phone call

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is praising Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for his performance in this year's Winter Olympics, but says when it comes to promoting sport and respect, the entire U.S. men’s hockey team was way offside.

Kinew, speaking to reporters in Winnipeg, made the comment when asked about the American players celebrating in their dressing room after their gold medal win over Canada and laughing at disparaging comments about the gold medal-winning women’s team made by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The women’s team, for America, deserved a lot better than they got, both from the men’s team but also from their president,” Kinew said Friday.

"With Hellebuyck, I’m a Winnipeg Jets fan, so I’m going to bite my tongue about the Trump stuff. But (to Hellebuyck), win a Stanley Cup for our city now.”

Sens captain Brady Tkachuk unhappy with White House AI video that insulted Canadians

OTTAWA - Brady Tkachuk’s first game back with the Ottawa Senators wasn’t an easy one.

The Senators captain returned to the nation’s capital riding the high of a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympics, but his on-ice performance hasn’t been the headline.

Earlier this week, Tkachuk was one of 20 American players who visited the White House and attended the State of the Union following an invitation from President Donald Trump.

But what many Canadian and Senators fans took issue with was an AI-doctored video shared by the White House that made it appear he was disparaging Canadians. The altered clip, shared by the White House's TikTok account, inserted fabricated audio of Tkachuk referring to Canadians as “maple syrup eating f---s,” with the expletive bleeped in the video. The video carries a note saying it “contains AI-generated media.”

First Nations awaiting Hydro consults

With licences for two major Manitoba Hydro projects set to expire later this year, affected First Nations await consultation — and want to see change.

Licences for the Churchill River Diversion and Lake Winnipeg Regulation projects, first issued in the 1970s, expire Sept. 1 and Aug. 1, respectively.

The diversion directs water to five stations accounting for roughly 75 per cent of Manitoba’s power generation. The latter project allows Hydro to generate power by manipulating Lake Winnipeg’s water levels.

There is no timeline for the licence renewals, said Environment Minister Mike Moyes. He said that would be dependent on consultations with impacted First Nations.

Organizations join forces to make First Nation kids’ dreams a little sweeter

Nearly two dozen children in Pukatawagan will be able to sleep in their own new beds this week, thanks to the Manitoba chapter of the Knights of Columbus and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

The Knights, an organization that helps Catholic men live out their faith through service to their parishes and the community, has partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to provide 22 beds for the children.

The beds, which are being shipped in pieces, will arrive this week by truck and train, together with 500 donated coats and seven wheelchairs. The cost of all the items, along with transportation, has been covered by the Manitoba chapter of the Knights.

A group of volunteers, led by Mark Desjardins, who leads the chapter, will leave Wednesday, driving to the community located about 200 kilometres north of The Pas to assemble and install the beds.

Belated Lunar New Year party a feast of Korean culture

For the last month, Andrea Kitano has been spending her weekends hosting hanbok fashion shows at shopping centres across Winnipeg.

Heavenly Coco Cafe owners order up Chilean, Portuguese pride

A taekwondo lesson and a chat — that’s how a new Chilean- and Portuguese-owned café was born in Winnipeg.

Councillors approve developer’s request to cut number of affordable units in new West Broadway apartment block

City councillors have approved a developer’s request to reduce the number of affordable housing units that will be included in the construction of a new Sherbrook Street apartment complex.

‘Abolish ICE’ gets most votes in Chicago snowplow-naming contest; ‘Stephen Coldbert’ also a winner

When it comes to putting a name to Chicago's annual battle against its infamously inclement weather, it turns out that the practical is also the political.

“Abolish ICE” was the top vote-getter in the city's “You Name a Snowplow” contest. Choosing the protest slogan with a double meaning proved a potent way for voters to jab at President Donald Trump after he sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers into the city and its suburbs last fall in a major immigration crackdown.

With a surge of ICE officers beginning in September, “Operation Midway Blitz” resulted in more than 4,000 arrests, a fatal shooting and a sour taste among Chicago's Democratic leaders and many of its residents, particularly in large immigrant populations. Despite mid-winter frigid cold, “ICE Out” protests in recent weeks have continued downtown, near ICE facilities and throughout the suburbs.

The snowplow-naming contest, in its fourth year, also produced winning names ranging from those paying tribute to the new pope, who hails from Chicago, to a homegrown horror purveyor and the popular quarterback of the city's NFL franchise. The top six winners will get a snowplow named in their honor.

She woke up to ‘We’re at war’ in Ukraine. Now Mariia Vainshtein is a New York City tennis champion

NEW YORK (AP) — Mariia Vainshtein never heard the noise and slept straight through that horrible night four years ago.

She didn’t have her phone near bed when she woke the next morning — it probably had been taken by her parents for some teenager's misbehavior, she suspects now with a laugh – so couldn’t scroll around for the news of the day. Instead, she just asked her mother when she could get a ride to school.

Anzhelika Kotliantseva knew they weren’t going anywhere in Ukraine that day. Not after she had been awake for hours, listening to the nearby explosions that began when Russia launched its invasion.

“My mom was like, ’What do you mean? We’re at war! There’s no school, no nothing!'" Vainshtein said.

Albertans react to looming referendum during weekend rally, call-in radio show

EDMONTON - Some callers to Danielle Smith's provincewide radio show expressed support for a referendum the Alberta premier announced this week, while others at a rally outside the legislature said they're disheartened with the direction Smith is taking.

One caller congratulated Smith on her morning radio show for her speech on Thursday announcing the Oct. 19 referendum, which is to include questions about whether social services should be restricted for newcomers.

"It reflected what many Albertans wanted to hear," the caller told Smith.

"You're on the right track and I'm so thankful you're the premier at such a time as this," another caller told her.

Indigenous leaders outline priorities for spring sitting of Parliament

OTTAWA - Indigenous leaders were braced for change after the last federal election, when Prime Minister Mark Carney's win ushered in a new look for the Liberal government after 10 years under Justin Trudeau.

That change has compelled those leaders to build relationships with new cabinet ministers and a revolving cast of public servants working on Indigenous files.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders have a long list of priorities they want the federal government to work on, including the introduction of a series of bills on self-government and clean drinking water.

Here's what they'll be watching for.

Olympic fans basking in warm embrace of Italy; our neighbours to the south endure frostier reception

MILAN — It was a scene that could have quickly turned ugly.

A handful of young men, clad in red, white and blue jerseys and likely a tad over-served, were revelling in their men’s hockey team’s 5–1 group-play win over Latvia. Aboard a crowded shuttle bus departing the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, they wanted everyone to know it.

“USA! USA! That was a Latvian beatdown!” they took turns shouting. “A BEATDOWN! USA! USA!”

Dozens of fans in Latvian jerseys — some smiling politely, others scowling — remained silent. Biting their tongues, perhaps.

Schools’ internet use spikes as students, teachers pull for Canadian — and local — athletes

Manitoba schools broke a record as students and staff tuned in to cheer on athletes — and in some cases, alumni — at the Winter Olympics.

The organization that connects the province’s 37 public school divisions to the internet saw historic spikes in activity this week.

Bandwith usage more than doubled what’s typical on a weekday for the Manitoba Education, Research and Learning Information Networks when Canadian hockey teams competed in the medal rounds in Milan Cortina.

MERLIN revealed usage spiked to 71.25 gigabits per second during the gold-medal game for women’s hockey, which Canada lost 2-1 to the U.S. in overtime, on Thursday.

Norway House files suit against Hydro, governments over Lake Winnipeg

Norway House Cree Nation is suing Manitoba Hydro and the provincial and federal governments over how the public utility manipulates the level of Lake Winnipeg.

It’s the latest litigation launched by a First Nation in relation to Hydro’s regulation of the outflow of the lake into the Nelson River, which it has done since the mid-1970s.

Norway House filed its claim in the Court of King’s Bench on Thursday. It alleges Hydro and the Manitoba government have misrepresented the severity and scope of the adverse effects to the community caused by the regulation operation and the construction of a channel from Lake Winnipeg to Playgreen Lake.

The community, which is about 460 kilometres north of Winnipeg, near the northern shore of Lake Winnipeg, hired engineering firm DHI Water and Environments Inc. to conduct a scientific assessment of the effects of the regulation project.