Mass tourism a modern ill

When I went to Paris in 2012, I skipped the Louvre. Sacré bleu!

Quand la rivière Winnipeg devient musée

Le long de la rivière Winnipeg, à Saint-Georges, un musée pas comme les autres raconte l’histoire d’un peuple lié à l’eau. Grâce aux objets, aux témoignages et à une vue imprenable sur la rivière, les visiteurs plongent dans une mémoire régionale bien vivante, accessible en français autant qu’en anglais.

À Saint-Georges, le Musée du Patrimoine de la rivière Winnipeg est un incontournable pour comprendre l’histoire et l’identité de la région. Ouvert toute l’année depuis 2019, il est le fruit de la résilience de la communauté après un incendie en 2014 qui avait détruit l’ancien Musée des pionniers.

”Face au feu, la communauté n’a jamais baissé les bras,” affirme la directrice, Diane Dubé. Dès 2015, on travaillait déjà à recréer un musée.”

La reconstruction a permis de concrétiser une vision déjà en marche depuis 2012, celle de “sortir de Saint-Georges pour faire un musée vraiment régional.”

Adaptability key in climate change crop fight

Higher food prices and a significant drop in production of wheat — one of Manitoba’s most prominent crops — could come by the century’s end due to climate change, a new study suggests.

Meanwhile, Manitoba wheat farmers are taking measures to adapt their practices and produce greater yields amid changing conditions.

A report published in Nature this week projects Canada, China, Russia and the United States — when grouped together — could lose 30 to 40 per cent of wheat yields if the Earth warms roughly 4.3 C by 2100.

Canada alone could see a 20 per cent reduction, according to the study’s lead author.

Graham Avenue stretch to get pedestrian, bike-only trial when buses vanish

The city will turn a four-block stretch of Graham Avenue into a living lab when Winnipeg Transit’s network overhaul pulls buses off the downtown street.

It will be cyclists and pedestrians only between Carlton and Garry streets in an indefinite pilot project scheduled to begin after June 29.

“In July 2025, buses will be removed from four blocks, creating a rare opportunity to transform the street into a safer, pedestrian-first space. With a focus on recreation, public gathering areas, and cultural programming, Graham Avenue can become a dynamic hub of activity in the heart of downtown,” a city document states.

Without changes, the area risks becoming a neglected corridor with minimal foot traffic once buses leave, it warns.

Hockey hero coming home: Jonathan Toews to make comeback with Jets

The homecoming is happening for Jonathan Toews. The St. Vital product has decided to make his NHL comeback with the Winnipeg Jets, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract as he returns to the league after a two-year absence related to his health.

Racing in her blood: Rookie rider knows she has ‘big shoes to fill’ as she follows in jockey dad’s footsteps

Ciera Pruitt had pictured the scene since she was a little girl running wild on the grounds of Assiniboia Downs — her backyard, really — while her parents were hard at work nearby. Back then, she was the wide-eyed Winnipeg kid peering over the paddock railing, watching the colourful parade of jockeys from faraway places like Bermuda, Venezuela and Mexico leading majestic thoroughbreds toward the track while the bugle call to the post played over the loudspeakers.

Music streaming service Deezer adds AI song tags in fight against fraud

LONDON (AP) — Music streaming service Deezer said Friday that it will start flagging albums with AI-generated songs, part of its fight against streaming fraudsters.

Deezer, based in Paris, is grappling with a surge in music on its platform created using artificial intelligence tools it says are being wielded to earn royalties fraudulently.

The app will display an on-screen label warning about “AI-generated content" and notify listeners that some tracks on an album were created with song generators.

Deezer is a small player in music streaming, which is dominated by Spotify, Amazon and Apple, but the company said AI-generated music is an “industry-wide issue.” It's committed to “safeguarding the rights of artists and songwriters at a time where copyright law is being put into question in favor of training AI models," CEO Alexis Lanternier said in a press release.

‘We cannot waste any time’: Anand promises ‘action’ and reform in foreign affairs

OTTAWA - Faced with escalating conflict in the Middle East, a collapsing global trade system and a department struggling to reform itself, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she relishes the job of helping Canada navigate a turbulent world.

In a wide-ranging interview Thursday with The Canadian Press, Anand said her experiences in both politics and academia can help her streamline Canada's approach to global issues, allowing it to pursue its interests without losing sight of its values.

"How do you ensure, when you have these large departments, that you're actually able to execute? That is the heart of government. It's the hardest thing to do," Anand said.

"I enjoy difficult responsibilities."

Federal Court of Appeal overturns decision requiring action on judicial vacancies

OTTAWA - A panel of judges has overturned a court ruling that directed the federal government to step up the pace of judicial appointments to address an "untenable" number of vacancies.

The Federal Court of Appeal allowed the government's challenge of the ruling, saying the Federal Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case in the first place.

In a February 2024 ruling, Federal Court Justice Henry Brown said constitutional convention requires Ottawa to appoint a new judge to a vacancy within a reasonable period of time.

The government asked the Federal Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment and dismiss the underlying application brought by lawyer Yavar Hameed.

Growing up Bombers: Football increasingly a family affair in Winnipeg

Nine months after a serious knee injury put his career in jeopardy, an emotional Chris Streveler stood before reporters, searching for words to describe what it meant to lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a season-opening victory last week.

He could’ve started with what it felt like to suit up in front of 32,343 Blue and Gold supporters again after a gruelling rehab, or spoken about his three touchdown passes and how they helped his team prevail 34-20 over the B.C. Lions.

Instead, the first place the quarterback went was his daughter, Sunny, and how much it meant to him to play in front of her for the first time.

“I think it’s just really different having a daughter now, and after the injury, I just think my perspective is really different on the game, and life in general, and I have more appreciation for these moments,” Streveler told the Free Press earlier this week as the Bombers prepare to meet the Lions in a rematch on Saturday at BC Place.

Diversifying trade key to building resilience against U.S. tariffs: Macklem

OTTAWA - Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem is encouraging businesses to explore export markets beyond the United States to make the economy less vulnerable to current and future trade disputes.

Speaking to a business crowd in coastal St. John’s, N.L., on Wednesday, Macklem meanwhile warned of fog in the inflation forecast, making it difficult to chart a path for monetary policy through the tariff uncertainty.

The central bank head said it was “very welcome news” that Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed at the G7 Summit earlier this week to nail down a new trade and security deal within 30 days.

He said in prepared remarks that progress toward a new trade deal is "encouraging," but later said in a moderated question-and-answer period that Canada's economy faces bigger problems in an increasingly "fragmented world."

‘Elio’ is an intergalactic tale — but for Toronto’s Domee Shi, it hits close to home

TORONTO - For Domee Shi, making a movie about an introverted kid getting abducted by aliens felt oddly familiar.

Not because she’s had any close encounters, but because she remembers being a teenager longing to be taken away to a world where her weirdness was understood.

The Toronto native co-directs “Elio,” a Pixar animated sci-fi film about an 11-year-old orphan who yearns to be snatched by extraterrestrials to escape his loneliness — and gets his wish when an interplanetary organization mistakes him for Earth’s ambassador.

“He's this lonely artsy kid who just wants to belong somewhere. I definitely felt that way growing up,” says the Oscar-winning animator behind 2022’s coming-of-age Toronto-set hit “Turning Red.”

Flin Flon’s school year comes to disappointing end for graduating evacuees

Homesick evacuees from the Flin Flon area were dealt another blow Monday when they learned an out-of-control forest fire had cancelled the rest of the school year in northwestern Manitoba.

Graduates far from home ‘grateful’ for honour at school powwow

Grade 12 Tataskweyak Cree Nation student Jonah Wavey was among several wildfire evacuees honoured Monday during a special celebration of Indigenous graduates at the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre.

How the humble water gun became the symbol of Barcelona’s anti-tourism movement

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A group of tourists were sitting at an outdoor table in the Spanish city of Barcelona, trying to enjoy their drinks, when a woman raised a cheap plastic water gun and shot an arc of water at them.

Her weapon of choice — the cheap, squirt-squirt variety — is an increasingly common fixture at anti-tourism protests in the southern European country, where many locals fear that an overload of visitors is driving them from their cherished neighborhoods.

How did the humble water gun become a symbol of discontent?

From refreshing to revolutionary

Community groups join forces to help the hungry

A handful of community groups are coming together this week for a campaign to benefit hungry Manitobans.

The food drive in south Winnipeg kicks off Monday and runs until Saturday. People are invited to drop off donations of non-perishable food items at Align, a student housing building at 2537 Pembina Hwy.

All donations will go to Harvest Manitoba, the non-profit charitable organization committed to ensuring no one in the province goes hungry.

Participating in the food drive is a way for the Winnipeg Chinese Senior Association to turn its values into action, says Songyan Liu.

Pray for rain — and plant more trees

As I write this, Saskatchewan is under another air-quality alert as smoke from Alberta and B.C. drift over to cast a shadow on what would typically be a sunny June day.

L’impro comme tremplin pour la jeunesse en immersion

Le 5 juin, dix élèves d’écoles d’immersion française ont brillé sur scène lors du tout premier “Match des étoiles” de la FLIIP, une nouvelle ligue d’improvisation scolaire qui allie humour, spontanéité et passion francophone.

Après quelques essais ponctuels dans le passé, le Conseil jeunesse provincial (CJP) a lancé cette année la première ligue officielle d’improvisation destinée aux écoles d’immersion française du Manitoba. La Fabuleuse ligue d’improvisation immersive et passionnante (FLIIP) a couronné cette première saison par un “Match des étoiles” présenté le 5 juin au Centre culturel franco-manitobain.

Mélanie Bédard, responsable de projet au CJP, explique: “Nous voulions relancer l’idée d’une ligue d’improvisation pour les écoles d’immersion. Nous avons donc envoyé un courriel pour dire que nous étions prêts à les soutenir s’ils voulaient créer des clubs d’impro au sein de leur école.”

Le projet FLIIP avait vu le jour il y a plusieurs années, mais la pandémie avait stoppé net son développement. Cette année, il a enfin pu se concrétiser, avec plusieurs activités et formations déjà en place.

Like mother, like daughter: Sunshine Fund camp experience runs in the family

Peyton Toth is weeks away from graduating from Grade 3 and heading to summer camp for the first time.

And the bubbly outgoing eight-year-old will soon be on her way to Camp Arnes, on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg north of Gimli, thanks to the Sunshine Fund.

Peyton’s mom, Lindsay, said she knows firsthand the type of experience her daughter will get. Three decades ago, when she was eight years old, she went to camp for the first time — at Camp Arnes.

“I wanted her to go to camp so I began looking at the camps out there,” she said. “But I didn’t realize (camping fees) would be that much. It costs $800 for the week.

Wildfire smoke changing outdoor sports landscape

Air quality concerns due to wildfire smoke are changing the landscape of sporting events in Winnipeg. From community centre-run programs to professional leagues, outdoor sports have been impacted by smoke delays, cancellations and playing in less than ideal conditions, leading some to rethink how summer outdoor seasons should be planned going forward.

Krista Fraser-Kruck, general manager of Riverview Community Centre in South Osborne, which offers baseball, soccer, softball, ultimate (frisbee) and summer day camps, says wildfire smoke has forced cancellations and caused rescheduling challenges, especially difficult in a short summer season.

“The priority is keeping kids safe,” said Fraser-Kruck. “For our community, we just want to keep our kids safe, and so doing what’s in the best interest of their health is our priority.”

For their youth soccer games, Riverview Community Centre follows the Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association’s policy, which calls for citywide cancellations if Environment Canada’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) reaches seven or higher.