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Free Press Community Review: East

Supplied photo Homestay students Sofia and Fernanda are pictured at a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game.

A home from home

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

When international students come to Canada to go to school, such a transition can potentially be a daunting prospect.

They must adapt to a new culture, and possibly a new language, customs, cuisine, and climate, too. In the case of the latter, the first time experiencing a Winnipeg winter might well be a ‘you have to feel it to believe it’ moment.

Louis Riel School Division — in the form of the International Student Program and LSRD Go Global — is inviting “community, colleagues and friends” to become part of its homestay program.

The program gives folks the chance to open their homes to visiting international high school students and help enhance their educational adventures and cultural aspects of their stay for the duration of their time in Winnipeg.

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Free Press Community Review: East

Breaking barriers in hockey

Breaking barriers in hockey

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Breaking barriers in hockey

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Winnipeg sports-lovers are working to start a queer hockey league in the city that’s accessible and not defined by traditional hockey norms.

The trio of founders — Key Caguioa, Brie Villeneuve, and Victor Selby — officially launched Prairie Pride Hockey League on June 5.

The group was inspired by the PWHL city takeover event where the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge played in Winnipeg on March 22.

“We’re still coming down off the high from the launch,” laughed Caguioa. “It’s unreal. I can’t believe we did it in that short amount of time.”

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Free Press Community Review: East

Photo by Rylee Gerrard Mayor Scott Gillingham, city councillors, board members, and students from Edmund Partridge Community School at Garden City Community Centre on June 11, where the city announced $1.96 million in spending towards facility upgrades.

City announces $1.96 million in grants awarded to community centres

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Preview

City announces $1.96 million in grants awarded to community centres

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Residents across the city can expect to see several maintenance upgrades coming soon to 24 city-owned community centres.

On June 11, the City of Winnipeg and the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres (GCWCC) announced $1.96 million will be going towards various recreation centres.

“They’re termed ‘community centres’ for a reason because for generations of Winnipeg, those have been the hubs for community life,” Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters after the funding announcement at Garden City Community Centre (725 Kingsbury Ave.), which will receive $100,000 for replacements and repairs at the Soccerplex.

“This grant will help us renovate our soccerplex, ensuring the facility remains welcoming, functional, and safe for families, volunteers, participants, (and) community members who use it throughout the year,” said Margie Reis, general manager of Garden City Community Centre/Seven Oaks Sportsplex.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Free Press Community Review: East

Supplied photo Centre scolaire Léo-Rémillard recently became the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association’s AAAA provincial girls’ soccer champions.

Feeling the soccer love

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read Preview

Feeling the soccer love

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Two high school soccer teams — one in southeast Winnipeg and the other in the West End — have been kicking up a storm recently.

That’s because the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association’s AAAA provincial soccer championships were held on the first weekend of June.

In the girls’ championship game, Centre scolaire Léo-Rémillard beat Kelvin High School 5-2, while Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute defeated West Kildonan Collegiate 2-1 in the boys’ championship game.

It’s the second year in a row the Renards have brought home the championship banner in the girls’ category. And the fact it was also a finalist two seasons ago is a testament to the legacy everyone involved with the team is creating.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Free Press Community Review: West

Photo by Rylee Gerrard Chantilly Guerrero-Agustin, general manager of Jeepney, holding their winning entry, the ube cheese smoothie.

New festival celebrates food and community

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

New festival celebrates food and community

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Food trends have a boom and bust in popularity all the time in the digital age, but a new Winnipeg festival aimed to show the ube trend is rooted in culture and community across the city.

UbeVerse is the week-long event in which restaurants create and serve an ube-themed beverage or food for the public to vote on and choose a winner. The festival took place in the city for the first time from May 30 to June 7.

“It’s a celebration of food, community, and culture,” said Lou Alarkon, co-founder and co-organizer of UbeVerse along with her cousin Lyn.

Ube — also known as purple yam — is a sweet vegetable native to the Philippines. It’s bright purple, and on the rise as a popular ingredient in drinks, and sweet and savoury food.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Free Press Community Review: East

Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations at The Forks

FP Community Review staff 1 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

The Forks has a full day of free cultural programming planned for Indigenous Peoples Day, which is celebrated nationally on June 21.

Programming has been curated by Kíwétinohk Consulting in partnership with the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

“Every part of this program was built with care and conversation, leaving space for stories to be told, for hands to create, for feet to move, and for people to simply be together,” Tess Ray Houston, creative director for Kíwétinohk Consulting, said in a statement.

Programming begins at 10:30 a.m. and continues through the day, wrapping up with an evening concert featuring Burnstick, Cassidy Mann, and headliner Ila Barker.

Free Press Community Review: West

Plans approved for Newmarket Boulevard apartment townhouses

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

The City Centre community committee held a regular meeting on May 29. Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) was absent.

The committee concurred with the public service and approved plans for a 12-building, 170-apartment townhouse development on Newmarket Boulevard in the River Heights-Fort Garry ward.

Contrary to the recommendation of the public service, the committee recommended waiving eligibility criteria and approving a grant of $50,000 from its land dedication reserve funding for the Gas Station Arts Centre in the Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry ward for lobby upgrades.

Similarly, the committee recommended waiving criteria for a $5,000 land dedication reserve grant for South Osborne Housing Co-op for landscape work at 360 Osborne St., contrary to the public service’s recommendation.

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo (From left) SJASD board chair Tara Smith, West Ward trustees Cheryl Smukowich and Sandra Lethbridge, East Ward trustee Holly Hunter, and West Ward trustee Fiona Shiells at Winnipeg Pride Parade on June 7.

Happy June to students, staff, and grads

St. James-Assiniboia School Division 3 minute read Preview

Happy June to students, staff, and grads

St. James-Assiniboia School Division 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

On behalf of the St. James-Assiniboia School Division board, West Ward trustees would like to send a big thank you to all the amazing St. James-Assiniboia School Division staff!

Schools and playgrounds are buzzing with excitement for the final countdown and the long-awaited arrival of warm weather.

June 7 was the Winnipeg Pride Parade, and our division took part once again. Trustees, students, teachers, parents, friends, and family walked loud and proud behind a student-painted school division bus. It was a heartwarming celebration of our diverse school community.

June is an exciting month for parents whose children will be moving up or walking across the stage at their graduation, signaling the end of their time in our division. We would like to congratulate all our graduating classes and all the best for their chosen next steps.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo Gail Perry’s new book John D Atchison, Architect: His Work and Times, was published by the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.

New book provides insight into famous architect

Shirley Kowalchuk 3 minute read Preview

New book provides insight into famous architect

Shirley Kowalchuk 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

“It was a book that just had to be written,” said Gail Perry of her new book John D Atchison, Architect: His Work and Times, published by the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation and launched at McNally Robinson bookstore recently.

“My concern was that if another generation passed, we were going to lose Atchison altogether,” said Perry. “It was important to get this information collected and together, as a start.”

In her book, Perry writes that while no single characteristic defines an Atchison building, it will always have “disciplined composition (their ‘just right’ look).” His buildings were beautiful, state of the art for the time, and are still comfortable, efficient and elegant today.

Perry was an architectural enthusiast since she was a little girl, and Perry read the 1970s centenaries publications on local and regional history. Atchison’s name popped up most frequently, yet Perry knew he was part of the revolutionary Chicago School of Architecture.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Columns

File photo Pets columnist Jeff McFarlane is glad to see more pet owners question the contention that pet food is little brown pebbles.

Pets need more than kibble

Jeff McFarlane 5 minute read Preview

Pets need more than kibble

Jeff McFarlane 5 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Pet nutrition is a huge business, with some of the largest corporations heavily invested in the industry. We are inundated daily with ads on TV or in our socials with advertising shouting the benefits of this food or that. Even more in our socials, we see individuals making videos or reels about how they found better health for their pets though nutrition. I am very pleased that many of those are getting people to question the contention that pet food is little brown pebbles.

We see influencers talking about food they make at home, everything from crock pot recipes to fully balanced raw foods with supplementation. While they are inspiring, most people look at the video and then say to themselves “Who has that time?” and then scoop another cup of kibble into their pet’s bowl.

More companies are coming out with products that claim they are “un-kibbles” and are less processed and more appropriate for your pet. This is a great trend, and some of these products are truly game changing. But many simply have the same ingredients as kibbles, just processed in a different way. As always, reading the ingredient panel of a label will reveal so much about the product.

Meat will always be the first ingredient on any pet food today, there’s no way a company wouldn’t make sure that is the case. But meat first does not mean mostly meat. Many meat ingredients start off with more moisture in them than other ingredients, so while the “before processing” weight lets them be listed first on the label, many times, after the water is removed, they would move down the ingredient list, sometimes many spots. Yes, this is deceptive, but a standard marketing tool in the industry.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo by Chris Jensen Studios Winners of the Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Business Excellence Awards were presented with their awards at the ACC’s recent annual general meeting.

Celebrating outstanding local businesses

Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce 3 minute read Preview

Celebrating outstanding local businesses

Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

The Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce recently presented awards to the winners of the 2026 Business Excellence Awards. These awards celebrate businesses for their achievements, their commitment to excellence, and the ways they help strengthen our business community.

The Eco Leadership Award recognizes a business that has implemented a major sustainable initiative or project in the past year that has made a positive impact on the environment. This year, the award went to BGP Environmental Group Inc., a company whose efforts are guided by the understanding that true progress lies in improving quality of life while respecting the natural systems that sustain us. They believe that sustainability requires thoughtful action, measurable impact, and a clear alignment with climate-aware principles.

The Young Entrepreneur Award recognizes a young entrepreneur who has made a substantial impact on the community through the introduction and management of a business operation. This year’s recipient is White Pine Bicycle Co., a neighbourhood bicycle shop in west Winnipeg. They’re known for their knowledgeable staff and services while providing their customers with reliable, affordable city bicycles. Their dedication to cycling and community has helped them build a strong local presence.

The Community Builder Award recognizes a business that has made a significant impact in the community by fostering social and economic growth and empowerment. High Tea Bakery received this honour for their dedication to equality and diversity, which has made them a staple in the community. They believe that diversity makes our city a better place, and they trust in the power of food to bring people together. Whether you are celebrating Eid, Lunar New Year, Pride, or Rosh Hashana, High Tea is always there to celebrate with you.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo Burrows MLA Diljeet Brar with Mr. and Mrs. Sison, who were recognized during a recent member’s statement for their contributions to the community.

Investing in our community, celebrating Filipino culture

Diljeet Brar 3 minute read Preview

Investing in our community, celebrating Filipino culture

Diljeet Brar 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

June holds a very special significance across Manitoba as we celebrate Filipino Heritage Month. This is a beautiful time to reflect on the immense contributions, rich history, and profound impact the Filipino community has made on our province’s cultural fabric, and our government remains committed to supporting this vibrant community.

I am pleased to share that we are providing $900,000 in provincial funding to support the Filipino community, shared equally among Mabuhay District Inc., the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba, and the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba. We are further dedicating $50,000 for the wonderful ANCOP organization to help advance their highly impactful community development initiatives and social programs.

Throughout this month, I am deeply honored to receive invitations to numerous incredible Filipino heritage events, both right here in our Burrows constituency and across the city. Connecting with families at these dynamic celebrations reinforces my belief that strength is found through our shared diversity.

A particularly inspiring highlight was attending the recent recognition of our local Knights of Rizal Youth Award winners. Celebrating our remarkable young leaders from the community reminds us of the timeless wisdom from the Knights of Rizal: “Youth is the hope for our future.” These bright, dedicated individuals truly embody the spirit of service and leadership that will guide Manitoba’s future.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Community Correspondents

Photo by Dylon Martin There is much to do this summer in Elmwood, writes community correspondent Dylon Martin in his latest column.

Experience Elmwood this summer

Dylon Martin 2 minute read Preview

Experience Elmwood this summer

Dylon Martin 2 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

After a long, cold winter and dreary spring, summer is once again upon us.

It’s a time for enjoying the weather, spending time with friends and family, and getting active. Many will vacation, either across the country or out of the city. There are popular attractions within city limits like The Forks and Assiniboine Park. But there is also plenty to do right here in Elmwood.

On Friday, July 10 the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association will hold its monthly boardgame night from 7 to 10 p.m. Held in partnership with Victory Pints Games and hosted at The Big Red Church (127 Cobourg Ave.), this will be a night of board game fun and light snacks. An event for the whole family, people can play together and meet their neighbours.

If the weather is nice, and even if it is not, people can also get some great time volunteering each Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon with the Elmwood Unity Walks. These happen each Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and each Sunday from 12:30 4 p.m. At these Unity Walks, volunteers will help clean up the neighbourhood and distribute food and clothes to vulnerable community members. It is a really impactful way to spend your free time.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo by Dena Arnold The locally famed ‘Mama Goose’ nests in a clump of weeds a few metres away from the main entrance of École Leila North School in the Maples every year for the past eight years.

‘Mama Goose’ goes to school in the Maples

Derek Dabee 3 minute read Preview

‘Mama Goose’ goes to school in the Maples

Derek Dabee 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Canada geese are some of the most fascinating birds, and certainly their early return to Manitoba every March is a sure sign that summer is just around the bend. It’s hard to believe that this iconic symbol of Canada was almost hunted to extinction. Today, there are approximately seven million Canada geese in North America.

Every spring, these tough, majestic birds return to their northern nesting areas to raise a family. A pair lays five to nine eggs. Six-to-nine weeks after hatching, the bird is ready to take to the air as a family unit. When the offsprings are grown, they all embarked on their fall journey back south for the winter. Their fall migration to the south extends as far as the Gulf of Mexico, starts in mid October. The last of the geese leave in early November and suddenly, within days, they are gone. Pairs then usually return to their previous nesting place each spring.

Canada geese are eccentric characters. They mate for life and every spring migration, over 1,000 pairs will make Winnipeg their summer habitat. Nests can be found in odd places across the city: in residence flower gardens, near retention ponds, on rooftops and under trees in public parks. This spring, there was a nest in a huge planter in Polo Park Mall parking lot.

There is the locally famed ‘Mama Goose,’ who nests in a clump of weeds a few metres away from the main entrance of École Leila North School in the Maples every year for the past eight years.

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Community Correspondents

Celebrating our grads, carrying their spirit into summer

Nellie Kennedy 3 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

As the school year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the incredible spirit of our community’s young people.

This graduation season, I had the absolute privilege of attending the St. James Assiniboia School Division’s graduation powwow and ceremony, and am looking forward to attending graduation ceremonies at the Manitoba School for the Deaf, Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate, and John Taylor Collegiate. Attending these celebrations allows me to witness the immense pride of the graduates, their families, teachers, and friends as they mark this significant milestone in their lives. Our students are not just preparing for their own future; they’re ready to lift up others, and their accomplishments give me enormous hope for the future of our province.

With the beautiful summer weather finally here, I hope to carry their passion and energy out into our wonderful neighbourhoods. Over the summer weeks, constituents can expect to see me and my team out on your doorsteps to hear directly from you about your concerns, ideas, and the meaningful changes you would like to see in our province. I am truly looking forward to being out in the community over the next few months and meet with you to learn about what matters most to you and your family.

One of my focuses this summer is also to bring neighbours across our community together. I am thrilled to once again host a number of community barbecues throughout Assiniboia. Everyone is welcome to join us for good food, cold drinks, and a great chat. Please come find us! We will be holding these gathering opportunities at the following times and locations:

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo Sangria is a large, two-month-old eager to find a family who will fill her life with love and wonder.

Meet Sangria and The Rock

Winnipeg Pet Rescue 1 minute read Preview

Meet Sangria and The Rock

Winnipeg Pet Rescue 1 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

Sangria

Meet Sangria. Sangria is a large, two-month-old eager to find a family who will fill her life with love and wonder. This little lady is a sweet and sassy gal who loves everyone she meets. She is good with other dogs and with cats so would fit right in with any family. Could that be yours?

The Rock

Meet The Rock. The Rock is a two-and-a-half-year-old domestic short hair cat. Like his name sake, he is a big, tough looking guy, but is a true softie at heart. The Rock is a gentle, easy-going guy. After fighting to survive the streets this winter, he’s ready to settle into a life of leisure. Cozy beds, tasty treats, and ear scritchies are the way to his heart. He is not good with dogs and picky with other cats so would be best as a solo pet. Come meet him today!

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Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026

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