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Free Press Community Review: East

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Reena (left) and Sara Kriendler are the co-writers of the new musical The Perfect Man. The mother-daughter duo are pictured here in the Gargoyle Theatre (585 Ellice Ave.), where the show runs until May 17.

Mother-daughter duo behind book for new musical

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 5 minute read Monday, May. 11, 2026

There’s still time to catch The Perfect Man, a musical written by Sara and Reena Kreindler and developed with support of the Manitoban Association of Playwrights, during its run at the Gargoyle Theatre on Ellice Avenue.

Featuring a cast of local musical theatre performers, The Perfect Man is a high-energy romantic comedy in the tradition of vintage Broadway shows. It opened on May 6 and continues until May 17.

“I’m so happy and proud that the Gargoyle Theatre (is) the first home to this show,” said Andrew Davidson, artistic director and owner of the Gargoyle. “I believe it is so good (that) it deserves future productions in other places. People who come to see this will be able to say one day that, ‘I was at the world premiere run.’”

“It’s a fun evening, a rom-com with some cultural satire of what reality dating shows say about the culture we’re in, that consumerist and performative aspect of relationships that we’re bombarded with, especially in the era of social media,” said Sara Kreindler, who wrote the music, lyrics, and co-wrote the book with her mother, Reena.

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Free Press Community Review: East

Photo by Rylee Gerrard
Tara Mychalyshyn of Rescue Siamese shelter holds James, a friendly and playful black cat who loves attention and cuddles.

Paws up for spring market

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Paws up for spring market

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Fluffy tails, loud meows, and naps in cozy kennels.

For 30 years, Rescue Siamese has been a shelter for cats from across the province and, to celebrate the anniversary, it is hosting a spring market at Archwood Community Centre on Sunday, May 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The rescue started in 1996 specifically for Siamese cats — which were in very high demand and overbred at the time — and so the shelter opened hoping to give a home to cats without one. Now, Rescue Siamese, which is currently located at 38 Barberry Rd., helps all the cats it can.

“It’s nice to know that you’re making a difference in a cat’s life,” said Tara Mychalyshyn, co-director of the rescue.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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Storytellers and board members from the 2025 ‘we are all stories’ event.

Seen, heard, valued

By Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Seen, heard, valued

By Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Most people have lived lives worth sharing, from challenges to exciting moments to overcoming obstacles, but not all have the resources or the knowledge to share their personal tales.

Enter the StoryBridge Network, a relatively new non-profit organization which runs workshops teaching people how to write and share their life stories.

“Stories bring us together and bridge us to our connected humanity,” said co-founder and executive director, Patlee Creary, who holds a PhD in peace and conflict studies from the University of Manitoba.

While Creary was working on a research paper in school, she focused on storytelling methodology and the experiences of highly educated women who were also newcomers. She sat and met with such women while conducting her research.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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The filming set and production of the foundational acquisition Indigenous language video series.

Storytelling and language learning

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Storytelling and language learning

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

As education slowly continues to shift into the digital space — and language-learning along with it — a new way to learn, listen, and understand First Nation languages has entered the digital sphere.

The foundational language acquisition video series — produced by the Manitoba First Nation Education Resource Centre — is a series of 160 videos in the five different First Nation languages of Manitoba.

The languages featured in the videos are Anishinaabemowin, Ininīmowin, Denesuline, Anisininimowin, and Dakota.

“The wonderful thing about it is they’re everyday conversations and storytelling,” said Jennifer Williams, director of language and culture at MFNERC.

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Free Press Community Review: West

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Cathy Skene, a past Rotary Club of Winnipeg-Charleswood president and a key Lobsterfest organizer, is pictured at a previous event (at right). This year’s RCWC Lobsterfest will be held on June 19.

Lobsterfest is a cracking good time

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Lobsterfest is a cracking good time

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Folks with a taste for the finer things in life, who also have a passion for supporting good causes, might look no further than the Rotary Club of Winnipeg-Charleswood’s upcoming Lobsterfest fundraiser.

This year’s event will be held on Friday, June 19, when pre-ordered lobster and chicken meals will be provided on a curbside pickup basis at Varsity View Community Centre (315 Laxdal Rd.,) where they will be available for collection between 3 and 7 p.m. Participants must present a ticket or confirmation of an online purchase at that time.

Cathy Skene, a past Rotary Club of Winnipeg-Charleswood president and a key Lobsterfest organizer, said the fundraiser used to be an in-person affair when attendees dressed up and “had a roaring good time” but COVID-19 changed that. Now, organizers find the curbside pickup format works well, not least because it gives participants the opportunity to barbecue their purchases, as some of them will likely be on their way to the cabin. The fundraiser also falls on Father’s Day weekend.

Lobsterfest participants can be assured the lobster they’ll be acquiring is as fresh as it can possibly be factoring in travel time, as it’ll be flown in from New Brunswick and chilled until it’s picked up. Reheating instructions will be provided.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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Along with Jeff Newman, Quinn Greene, seen here is the co-director and co-executive producer of Geekopolis, a new original series that is available now On Demand on Bell Fibe TV1. Greene also wrote and hosted the series.

Geeking out on local subcultures

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read Preview

Geeking out on local subcultures

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Quinn Greene doesn’t just embrace his inner geek, he celebrates it as a thing of beauty.

With longtime collaborator Jeff Newman, the founder and president of St. Boniface-based Nüman Films, Greene is the director and executive producer of Geekopolis, a new original series “that celebrates and explores the outright obsessive and wonderfully weird things Manitobans geek out about,” according to a press release.

Greene’s passion for exploring subterranean subcultures and devoted fandoms is the platform for the project he calls his baby, which he also wrote and hosted. In the six-part series — which is available now On Demand on Bell Fibe TV1 — Greene’s adventures include immersing himself with a live action role-playing group, meeting up with the Manitoba Lego Users Group, and showing some skin as he joins burlesque troupe Prairie Diva.

“I’ve been a geek, quote unquote, all my life, and I’ve loved anything to do with things like Lego, Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons,” said Greene, who lives in Wolseley and was raised in Moosehorn, Man.

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Free Press Community Review: East

File photo by Mikaela Mackenzie
Writer, environmental activist, and documentary filmmaker Erna Buffie has a new book, Out on a Limb, about urban forestry out on May 19. The book is the third instalment in the City Project series from Great Plains Press.

Local urban forest takes centre stage in new book

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 5 minute read Preview

Local urban forest takes centre stage in new book

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Making the world a better place might not be easy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.

That’s one of the messages that local writer, environmental activist, and documentary filmmaker Erna Buffie would like to impart to readers of her new book, Out on a Limb, which is due May 19 from Great Plains Press.

“The book sort of grew naturally out of my activist work with Trees Please Winnipeg, a coalition of almost 30 community environmental and residents group from across the city. Our aim was to get the city to see our urban trees as essential infrastructure,” Buffie said. “It turned out to be one of the happiest writing experiences of my career. It was a lot of fun to write, to find ways to inspire people to get out there and plant trees and take other actions to preserve and enhance nature in the city.”

A longtime area resident, Buffie was chairing the greening committee of the Wolseley Residents Association when a call was put out to residents’ and environmental groups across Winnipeg to pressure the municipal government to properly fund its urban forestry department. As a result of the work of the coalition, which became Trees Please Winnipeg, the city has made huge strides, increasing the department’s budget by 45 per cent and eliminating the backlog of replacing trees removed from city property.

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Free Press Community Review: East

Batter up!

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Batter up!

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Luis Reis is hoping a few more folks come out swinging this slo-pitch season.

Reis is the president of the South Winnipeg Senior Slo-Pitch League, which gets together every Tuesday and Thursday during the spring, summer and fall in the south end of the city — weather permitting — and he says new members are more than welcome to join in the fun.

“The league is growing every year, and we currently have 90 members,” said Reis, who now lives in the West End, having previously lived in Whyte Ridge for 25 years.

Players gather on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for the first part of the season, switching to Tuesday and Thursday mornings in July and August to avoid the heat and humidity at that time of the year. Ideally, he said, play will continue until Thanksgiving. At press time, Reis said he had pencilled in May 12 as the first session of the season.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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Each week, the Gifts of Grace volunteers prepare over 1,100 sandwiches, as well as over a dozen casseroles, for clients of the Main Street Project.

The gift that keeps on giving

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Preview

The gift that keeps on giving

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Sometimes, a warm meal or a sandwich can do more than simply provide nourishment. Sometimes it’s good for the soul.

Founded by members of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in East Kildonan and Transcona Memorial United Church, Gifts of Grace started providing over 100 hot Thursday night and Sunday morning meals each week for Main Street Project 14 years ago. Meals include hot casseroles, sandwiches, dessert, and juice.

Now, each week, the Gifts of Grace group, which includes members of other churches as well as the general public, makes over 800 sandwiches for the Main Street Project patrol van, along with the weekly meals. In total, volunteers from the group make over 1,100 sandwiches each week.

Longtime volunteer Campbell McIntyre has been with the group since its founding.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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The AAA/AAAA junior varsity aggregate champions from Fort Richmond Collegiate.

Provincial high school badminton champions crowned

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Preview

Provincial high school badminton champions crowned

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

High school badminton aficionados took part in the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association’s provincial badminton championships at the Sport Manitoba Training Centre in Winnipeg from April 30 to May 1.

Various schools from across Winnipeg took home gold in both junior varsity and varsity categories.

Kate Li of Fort Richmond Collegiate was the varsity girls’ champion, while the boys’ varsity championship went to Anson Chen from St. Paul’s High School — his second time taking the title, after winning in 2024.

Fort Richmond took home both junior varsity singles titles. Parham Raji topped the boys category and Zoey Zang won the girls.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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The local chapter of Seniors for Climate, pictured here at an Oct. 1, 2024 day of action at The Forks, are hosting a picnic on Wednesday, June 3 at Vimy Ridge Park (821 Preston Ave.).

Climate conversations

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Climate conversations

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

In the face of a climate crisis, local seniors aren’t planning to sit on the sidelines.

On Wednesday, June 3, the Winnipeg chapter of Seniors for Climate will host a picnic in Vimy Ridge Park (821 Preston Ave.), hoping to spread awareness of the climate and to spur others to action ahead of October’s municipal election.

The event is one of many being organized across the country in an effort to “break the silence on climate change” during Canadian Environment Week, which runs June 1 to 7. (A rain date of June 4 is planned.)

“We’ll give people the opportunity to talk about how the climate crisis is affecting them,” said Shawn Kettner, a Wolseley resident and member of the group since 2024. “You end up housebound either because of the smoke or the ice. A lot of seniors are concerned about that. You tend to think of it as something that is elsewhere. That stuff is all so frightening.”

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Columns

Free Press file photo
The World Cup Trophy tour stopped in Winnipeg last month and will visit several more Canadian cities in May.

World Cup offers unique experiences

RoseAnna Schick 3 minute read Preview

World Cup offers unique experiences

RoseAnna Schick 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

When the FIFA World Cup arrives in Canada next month, the excitement will extend far beyond stadium walls. It is being billed as the biggest sporting event ever held – with Canada hosting alongside Mexico and the United States across 16 host cities, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches. Even if you never purchase a ticket to go to a game in person, there will be plenty of free celebrations unfolding across our country.

The tournament takes place from June 11 to July 19, with six matches at Toronto’s BMO Field and seven at Vancouver’s BC Place. Beyond the games, there will be public festivals, cultural showcases, and community events transforming Canadian streets into global gathering places. Bringing together football fans from around the world to our parks, plazas, and waterfronts.

FIFA Fan Festival Toronto will happen in a unique urban setting at Fort York and The Bentway (a new public space underneath the Gardiner Expressway),with live broadcasts of the matches, diverse culinary experiences, musical entertainment, and more. The Fort York National Historic Site is where the Battle of York took place during the War of 1812, and today it remains home to Canada’s largest collection of original buildings from that era. Given its significant historical context, and its preserved existence within the heart of Canada’s largest metropolis, it’s the ideal location to embody Toronto’s theme of ‘The World in a City’.

In Vancouver, the FIFA Fan Festival will take place in Hastings Park at PNE (the Pacific National Exhibition site), one of the largest urban parks in Canada. The newly built, open-air amphitheatre with an increased capacity of 10,000 and massive broadcast screens will be the setting for watch parties, immersive fan events, and performances. The host branding uses nature-inspired colours and patterns representing mountain ranges and ocean waters, highlighting the ruggedness and beauty of the region.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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The Pas TeePees won the Polar League baseball title four times in six seasons between 1959 and 1964, which earned them induction into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

A field of baseball memories

T. Kent Morgan 5 minute read Preview

A field of baseball memories

T. Kent Morgan 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

For most of my life, baseball and softball seem to have dominated my summers. Two purchases I made at the recent Children’s Hospital Book Market got me delving into my baseball memory bank and planning a series of related columns over the summer.

In the book If You Build it…, Dwier Brown, who played a catcher and father in the movie Field of Dreams, writes about playing catch and about father-son relationships. The Twins at the Met covers the history of the Minnesota Twins at their first home, Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MInn.

The summer before COVID-19 hit, I visited the Field of Dreams site in Iowa with my longtime Touring All-Stars slo-pitch teammates Rob McKenzie and Bryan McTaggart, and played catch after coming out of the famous corn field. The Met was where I saw my first major league game the year the Washington Senators relocated to the Twin Cities. With me on that journey were former Elmwood Giants catcher Ted Nakano and a future Canadian 10-pin bowling champion Paul Yoshimasu.

My first real memory goes back to Grade 1 at Laura Secord School. We were playing softball at recess and I was on third base. When the catcher threw the ball back towards the pitcher, I ran home. Unfortunately for me, the pitcher immediately threw the ball back to the catcher. The batter thought it was a pitch but instead of hitting the ball he connected with my forehead. The doctor told my mother I was lucky to survive with nothing more than a few stitches and a scar. I know some readers and teammates will suggest that I never completely recovered.

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Community Correspondents

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McPhillips MLA JD Devgan joined staff at the Seven Oaks Hospital at the re-opening of Dialysis Unit 1.

Building through Budget 2026

JD Devgan 3 minute read Preview

Building through Budget 2026

JD Devgan 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

As your MLA for McPhillips, I continue to advocate for investments that make life more affordable, strengthen our economy, and support families across our community.

That’s why I recently met with Premier Wab Kinew in the constituency near the Aurora community to discuss the concerns I hear from you every day. I also recently attended the reopening of Dialysis Unit 1 at Seven Oaks General Hospital, which had been closed for more than five months because to significant flood damage caused by a broken water main. It was truly rewarding to celebrate the dedicated team whose hard work made its return possible.

On April 29, I was pleased to attend the library construction kickoff at Garden City Shopping Centre for the Mike O’Shaughnessy Library – an important and much-needed addition for the McPhillips community.

As we continue building a stronger Manitoba, I’m proud to share some of the highlights from Budget 2026 and what they mean for you and your family.

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Community Correspondents

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Kevin Lamoureux, MP for Winnipeg North, feels passionately that the health-care system should be re-organized.

Thoughts on reorganizing health care

Kevin Lamoureux 3 minute read Preview

Thoughts on reorganizing health care

Kevin Lamoureux 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

The greatest threat to health care today is not necessarily finances, but rather not recognizing the need to re-organize and manage the changes that are necessary to preserve the type of quality public health-care system that Canadians want and deserve.

The five fundamental principles of the Canada Health Act require billions of dollars in health transfers every year to provinces and guarantee that the federal government remains involved in our national health-care system – but it is provincial governments that are ultimately responsible for the administration of our health-care system.

I would like to be able to make a couple of observations based on my years of being an MLA in the Manitoba legislature, my current role as a member of Parliament and my recent personal experience of having gone to emergency at Grace Hospital.

I went to the Grace because Seven Oaks Hospital does not have an emergency department – it is classified as an urgent care centre. Over the years, we have seen emergency services disappear from Seven Oaks. Now it deals with things like minor injuries, infections, cuts and sprains. What a shame.

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Community Correspondents

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Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, MLA for Concordia (at far right), joined fellow MLAs (from left) Jamie Moses, Tyler Blashko and Nellie Kennedy at the announcement that the PST will be removed from groceries in Manitoba beginning July 1.

Practical steps to lower costs for Manitobans

Matt Wiebe 3 minute read Preview

Practical steps to lower costs for Manitobans

Matt Wiebe 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

As Manitobans continue to navigate rising costs, our government remains focused on what matters: making life more affordable. Pressures are coming from beyond our borders – global instability, Trump’s tariffs and his conflict in the Middle East have driven up fuel and transportation costs, which affects the prices of everyday things. Those impacts are being felt in Manitoba.

The most direct step we’ve taken is removing the provincial sales tax from groceries, starting July 1. Food is a necessity and families shouldn’t pay extra tax on essentials. It’s a simple change, but one that makes a difference for households across our province.

At the same time, we know affordability is more than groceries. It’s about the everyday costs such as rent, utilities, housing, and making sure families feel relief where it matters. That’s why we’re increasing the homeowners affordability tax credit and the renters affordability tax credit, which puts money back into the pockets of Manitobans.

We are taking action to crack down on predatory pricing and increase competition in the grocery sector. Predatory pricing is when corporate monopolies drop prices to push out smaller competitors, then raise them once there’s less competition. Our government passed legislation to prevent new restrictive covenants. We’ve started bringing legal cases forward to remove these property controls at locations across Manitoba. By doing this, we are opening the door for competition, more local choices, and lower prices for families.

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May 14, 2026