Free Press Community Review: West

Photo by Rylee Gerrard
Kal Barteski painting a polar bear as part of the new mural at the Tundra Grill.

Polar painting project

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

Families aren’t the only curious spectators watching Kal Barteski work on her newest project.

Inquisitive polar bears press their noses and paws to the glass of the Tundra Grill at Assiniboine Park Zoo looking up and over at Barteski as she uses acrylic latex paint to craft a vivid mural of Manitoba’s arctic animals.

Among several upgrades coming to the grill, a new mural featuring polar bears, caribou, wolves, belugas and seals, is helping transport zoo visitors to Churchill through art.

“I want it to feel like a big art hug,” said Barteski, a local artist known for painting wildlife murals in Winnipeg and Churchill. “I want it to feel like you walk into the piece and feel it seep into you.”

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Free Press Community Review: East

Supplied photo by J. Carey Lauder Photography
Asher Kettner, 12, won the senior division (12 to 17 years of age) at the 37th annual Young Magicians of Manitoba Showcase of Magic on May 2. Kettner is pictured with world famous escape artist Dean Gunnarson, who presented him with The Bill Brace Magical Achievement Award.

Abracadabra!

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read Preview

Abracadabra!

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

Magicians may never reveal their secrets, but that doesn’t mean they can’t take pride in their work.

Asher Kettner recently won the senior division at the 37th annual Young Magicians of Manitoba Showcase of Magic. The stage magic competition for youth ages 7 to 17, was held in Winnipeg on May 2. A student at Westdale School in Charleswood, the 12-year-old was also awarded a gold star for his sleight-of-hand performance.

“Just doing it in general is fun, but winning makes you feel like what you do is good and people really care,” Kettner said. “That it’s really important and making something, you know. It’s fun to be rewarded. It’s hard, lots of practise.”

But Asher isn’t the only young magician in his family. His brother Ben, nine, is also an accomplished magician. In March, the pair took home top honours in the Young Magicians of Manitoba’s up-close magic competition in the junior (for seven-to-nine year olds) and senior (12 to 17) categories.

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Free Press Community Review: East

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Little Opera Company’s artistic director Spencer Duncanson is pictured here. The company will perform Life, Love, and Longing — A Musical Cabaret on June 5 and 6 shows at the First Unitarian Universalist Church.

Crossing the bridge between opera and musical theatre

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Crossing the bridge between opera and musical theatre

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

It’s billed as a musical cabaret “that dances on the line between opera and musical theatre,” and that’s exactly what the Little Opera Company’s performances of Life, Love, and Longing — A Musical Cabaret will do.

The June 5 and 6 shows at the First Unitarian Universalist Church will feature the talents of Winnipeg vocalists Donnalynn Grills; Margot Harding; Sloan Smith; Joanna Loepp Thiessen; Nolan Kehler; Matt Pauls; and Raymond Sokalski; accompanied by pianist Cary Denby.

“We’re hoping to celebrate the relationship between musical theatre and opera,” said Little Opera Company’s artistic director Spencer Duncanson.

“So many people think these are at opposite ends of the spectrum … but the bridge has been crossed many, many times by opera and musical theatre performers. They have something in common, as they are both using music to move things along emotionally,” said Duncanson, noting how opera has a history of being performed in pubs, which may not necessarily be well known.

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Free Press Community Review: West

Photo by Simon Fuller
Tyler Engel, director of the Community Food Centre at NorWest Co-op Community Health, is pictured at the site of the future FreshCo store at 1870 Burrows Ave. at Burrows Crossing, which is scheduled to open this fall.

New FreshCo will increase shopping options

Simon Fuller STAFF REPORTER 4 minute read Preview

New FreshCo will increase shopping options

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

Two local stakeholders are hoping a new grocery store in northwest Winnipeg will help improve food security in the community.

Shindico Realty,which brokered the transaction and manages the property, announced last month that FreshCo, the national grocery store chain, will open a new store this fall at 1870 Burrows Ave., at Burrows Crossing.

Construction is now underway in the building, which has been vacant since Sobeys left the premises in 2016. An IGA had also been located in the space.

“My impression is there that there is great deal of excitement about this,” said Harvey Sumka, senior resource co-ordinator at Keewatin/Inkster Neighbourhood Resource Council.

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Free Press Community Review: East

City news in brief — week of May 20, 2026

FP Community Review staff 3 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

Winnipeg

Book Sale supports Winnipeg Public Library

Friends of the Winnipeg Public Library are hosting an annual fundraising book sale at Pembina Curling Club (1341 Pembina Hwy) on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days.

Wander through a selection of gently-used books in a variety of non-fiction and fiction genres. In addition to books, there will also be DVDs, CDs, and LPs at the sale.

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo
Suit Up Winnipeg collects gently used formal wear and provides it to Grade 12 grads who may not otherwise be able to afford an outfit for their big days.

Grads walk tall with Suit Up Winnipeg

Carolyne Christie 2 minute read Preview

Grads walk tall with Suit Up Winnipeg

Carolyne Christie 2 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

A grassroots initiative in Winnipeg is helping students walk into graduation parties and ceremonies with confidence and pride. Suit Up Winnipeg, a volunteer-driven charity, collects gently used formal wear and provides it to Grade 12 graduates who may not otherwise be able to afford an outfit for their big days.

“Suit Up Winnipeg is about more than just clothing,” said founder Dana Binder. “It’s about giving students confidence and helping them feel their best as they celebrate an important milestone.”

Students register through their schools and are scheduled for a two-hour appointment, at which they receive a personalized shopping experience. Volunteers work one-on-one with each grad to find the right fit and style.

“It’s incredible to watch the transformation,” Binder said. “You can see them stand a little taller and smile a little bigger when they find the perfect outfit.”

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Community Correspondents

Photo by Tracy Groenewegen
A pair of Canada geese enjoy a sunny day near the St. Vital Bridge.

Cruel intentions and sick thrills

Tracy Groenewegen 3 minute read Preview

Cruel intentions and sick thrills

Tracy Groenewegen 3 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

On a recent walk I came upon a pair of Canada geese under the St. Vital Bridge. As I watched them, I was reminded that like most birds, Canada geese mate for life. They also have the capacity to mourn their dead.

My mind then turned to the geese-killing spree last month – a quick succession of deeply disturbing incidents in which a person in an SUV ran over several Canada geese, killing most of them. The police charged a teenage boy with five counts of killing or injuring animals, a Criminal Code offence.

The youth could also be charged under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, which makes it illegal to harm or disturb Canada geese, their eggs, or their nests without a permit. Many are unaware that Canada geese were driven to near-extinction by human activity over a century ago and their ubiquity in cities today represents a conservation success story.

A key reason geese populate urban areas – particularly wide, open areas with high visibility such as fields and parking lots – is safety from predators, human or otherwise. It may be a stretch to say geese live near us because they trust us, but they clearly find security and comfort in our urban environment.

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Community Correspondents

Words matter – choose yours wisely

Debbie Ristimaki 3 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

I don’t have a degree in English. To be totally honest, I hated English in school and yet I have found a love of words – of reading and of writing.

Those who know me know that I like rules - they give us tools to work with and something upon which we can build as a society. The problem, in my humble view, is that there is so much that does not make sense in English – in other words, there are few rules when compared to French, for example, which I will admit I preferred as a course – likely for that very reason.

I am no expert and truly appreciate the editors of the world, such as John Kendle, the managing editor of this paper. All this is to say that I am not here to judge those who are learning English. The issue for me today is that we seem to have forgotten, or left behind , the concept that words matter.

I am not sure when or how it happened, but it did and we now find ourselves living in a world in which many have forgotten – or have chosen to forget – their filters. A world in which words are often weaponized. A world in which words appear from behind a cloak, otherwise known as anonymity, targetting individuals or groups. A world in which words are chosen to bring others down rather than build them up.

Community Correspondents

Supplied photo
Winnipeg West MP Doug Eyolfson (kneeling, far right) joined finance minister François-Philippe Champagne (third from right, ) Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid (second from right), Saint Boniface – Saint Vital MP Ginette Lavack, (second from left) and members of the Royal Canadian Air Force at a recent defence announcement at 17 Wing Winnipeg related to the government’s spring economic update.

Building stability in uncertain times

Doug Eyolfson 3 minute read Preview

Building stability in uncertain times

Doug Eyolfson 3 minute read 2:01 AM CDT

As Parliament continues its work in Ottawa, my focus remains on the priorities I hear most often from residents across Winnipeg West – affordability, housing, community safety, and protecting good local jobs.

Over the past several months, I have met with residents at community centres, small businesses, neighbourhood events, and local organizations throughout Winnipeg West. While each conversation is different, a clear message continues to emerge – people are looking for stability and support they can genuinely feel in their daily lives.

For many families, seniors, and young people, affordability remains the central challenge. Rising grocery prices, housing costs, and everyday expenses continue to place real pressure on household budgets.

A senior in Winnipeg West recently told me she now shops with a calculator open on her phone, carefully tracking each item to ensure essentials last through the month. That conversation stayed with me because it reflects an important reality – economic pressures are not abstract. They shape real decisions in real households every day.

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Community Correspondents

Free Press file photo
Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara speaks at the April 20 announcement of the new Manitoba Menopause Clinic.

Exciting news in women’s health care

Uzoma Asagwara 3 minute read Preview

Exciting news in women’s health care

Uzoma Asagwara 3 minute read 2:01 AM CDT

I am thrilled to share encouraging news regarding our government’s work to strengthen healthcare for women and all Manitobans. For far too long, menopause care was overlooked and even ignored by the previous Progressive Conservative government.

That is finally changing. We believe that women deserve high-quality care through every season of their lives, and our team is taking a major step to ensure that expertise and respect are at the center of that journey.

Last month, we announced a $5.2 million investment to establish the new Manitoba Menopause Clinic. This facility, which will be located in southwest Winnipeg, is more than just a new building. It is a restoration of vital services that were lost in 2017 when the previous government made the decision to cut and close the Mature Women’s Centre. For years, women were told to go without care or to travel elsewhere. Now, we are righting that wrong by building a full, 360-degree, wraparound service model that will once again serve as a leader in Canada.

While the clinic will be located in Winnipeg, it is designed as a service for the entire province. Whether you live here in Union Station or are traveling from the north, western Manitoba, or the Interlake, this clinic will connect patients to providers, using both in-person and virtual expertise. For many folks in our neighbourhood who balance the pressures of shift work, caregiving, and transit, having a centralized hub of excellence means less time searching for answers and more time getting the support you are entitled to.

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Community Correspondents

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Kirkfield Park MLA Logan Oxenham chats with students in grades 6 and 8 at Bruce Middle School.

Creating art builds community

Logan Oxenham 2 minute read Preview

Creating art builds community

Logan Oxenham 2 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

In a world that can feel scary and uncertain at times, I firmly believe the arts are a powerful force for bringing people together. That is why I was so thrilled to experience so much artistic expression in Kirkfield Park over the past few weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the St. James-Assiniboia Divisional Choir Cabaret. Singers from across the division, from Grades 4 to 12, showcased their amazing talents to a full house at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate, with outstanding solo and small-group performances from senior students. It is hard to choose a favourite when the whole evening was fantastic and every performance was unique and exceptional.

The SJASD Divisional Choir program is a true gem in West Winnipeg. Every year, more than 150 young singers from across the school division take part in high-level music-making that is both challenging and fulfilling. Students have the chance to perform at local festivals and even travel on tour. Last year, the senior choir performed in Boston.

I would also like to congratulate the St. James-Assiniboia Norman Arts Group, which held its annual spring art show and sale at Woodhaven Park Community Centre. I am so proud to live in such a talented and supportive community.

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Free Press Community Review: East

Sports news in brief – week of May 20, 2026

– FP Community Review staff 1 minute read Preview

Sports news in brief – week of May 20, 2026

– FP Community Review staff 1 minute read 2:01 AM CDT

Lawn bowling season kicks off

Bowls Manitoba will host its third annual season-opening fours tournament at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23 at the Dakota Lawn Bowling Centre, 1212 Dakota St.

Played on an artificial green, the tournament will bring together club members with former provincial champions and other leading players.

Clubs from Brandon, Gimli and Winnipeg, including Tuxedo, St. John’s, Norwood and St. James, have each provided two teams of three players. To make a foursome, each team will be assigned a skip who has competed at the provincial and/or national level. Games will be 10 ends, with each player delivering two bowls. All teams are guaranteed three games.

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Columns

How could you resist these two?

Winnipeg Pet Rescue 2 minute read Preview

How could you resist these two?

Winnipeg Pet Rescue 2 minute read 2:01 AM CDT

Meet Papaya. Papaya is a 10-week-old, large-breed cross who may be just the perfect match for you. She is the last of her litter to find her forever home and is hoping she doesn’t have much longer to wait.

Are you ready to fall in love? This precious pup is hoping an active, fun-loving family will come scoop her up. She is a sweet, snuggly, bouncing ball of joy – what more could you want? Let’s see if Papaya could steal your heart.

☐ ☐ ☐

Andrew is a five-year-old, domestic short-hair cat looking for a safe place for a fresh start.

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Free Press Community Review: East

Supplied photo
Gary Garbutt at the 2025 Alzheimer’s Walk.

Sea of support

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Sea of support

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

Receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis often brings on a wave of emotion. Desolation, distress, diffidence. But Manitobans living with dementia, and their families, can expect a blue wave of supportive people waiting to be the community, camaraderie, and compassion needed at an uncertain time.

The 2026 Walk for Alzheimer’s is happening on Saturday, May 30 at the Lyric Theatre in Assiniboine Park — and the blue shirts worn by participants will seemingly flood the park.

“I came around the corner, and was stunned at the amount of blue shirts,” said Erin Crawford, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba, of her first Walk for Alzheimer’s experience.

“We hear often (that living with Alzheimer’s) can be isolating and lonely. One beautiful thing about the walk is we’re all here together,” Crawford said.

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Free Press Community Review: West

Photo by Rylee Gerrard
Grade 6 École Ness student Addison using a flight simulator.

I feel the need… the need for science

Rylee Gerrard STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

I feel the need… the need for science

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

For some, the intro music to Top Gun is a sign that a classic action movie with fighter jets, aerial combat, and prime ’80s Tom Cruise is starting. For others — perhaps hockey fans — it means the Winnipeg Jets are getting ready to play a home game.

For the aviation students at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate, the music signals the beginning of Top Gun: At the Heights — a science activities at which aviation concepts are taught in a Top Gun-themed way.

Top Gun was released on May 13, 1986 so, on that date 40 years later, it inspired the next generation of Mavericks and Geese.

As 129 Grade 6 students from École Ness piled into a theatre, a Sturgeon Heights-version of the iconic film intro scene, starring aviation instructor Joe Vodopivec, rolled kicking off a morning in which students visited five different activity stations. The result was a hands-on learning environment featuring everything from paper airplanes to flight simulators.

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Free Press Community Review: East

Photo by Ryan Desjarlais
The letters ‘PV’ on the valley wall are a nice backdrop to the fifth hole at Pleasant Valley.

A pleasant round in the valley

Ryan Desjarlais 6 minute read Preview

A pleasant round in the valley

Ryan Desjarlais 6 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

I try to focus on rural nine-hole courses in this space. Last fall, while closing down the cottage at Pelican Lake, the weather was almost summer-like – 20 degrees, clear skies, and no wind. A call for a break from closing-up duty led me to one of my two favourite childhood golf courses (the first being Roland).

While playing, I noticed that holes 4 and 5 had had some recent modifications – which is a good excuse to write about the course. So, at the south end of Pelican Lake lies Pleasant Valley Golf Club.

The club is surrounded by a busy cottage area. There is a small clubhouse and restaurant, and a small driving net to warm up in. There is a large practice green, and a very large fleet of motorized golf carts. This impressive fleet allows the club to host many tournaments throughout the season. In 2009, Pleasant Valley course was being picked as one of Canada’s best public courses by Score magazine.

These days, Pleasant Valley is an 18-hole course, having expanded into the valley face decades ago. The back nine is a story in its own right, but the first nine still draws players from all over Manitoba for folks wanting challenging play. Today, I will discuss just the front nine.

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