Children’s film festival showcases joy of shared experience

In a world where anyone can stream anything almost instantly at any time, film festivals such as Freeze Frame International still matter, says artistic director Pascal Boutroy.

“I am disheartened by how accessible some things are to children,” says Boutroy, who established the festival in 1996 with his wife Nicole Matiation.

“We have screens everywhere — the television, the computer, the cellphones … shared experience has disappeared over the years. But (watching a movie with an audience) is such a thrill; it’s actually like watching a game of hockey or soccer with people in a stadium or arena rather than watching it in front of TV by yourself.

“There’s something very precious about the shared experience.”

Parent group urges funds to help spot reading disabilities sooner

It may be too late for their children, but parents are appealing to school boards to fund teacher training to spot struggling readers sooner.

Caregiver Advocates for Literacy Equity is launching a new campaign this week, against the backdrop of I Love to Read Month.

The coalition represents dozens of families, many of whom have children with dyslexia. It is planning a series of presentations for trustees across Manitoba.

“The damage has been done to my son, sadly — we’re trying to propel things forward for him — but I just want to make a change for other kids,” said Allison Guercio, a mother of two in Winnipeg.

Google, Meta, push back on addiction claims in landmark social media trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining defendants, Meta and YouTube.

At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 20-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of similar lawsuits will play out. KGM and the cases of two other plaintiffs have been selected to be bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury.

Comparing social media platforms to casinos and addictive drugs, lawyer Mark Lanier delivered opening statements Monday in the Los Angeles Superior Court trial that seeks to hold Instagram owner Meta and Google's YouTube responsible for addictive features and harms to children who use their products. Two other defendants, TikTok and Snap, have settled the case.

Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt spoke of the disagreement within the scientific community over social media addiction, with some researchers believing it doesn’t exist, or that addiction is not the most appropriate way to describe heavy social media use.

Babies given peanuts, fish, eggs early less likely to become allergic, study affirms

TORONTO - A new Canadian study says giving babies peanuts, eggs, fish and other common food allergens early and consistently decreases the risk they'll be allergic to them.

Senior author Dr. Derek Chu says researchers analyzed more than 190 food allergy studies from around the world to identify the strongest risk factors in developing food allergies.

Their findings, published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, found that delaying the introduction of peanut-containing foods until babies were over 12 months old doubled their likelihood of becoming allergic to the nut.

The study showed similar results for fish and eggs.

As men’s health enters the national conversation, advocates call for co-operation

OTTAWA - The upcoming launch of a national strategy on men's and boys' health is a positive sign that men's well-being is becoming part of the mainstream conversation in Canada, advocates say — even as they warn that it should not become partisan political fodder.

The Movember Institute of Men's Health and researchers from the University of British Columbia called on the government to launch such a strategy in a report released last summer.

Health Minister Marjorie Michel said she plans to launch a national strategy on men's and boys' health in 2026 by working with colleagues in multiple departments, including Veterans Affairs, Women and Gender Equality and Indigenous Services.

Catherine Corriveau, Movember's director of policy and advocacy, said the government has taken an important first step by acknowledging the problem.

Channelling anger productively: understand it, handle it, grow from it

Anger at work is one of those topics people whisper about, joke about or pretend they have neatly under control. In reality, many people have felt a flash of heat in a meeting, a tight jaw after an email or a lingering resentment that follows them home at night.

Being angry with your boss can feel especially loaded. There is power involved, identity involved and often a paycheck on the line.

The good news is anger itself is not a career-ending flaw. It is information. What matters is how you understand it, how you handle it in the moment and what you do with it over time.

Workplace anger usually shows up in familiar forms.

Manitoba has most measles cases in Canada — and it’s likely much worse, doctors say

Manitoba has the country’s highest number of reported measles infections in 2026 — a year after the province’s outbreak began — while a surge brings stronger messaging from the government.

Dr. Davinder Singh, who is Manitoba’s public health lead on measles, said the province is seeing its highest monthly totals since May.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing an increase in the number of detected or reported cases. We also know the number of cases that are diagnosed are only a relatively small fraction of the true number of cases out in the community,” he said Wednesday.

“We can estimate that there may be about 10 times as many infections as we have that get reported to us or that get detected.”

Independent toy shops ready to fill void from Toys “R” Us Canada closures

TORONTO - For tots, teens and anyone in between, Cowtown Kids Toys & Candy is a dream.

The Maple Creek, Sask., shop spanning four buildings is jammed with more than 30,000 toys ranging from classic books and puzzles to trendy plushies, trucks and other curios.

Owner Bob Siemens says the vast array of products is proof his business — like many other independent shops — is ready to fill the void created by Toys "R" Us Canada closures.

"Even if it looks like the toy industry is suffering, there's still a vibrancy in the independents that have been there and have stood the test of time. They're going to be eager to meet the folks still looking for toy shops," Siemens said mere hours before Toys "R" Us Canada announced it had filed for creditor protection Tuesday.

New book from renowned Canadian financial author aims to help you ‘Save Yourself’

If your goal for 2026 is getting into better financial shape, one of Canada’s most renowned personal finance experts is throwing you a self-rescue line.

Kelley Keehn has recently published her 12th personal finance book in the last 20 years, Save Yourself: a New Approach to Thinking About Money and Taking Control of Your Financial Future. She spoke with the Free Press about taking a different tact to helping Canadians to make positive financial change.

Her new book comes at the right time, released in January when many make resolutions about being better with money.

As with past efforts, Keehn has sought to provide advice on the behavioural aspects of finance. But with Save Yourself, she upped the ante with neuroscience to help readers understand how human brains handle the subject of money. “My first book was over 20 years ago on the psychology of money, but it was anecdotal because there was little research on the psychology of money.”

Beloved drop-in centre remains a haven for youth after 50 years

Some children are never given the foundational tools at home to ease their way into this world. For a long list of complex reasons, home is not always a haven. And it’s not assured to be a safe place for kids.

But there is a building at the corner of Ross and Sherbrook that serves as both a home and a refuge, where young people find safety, acceptance and love, 365 days a year, anytime, all the time.

“I wouldn’t be alive today if it hadn’t been for Rossbrook House,” is an often-repeated phrase.

In 1976, Sister Geraldine MacNamara (Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary), with the help of other sisters and a group of young men from Winnipeg’s Centennial neighbourhood, founded Rossbrook House as an alternative to the streets.

Children’s Museum forced to tighten financial belt, fundraise

The Children’s Museum is a home away from home for the Maes family.

“We come all the time,” says mom Rachel Maes, while watching four of her six kids explore the centre’s toddler zone on a cold Monday afternoon.

“We’re a Métis family, so we can come for free, which is amazing.”

The young family visits the colourful museum at The Forks several times a month during the depths of winter, but that may soon change.

Egypt to adopt restrictions on children’s social media use to fight ‘digital chaos’

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Parliament is looking into ways to regulate children’s use of social media platforms to combat what lawmakers called “digital choas,” following some western countries that are considering banning young teenagers from social media.

The House of Representatives said in a statement late Sunday that it will work on a legislation to regulate children’s use of social media and “put an end to the digital chaos our children are facing, and which negatively impacts their future.”

Legislators will consult with the government and expert bodies to draft a law to “protect Egyptian children from any risks that threaten its thoughts and behavior," the statement said.

The statement came after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday urged his government and lawmakers to consider adopting legislation restricting children’s use of social media, “until they reach an age when they can handle it properly.”

Flexibility has become deal-breaker, not perk

There was a time when a flexible work arrangement was a bonus, something employees quietly hoped for once they’d survived probation.

A remote day here or there, the ability to adjust hours around a doctor’s appointment or the occasional work-from-home afternoon were all considered nice extras — perks that made a job feel a little more humane.

Fast forward to January 2026, and flexibility isn’t something workers merely appreciate. For many, it has become a core condition of employment — a deal-breaker if it’s removed or denied.

This shift is on full display this month as Ontario’s provincial government has begun implementing a policy that requires civil servants to return to the office full time. As of Jan. 5, nearly 60,000 public service employees who had been working remotely or in hybrid arrangements are being told to work in person five days a week.

First Nation’s power-outage misery ‘frozen like a rock’

An army of plumbers, engineers and members of the Canadian Armed Forces are continuing to assess damages after a lengthy power outage at Pimicikamak Cree Nation froze water and sewage pipes.

Chief David Monias said it is going to take months to repair damage to homes and years to install new water and sewage treatment plants and systems.

“They have frozen pipes — the sewage plant is completely frozen,” Monias said Wednesday. “The raw sewage has frozen like rock, it is as hard as rock. There is enough (methane) gas in there that we can’t even enter the building. So they are trying to figure out a way how to air out that building so that they can assess the sewage problem.”

Monias said the experts are going to try to get the water and sewage systems up and running while the community works with government on a longer term solution. He said the plants will eventually need to be decommissioned.

Children’s Hospital to spruce up ward with local art

Local artists are being invited to create child-friendly nature-themed original artworks for the walls of CK5, the childhood cancer, blood disorders and transplants ward at the Health Sciences Centre Children’s Hospital.

Manitoba law to protect women from partner abuse on horizon

More than three years after a law targeting intimate partner violence received royal assent, the legislation known as Clare’s Law will come into force in Manitoba in March.

The law allows for critical information held by authorities about a person’s history of violence, abuse or exploitation to be disclosed to their intimate partner.

The legislation is named after Clare Wood, a British woman who was murdered in 2009 by an ex-boyfriend who had a lengthy criminal record of sexual violence. The United Kingdom was the first jurisdiction to adopt such legislation.

Before the law comes into force in Manitoba, a regulation was needed that set out the policy and procedures for application, assessing risk, disclosing and sharing information. The Disclosure to Protect Against Intimate Partner Violence Act required a program be established, a provincial government document on the proposed regulation posted online last April stated.

Family from the Democratic Republic of Congo navigates chilly firsts alongside IRCOM supports

All Clever Ganza wants to do this winter is build a snowman.

He’s not yet had the chance, as it hasn’t been the right kind of snow — although to the eight-year-old, all snow is snow.

It’s his second winter in Winnipeg after arriving in Canada with his parents and younger brother Travor, 5, in December 2024.

Clever has acclimatized pretty quickly.

New year, deeper pockets needed

Changes to daily living expenses in the new year are bringing new challenges to Winnipeggers and Manitobans already burdened by the cost of living.

Getting around in the city by public transit got more expensive Thursday, and the cost of vehicle insurance will rise on April 1.

Winnipeg Transit’s standard adult cash fare increased by a dime to $3.45. Youth and seniors will now be charged $2.95, also up 10 cents compared to 2025 rates. Discounts remain in place for peggo card users, though electronic fares also rose to $3.10 for adults, $2.30 for youths and $1.55 for seniors.

Monthly passes also got more expensive: $119.35 for adults, $88.55 for youth and $59.70 for seniors. Short-term passes are also more expensive: a 24-hour adult peggo e-pass climbed to $11.45, and youth and senior versions rose to $8.50 and $5.75, respectively. A seven-day adult e-pass now sells for $31.

Advocates push for advance MAID requests two years after Parliament recommendation

OTTAWA - Sandra Demontigny knew something wasn't right when she couldn't remember buying herself a new pair of boots. They were a splurge — a little out of character for the mother of three — and she had been excited about bringing them home.

"I saw them near the door and I asked my kids, 'Who bought these boots? I've never seen them,'" she said.

"The kids were saying, 'No, (they're) yours. You bought them and you really like them."

Sliding her feet inside, she realized she couldn't remember buying them. "I started crying," she said.

Students tasked with designing shelter for homeless

Concerned about the state of empathy at her suburban high school, a St. Vital teacher has tasked teens with designing transitional homes for their unsheltered neighbours.

Collège Jeanne-Sauvé made headlines in September when a student was involved in an altercation with a man living in nearby Dakota Forest.

Winnipeg police and the Louis Riel School Division reported at the time the man came out of a tent and chased after a group of students, injuring one. Allegations the teenagers provoked the man by hurling insults and items at the man’s tent were also reported.

The Sept. 9 incident — as well as the gossip in its aftermath — led Kay Wojnarski to reach out to End Homelessness Winnipeg for advice.

U of M researchers studying whether genetic testing helps zero in on effective mental-health treatment meds

A team of University of Manitoba researchers is recruiting people seeking mental-health treatment for a study that could take the guesswork out of medication with the help of genetic testing.

The study will offer free pharmacogenomic testing — which predicts how a person may react to medications based on their genetic makeup — to 200 adults who are looking to start a new medication or switch their medication treating a mental-health issue.

“Someone with mental-health conditions, they (try) multiple medications, and sometimes it takes months or years to get to a point where those drugs work for them, or to have less side effects,” said Dr. Abdullah Maruf, the lead investigator on the study and assistant professor in U of M’s College of Pharmacy.

“Pharmacogenomic testing can find out how our body will respond to these kinds of medication.”

Métis federation launches second class action over ’60s Scoop

The Manitoba Métis Federation has launched a second court action over the apprehension of Métis children during the ’60s Scoop.

The federation and Albert Beck, a Métis man who was adopted by a non-Indigenous family, filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the Manitoba government in the Court of King’s Bench last week.

The proposed class action seeks damages over the harm suffered by Métis kids who were taken into care and placed with non-Indigenous families in Canada and the United States over several decades.

“The (‘60s) Scoop caused significant, irreparable harm to the Red River Métis children that were removed from their homes and communities. They suffered trauma and physical, sexual, and psychological abuse,” reads the proposed class action.

Beleaguered parents of young children with diabetes ask province for help in schools

Parents of children in elementary school with Type 1 diabetes pleaded for help from the province Tuesday at the legislature.

Two mothers — one who has to leave her job at lunch, the other who had to quit her job altogether — in order to get to their children’s schools in time to make insulin-pump adjustments say other provinces, including B.C. and Nova Scotia, have trained school staff to help.

“It’s heartbreaking to have to gauge whether or not I can maintain my livelihood or my child’s health care,” said Christy Peterson, whose five-year-old daughter Lillian is on an insulin pump.

The pumps support better blood-glucose management, help reduce the risk of long-term diabetes complications and their use results in fewer insulin injections.