News for young children

Please review each article prior to use: grade-level applicability and curricular alignment might not be obvious from the headline alone.

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Churchill s’expose à l’Hôtel Fort Garry

Virginie Frère 5 minute read Preview
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Churchill s’expose à l’Hôtel Fort Garry

Virginie Frère 5 minute read Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

À peine franchi le seuil de la passerelle arrière de l’emblématique Hôtel Fort Garry, le visiteur est happé par un regard. Immense. Blanc. Perçant. Celui d’un ours polaire saisi à Churchill par le photographe manitobain Jean-Pierre Parenty. Depuis quelques jours à peine, 46 de ses clichés transforment le couloir vitré de l’hôtel en une véritable immersion arctique.

Photographe animalier, Jean-Pierre Parenty s’est spécialisé depuis une dizaine d’années dans la faune canadienne. “Je suis Canadien et j’aime chercher, photographier et représenter la faune canadienne,” confie-t-il.

Né et élevé au Manitoba dans une ferme, Jean-Pierre Parenty nourrit depuis l’enfance une passion pour les animaux et la photographie. “La partie qui m’intéresse et que j’adore, c’est être en nature, chercher des animaux, les trouver et puis essayer de les capturer dans mon appareil photo,” dit-il. S’il a longtemps parcouru le monde, c’est désormais vers le Nord qu’il tourne son objectif, et plus particulièrement vers Churchill, cette localité de la baie d’Hudson capitale mondiale de l’ours polaire.

L’idée de l’exposition est née d’un appel de l’hôtel, il y a environ un an. “L’Hôtel Fort Garry m’a appelé pour créer une galerie dans la passerelle arrière de l’hôtel. Et ils ont demandé que ce soient des photos d’animaux de Churchill,” explique-t-il. Une demande sur mesure pour celui qui fréquente régulièrement la région. “Je vais à Churchill très souvent, donc j’ai beaucoup de photos que j’ai prises là-bas,” souligne le photographe.

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Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

Marta Guerrero photo

Le photographe animalier Jean-Pierre Parenty expose à l’Hôtel Fort Garry 46 clichés pris à Churchill.
Marta Guerrero photo Le photographe animalier Jean-Pierre Parenty expose à l’Hôtel Fort Garry 46 clichés pris à Churchill.
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Children’s film festival showcases joy of shared experience

AV Kitching 6 minute read Preview
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Children’s film festival showcases joy of shared experience

AV Kitching 6 minute read Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026

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.”

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Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026

SUPPLIED

Dutch movie Labyrinthus is about a boy who discovers a sinister computer game using real children as players.
SUPPLIED Dutch movie Labyrinthus is about a boy who discovers a sinister computer game using real children as players.
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Social media can be addictive even for adults, but there are ways to cut back

Barbara Ortutay And Kaitlyn Huamani, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview
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Social media can be addictive even for adults, but there are ways to cut back

Barbara Ortutay And Kaitlyn Huamani, The Associated Press 7 minute read Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026

Social media addiction has been compared to casinos, opioids and cigarettes.

While there’s some debate among experts about the line between overuse and addiction, and whether social media can cause the latter, there is no doubt that many people feel like they can’t escape the pull of Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms.

The companies that designed your favorite apps have an incentive to keep you glued to them so they can serve up ads that make them billions of dollars in revenue. Resisting the pull of the endless scroll, the dopamine hits from short-form videos and the ego boost and validation that come from likes and positive interactions, can seem like an unfair fight. For some people, “rage-bait,” gloomy news and arguing with internet strangers also have an irresistible draw.

Much of the concern around social media addiction has focused on children. But adults are also susceptible to using social media so much that it starts affecting their day-to-day lives.

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Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026

FILE - A group holds hands outside a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)
FILE - A group holds hands outside a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)
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Parent group urges funds to help spot reading disabilities sooner

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Preview
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Parent group urges funds to help spot reading disabilities sooner

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026

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.

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Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026

The St. James-Assiniboia School Division heard a presentation Tuesday from a concerned parent encouraging schools to do more to help struggling readers. (Mike Deal/Free Press files)
The St. James-Assiniboia School Division heard a presentation Tuesday from a concerned parent encouraging schools to do more to help struggling readers. (Mike Deal/Free Press files)
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Google, Meta, push back on addiction claims in landmark social media trial

Kaitlyn Huamani And Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview
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Google, Meta, push back on addiction claims in landmark social media trial

Kaitlyn Huamani And Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press 6 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

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.

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

FILE - Young people use their phones to view social media in Sydney, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
FILE - Young people use their phones to view social media in Sydney, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
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Sturgeon Heights students fight to keep backpacks in class

Maggie Macintosh 3 minute read Preview
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Sturgeon Heights students fight to keep backpacks in class

Maggie Macintosh 3 minute read Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

An iconic symbol of student life has become embroiled in controversy at a Winnipeg high school.

Sturgeon Heights Collegiate announced a change in protocols last week, banning backpacks from classrooms in an effort to limit clutter.

School administration issued a bulletin informing students they’d be required to store their bags and coats in their lockers from now on.

Calling it a “backpack ban,” teenagers are lamenting the rules they say are upending routines and making them late for classes.

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Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Sturgeon Heights Collegiate Grade 12 student Hunter Mangin with his backpack on Monday. Sturgeon Heights students are lamenting new rules that require them to lock up their backpacks during classes.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Sturgeon Heights Collegiate grade 12 student Hunter Mangin with his backpack on Monday. Sturgeon Heights students are lamenting new rules that require them to lock up their backpacks during classes.
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Province’s Indigenous tourism industry growing

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview
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Province’s Indigenous tourism industry growing

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

Melanie Gamache has been taking her beading and jigging sessions on the road lately.

Schools, immigrant services agencies and private companies had asked whether she would take Borealis Beading to them.

“With the exception of last year (with wildfires), there has been a growing demand,” Gamache said. “There’s just an increase in people wanting to know more — like people want to know the history.”

Gamache registered her company, Borealis Beading, in 2018 and started by hosting Métis beading workshops.

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Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

PARKS CANADA

Melanie Gamache launched a program where she takes her company, Borealis Beading, to workplaces and other institutions to share Métis culture after she received repeated requests from customers.
PARKS CANADA Melanie Gamache launched a program where she takes her company, Borealis Beading, to workplaces and other institutions to share Métis culture after she received repeated requests from customers.
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Art for Minneapolis: West Broadway not-for-profit partners with sister agency

Maggie Macintosh 3 minute read Preview
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Art for Minneapolis: West Broadway not-for-profit partners with sister agency

Maggie Macintosh 3 minute read Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026

Art City has issued a callout to creatives of all kinds for paintings and other flat artworks to show solidarity with residents of Minneapolis.

The West Broadway not-for-profit is hosting a free workshop on Monday to create and collect art to send south of the border.

“There’s a lot of feelings of anxiety because this is a situation that we have no control over and we don’t like it,” said Eddie Ayoub, artistic director of the local community hub.

As ICE operations continue to upend daily life in their sister city, Ayoub said his team wants to give residents a chance to gather, process and take action.

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Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES

Eddie Ayoub is the artistic director of Art City.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Eddie Ayoub is the artistic director of Art City.
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Online learning offered for Indigenous languages

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

Inner-city students and their families are getting more options and flexibility to study Indigenous languages.

The Winnipeg School Division is testing out a new model to reach more residents with its free evening classes this winter.

“After COVID, we said, ‘If teaching online worked, why not try this?’” said Rob Riel, assistant superintendent of Indigenous education. “We’re finally getting around to it.”

Indigenous language teachers have moved around to different schools in the past to run a series of beginner, in-person lessons for community members of all kinds.

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Quand l’art éclaire l’histoire: le pari réussi du chemin Dawson

Jonathan Semah 5 minute read Preview
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Quand l’art éclaire l’histoire: le pari réussi du chemin Dawson

Jonathan Semah 5 minute read Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

Le circuit artistique et patrimonial du chemin Dawson est l’un des lauréats du Prix d’histoire du Gouverneur général pour l’excellence des programmes communautaires 2025.

Ces derniers jours ont été pas mal occupés pour Pierrette Sherwood, cheffe de projet et représentante du Dawson Trail Art Tour, et Mireille Lamontagne, conseillère en patrimoine et experte consultante.

Outre les multiples sollicitations, elles étaient de passage à Ottawa pour se voir remettre leur prix des mains de la Gouverneure générale, Mary Simon.

“On est ravis, l’on est très excités. Puis en même temps, c’est beau d’avoir la reconnaissance. Je pense que c’est un témoignage du beau travail qui a été fait et puis de la qualité des interprétations et de l’histoire qu’on est en train de mettre en valeur pour le Sentier Dawson Trail et ses communautés,” commente Pierrette Sherwood.

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Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

La série GG12: Le m2 Louis Dubé, Rideau Hall © BSGG, 2026

La Gouverneure générale, Mary Simon, a remis un prix à Pierrette Sherwood et Mireille Lamontagne pour leur travail sur le circuit artistique et patrimonial du chemin Dawson.
La série GG12: Le m2 Louis Dubé, Rideau Hall © BSGG, 2026 La Gouverneure générale, Mary Simon, a remis un prix à Pierrette Sherwood et Mireille Lamontagne pour leur travail sur le circuit artistique et patrimonial du chemin Dawson.
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Creating a city where kids can safely walk, bike to school

Mel Marginet 6 minute read Preview
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Creating a city where kids can safely walk, bike to school

Mel Marginet 6 minute read Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

If there’s one thing that all Winnipeggers can agree on, other than potholes, it’s the chaos of getting kids to and from school. The frustration extends to households without children who live a short distance to local schools and must deal with traffic jams twice a day.

Coun. Markus Chambers brought the fury of his ward residents into the public eye in early January when he made the first moves on a “stop-drop-go” motion to limit parking to one minute in designated school zones.

How did we get here? Local news outlets asked on their social media for stories from Winnipeggers about their school travel experiences. Comments flowed in about childhoods spent walking and biking to school with friends, and how that has been replaced with door-to-door drives. Meanwhile, MPI reported in October that 36 kids were hit by drivers in the last year. So what changed in the last few decades?

First, there are far more vehicles on our roads, and those vehicles are much bigger and heavier than cars of the past.

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Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESs fileS

Make school zones safer by adding options for getting children to school.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESs fileS Make school zones safer by adding options for getting children to school.
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Manitoba roots go deep for Swiss sensation

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Preview
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Manitoba roots go deep for Swiss sensation

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

MILAN — Her birth certificate may say Switzerland, but make no mistake: Olympic speed skater Kaitlyn McGregor’s roots are firmly planted in Manitoba.

For starters, there’s the strong family connection. Her parents, Mark and Faye, hail from MacGregor, a small farming community about 130 kilometres west of Winnipeg. Aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents are there as well. Yes, the McGregors have heard the jokes. No, the town isn’t named after them.

But secondly — and arguably more importantly — McGregor’s inspiration to reach this grand sporting stage can be traced directly to Winnipegger Cindy Klassen.

Remember the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, when Klassen set a Canadian Olympic record by winning five medals? McGregor certainly does, albeit from after the fact. She was 12 at the time, and it was that epic performance — brought to her attention by her grandmother through Free Press newspaper articles — that ultimately lit the fire.

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Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

MIKE MCINTYRE / FREE PRESS

Switzerland’s Kaitlyn McGregor credits her grandmother mailing her Free Press newspaper clippings of Winnipeg’s Cindy Klassen’s historic 2006 Turin Games run as inspiring her long track speed skating career.
MIKE MCINTYRE / FREE PRESS Switzerland’s Kaitlyn McGregor credits her grandmother mailing her Free Press newspaper clippings of Winnipeg’s Cindy Klassen’s historic 2006 Turin Games run as inspiring her long track speed skating career.
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An American skier is fighting to open up the last Winter Olympic sport off limits to women

Derek Gatopoulos, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview
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An American skier is fighting to open up the last Winter Olympic sport off limits to women

Derek Gatopoulos, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Feb. 27, 2026

MILAN, Italy (AP) — Annika Malacinski remembers the moment the door to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics was slammed shut.

On a flight from Munich to Denver, she bought airplane Wi-Fi to join a conference call with the International Olympic Committee, certain that Nordic combined competition would at last be opened up to female athletes.

“Then the decision came: ‘no.’ No explanation, no discussion. Just ‘no,’ and then they moved on to the next topic,” she told The Associated Press from her training base in Norway. “I cried for eight hours straight on that flight. When I arrived in Denver, my eyes were swollen shut. It felt like my world had crashed.”

That was in June, 2022. And despite an ongoing campaign led by Malacinski, an athlete from Colorado now aged 24, her sport remains the last to exclude women – even as Milan Cortina is showcasing the highest level of female participation in Winter Games history at 47%.

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Friday, Feb. 27, 2026

FILE - Annika Malacinski of the United States soars through the air during the women's individual compact NH 5km competition at the Nordic Combined World Cup in Ramsau, Austria, Saturday, Dec.16, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
FILE - Annika Malacinski of the United States soars through the air during the women's individual compact NH 5km competition at the Nordic Combined World Cup in Ramsau, Austria, Saturday, Dec.16, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
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Independent toy shops ready to fill void from Toys “R” Us Canada closures

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview
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Independent toy shops ready to fill void from Toys “R” Us Canada closures

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

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.

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Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

Shoppers pass a permanently closed Toys 'R' Us store in Toronto, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan
Shoppers pass a permanently closed Toys 'R' Us store in Toronto, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan
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Tad et Birdy: quand le jeu devient un langage commun

Chelsea Howgate 3 minute read Preview
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Tad et Birdy: quand le jeu devient un langage commun

Chelsea Howgate 3 minute read Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

La nouvelle production jeunesse du Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP), Tad and Birdy, mise sur la créativité pour aborder la peur, la curiosité et le courage. Présentée au 7 février à Winnipeg, la pièce partira ensuite en tournée dans plusieurs communautés manitobaines.

Dans les coulisses, Sarah Lamoureux, responsable de la régie, décrit un processus de création fondé sur la collaboration et l’expérimentation. Travailler avec une petite équipe lui permet de dépasser le rôle traditionnel de coordination pour participer activement à la mise en scène.

“Je peux suggérer des choses à essayer, et on a la chance de vraiment les explorer ensemble. Les comédiens nes aussi proposent leurs idées, parce que ce sont eux et elles qui sont sur scène.”

Cette liberté créative se reflète dans les choix scéniques. Lorsque le texte ne précise pas les accessoires, l’équipe invente. Des crayons géants, des cartes Pokémon et des objets du quotidien deviennent les moteurs d’un imaginaire partagé.

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Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

Marta Guerrero photo

Sarah Lamoureux, responsable de la régie, avec quelques accessoires utilisés dans la production
Marta Guerrero photo Sarah Lamoureux, responsable de la régie, avec quelques accessoires utilisés dans la production
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Beloved drop-in centre remains a haven for youth after 50 years

Janine LeGal 6 minute read Preview
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Beloved drop-in centre remains a haven for youth after 50 years

Janine LeGal 6 minute read Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

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.

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Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Rossbrook House’s celebrated its 50th anniversary with a birthday luncheon on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Rossbrook House’s celebrated its 50th anniversary with a birthday luncheon on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.
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Children’s Museum forced to tighten financial belt, fundraise

Eva Wasney 6 minute read Preview
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Children’s Museum forced to tighten financial belt, fundraise

Eva Wasney 6 minute read Friday, Jan. 30, 2026

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.

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Friday, Jan. 30, 2026

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS

The Manitoba Children’s Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS The Manitoba Children’s Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
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Some blind fans to experience Super Bowl with tactile device that tracks ball

Larry Lage, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview
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Some blind fans to experience Super Bowl with tactile device that tracks ball

Larry Lage, The Associated Press 5 minute read Friday, Jan. 30, 2026

Some blind and low-vision fans will have unprecedented access to the Super Bowl thanks to a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays and provides real-time audio.

The NFL teamed up with OneCourt and Ticketmaster to pilot the game-enhancing experience 15 times during the regular-season during games hosted by the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.

About 10 blind and low-vision fans will have an opportunity to use the same technology at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where Seattle will play the New England Patriots on Feb. 8. With hands on the device, they will feel the location of the ball and hear what's happening throughout the game.

Scott Thornhill can't wait.

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Friday, Jan. 30, 2026

Clark Roberts, a blind Seattle Seahawks fan, uses a OneCourt tablet, a tactile device that translates gameplay into trackable vibrations along with real-time audio, at the T-Mobile Innovation Hub Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Bellevue, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Clark Roberts, a blind Seattle Seahawks fan, uses a OneCourt tablet, a tactile device that translates gameplay into trackable vibrations along with real-time audio, at the T-Mobile Innovation Hub Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Bellevue, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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Egypt to adopt restrictions on children’s social media use to fight ‘digital chaos’

By Samy Magdy, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview
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Egypt to adopt restrictions on children’s social media use to fight ‘digital chaos’

By Samy Magdy, The Associated Press 2 minute read Monday, Jan. 26, 2026

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.”

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Monday, Jan. 26, 2026

FILE - Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi meets with President Donald Trump during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi meets with President Donald Trump during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
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Cold ice, warm hearts at WASAC youth camp

Melissa Martin 4 minute read Preview
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Cold ice, warm hearts at WASAC youth camp

Melissa Martin 4 minute read Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

Even the frigid weather couldn’t chill the warm smiles on Saturday morning, as Indigenous youth from across Manitoba got to take a spin over the ice with some former NHL stars.

That was just one of the weekend highlights at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre’s (WASAC) camp, which brought dozens of First Nations and Metis youth from Duck Bay, Pauingassi, Lac Brochet, Shamattawa, Bunibonibee Cree Nation and Pine Creek to Camp Manitou for a day of fun and education around sport and healthy living.

The eighth-annual camp kicked off Friday night, when campers attended the Murray Sinclair Memorial Round Dance at the convention centre.

Saturday’s busy activity slate included yoga classes, a cooking workshop with chefs from Indigenous-owned local restaurant Feast, and a casual skate with local Jets alumni and friends, including Winkler’s Ray Neufeld, Winnipeg’s Derek Meech, and longtime NHL goalie Trevor Kidd.

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Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

MELISSA MARTIN / FREE PRESS

Winnipeg Jets organization alumni Gerard McDonald and longtime NHL goalie Trevor Kidd, who is Métis from Oakbank, give skating tips to 12-year-old Savion Grieves, from Bunibonibee Cree Nation.
MELISSA MARTIN / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Jets organization alumni Gerard McDonald and longtime NHL goalie Trevor Kidd, who is Métis from Oakbank, give skating tips to 12-year-old Savion Grieves, from Bunibonibee Cree Nation.
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First Nation says Hydro misuse of river diversion destroying sturgeon population

Chris Kitching 5 minute read Preview
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First Nation says Hydro misuse of river diversion destroying sturgeon population

Chris Kitching 5 minute read Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026

A northern First Nation is calling on Manitoba Hydro to alter its use of the Churchill River diversion to protect a lake sturgeon population allegedly decimated by hydroelectric operations.

Tataskweyak Cree Nation Chief Doreen Spence said the culturally significant species is facing extinction on the river system without immediate intervention, 50 years after Manitoba built the diversion to send water to large power generating stations.

“The diversion has artificially altered the flow of the water… so much that the river is barely able to sustain life as it once did,” Spence told reporters in Winnipeg Thursday.

“Manitoba Hydro must operate the diversion in sync with the natural flow regime of the river for the sturgeon to survive.”

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Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Tataskweyak Cree Nation Chief Doreen Spence
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Tataskweyak Cree Nation Chief Doreen Spence
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‘Clear passion’: Manitoba pet accessories company Crash Safe Dog dedicated to local materials, manufacturing

Aaron Epp 6 minute read Preview
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‘Clear passion’: Manitoba pet accessories company Crash Safe Dog dedicated to local materials, manufacturing

Aaron Epp 6 minute read Monday, Jan. 19, 2026

GRANDE POINTE — To say that Kirsten Booth loves Freya, her four-year-old Great Dane mix, might be an understatement.

“My partner would say (Freya’s) the centre of my world, even if it’s supposed to be him,” Booth says. “I guess I’ve always viewed any of my pets as members of my family, so she’s kind of like my child.”

Keeping Freya safe is a top priority for Booth, so she’s thankful for Crash Safe Dog. The Manitoba company manufactured the harness Booth uses so Freya can safely travel in her car.

Booth, who lives in Brantford, Ont., has a two-hour round trip commute to work, and Freya joins her every day.

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Monday, Jan. 19, 2026

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Maze demonstrates a Crash Safe Dog harness on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. For Aaron story. Free Press 2026
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Maze demonstrates a Crash Safe Dog harness on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. For Aaron story. Free Press 2026
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Quebec civility rules won’t be adopted in Manitoba schools

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Preview
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Quebec civility rules won’t be adopted in Manitoba schools

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Monday, Jan. 19, 2026

Manitoba teachers are embracing the freedom to be called whatever they’d like at work while their colleagues elsewhere in Canada adjust to new civility rules.

Starting this month, Quebec has begun requiring students of all ages to address teachers as “Mr.” or “Ms.”

The new rules aim to foster civility and renew a culture of respect in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 classrooms in that province.

Manitoba has no plans to follow suit — much to the relief of Winnipeg teachers who’ve become accustomed to informal titles.

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Monday, Jan. 19, 2026

DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

Manitoba has no plans to implement civility rules in schools — much to the relief of Winnipeg teachers who’ve become accustomed to informal titles.
DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Manitoba has no plans to implement civility rules in schools — much to the relief of Winnipeg teachers who’ve become accustomed to informal titles.
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Manitoba enterprise at forefront in bolstering soil structure

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview
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Manitoba enterprise at forefront in bolstering soil structure

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026

Soil health has always been important to anyone who wants to grow plants that flourish but never more so than today. Soil degradation due to drought and extreme weather is a global problem that has a direct link to agricultural productivity and food security.

The status of soil health in Canada is not a concern limited to farmers and backyard gardeners. Scientists, policy makers and researchers are recommending urgent action to protect soils to safeguard the future of our food production.

In June 2024, following an 18-month study of soil conditions in Canada, the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry released the report Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human and Social Health. The report, which is based on testimony from more than 150 experts, concluded that soil in our country is at risk, with implications for food production, climate resilience and biodiversity.

Dale Overton takes soil health and its implications for fertility and food production seriously. His company, Overton Environmental Enterprises, manufactures several microbial products for large-scale agriculture as well as for the home gardener. Overton is deeply interested in regenerative farming practices and how biological amendments can benefit soil health, carbon sequestration and soil microbiomes, and boost growth rates and crop yields.

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Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026

EcoTea photo

Grown with EcoTea, this healthy potato crop needed less synthetic fertilizer while providing a higher-than-average yield.
EcoTea photo Grown with EcoTea, this healthy potato crop needed less synthetic fertilizer while providing a higher-than-average yield.