The Melos Folk Ensemble performs at Folklorama in this file photo. (HANDOUT)

Folklorama has wrapped up its 55th festival, drawing 362,397 visitors over its 14-day run across Winnipeg.

The festival featured 45 pavilions spanning 30 venues, celebrating ethno-cultural communities through 972 shows and late-night parties.

A total of 7,014 visitors took in the festival through 195 custom group and VIP tours, which included new themed tours in collaboration with Winnipeg Trolley Company and Pedal Pub Winnipeg.

“We’re thankful to each and every guest who supported our 55th festival this year. Seeing the delight people experience when they discover a new food item or cultural tradition is what keeps us all excited and inspired,” said Folklorama executive director Teresa Cotroneo.

The 56th Folklorama Festival is set to run from August 1 to 14, 2027.

Canadian $100 bills are counted in Toronto, Feb. 2, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy)

Most Manitobans would take a practical approach to a lottery windfall, according to a new survey commissioned by Western Canada Lottery Corporation.

The Prairie MORE Survey found 81 percent of Manitobans say winning $100,000 would change their lives, but rather than dreaming of jets and mansions, most say they’d put the money toward saving, paying down bills and helping family.

“After more than 50 years researching how Canadians think about lottery, we’re seeing a real shift,” said Jason Pchajek, research analyst with WCLC. “The lottery fantasy used to be the jet, the yacht, the mansion. Today, what people picture is far more grounded.”

Pchajek said four in five Prairie Canadians report the cost of living has forced them to put a real goal on hold, changing what a meaningful win looks like.

“They’d put $100,000 toward saving, paying the bills or helping family, with only about 16 percent set aside for fun,” he said. “That’s not a smaller dream. It’s a clearer one.”

According to the survey, saving or investing is the most common plan for a $100,000 win among Manitobans (40 percent), followed by paying bills (30 percent) and helping family (25 percent). Manitobans said they would spend just 15 percent of a $100,000 win, about $15,000, on something purely fun.

Manitoba also stood out for how residents view themselves compared to other Prairie provinces. Manitobans were the most likely to say Prairie people are more practical and conservative with money than other Canadians (39 percent), and the least likely to say Prairie people think about money the same way as the rest of Canada (30 percent).

The survey was conducted online by Leger among 1,500 Canadians aged 18 and older between May 22-25, 2026. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percent, 19 times out of 20.

The Winnipeg Police Service headquarters is pictured in Winnipeg, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert)

Winnipeg police have arrested one man and are seeking a second following a series of thefts and break-ins across the city and in the RM of Headingley.

Between April 20 and June 28, police responded to 13 incidents involving stolen licence plates, stolen vehicles, commercial break-ins and thefts across Winnipeg and the RM of Headingley.

Investigators say stolen vehicles and licence plates were used in many of the offences, and suspects frequently wore disguises to conceal their identities. Property valued at approximately $140,000 was stolen, including trailers, lawn equipment, mechanical equipment, motorcycles, bicycles and a vehicle.

On August 4, investigators identified two suspects believed to be involved: Justin Andrew Hanson, 35, and Jesse Troy Lafreniere, 41. Both were wearing electronic monitoring bracelets during the incidents.

Officers located Hanson the same day, driving a vehicle in the 100 block of Clonard Avenue and attempted a traffic stop. He allegedly sped away, abandoning the vehicle on foot and was arrested shortly after.

Later that day, investigators executed search warrants at residences in the 100 block of Stranmillis Avenue and the 100 block of Strauss Drive, seizing property stolen during a break-in, along with a rifle, ammunition and a lock cutter.

Hanson has been charged with 22 offences and remains in custody.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Lafreniere, and police are asking the public for help locating him. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact police at (204) 986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (204) 786-TIPS or winnipegcrimestoppers.org.

By Ian Bickis, The Canadian Press

North Dakota Highway Patrol police officers and service members stand by at Burning Hills Amphitheatre during the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening ceremony, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Medora, N.D. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Police in Minnesota say a Manitoba man falsely reported being kidnapped and taken across the Canada-U.S. border over the weekend.

The Alexandria Police Department says 37-year-old Roderick Garson has been arrested and charged with falsely reporting a crime.

He is being held in a county jail.

U.S. authorities were alerted Saturday to a possible abduction with a weapon that had started in Manitoba and crossed over the border.

They said a man ran to a store, claiming to have escaped his captor, and that a 31-year-old suspect was taken into custody.

Police later said the two men know one another and that no weapons were found during the investigation.

The Manitoba government is providing $80,000 to support a new soccer pitch at the Burton Cummings Community Centre in north Winnipeg.

Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard made the announcement on Saturday.

“Creating more spaces for Manitobans to get out, get active and connect with their community is exactly why we started the From the Ground Up program,” Simard said in a statement.

Funding for the Winnipeg pitch will come from Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program, the federal and provincial governments, and community funds.

Construction will begin early next week. The field will include six goals, player benches and a fenced enclosure.

“This new pitch will give more people the opportunity to play soccer right here in their own neighbourhood,” added Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.

By Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) hands off to Brady Oliveira (20) during second-half CFL action against the Ottawa Redblacks in Winnipeg on Friday, August 14, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Running back Brady Oliveira began as a game-time decision, only to become a major difference-maker.

The Winnipeg native rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, while hauling in another 80 in pass receptions to lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 33-21 victory over the winless Ottawa Redblacks at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday.

Oliveira was limited at practice this week with an injured ankle, the team’s final injury report putting his status in doubt. He said it wasn’t until he arrived at the stadium and worked with athletic therapist Al Couture that he finally knew he could play.

“I woke up and felt pretty good,” Oliveira said. “I was communicating with Al, I came in here a little bit earlier and I kind of did my routine. I got in the pool and I felt like I was good enough to go and went out there for warm-up and felt good.”

A few hours later, he was climbing the CFL’s all-time rushing leaders list.

Oliveira, who had 235 rushing yards on 33 carries over the previous two games, needed 67 more to jump from 24th to 21st on the all-time list. He now has 6,212 career yards, surpassing fellow Canadian Jon Cornish, and is just 22 yards shy of Willie Burden at 20th.

Winnipeg improved to 5-4 with the win and snapped a two-game losing streak on home turf. The Bombers entered the game with a 1-4 record at Princess Auto Stadium, the most losses in a single season since 2016.

Losses to the B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders in recent weeks had seriously threatened Winnipeg’s playoff position in the West Division. With the victory, the Bombers now sit a game up on the Lions (4-5) and Stampeders (4-6), with a game in hand on Calgary.

“There’s always plays you want to get back. I thought we did a good job of sticking together,” Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros said. “We need to finish more drives. But I thought it was a great three-phase win. Special teams did a great job of getting us field position all night long.

“Gotta do a better job at times of extending drives. But for me, personally, I felt comfortable as the game started going.”

Collaros made his return after missing four games with a neck injury and went 21-for-31 passing for 222 yards. He was on the receiving end of a violent blindside hit from Ottawa linebacker Lucas Cormier in the second quarter that forced him from the game, only to return four plays later.

The Bombers recorded 305 net yards on offence, with short-yardage quarterback Bryce Perkins punching in a pair of touchdowns. Sergio Castillo rounded out the scoring with four field goals, connecting from 46, 56, 31 and 43 yards.

Tim White led all receivers with 85 yards on eight receptions.

“It’s football. He’s tough as nails,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said of Collaros. “Like all the guys, if they can go back in there, they’re going to go back in. That’s the kind of leadership these guys have. They want to do it, they want to honour their teammates and that’s just another example of it.”

The Redblacks’ dreadful season continued, dropping to 0-9 with the loss, extending their lengthy losing skid to 15 games dating back to last season.

According to CFL statisticians, that skid exceeds the 14 losses by the 1994 Shreveport Pirates. Pre-1950, the Hamilton Wildcats lost 16 straight and Ottawa Roughriders lost 25 in a row into the 1930s.

No team in CFL history has ever made the playoffs after losing their first nine games. B.C. is the only team to claim a championship after starting 0-5, winning the Grey Cup in 2011.

The Redblacks suffered some bad luck when Jake Maier had a pass bobbled by a receiver leading to an interception on the opening drive. Then he connected with the upright on an open pass to Ayden Eberhardt in the end zone.

When the Redblacks needed a score late in the game, they couldn’t convert from Winnipeg’s six-yard line, ending with two turnovers. Winnipeg had none.

“The football gods don’t owe us anything,” Maier said. “There’s a respect to the game you try to play with in order to get some breaks and be ready for the opportunities when the luck kind of presents itself. Right now we’re just not taking advantage of those opportunities. We’re just, unfortunately, on the wrong side of things right now.”

Maier threw for 314 yards on 28-of-43 passing, along with two touchdowns and an interception. Ottawa’s offence totalled 333 net yards, with running back Greg Bell and Eberhardt adding scores.

The Bombers took their first lead of the game, 7-6, early in the second quarter and never relinquished it. They led 20-12 at halftime and 23-15 through three quarters before outscoring the Redblacks 10-6 in the final frame.

UP NEXT

Redblacks: Visit the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday.

Blue Bombers: Visit the Edmonton Elks on Friday, Aug. 21.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested following a hit-and-run collision that seriously injured a child in West Kildonan.

Winnipeg police received a report shortly after 5:30 p.m. that a 2025 Ram 1500 had struck a child riding a bicycle in the 500 block of North Point Boulevard. Officers learned the child had been taken to hospital in unstable condition, which was later upgraded to stable.

Police say the child was riding a bicycle on a sidewalk in front of a housing complex when they were struck by the front bumper of the pickup truck exiting a parking lot and entering the roadway. The driver fled the scene before police were contacted.

The driver was later arrested without incident at his residence. He faces charges of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

He was released on an appearance notice and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

(CITY OF WINNIPEG / FILE)

The City of Winnipeg is giving drivers a heads-up on traffic changes around Plessis Road construction next week.

Beginning Monday, August 17 at 7 a.m., Plessis will be fully closed in both directions between the CN main approach / Autumn Way and Camiel Sys Street.

• No southbound traffic between Camiel Sys Street and Dugald Road
• Northbound traffic will remain open in this portion
• Two-way traffic will be temporarily restored between Fermor Avenue and the CN main approach / Autumn Way (this portion is currently northbound only)

Drivers are asked to plan ahead, use alternate routes, and anticipate delays in the area.

The roadway will revert to northbound-only traffic at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 21.

The city says normal traffic operations will resume later this year when the full construction project is complete.

Guriqbal Singh Ghuman, GS Development Group; Councillor John Buffie; Councillor April Smith; Jay Singh, GS Development Group; Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson; and Councillor Doug Poirier, during a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, August 13, 2026. (HANDOUT)

A Main Street property in Selkirk that has sat vacant for nearly 30 years is being transformed into a new commercial hub.

The City of Selkirk and representatives from GS Development Group held a groundbreaking ceremony at 287 Main Street on Thursday.

The project, to be developed on the site of a former gas station, will create space for up to six commercial units, including a restaurant drive-thru.

“For decades, this site has been a reminder of what once was. Today, it represents what is possible when investors see the potential of our community and choose to be part of its future,” said Mayor Larry Johannson.

Johannson said the project builds on other recent investment in Selkirk, including the new Clarity Vision building across Main Street and the arrival of downtown businesses like N’Joy Café and No Büz.

“We chose Selkirk because we believe in the community and the future of its Main Street,” said Jay Singh of GS Development Group, in a release.

“We’re bringing six new businesses, creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs and workers, and providing new spaces for the community to gather. More than just a development, we see this as the beginning of a new era for Main Street — bringing new investment, new energy and momentum we’re proud to be part of.”

The developer aims to have the project completed by early 2027.

Drivers should plan alternate routes this weekend if travelling in the area of St. Anne’s Road and Abinojii Mikanah. (CITY OF WINNIPEG / FILE)

Drivers should expect traffic disruptions this weekend at the intersection of St. Anne’s Road and Abinojii Mikanah (formerly Bishop Grandin Boulevard) as crews carry out intersection paving.

The restrictions will be in place from 6 a.m. Saturday, August 15 to 6 p.m. Sunday, August 16.

Northbound St. Anne’s Road:

• All traffic must turn right onto eastbound Abinojii Mikanah
• No left turns or through travel

Southbound St. Anne’s Road:

• All traffic must turn right onto westbound Abinojii Mikanah
• No left turns or through travel

Westbound Abinojii Mikanah:

• Right turns permitted
• Through traffic limited to one lane
• No left turns onto southbound St. Anne’s Road

Eastbound Abinojii Mikanah:

• Right turns permitted
• Through traffic limited to one lane
• No left turns onto northbound St. Anne’s Road

Drivers should plan ahead, use alternate routes, and anticipate delays in the area.

By Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham speaks with media in Winnipeg, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Mayor Scott Gillingham is turning to his council colleagues in Winnipeg to support a push for changes to the city’s charter after a councillor was charged with additional criminal offences this week.

Gillingham said council should have access to more tools when an elected official faces serious criminal charges or convictions.

“Winnipeggers have a right to expect a high standard from the people they elect to public office,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

“We also have to respect the presumption of innocence and the democratic choice of voters. Right now, provincial legislation gives council very little ability to balance those two principles when serious circumstances arise.”

Coun. Russ Wyatt has been charged with sexual assault, administering a noxious thing and drug possession stemming from two separate alleged events involving two men.

Wyatt’s lawyer, Evan Roitenberg, did not respond to an immediate request for comment when the latest charges were announced this week, but at the time of the initial arrest, he said his client is innocent.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

Gillingham and other councillors have called on Wyatt to step down, but the 56-year-old has said he has no plans to do that.

Wyatt arrived late at a community committee meeting Thursday, and when questioned by reporters, he deferred comments to his lawyer.

Premier Wab Kinew echoed calls from city hall for Wyatt to resign, saying the allegations were “really nasty, very creepy and just disgusting” in an interview with CBC Radio on Thursday.

In a statement later in the day, Kinew called the allegations serious.

“I agree he should do right by his constituents and step away from his duties as a city councillor,” the premier said.

Under the current charter, a councillor automatically forfeits their seat if they have been convicted of certain criminal offences, but it offers few options to respond to serious allegations before a case has been resolved.

Gillingham said politicians should not have unrestricted power to remove another democratically elected representative, but options should be put in place to protect public confidence while also safeguarding due process.

He is proposing that council formally requests the province undertake a “cross-jurisdictional review” of how other Canadian municipalities and provinces address these situations.

Part of this would include a look at amending the city charter to modernize the rules governing criminal convictions, create temporary measures while serious criminal charges are before the courts and review eligibility rules for municipal candidates.

Kinew said his government is open to working with municipalities to consider changes to the charter after October’s elections.

Gillingham said he will introduce a motion to council in September that could be considered when a new council takes office two months later.

Wyatt, who is the councillor for the Transcona ward and was first elected in 2002, was removed from the boards and committees he sat on after his initial arrest in March.

Wyatt has not registered to run in October’s municipal elections nor stated whether he will try to maintain his seat.

Dynacare’s River East location. (HANDOUT)

Laboratory workers at Dynacare have overwhelmingly approved a strike mandate, with 99.7 percent voting in favour in a vote conducted this week by the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP).

“Workloads have increased while pay has stagnated,” said MAHCP president Jason Linklater, adding Dynacare wages have fallen 20 to 50 percent behind Shared Health compensation for the same work since the company secured a monopoly on non-hospital lab services in 2017.

Dynacare is a subsidiary of Labcorp, an American corporation whose net earnings more than doubled over the last two years, from $418 million in 2023 to $876.5 million in 2025.

The union’s collective agreement with Dynacare expired March 31. Mediation since July 15 has failed to produce a deal, and no further bargaining dates are scheduled.

“They need a competitive and equitable contract that recognizes their value to Manitoba’s healthcare system, and to Dynacare,” Linklater said.

MAHCP represents nearly 350 laboratory technicians and technologists at Dynacare’s 22 laboratory and health services centres in Winnipeg, Brandon and surrounding communities. Members completed more than 15 million lab tests in the 2024/25 fiscal year, according to Manitoba government records.

The Winnipeg Police Service headquarters is pictured in Winnipeg, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert)

Three security guards are facing charges following an assault on Winnipeg Sea Bears player Teddy Allen on August 3.

Following the nightclub assault that sent Allen to hospital with serious injuries, the police investigation identified three security personnel allegedly involved in the incident.

Allen was a patron at the World Famous Palomino Club on Main Street when a physical altercation with security personnel broke out at around 1 a.m. The 28-year-old was injured and treated for his injuries in hospital. He was released the following day.

Video circulating on social media allegedly shows three security guards surrounding and physically escorting Allen from the nightclub.

On Wednesday, three suspects — aged 35, 37, and 58 — attended Winnipeg police headquarters and were arrested. They are facing charges of assault causing bodily harm and were released.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact police at (204) 986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (204) 786-TIPS.

A statement from Teddy Allen. pic.twitter.com/4stlLmUhnr

— Winnipeg Sea Bears (@wpgseabears) August 13, 2026

— — —

Official game ball of the CEBL sits courtside ahead of game action in Guelph, Ont., Thursday, May 26, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn)

The Winnipeg Sea Bears and Brampton Honey Badgers will meet for the 2026 CEBL Championship on Saturday, August 15 at Canada Life Centre in a one-game determination final. Wednesday’s Game 1 of the CEBL Finals was cancelled due to condensation on the court in Brampton.

Tip-off on Saturday is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, with the game broadcast on CBC, TSN, TSN+, CBC Gem and CEBL+.

The team says the lower bowl is already sold out, but have opened the upper bowl to meet demand. A limited number of tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

The RCMP logo is seen outside the force’s ‘E’ division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on March 16, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Island Lake RCMP are investigating after two toddlers were found dead in a lake near Garden Hill Anisininew Nation on Wednesday.

Officers were called to the Garden Hill Anisininew Nation nursing station at 1:45 p.m. after two children were brought there.

Police were told a family member found the two toddlers in the lake, and First Nation Safety Officers brought them to the nursing station. The boys, aged one and two, were pronounced deceased at the nursing station.

Investigators believe the boys were able to leave their residence and enter the nearby lake. Foul play is not suspected.

“This is devastating for the family and the entire community. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident,” said Sergeant Chris Hipolito of the Island Lake RCMP detachment.

Island Lake RCMP continue to investigate.

Rail cars wait for pickup in Winnipeg, Sunday, March 23, 2014. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

The Manitoba government is launching a 90-day feasibility study to explore moving freight rail traffic out of Winnipeg’s urban core.

Premier Wab Kinew announced Wednesday that former federal transport minister Lloyd Axworthy will chair the study, which builds on the Winnipeg Rail Relocation and Renewal Study he led starting in 2024.

“Lloyd Axworthy has spent his career seeing possibilities for Winnipeg and creating opportunities to realize those visions, which is why we chose him to lead this study,” Kinew said during a news conference at the University of Winnipeg.

The consultation will explore a potential rail route along Manitoba Hydro‘s southern transmission corridor, connecting east to west along the Perimeter Highway. The land is Crown-owned, cleared and serviced. Backers say routing freight traffic around the urban core would boost efficiency and cut down on interactions with residential neighbourhoods, while opening land for housing, green space, transportation and economic development.

The study will examine three main questions: how rail operations could be accommodated while protecting Manitoba Hydro infrastructure, the potential relocation costs for government partners and railway companies, and whether the plan is operationally and commercially practical for railways.

“This is an opportunity to think ahead about the kind of city we want Winnipeg to become,” Axworthy said. “We have a chance to plan for growth in a way that brings communities together, protects the land around us and leaves future generations a stronger, more connected city.”

The study will work with CN, CPKC and BNSF. Municipal and Indigenous governments, CentrePort Canada, the business community, and rail customers and shippers will also weigh in on costs, benefits, operational needs and investment opportunities.

The study will also look at the potential for a Perimeter Highway greenbelt alongside the proposed rail and hydro corridor, which could protect infrastructure from future development while preserving agricultural land, supporting ecological corridors and creating space for trails, recreation and Indigenous stewardship.

More information on the rail relocation study can be found on the province’s website.

Winnipeg Southern Rail Bypass (GOV.MB.CA)

Watch Wednesday’s news conference: