Say goodbye to the humbugs

Say goodbye to the humbugs

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a real case of the humbugs this year.

Normally, I get right into the holidays — you know, deck them halls and all that stuff. But, for whatever reason, December has felt extra dark and gloomy this year — and also like it’s been approximately 6,000 years long and not, as of this writing, 10 days — and I just haven’t been feeling especially Christmassy.

I realize it sounds like I’m describing seasonal affective disorder, which I definitely also have, but this is different. This is the humbugs. Less “merry and bright” and more “meh and all right.”

Happily, there’s a cure for the humbugs. It’s not Hallmark movies nor shortbreadn or Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You on repeat — though those things certainly help.

Steinbach homeowners sue city over flooding

Several Steinbach residents have filed a lawsuit against the southeastern Manitoba city over flooding in their homes they argue was the result of the government’s poor design and maintenance of the sewage system.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the homeowners — nine couples and four individuals — in the Court of King’s Bench last week.

The court papers claim the amount of rainfall that entered Steinbach’s sewers in the northeast part of the city, where the homeowners reside, was “significantly increased” during two heavy rainfalls in 2024 and 2025 as a result of the city’s alleged negligence or nuisance.

The lawsuit alleges a slew of issues with the city’s sewer system contributed to sewage backups and flooding of the plaintiffs’ homes during the heavy rains.

Al Simmons releasing his Barber of Seville adaptation

Al Simmons needs an audience. To the beloved Manitoban children’s entertainer, butts in seats are almost as crucial as well-placed puns. Many performers make themselves the centre of attention or the ultimate decision-maker, but what’s made Simmons an icon for over 50 years is that he does precisely the opposite: he lets the audience participate, inviting five-year-olds to sing with him, heckle him, and sometimes, stage bomb him.

“In front of an audience, they become my directors. That’s what I’ve done my whole career: I hear when they laugh, and I hear where they don’t,” says Simmons, now 72. “I instruct the audience at the beginning that I expect them to yell things at me, to laugh at me, to have fun. I encourage hecklers. It just makes everybody remember: Hey, I’m watching a live performance.”

Take an archival clip from 1980. At Assiniboine Park, the Human Jukebox stands tall and attracts a dense crowd, wondering who or what is inside. A coin is dropped into a Rube Goldbergian slot, rolling through a tube. The audience is quiet, until a hand pops through to catch it. A child screams, a bell dings, and out pops Simmons. “Now for this tune, I’m going to use a very special horn,” he says. “The noise of this horn comes out of your mouths. When I squeeze it, you all go, ‘HONK.’” They oblige.

There’s real artistry at play when Simmons performs live, which is why the last 12 months have been such a strange, inexplicable era in his life. 2020 was supposed to be the busiest year of his career, but it came screeching to a halt with the pandemic, right after a run of his one-man production of Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville wrapped up in Manitoba schools. (He developed the show with Manitoba Opera in 2009, and has toured it for the organization since).

O'Brien grateful for journey to Tokyo Paralympics

Kate O'Brien is taking more than a silver medal away from the Tokyo Paralympics.

The track cyclist says the Games have also showed her just how little separates elite Para athletes from their able-bodied counterparts.

“All athletes are the same. And all humans are the same," she told The Canadian Press in a phone interview from Tokyo on Tuesday. "There doesn’t need to be as much of this division between able-bodied and Para. Because having a knee injury is not different than being paraplegic and yet, somehow, we still put them into different categories.

"Being here with other Para athletes has shown me how friggin' fast they are at what they do.”

Finland's leaders call for NATO membership 'without delay'

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s leaders said Thursday they’re in favor of rapidly applying for NATO membership, paving the way for a historic expansion of the alliance that could deal a serious blow to Russia as its military struggles with its war in Ukraine.

The dramatic move by Finland was announced by President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin. It means that Finland is all but certain to join NATO, though a few steps remain before the application process can begin. Neighboring Sweden is expected to decide on joining NATO in coming days.

“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance,” Niinisto and Marin said in a joint statement. “Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.”

The Kremlin reacted to the development a few hours later, saying that Finland’s move to join NATO won’t help stability and security in Europe. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) land border with Russia.

A young Canadian women’s soccer team should have continued success, but for how long?

Canada is the only country currently ranked among FIFA’s top 10 that does not have its own women’s league.