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Manitoba’s stepped-up reopening plan a ‘gamble’

Manitoba is fast-tracking its reopening plans despite the rising threat of the Delta variant and warnings from an ICU doctor, who fears the provincial government is repeating the very mistakes it made in previous waves of the pandemic.

With only the fully vaccinated protected from the dangerous Delta variant, the province’s early summer reopening plan, which was announced Wednesday, is not without risk, the premier and medical experts warned.

"It's very much a gamble, and we've been burned previous times," said Dr. Anand Kumar, an ICU physician at Health Sciences Centre, after the province announced that public health vaccination targets had been achieved sooner than expected and pandemic restrictions will begin rolling back this weekend.

Outdoor get-togethers with up to 25 people, haircuts, patio dining and a return to organized sport are among the activities that will be permitted as of Saturday morning. Fully vaccinated residents of personal care homes and congregate living spaces will be able to participate in social or communal activities.

Spike Lee to receive lifetime achievement award in Toronto

TORONTO - Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee says "it's going to be a long, hard process" to increase diversity on a substantial level at the Academy Awards.

The illustrious writer-director-producer will receive a lifetime achievement award from the Toronto Black Film Festival on Thursday, just days after an Oscars show in which all four acting awards went to white actors.

In fact, there was only one person of colour nominated in an acting category at Sunday's show — Cynthia Erivo, who played the lead in the Harriet Tubman biopic "Harriet."

Meanwhile, no female filmmakers were nominated for best director.

Mikaël Kingsbury unseated from Olympic moguls throne by the young Swede he used to coach

With only one athlete standing in Kingsbury’s path to a second Olympic gold medal, Walter Wallberg put up the run of his life in Beijing to steal gold, then described his Canadian idol as “the greatest of all time.”

Heart behind homemade face masks

A retired Winnipeg school principal has assigned herself some homework: sewing face masks in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“I think in a time like this, we all have to do something to contribute to the community, if we can,” Arlene Skull, 70, who retired in 2018 after 16 years as principal at Gordon Bell High School, said this week.

“I can do that to help people who might be going out and putting themselves in positions where there might be some risk. This can reduce the risk, and give some sense of security to them and their families.”

With medical-grade N-95 masks being reserved for front-line health workers, Skull is part of a growing army of nimble-fingered Canadian sewers, quilters and hobbyists taking matters into their own hands and whipping up homemade cloth masks for people in the community.

Too early to draw conclusions about Jets

They can't all be works of art. And, to be honest, the Winnipeg Jets have resembled more of a finger-painting than a Picasso through the first week of the NHL season.

Head coach Paul Maurice's club has yet to hold a lead at any point — until scoring overtime goals in the two victories this season. They have been badly outshot the last two outings, including lengthy stretches where the ice completely tilted against them. They've lost the special teams battle. 

You get the picture, and it hasn't been very pretty.

"You’re obviously playing with fire when you spot teams two-goal leads, get down early in games, constantly have to come from behind," veteran centre Adam Lowry admitted to me Wednesday following the team's optional practice in Ottawa.