Don’t gamble with sister-in-law not getting help

Firefighter’s death fuels cancer fight

The United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg is mourning the loss of Winnipeg firefighter Darrel Maynard while continuing its work to raise awareness of occupational cancer and improve health protections for firefighters.

Maynard, a senior firefighter II and acting lieutenant with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, died Aug. 5 at age 41 after a three-year battle with occupational cancer.

He served Winnipeg for nearly two decades and leaves behind his wife Francine and sons Colin and Christian.

“Darrel was an incredible, incredible person, an incredible firefighter, and really, really special to all of us,” said Nick Kasper, president of UFFW.

Troubadour of tears

Field Guide, for all his sad songs, is dressed exclusively in vibrant colours. His beanie is mustard yellow, his jacket and shirt are forest green, his Blundstones are burgundy. His short, scruffy beard is Spalding-ball orange.

Don’t delete organ concert tickets when scrubbing digital life

There is an organ in Germany that is playing one composition until 2640.

What’s billed as the world’s slowest concert features a piece by American composer John Cage, and was back in the news because it had its first chord change in two years. It’s already been playing for 25 years; only 614 more to go.

Organ music at the end of the world.

The real take-home for me, however, is the fact that there are already “inheritable” tickets for the final Sept. 4, 2640, event being sold for 2,640 euros (US$3,045).

Staff shortage forces province to reduce traffic court, ticket-payment hours in Winnipeg

The Manitoba government quietly began closing the Winnipeg provincial offences court office early three days a week in mid-October, in a temporary measure tied to staffing shortages.

The office at 373 Broadway, where traffic tickets are paid and where provincial offence hearings are held, began closing at 3 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Oct. 13. The reduction in hours is expected to remain in place until early 2026.

The office remains open until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A provincial government spokesman said the office is not at a full staff complement, but added there is an active recruiting effort underway to fill vacancies.

Open the gates: floodway put into operation in advance of fall storm

A large, unstable weather system is expected to dump 60 to 100 millimetres of rain on southern Manitoba over the next several days, necessitating the activation of the Red River Floodway in autumn for the first time.

The storm comes as fields throughout the Red River Valley are already soaked due to heavy rains.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Red River had reached 14.1 feet at James Avenue, the highest fall level recorded since at least 1971, from which time such data is readily available. In November 2010, the Red crested at 13.3 feet James.

The government issued a news release Tuesday evening warning the floodway may be activated Wednesday, after stating earlier the same day its operation was "not expected at this time." The floodway gates were to be raised at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Célébrer des employés qui mettent la main à la pâte

L’immigration francophone joue un rôle grandissant dans la vitalité de Saint-Pierre-Jolys. À la Boulangerie Saint-Pierre, des employés venus de plusieurs pays contribuent à la croissance de l’entreprise tout en s’intégrant à la vie du village. Une diversité que l’entreprise souhaite célébrer avec une nouvelle murale.

La Boulangerie Saint-Pierre, à Saint-Pierre-Jolys, connaît une importante expansion depuis quelques années. Pour Jocelyn Gagné, propriétaire de l’entreprise familiale, cette croissance repose largement sur le travail de ses employés, dont plusieurs sont des immigrants francophones. C’est pour souligner leur contribution que la boulangerie, en collaboration avec l’artiste franco-manitobain Gérald Laroche, a entrepris la création d’une murale qui ornera bientôt sa façade.

Jocelyn Gagné, qui travaille dans l’entreprise depuis l’âge de 13 ans, alors que ses parents étaient propriétaires, constate bien que la société a changé à travers les années. “On est rendu dans près de 150 magasins, on a grandi pas mal vite dans la dernière année. On a beaucoup plus d’employés que dans le temps de mes parents.” Avec une telle croissance, le besoin d’engager davantage de main-d’œuvre est venu naturellement.

Un Folklorama à l’année longue