UK vows maximum attendance at COP-26 summit as COVID lingers

Must-see Folk Fest workshops

Workshops have always been an integral part of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

They are magic-moment makers; a curated group of musicians — sometimes friends, sometimes strangers — on one stage playing together, supporting each other, creating something that will only exist for an hour or two. No one knows what will come out of the collaboration, but usually it’s something special.

When the Free Press spoke to Winnipeg Folk Festival artistic director Chris Frayer ahead of the lineup release in early March, he noted he would be paying some extra attention to workshops this year, as some of the special projects occurring during the past couple of festivals had pulled some of his attention away.

And with 37 workshops on the books, it would seem he followed through on his promise.

Meet the new boss, not at all the same as the old boss

Manitoba, meet Premier Kelvin Goertzen, the reluctant premier.

The veteran MLA from Steinbach was sworn in Wednesday as the province's 23rd premier. It was an ironic moment for a whole variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact he never once showed any interest in taking over the top job.

Goertzen is undoubtedly one of the smartest and most articulate ministers in former premier Brian Pallister's government. He is a master of legislative rules and procedures. A relentless partisan who can trade verbal haymakers with any opposition MLA. And since 2016, a capable cabinet minister who has taken on some of the most challenging portfolios.

He is also defined by a rather unusual characteristic: in a world that is permeated by unbridled ambition, Goertzen does not seek greater power or self-aggrandizement.

‘You vote with your bike’: cyclists celebrate freedoms, call for increased safety

Patty Wiens got dressed up in her sparkly, hot pink cowboy boots to pedal and talk politics with more than 100 other people on Sunday.

The founder of Winnipeg’s Fancy Women Bike Ride called on attendees of the 2026 event to ask candidates in the upcoming civic election — a half-dozen of whom were in attendance — about their active transportation platforms.

“We’re here today, in an election year, to remind you that you vote with your bike,” Wiens told a crowd of nearly 120 cyclists gathered on the legislature grounds for the group ride.

“When (city council) candidates come to your door and ask what’s important to you, you’re going to say, ‘I want to ride my bike safely in the city. What are you going to do about it?’”

Cruise control: city mulls move to curb street noise levels

Sunday cruise nights on Portage Avenue are a Winnipeg tradition, but cavalcades of convertibles and muscle cars rolling down the street can come with a noisy byproduct.

Next week, the city's executive policy committee will discuss some changes — including noise cameras that capture licence plate data of particularly loud vehicles — aimed at keeping the volume down.

The recommendation, which would require provincial approval, comes on the heels of complaints from area residents about the Sunday night noise levels, says Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre).

"Most residents don't mind the cruise nights themselves," she said Thursday. "It's the revving and the screeching" and the modified mufflers.

MGEU resorts to arbitration for 12,000 civil servants

The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union filed for arbitration this week, alleging provincial negotiators have refused to make a definitive offer on wages or discuss any non-monetary issues.