Word test

TESTING

Premier Wab Kinew is an imported Manitoban, born in Kenora and raised on Onigaming First Nation in Treaty Three (in northwestern Ontario) before his family moved to Winnipeg. He’s the son of well-known Anishinaabe leader and traditional knowledge keeper Tobasonakwut Kinew and Kathi Kinew.

These are the words we provided feedback on: Boniface, Cockburn, Dauphin, Dene, Hellebuyck, Iafallo, Íslendingadagurinn, Kinew, Kildonan, Malak Abas, Métis, Newfoundland, Orlikow, Pembina, Portage la Prairie, Premier, Regina, St. Vital, Samyn, Schiefele, vínarterta, Wiebe, Generation Z.

Mayor 2 puts positive spin 3 on city’s less-than-edsfxpected share of federal housing fund

The city will receive $122 million in federal government housing money, falling about $70 million shy of the municipal government’s original request. However, Winnipeg’s mayor stressed the amount is substantial and should leverage millions of dollars of additional investment.

Two officers, 5 weapon detector scanners at HSC starting Nov. 1

The provincial government says Winnipeg police officers will be stationed around the clock at Manitoba’s largest hospital starting on Nov. 1.

The start date was confirmed late Friday by Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara’s principal secretary, Emily Coutts.

On Sept. 9, Asagwara announced that two uniformed officers will be posted 24-7 in the emergency department at Health Sciences Centre to respond to rising levels of violence.

The minister, who was not available to comment Friday, said earlier the provincially funded, 24-7 police presence “will give front-line staff, including nurses, the peace of mind they need to focus on delivering care to their patients.”

Band leader embraces musical reputation as ‘old man’

Carter Graham isn’t afraid to be untimely.

The 30-something pianist and leader of soul outfit Vox Populi — which launches its debut LP, Invasive Species, in a concert tonight at the West End Cultural Centre — thinks in musical terms that almost seem old-fashioned today: albums, melodic and harmonic richness, live bands.

“I was told by many people to not even do this,” he says. With the music industry now geared heavily towards singles in an era of algorithmically curated playlists, he describes producing and releasing a full-length record as a quasi-act of “rebellion.”

“I feel like I have to. It’s like, ‘Why do I do music?’ No one would do this job of lugging your stuff out for 50 bucks and getting either heckled or harassed or talked down by drunks if you didn’t love it.”

Introduction to Michif — one word at a time

Before the wolf can howl, Norman Fleury says a Michif word: Ooyoowuk.

“Ooyoowuk,” Fleury repeats. Or, in English, “howl.”

Ooyoowuk is one of 70 words articulated by Fleury with an animation and English translation to match — all bundled into digital flashcards.

A group of Métis entrepreneurs unveiled their Michif flashcards this week. They join a swelling movement to revitalize the Métis language, which combines languages such as Cree and French.

Sluggish response to apartment fire triggers renewed call for resources, changes from firefighters’ union

A slow response time to an apartment fire in south St. Vital Friday morning has renewed calls from the firefighters’ union for more resources and a renegotiation of the city’s fire-paramedic agreement.

United Firefighters of Winnipeg president Nick Kasper said it took twice as long as it should for a crew to get to the blaze on Meadowood Drive because the closest fire trucks were out on “low-priority” medical calls.

Firefighters were sent to the four-storey building at about 9 a.m. Crews declared the fire under control within a half-hour.

Two residents were assessed by paramedics, and one was taken to hospital. Damage was contained to the suite where the fire started.