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Readers like you are key to securing a future for our independent journalism

A family looks at the Forest Of Hearts snow sculpture at the Festival du Voyageur Sunday, February 16, 2025. Big crowds showed up in their white attire and some in costume to celebrate the Winnipeg JETS Whiteout parties officially kick off in True North Square’s plaza Tuesday. A public and media event with live music unveiled details about the 2025 Winnipeg Whiteout Street Parties Tuesday. Little Charlotte Moar, who will be 18 months on June 2nd, enjoys checking out the flowers in the English Garden with her mom Victoria Penner while strolling around the park with family members Friday morning. Hundreds of Canada geese shelter in the frigid waters of the Little Saskatchewan River in Minnedosa on Friday afternoon following a snow storm that dropped several centimetres of snow on the western Manitoba town. Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) leads a march along Broadway, Tuesday afternoon, from the CMHR to the Manitoba Legislative Building to honour the lives and raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys (MMIMB). Gardening crews with Assiniboine Park Conservancy are busy planting in the English Garden and around the Boy with the Boot statue Friday. The gardening crews started work last week but with the warmer temperatures are now in full swing. The province hosts a Pride Month celebration in the rotunda at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, May 29, 2025. Pictured: Special Advisor on Indigenous Women's Issues in Manitoba Cora Morgan (left) and Amber Laplante help to raise a pride flag banner in the Rotunda. Photo of pedestrians and event goers as the high-five each other crossing Portage and Main over the lunch-hour Tuesday. The crowd listens to Allison Russell on the main stage at Folk Fest on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Cycling advocates fill the galleries at City Hall, as council makes a final vote on the contentious Wellington bike project today, on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Take Pride Winnipeg unveiled a new mural at 492 Main Street Monday. The mural titled “Pray for Ukraine” would not have been completed without tireless effort of Ukrainian activist Liudmyla Shykota. Hundreds of women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse Manitobans gather on the Grand Staircase in the Manitoba Legislative Building Wednesday afternoon to celebrate new legislation, Bill 44, which formalizes the role of the Matriarch Circle in government. Wpg Jets, Connor Hellebuyck looks over a locker of hockey sticks before heading into a scrum in the Jets dressing room with the media. Players pack up for the season Tuesday.
Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) leads a march along Broadway, Tuesday afternoon, from the CMHR to the Manitoba Legislative Building to honour the lives and raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys (MMIMB). Gardening crews with Assiniboine Park Conservancy are busy planting in the English Garden and around the Boy with the Boot statue Friday. The gardening crews started work last week but with the warmer temperatures are now in full swing. The province hosts a Pride Month celebration in the rotunda at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, May 29, 2025. Pictured: Special Advisor on Indigenous Women's Issues in Manitoba Cora Morgan (left) and Amber Laplante help to raise a pride flag banner in the Rotunda. Photo of pedestrians and event goers as the high-five each other crossing Portage and Main over the lunch-hour Tuesday. The crowd listens to Allison Russell on the main stage at Folk Fest on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Cycling advocates fill the galleries at City Hall, as council makes a final vote on the contentious Wellington bike project today, on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Take Pride Winnipeg unveiled a new mural at 492 Main Street Monday. The mural titled “Pray for Ukraine” would not have been completed without tireless effort of Ukrainian activist Liudmyla Shykota. Hundreds of women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse Manitobans gather on the Grand Staircase in the Manitoba Legislative Building Wednesday afternoon to celebrate new legislation, Bill 44, which formalizes the role of the Matriarch Circle in government. Wpg Jets, Connor Hellebuyck looks over a locker of hockey sticks before heading into a scrum in the Jets dressing room with the media. Players pack up for the season Tuesday. A family looks at the Forest Of Hearts snow sculpture at the Festival du Voyageur Sunday, February 16, 2025. Big crowds showed up in their white attire and some in costume to celebrate the Winnipeg JETS Whiteout parties officially kick off in True North Square’s plaza Tuesday. A public and media event with live music unveiled details about the 2025 Winnipeg Whiteout Street Parties Tuesday. Little Charlotte Moar, who will be 18 months on June 2nd, enjoys checking out the flowers in the English Garden with her mom Victoria Penner while strolling around the park with family members Friday morning. Hundreds of Canada geese shelter in the frigid waters of the Little Saskatchewan River in Minnedosa on Friday afternoon following a snow storm that dropped several centimetres of snow on the western Manitoba town.
The crowd listens to Allison Russell on the main stage at Folk Fest on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Cycling advocates fill the galleries at City Hall, as council makes a final vote on the contentious Wellington bike project today, on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Take Pride Winnipeg unveiled a new mural at 492 Main Street Monday. The mural titled “Pray for Ukraine” would not have been completed without tireless effort of Ukrainian activist Liudmyla Shykota. Hundreds of women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse Manitobans gather on the Grand Staircase in the Manitoba Legislative Building Wednesday afternoon to celebrate new legislation, Bill 44, which formalizes the role of the Matriarch Circle in government. Wpg Jets, Connor Hellebuyck looks over a locker of hockey sticks before heading into a scrum in the Jets dressing room with the media. Players pack up for the season Tuesday. A family looks at the Forest Of Hearts snow sculpture at the Festival du Voyageur Sunday, February 16, 2025. Big crowds showed up in their white attire and some in costume to celebrate the Winnipeg JETS Whiteout parties officially kick off in True North Square’s plaza Tuesday. A public and media event with live music unveiled details about the 2025 Winnipeg Whiteout Street Parties Tuesday. Little Charlotte Moar, who will be 18 months on June 2nd, enjoys checking out the flowers in the English Garden with her mom Victoria Penner while strolling around the park with family members Friday morning. Hundreds of Canada geese shelter in the frigid waters of the Little Saskatchewan River in Minnedosa on Friday afternoon following a snow storm that dropped several centimetres of snow on the western Manitoba town. Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) leads a march along Broadway, Tuesday afternoon, from the CMHR to the Manitoba Legislative Building to honour the lives and raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys (MMIMB). Gardening crews with Assiniboine Park Conservancy are busy planting in the English Garden and around the Boy with the Boot statue Friday. The gardening crews started work last week but with the warmer temperatures are now in full swing. The province hosts a Pride Month celebration in the rotunda at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, May 29, 2025. Pictured: Special Advisor on Indigenous Women's Issues in Manitoba Cora Morgan (left) and Amber Laplante help to raise a pride flag banner in the Rotunda. Photo of pedestrians and event goers as the high-five each other crossing Portage and Main over the lunch-hour Tuesday.

Free Press Patrons help keep our journalism independent

The Free Press is one of the largest independent newspapers in Canada; we aren’t owned by a large media company with dozens of titles under its umbrella. Our coverage decisions are our own and we are beholden to no one except you, our subscribers and readers, for whom we work to bring trustworthy local journalism every single day.

By becoming a Free Press Patron through an annual contribution of $150, you not only show you care enough about your community to play an even bigger part in our mission to deliver trusted information, but you also unlock a series of exclusive benefits as a show of appreciation for your extended support.

Join now to safeguard the future of the Free Press and journalism that matters with an annual gift of $150.

Become a Patron
Paul Samyn

If not for the Free Press, where would our city and province be?

Would we still have a place to turn to that delivered the depth and breadth of coverage of news, sports, arts and business?

Would there still be dedicated beat reporters able to write with authority and credibility from the Manitoba Legislature, City Hall and Law Courts?

And who could we depend on day and night to do the heavy lifting of journalism, especially when faced with a crisis like a pandemic or the recent wildfires?

I’m asking these questions because the answer has been pretty clear since 1872 when we first began publishing as part of our mission, which continues today and will be strengthened tomorrow because of the support of readers like you.

Paul Samyn, Editor
-Paul Samyn, Editor

 

I dread the thought of ever losing the Free Press, please maintain the good reporting you do for this city.
Dennis Ogden

A truly independent press that publishes factual stories and presents a diversity of opinions is hugely important in a democracy. I think the Winnipeg Free Press is doing a very good job informing readers and balancing op ed points of view. I am happy to support that work by becoming a WFP patron.
Jane MacLatchy

I am appreciative that we have a newspaper here in Winnipeg that we can rely on to bring us news that we can rely on to be factual. We are kept informed on a variety of subjects and events of interest. During the worst days as Covid ran rampant here, I was able to put my trust in the daily newsletter from Paul Samyn as a base to make decisions on how best to keep safe and healthy. Thank you for your continued excellence, and I look forward to continuing my subscription for another 40 years.
Marie Nault

As a Free Press Patron, your annual gift of $150 will allow you access the following benefits for one year:

  • Regular impact updates via a new newsletter exclusive to patrons which outlines how your contribution is helping sustain our journalistic mission.
  • Concierge-style customer service to respond to any of your inquiries from subscription information to editorial concerns.
  • A series of free events that will strengthen the connection between patrons and our journalists, whether it is attending a Jets game with one of our hockey writers, tickets to the Free Press table at a gala or a tour of the Free Press with Editor Paul Samyn
  • The ability to gift a one-year, all-access digital subscription to the person of your choice, and a discounted subscription rate code to share with additional friends and family members.
Become a Patron

Note: As the Free Press is not a registered charity, we are unable to provide taxable receipts for your gift.

As part of your patron benefits, you will have access to a slate of events throughout the year.

All of the events are completely free for you as patrons, and often also offer the option of bringing a +1. Here’s a list of some recent patron events we have hosted:

Drama and drinks event

Free Press building tourJun. 16 and Oct. 6

Offered twice this year, in June and October, the Free Press building tour offers patrons an inside look at how the paper comes together each day. For the first time, these tours were offered in the evening so attendees got a sneak peek at the next day’s front page before going to see the presses with editor Paul Samyn. Patrons also had the opportunity to participate in a bit of a Q&A session with Paul after the tours. 

Mailbag Live event

Mailbag LiveMay 7, Pregame Sports Bar

Sports reporters Mike McIntrye and Ken Weibe hosted a live version of their popular question-and-answer story series Mailbag. Mike and Ken offered some thoughts on the Jets season that was and some predictions for the ’26-’27 season, while attendees enjoyed food and drinks provided by venue Pregame Sports Bar in St. Boniface. Editor Paul Samyn, CEO Mike Power and other Free Press staff were also in attendance to mingle with patrons before and after the program.

Trivia NightMar. 24, Trans Canada Brewing

Teams of patrons were treated to five rounds of news trivia at Trans Canada Brewing Co. Hosted by audience engagement manager Erin Lebar and arts reporter Eva Wasney, the patron teams competed against each other — with a little help from additional Free Press staff on hand to advise on particularly tricky questions — to crown the annual trivia champions. Patrons also enjoyed a complimentary pizza dinner and beverage from Trans Canada’s menu, as well as prizes for the winning team.

Film ScreeningJan. 28, Park Theatre

The Free Press partnered with DOC MB on a launch event for the Manitoba Documentary Archive, a YouTube channel acting as a hub for documentary films made by Manitoba filmmakers. Attendees were treated to a screening of three documentaries, and after each, a short Q&A with the director led by Free Press staff Erin Lebar and Ben Waldman.

Niigaan Sinclair, Columnist

I am proud of the work I produce and those I produce it with. For the first time in history, the Free Press truly embodies Manitoba in all of its complicated and complex parts, and it is better for it.

– Niigaan Sinclair, columnist (joined the Free Press in 2018)

Become a Free Press patron

Join from $150 a year

Your Patron status helps us in many specific ways, including:

  • Allowing us to allocate resources into investigative, long-form journalism
  • Ensuring we can continue to offer the broadest breadth and depth of coverage in the province
  • Moving us toward our goal of a reader-funded newsroom
Become a Patron

At a time when other newsrooms across Canada are sadly shuttering or shrinking, the Free Press remains committed to supporting in-depth investigative journalism. It is a privilege and an honour to work at a paper dedicated to holding power to account and uncovering the truth, benefiting all Manitobans.

– Katrina Clarke, investigative reporter (joined the Free Press in 2022)

Katrina Clarke, investigative reporter

Have questions?

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a Free Press Patron before joining, you can contact us at patronservices@winnipegfreepress.com, and we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.