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Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Immersive film at Manitoba Museum allows humans to hear like orcas
Manitoba Museum's latest exhibition invites visitors to dive deep into the waters of the Salish Sea and immerse themselves in the world of the endangered southern resident killer whales. The augmented-reality experience Critical Distance is a 15-minute animated film that launches its Canadian tour in Winnipeg for Ocean Week 2025, and will be showing at the Science Gallery until Aug. 31. The film, on tour with Nature Canada in association with the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada, makes a strong case for ocean conservation, says Scott Mullenix from Nature Canada. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS A group of participants watch Critical Distance via AR goggles at the Manitoba Museum. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS A group of participants watch Critical Distance via AR goggles at the Manitoba Museum. 'Some people get pretty emotional going through the experience. We want to take that emotion and engagement and turn it into something useful for the orca pod and the ocean that Nature Canada is trying to protect. We thought a great way to do that would be to have visitors understand the different roles they can play,' he says. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Adam May is co-creator of Critical Distance. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Adam May is co-creator of Critical Distance. The immersive short focuses on the J Pod, one of three pods in the acoustic clan who are residents of the waters. The audience follows eight-year-old orca Kiki and her family as they navigate the challenges thrown up by human activity. Sound is vital to the orca whales, who use echolocation to communicate, and sound pollution is threatening the pod's ability to hunt, bond and navigate. The term 'critical distance' refers to the point in space where direct sound, such as an orca's call, is equal in intensity to reverberant or background noise. Placed in the middle of the pod, viewers hear and see the clicks, whistles and calls the members of the pod use to communicate with each other. These vocalizations are typically effective across long distances in a natural ocean environment, but the orcas, who live beneath a busy shipping area, struggle to make themselves heard. 'Some people get pretty emotional going through the experience. We want to take that emotion and engagement and turn it into something useful.'–Scott Mullenix Human activity, especially from boats, ships and underwater construction, has introduced significant noise pollution into marine habitats. This background noise effectively reduces the critical distance, which means orcas have to be much closer to each other before their calls are distinguishable from the surrounding noise. Submerged underwater with Kiki, the contrast in the varying sounds different vessels make become obvious – paddle boats barely make a splash, but motorboats and trawlers jar the quiet, littering the water with their loud vibrations. Sounds are translated into visuals so the audience can see what the orcas hear; it's a simple but effective method to experience the world from an entirely different perspective. After the AR animation, visitors are invited to join the movement to protect Canada's ocean by connecting directly with ocean conservation experts through Nature Canada's Ask the Experts section. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Critical Distance participants are fully immersed in the orca's experience. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Critical Distance participants are fully immersed in the orca's experience. Visitors can ask whatever they want about orcas, threats to the Salish Sea or the ocean in general. Their questions will be sent to experts who include Adam Olsen, lead negotiator and member of Tsartlip First Nation; Julia Laforge, protected areas policy manager at Nature Canada; and Rebecca Brushett, marine planning and engagement co-ordinator at Ecology Action Centre, who will reply with answers. The hope is that the experience will encourage people to lobby for change to protect one of the country's most endangered marine mammals — at last count, there were fewer than 80 southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea. AV KitchingReporter AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV. Every piece of reporting AV produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Eight-hundred more fire evacuees expected to find refuge in Niagara Falls
Hundreds more wildfire evacuees were expected to fly to Ontario Tuesday, where a third-party organization has arranged for them to stay in hotel rooms. Xpera, a security and evacuation support service firm, had organized flights for 793 evacuees who are already staying in Niagara Falls, said Robert Garland, Xpera vice-president of emergency security management for Eastern Canada. As many as 800 additional evacuees could make the journey on Tuesday, Garland said. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Darell Moore was evacuated from Norway House Saturday night. There was no hotel room for him when he arrived in Winnipeg. 'That all depends on whether, in Winnipeg, they can get the planes full or not. It's a situation of getting families to a marquee point and then on to planes,' he said. Niagara has become a destination for some of the 17,000 people, many of whom are from remote and northern communities, who have been displaced by wildfires. Hotels in southern Manitoba quickly filled up, and the Canadian Red Cross established emergency shelters in arenas and other large spaces. 'People with nowhere to stay outside of a congregate setting are definitely getting on planes and coming here to Niagara, and that frees up some of the beds in Winnipeg for some of the most vulnerable,' Garland said. The evacuees headed for Ontario are associated with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, a northern Indigenous political entity that represents 26 First Nations, including five under mandatory evacuation orders: Pimicikamak (Cross Lake), Norway House Cree Nation, Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan), Marcel Colomb First Nation (Black Sturgeon Falls) and Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake). York Factory First Nation (York Landing), another MKO community, evacuated vulnerable residents Monday, but is not subject to a mandatory order. Eight Niagara hotels have so far opened their doors to evacuees. Xpera is prepared to find accommodations for up to 3,000 people, but that number could change depending on the rapidly evolving situation, Garland said. After the Manitoba government reached out to Ontario for support, Xpera was tapped to arrange accommodations because it has a contract with Emergency Management Ontario, he said. Garland could not provide a price tag, but said it will be paid by the federal government through Indigenous Services Canada. Xpera is arranging recreation activities and security for evacuees. It is co-ordinating with health authorities from Ontario and Manitoba to provide health care, Garland said. 'So far, everything is running really smoothly.' Niagara, Ont., Mayor Jim Diodati said his city has opened its arms to Manitobans. 'Some of them, I'm sure, are nervous or stressed because they are getting uprooted from their homes and they're being taken thousands of miles away, but I'm hoping that the silver lining in the grey cloud is… they are going to get to take in one of the great natural attractions of the world,' he said. The city attracts as many as 14 million visitors each year who want to see the Niagara Falls. It has an inventory of more than 14,000 hotel rooms, which makes it a 'logical place for any situation where you need a lot of spots for people quickly.' RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Robert Burroughs of Flin Flon fled the northern city May 28 with only bare essentials. 'We are happy to do our part, especially initially,' he said. The tourism season kicks into high gear in Niagara around July 1. Diodati said he hopes the federal government can find alternative places to house evacuees before then because hotels will likely reach capacity. If the crisis extends into the summer, Diodati suggested post-secondary institutions throughout the country could be considered for temporary accommodation. Back in Manitoba, some evacuees were settling into hotels after spending time in emergency shelters. Talking about home brought Robert Burroughs to tears outside the Victoria Inn on Wellington Avenue. The Flin Flon resident was moved to the hotel after spending one night at the Century Arena in Fort Garry. 'I'm a very emotional guy,' he said softly. 'It's been very difficult.' Burroughs, an employee of the Victoria Inn in Flin Flon, fled the northern city May 28 with only bare essentials. He was part of a massive convoy that drove south as flames crept dangerously close to the city of about 5,100 people. He considers himself lucky because his general manager arranged rooms for him and roughly 30 other Victoria Inn employees from Flin Flon, who are staying at the chain's hotel in Winnipeg. 'Red Cross has been so busy we don't have any meal tickets,' he said. 'We are having to support ourselves. They say to keep our receipts. At first, they accepted our Red Cross cards, but now they need the meal tickets for the hotel to get paid by Red Cross.' Darell Moore was aboard one of the last planes out of Norway House on Monday night. No hotel room was waiting for him when he touched down in Winnipeg. 'I slept in my truck,' he said, describing a long night spent beside his seven-year-old dog, Buzy. Over the weekend, Moore's daughter, Darrylee McKay, loaded six children into her father's pickup and made the eight-hour drive south to Winnipeg. Among them were her three children, and kids who belong to her sister and niece. A second car that travelled with them carried four more children. 'We had to keep stopping, all the kids had to keep using the washroom,' McKay said. 'It was a hard drive.' RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS A Cross Lake family first sought refuge in Norway House and then drove eight hours to Winnipeg to escape the fires. The children are very upset about their little dog Buzy not being able to stay with them in the hotel room. Buzy is being fostered. From left: Okay McKay, 10, Belinda McKay, 7, their grandmother Bernice Moore Suzie McKay, Darrylee McKay holding Jenson McKay, Demi Moore, holding Davair Ross-Moore, age 1. The family, from Cross Lake, had sought safety in Norway House after an evacuation order was issued. Once in Winnipeg, they spent their first night at a soccer complex on Leila Avenue that has been converted into a temporary shelter to house hundreds of evacuees. 'It was crazy,' she said. 'We had to stay next to a lot of people and sleep in cots. No sleep at all.' Still, she said, it was better than Norway House. 'I had to sleep in the truck with all of my babies,' she said. On Tuesday, Moore was trying to get a room at the same hotel where the rest of his family was staying. He said after he registered with the Red Cross Monday night, he was told it could take up to two days before he'd be placed in a hotel. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Red Cross has refused to do an interview regarding the evacuation process and putting up people in hotels. The provincial government said evacuees who require enhanced accessibility or have medical needs are the first to get a room. It confirmed some rooms have been booked outside of the centralized process. Hundreds more hotel rooms are expected to become available in Manitoba over the coming days, the province said. — With files from Scott Billeck Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Home court not so sweet for Sea Bears
Home court hasn't been an advantage for the Winnipeg Sea Bears lately. The past two seasons saw Winnipeg's professional hoops squad go 15-5 inside Canada Life Centre, but this summer, they find themselves on a three-game slide on their own floor. Their latest defeat, which dropped them to 1-4, came on Saturday night in an 88-73 loss against the visiting Ottawa BlackJacks (2-2). The Sea Bears have now lost four straight games, all by double digits, since prevailing 92-89 over the Edmonton Stingers in the season opener. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Alex Campbell (centre) said Tuesday the team is still optimistic about their season despite dropping their last four contests. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Alex Campbell (centre) said Tuesday the team is still optimistic about their season despite dropping their last four contests. 'I think we've got a younger group and it's taken a lot to realize how special this fanbase is and I don't think we've come out and played with the sense of urgency that I feel like we could, and I don't know why that is,' said veteran Canadian guard Alex Campbell after Tuesday's practice. 'We're still optimistic… It's about gelling and building this thing back up. We have one ultimate goal at the end of the summer, obviously, and we want to build up towards that.' Campbell and head coach Mike Taylor insist the team isn't on cruise control since they're hosting the CEBL's Championship Weekend (Aug. 22-24). They are guaranteed to play in the league's Western Conference championship game no matter how they finish the regular season. The last three hosts — Montreal Alliance (6-14 in 2024), Vancouver Bandits (8-12 in 2023), and Ottawa (8-12 in 2022) — all went into the final four weekend with losing records and none of them made it to championship Sunday. 'I think we've seen the last few years that (hosting) has not been easy for teams to handle. We're trying to avoid, we'll say, the trap of a challenging season and a difficult time to win games,' said Taylor. 'We've gotten off to a slow start, so I think the most important thing for us is to take ownership and understand where we are and understand where we want to be and work to get there.' MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said hosting the CEBL Championship Weekend can lead to complacency during the regular season. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said hosting the CEBL Championship Weekend can lead to complacency during the regular season. 'I do have to say, there can be some complacency and that urgency you normally have when you're playing, it's something that we have to address… (But) we're working hard and going in the right direction.' Inefficient shooting has plagued the Sea Bears. They're dead last in both field goal (36.7) and three-point percentage (25.7). 'I feel like we're getting the right looks, it's just more self confidence because teams are kind of labelling us as non-shooters, so I think that's getting into a lot of players' heads,' said American power forward Jaylin Williams, who had 16 points and five rebounds against Ottawa. 'It's just about boosting confidence and believing in those shots is the main way to improving things. A lot of guys can shoot, I mean, I see it with these guys in practice every day, they all can shoot, it's just about putting it together in games.' The good news is help is on the way as star Canadian centre Simi Shittu is expected to join the team on the road this weekend when they take on the Brampton Honey Badgers (0-5) Friday and then the Scarborough Shooting Stars (3-0) Saturday. The six-foot-10 Shittu, who is arriving late as he was finishing up the Greek Basketball League season with his club Promitheas Patras, is an accomplished name in the summer circuit as he was named to the All-CEBL First Team and All-Canadian Team in 2023 when he was a member of the Calgary Surge. Supplied / CEBL Winnipeg Sea Bears' Simi Shittu is expected to join the team on the road Friday against the Brampton Honey Badgers. Shittu spent the 2023 season with the Calgary Surge. Supplied / CEBL Winnipeg Sea Bears' Simi Shittu is expected to join the team on the road Friday against the Brampton Honey Badgers. Shittu spent the 2023 season with the Calgary Surge. Shittu isn't expected to play this week since he'll need some time to get comfortable with his Winnipeg teammates. 'In the past, we had the star mentality where we built things around Teddy (Allen), we built things around Justin (Wright-Foreman). We made an effort to have more of a team approach this summer, and the early results are not as productive as we have been, but we have Simi coming in,' said Taylor. 'Simi is important because we've never had an athletic rim protector that he can provide. He's also a player that can settle guys down. When other teams go on a run, we can throw the ball into the post to him and play through him. He can play multiple spots on the floor, and is a big, physical body that will help with the physical presence of our team.' The Sea Bears will return to downtown Winnipeg on June 11 to square off against Montreal. Former Sea Bears guard Mason Bourcier officially signed with the Edmonton Stingers on Tuesday. Bourcier requested his release from Winnipeg last week as the 25-year-old from Kelowna, B.C., was frustrated with his role on the team. He played over 20 minutes per game with the Sea Bears in 2024, but saw his playing time slashed in half through the first three games this summer. 'We wish him all the best, we wish his family all the best, but (his tenure here) had run its course,' Taylor told the Free Press. 'At this point, our team is really together, and the roles are set. Hopefully we can replace him with a more productive player, a better player.' Taylor AllenReporter Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor. Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Time to update rent legislation
Opinion Housing in Manitoba is becoming increasingly out of reach for too many families. Renters across Winnipeg, Brandon and rural communities alike are feeling the squeeze. Monthly costs are rising faster than incomes and too many tenants are facing steep rent hikes with little warning or justification. It's clear the current rent-control system is no longer working as intended. The Manitoba NDP government must step up and fix it — starting with closing the loophole that allows landlords to sidestep rent control limits under the guise of renovations. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Finance Minister Adrien Sala This is not a fringe issue, nor a technical one buried in obscure policy. It is front and centre in the lives of thousands of Manitobans who are being priced out of their homes by a provision that was once meant to preserve housing quality, but is now being used as a tool of displacement. Under current rules, landlords can apply to the Residential Tenancies Branch for above-guideline rent increases if they complete certain capital upgrades or building improvements. The policy, at its core, was designed to allow landlords to recover the costs of major repairs like roof replacements, heating systems or insulation upgrades — necessary investments in the long-term livability and safety of rental units. But in recent years, that allowance has been stretched far beyond its original intent. Cosmetic renovations, hallway makeovers, new flooring or lighting fixtures are now routinely used to justify rent hikes that go well above the province's annual guideline. Some tenants have reported increases of 20 per cent or more, pricing them out of buildings they've lived in for decades. This growing problem didn't escape notice when the NDP sat in opposition. MLA Adrien Sala, now the finance minister, introduced a private member's bill while in opposition that aimed to reform rent control. His proposal sought to better define what qualified as legitimate capital expenditures, impose limits on how much and how often rents could be increased above the guideline, and make the process more transparent and accessible to tenants. That bill never passed (opposition bills rarely do) but the work behind it laid an important foundation. Now that the NDP is in government, the province is in a position to act and should do so without delay. The policy path is already clear. A reintroduced and strengthened version of Sala's bill should include a tightened definition of eligible renovations, meaning only essential upgrades that improve the safety, efficiency, or structural integrity of a building — such as plumbing, heating or windows — should qualify. Annual increases should also be capped to protect tenants from sudden, unaffordable jumps in rent. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. These reforms are not radical. They reflect best practices seen in other provinces like Ontario and British Columbia, and they are being actively called for by tenant advocacy groups such as the Right to Housing Coalition, which continues to push for a fairer system. Landlords will argue that tighter rules will discourage investment in rental properties. But responsible landlords who maintain their buildings and charge fair rents already comply with the spirit of the law. It is the exploitative operators — those who treat housing as a speculative asset rather than a public necessity — who benefit from the current ambiguity. Premier Wab Kinew has repeatedly said that housing is a human right. That statement must now be backed by policy. Bringing in strong, clear legislation on rent control — with limits on renovation-based rent hikes — would be a major step toward making good on that promise. For too long, Manitoba's renters have been left vulnerable to an uneven playing field. The solution is on the table. The moment to act is now.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
A half-century of helping people leave their addictions behind
For 50 years, Tamarack Recovery Centre, a community-based addictions treatment service in Winnipeg, has been quietly and steadfastly offering life-changing wraparound treatment and recovery support. Its mission is to provide a safe, welcoming environment where individuals are supported in recovery to realize their full potential. The vision at the heart of it all: healthy people, free from addiction. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Tamarack operations manager Sherry Gable, executive director Lisa Cowan and clinical supervisor Jo Riedle (from left) at the community-based addictions treatment centre on Balmoral Street. 'I no longer wake up feeling empty and dreading the day ahead. Instead, I'm motivated and optimistic,' wrote one former resident. 'I'm more at peace with myself and the world around me. There are certainly some days where old thought patterns and habits creep up, but I'm better equipped to handle those. I'm not having to turn to external things to change the way I feel. I'm able to fall back on the inner strength and supports I've built up along the way.' Recognizing that financial need is often a major barrier to accessing addictions treatment in Manitoba, Tamarack Recovery Centre is hoping a campaign to raise $50,000 for its '50 for the Future' will encourage donors large and small. Earlier this month, the centre received a $30,000 donation from Manitoba's Credit Unions as the first major contribution to Tamarack's new endowment fund. 'This is a proactive investment in our future,' Tamarack executive director Lisa Cowan said, adding the fund will help ensure no one is turned away from the facility's services because they lack the funds. 'Our current data show that more and more people are seeking addictions treatment services. However, we know that not everyone can afford to access the help they need. The agency fund means we can build on and sustain our innovative and responsive participant subsidy program, reducing financial barriers to accessing treatment for future participants. We don't ever want finances to be a barrier.' Over the past five decades of supporting thousands of people in recovery, the program has been meeting participants where they are, providing continuous community-based care. Tamarack's residential treatment program is 60 days in duration. Extended programs are available for people seeking additional time in treatment, and ongoing after-care support is offered to all graduate clients. Cowan, who was formally trained in England as a drama therapist, was always drawn to a helping profession. She set herself up in private practice, worked with women whose lives were impacted by sexual abuse, and later as a counsellor at Tamarack, before ultimately taking on the role of director. 'I very quickly just knew this place was different — so friendly and low-key — a place to be yourself and be real. Instantly I saw that in the staff, many of them in recovery themselves; a healthy perspective, a different degree of honesty. I felt welcome and open to using my skills,' she said. 'I care about this place. I feel really proud of the work we are doing.' The fully accredited Balmoral Street centre has expanded over the years. 'We have a second facility two doors down. I'm truly fortunate with the team I have — that I got to choose — surrounded by people who have been here for 10 to 14 years. Between all of us, and the participants, we adapt the program, and there's not a high level of bureaucracy here. We have a fabulous board of directors, and a completion rate that's really excellent. Every day there is an opportunity to celebrate success in some way. You feel like you're able to be part of something bigger than yourself.' In a profession with a notoriously high burnout rate, Cowan points to a site survey showing the team's surprising longevity. 'It does feel like such a supportive team. Participants help create and open doors; they're supportive of each other, telling me about their day. That's the stuff that fills my bucket.' Between the centre's two homes, the non-profit organization has an average of 23 staff and some student placements throughout the year. 'We really expanded and deepened our after-care program. There's after-care support for life at no charge, with groups twice per week. The majority of our team (staff, graduates and participants) has lived experience with addiction or mental illness. There's support from peers, case management — they can pop in any time. It's a super chill setup family atmosphere. 'We are small, about 12 people in our treatment Centre. In the branch we can have up to 10 of our graduates for up to two years, with supports and engagement but building in more independence, and a return to education.' Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. Since 2013, Tamarack has an average completion rate of 83 per cent, notably exceeding the industry average of 44 per cent for long-term residential addictions treatment, and graduates report post-treatment sobriety rates well above national norms. 'We've just been operating so quietly — we are a big group of introverts,' Cowan said with a chuckle. 'My way is to work and improve from the inside, not blow my own horn. We stay focused on just doing the work. There's no communications or media relations person. We are not the latest thing in the community. We are quietly going about it. 'I really think sometimes what's missing in the conversation — yes, we have to deal with the crisis, of course there are people hurting — we need to have longevity in mind when we are supporting people, to prevent people from going back. I think it's that connection piece, we have no limit on after-care. We've always managed it. I believe we always will.' To learn more and to support Tamarack, visit or call 204-772-9836. fpcity@
