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Winnipeg Free Press
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fringe reviews #11: Your only way out is through the lighting booth
100% UNTRUEBADOUR Paul Strickland Presents RRC Polytech (Venue 11) to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It sounds like the setup for a bad joke: a guy from Kentucky walks into a college classroom singing silly songs… But in the case of fringe favourite Paul Strickland, it's more like a guy strumming an acoustic guitar while surrounded by old friends. The storytelling songster has a wonderful rapport with his audience. Maybe it was his praise for the Winnipeg fringe scene ('It's very special here') or his self-deprecating humour, but the sedate, mostly middle-aged crowd at Friday's afternoon performance adored it. The songs are hit-and-miss, but what's most impressive is how Strickland can go from surreal to sentimental, and make it all work ('My Dad turned into a pile of wool. Mama sewed him into a sweater … Whenever I wore it, it felt like a big hug.') His longtime director Erika MacDonald also joins him onstage in character as a surprise guest. A relaxing respite from some of the fringe craziness. — Janice Sawka BEST FRIENDS FOREVER B12 Theatre Productions CCFM — Antoine Garborieau Hall (Venue 19), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐½ Kaycee is a heavyset woman, unhappy with her body and her life, failing her university classes and going downhill fast. Ally is her dependable, goofy galpal since childhood. And Dee is younger, slimmer, cuter, but strangely driven to make friends, even if by forcing herself into someone's life. Winnipeg writer/director Kennedy Huckerby created this dramedy out of her background in mental health support and a desire to showcase stories of female friendship. All actors give commendable performances: Elena Modrzejewski (Kaycee) has the standout scene of the play, as she cries over her dying grandfather's bedside, but needs to project more in other scenes. Avery Mittermayr (Ally) is just plain fun. Maija Buduhan (Dee) is appropriately enigmatic. David Lange ably contributes a variety of male supporting roles. The 60-minute run time forces Kaycee's crisis to escalate unnaturally quickly, and the final explanation of Dee's hold over her, while unexpected and clever, is resolved too easily. Definitely geared towards women, but with valuable lessons for all regarding toxic friendships. — Janice Sawka CACTUS Cactus Theatre Tom Hendry Warehouse (Venue 6) to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐ The local Cactus Theatre was formed to present the late Manitoba playwright Daniel Gilmour's dark comedy Cactus. At 60 minutes, it is perhaps a touch too long, since it seems scattered at first, but the play soon shapes itself into a funny and moving piece about confronting death and subsequent grief. Tom is visited by the angel of death. He is there to guide Tom through his life's episodes — A Christmas Carol and It's A Wonderful Life are noted comically — before his demise. There is a lesson to be learned but it isn't what one expects. Tom faces his grief in a gut-wrenching way that makes you gasp at the work's theatrical daring. Gilmour avoids sentimentality with intelligence, while his humanity shines through the sometimes messy structure. The production balances the play's comic and dramatic intentions well. It honours Gilmour, whose death at age 38 in 2023 was a loss to the local playwriting community. — Rory Runnells DAREDEVILS Corael Productions MTC Up the Alley (Venue 2), to Saturday ⭐⭐⭐ ½ The names of daredevils Charles Blondin and Maria Spelterini may not resonate much today, but they were once called out by roaring crowds as they stepped into some of the most treacherous tightrope stunts of the 19th century. Winnipeg playwright Ellen Peterson's comedy imagines them as frenemies in Niagara Falls, where they are attempting to traverse its river gorge. Blondin is Spelterini's teacher and would-be lover, though the student appears to be overtaking the master, much to his chagrin. Nearly every line of dialogue seems dedicated to driving home Blondin's flamboyance and chauvinism — part Inigo Montoya, more Pepe Le Pew — and the younger Spelterini's pluck and intrepidness. This becomes repetitive. Nevertheless, the actors make solid use of the material and there's real craft elsewhere in Peterson's script. The language, by turns bawdy and highfalutin', is a lot of fun. Moments of vulnerability by Blondin in the play's conclusion add a welcome sense of discovery and dramatic depth. — Conrad Sweatman THE GALLERY WALL Evens and Odds Son of Warehouse (Venue 5), to Saturday ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½ A painter and an aspiring journalist meet and, almost by chance, begin to open up about the past experiences that have shaped who they are today. What each of them learns from each other, and about themselves, propels a deeply engrossing, character-driven theatrical treat. The script for this 60-minute dramedy is a star in its own right. The dialogue is natural and fast-paced, driving meaningful character growth through a combination of sassy banter and reflective musings. The tone shifts effortlessly between humour, tenderness and tension that drives real depth. Ella Cole and Kirstin Caguioa deliver exceptional performances — you can feel the chemistry between them, and both bring relatable charm to their characters. It's easy to sympathize as they struggle to navigate the uncertainty in their futures. There are a few areas where the narrative wanders slightly, but this performance ultimately delivers a strong, character-driven experience. — Matt Schaubroeck RIOT! Monster Theatre King's Head Pub (Venue 14), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐ ½ It's 1849 in New York City. The streets smell of urine and class tensions are mounting. In steps the thespian Macready, the toast of the elite, to perform at the exclusive Astor Place. Conflict with his rival Forrest, a working-class theatre hero, help to spark a bloody theatre riot. Vancouver-based brothers Jeff and Ryan Gladstone's retell this history as a rapid-fire one-hour comedy. They swap characters, accents and insults with brilliant skill. It's little wonder this touring show has been a hit in so many other cities. The Gladstones tell us that they hope their show will help the politically unaligned better come to understand the value of dialogue. This is nice, but caricatures of 19th-century WASPs and theatre culture have very little to do with today's political polarization. More importantly, they don't seem particularly daring either — for all its F-sharps, the comedy feels a little low-stakes to crackle. — Conrad Sweatman THE SHOW MUST GO ON! Mad Tom Theatre Company Théâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 3), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐ In the theatre world, the 'curse of Macbeth' has it that if actors say the very name of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, they'll invite toil and trouble. This local 75-minute comedy (not 90) written and produced by young local actors imagines this curse befalling a high school theatre production. It often feels like an affectionate send-up of theatre kids. Woe to the teen today who posts an overly earnest skit online and finds himself trolled by legions of edge-lords in the comments. One character in Show seems to embody this comment section: he calls everyone 'gay' and — we hesitate to say — gets some of the show's funniest lines. Show makes the mistake of having him succumb to the curse too quickly, because the show's best stuff is the repartee between opposing types rather than the wilfully ludicrous plot. But there's no point scrutinizing things too closely. It has the novice feel of a show by kids fresh out of high school, but also it has an infectious energy. It's a bit long, but it's fun. — Conrad Sweatman STORIES I WON'T TELL THE KIDS / DES HISTOIRES (PAS) POUR LES ENFANTS TiBert inc. Le Studio at Théâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 20), to Sunday ⭐⭐ ½ Rob Malo has made a name for himself through a long career as a storyteller and children's entertainer. This 50-minute series of stories, targeted towards a more mature audience, tries to welcome in a new demographic for the longtime entertainer. Unfortunately, the cohesion of the show falls a little flat. There is definitely some adult content at the show — too risky, apparently, for even ChatGPT — and does earn some genuine laughs. But Malo also spends a significant amount of time of his stage time on a kid-friendly historical tale that, while interesting, does not thematically match the rest of the more risqué humour. Malo is a passionate and polished raconteur, and each of tales would likely have a rapt audience at any bar table or kitchen party. As a stage performance, this one is still falling a little flat. While most upcoming shows are in English, Thursday's performance will be en français. — Matt Schaubroeck WHERE DOES BOB BELONG ? Super Duper Productions Centre culturel franco-manitobain (Venue 4), to Sunday ⭐⭐ ½ In this quirky 45-minute show (not 60 as listed), Toronto-based red nosed clown Christopher Bugg presents the story of a clown and his life-size puppet friend/lover Bob. The best of the show is Bugg bringing Bob to some kind of life. Romance, longing and uffering follow as the two go through a chaotic relationship. The worst is when the clown indulges in a frenetic unconvincing bit involving genitalia props. In some way, which seems unclear, this tiresome vulgarity has to do with Bob. There is, finally, a Bugg-Bob reconciliation and a satisfying happy ending. The rake-thin performer has impressive control of his body, which he subjects to harsh treatment with many — perhaps too many — props. Bugg appeals to the audience, as clowns will, but it only stalls the action, rather than enhancing it. Maybe even 45 minutes is too long for the material Bugg offers. — Rory Runnells WHEREVER YOU MAY BE Reis' Pieces Theatre Co. Théâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 3), to Sunday Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. ⭐⭐ ½ Hilde is the spunkiest resident in her personal care home. She came to Canada as a Ukrainian refugee and raised a family. Now she's an old wit with a bone to pick with her pious, nosy neighbour. She likes beer, salty foods and reviewing mistakes in the newspaper. A natural protagonist of a fringe show, then. Wherever You May Be is essentially community theatre. It deals with Mennonite community themes, and its sizable cast will probably continue to draw a big crowd of friends, family and fans. Erin Essery is strong as Hilde, but big amateur casts tend to have weak points (and, in this case, some weak characters). Wherever You May Be is a cosy play in search of a dramatic conflict. It flirts with punchy premises — populist Mennonite anger about 'elites' and taxes; religious tensions; memories of Soviet persecution — but these are carted off or resolved almost as quickly as they're introduced. The cast can sing though. More of this, please. — Conrad Sweatman
Winnipeg Free Press
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fringe reviews #2: Your destiny awaits in a warehouse basement
ADAM BAILEY: MY THREE DEATHS Still Your Friend Le Studio at Theâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 20), to July 27 'Rumours of my death have been wildly exaggerated … by me,' says Adam Bailey at the top of his latest hour of well-woven storytelling at the fringe. Since his first solo show (Adam Bailey is on Fire) in 2015, the Toronto performer, who was raised against his will in Belleville, Ont., has alternated between deeply personal tales of coming of age as the gay son of an evangelical minister and richly detailed histories of notable figures both well-known (Henri Rousseau) and obscure (19th-century suffragette Victoria Woodhull). In My Three Deaths, Bailey returns to the character he knows best. The result? A well-composed, smartly lit and intermittently moving story about losing and becoming lost after the blackout. ⭐⭐⭐ ½ — Ben Waldman CONTROL Jurasco Le Studio at Theâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 20), to July 27 When Wayne James was 16 years old, he declared at the dinner table that nothing surprised him anymore. Raised on a farm in Lydiatt, in the R.M. of Brokenhead, James saw by 1966 that while his world revolved around the sun, the moon, the water and the soil, the rest of society instead sought to strike paydirt. Throughout this civic-minded, hour-long treatise on chemical warfare, inherited wealth, corn silage and intergenerational responsibility, this hippie Sam Elliott gets on the audience's level, frequently proving his teenage self wrong by making unpredictable choices. 'In show business, this is what we call a change of pace,' he says before plucking an original folk tune in the vein of Pete Seeger. A similar warning might have been recommended before James is cast in a red light to recite a version of Chief Seattle's 1854 address to 'the Great White Chief in Washington.' ⭐⭐ ½ — Ben Waldman EMERGENCY OPS Illustrium Creations RRC Polytech (Venue 11), to July 26 This 45-minute one-man workplace comedy about institutional incompetence in the civil service will surely resonate with anyone who's quietly fumed as supervisors make bad decisions, suck up to management or scream at subordinates. Local playwright/performer Hayden Maines dons a rainbow of different coloured safety vests to play five members of an Emergency Operations Centre team dealing with a train derailment. Maines has nailed the office archetypes — including Jamie, the new operations chief whom no one has time to train and Kelly, the reluctant HR person-turned-logistics chief who can't handle pressure — and he's an appealing actor. However, the writing here needs to be much sharper and tighter (there's a lot of filler dialogue and unnecessary yelling), with more care taken to delineate the characters. While the pace is manic, the potential for madcap farce isn't quite attained. It's far from a disaster, though; with some tweaking, it could get the job done. ⭐⭐ ½ — Jill Wilson HOOP AND HAT: VAUDEVILLE SHOWDOWN Hoop and Hat John Hirsch Mainstage (Venue 1), to July 26 Winnipeg acrobats Chris Without the Hat and Carla Cerceau are apparently more accustomed to working outside as street performers, where the spectacle of, say, Chris juggling machetes feels a little more immediate and dangerous. Deprived of that direct contact with the audience in the hardtop venue of RMTC, the pair contrive to deliver something like a plot, playing the two vaudeville performers drawn into a competition to see whose act is more dangerous. 'Contrive' is the operative word here. Both performers have talents in their fields, Chris as a juggler/magician and Cerceau as an aerialist, performing a perilous routine from a hoop dangling a few metres above the stage. But attempts to flesh out the proceedings just seem random, including Chris singing the song Mr. Cellophane from the musical Chicago, expressing a sentiment that should feel alien to any self-respecting vaudevillian. The promised hour-long run was closer to 45 minutes. ⭐⭐ ½ — Randall King AN IMPROVISED JOHN HUGHES MOVIE Tectonic Improv Centre culturel franco-manitobain (Venue 4), to July 27 The goal of newly formed improv troupe Tectonic's first fringe offering is to pay entertaining homage to the lasting style of John Hughes, the director of such classic fare as Uncle Buck and The Breakfast Club. But while the local performers — Kristen Einarson, Dewey Parker, Kim Laberinto and Scott Angus — are likeably silly and committed as improv artists, it was clear on opening night that this hour-long feature could stand to refer more directly to its sources: a deeper development of archetypes, a greater sense of geography and a few choice props would work wonders. The pieces, suggested by an audience member, were all there for a lively coming-of-age tale: a naive teenage girl who's never been on an airplane headed to a friend's wedding in Wales. There are cheesy, sappy and snappy beats to keep in any Hughesian tale and Tectonic struggled to keep the rhythm, especially when overloud, obtrusive '80s music was piped in sporadically. Still, the audience laughed loudly and often, pleased by the wacky performance if not by the adherence to the form mastered by the great cinematic poet of suburban Chicago. Hughes got better with time: one assumes the same will be true from show to show for Tectonic. ⭐⭐ ½ — Ben Waldman LIFE, LOVE, AND LACK THEREOF Hiljames movement Asper Centre for Theatre and Film (Venue 10), to July 25 Winnipeg's Hilary James, Brooke Hess, Emma Beech and Naomi Wiebe peel back the existential layers of the human condition with all its foibles and frailties in this 60-minute (billed as 75) contemporary dance show featuring three solo world premières. These Things Take Time begins with choreographer Hess preparing a meal in a steaming rice cooker as an ode to mundane routines of day-to-day life. Note, created by Beech and Wiebe, features the latter performing angular, highly gestural movement vocabulary as she explores connection through repetitive motion. However in the abstract program's strongest offering, Solitude Salsa, show producer/choreographer James truly dances like no one's watching during her kaleidoscopic mash-up of styles that further showcases her versatile artistry. It's impossible to take your eyes off her as she wrestles with the gnawing ache of loneliness and its flipside, freedom, her final expansive leaps and spins across the stage ringing as true as a late-night phone call from a desperate, yearning soul. ⭐⭐⭐ ½ — Holly Harris NO DIE! Fedor Comedy Pyramid Cabaret (Venue 15), to July 26 Written and performed by Dutch comedian Fedor Ikelaar, this hour-long standup/storytelling show is a madcap travelogue detailing his hilarious (and harrowing) misadventures in Sierra Leone and Thailand. You know what they say: what doesn't kill you makes you funnier. Ikelaar is a bit slow to get going (there's quite a bit of filler in the beginning), but once he does, he's on fire. The Sierra Leone story is so full of twists and turns and mistaken identity — and so well written and well told — that it could likely hold this show on its own; the story from Thailand that gives the show its title isn't quite ready for prime time. Still, Ikelaar is a likable stage presence and knows how to spin a yarn. With some editing and a tighter ending, No Die! could really kill. ⭐⭐⭐ — Jen Zoratti PLAN V: THE RISE OF REVERENCE Dance Naked Creative Asper Centre for Theatre & Film (Venue 10), to July 27 What's soft, pink and shimmers in the light? Mama V (Eleanor O'Brien) at her latest Plan V meeting, focusing on the celebration and power of the canal we all came from. Clad in a hot-pink, bedazzled velour track suit, the Portland, Ore.-based actor reflects on the #MeToo movement, the reversal of Roe v. Wade and historical shame surrounding women's sexual satisfaction — calling on attendees to 'come together,' listen to their inner goddesses and reclaim their power through pleasure. The 60-minute sermon-style delivery is reminiscent of church (including some moments where one looks at one's watch). Amid the heavy topics, the sex-positive comedy is filled with witty dialogue and complemented with pre-recorded video featuring other meeting attendees (brilliantly played by O'Brien) on 'Zype.' Plan V brings levity and humour to the timely issue of bodily autonomy and is unapologetically feminist. It's brazen and bold with room for laughter, reflection and rebellion, although its message may resonate more deeply with audiences in need of reminders about self-empowerment. Despite its slower start, Plan V leaves you wishing this was your high school sex education class experience. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Nadya Pankiw THE ROYAL SPEAKEASY All About Theatre Adults Pyramid Cabaret (Venue 15), to July 26 While there's certainly talent to be found in Winnipeg's All About Theatre crew, this 60-minute cabaret-comedy about the goings-on at a Prohibition-era speakeasy never rises to their level. It starts with a bang. Molly Helmer's sultry, operatic version of Florence Desmond's wistful 1933 song Cigarettes, Cigars as club performer Rose is absolutely stunning. Anika Price, playing club owner Flo, also turns in a pair of showstoppers in the form of jazz-inspired covers of Britney Spears' Toxic and Tove Lo's Habits (Stay High). But an incoherent plot with too many characters sucks the life out of this show. The vocal performances are often too quiet (likely a venue issue, not a capability issue) and the choreography is frequently lacklustre. Remembering the steps is important, but the backup dancers need to remember their faces: some of them look as if they are being forced to perform at gunpoint. ⭐⭐ — Jen Zoratti TOMATOES TRIED TO KILL ME BUT BANJOS SAVED MY LIFE Quivering Dendrites PTE — Colin Jackson Studio (Venue 17), to July 20 Keith Alessi returns for his third run at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, following successful, mostly sold-out runs in 2019 and 2022. It's the same show he's brought twice before and it's just as endearing and funny (and banjo-filled) as previous appearances. In the hour-long performance, the Virginia-based Alessi, onstage with a bowl of fake tomatoes and four banjos, details the way he went from a successful CEO to pursuing his love of the banjo before an esophageal cancer diagnosis (from eating too many tomatoes as the child of Italians) and a seven-hour surgery, which changed his take on life. Alessi recounts his journey through cancer (and learning the banjo) with humility, endearingly corny humour and a whole lot of pickin'. His competent banjo playing comes through crisp and clear, but his voice suffered slightly on opening night from a slightly muddy, too-low vocal mix. Still, the sincerity and charm of his moving story roused the sold-out crowd to a standing ovation by show's end. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Ben Sigurdson
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
RRC getting real with artificial intelligence
Red River College Polytechnic is offering crash courses in generative artificial intelligence to help classroom teachers get more comfortable with the technology. Foundations of Generative AI in Education, a microcredential that takes 15 hours to complete, gives participants guidance to explore AI tools and encourage ethical and effective use of them in schools. Tyler Steiner was tasked with creating the program in 2023, shortly after the release of ChatGPT — a chatbot that generates human-like replies to prompts within seconds — and numerous copycat programs that have come online since. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Lauren Phillips, a RRC Polytech associate dean, said it's important students know when they can use AI. 'There's no putting that genie back in the bottle,' said Steiner, a curriculum developer at the post-secondary institute in Winnipeg. While noting teachers can 'lock and block' via pen-and-paper tests and essays, the reality is students are using GenAI outside school and authentic experiential learning should reflect the real world, he said. Steiner's advice? Introduce it with the caveat students should withhold personal information from prompts to protect their privacy, analyze answers for bias and 'hallucinations' (false or misleading information) and be wary of over-reliance on technology. RRC Polytech piloted its first GenAI microcredential little more than a year ago. A total of 109 completion badges have been issued to date. The majority of early participants in the training program are faculty members at RRC Polytech. The Winnipeg School Division has also covered the tab for about 20 teachers who've expressed interest in upskilling. 'There was a lot of fear when GenAI first launched, but we also saw that it had a ton of power and possibility in education,' said Lauren Phillips, associate dean of RRC Polytech's school of education, arts and sciences. Phillips called a microcredential 'the perfect tool' to familiarize teachers with GenAI in short order, as it is already rapidly changing the kindergarten to Grade 12 and post-secondary education sectors. Manitoba teachers have told the Free Press they are using chatbots to plan lessons and brainstorm report card comments, among other tasks. Students are using them to help with everything from breaking down a complex math equation to creating schedules to manage their time. Others have been caught cutting corners. Submitted assignments should always disclose when an author has used ChatGPT, Copilot or another tool 'as a partner,' Phillips said. She and Steiner said in separate interviews the key to success is providing students with clear instructions about when they can and cannot use this type of technology. Business administration instructor Nora Sobel plans to spend much of the summer refreshing course content to incorporate their tips; Sobel recently completed all three GenAI microcredentials available on her campus. Two new ones — Application of Generative AI in Education and Integration of Generative AI in Education — were added to the roster this spring. Sobel said it is 'overwhelming' to navigate this transformative technology, but it's important to do so because employers will expect graduates to have the know-how to use them properly. It's often obvious when a student has used GenAI because their answers are abstract and generic, she said, adding her goal is to release rubrics in 2025-26 with explicit direction surrounding the active rather than passive use of these tools. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. 'The main idea is not to use the AI tool alone, standalone. You want to complement it with AI literacy training,' the instructor said. She noted her favourite programs are conversational AI assistant Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity AI (an AI-powered search engine that generates answers with links to references) and Google NotebookLM. Whereas Copilot and Perplexity AI primarily draw from external sources, Google NotebookLM can analyze trends in original items uploaded by a user. Registration for RRC Polytech's next introductory microcredential, running Oct. 6 through Nov. 2, is open. Tuition is $313 per student. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie 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.
CBC
18-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Wildfire evacuees staying in Winnipeg all now moved to hotels, province says
Wildfire evacuees in need of accommodations in Winnipeg have all been placed in hotels as of Wednesday morning, the province says. Congregate shelter sites at the Century and Eric Coy arenas and RRC Polytech in Winnipeg, and the site in Portage la Prairie, will now no longer be used for evacuees. But the site at the soccer complex on Leila Avenue will keep capacity in case any evacuees need emergency shelter, and Billy Mosienko Arena will remain a 24-hour reception centre, Manitoba's latest wildfire update on Wednesday said. Earlier Wednesday, a provincial spokesperson said the government is aware of about 130 structures lost to wildfires across Manitoba. However, the province will not provide further details or descriptions of those structures "until we can be sure that the affected individuals have been notified," the spokesperson said in an email. The south part of Nopiming Provincial Park has also reopened for permanent residents, cottagers and commercial operators, which includes Provincial Road 315, Bird Lake, Booster Lake, Flanders Lake and Davidson Lake. A closure and mandatory evacuation order continues for the rest of the park, and the entire areas of Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks. There are 21 active wildfires burning across the province — six of which are out of control — and have been 124 to date this year, above the average for this time of year of 118 total fires, the province said. Since May 1, the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service has issued 93 charges and 31 warnings related to wildfires. The out-of-control fires include one near the northwestern city of Flin Flon, which is about 370,780 hectares, and one in the eastern area of Nopiming Provincial Park, which is about 218,700 hectares, the province said Wednesday. The Manitoba Wildfire Service is also updating fire and travel restrictions for many parts of the province to Level 2, starting 8 a.m. Thursday. Fire and travel restrictions have also been lifted for a number of provincial parks. Recent rainfall and a full green-up — green grass with less dead, cured leaves and full leaves on trees — have helped reduce the fire risk in some parts of Manitoba, though other areas are still at high risk, and significant fire suppression operations continue and restrictions remain in place there, the province said. The wildfires forced roughly 22,000 from their homes, officials said earlier this week, mainly in the north and north-central regions. Pimicikamak Cree Nation saw 7,000 forced out, but they are now allowed to go back. Flights have brought people back from Winnipeg, while buses have been chartered for those who were taken to Thompson. There was still no word on when the 5,000 residents of Flin Flon might be allowed to return. A fire nearby remained out of control and officials said there were hot spots not far from the community. Anyone going back to a reopened area should be prepared to evacuate again with little notice and should prepare an emergency go kit, as well as remain alert for evacuation notices, the province said.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba cabinet minister breaks silence about 2019 workplace harassment probe
Manitoba's sole cabinet minister has defended her work at a Winnipeg college and said she's being unjustly targeted more than five years after an investigation concluded she had harassed an employee. At least three employees of Red River College Polytechnic filed separate complaints about the behaviour of their boss, Rebecca Chartrand, in 2019. Chartrand, who won the riding of Churchill-Keewatinook Aski for the Liberals in April, was chosen by Prime Minister Mark Carney to be part of his inner circle. Between her failed 2015 run for office and her successful second try, the new MP and minister of Northern and Arctic affairs spent about 2-½ years in a senior management role at RRC Polytech's Indigenous education unit. On Tuesday, Chartrand provided a lengthy statement in which she touted her commitment to positive change and the progress she made on 'enhancing programs and fostering a student-centered environment' at RRC Polytech. She said her work is a 'source of great pride.' 'Let us concentrate on building up the community and supporting positive developments within the Indigenous community, instead of focusing on negativity that fans lateral violence within the Indigenous community,' the cabinet minister said via email Tuesday. The findings of the 2019 probe into her treatment of one particular employee on campus was leaked against the backdrop of the rookie politician's sudden rise up the ranks on Parliament Hill. Investigators from Rachlis Neville LLP concluded Chartrand had repeatedly harassed and humiliated a subordinate, who is also an Indigenous woman, over an extended period in 2019. RRC Polytech hired the firm that fall, after undertaking an internal investigation sparked by the same complainant. That one concluded Chartrand had breached school policy when she pushed through a controversial student survey — a project that several of her colleagues had raised concerns about — and taken retaliatory action against the employee who flagged the suspected breach. That individual, who left the college in 2020, repeatedly flagged the gist of those conclusions with her federal Liberal contacts before the April 28 election. 'As an Indigenous Liberal member who supports Mark Carney, I have been trying to warn the Winnipeg Liberal head office about (Chartrand). She will be a liability if elected and a scandal waiting to happen,' she wrote in an April 6 email to a fellow Liberal who was heavily involved in Carney's campaign. 'Let us concentrate on building up the community and supporting positive developments within the Indigenous community, instead of focusing on negativity that fans lateral violence within the Indigenous community.'–Rebecca Chartrand The Free Press has interviewed that employee and four others who worked closely with Chartrand when she oversaw Indigenous strategy at RRC Polytech from June 2017 to December 2019. Each of them expressed serious concerns about her treatment of employees — either themselves, former colleagues or both — who had voiced differing views to ones she held. Three said they made written complaints about her, but the report of only one of them was escalated and substantiated. They all agreed to share their experiences on the condition of anonymity. 'She's very authoritarian and she surrounds herself with 'yes' people and if you're not a 'yes' person, you're not going to be there — or she's going to make it really tough for you,' one source said. She said she frequently witnessed what she called 'lateral violence' — undermining and bullying of the whistleblower whose complaint was escalated. Chartrand's hostile behaviour made others 'cower,' the source said. Another ex-staffer recalled being fired on the basis of 'insubordination' after questioning the appropriateness and legalities of collecting deeply personal information from prospective students, via the survey. Chartrand faced criticism during the 2018-19 school year for creating 'an assessment readiness tool,' exclusively prepared for applicants of an Indigenous studies program, that requested details about their alcohol and recreational drug use. Multiple sources described Chartrand as a vindictive ladder-climber, citing one instance when she uninvited a staff member from an international trip to a conference he had pitched they go to because they'd had a disagreement. The employee in question had expressed problems with the survey, sources said. The decision to push forward the initiative and write off workers' concerns showed her 'bad judgment,' said a fourth ex-employee who indicated he contacted the federal NDP after learning Chartrand was nominated as the Liberal candidate for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski. That employee said he left RRC Polytech when his complaints involving Chartrand were unresolved. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. The Liberal party has declined to comment on the vetting of specific candidate applications, citing confidentiality. RRC Polytech has released limited information about Chartrand's tenure over the same rationale. 'I'm really disappointed at (the Liberals') lack of integrity or their lack of an answer to the people,' said the whistleblower whose complaints were substantiated by Rachlis Neville LLP. 'To be honest, it makes me question if the prime minister has been given the correct information to make the best decisions for who is in key positions.' She noted it was the party that had first brought her and Chartrand together, as they both worked on her 2015 bid under the leadership of then-Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie 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. 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