Latest news with #FreePress
Winnipeg Free Press
30 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Star-studded summer
While students and teachers alike count down the days until school is out for summer, the Free Press Summer Reading Challenge for Kids is ready to start a fresh session. An offshoot of the Free Press Book Club, the summer reading challenge — developed in partnership with McNally Robinson Booksellers — provides suggested titles for young readers aged 7 to 9, 10 to 12 and 13 to 15. Four books are chosen for each reading level and offer a diverse range of topics, perspectives and formats. This is the sixth summer the Free Press has facilitated the reading challenge, which also offers participants the opportunity to submit reviews of the books they've read from their given reading lists. Send in reviews of around 100-150 words and include a rating out of five stars; your review could end up among those featured both online and in the printed version of the Free Press books pages when they run in late July and August. More information about each book on the reading lists, as well as additional information about what to include in reviews, can be found at All of the books are available for purchase at McNally Robinson, and almost all are also available at the Winnipeg Public Library. The launch of the Summer Reading Challenge for Kids once again coincides with a giveaway that will see three lucky bookworms from each reading level win all the books on their preferred list. To enter the giveaway, parents or guardians need to register an email address at and then fill out the giveaway entry form by Friday, June 27. To register for the Summer Reading Challenge for Kids for free and to access reading resources and activities sent by email throughout the summer, visit Questions? email bookclub@ Two Green Birds, by Geraldo Valério Buy on Mystery at the Biltmore, by Colleen Nelson, illustrated by Peggy Collins Buy on Three Thieves Tower of Treasure, by Scott Chantler Buy on Katrina Hyena, Stand-Up Comedian, by Sophie Kohn, illustrated by Aparna Varma Buy on No Purchase Necessary, by Maria Marianayagam Buy on The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage, by David A. Robertson Buy on Bea Mullins Takes a Shot, by Emily Deibert Buy on The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay, by Mary Averling Buy on The Queen's Spade, by Sarah Raughley Buy on Messy Perfect, by Tanya Boteju Buy on A Constellation of Minor Bears, by Jen Ferguson Buy on Zombie Apocalypse Running Club, by Carrie Mac Buy on
Winnipeg Free Press
30 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
For Winnipeg mural artist, blank space is her happy place
Rachel Lancaster has a thing for blank walls — she can't drive past one without wanting to leave her mark on it. The mural artist is always on the search for the perfect canvas and, when she sees a wall she likes, she doesn't think twice before offering her painting services. 'That happens all the time. I've driven past a wall and wanted to paint it…. I will find the company and contact them. I always do it; why not? When you run your own small business you do whatever,' she says, laughing. Photos by Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Mural artist Rachel Lancaster creates huge artworks to fill empty spaces and has painted walls, garage doors and the exteriors of sea containers. There's one in particular she can't get out of her mind — an exterior wall belonging to Local Public Eatery, a downtown restaurant/bar on Garry Street. 'They have a beautiful white wall that faces a big parking lot. It's ideal for a mural — a mural is meant to be viewed from way back, because people then have enough room to look at it (properly),' she says. Lancaster been painting murals for almost 15 years now. It was a side gig when she first started. She would take on commissions in the evenings and on weekends, jumping in her car — always packed with brushes and paints — to create for as long as she could. 'I didn't have kids back then so I would paint all weekend. I never hung out, I just painted,' she says. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and Lancaster, an event co-ordinator, lost her job. She took on more painting gigs, assuming she'd return to her previous role when things settled down, but she never did. By then she was also pregnant, which spurred her decision to become a professional artist. 'Life had another plan and I just went with it and whatever happened, happened,' she says. Five years later and Lancaster now has a clothing line, she's designed colouring books and she has just written and illustrated her first children's book, posting her latest endeavours on her Instagram account, @rachel_lancaster_artist. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Lancaster's tools of her trade — painting brushes and palettes. But murals remain her main focus. These days the artist is often booked two to three months in advance and has travelled throughout the province and beyond for painting commissions. The dream now is to go further afield. 'I've gone all over Manitoba, I've painted in Saskatchewan and in Ontario and up north in The Pas. I will travel worldwide to paint; I have a 10-year bucket list for my business and one of the things I want to paint is a really large wall in New York City,' she says. Lancaster paints on any kind of wall surface — stucco, brick, metal, wood, drywall, shipping container — and accepts both indoor and outdoor commissions. Her outdoor mural season usually runs from May to October while indoor mural painting extends from November to the following spring. She often rents a lift for taller buildings — she recently completed a mural on a six-storey apartment complex in Osborne Village — or uses an extension ladder for two-storey structures. Monthly What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. An email with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing. It's a physically demanding job, especially in the summer when she has to climb up and down ladders, sometimes up to 60 times per mural. She doesn't take on extra help either. The job suits her lifestyle and her personality. It feels, she says, like something she is meant to be doing. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Lancaster finishes up a large mural on the side of a garage in a Winnipeg backyard. 'I love it. It's unlike anything else. When I was working in an office I would finish my work then stare at the clock. I would pace, I would go into different offices to chit-chat. I thought this was how life was, this was how work was meant to be. 'But this doesn't feel like work. The more I do it, the more I fall in love with it. I am in charge of my own schedule. I don't look at the clock, I don't take breaks, I don't stop for lunch. I just paint and then I go home when I'm done. It's blissful,' she says. 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
an hour ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Behold the backyard
When a creative couple bought a 30-year-old split-level home in Transcona's Lakeside Meadows 10 years ago, they knew they had taken on a project. To put it mildly, the home was in dire need of updating. Undeterred, they set about bringing the 1,776 sq. ft. residence up to contemporary standards. The 1,776 sq. ft. split level has been tastefully remodelled and comes with an added bonus: an amazing backyard. The decade-long reno journey was a labour of love, says Shona Scappaticci of Vivico Real Estate. 'They knew the home had a good design and layout, it just needed to be taken from the '80s and brought up to modern standards,' she says. 'It wasn't just a partial renovation — they had to redo the home from top to bottom.' She notes that their first product was the ceiling in the main living area. 'The whole area — kitchen, dining room and family room — sits under a gorgeous, vaulted ceiling. However, when they bought the home, it was finished with stucco, which didn't look good, and dated the home. So, they took everything out, putting in a new ceiling. It's now a contemporary painted ceiling and looks amazing.' That was only the start of the renos in the main living area. 'When I say it and the rest of the home was totally redone, that's what literally happened, especially in the main living area.' Photos by Todd Lewys / Free Press A gorgeous in-ground pool is the centrepiece of the resort-like backyard at 214 Lynn Lake Dr., Lakeside Meadows in Transcona. As might be expected, the first project was the kitchen. 'It was totally redone with a quartz waterfall island that seats three, quartz countertops, espresso maple and Euro-style cabinets, a lovely tile backsplash and stainless vent over the range that matches the appliances,' Scappaticci says. 'Gorgeous laminate flooring was installed, and there's a pantry with tons of pull-outs and even a hidden spice rack and hidden dishwasher.' Once the kitchen makeover was complete, the next project was the dining area. 'What can you say — it was totally transformed. A cultured stone feature wall was placed on the rear wall along with an electric fireplace — I love the light fixture they chose — and a sliding patio door was installed on the side wall to make way for a barbecuing deck in the lovely, fenced side yard.' That left the family room to take care of, and take care of it they did. The dining area, which is next to a sliding patio door that leads out to an elevated barbecuing deck in the side yard, is framed perfectly by an elegant cultured stone feature wall. 'So much thought went into the redesign of the home, and the family room speaks to that. It's a very simple space with a newer bay window that lets in lots of natural light, and a simple area to hang a huge TV on the wall over an entertainment unit. There's plenty of room for a sectional.' The rest of the like-new home unfolds in logical, family-friendly fashion. Ascend a brief set of stairs to the home's upper level and you find two spaces: a masterfully remodelled main bath that offers a tile floor, tub with matching tile surround, contemporary grey vanity and a newer low-flush toilet. That gives way to the primary bedroom. 'Parents will love that it's in its own private area away from the other bedrooms,' says Scappaticci, noting that the home has five bedrooms in total. 'It's a very peaceful, private space that comes with an updated two-piece ensuite, large bay window and a double closet with mod sliding doors and loads of built-in storage.' Meanwhile, the first of the home's two lower levels offers all kinds of function. Modern and functional, the island kitchen offers quartz countertops, espresso maple and stainless Euro cabinets, a tile backsplash, newer flooring and a pantry with pullouts. Its centre portion houses an office area with a garden door to the resort-like backyard — more on that shortly — while a hallway to the right leads to two large bedrooms. A three-piece bath and hidden laundry area complete the transformation, making for a fabulously functional, kid-friendly refuge. Finally, there's the home's final (and lowest) level, which is dedicated to one thing: entertainment. 'It's a media room that would probably be claimed by the kids,' she says. 'It has a laminate plank floor with a dry core sub-floor underneath, a niche for your TV between two closets, and pot lights above. It's just a wonderful space.' Scappaticci adds that the home's backyard is its ace-in-the-hole. The remodelled main bath is as contemporary as they come. 'The only word to describe it is spectacular. It's a private oasis with an in-ground pool, gazebo area, lounging areas and gorgeous landscaping. It's great for family fun or for kids to have friends over for a swim,' she says. 'It puts the finishing touch on an amazing home that lives like a new home. With all the updates inside and out, all you need to do is move in and enjoy.' lewys@
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
With loss upon loss, I'm truly at a loss
Opinion I wonder if everyone, as they age, develops a feeling of terminal loss not just for people we've known, but for places, too. I've seen it in others, and sometimes, it's quite pronounced: the sense all the good is washing out of the world, leaving only bones. But I didn't expect to feel it so keenly myself, so soon and on so many fronts. In the last six months or so, I've written about the loss of dear friends, the loss of a property in a wildfire, and the loss of my ability to travel, with a clear conscience, to parts of the United States — notably, parts of the western desert like the Black Rock Desert — I have visited many times and dearly love. Now, I feel like I'm getting to be one of the many witnesses to irreversible change that's only speeding up. Russell Wangersky/Free Press The Black Rock Desert at sunset The latest little click of that clock? A budget bill addition in the U.S. Senate that will order the sale of millions of acres of public lands in western states, effectively to the highest bidder. The bill, if passed, will order the sale of lands currently held by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Forest System in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington state and Wyoming. It's ostensibly to build housing. Truth be told, though, it's probably designed to be for the profit of the modern-day carpetbaggers and robber barons, the people who have the money to snap up under-priced public assets and convert them for their own profit or pleasure. Guardrails are few. Most of the legal requirements of the sales are set or defined by the decision of cabinet appointees. Like: 'A tract of covered Federal land disposed of under this section shall be used solely for the development of housing or to address associated community needs as defined by the Secretary concerned.' Now, there's a gap you can drive a bus through. And the plan has some interesting features: it wants to give priority for sale to federal lands that are close to existing infrastructure, adjacent to developed areas and suitable for residential development — which all sounds good for building housing — but the government only expects to collect US$10 billion in revenue, meaning the property is expected to sell in the range of US$3,030 an acre. That's startling. The average cost of developable land in the U.S. runs at around US$18,000 an acre, and developable land adjacent to already-developed areas and close to existing infrastructure can hit US$100,000 an acre. So someone's going to make a lot more money than the U.S. Treasury will on this deal. Russell Wangersky/Free Press Deer Creek, near the Modoc National Forest As a percentage, the amounts of the land sales are small — just 0.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent of the lands held by the two agencies. But just that tiny fraction of federal land holdings is equal to 2.2 million to 3.3 million acres of federal lands — in Canadian terms, at the high end, 2.4 times the size of Prince Edward Island. It makes you think that many in government — both in the U.S. and Canada — spend little time in the outdoors, and more time calculating measurable short-term economic returns. That's very much the way Republicans seem to be pitching the selloff: Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee argued the move would turn 'federal liabilities into taxpayer value,' tacitly voicing the concept that forest lands have value only as a commodity, and that stewarding them for future generations is necessarily a loss. And don't get me started on the sales of wood from existing U.S. National Forest lands — the bill also would increase cutting, saying, 'For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2034, the Secretary shall sell timber annually on National Forest System land in a total quantity that is not less than 250,000,000 board-feet greater than the quantity of board-feet sold in the previous fiscal year.' By fiscal 2028, that would be a 25 per cent annual increase in wood cut on National Forest land. It's funny — when I think about the quiet beauty of the Modoc National Forest in California, walking on the deep cushioned mat of pine needles beneath the huge trees, the air hanging still in a way that engenders something close to reverence, I don't think of how much more valuable it would be as a housing development or mall, or even how much the wood is worth. Heading up to the Fandango Pass above Goose Lake, Calif., even travelling through the recovering burn scar of a forest fire that raced up the western face of the mountains of the Warner Range, the wildflowers rampant with all the new sunlight that's now cast down beneath and through the burnt-black pines, I don't think of board-feet of lumber. In the Black Rock Desert, I see the great open skies and the shoulders of the hills, not mineral reserves waiting to be harvested. Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. Why, some might say, it's only a trim around the edges of natural reserves. There's lots. Russell Wangersky/Free Press View through the Fandango Pass, California Until there isn't. And once gone, many things never come back. I think that's something you learn for keeps as you grow older. Russell Wangersky is the Comment Editor at the Free Press. He can be reached at Russell WangerskyPerspectives editor Russell Wangersky is Perspectives Editor for the Winnipeg Free Press, and also writes editorials and columns. He worked at newspapers in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Saskatchewan before joining the Free Press in 2023. A seven-time National Newspaper Award finalist for opinion writing, he's also penned eight books. Read more about Russell. Russell oversees the team that publishes editorials, opinions and analysis — 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
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pierce drawing from his time with the Bombers
VANCOUVER — The West Coast looks good on Buck Pierce. Sure, the B.C. Lions' head coach is a little busier these days than the last time pro football brought him here as a player, but he's often reminded why this was the perfect place to land his first gig as a bench boss. 'It's good. It's kind of full circle, right? I grew up on the West Coast, so being back out here, I consistently have family and friends coming up to games. So, there's some familiar parts about it,' Pierce, who was raised in Crescent City, Calif., said Friday in a chat with the Free Press. DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES B.C. Lions' Buck Pierce was handed his first loss as head coach of the club last week by his former team. 'There's some familiarity, absolutely, but being in Winnipeg for the time that I was there, I also got accustomed to that. Life moves a little faster out here,' he added while chuckling. 'It's a little busier. But there's obviously things that I've missed about living here, but there's things that I miss about Winnipeg, too.' The 43-year-old spent the first 10 years of his coaching career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, two as a running backs coach and three working with quarterbacks, before taking offensive co-ordinator duties for four seasons. Hired by Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea at the beginning of his tenure in 2014, Pierce didn't waste many opportunities to learn from one of the all-time winningest coaches. That time together has already served him well, as Pierce often finds himself drawing back on his time with O'Shea. 'I mean, I learned a ton — football related, unfootball related. I really enjoyed our relationship, obviously, as co-workers, but just as two guys who wanted the same thing, and very like-minded. I ask myself all the time, 'What would we have done in that situation?'… and I have no issues ever picking up the phone and asking either.' The off-season was different than what he was used to, being onboarded then getting right into building a roster around his franchise quarterback Nathan Rourke. Pierce was quick to correct himself, saying he doesn't have an off-season now. His phone is always on because he needs to be reachable. He's also spent less time watching TV, something he was able to do as an offensive co-ordinator. Though the added responsibilities have life moving at Mach 50, Pierce said those are the most enjoyable parts of the job. 'You understand the role to an extent, but you don't know until you actually do it. It's more of the off-the-field stuff. It's being more involved with communications throughout the organization, on every level. And then the field stuff is the field stuff. It's about football and getting to know the guys, and all those types of things,' he said. 'Somebody asked me about what was one of my favourite things about it: it's just about being around the players and seeing how they react, and what they need. So being able to help it in that role of being a provider for them and making sure that their needs are being met, and if they're not, what can I do to help?' That was also his favourite part about being an offensive co-ordinator, but now that duty is extrapolated as the leader of an entire team. 'Being able to communicate with the entire roster, and getting to know guys, maybe a little bit more personally than what you would in different roles. But, as far as being a co-ordinator, to a head coach, I think you have more communication with the whole team, and I think that's excellent and that's what I enjoy.' That sentiment quickly resonated with his players. It didn't take long for Pierce to win over the locker room and get team members to buy into his message. 'He kind of just wears it on his sleeve. It's kind of who he is,' said quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who will start for the Lions when they face the Bombers at BC Place on Saturday (6 p.m. CT). Masoli called Pierce 'an open book' who has instilled a 'no-nonsense' mentality around the club. It's made it easy to rally behind him. 'We talk about grit at this place and just having that heart, and he kind of walks around and exudes it just with his personality,' he added. 'It just kind of permeates through the locker room, and we all got to follow suit.' How Pierce has changed from his time as an offensive co-ordinator is a question perhaps only centre Michael Couture can answer. The nine-year vet spent seven of those working with Pierce in Winnipeg — two of which he was calling plays for — before heading west in 2023. 'For me? No,' said Couture. 'I'm getting the same guy, the same guy that I remember. He was one of the first people I got to talk to when I got into the building in Winnipeg, my rookie year in 2016, and to me, he's been the same guy ever since then. It's been familiar, which is nice.' Couture was asked by several teammates about their new head coach when he was hired in December. The centre did his best to talk him up, but it appears Pierce has done a fine job of selling himself. 'His attention to the details as a coach,' Couture said was his best quality as a head coach. 'I think that's something I've heard throughout the locker room that has been a big point so far this year, and I think guys respond really well to his message day in and day out. It's very consistent, and it's something that a lot of guys can relate to, being that he's been in our position before. So that's huge coming from the head guy.' Pierce has already won and lost as a head coach, as the Lions carry a 1-1 record into Week 3. His first tick in the loss column came against his former longtime club in disappointing fashion — a 34-20 decision in Winnipeg — but not all was bad on the trip. It was an emotional return to a familiar place for Pierce, who was honoured with a tribute video and a standing ovation from the sellout crowd inside Princess Auto Stadium. A defeat is never enjoyable, but that moment certainly took a bit of the sting out of the final result. 'I would not be telling the truth if I said there wasn't emotion going back into the building and being on the other side. We're humans, and they did a great tribute there during the game. I have such fond memories of the people there. It's the people there that I've been through it with and got relationships with,' Pierce said. 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. 'So, yeah, it was good to be back.' He paused briefly and revealed a telling grin. 'But we're excited to see them again, too.' X: @jfreysam Joshua Frey-SamReporter Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh. Every piece of reporting Josh 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.
