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Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Homecoming for Froese
One of the finest talents produced on a Manitoban soccer pitch has returned home. Kianz Froese, the Cuban-born and Winnipeg-raised attacking midfielder, agreed to a contract with Valour FC, the city's Canadian Premier League side, on Wednesday. The deal secures the 29-year-old for the remainder of the season, with an option for the club to bring him back in 2026. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Cuban-born, Winnipeg-raised midfielder Kianz Froese signed with the Winnipeg's Valour FC on Wednesday. 'I think he's one of the best players that Manitoba has produced,' said an excited head coach and GM Phillip Dos Santos, who first crossed paths with Froese as a teenager on the youth national team. Valour's goalkeeper coach, Patrick Di Stefani, coached Froese during their time with Manitoba's provincial program. 'He has a track record that — for any young Manitoba player — you look at and say, 'Man, I would like to have a career like the one he's had,'' Dos Santos added. 'And he's young, he's 29, he still has very good years ahead of him.' Froese hasn't played at home since he was 16. He's spent the last seven years playing professionally in Germany, where his mettle was tested while playing in the country's lower divisions with Fortuna Düsseldorf II, FC Saarbrücken, TSV Havelse and SV Wehen Wiesbaden. 'Hard,' Froese, who netted 32 goals in 190 matches, said of his time in Germany. 'It's a hard thing when you go abroad and get used to Germany as a culture. Extremely different. I mean, Canadians are extremely nice when you think about the culture and the way they treat you, and there, I think it's very demanding, in terms of sport, in terms of pressure — they are on it when it comes to sports. 'I had to adapt to that at the start. Then I got used to it. And then, obviously, at some point I didn't really remember it, but now I'm able to reflect back and say, 'Hey, look at the differences,' so it's kind of like a reflective time period right now for me.' Froese was a sensation as a young player in the Garden City area. It didn't take long for him to earn the attention of evaluators at the provincial and national level, as he later went on to play for Team Manitoba and take part in the National Training Camp (NTC) program. At 16, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy and quickly ascended through the ranks to make his professional debut in Major League Soccer in 2014. At 19, Froese made his debut with the Canadian men's national team in a friendly against Ghana, the first of two international caps he's earned. Now he returns to the place where it all started, with a wealth of experience behind him. 'I think it's nice to be in a familiar environment,' said Froese, who had offers to continue playing in Germany last year but decided to go back to Cuba. 'That's just part of who I am, in a sense, and even if I don't remember everything, I still feel that being back where I grew up, where I spent those early years, formative years of my life, is just a nice thing for me.' This was the right time for him to join a new club. If he didn't do it now, he said, it's unlikely he would've ever returned to the pitch. 'That's sort of the main point, and the reason why I chose Valour over whatever else I could have done, because that's kind of what I'm looking for.' Froese is exactly what Valour needs right now. Dos Santos credited him with possessing a level of decision-making and 'game intelligence' in the final third that the club is looking for. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Valour's head coach Phillip Dos Santos has high hopes that midfielder Kianz Froese (centre) will be the boost the club needs to climb in the Canadian Premier League standings. Winnipeg's side is once again struggling for offensive production. Valour, which currently sits seventh in a table of eight teams at 2-6-2, has nine goals in eight matches this season, tied with Vancouver FC for the second-fewest behind Pacific FC. 'Everyone sees it,' said Dos Santos. 'I think the common observer could see that. We were looking at our last five league games, where you outshoot the opposition… (but) there's actually an opportunity to maybe get in and put a teammate into closer spaces. So I think that he's a player that's going to give us that. He's a player that's gonna read those moments and increase the quality that we could have in those positions.' This will be Froese's debut season in the CPL. He is perhaps the biggest homegrown player that fans can cheer for since his once-close friend Marco Bustos, who scored seven times in Valour's inaugural season, then fled to West Coast rival Pacific. 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. 'Quality. Clarity in the final third. Explosiveness in space. We're not talking about straight-line fast here, we're talking about football fast. Experience — so many things,' Dos Santos said of Froese. 'Definition, goals, assists — but again, there's a process and the process is that it's still a player that's going to need time to get rhythm.' Dos Santos said it will be 'a few weeks' before Froese dons Valour's colours in a match. His last game action was July 2024, so the first step is re-establishing his conditioning for a 90-minute contest. 'He's almost going through a pre-season right now, so we're gonna take our time with him and make sure we have a healthy fit, and that he's ready when he's gonna step on the field for the first day,' Dos Santos said. Valour hosts second-place Forge FC (5-5-0) at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday (3:30 p.m.). 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Finding a better way than ramped up security
Opinion Manitoba's health-care system is facing a growing and unsettling challenge: increased violence at hospitals across the province. It's not only costing taxpayers millions of dollars more a year in increased security, it's creating unsafe working conditions for doctors, nurses and allied health staff. Manitoba's six regional health authorities spent $35.4 million on security measures last year, according to freedom of information documents obtained by the Free Press. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press HSC Emergency entrance It's a budget line that has been growing steadily over the past 10 years. It includes new institutional safety officers at Health Sciences Centre, more security staff at most Manitoba hospitals and an AI-powered weapon detector at three HSC entrances. While these measures may be necessary to preserve the safety of health-care staff and patients, the trend should trouble every Manitoban. This is not just a matter of dollars and cents. It is a symptom of a deeper, systemic failure to address the roots of violence and instability — particularly the overlapping crises of untreated mental illness and substance use disorders. As hospitals increasingly resemble high-security zones rather than healing environments, we must ask: What kind of society are we building, and why are we waiting until crisis hits to intervene? Nurses and other health-care professionals report being punched, spat on, bitten and threatened with weapons. There is no denying the immediate need for security in high-risk environments like emergency departments, especially in urban centres like Winnipeg. Violence cannot be tolerated or dismissed as 'part of the job.' But ramping up security spending — necessary as it may be in the short term — does not address the root causes of this disturbing trend. It is a reactive solution to a long-standing, preventable crisis. At the core of the issue lies the province's ongoing struggle with mental health and addictions. Front-line workers and health-care leaders alike have consistently pointed to the growing number of patients entering hospitals in acute psychiatric distress or in the throes of drug-induced psychosis. These individuals are often not criminals in the traditional sense — they are people who have fallen through the cracks of a fractured support system. Decades of underfunding community-based mental health care and addictions treatment have created a pipeline that leads directly into emergency rooms and correctional facilities. Early intervention is rare. Long wait times for mental health services are the norm. Harm reduction programs and supervised consumption sites — proven tools in addressing substance use disorders — remain politically contentious or under-resourced. Manitoba has still yet to open its first supervised consumption site. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. If Manitoba hopes to make its hospitals safer — truly safer — then the response must go far beyond security contracts. The province must invest more in mental health care at the community level: crisis response teams, detox centres, transitional housing and long-term supports that help people stabilize and reintegrate. This approach is not only more humane but also more fiscally responsible. Preventing a mental health crisis before it escalates into a violent outburst in an ER is far less costly than responding to it with guards, police and hospital lockdowns. The safety and well-being of health-care workers should be non-negotiable. Nurses, doctors and paramedics are already operating under intense pressure. Adding the threat of physical assault only worsens burnout and deepens the staffing crisis. It sends the message that those who dedicate their lives to helping others must simply endure abuse. That is unacceptable. If we truly value our health-care system, we must protect those who power it not just with guards and gates but with a commitment to prevention, equity and care. That means addressing mental illness and addiction as the public health crises they are — and ensuring that Manitoba's hospitals remain sanctuaries of healing, not battlegrounds.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
News briefs for Friday, June 6, 2025
A collection of breaking news briefs filed on Friday, June 6, 2025 9:45 PM The losing streak continues for the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The city's professional basketball team dropped its fifth consecutive game Friday in a 81-74 road loss to the Brampton Honey Badgers. It was the first win of the year for Brampton as they entered the contest at 0-6. The defeat drops Winnipeg to 1-5. The Sea Bears led 63-60 after three quarters but were outscored 21-11 in the final frame. Former Toronto Raptors guard Jalen Harris, who signed with the Sea Bears earlier this week, made his season debut and led Winnipeg in scoring with 17 points in 36 minutes. Forward Emmanuel Akot chipped in 13 points and point guard Terry Roberts had 12. The arrival of Harris gives the Sea Bears five imports and CEBL teams are only allowed to dress four. Backup big Solomon Young was scratched owing to the new addition. Brampton guard Koby Mcewen led all scorers with 23. The Honey Badgers outrebounded the Sea Bears 48-30. The Sea Bears are back in action today down the road in Scarborough to take on the Shooting Stars (3-1). Winnipeg returns home Wednesday to host the Montreal Alliance at the Canada Life Centre. — staff 3:34 PM A 12-year-old boy has gone missing from his 'temporary residence' in the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul. RCMP say Charlie Bird was reported missing at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night from the location on Masters Avenue. Bird was last seen headed east on Grassmere Road near Highway 8. Mounties think he might be in Winnipeg. He's 5-2 and 110 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He was last wearing a black sweater and black pants and might have a large bruise on his neck. RCMP are asking anyone with information to call the Red River North detachment at 204-667-6519 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or online. 2:04 PM Provincial infrastructure officials are warning motorists to be extra cautious Saturday while crews of volunteers clean the roadsides of Manitoba highways. Manitoban 4-H clubs will send out young members in crews to roadsides across the province from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting. If it rains, crews will instead go out June 14. The volunteers will wear safety vests and the areas being cleaned up will be marked by signage. 'Motorists are reminded to be aware of the added foot traffic alongside Manitoba's highways and roads, keep a safe distance between their vehicles and any traffic barriers, trucks, equipment and volunteers, slow down in marked cleanup areas and remove all distractions to ensure they are paying attention to the road,' the province said in a news release Friday. 1:27 PM Following four days of feedback and debate, Winnipeg city council has approved sweeping changes to zoning bylaws that aim to attract more home construction. Council ultimately voted overnight in favour of the changes, which will allow up to four housing units to be built on a single lot in most residential areas, and permit fourplexes up to 12 metres tall within 800 metres of high-frequency transit stops. In a news release, the mayor's office said the changes will ensure more than $450 million of federal funding flows through to Winnipeg. The federal government made the significant zoning changes a requirement to claim housing, sewage and transit funding. 'These changes are about the future of our city,' said Mayor Scott Gillingham, in the release. 'We're growing fast, and we need to make sure there's room for everyone — young workers, families, and older adults alike. These updates will help ensure Winnipeg stays affordable and competitive while making the best use of our existing infrastructure.' Council will vote on a bylaw to implement the changes next week. 1:21 PM The province's police oversight agency says no charges are warranted against Winnipeg officers in a December incident in which a man fell on ice and broke his leg after police used a Taser on him. The Winnipeg Police Service notified the Independent Investigation Unit of the incident on Dec. 20 last year. City police said officers were called at about 2:40 a.m. on Dec. 19 about an intoxicated man armed with a knife trying to stab someone around the 400 block of Furby Street. Police found him brandishing the weapon and instead of dropping it as told, he walked toward them, the IIU said. An officer then used the Taser. The man was taken to hospital, where doctors found he had two broken bones in his right leg. The IIU said Friday no charges would be laid against any police, after conducting a number of interviews with witnesses and the man whose leg was broken. 12:58 PM A mother and her two children were threatened and assaulted at gunpoint in their McCreary home in the early morning hours on Thursday. Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP were called to the home on 4th Avenue in McCreary, which is about 140 kilometres northwest of Brandon, at about 2:45 a.m. Mounties were told by the homeowner that a woman she knew assaulted her and her kids inside the home and threatened them with a gun. The victim, 30, ran with her kids to a neighbour's home to call police, RCMP say. No one was seriously hurt. Local RCMP, along with the police dog and drone units, searched for the suspect and found her outside a home on Broderick Street. Officers on the ground then arrested the suspect, but did not find the gun. Lacey Campbell, 38 of McCreary, is charged with pointing a firearm, assault, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and a court order breach. 11:47 AM Snow Lake residents have been ordered to leave the northern Manitoba community by noon Saturday due to an out-of-control wildfire that is burning in the region. The town of about 1,100 residents announced a mandatory evacuation order Friday. 'You must leave because of the danger to your health and safety,' a notice published on the town's Facebook page said. A state of local emergency and a 48-hour evacuation notice were previously declared. Mayor Ron Scott previously said a mandatory evacuation would be ordered if the fire moved closer to town. 11:40 AM Manitoba public health officials are warning people may have been exposed to measles at two locations in the province late last month. Officials said anyone who was at Green Valley School at 212 Oak Ave. in Grunthal on May 20 between 8:50 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. should monitor for symptoms of the highly infectious disease until June 11. Anyone who was at the Manitoba Museum at 190 Rupert Ave. in Winnipeg on May 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. should also monitor for symptoms until June 11, officials said. The public health department has reached out to the Grunthal school to notify staff, volunteers and families of students to provide advice, including with letters, officials said. Anyone who was at either location should check their records and make sure they're up to date with the measles vaccine. 10:56 AM The Assiniboine Park Zoo is welcoming a new addition with the recent arrival of a pack of five grey wolves. The addition of Chinook (male, seven years), Gigi (female, seven years), Comet (male, three years), Stella (female, three years), and Virgo (female, three years) comes after the passing of Bear, the last member of the zoo's original wolf pack, in March. The wolves arrived from the Greater Vancouver Zoo on Thursday. 'Grey wolves are an iconic Canadian species that can be found across the country, including right here in Manitoba,' said Dr. Chris Enright, Senior Director of Zoological Operations, Assiniboine Park Zoo. 'Unfortunately, fear and misunderstanding have led to instances of human-wolf conflict and, in some cases, overhunting. Educating people about the critical role keystone species like wolves play in their ecosystems and why they should be protected is an important part of what we do here at the zoo.' The grey wolves are the latest in a long string of new animals to be introduced to zoo visitors since last fall, including three red pandas, a great horned owl and and scarlet ibis, among many others. The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 10:31 AM Drivers will need to find an alternate route around Portage Avenue East at the start of next week. A city press release notes a two-day closure to all traffic will begin at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 9 to allow for paving. The city expects to reopen the street, with some restrictions, after dusk on June 10.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
4-H clubs to clean rural roadsides Saturday
Provincial infrastructure officials are warning motorists to be extra cautious Saturday while crews of volunteers clean the roadsides of Manitoba highways. Manitoban 4-H clubs will send out young members in crews to roadsides across the province from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting. If it rains, crews will instead go out June 14. The volunteers will wear safety vests and the areas being cleaned up will be marked by signage. 'Motorists are reminded to be aware of the added foot traffic alongside Manitoba's highways and roads, keep a safe distance between their vehicles and any traffic barriers, trucks, equipment and volunteers, slow down in marked cleanup areas and remove all distractions to ensure they are paying attention to the road,' the province said in a news release Friday.
Winnipeg Free Press
04-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘He's just getting going'
Two provincial teams, a Zone 4 AA championship and, most recently, an invitation to the Canadian U16 Men's National Team training camp roster — Kaj Willms is building quite the resumé just a year and a half into his basketball career. The 15-year-old out of Rossendale — a small community nestled southeast of Portage la Prairie — stands taller than all of his teammates at Westpark School at 6-11 and is also standing out in the national team program. Willms took up basketball after Grade 8, encouraged by his uncle and Westpark Royals head coach Dave Britton, which eventually led him to try out at the National Team ID camp hosted by Canada Basketball in September. SUPPLIED Rossendale's Kaj Willms already has two provincial teams, a Zone 4 AA championship and a National Team training camp invitation on his resumé. From there, Willms was invited, along with 32 other hopeful hoopsters, to the U16 Men's High Performance National Team Assessment Camp over Easter weekend in Toronto. It was at that camp where Willms was told that he was selected to attend the U16 National Team's training camp at the end of May. 'It was pretty crazy to me that, me being from where I'm from, from my little school, that I would make it all the way to be selected to this camp,' said Willms. 'That was just shocking to me.' Willms was the lone Manitoban at the camp, who tried out with 15 other athletes to represent Canada in the FIBA U16 Men's AmeriCup 2025, going June 2-8 in Juárez, Mexico. Although Willms did not make the final 12-player roster, he says the experience was good for his development. 'It was great to match up against some of the best guys in the country, well, the best guys in the country,' Willms said. 'I could see myself improving every practice and so could the coaches, and they made sure to let me know that I was doing very well and that I was improving a lot.' Willms is now back at home and will continue training with the U17 provincial team as a roster player, coached by Dan Becker. 'He has been instrumental in Kaj's development,' said Corey Willms, Kaj's father. 'He saw him at the junior academy a year and a half ago, and then invited to play on his club team in Winnipeg. That was a great experience for Kaj.' Becker supported Kaj as he tried out for his first provincial team last year with the U15s and says the young player is developing at a fast rate. 'He was tall,' said Becker, recalling his first impression of the Rossendale native. 'He was very tall for his age. He moved quite well for his age, he had good hands, and he listened well and was competitive.' SUPPLIED Rossendale's Kaj Willms has only being playing basketball for a year and a half. In addition to making provincial teams and attending national camps, Willms also helped his Westpark Royals varsity basketball team win the Zone 4 AA championship in February, defeating the Roseau Valley Raiders 82-70. 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. 'He's hit a lot of milestones,' said Becker. 'His strengths are aggressiveness, rebounding the ball and finishing near the rim. He actually has a nice shooting touch, too.' Willms says he wants to keep working on his offensive game and hopes to one day play NCAA Division I basketball in the U.S. 'He's got to build the confidence and experience just for the game to come naturally, the shooting in the games,' said Becker. 'But he has that ability so I expect to see that come into play in the next year or so.' 'He's just getting going.'
