r/Winnipeg

Wanted to share the story about my friend who fractured a finger last night.

Got a call from some friends asking for help after one of them fractured their finger at about 9 PM. Some suggested visiting urgent care, but I told them to sign up on Medinav to see where we could go since I knew a visit to urgent care or the ER would have our night taken away and waiting for 7-8 hours.

Medinav listed the St Boniface primary care extended hours clinic as the only place accepting walk ins at the time, so we went there.

Granted, we entered at 10:20 and they closed at 11:00 so there was no line or wait, but we got seen, x rayed, and sent home in about less than an hour.

This thoroughly impressed me as someone whose past experiences with hospitals is attributed to long, boring, >5 hour waits. It was also nice to know that we weren't clogging up the emergency/urgent care waiting rooms and contributing to long wait times. We were told that the emergency room upstairs had a 15 hour wait.

There's still a long way to go for our healthcare system to become perfect, but last night gave me some hope knowing that changes are being made and work is being done. It was nice to see that I, along with what I assume many others have had their experiences improved by such changes.

If you aren't already signed up on Medinav, do it now, and let those around you know that they can do the same. We have a part in improving this system too.

BRANDON — The chief of Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation says he did not consent to the return of motorboats at Clear Lake.

Chief Dwayne Sonny Blackbird, responding Wednesday to Parks Canada’s boat policy announcement, said the decision did not reflect a collaborative or mutually supported outcome, even though engagement sessions took place.

“Our people have a sacred responsibility to protect these waters,” Blackbird said in a public letter. “Engagement without consent is not partnership, it is process without authority. We will not allow our rights to be interpreted as agreement where none has been given.”

He said the First Nation, which has land on the northwest shore of Clear Lake, would continue to assert its jurisdiction in all matters concerning the lake and surrounding lands.

Parks Canada announced Wednesday it would allow motorized watercraft to return to Clear Lake in 2026 for five out of seven days per week, with bans at dawn and dusk during “quiet” periods and an expanded no-wake zone.

A number of prevention measures for aquatic invasive species have also been mandated for the year.

Blackbird came forward last year as the source of a legal threat that helped push Parks Canada to ban motorboats in 2025. Internal Parks Canada documents obtained by the Brandon Sun showed that Keeseekoowenin was arguing to protect its Section 35 constitutional rights to fish at the lake.

Blackbird did not provide a comment on Friday when contacted by the Sun.

Some of the First Nation’s residents feel the new policy is a setback after 30 years of consultations, James Plewak, a resident of the First Nation and senior official for the Coalition of First Nations with Interests in Riding Mountain National Park, said.

Plewak said he does not feel the First Nation’s position has been reflected in the new policy.

“Practically, none of the issues, the points within policy, were discussed at the table,” Plewak said Friday. “I just want to say that I am disappointed with the new approach that the new superintendent has taken.”

A big concern with motorboats is that they are a vector for bringing in invasive species that damage the health of the lake, Plewak said.

He added that Wednesday’s announcement was a symptom of a bigger problem.

“It’s not just boats and motorboats and allowing the lake to open up, but the whole issue of recognition and respect by Parks Canada,” he said. “We are rights holders, and we believe that we should be dealt with as such. Unfortunately, it seems that in this process, with the new superintendent, we’re now relegated to the position of stakeholder.”

He said the First Nation is considering its next steps.

“We’re looking at our options, and we’ll make what we feel will be the best decision. Whether we go to legal avenues or not, we’re weighing our options,” he said. “Certainly, we’re not going to do nothing.”

Parks Canada did not provide a response to Blackbird’s letter before deadline Friday, but a spokesperson said the federal agency would issue a statement in the future.

The decision to allow motorboats and introduce new management measures followed several months of public-engagement sessions, consultation with Indigenous groups, environmental monitoring and a review of literature, Parks Canada said in its announcement.

The aquatic invasive species program will also continue to require all watercraft, fishing equipment, wet suits and inflatable toys to be inspected by Parks Canada staff, and that equipment must be properly cleaned and drained, it added.

The agency also announced it would accelerate the advancement of a joint stewardship or management agreement with Blackbird and Keeseekoowenin, and support the First Nation’s continued participation in a monitoring program of the lake’s ecological integrity.

Plewak said he was surprised to see Parks Canada refer to the management agreement in the boating announcement.

“It’s being presented as some sort of win for the First Nation,” Plewak said. “It’s meaningless, because we are already dealing with it. It’s something we already have, and we already have a timeline on it. We’re about 90 per cent concluded on it, and it’s just some phrases and points in law that we need clarification on.”

Parks Canada’s website says a fishing station established in 1896 was designated for the First Nation and then wrongly removed in 1930. It was returned in 1991 following lengthy negotiations.

The site is seen as a place of healing to members of Keeseekoowenin, Blackbird said last year.

— Brandon Sun

The Bear Clan Patrol has settled a defamation lawsuit launched by its founder as the future of the non-profit community safety organization remains unclear.

Former executive director James Favel said the settlement — financial details of which he wouldn’t disclose — compensates him for being wrongly accused by the organization and its then-board chair.

“I didn’t want to sue them into dust… (but) a settlement for me was vindication,” Favel said Friday.

“I wanted to make sure it was on the public record that they settled with me. I sued for wrongful dismissal and defamation and they settled because they were wrong in what they did.

“It was all untrue.”

Favel, who co-founded the Bear Clan in 2014, launched the lawsuit in 2022, alleging board chair Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais had defamed him in a 2020 social media post, by calling him a slang word for a sex offender.

Robinson-Desjarlais, a former CTV and APTN newscaster and the daughter of former Manitoba cabinet minister Eric Robinson, did not comment on the matter saying in an email: “I wish I could speak to this.”

Her Facebook site indicates she now lives in Calgary.

Bear Clan executive director Kevin Walker did not respond to multiple messages Thursday and Friday.

Longtime community activist Sel Burrows called the situation tragic.

“We have lost one of the best crime prevention organizations,” Burrows said. “The tragedy is James Favel was the heart and soul of that organization and he was forced out on fake charges. The people who forced him out should be ashamed of themselves… Favel was an inspiration for many.”

The settlement, which was finalized in January, Manitoba Court of King’s Bench documents say, comes after the Bear Clan’s charitable status was revoked by the Canada Revenue Agency.

CRA spokesperson Sylvie Branch confirmed the organization lost its status on July 5, 2025, for failing to submit an annual information return. The return includes revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities of charitable organizations.

“When an organization has been revoked of its charitable status, amongst other consequences, it can no longer issue official donation receipts and no longer qualifies for an exemption from income tax as a registered charity,” Branch said in a statement.

The Bear Clan’s last filed return, in 2024, showed the organization had brought in $367,676 in revenue and had $275,104 in expenses, including $183,538 for salaries.

The form states the organization received $100,000 in government funding, while employing two staff earning between $40,000 and $79,999 and one receiving between $1 and $39,999.

In 2023, the organization reported its total revenue was $341,333 while expenses were $567,932. It also noted the organization was paying wages totalling $328,668 to five full-time employees and 11 part-time employees.

There was no government funding received in 2023.

A provincial spokesman said the province had a three-year, $100,000 per year, funding agreement with the Bear Clan that ended on March 31.

“No new agreement has been established and the province would assess any impacts related to the change in the organization’s charitable status in future funding decisions,” the spokesman said.

A statement on the Bear Clan’s Facebook site says the revocation of its charitable status “was the result of administrative filings not being completed on time.

“There has been no misuse of funds or wrongdoing.”

The statement goes on to say there is a new board in place working with “professional advisers” to pursue getting its charitable status reinstated.

“Despite recent administrative challenges, our commitment to the community has remained steady and patrols continue.”

As for Favel, he says he has moved on. He has since founded a successful business which helps Indigenous communities outside of the city deal with crises.

“I’m thankful the way things turned out because it improved my life dramatically — but the community suffered,” he said.

“All that we built is gone. The Bear Clan lost its charitable status. We used to have five offices on Selkirk Avenue and they’re all gone. Just everything I built was systematically disassembled brick by brick.”

Favel said the loss includes a food program that started with a couple of bags of apples and oranges and grew to 250 tonnes of produce, baked goods, dairy and meat given out each year.

“These people pushed me out, took it over, said they knew better, and then systematically destroyed something that took me six years to build and for what?” he said.

“It’s sad, it’s really sad.”

I don’t drink coffee/tea but would love to spend some time relaxing in a coffee shop (or restaurant) with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Any recommendations?

Someone asked about this on a wedding subreddit, and the answer was overwhelmingly yes. Any form of cash bar is rude because you are inviting people to your event and it should be expected that nobody spends anything.

I am in the process of planning my wedding and was considering having a cash bar for the later portion of the night because weddings are already so expensive. However, once I saw that, I am rethinking that idea. But I also thought.. maybe it’s regional. Because I have been to weddings with a cash bar and not only did I not think it was rude, I just didn’t think about it at all. I would think it was rude if we didn’t even get a bottle of wine for free at tbe table but a cash bar after dinner seems reasonable to me. But I need more people’s opinions outside my own!

How do others in Winnipeg feel about a cash bar at a wedding?

Hey All,

Just genuinely curious- after bills, groceries, rent etc are paid, do you guys have money left over to have any fun?

Would love to hear your answers!

Hoping to relive my chinese bbq cravings in Vancouver. Specially those crispy skin, fatty roast pork. Im wondering if we have a good one here. I used to go to Evergreen but that one is closed for good :’(. Heard the owners kids don’t want to take over the biz.

Just wanted to send virtual flowers to the staff of Bulk Barn and the two other folks who were at the store today when an old man collapsed. It really warmed my heart to see how many of us went to help.

The weather is finally getting better!

That means our old folks will be enjoying going out to shop, walk around and meet with their friends again.

Same as those parking lot scammers! Last year i was able to help an older gent out of situation at polo park. An suv with calgary plate asking for help so he can have gas money in return they will flash a fake jewelry as trade for cash. Another incident happen to me personally at fresh co jefferson where a group of women cornered my mom as i ask her to go ahead to the car as i left my receipt. Same situation their offering perfume as a trade because they need cash for gas.

Please warn your folks!

Enjoy the weekend!

A 69-year-old woman is in hospital after being hit by a car Thursday evening in west Winnipeg.

Police were called just before 5 p.m. to Country Club Boulevard, just south of Portage Avenue.

The woman was rushed to hospital in critical condition and later upgraded to stable, police said in a news release on Friday.

A compact car with a damaged windshield was parked near an apartment building that is a seniors' housing complex.

The driver stayed at the scene and spoke with officers. The collision is still under investigation.

Anyone with information or who may have dashcam, security or cellphone video from around the time of the incident is asked to contact police at 204-986-7085.

Anonymous tips can also be called in to Crime Stoppers 204-786-8477 or submitted online (https://www.winnipegcrimestoppers.org/).

A local organization that rescues abandoned and orphaned black bears is considering legal action to prevent a quarry from being developed near its facility.

Judy Stearns, owner of Black Bear Rescue Manitoba, said she’s “extremely disappointed” in the RM of Rockwood council after members voted 4-2 in favour of an application to operate the quarry. The application was put forward by Amrize, a North American building solutions company.

Stearns explained that her rescue was intentionally set up in a quiet location so as not to cause any extra stress on the vulnerable animals. She said this quarry could have a negative impact on the cubs.

“To have a quarry next door and chronic stress on the cubs from the noise and the vibrations and vehicles and dust and everything that goes on with the quarry operation is just not conducive to running a rescue here,” she said in an interview on Thursday.

Stearns added it would be a major undertaking to move the rescue from its current location in Stonewall, noting that it already has all its infrastructure and enclosures in place.

“It would be millions of dollars, and it would take a lot of time,” she said.

Moving forward, Stearns said the rescue is evaluating its options, including legal action.

She said they will review the council meeting minutes and come up with a plan for how to fight this decision.

“We will definitely be fighting this because we can’t afford to lose the province’s only bear rescue.”

CTV News has reached out to the RM of Rockwood and Amrize for comment. We are waiting to hear back.

Apologies for a post that is more suited to r/lawncare but hoping to get local insights.

So my backyard is all weed and wild grass now. The snow has just melted here in Winnipeg and I am wondering if I go nuts with grass seed right now, will it help at all ? my current plan is to buy bags of Scotts Turf Builder Green Max Grass Seed Mix 8kg from Costco (or some better seed, if I can find some) and then just rake it all in and hope the grass germinates and out paces the weeds.

Does this seem like a good idea? can I go without adding soil on top of the seeds ? When should I start watering ? Any help would be most appreciated

The Omand's Creek footbridge between Omand Park and Halter Park is now flooded. This is the footbridge right beside the Assiniboine River between the two parks. It looks like it might stay flooded until the Assiniboine River recedes.

Hi I am in a situation with my dog, I have no where to go with him because the last place I was at decided they don’t like the size of him. I am in desperate need of a big dog friendly rental.

I don’t want to surrender my dog at all! But that’s not even an option due to there being no space in shelters and no one I know is willing to take him. Please I need help if anyone knows anyone or any place that is big dog friendly let me know!

I am going on a date with my colleague tonight and I can’t decide for my life where to take her for dinner after the movie. We are both vegans/vegetarians, what do you guys suggest?

I have tried Cafe 22 and really like it but thought we could try something new. I was thinking La Roca, or Pump house but not sure if they have any good vegetarian options or maybe something Indian, IDK.

Also any suggestions for the date?????