Free Press Head Start for July 28, 2025
The Winnipeg Goldeyes are on a stretch of home games, taking on the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks tonight in the first of three challenges. Tonight's start time is 6:30 p.m. Today's must-read
Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie is prepared to exhaust his ward's community fund — transferring roughly $45,000 to $50,000 — to support St. Boniface Street Links in dealing with the growing encampment issue in North Point Douglas.
'I shouldn't have to, as other needs in my ward need this money, but my residents have spoken,' Eadie wrote, later telling the F ree Press he's dealing with the 'immediate need' in his ward. Scott Billeck has the story. On the bright side
Two-time cancer survivor Jon Fenton is planning to swim from Victoria Beach to Gimli to raise money for medical research. The 61-year-old is hoping to embark on the 26-kilometre journey in August.
'If they see an old geezer getting into the water to attempt to cross a lake, maybe they'll think, 'If he can go through it twice, maybe I'll be all right,'' he told the Free Press. Matthew Frank reports.
Two-time cancer survivor Jon Fenton, 61, is embarking on a 26-kilometre swim to raise money for cancer research. (Supplied) On this date
On July 28, 1924: The Manitoba Free Press reported the United Weston football club of Winnipeg, after many years of vying for the Connaught Cup, realized its ambition when it held the Canadian Explosives of Montreal to a draw, thus winning the series and capturing the trophy emblematic of the Dominion football championship. In Geneva, the League of Nations predicted a quick return to the prewar system of worldwide alliances that led to the conflagration of 1914-1918. Read the rest of this day's paper here. Search our archives for more here.
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Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
La Barrière Park unveils new cricket pitches
All coaches, athletes and fans of one of the fastest growing sports in Manitoba were winners on Saturday at the unveiling of the province's 'epicentre of cricket.' La Barrière Park is now home to three regulation-sized cricket pitches, practice cages and shade structures. 'Sports like cricket bring so many people together. If you come to watch the play here you'll (hear many accents),' said Bhavana Bonde, a cricket enthusiast and landscape architect from Architecture49, the Winnipeg-based firm tasked with designing the project. MAGGIE MACINTOSH / FREE PRESS From left: Cricketers Milan Dave, 25, of Winnipeg, and Heaven Brar, a 32-year-old from Calgary, competed in a weekend tournament at La Barriere Park. Bonde said the park is being frequented by cricketers who are South Indian, Punjabi, Australian, Carribean Islanders and New Zealanders, among others. The community of local cricketers is far more organized and larger now than it was when she first moved to Canada from India more than 25 years ago. The Manitoba Cricket Association's registration has quadrupled over the last four years. Its 2025 roster includes 72 competitive teams, up from 18. Equipped with bats, balls and matching uniforms, competitors from across the Prairies descended on La Barrière Park, a 323-acre site just south of the Perimeter Highway, for a long-weekend tournament. The competition served as the backdrop for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was interrupted, perhaps fittingly, when a cricket ball went astray. The City of Winnipeg and MCA co-hosted the grand opening; while the park is outside city limits, local councillors footed the majority of the $1.5-million construction project that began in 2018. Audience members were told a recent surge in newcomers from countries where cricket is a national sport is primarily driving its growth in Manitoba. At the same time, Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) argued the ball-and-bat game is as much a part of Manitoba history as hockey. The North-West Cricket Club was founded in Manitoba in 1864, several years before Louis Riel is credited for launching the Red River Rebellion. Riel and other Métis leaders constructed a successful barrier — the namesake for the new cricket venue — in 1869 to protect their land from the government of the day. 'Cricket has been played in Manitoba now for over 150 years. Over 150 years!' Lukes told the grand opening of what she called 'the epicentre of cricket in Manitoba.' Multiple city councillors spoke about fielding complaints from residents about cricketers transforming parking lots into cricket pitches due to the lack of designated facilities for athletes. MAGGIE MACINTOSH / FREE PRESS La Barrière Park is now home to three regulation-sized cricket pitches, practice cages and shade structures. MCA president Paramjit Shahi said his goal is to develop a fourth pitch on the grounds of La Barrière Park and install an irrigation system, bleachers and floodlights. 'This is just a start,' Shahi said, adding he wants to bring in lighting so athletes can compete into the early hours of the morning. As is, it remains the biggest outdoor cricket facility in western Canada, he noted. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. There are currently outdoor fields in Assiniboine Park, the Maples and Waverley West. They host approximately 400 formal games every year, combined. MCA is actively lobbying politicians to support the development of a pitch in Portage la Prairie. Players from Winkler and Brandon currently drive to Winnipeg to play, Shahi said. 'This is one of the reasons I'm staying in Winnipeg,' said Milan Dave, a cricketer who is originally from India, gesturing to the new field he competed on Saturday. 'I've made so many friends — the (cricket) community is really good.' 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
RedHawks teach Goldeyes a lesson
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks showed the Winnipeg Goldeyes why they're in the final West Division playoff spot — and the Goldeyes are not — Wednesday evening, making it look easy with a lopsided 10-4 victory in front of 4,540 people at Blue Cross Park to complete the series sweep. The Goldeyes barely had time to find hope for a win before the RedHawks blew things wide open in what was a game-costing start for pitcher Mitchell Lambson. On just the second swing of the game, the RedHawks got on the board, with Lamar Sparks blasting a home run over the left field fence. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg's Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble entertained fans throughout Wednesday's game. A couple of outs later, it was RedHawks designated hitter Brendon Dadson who sent a home run of his own out of Blue Cross Park, this time over the right field fence, to give his squad a 2-0 lead at the top of the first. It was the second inning when the Goldeyes' grave was dug, as the RedHawks pushed seven runs across to open up a 9-0 advantage. 'He's been doing this a very long time,' said Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins of Lambson. 'I promise that wasn't the first time he's had an outing like that, and he'll bounce back. It's pretty obvious, when we hit well, we win. We typically pitch well enough to be right there to keep every team we play — with the exception of tonight — to about three, four or five runs. But we're only scoring two, three, four runs right now, it feels like. So yeah, we gotta hit.' For a Goldeyes team that sat second-last in runs and hits in the American Association going into the game, the kind of explosive offence needed to put together a comeback just hasn't been around this season. The Goldeyes are now sitting 12 games back from the Western playoff line, and being swept by the team they are trying to chase in the standings, it goes without saying that it's not the outcome the Fish needed or wanted. 'We have a full month to do it,' said Watkins of climbing back up the standings. 'We probably need a couple of the teams ahead of us to go cold, which can happen. Sioux City snuck into the playoffs last year by getting really hot the last three weeks of the season, so it's not impossible.' Matthew Warkentin scored the first run for the Goldeyes in the bottom of the second, which was followed by another run by the RedHawks in the top of the third. Lambson lasted 4 2/3 innings before being relieved by Derrick Cherry, allowing 11 hits, 10 runs and walking two. 'We're pitching well enough to have a chance with the exception of tonight,' said Watkins. 'But we got to start hitting the ball, it's that simple.' The Goldeyes had a small comeback attempt towards the end of the game, starting in the sixth, with Roby Enríquez's double driving in Keshawn Lynch and Warkentin, before Jacob Robson sent his ninth home run of the season over left field in the seventh to cut the lead to 10-4. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Goldeyes southpaw starter Mitchell Lambson had a night to forget Wednesday against the RedHawks. It was not nearly enough, as the Goldeyes, who have dropped their last five, fell to 27-43 on the season. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Fans at Blue Cross Park were still energetic and cheering loudly, regardless, especially for the Goldeyes' ninth annual Ukrainian Night, which sprinkled celebrations of Ukrainian culture throughout the evening. The Hooslie Ukrainian Male Chorus started the night off, singing the Ukrainian, American and Canadian national anthems, and the Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble performed traditional Ukrainian dances in the pregame show and between innings. 'That's one of the reasons that the best fans in this league are here in Winnipeg,' said Watkins. 'It's easy to show up and cheer on a team that's playing well, it's not when the team is struggling, but you still show up and are still into the game and being supportive. And I know the guys really appreciate that.' The Goldeyes hit the road today, where they will face the Milwaukee Milkmen. Game one starts at 6:35 p.m.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Jets sign Samberg to three-year deal
The Winnipeg Jets have avoided arbitration and agreed to terms with defenceman Dylan Samberg on a three-year deal that carries an average annual value of US$5.75 million. That's a significant raise from the US$1.4 million Samberg made on his previous deal, but the term is lower than most of the projections anticipated. The expectation was that given Samberg's emergence as a top-four blue-liner that plays heavy minutes at five-on-five and the penalty kill that he would sign for a longer term, somewhere in the range of six-to-eight years. Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg (54) can become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 29. (Erin Hooley / The Associated Press files) Instead, Samberg has chosen to bet on himself and can become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 29. During his first season playing regularly on the second pair with partner Neal Pionk, Samberg had an outstanding campaign, producing a career-high six goals and 20 points in 60 games while providing high-end defensive play. He's a fearless shot-blocker with excellent hockey sense and his ability to kill plays allowed him to increase his playing time by five-and-a-half minutes per game. While there is certainly some risk for the Jets in not signing Samberg to a longer-term deal, a three-year contract extends their competitive window. 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. Samberg was the final restricted free agent for Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and company to get done and his arbitration hearing was scheduled for Wednesday morning. This deal leaves the Jets with just under $4 million of cap space according to Puck Pedia, with a full 23-man roster. The Jets were able to get new deals done for all three players who filed for arbitration: Samberg and forwards Gabe Vilardi and Morgan Barron, which means Cheveldayoff will continue the process of looking for extensions for captain Adam Lowry and sniper Kyle Connor, both of whom are eligible to be unrestricted free agents on July 1 of 2026. X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld Ken WiebeReporter Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken. Every piece of reporting Ken 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.
