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Winnipeg Free Press
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Provincial code of conduct in schools protects students from gender, sexual orientation disclosure
As other provinces police LGBTTQ+ pronouns in schools, Manitoba is doubling down on its support for students to explore their identities on their own timeline. The Education Department released a new provincial code of conduct for kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools on June 11. The 38-page document provides guidance on how to navigate student behaviour issues and communicate with caregivers when necessary. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES High school teacher Kay Wojnarski, pictured at a rally in support of transgender programming in 2023, says she is impressed and relieved to see protections for queer and transgender students in the new provincial code of conduct for kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools students. It states that, when a principal believes a student has been harmed by a peer's behaviour, they must — 'as soon as reasonably possible' — notify the families of all those involved. 'Some students who are part of the (LGBTTQ+) community may not have disclosed or shared their identity beyond the school community,' it adds. 'Discretion must be exercised to protect students from harm in disclosing gender identity or sexual orientation.' High school teacher Kay Wojnarski said she was impressed and relieved to see that explicit reference to protections for queer and transgender students. Wojnarski called it 'unethical, conceited and irreversibly damaging' to disclose a student's sexuality or gender identity without their consent. 'A student who is betrayed by adults meant to protect them will not feel safe or cared for in their learning environment,' said the teacher who runs a gender-sexuality alliance at her school in Winnipeg. She noted that students need to be treated as human beings with agency and dignity 'rather than as property.' The use of pronouns other than the ones students were assigned at birth has fuelled the 'parental rights movement' and caught the attention of lawmakers across the country. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta have introduced legislation in recent years requiring that schools obtain parental consent before addressing an underage student by their chosen name and gender identity-related pronouns. New Brunswick has loosened its rules so students under 16 now only need approval to change a name on report cards and other official school records. Teachers in Saskatchewan and Alberta continue to notify families if a student aged 16 or younger wants to be addressed differently during the school day. Manitoba Education Minister Tracy Schmidt called K-12 student families 'our No.1 partner,' but she said her department also recognizes teacher expertise. 'We believe in educators as professionals.… Every day, we trust them to make choices that have student safety as their top priority,' Schmidt told the Free Press. The code of conduct indicates that parents and caregivers should be alerted about the general nature and impact of bullying and other inappropriate behaviour involving students. While noting that principals have obligations to protect personal information, it says they are required to disclose 'more information beyond the fact that (disciplinary) measures have been taken.' Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. The household of a child who has been targeted is supposed to be told if an intervention plan is being developed, a suspension is being issued or privileges were removed. Principals have been given seven months to align local rules with the Provincial Code of Conduct: Behaviour Intervention and Response Using a Student-Centred and Strengths-Based Approach. Lillian Klausen, president of the Manitoba Teachers' Society, said a reporter was the first to bring the document to her attention and she had yet to review it in full. 'Naturally, we're in favour of anything that protects our students,' she said in a statement. 'We're looking forward to a full consultation with government before the code goes into effect.' 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
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Five Takeaways: Back-to-back beat downs a rarity for Bombers
The last time the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost consecutive games by 20-plus points, Brady Oliveria was still in high school, Zach Collaros was a third-year pro and Mike O'Shea was a rookie head coach. Oct. 3 and 13, 2014: a 42-20 rout by the Ottawa Redblacks, followed by an embarrassing 41-9 defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Elks. Those results came during some dark days that are fortunately long behind the Blue and Gold, but the club's recent stretch of performances has left reason to revisit those times. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Brady Oliveira (20) makes the first down against the Calgary Stampeders during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025. Friday's 41-20 loss to the Calgary Stampeders at Princess Auto Stadium marked the second straight lopsided decision that the Bombers have been on the wrong side of — both against the Stampeders. The first, which came on the road, was a wake-up call for a team that had cruised to a 3-0 record out of the gates. The second has put a spotlight on some of the team's weak points that it had been able to mask in the first month of the season. Of course, there's no hiding an absent starting quarterback, which is what the Bombers could be faced with as Collaros exited the contest in the second quarter after the back of his head smacked the turf following a big hit. Collaros' health will be top priority, but in the meantime, the Bombers are reeling at 3-2 and need to recapture some of their earlier magic. Friday's loss was particularly meaningful in the standings, as Calgary wrapped up the season series with Winnipeg and now owns the regular-season tie-breaker. With both teams expected to be in the thick of the West Division playoff race, this could loom large when it comes to home-field advantage in the postseason. With consecutive matchups against the Stamps now in the rear-view mirror, the Bombers now turn their attention to a home-and-home with the Toronto Argonauts, which begins on the road at BMO Field on Saturday, July 26. Before we turn the page to Week 8, let's revisit the latest contest with a new edition of Five Takeaways. Calgary had already proved they would be a contender in the West, but their latest win has established some clear tier breaks in the division. The Stamps are the class of the West by themselves currently, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Bombers grouped in a tier behind them. The last three weeks have seen the Stamps own the Bombers at home, then follow with consecutive dominant road performances against both prairie squads. They also own the best record in the CFL, and an argument can be made that they are the best team in the league right now, with Montreal (4-2) dealing with an injured starting quarterback and Hamilton (3-2) fielding a vulnerable defence. This is another good time to remind readers that many pundits pencilled Calgary in as the bottom-dwellers of the West Division. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) throws as he gets pressure from the Calgary Stampeders during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025. At the time of writing, they are the league's No. 1 scoring offence and defence, and do not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Who knows how long the Bombers will be without Collaros? If it's a concussion — O'Shea would not confirm the nature of his QB's injury after the game — he must complete a five-stage protocol to return to play, which does not have a defined length and can vary by severity and the individual. That means backup Chris Streveler could be looking at his second start of the season. The Bombers have already seen the good and the bad of the fan favourite this season. In Week 2, Streveler had what was perhaps the best performance of his career against the B.C. Lions, tossing for three touchdowns and leading the club to a convincing victory. On Friday, it was very much the opposite, as he threw two interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown — and the game quickly slipped away from the Bombers. Granted, those performances came in two different situations. Streveler had all of training camp to prepare for his first start, whereas he was thrust into the most recent game. If he needs to go again, perhaps a week of preparation will help his second start look more like his first. The O'Shea-led Bombers are consistently one of the least penalized teams in the three-down loop and have continued to be this season, committing 5.8 infractions per game, the second-fewest entering Week 7. On this night, it wasn't the number of times they were penalized — seven times for 83 yards — but rather the nature and the timeliness of them that made for an uncharacteristically undisciplined performance. The Stampeders' opening drive was made easier by a roughing the passer penalty on Cam Lawson that set them up on the doorstep of the end zone. That was the first of two late hits on Vernon Adams Jr. in the first half, as James Vaughters committed the other. Another flag for unnecessary roughness was thrown on Tanner Cadwallader in the second quarter, but that one only wound up costing Winnipeg field position. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Calgary Stampeders' Erik Brooks (87) runs for the first down against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025. In the third quarter, after Calgary had been flagged for unnecessary roughness and put into second-and-17, Deatrick Nichols was called for illegal contact on the very next play to make it second-and-manageable. Calgary promptly picked up the first down and, three plays later, scored on a 42-yard heave from Adams Jr. to Damien Alford to make it a 10-point game. In the fourth quarter, with the game still within reach for Winnipeg (24-13), Willie Jefferson was penalized for spearing receiver Tevin Jones after delivering a hard hit to his head while leading with the crown of his helmet. It was a 15-yard infraction that set Calgary up in the red zone and eventually led to a game-sealing touchdown. It's hard to imagine O'Shea will let that slide for much longer. It hasn't felt like the typical Bombers defence recently. Perhaps this unit is subject to some unfair criticism because of the standard it set by finishing No. 1 in scoring the last four years, but there is a certain level of susceptibility that's been uncovered while playing the hottest team in the league. The Bombers have allowed seven explosive plays in their last two contests. Friday saw Adams Jr. connect with Alford for 37- and 42-yard touchdowns, and nearly another 50-plus-yard major if Dominique Rhymes had maintained possession while falling to the ground. The more concerning part is that there are some clear busted coverages in the secondary that are leading to these gains. Alford's second score saw him alone in the end zone, waiting for the ball to arrive. The cherry on top came in the fourth quarter, when Winnipeg lined up with one defensive back covering two receivers on the goal line — a clear breakdown in communication. Adams Jr. flipped an easy pass to Rhymes for a three-yard touchdown. It's tough to win when you make mistakes like that. It's natural to live and die with every result in football, because it's only played once a week. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Calgary Stampeders' Damien Alford (80) catches a touchdown pass against Winnipeg Blue Bombers Terrell Bonds (24) during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods While the Bombers have some clear wrinkles that need to be ironed out, it remains too early to have any definitive feelings about what this team is and what it could be. Winnipeg has been handed an unusual schedule to begin the season, one that saw them open with a bye and then have another week off in the first six weeks of the year. The team has also played more than six quarters without its starting quarterback and lost its star receiver to injury. Those circumstances can make it difficult for any team to establish a rhythm — even one as experienced as the Bombers. Winnipeg has begun a stretch that won't lend another bye week until October. It can take teams several games to truly find their footing, which makes the next few weeks a critical stretch that could reveal what the Bombers are really about in 2025. 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Time to pay the piper for Hydro's old, ignored infrastructure
Opinion Manitoba Hydro's decision to spend an estimated $7 billion to upgrade the Bipole I and II transmission lines may be a necessary investment, but let's be clear: it's just the tip of the iceberg. The Crown utility has been falling behind on asset upgrades for decades which has allowed a critical backlog of aging infrastructure to pile up. It's not a new problem, and it's not limited to the Bipoles. Hydro's own 2022 asset management report says the corporation faces a mountain of long-overdue upgrades in nearly every part of its system — from substations to transformers, aging wooden poles to buried cables, and even dams. Some of the infrastructure is decades past its best-before date. The longer it gets put off, the more expensive the fixes become. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Hydro must be transparent with the public about the full scope of its infrastructure backlog, writes Brodbeck. About 27 per cent of Hydro's generator assets exceed the economic life cycle of 60 years 'where there is an increased risk of a prolonged outage should a failure occur,' the report says. Another 23 per cent fall within the 40- to 60-year range 'where planning of unit overhauls should be initiated,' it says. 'Manitoba Hydro is projecting that many of its asset populations will require significant intervention today, and increasing in the near future, in order to avoid accelerated system performance degradation and diminished supply,' the report says. 'Manitoba Hydro can anticipate a large number of generator assets approaching economic end-of-life prior to intervention, if the current intervention pace is not significantly accelerated.' If you're shocked by the $7-billion price tag for Bipole I and II, wait until you see the full bill coming due for the rest of Hydro's neglected infrastructure. We're not just talking hundreds of millions here — we're talking billions more. Hydro's asset management report pulls no punches. The utility admits it has not replaced aging assets fast enough to keep pace with their deterioration. Take wooden distribution poles, for example — thousands across the province are well past their expected life span; some are approaching 60 or even 70 years in service. Hydro estimates that a significant portion of its assets are in 'poor' or 'very poor' condition. And no, that doesn't mean they'll all fall apart tomorrow. It does mean they're more prone to failure, harder to repair, and more expensive to replace in emergency situations. That's a dangerous place for a power utility to be. Manitobans shouldn't be too shocked, though. The 2022 report was not the first to shine a light on Hydro's failure to keep up with infrastructure upgrades. Countless reports have detailed how far behind Hydro has fallen in infrastructure upgrades. So how did it get this bad? Part of the problem is systemic. Like many large public utilities, Hydro has struggled with balancing long-term maintenance needs against short-term financial pressures. For years, the Crown corporation kept rates artificially low by putting off major maintenance in favour of keeping electricity affordable. That may have worked politically — who doesn't love cheap power? — but it came at the expense of sustainability. Then there's the legacy of major capital projects, such as Bipole III and the Keeyask Generating Station, which drained billions from Hydro's borrowing capacity and diverted attention and resources away from basic asset renewal. By the time Keeyask was completed — years late and billions over budget — Hydro was facing serious debt challenges. Meanwhile, the quiet deterioration of the system continued. Now, the chickens are coming home to roost. But identifying the problem is only half the battle. Fixing it is going to require sustained investment and political will. Unfortunately, the current political climate doesn't bode well for that. Premier Wab Kinew's NDP government is under pressure to keep electricity rates low and deliver on promises to freeze hydro bills for at least a year. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. That's the bind the province is in: everyone agrees Hydro needs to fix its aging infrastructure, but no one wants to pay for it. Delaying it further will only compound the problem. What's needed now is honesty. Manitoba Hydro must be transparent with the public about the full scope of its infrastructure backlog. How many substations are past due for replacement? How many kilometres of transmission lines are vulnerable to weather events? What's the real price tag to get the system back into good shape? Manitobans deserve to know. Likewise, the provincial government must stop pretending that rate freezes and deferred maintenance are a long-term strategy. They're not. The cost of rebuilding Hydro's system is going to be substantial — and there's no getting around it. Whether it's through modest rate increases, government support, or some combination of both, someone is going to have to foot the bill. Bipole I and II are just the beginning. If Manitoba wants to keep the lights on — and its economy humming — it needs to stop kicking the can down the road. The time to invest in Hydro's aging infrastructure is now, before the problems get worse and the cost skyrockets. Tom BrodbeckColumnist Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom. Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are 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
7 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Transit redesign leaves the North End behind
Opinion I have fond memories of my first bus pass. The sense of freedom was unparalleled, and I'm sure my mother appreciated not having to drive me to work anymore. Here in Winnipeg, we pride ourselves on raising hardy kids. It's the kind of grit you need to survive. But even the hardiest among us shouldn't have to walk six blocks to a bus stop in the pitch dark while the wind cuts through like a knife. If the people who designed the new Winnipeg Transit system had ever waited for a bus at Redwood and Main in January, they might have thought twice. The new Primary Transit Network has been framed as an efficiency upgrade. For those of us living in the North End, it feels like something else entirely, something more akin to abandonment. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Transit changes that were put in place on June 29 seem to have left some neighbourhoods behind. Transit service has been cut or reduced in many of the areas where it is most needed. The 17, 38, and 71 routes, among others, were either eliminated or significantly rerouted. Dozens of stops were removed from Main Street alone, with the FX2 and FX3 replacing frequent local service with limited-stop express buses that often bypass residential pockets entirely. Transfers are now unavoidable. For those with options, this might be inconvenient. For many of us, it's disruptive. For some, it's disabling. In some North End neighbourhoods, over 30 per cent of households don't own a vehicle. Walking long distances to transfer points, especially in winter, isn't just difficult, it can be dangerous. The city removed approximately 1,700 bus stops during the redesign, and while officials have not released a public breakdown by neighbourhood, riders in the North End have reported a disproportionate loss of coverage. Main Street alone lost numerous stops, and key transfer points like Redwood and Main were eliminated without alternatives nearby. Riders have noted having to walk multiple blocks further, often in areas without sidewalks or shelters. Meanwhile, the new network prioritizes high-frequency routes along major corridors, many of which run through the south and southwest. The Blue Line, Winnipeg's flagship rapid transit spine, cuts through Fort Garry and south Pembina, areas with stronger economic growth and higher rates of car ownership. The network now extends all the way to St. Norbert. The expansion of service into new suburban areas raises a serious and uncomfortable question: how many stops were eliminated in the inner city and North End to make that possible? What did we sacrifice to serve sprawl? City officials point out that the network redesign was service-hour neutral, meaning the total hours of service citywide remain roughly the same. But equity isn't measured in aggregate hours. It's not about giving everyone the same thing. It's about giving people what they need. Equality would give every neighbourhood a bus. Equity recognizes that some neighbourhoods need more buses because they have fewer cars, fewer alternatives, and more people depending on public transit to survive. Winnipeg Transit's weekday ridership reached an average of 225,400 in early 2025, and the system recorded 47.8 million rides in 2024, nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. But that 'recovery' hides real disparity. While Rapid Transit routes in the south grow and thrive, riders in the North End are watching their service evaporate. And when ridership drops in these communities, as it inevitably does when stops vanish and routes are broken, they'll be blamed for it. We also need to talk about the role of political leadership in all this. Mayor Scott Gillingham, during his time as chair of the finance committee under then-mayor Brian Bowman, supported multi-year budgets that effectively froze or reduced transit funding when adjusted for inflation. These budget decisions constrained Winnipeg Transit's ability to hire operators, replace aging buses, or expand service. Fast forward a few years, and Gillingham now expresses concern over declining ridership and system gaps, as if he hadn't played a central role in underfunding the system in the first place. You can't gut a service and then act surprised when it fails to meet public need. I keep coming back to the question, why did our city councillors allow this to move forward? Especially those representing wards like Point Douglas, Mynarski, and Elmwood-East Kildonan. Did they not see what this would do to their constituents? The Winnipeg Transit Master Plan was approved in 2021, and revised in early 2025 after feedback. Yet many residents say they were never informed or consulted meaningfully. Public meetings were held, but largely online, and mostly attended by more affluent users. Those most affected had the least opportunity to shape the outcome. There is currently no publicly available data showing how stop removals were distributed across neighbourhoods. If the city is confident this plan serves all of Winnipeg fairly, they should release stop-level data and let the public see for themselves. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Until then, it falls to community members and advocates to track what was lost. A simple overlay of the old and new network maps, if allowed through GIS data, would quickly reveal where access was cut, and ultimately, who paid the price. This isn't about nostalgia for an older system. It's about whether a public service still serves the public. The Transit Master Plan talks about building a 'resilient and equitable' system. But in execution, the city has privileged efficiency over access, and growth corridors over existing communities. If equity was ever on the table, it didn't survive implementation. Transit can be modern. It can be fast and efficient. But if it isn't fair, it isn't working. And right now, it's not working for the North End. MJ Jonasson is a Winnipeg-based thinker and advocate for community-driven change. With a background in advocacy, Indigenous social innovation, and social entrepreneurship, she collaborates with communities to develop meaningful solutions that challenge systemic inequities.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Plenty of daylight to find amid sea of humanity at Birds Hill Park
Opinion 'Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight' — Lovers in a Dangerous Time, Bruce Cockburn 'The line between us is so thin, I might as well be you' JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS It's hard not to leave the folk festival feeling a bit better about humanity. — Chinese Bones, Robyn Hitchcock A couple of choice lyric lines stuck out as I baked under a smoke-filled sky at the Winnipeg Folk Festival's Big Bluestem stage this weekend. That first one earned an affirmative roar from the packed-to-bursting audience at Cockburn's Saturday afternoon performance. The second slipped by almost unnoticed during Hitchcock's Sunday workshop with his Nashville neighbours and Americana icons Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Both speak to what makes the now 51-year-old festival such a treasured gift to the tens of thousands of people who make the pilgrimage to Birds Hill Provincial Park every year. I don't need to tell you there is a lot of darkness out there, but for four days Birds Hill was bleeding daylight. Through alchemy both calculated and sublime, the regular rules of engagement were suspended: walls fell away, boundaries softened or dissolved (in a good way) and strangers who might otherwise look at each other with wariness found friendship on common ground. Call it the Folk Fest Effect. Walking into the beer tent Saturday afternoon, I caught the eye of a judge and said hi. She quickly reached over and put a hand on my shoulder then just as quickly pulled it away, laughing as she said: 'I was going to give you a hug, but that probably wouldn't be professional.' Probably not, and she might have been joking about the hug, but had that hug landed I would not have been shocked. Hugs are so reflexive at folk fest the odd slip is easily forgiven. Earlier that day, I heard someone call my name. It was a college classmate I hadn't seen in over 30 years. We didn't hang out much back then and we were by no means close, but we fell into a warm, lengthy chat, touching on matters both light and dark and our concerns for the future. The conversation was winding down when my friend paused to hesitantly ask: 'Soo, should we… hug?' We looked at each other and the answer was obvious. 'Of course, it's folk fest.' We hugged. And then we talked some more. We could have bumped into each other in a coffee shop and had a perfectly pleasant conversation, but it wouldn't have been the same. There's something about folk fest and its sense of community that invites a desire for connection. For years, no visit to the festival was complete until I saw Dancing Woman. I never knew her name or where she was from, but every year I could count on seeing her leaping, gliding and swaying by a workshop stage in rhythmic communion with the music. Seeing her always made me smile. Then one year she wasn't there. She was absent the next year too, and the one after that. She was back this year, back like she'd never been gone, still grooving, still dancing like it was the only thing that mattered. Between workshops, I told her it was good to see her again. Explaining her absence, she said she was from Minnesota and had moved to the East Coast for a few years. Our interaction was brief and we didn't exchange names, but I'm glad I talked to her. I hope she was, too. Back in the beer tent Sunday, my wife and I shared a table with an American scientist who apologized for their 'piece of shit president' and the damage he has done to the relationship between our two countries. We shared gripes and laughs, reminding each other that we're not so different. Don't get me wrong, the festival isn't perfect. Despite the folk ethos of inclusivity and a truly diverse musical lineup, the audience remains overwhelmingly white and largely privileged, but that's more likely a societal issue, not one of the festival's own making, and a topic for another column. Still, it's hard not to leave the festival feeling better about humanity and just a wee bit more optimistic about the future. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Every year the festival ends with an audience sing-along of The Mary Ellen Carter, Wild Mountain Thyme and Amazing Grace. It's a tradition I have generally eschewed, too cool for school, choosing instead to ditch the fest for a quick getaway. The older I get, the more I feel my resistance weakening. I want to feel connected to other people. It is just 358 days until the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival. Dean PritchardCourts reporter Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean. Every piece of reporting Dean 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.
