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Winnipeg Free Press
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
New U of W project a crash course in classic and contemporary works
The University of Winnipeg is launching a first-of-its-kind course that will introduce undergraduate students to classics, religion and Indigenous studies all at once. Four academics will co-teach Introduction to the Humanities — an experimental project that's been five years in the making — this fall. 'This is pretty unique and special, and I think it has the potential to grow into quite the feather in U of W's cap,' said Alyson Brickey, an assistant professor in the department of English. The University of Winnipeg (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files) Brickey, alongside colleagues in the faculty of arts — associate dean Brandon Christopher, associate professor Melissa Funke and professor Carlos Colorado — designed it together. They plan to take turns assigning famous texts in their respective research areas and delivering lectures to an inaugural cohort of 36. A variety of scholars with other areas of expertise are scheduled to make guest appearances to round out the comprehensive intro to the social sciences. The co-creators took inspiration from Halifax-based University of King's College. Students enrolled in its foundation year program on the East Coast spend all of their time reading and analyzing influential historic books, such as the Bible, Frankenstein and The Communist Manifesto. King's teaches this content in chronological order, but U of W will group lesson plans by theme: beginnings; self and community; love and desire; and endings. 'This might look like a 'great books' course — but in so far as it does, the four of us have been actively thinking about how the traditional canon has excluded important voices who have an awful lot to contribute to the study of big ideas,' said Colorado, a scholar of religion, politics and identity. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and Frederick Douglass's famous speech, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? are on the 2025-26 syllabus. It also features contemporary works, such as North End Love Songs, a 2011 collection from Winnipeg poet Katharena Vermette, and Kendrick Lamar's 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning album, To Pimp a Butterfly. The associate dean of arts said the setup will require students to both think critically about the lasting influence of historical texts and how modern-day interpretation changes their meaning. For Christopher, who researches Renaissance literature, what's most exciting about the new course is the opportunity to learn from his colleagues on a regular basis. It's rare to be able to sit in on a colleague's lecture, let alone teach alongside them, he noted. 'The way we teach things is often siloed, but nothing happens in a vacuum,' he said, adding that the interdisciplinary nature of the course will allow students to make connections between texts and disciplines, from rhetoric to philosophy. Brickey echoed those comments. She said their goal is to encourage more 'cross-pollination' among professors and students as they consider big questions about the history of human thought. Introduction to the Humanities was designed to be a first-year course spanning two semesters (MULT-1301 and MULT-1302) for a total of 12 credits. Registration is underway. As is standard in foundational humanities classes, there will be an emphasis on essay writing 101 and group presentations. Much of the allotted time will be spent in intimate tutorial settings. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Funke called it 'the ultra U of W experience.' Students are going to get to know each other and four professors 'very well,' in addition to becoming anchored in the community on campus, said the researcher who is interested in Greek literature and gender and sexuality. There are 1,422 courses scheduled to run in 2025-26. Last year, four in 10 students at U of W were working towards an arts major of some kind. Roughly half of all pupils were in an arts classroom on the downtown campus at some point. 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
19-07-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Just don't give up, or we're done for'
There's no shortage of doom and gloom associated with the words 'climate change' these days. As a result, many people are stressed out and feeling helpless. Particularly concerning is that, more than ever, younger people are experiencing considerable distress with environmental anxiety, also known as eco-anxiety or climate anxiety. The Journal of Mental Health and Climate Change, an open-access publication that features interdisciplinary scientific research on mental health and climate change, continues to write extensively on this subject. While prominent environmental activists, including well-known science broadcaster David Suzuki, paint a bleak picture of the future, many other professionals in various fields are working tirelessly to educate, inspire and fight the good fight for the next generations. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS University of Winnipeg chemistry professor Devin Latimer, is passionate about climate justice and hopeful about the future. Born and raised in Lynn Lake, Man., Devin Latimer is one of those professionals. The faculty member in chemistry at the University of Winnipeg is also a long-time musician, bass player with local band Leaf Rapids and the Juno award-winning Nathan Music Co. He will gladly take every opportunity to share information about what can be done about current environmental concerns. Working primarily in green organic chemistry lab development and environmental communications, Latimer's passion for the subject is infectious and has students equally interested and enthusiastic to learn more. Latimer is also artistic director of Trout Forest Music Festival in northwest Ontario, where he programs Canadian acts for the three-stage annual festival in August. He's taken his green chemistry teaching outside the classroom walls and into outdoor concerts, which he sees as perfect opportunities to connect with people about environmental issues. 'Cultural events — especially those held outdoors — are on the front lines of the climate crisis and their very existence is increasingly threatened in many parts of the country,' said Latimer, who's been involved in countless concerts, festivals, and energy and climate workshops and discussions over the last few years. 'Coincidentally, I've found these same events to be powerful platforms for communicating energy and climate issues. I've since been discussing them with departments both within and beyond our university.' Latimer would love to see changes and additional funding that would enable music festivals and cultural events to do more in terms of public education. 'They're a great gathering place,' he said, noting that environmental conditions affect performers and audiences alike. 'The smoke is impacting attendance; with extreme heat there are cancellations.' Adding that some cultural events have even faced bankruptcy, he said, 'Climate is a big part of it.' The Energy and Climate Conversations at Cultural Events project came about as a result of his long-time research work in green chemistry and its ties to social justice, along with his community involvement in music, most specifically with the Trout Forest Music Festival. An inspiring meeting with local banjo player and solar technologist Jaxon Haldane led Latimer to apply for and obtain funding from Canadian Heritage during the pandemic. He's been bringing his talks and workshops to various events ever since. In addition, one of the project's notable accomplishments — and a perfect conversation-starter — has been the creation of a solar-powered sound system for music concert stages. More recently, Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts organized a two-part session and panel on Culture in Climate at the International Folk Alliance conference in Montreal and invited Latimer to speak and moderate the discussions. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS University of Winnipeg chemistry professor Devin Latimer, is passionate about climate justice and hopeful about the future. 'Students love it. This is the thing they want to fix — to make an impact — this is their way of changing the world,' said Latimer, who teaches Learning to Green – Greening to Learn, inspiring students and the community through sustainable science. In the classroom, Latimer's presentations include discussions of the effects of the chemical industry, citing Cancer Alley in Louisiana, where residents are 700 times more likely to get cancer. Another example describes the impact of food-chain contamination and resulting toxins on the Inuit of northern Quebec. 'The chemical industry and chemical contaminants are a social justice issue,' said Latimer. 'And so, this is the kind of thing that has guided me to the field of green chemistry. The chemicals are to blame for a lot of the pollution. Surely, we can do better.' Latimer says that while environmental chemistry works outwardly, going and sampling lakes to find out what's in them, for example, green chemistry is the work of fixing things at the source. 'They are related, of course,' he said. 'Green chemistry, for me, is all about social justice and considering what's going on in our province, it's very prudent to talk about climate justice and critical hope. 'Hope is critical and it's what's missing in all the conversations, why people don't trust science anymore. I'm pretty committed to the idea that widespread science literacy and communication are key to transforming the overheated and floundering discussions surrounding energy and climate.' Determined to keep the focus on collective responsibility, Latimer reminds people that there are actions that can make a difference. 'If you normally drive to work, start taking the bus once a week. Carpool. A little bit more every year: that's where the hope comes from. 'I would suggest a community event, like the Winnipeg Folk Festival, could start charging $50 per vehicle to enter the parking lot. People going to that festival can generally afford it, and if they can't, they will take the bus or car-pool (but do make sure the event is accessible to all). And then take the parking money and do some onsite energy communications and fund a scholarship in sustainable energy research,' he said. With the population of this planet placing a monumental strain on the environment, Latimer says those 8.2 billion people, doing just a little better every year, can similarly have a monumental impact on healing ourselves and the environment. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS University of Winnipeg chemistry professor Devin Latimer, is passionate about climate justice and hopeful about the future. 'Industry does have huge emissions, but they also have to compete in an open market and are providing jobs, producing products and services that the rest of us are all creating a demand for. If you want industry to change, don't buy the products that come from the worst polluters. We're all demanding the energy that's coming from fossil fuels right now and we can all do little things that invest in the transition. 'Just don't give up or we're done for. Do better every day…. industries, individuals, homeowners, renters, billionaires and hundredaires. We're all equals when it comes to saving this planet.' Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Suggested links: Home Page Home
CBC
18-07-2025
- General
- CBC
University of Winnipeg, groups offer children's programming for young evacuees
Families that are displaced by wildfires in northern Manitoba are looking for more children's programming as they navigate Winnipeg with limited resources. Some organizations and the University of Winnipeg, where hundreds of evacuees are staying, are launching activities and camps to keep kids engaged.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
1 in 10 Manitoba wildfire evacuees waiting in shelters as some Winnipeg hotels say rooms sitting empty
About one in 10 of all Manitoba wildfire evacuees remain in group shelters, sleeping on cots, as they await a move into more comfortable hotel room accommodations — even as some Winnipeg hoteliers say they have spaces sitting vacant. Approximately 1,100 of the 12,000 Manitoba evacuees currently forced from their communities were staying in congregate shelters as of Tuesday, including at the University of Winnipeg RecPlex, because they have nowhere else to go for now. That's despite some hotels in the city saying they have available hotel rooms that just haven't been booked yet amid the second provincial state of emergency declared since the end of May. "Although I have these 20 rooms available, they don't seem to be taking those 20 rooms," said Robby Sankar, general manager of the Viscount Gort Hotel on Portage Avenue. The Viscount Gort hosted more than 100 evacuees during the first wave of wildfire evacuations this spring. Sankar said although the Canadian Red Cross checks in with his hotel regularly to keep tabs on capacity, it has yet to reserve any spaces there for the most recent exodus of people from northern Manitoba. "We've had to stop taking some of our regular business, so we are keeping those rooms open for them, but we haven't had any call-backs to take anymore," Sankar told CBC News on Tuesday. Andrew Pomierny, a general manager with Four Crowns Inn on McPhillips Street, said it made 10 rooms available to evacuees during the first wildfire evacuation wave. They're making more available again now. "Even if we have to keep them open without putting anybody in there, knowing there's going to be a wave, that's our way of contributing to the help effort," Pomierny said. He said the Manitoba government contacts the hotel on a frequent basis to get capacity updates, but their rooms are still empty and unbooked for evacuees. "I have not received any requests yet as of last weekend," Pomierny said in an interview Tuesday. Of the roughly 12,000 current evacuees, more than 6,000 have already been put up in hotels in Manitoba, with another 1,300 staying in Ontario hotels, according to the provincial government. That's not including the 3,600 evacuees staying with friends and family, or the 1,100 staying in congregate shelters. Manitoba Hotel Association president Michael Juce told CBC News on Tuesday the organization is in constant contact with hotel managers in Winnipeg and have been sharing updates and resources with them. He said there are 7,600 hotel rooms in Winnipeg, though at any given time a number of those aren't accessible due to renovations, repairs and maintenance. Rooms are being prioritized for evacuees with accessibility concerns and other unique needs, say the province and Red Cross, which are co-ordinating emergency placements for evacuees alongside and leadership of Indigenous communities impacted by wildfires. WATCH | Some hotel rooms sit vacant as evacuees wait in shelter: Space for other evacuees will be provided as it's available, the province and Red Cross said in statements to CBC News. "The province works to secure large blocks of hotel rooms over extended stay periods to minimize disruption and limit the number of moves an evacuee needs to make while out of their community," reads the statement from the province. "The province continues to re-evaluate hotel availability, and is working with the Manitoba Hotel Association and other hotels to support the evacuation response." The Red Cross is also working with Indigenous leaders on the operation of congregate shelters for those unable to stay with loved ones immediately upon evacuation. That includes some of the 4,000 people that Premier Wab Kinew said last week were expected to evacuate from a single fire-threatened community: Garden Hill Anisininew Nation. Some are now staying at the U of W RecPlex. Pomierny said Four Crowns Inn is ready to take in more evacuees if and when the province books rooms. "Even if it means for us to stay and wait with the rooms for a little bit, it's important to be ready when those people need help," he said. More from CBC Manitoba:
Winnipeg Free Press
14-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Long waits for bathroom at U of W shelter, evacuee says
A northern Manitoba woman forced from her home due to wildfire says an evacuation centre set up at the University of Winnipeg is not properly equipped to handle evacuees. Sophia Harper waited in line for several hours to use the washroom at the U of W's Axworthy Health & RecPlex, which has been set up as a congregate shelter for wildfire evacuees. 'I started feeling bladder problems because you can't just hold it for that long,' Harper said outside the complex Monday afternoon. SOPHIA HARPER PHOTO Members of Sophia Harper's family, from Garden Hill Anisininew Nation, aboard a Hercules aircraft bound for Winnipeg last week. She is one of more than 450 Manitobans staying at the shelter, and has no other option because she has no friends or family in Winnipeg. Harper, who fled her home in Garden Hill Anisininew Nation on Friday, said the gym has one set of bathrooms for women and one for men. 'I keep sending my kids over to check if the line is long because I can't stand there forever,' she said. Harper left the remote, fly-in community of about 4,000 people Friday morning by airplane and arrived at the U of W shelter by the afternoon. The community is located about 600 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Harper is staying at the shelter with her children and grandchildren but says it's been difficult being around hundreds of strangers and sleeping on cots. 'I get cramps all over my body and I can't lay down on that (cot) so I slept on the floor,' she said. The shelter can fit as many as 800 people, the province said. On Monday afternoon, about a dozen evacuees milled around the complex's entrance near the U of W. A pair of evacuees, who declined to provide their name, said they would rather stay anywhere else and might try to move to the shelter on Leila Avenue because it's bigger and reportedly has more amenities. 'I keep sending my kids over to check if the line is long because I can't stand there forever.'–Sophia Harper The Leila site, which is hosting about 650 people, has room for 1,200 evacuees. Rows of green cots, some occupied by people, could be seen from the U of W gym's entrance Monday. Some blankets were tied up to look like tents above the cots. Harper said the shelter is doing its best to feed and clothe people, but said she had to give her socks to a fellow evacuee yesterday. 'He said he hadn't changed his socks in two or three days, I couldn't believe it,' she said. A provincial spokesperson said it had not received any complaints about the lack of bathrooms at the Axworthy complex but a Free Press reporter spotted a truck setting up several portable washrooms outside the gym Monday afternoon. Alex McDougall, interim Grand Chief of Anisininew Okimawin, which represents four Island Lake First Nations including Garden Hill, has spoken to the provincial and federal governments about additional resources at the shelters. 'I think all of the resources that have been provided are stressed to their limits everywhere,' he said. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. McDougall also worried about keeping evacuees busy while they're away from home and in an unfamiliar place. 'I think all of the resources that have been provided are stressed to their limits everywhere.'–Alex McDougall 'It's getting a bit overwhelming as far as trying to provide care and other activities to keep these members busy and preoccupied with activities so they're not just sitting in these shelters waiting to hear when they're going to go home,' he said. Children are going stir crazy owing to a lack of activities in the shelters, McDougall said. 'We need to get some more help on the ground here to provide that assistance to those members, maybe planning field trips or going to the zoo, taking them to the movies.' Nicole BuffieMultimedia producer Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole. Every piece of reporting Nicole 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.
