u/Leather-Paramedic-10

A man wanted in connection with a series of commercial break-ins, vehicle thefts and property crimes in Winnipeg and Headingley has been arrested.

The Winnipeg Police Service says Jesse Lafreniere was taken into custody on Tuesday following a “brief foot chase” in the northeast part of the city.

Lafreniere was charged with break and enter, theft, possession of stolen property and more. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.

He’s the second suspect arrested by police in their investigation into 13 separate incidents from April 20 to June 28 in Winnipeg and Headingley.

Authorities estimate $140,000 of property was stolen, from trailers, lawn equipment, and mechanical equipment to motorcycles, bicycles, and a vehicle.

Investigators allege stolen vehicles and stolen licence plates were used during the offences, and that the suspects frequently wore disguises.

A 35-year-old man was arrested Aug. 4. Police say a search of a home later in the day revealed stolen property, a rifle, ammunition, and a lock cutter. He was charged with 22 offences, including break and enter, theft, weapons charges, and possession of stolen property.

Police allege both suspects were wearing electronic monitoring bracelets during the incidents.

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By: News Staff

Published: August 19, 2026 11:57 am.

The Winnipeg Humane Society has been forced to put a halt on all animal intakes as its holding areas are at capacity.

"When we're this overwhelmed, in terms of lack of space and capacity, we just have to pause," said spokesperson Carly Peters.

"We still will take sick and injured animals, but even under our triage policy we've raised that to critically sick and injured animals."

In July, the shelter in southwest Winnipeg took in 500 animals. This month has seen another 324 so far — 250 of which are cats and kittens.

"So right now our holding [area] in the back is so full that we are having to put some cats and kittens into the adoption rooms," Peters told Information Radio guest host Cory Funk on Wednesday.

"And we have been seeing more sick and injured animals, which not only take up space in the shelter, [they] also take up staff resources."

An example of that is puppies with parvo, a contagious viral disease that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms.

"They have to go into isolation, which requires our staff to be dressed in full PPE in order to care for them," Peters said.

Despite its abundance of animals, only a handful are listed for adoption on the society's website. Peters said that’s because the "pipeline" is so backed up with animals needing care.

"We are really trying to work through those spay and neuters and make sure that animals are healthy and ready to go to their forever homes," she said.

"Touch base with us in a couple weeks and we're going to be at capacity for adoptions."

It's been more than a year since the humane society has had to implement an intake freeze, but it's something that seems to be happening more frequently over the past decade, Peters said.

The organization has seen the occasional intake surge after backyard breeding operations or puppy mills are dismantled by government officials. Other mass intakes have been due to owners experiencing mental health issues.

"As most rescues will tell you right now, everyone's been at capacity. Everybody has been stretched thin for a really long time," Peters said. "We just hit a breaking point and need to catch up."

The pause also gives staff a chance to gain some ground, she said.

"Burnout in rescue is real. There's only so many hours in the day and everyone is working really hard. If I'm being honest, it's tough. Everyone is feeling being stretched."

More owners have recently been surrendering pets due to an inability to afford veterinary care, Peters said.

Many cats being surrendered have urinary blockages or other ailments that could be quite expensive to treat "and vet care has just gone up so much," she said, noting that 120 of the 324 animals that came in this month so far — 37 per cent — were owner surrenders.

The costs borne by the humane society to care for the animals can ascend quickly.

Most healthy cats, for instance, only spend a few days in care before being adopted, but even then it will cost $200 to $300, Peters said. The number rises dramatically with medical and behavioural cases and longer stays.

The society gets revenue from fundraising events, program fees, pet adoptions and a partnership with The Winnipeg Foundation, but more than 65 per cent of the budget relies on donations and bequests from the public.

When it comes to space limitations, the organization also relies on people becoming fosters.

"Once these animals are stable or they've had their treatment, but they still need some time to heal, it's great to have that happen in a temporary loving foster home," Peters said.

"That means we can open up space to bring in more animals."

While intake is paused, the humane society is maintaining its various community resources and supports, such as the pet food bank, Peters said.

"Our goal is to keep people and their pets together and keep animals out of the shelter," she said.

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By: Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

Published: Aug 19, 2026 10:32 AM CDT

Last Updated: 27 minutes ago

More than 125 people have utilized Manitoba’s first safe consumption site during its inaugural week.

Located at 366 Henry Ave., the concept sparked a stark divide between some who viewed it as a valuable harm reduction tool and others who believed it would promote drug use and negatively impact the surrounding neighbourhood.

For one outreach organization, the addition has been effective so far.

“It’s going well, people are using the site,” says Main Street Project executive director Jamil Mamood.

“We think it’s important people understand what’s happening and why it’s important, and [to] also know that people need this service to stay alive. If that’s [a safe consumption site] the best way to do it, then we should be providing it.”

The province has stressed since the opening date of the site was first floated that it’s not a location where drugs would be provided. Instead, users bring their own products and can take them and be supported should issues arise.

Still, some believe the site is part of an approach by the province that’s far too lenient.

That includes Joseph Fourre with the Singing Red Bear Foundation, an organization aimed at raising drug poisoning awareness.

“I’ve always talked about a balanced approach to the opioid crisis and part of that is treatment, part of that is enforcement, and part of that is public awareness,” explains Fourre. “None of those other three pillars are being activated in this province. They put all their cards on harm reduction and, in my opinion, it’s only prolonged the agony of addiction.”

When utilizing the site, the province says users can access primary health care and addictions and housing supports.

The consumption site is being run by the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre. No one from the organization was available for an interview, but a statement was provided to Global News.

“Throughout its first full week of operation, the site provided immediate access to crucial harm reduction resources, including the successful administration of on-site drug checking services. Beyond the immediate medical benefits, the facility has quickly established itself as a trusted environment for vulnerable individuals.”

The statement goes on to say the work has been a collaborative effort between government, sector agencies and first responders.

According to the city, this April saw 810 emergency responses to drug poisonings. That’s more than triple the amount in the same time period last year.

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By: Vasilios Bellos • Global News

Published: August 18, 2026 9:29 pm

On a Tuesday afternoon near their home in Cooks Creek, Medric Comberbach and his dog Birdie enjoy the sun by tossing a frisbee around outside. This year, that same sun is also paying off.

“In the last three months, I have not had to pay Manitoba Hydro; they’ve actually started to pay me,” Comberbach said with a smile.

Comberbach had a large solar panel unit installed in 2022.

When CTV News last spoke with him, he was initially disappointed with the return on his investment, but that changed this April with a big price boost.

“It was over seven cents a kilowatt, so it almost doubled, which made a huge difference when you’re talking 1,000 kilowatts of excess power.”

That excess power is sold back to Manitoba Hydro. The Crown corporation said there’s been an uptick in Manitobans going solar, about a 13 per cent increase over the last five years.

“Right now we have about 2,100 customers who own their own solar array and are selling excess energy back to Manitoba Hydro,” said Peter Chura, media relations officer with Manitoba Hydro.

The Crown corporation said the current excess energy price at nearly 7.2 cents is the highest it’s ever been. This time last year, that same price was 4.3 cents.

“Now I have a credit of $9 for the last three months, but it’s nice when you don’t have to pay a hydro bill at the end of the month,” Comberbach said.

That didn’t come cheap however - Comberbach paid $34,000 for the installation minus $10,000 received in grant money from Efficiency Manitoba and the federal government. It might take a decade for him to see the return on investment.

Manitoba-based Powertec Solar installed his unit and said the business is expanding.

“Our focus has now more so been on farms and businesses because where they’ve taken away on the residential side, they’ve certainly added in on the commercial and farm side,” said Tyler McPherson, solar sales consultant with Powertec Solar.

McPherson said the number of farms using solar has tripled from last year. They have completed 1,000 installations across Manitoba since 2020, 150 of those came last year.

Efficiency Manitoba said this is in part due to their rebate increases that came into effect in May 2025, helping farmers and business owners.

“That increase from 50 cents per watt to 75 cents per watt has really driven business,” said Jana Brunel, strategic initiatives manager with Efficiency Manitoba.

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By: Joseph Bernacki

Published: August 18, 2026 at 7:35p.m. EDT

A city project aimed at reducing water pollution is being deemed a success, despite some challenges in adding it to an aging sewage treatment plant.

The city used strategically placed doses of ferric chloride to reduce the amount of phosphorous, a key algae-promoting nutrient, in effluent leaving the North End sewage treatment plant between June 2024 and September 2025.

The chemical additives increased the removal of phosphorous through the plant’s treatment process. It went from 61 per cent of the nutrient being removed pre-trial, to reach 74 per cent in 2024 and 67 per cent in 2025.

“It’s a success, because we’re removing more phosphorous than we were before … Any improvement in phosphorous removal will help Lake Winnipeg,” said Michelle Paetkau, a senior planning engineer for Winnipeg water and waste.

The total phosphorous concentration in the plant’s effluent averaged about 3.1 milligrams per litre during the trial period, exceeding a 1 mg/L provincial target.

Paetkau noted a consultant predicted the city could meet a 2.5 mg/L to 3 mg/L concentration with the treatment.

An environmental scientist who advocated for the chemical treatment said it has proven effective even though the city used only a fraction of the dose recommended by a consultant.

“It was (still) successful at reducing phosphorous. So, it lays out a path for us towards phosphorous compliance (with provincial pollution targets) at the North End treatment plant,” said Alexis Kanu, executive director of the Lake Winnipeg Foundation.

The city is currently adding ferric chloride at two locations in the treatment process, using about 10 per cent of the amount recommended by a consultant at one point and 45 per cent at another, Paetkau confirmed.

The Lake Winnipeg Foundation wants the city to switch to the full recommended amounts of ferric chloride as soon as possible.

Kanu said reducing water pollution is critical, especially after the province granted the city a two-year extension to its deadline to complete a $3.1-billion upgrade of the North End sewage treatment plant, postponing that target to 2032 from 2030. The mega project’s third and final phase will use biological processes to reduce phosphorous and other algae-promoting nutrients flowing out of the plant.

“That’s another two years of excess phosphorous loading, another two years of excess pollution to the lake,” said Kanu. “We need our city decision-makers, our provincial decision-makers to push for that (chemical treatment) system to be used it its full potential.”

More recent measurements show effluent from the plant actually briefly met the 1 mg/L concentration limit for three days in March, Kanu noted.

However, Paetkau said the city won’t be able to consistently achieve that provincial pollution target with chemical treatments until it completes new biosolids facilities, the second phase of the North End sewage treatment plant upgrade.

“The chemical produces more solids and we don’t have capacity in our (existing) solids treatment system to handle (that),” she said.

The lower pollution target briefly met in March was also linked to dilution from high spring water flows, said Paetkau.

The city report also highlights some challenges in adding the chemical treatment system to an aging treatment plant.

At one point, the ferric chloride caused build-up on ultraviolet bulbs used for disinfection, which led effluent to exceed E. coli limits.

Paetkau said a new UV system has since been added that is much easier to clean, reducing that risk.

In another incident, the chemical caused corrosion and leaks in older steel pipes. Those pipes have since been replaced.

Coun. Brian Mayes, a former chairman of the city’s water and waste committee, said the $19-million trial program was worth it.

“It’s helping (reduce) phosphorous at a relatively low cost,” said Mayes (St. Vital).

However, the councillor noted that step was always designed as an initial strategy to reduce pollution, prior to the completion of the major sewage treatment plant upgrade.

Coun. Jeff Browaty, chairman of finance, said the city is working “aggressively” to reduce pollution that flows from the sewage plant into local waterways, including Lake Winnipeg.

“This council is making some big decisions and big investments for the future of the North End plant, which handles 70 per cent of the city’s total sewage load,” said Browaty (North Kildonan).

The city has committed $500 million for the $1.57-billion final phase of the project, which the province has promised to match. The city is seeking another $500 million from the federal government.

In an email, a provincial spokesperson said any increase in ferric chloride dosing “must be made gradually and balanced due to the potential impacts on the overall treatment process” and the broader treatment plant upgrade is needed to reliably meet pollution reduction goals.

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By: Joyanne Pursaga

Published: 6:19 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 17, 2026

Last Modified: 6:45 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 17, 2026

A major expansion to a Winnipeg personal care home will include a new child-care centre with 152 spaces, making it "an intergenerational hub," provincial officials said on Monday.

The centre will be in a new 20,650-square-foot wing of the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre.

Originally called the Winnipeg Old Folks Jewish Home when it opened in 1915 in a duplex with five residents in the city's Point Douglas area, the centre has evolved into a 200-bed facility in the Linden Ridge neighbourhood.

Now, more than 110 years into its existence, "the Simkin Centre will soon be welcoming kids through its doors," said Tracy Schmidt, minister of education and early childhood learning.

The daycare, officially called the Faye Vickar Lazer Early Learning Centre, will have 152 licensed spaces for kids up to 12 and be operated by the Rady Jewish Community Centre. Any family eligible for licensed daycare can enroll children.

The new Simkin wing, to be known as the Gray Family Centre, will also include a multi-purpose area for community programming and worship, a grand gallery and a wellness centre.

Schmidt called it "an intergenerational hub where children, older adults and families can grow and learn together."

Simkin Centre CEO Laurie Cerqueti said "being in this business for over 30 years now, I know things that make our residents happy are music, animals and children. So if we're able to bring the children here on a regular basis, it's going to make life all that much better for our residents."

The Gray Family Centre is designed around the principle that "every generation has something valuable to share and something meaningful to gain," Cerqueti said.

"This project is expected to become one of Canada's leading examples of intergenerational programming."

The development will cost $17.6 million, with construction to start in October and finish in May 2028.

The construction is being funded in part by a $4.5-million capital grant from the Canada-Manitoba child-care agreement. The rest will be paid for by donations and grants made to the Simkin Centre.

The Manitoba government has been criticized for moving too slowly on its promise to create 23,000 new $10-per-day child-care spaces by 2026.

In a news release last week, it said it has opened or committed to opening about 12,700 new spaces since October 2023.

A spokesperson for Schmidt's office told CBC News in an email on Aug, 13 that the province is still working toward the 23,000 goal "as fast as we can."

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By: CBC News

Published: Aug 17, 2026 1:06 PM CDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Two thousand years ago, people in Roman Egypt wrote letters, kept receipts, made lists and dealt with the everyday bureaucracy of life.

Some of those pieces of ancient life are now on display in Winnipeg.

The University of Manitoba’s “The Ancient Inbox” exhibition opened Monday, featuring papyrus documents dating back as far as 2,000 years and on loan from the University of Michigan Papyrology Collection.

The exhibition, running until Sept. 30, is the first public display of authentic papyrus manuscripts in Winnipeg, according to Dr. C. Michael Sampson, a U of M classics professor and papyrologist.

“I find in my teaching at the university that if I can bring the ancient world to life for students, that’s what sparks their interest,” Sampson said.

“Being able to put them in sort of within touching distance of something real, something ancient, something that actually brings the ancient world right here to the University of Manitoba campus, is a really rare opportunity.”

The documents on display are all documentary papyri, rather than literary works, and include government business, petitions, court cases, accounts, taxation records, receipts, letters and marriage contracts.

They offer a window into the lives of everyday Greco-Roman Egyptians, Sampson said, including their family, economic and legal affairs and interactions with the government.

One of the exhibition’s most striking documents is a contract recording the sale of an enslaved person.

“It really does bring to life vivid aspects of the ancient world,” Sampson said.

The contract records the person being sold as property, including his name and age.

“It’s strange to read about a human being being reduced to these terms,” Sampson said. “But at the same time, you get a glimpse of the reality.”

The exhibition comes after the University of Manitoba hosted the Summer Institute in Papyrology this summer, a five-week program led and organized by Sampson that brought 12 graduate students and early career researchers from around the world to Winnipeg.

The students came from as far away as Egypt and Australia.

“Many graduate students won’t ever meet a papyrus in the flesh or receive any paprological training,” Sampson said.

The American Society of Papyrologists sponsors a Summer Institute every two years, he said. It is the first institute of its kind to be held in Canada since the 1970s.

The students worked with almost four dozen papyri during the institute, many of which had never been read, or had not been read in 1,500 or 2,000 years, Sampson said.

The students transcribed and translated the documents as part of their research, work that helped provide the information now accompanying the papyri in the exhibition.

But studying the documents is difficult because many are small, damaged or fragmented, while others are written in rapid cursive handwriting. On top of that, ancient Greek isn’t exactly something you can pick up overnight.

“It’s a bit like trying to read your doctor’s prescription,” Sampson said. “It’s really messy.”

Their work will eventually be published in scholarly form, including the Greek text, a translation and a discussion of what each papyrus adds to knowledge of antiquity.

The papyrus itself was made from the papyrus plant, which is indigenous to ancient Egypt and grows in the Nile Valley and on its banks.

The plant’s stalk was peeled into strips, which were laid side by side in one layer and then covered with a second layer running perpendicular to the first. The layers were pressed together to create a writing surface.

The ink was made from carbon soot mixed with water and a small amount of gum arabic, which acted as a binder.

Papyri have survived for thousands of years in part because of the dry conditions in Egypt, Sampson said.

Ancient settlements were sometimes covered in sand after buildings collapsed, helping preserve the documents by keeping them away from enough moisture to decompose.

Some were acquired through archaeological excavations, while others were purchased on the antiquities market at a time when Egypt’s cultural heritage laws were less restrictive.

“These were real people,” he said. “This was a community. This was a part of the world where people were who had lives, and their lives were different than ours.”

“But the testimony of the papyri allows us to catch a really rich glimpse of what those lives were like in a way that, in other parts of the ancient world, we simply don’t have this kind of documentation.”

The exhibition is located in Archives & Special Collections on the third floor of the Elizabeth Dafoe Library. It is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The exhibition is supported by a Connection Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities and the university’s Department of Classics, with additional support from the American Society of Papyrologists.

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By: Zoe Pierce

Published: 4:48 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 17, 2026

Community organizations in Winnipeg say they're inundated with demand as Manitobans struggle to afford groceries and put food on the table.

It comes as the province continues to have one of the highest year-over-year food inflation rates in Canada at five per cent in June, behind Saskatchewan's 5.1 per cent.

Manitoba also saw the third-highest inflation for fresh vegetables at 10.9 per cent, behind Alberta's 13.6 per cent and Saskatchewan's 12.1 per cent.

The Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation in Elmwood has hosted a Food Rescue Day each Thursday since October, offering donated bread and fresh produce to the community for free, executive director Leilani Esteban-Villarba said.

The food comes from Community Helpers Unite, a food recovery non-profit and social enterprise that collects leftover and unwanted supplies from companies, restaurants and grocery stores.

The program is coming at a time when demand for all of the organization's food-related programs — from $10 produce bags, emergency hampers to low-cost meals — have soared.

Up to 400 people would come buy the produce bags at the start of summer, Esteban-Villarba said. Now, more than 800 people are showing up.

At Food Rescue Day last Thursday, people from nearly 400 households filled their bags with everything from bananas and grapes to onions and potatoes.

Retiree Eleanor Caswell, 72, was among the first in line at the Poplar Avenue facility. She waited more than three hours to guarantee a grocery haul.

"It carries me so that I don't have to go without, 'cause otherwise I am going without," she said.

That has happened twice in the last month, said Caswell, who lives with diabetes and a nervous system condition.

"I'm on half of my medication I'm supposed to do because I can't afford to get it."

Community Helpers Unite, founded in 2021, now distributes food to more than 40 agencies in Winnipeg, along with 13 Indigenous communities across southeastern and central and northern Manitoba, chief executive officer Brandy Bobier said last week.

"I'm surprised that there is so much need citywide," Bobier said in an interview at her agency distribution hub in the North End.

"People who have never accessed a food bank before are looking to food banks just to keep at baseline, and it's outrageous."

Although the federal grocery rebate might help some low- and middle-income Manitobans temporarily, Bobier feels not nearly enough is being done to support people as high food inflation persists.

Bobier argues organizations like hers that offer food education to vulnerable Winnipeggers need support, as do neighbourhoods with few grocery stores but many convenience stores, which generally carry fewer options at a higher price tag.

#Federal strategy

One food expert says Manitoba's food inflation was lower compared with other provinces last year but has experienced an upswing in 2026, alongside Saskatchewan.

Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, argues the province might need to increase food processing and retail competition, and invest in more green or sustainable transportation, to help make it more resilient to price volatility.

The federal government announced a food security strategy in June that commits $3.2 billion over a decade to help make food more affordable and produce more of it in Canada.

One way the government aims to do that is by creating more wholesale marketplaces known as food hubs and food terminals. They allow independent grocers and restaurants to buy food at competitive prices from farmers and sellers, bypassing supply chains owned by large retailers.

The Ontario Food terminal in Toronto is the only one of its kind in Canada. Ottawa plans to begin construction on two more by 2028, and establish or expand 10 food hubs, which are smaller — something Charlebois says would be beneficial for Manitoba.

"Manitoba is very much focused on international markets," but with hubs, "you basically shift that focus a little bit more towards domestic needs," he said.

The federal government says it will be finalizing eligibility and timelines this fall for the fund that will support hubs and terminals. The locations will be decided on an application basis, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada spokesperson said.

While Manitoba dropped the provincial sales tax on prepared foods in grocery stores last month and works to increase retail competition, Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says the province is closely following the rollout of the strategy.

“Manitoba is committed to ensuring our province benefits from the federal government’s National Food Security Strategy, including opportunities in food processing and greenhouse and indoor food production," he said in an emailed statement to CBC News.

#Food insecurity in south Winnipeg

The cost of food has led one organization in south Winnipeg to consider helping open a food bank, said Noris Zeid, vice-chair of the Manitoba Islamic Association.

The association already offers free breakfast for children on weekends in winter and meals during Ramadan, but Zeid says the association constantly gets additional requests for food.

"A lot of people are living on the edge," he said outside the association's grand mosque on Waverley Street.

It neighbours areas along Pembina Highway that were flagged as having one of the highest poverty rates in Winnipeg in 2021, the city's website says.

Janice Lukes, the outgoing city councillor for Waverley West, says multiple grocery stores line Pembina Highway, but recent immigrants and refugees, Indigenous people and seniors are among those having the hardest time paying for groceries.

Her office is helping look into the possibility of a Pembina Highway resource centre, or a social service hub offering food services, to serve south Winnipeg.

"We don't have a renewal corporation. We don't have a resource centre," Lukes said, adding the nearest ones are in Linden Woods and Point Road in East Fort Garry.

Harvest Manitoba distributes food to a number of locations and organizations in the south, although collectively, efforts might not be reaching everyone, she said.

"It's challenging," Lukes said. "It's sad."

Harvest Manitoba says it distributed food hampers to 24,000 Manitoba households in April, up nearly 13 per cent from the same time last year.

WATCH | Demand for food programs high in Winnipeg: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7308033

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By: Rosanna Hempel · CBC News

Published: Aug 17, 2026 5:00 AM CDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

Stephen Kirk wants to give people a chance to fix items they’re not ready to let go of.

The Spence Neighbourhood Association staffer took notice when repair cafés started popping up around the world, and he decided to bring the idea to Winnipeg.

The café invites people to bring broken items like bikes, clothes and small kitchen appliances to the association’s headquarters to get free repairs by a team of skilled volunteers.

“Certainly in our neighbourhood, a lot of people’s motivation is economic, they would rather fix it than have to buy a new one,” said Kirk, the environmental and open spaces coordinator for the Spence Neighbourhood Association.

He said some people may not be able to afford taking the item to a professional to repair, while others may have sentimental connections or simply want to avoid throwing it in a landfill. It also allows people a chance to connect with others in the community.

“Just the events in themselves have a community aspect of getting out of your house and meeting your neighbours and meeting the volunteers that I think is also a benefit,” he said.

The café is open every other Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. with about six “amazingly talented” volunteers on site with a variety of skills. Kirk said they see everything from old clothes to toasters, coffee machines and weed wackers and the team has about a 60 per cent success rate with repairing the items.

He said the response from the community has been positive, since it opened in February, and they see about 10 people come in each night it’s open.

Kirk saw the repair café trend emerge on social media, mainly in Europe and in other Canadian cities, like Toronto.

“We saw it happening elsewhere and thought it was a good idea, and when we realized we basically had everything we needed to get started we put the word out and it’s been going well ever since,” he said.

The initiative also meshed with the neighbourhood association’s goal of promoting sustainability for the community.

“It really fits in with waste diversion and keeping stuff out of the landfill and promoting repair and reuse,” he said.

The café accepts donations and is working to open more regularly.

“If we can get the volunteers and equipment in order, then ideally it’d be nice if we could do it more often,” said Kirk.

He said many volunteers are away on vacation so they won’t be holding an event in August but will resume in September.

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By: Tiago Resko

Published: 6:00 AM CDT Monday, Aug. 17, 2026