Author: Ryan Funk

Established in 2001, Returning to Spirit (RTS) provides healing and reconciliation workshops nationwide. The organization was created to address the legacy of residential schools, holding workshops years before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was even established. A mother, grandmother, and residential school survivor, Executive Director Lisa Raven applies her experiencesContinue Reading

Tucked in the town of Gimli on Lake Winnipeg’s western shore, a summer festival is held to celebrate Icelandic culture. The community’s first European settlers were Icelanders who were part of the New Iceland settlement in Manitoba, with the first Icelandic Festival held in Winnipeg in 1890. It was laterContinue Reading

Why are we so connected to music? The music industry’s value is estimated to be over US$50 billion. With this industry’s massive size, it has to go beyond simple enjoyment or catchy tunes.   Halifax-based musician Jesse LeGallais believes our visceral connection to music is because music is a form of communication throughContinue Reading

A musician has released an album to evoke the healing nature of trees and encourage listeners to think about their world and the climate. The album is called Songs for Trees. Living in Vancouver, the Unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, or Tsleil-Waututh peoples, Norine Braun has anContinue Reading

https://youtu.be/BgabyxK9iIA The Gimli International Film Festival (GIFF) is gearing up for a highly anticipated event, announcing its lineup for the 2022 festival.  With over 70 diverse and acclaimed films, it is an event film enthusiasts will not want to miss. Many of the films are created by talented Manitoba filmmakers. Continue Reading

Talk about the Scandinavian Cultural Centre’s Mural ‘Viking Spirit’ won’t end soon as The Murals of Winnipeg have recognized the project as the 2021 Mural of the Year. This is also the celebrated mural artist Charlie Johnston aka C5Charlie’s seventh win.  The centre commissioned the mural to celebrate its 60th anniversary, wanting a designContinue Reading

Since 2016, a women-led group has kept the North Point Douglas community safe through community service, activism, and engagement. Mama Bear Clan‘s women have done much to support their community, donating time and energy to make a difference.  The group patrols three times a week, pulling wagons with about 100Continue Reading

On the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, three talented musicians created an EP, The Walls. The band consists of Bassist Ernesto, Drummer Roselin, and vocalist/guitarist Nicholas. Calling themselves Myana, the group draws inspiration from its Cuban and Canadian members’ roots in its post-pop sound. Ernesto Paz toured the world, playingContinue Reading

In 1987, Manitoba passed the Human Rights Code, protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation, prompting the official Pride March in Winnipeg. It wasn’t in 2004 that Manitoba became the fifth province in Canada to legalize same-sex marriage.  Pride Winnipeg has grown to include communities of diverse sexualities, gender identities,Continue Reading

The pandemic took a toll on many aspects of life our ability to socialize, our health if we got sick, mental health, the loss of a loved one, jobs, and financial stability.To address the needs in the community identified through her work with the Leftovers Rescue Food Organization, Brandy BobierContinue Reading

The past few years have seen an explosion of diversity in the film industry—films featuring diverse creators, stories, and cultures. These stories aren’t only being created in Hong Kong, Korea, or Hollywood; there are numerous talented creators from the Asian diaspora producing films right here in Manitoba. The FascinAsian FilmContinue Reading

The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) represents Indigenous women, girls, and the gender diverse, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis. For many years, there’s been a lot of pain within the Indigenous community, murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, unclean drinking water, and the fight to protectContinue Reading

Folk is a culture’s stories and traditions, preserving its heritage and history. Folktoria, held in Centennial Square in downtown Victoria brings together the area’s numerous communities to celebrate diversity, culture, and unification. “For me, it’s the stories and history I grew up with to understand my culture,” says Sonia Grewal,Continue Reading

Many Ukrainian-Canadians are doing what they can to support the brave Ukrainians fighting to preserve their way of life. Yevgeniya Tatarenko and many community members have created Help Ukraine: Morden, an organization collecting resources and supplies and shipping them to Ukraine.  With how helpless the situation feels in Ukraine, TatarenkoContinue Reading

There’s a lot that feels wrong in the world, and it can feel paralyzing trying to figure out what you can do to make a difference.  But people are doing good work in the world, and it’s difficult not to feel inspired by their dedication to their community and enthusiasmContinue Reading

In celebration of Jamaica’s 60th year of Independence and an opportunity to encourage movement and health as spring approaches, the Jamaican High Commission in Canada is collaborating with Winnipeg organization Pegcity Steppers for a week-long fitness and wellness event. Established in the heights of winter after seeing a need inContinue Reading

Living in Winnipeg, Brandon, or another large urban center in Manitoba can easily forget how much of the southern part of the province is farmland.  According to a 2016 Census of Agriculture, the total farm area in Manitoba decreased 2.1% between 2011 and 2016 to 17.6 million acres. Manitoba hadContinue Reading

Listening to music can be a transcendent experience. Feeling the flow of the melody, the swells of a crescendo, a full orchestra, or a solo instrumental music tells a story. Latin music can personify that living musical essence, and the band Trio Bembe came together to highlight Latin music fromContinue Reading