CJKR (Winnipeg, MB)

The Manitoba government has introduced a bill in the legislature to make Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a statutory holiday. Premier Wab Kinew says ensuring people can have the day off work may help them commemorate and honour the experiences of children who went to residential schools. The day is also known as Orange Shirt Day, in memory of Phyllis Webstad, whose new clothing was taken away when she arrived at a residential school.

Forget the snow, the date on the calendar, or the return of Santa to local malls — for many Winnipeggers, there’s one true sign that the holiday season has begun, and it’s spelled H-U-M-B-U-G. For the past half-century, an illuminated sign that would make Ebenezer Scrooge proud has been prominently displayed from an apartment balcony on Route 90. This year, however, the holiday tradition is getting a new lease on life thanks to a local brewery.

To one business owner, rising costs and high inflation aren’t going to stop people from supporting local businesses. It’s why she’s bracing for her busiest time of the year: holiday shopping. “Small businesses make up the community and the vibrancy in our downtown and the other neighbourhoods,” said Tara Davis, owner of the Winnipeg-based Tara Davis Boutique. “I think lots of people are focused again on shopping local and a lot of people really want to add to the vibrancy of downtown.

Some 2,100 flight attendants at Air Transat have a strike mandate heading into the busy holiday season, according to the union representing the airline’s workers. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) component representing Air Transat employees said the vote for a strike mandate was “nearly unanimous” at 99.8 per cent in favour, “by far the highest tally” in the union group’s history.

You’ve been tracking your online shopping haul for days. It’s finally the day your package is set to arrive at your doorstep. But when you get home in the evening, the package is not there. A recent FedEx survey shows porch thefts have risen over the last two years, with 28 per cent of respondents reporting they’ve had packages stolen by so-called porch pirates in the past. That compares to 24 per cent of respondents in 2022 and 20 per cent in 2021.

While the pandemic saw many businesses shutter, it also saw some open, grow, or evolve by shoring up customers in a time of economic challenges. Sheepdog Brew Co. is a tasty example of how the power of caffeine and brand development can open new doors. For first responder Shawn Black, the company started as a hobby. Selling bags of coffee at farmers’ markets and in select retailers was a side hustle that he didn’t realize would grow into something much bigger.

When The Prodigy released their classic album The Fat of the Land in the summer of 1997, rock was in trouble. Pundits predicted that guitar rock was in its death throes with its corpse about to be devoured by things like the crab on the front of that record. Electonica was the future. Bands like The Prodigy would see to it. While that never happened–rock rebounded nicely with the indie rock revival that started a few years later–electronica found its niche and blossomed into the larger EDM scene.

Alan Cross Corus Radio I can’t remember the last time I received anything from Pembroke, Ontario, but here we are. (I do have a soft spot for bands that come from smaller centres). This is the first single from their sophomore EP by the duo of Brandon Kennedy and Christopher Chartrand (he was the live drummer for Crystal Castles). There’s definitely an 80s electro feel to what they do. Interesting video, too. (That’s Brandon in the video, by the way.)

Picture Parlour is a four-piece originally from Liverpool and now working out of London (one of the four member is named Katherine Parlour) who were formed out of the boredom of the pandemic. Things have been going after just a couple of singles. They’ve already opened for Bruce Springsteen, The Strokes, and Noel Gallagher. One to watch, methinks. VIDEO © 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Here’s a little grammar lesson regarding all the forms of the verb “rock.” You know, “He rocks!” “That song rocks!”–that kind of thing. The usage of the word “rock” in this way can be traced back a hundred years to the early years of jazz and R&B. A band or a singer that performed so energetically was said to make the house or the club rock on its foundations.