Happy Monday, Winnipeg!

Whether you spent the weekend at the lake, checking out Folklorama, or just relaxing at home, we hope it gave you a good reset.

Today’s newsletter has some major updates and things to look out for, like fake City of Winnipeg texts, the opening date for the new Costco, and a huge giveaway you won’t want to miss. So grab a coffee and let’s start the week together.

In today’s edition:

• ALERT: City of Winnipeg Warns of Fake Parking Authority Scam Texts

• Restaurant of the Week: A Little Slice of 1950s New York in Wolseley

• Health Science Centre Nurses ‘Grey List’ Hospital Over Safety Concerns

• New Costco Opening in West Winnipeg on November 12

• Multiple events this week & more

— Jas Singh

News

ALERT: City of Winnipeg Warns of Fake Parking Authority Scam Texts

It’s easy to let your guard down when a text looks official. But lately, some Winnipeggers have been getting scam messages pretending to be from the Winnipeg Parking Authority.

The city says they don’t send texts themselves. But their collections agency, CBV Collection Services, sometimes does. The difference? Real messages will always tell you to call 311 to confirm before paying.

If you’re not sure, pause before you click. A quick call could save you a big headache.

Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Winnipeg Parking Authority never sends texts directly

• CBV Collections may send legit payment reminders

• Real texts say: “Call 311 to validate”

• If it feels off, call 311 right away

• And report any suspected scams to the authorities

A few seconds of caution could keep both your wallet and your peace of mind safe.

Click the button below to learn more about the scam, and spread the word with friends and family so we can all help each other stay scam-free.

Click here: To learn more about the Fake Parking Authority Texts

A message from Jo Koy / Canada Life Centre!

A night of comedy you won’t want to miss…

Jo Koy is coming to Winnipeg, and this one’s going to be a night you’ll talk about for years.

From cracking jokes in a little Las Vegas coffee shop to selling out Madison Square Garden, Jo’s built his career on making everyday life hilarious. Family drama, awkward moments, getting older – nothing’s off the table, and somehow it all feels like he’s talking about your own life.

And now, after breaking records at some of the biggest arenas in the world, he’s bringing that same energy (and a whole lot of laughs) to Canada Life Centre.

Here’s why you can’t miss it:

• One of the top stand-up comedians in the world, selling out arenas everywhere

• Fresh from a brand-new Netflix special in 2024

• Stories so relatable you’ll swear he’s been spying on your family dinners

So grab your friends, your partner, or that cousin who thinks they’re the funny one, and make it a night out in Winnipeg you won’t forget.

📍 Canada Life Centre
📅 August 29, 2025
🕗 8 PM
🎟 Tickets on sale now – get yours before they’re gone!

Advertise with us by emailing: [email protected]

Restaurant of the Week: Shorty’s Pizza

A Little Slice of 1950s New York in Wolseley

Some spots just have a way of making you feel like you’ve stepped into another time, and Shorty’s Pizza on the corner of 53 Maryland Street does exactly that.

Walk through the door and it’s like you’ve been teleported straight to 1950s New York, where the pizza comes hot by the slice, the booths are dark wood, and the floor is covered in classic black-and-white checkers.

Here’s what makes it worth the trip:

• By-the-slice, hand-stretched pizza you can fold like a true New Yorker

• Checkerboard floors and dark wood finishes that bring back the 1950s charm

• A menu stacked with pasta, hot sandwiches, meatballs, and local beer on tap

• Our top picks: the Hawaiian with double-smoked bacon and hot peppers, and the Margherita with grana padano and basil

• End your visit with their banana pudding, a house special and an absolute must

Shorty’s isn’t just a meal, it’s a little time machine to old New York, right here in Winnipeg. So if you want to go, check out their menu below and see what your first bite will be.

Click Here: To check out their menu!

Community Digest

Health Science Centre Nurses ‘Grey List’ Hospital Over Safety Concerns

If you’ve ever been to the Health Sciences Centre, you know how important the people working there are to our city. They’re there on our hardest days, caring for us and our families. And now, they’re speaking up about their own safety.

94% of nurses at HSC have voted to “grey list” the hospital, a rare step meant to warn other nurses about unsafe working conditions. The Manitoba Nurses Union says the move follows years of unaddressed issues.

Recent concerns include:

• Multiple assaults on staff, including sexual assaults on hospital property

• A recent explosives threat at the emergency department

• Safety risks in and around the parkade and nearby streets

Shared Health says it takes the vote seriously and is working with unions, police, and government to improve security.

Measures already in place or underway include:

• AI-powered weapon scanners at emergency department entrances

• Increased parkade security with more lighting, barriers, cameras, and patrols

• Reduced unsecured public entrances and added screening for visitors

• 14 new Institutional Safety Officers, bringing the total to 81 and more!

Nurses give so much of themselves to care for others, and they deserve a workplace where they can focus on their patients without fearing for their own safety.

Click Here: To learn more about the grey listing and the safety concerns at HSC

New Costco Opening in West Winnipeg on November 12

It’s always good news when a new store is about to open, especially when it’s one that will make life easier for the communities around it.

The new Costco near Assiniboia Downs has been under construction for months, and now it’s almost ready to welcome shoppers.

As reported by The Winnipeg Sun, the west Winnipeg Costco is expected to open on November 12.

Here’s what to know:

• Located just west of the Perimeter, near Assiniboia Downs

• Will be Winnipeg’s fourth Costco (joining St. James, McGillivray, and Regent)

• Built to serve St. James–Assiniboia, Headingley, and nearby communities

• Opening just in time for holiday shopping season

There’s even talk of a fifth Manitoba location in West St. Paul, which would be built on Meadowlands Drive near Main Street.

So, whether you’re there for the bulk snacks, the $2.00 hot dogs, or the holiday deals, it won’t be long before West Winnipeg has its own Costco to call home.

City Updates

121 New Locked Garbage Bins to be Installed in Downtown Winnipeg

Some days, a walk through downtown feels great, the streets are clean, and everything looks cared for. Other days, you might see litter on the sidewalk or garbage spilling over. And while no one change can fix it all, the city’s hoping a small upgrade this fall will help.

As reported by Global News, 121 new garbage and recycling bins are being installed downtown to replace the old ones.

Here’s what’s changing:

• The bins will be locked, so you can put garbage in but nothing can be pulled back out.

• Only city crews will be able to empty them, which should help keep trash off the streets.

• All the old downtown bins will be swapped for these newer, cleaner designs.

• Mayor Scott Gillingham says cleaner streets start with all of us, encouraging property owners to sweep and tidy their spaces as well.

While the bins are a good start, it’s also about all of us pitching in and those small efforts that make our city feel cared for.

Click here: Read the full Global News article and learn more about the new bins.

Coming up this week:

This section includes only the major events happening soon. For a complete list of all events, you'll have to wait for future editions!

• Wellness Wednesdays at the Lyric Theatre | 6PM, Aug 13 (FREE/More Info)

  • Location: Lyric Theatre

  • Description: Yoga with Adrienne Shum at Assiniboine Park.

• Savour the Exchange Food Tour | 6PM-8:30PM, Aug 13 (Tickets)

  • Location: The Exchange District

  • Description: Home to over 50 unique local restaurants, the Exchange District is an inspired community of culinary creativity. Savour a few of these one-of-a-kind dining experiences on a food tour hosted by the Exchange District BIZ.

• Exchange Summer Fitness – Bootcamp | 12-12:45PM, Aug 13 (FREE)

  • Location: 201 Portage Plaza

• Cinema Under the Stars 2025 - KINA ET YUK : RENARDS DE LA BANQUISE | 9PM, Aug 14 (FREE)

  • Location: Ruins of St. Boniface Cathedral

  • Description: Movies Under the Stars offers screenings of French-language films, accessible to all thanks to the presence of English subtitles.

• Downtown Farmers' Market | 10AM-2PM, Aug 14 (FREE)

  • Location: Manitoba Hydro Place along Graham Avenue

  • Description: The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s popular Outdoor Farmers’ Market has been bringing local food and goods downtown for more than 12 years.

• Transcona BIZ Community Markets | 11AM - 4PM, Aug 14 (FREE)

  • Location: Transcona Centennial Square

  • Description: The markets showcase a rotating variety of locally grown fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, specialty teas, and much more.

• Burt block Party | August 14-17 (Tickets)

  • Location: Burton Cummings Theatre

  • Description: Downtown’s biggest 
street party is back in 2025! For four nights over one weekend, Aug. 14-17, the outdoor concert series will include headliners Dean Brody, Marianas Trench, The Glorious Sons, and Kim Mitchell. The events will take place directly outside the Burton Cummings Theatre welcoming up to 4,000 fans each night.

• Downtown Furry Fridays | 10AM-2PM, Aug 15 (FREE/More Info)

  • Location: True North Square

  • Description: A fun-filled event where local vendors and dog organizations from all over the city come together downtown just for you and your furry friends.

• StrEAT Feast Festival | August 15-17 (Free/More Info)

  • Location: The Forks

  • Description: features some of the various street foods and cultural specialties from various parts of the world found in Winnipeg and Manitoba. The festival aims to highlight local food and non-food vendors, live performances by local artists, local art, local businesses, and more!

• Children’s Hospital Book Market | 10AM - 5PM, August 16 (Free/More Info)

  • Location: St. Vital Centre

  • Description: A one-day-only Children’s Hospital Book Market pop-up sale. Join us for a wide selection of fiction, mystery, romance, music, cookbooks, science, travel, computer and university titles along with DVDs, CDs, and records!

Exciting Events: August 11th & 12th

Sports🏀

• Live Horse Racing | 7:30PM, Aug 12-13 (FREE)

  • Location: Assiniboia Downs

• Exchange Summer Fitness – Bootcamp | 12-12:45PM, August 12 (FREE)

  • Location: 201 Portage Plaza

Music 🎵

• Sean Taylor | 11:45AM-2:45PM, Aug 11 (FREE)

  • Location: Belle's Kitchen + Music Hall

• Downtown Sounds Concert Series: Viento South | 12PM-1PM, Aug 12 (FREE)

  • Location: 333 Broadway

  • Description: Hungry for good music with your lunch? Enjoy FREE live performances every Tuesday from June 17 to August 26, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the 2025 Downtown Sounds Concert Series!

• Ridley Bent and The Killer Tumbleweeds | 8PM, August 12 ($)

  • Location: Blue Note Park

• Michael Sanford/Tannis Tyler/Lewsh + Jake/Robert Andreas
  | 11:45AM-11PM, Aug 12 (FREE)

  • Location: Belle's Kitchen + Music Hall

Community Fun🎆

• Corn Maze | August 11 - Nov 2 (More Info)

  • Location: A Maze In Corn

  • Description: Enjoy the country views while wandering through the corn maze, climb the giant bale pyramid, and visit the petting zoo.

• MAMMA MIA: An Abba Love Story | Aug 11 - Oct 11 (Tickets)

  • Location: Canad Inns Destination Centre Fort Garry

  • Description: Get ready for a summer of love, laughter and ABBA hits, in this light-hearted musical comedy that centers around a mother and daughter opening a boutique hotel on a tiny tropical island. The show explores the complications of love, friendship and second chances, as old passions are awakened and new love is born.

• Frozen The Broadway Musical | Aug 11-24 (Tickets)

  • Location: Rainbow Stage

  • Description: Adapted from the first Frozen film which was the highest grossing film of the year (2013) and the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

• Summer Line-Up: Clothespin Puppets | 11AM-3PM, Aug 11-17 (FREE)

  • Location: Manitoba Children's Museum

  • Description: From 11AM-3PM daily, enjoy special activities that include crafts, games, and so much more.

• Paddle Nights | 6PM-8:30PM, Aug 12 & 14 ($)

  • Location: FortWhyte Alive

  • Description: Spend an evening paddling before sunset for the perfect summer night. Paddle Nights are a 45-minute session with a canoe or kayak, with help available to get you started. No experience is required.

• The Market at FortWhyte Farms | Aug 12-15 (FREE)

  • Location: FortWhyte Farms

  • Description: Our summer market is the place to buy fresh, naturally grown, in-season produce, and delicious baked goods.

• Play at The Forks | Daily (FREE)

  • Location: CN Field and Stage

    • Basketball with Basketball Manitoba: 6PM-8PM, Aug 11 & 13

    • Drop-in Dance with Dance with Genie: 6PM-8PM, Aug 12

Special Events 🎨

• Full Moon Ceremony | 9:30PM, Aug 11 (More Info)

  • Location: Oodena Celebration Circle

• Experiencing Eden: Disability and the Natural World | Aug 11-23 (FREE)

  • Location: La Maison des artistes visuels francophones

  • Description: Through this inclusive art exhibit, L'Arche Winnipeg's members invite you into their perspectives as people with disabilities.

• Cirque Italia Water Circus | August 11-18 (Tickets)

  • Location: St. Vital Centre

  • Description: Join the largest traveling spectacle in the United States and Canada, a universe of extraordinary events that captivate over 1 million happy spectators every year.

• Folklorama 2025 | August 11-16 (Tickets)

  • Location: Various venues throughout Winnipeg

  • Description: Travel the world without a passport! Experience world-class entertainment, enjoy delicious authentic cuisine, warm hospitality, and view beautiful cultural displays during Folklorama, the largest and longest-running multicultural festival of its kind in the world.

• Paul Rabliauskas Comedy | August 12-16 ($)

  • Location: Rumor's Restaurant and Comedy Club

  • Description: Paul has performed stand-up comedy across North America from theatres to comedy clubs, community centres to schools.

Thanks for reading The Winnipeg Digest! Let’s chat again on Wednesday!