Midweek check-in, Winnipeg! 💙

Well, yesterday was a hot one. The kind of heat that turns a quick trip to the car into a whole event, and makes you rethink every plan you had outdoors.

Hope you stayed hydrated and found some shade. If you're the sort who tackles the yard work in this weather, we admire you, but please take a break in there somewhere. And if you've got older neighbours nearby, a quick knock on the door goes a long way on days like that.

Now, in today’s edition:

— Jas Singh

When someone is having a really hard night, 911 is the number most of us know to call. Police and paramedics have always answered, and they show up with care. Soon, Winnipeggers could have another option too.

Every year, more than 10,000 of those calls come from someone in a mental health or addictions crisis.

Mayor Scott Gillingham wants them answered by people trained for exactly that, so he's put forward a plan for a fourth line running alongside police, fire and paramedics.

City council votes on it this September. If it passes, the city will ask the Province to come on as a partner and start building it together. That's the moment this goes from a good idea to something real.

Click here: To see how the new mental health response line would work!

That bag of fabric in your closet. You know the one.

You bought it with a plan. That was years ago.

Or maybe it's the machine in the spare room, still sitting under the sheet.

It's almost never the sewing that stops us. It's not having a table set up, a machine ready, and someone to ask when the thread knots. Starting alone on a Tuesday night feels like a lot.

Lilax Studio fixed that part.

Their Climbing The Sew-Cial Ladder sessions aren't a class. No curriculum, no grades, no deadline. You bring the project. They bring everything else.

Now here's the part worth sitting with.

If you skip this, nothing bad happens. That's the problem. The fabric stays in the bag. Next spring you open that closet and see the exact same thing.

That bag has waited long enough.

Six sessions. Nine hours that belong to nobody but you, and something real to show for them.

For more than 40 years, the North End Women's Centre has been the place women go when things fall apart, whether that's for counselling, outreach, or just a warm room and someone willing to listen.

The trouble is that lately, more people have been asking for a bed than they have beds to give.

So the Manitoba government is stepping in with $459,000 to expand their transitional housing at 390 Selkirk Ave, which brings the province's total support through Mino'Ayaawag Ikwewag strategy up to $1.34 million.

Crews are expected to break ground in fall 2027, so this one's a while out yet. But it's the kind of thing worth knowing is on the way.

The strategy behind it focuses on Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse people, and NEWC's programming stays low barrier, which simply means nobody gets turned away at the door.

Click here: To read more about this investment in the North End!

If your work route takes you through downtown, here's a heads up that could save you some time in traffic.

Eastbound Portage Avenue East is closed between Main Street and Westbrook Street while crews work on a nearby building, right in the middle of the workday.

Outside those hours, traffic runs as usual. If you're commuting or running errands downtown during the day, it's worth building in a few extra minutes or planning a different route.

The city keeps an updated map of all lane closures around Winnipeg, so it's a handy one to bookmark if you drive often.

Click here: To check current lane closures across the city and stay ahead of the traffic!

P.S. If you know someone who drives through the area often, this is a good one to pass along!

June wasn't kind to a lot of Manitoba…

One heavy rainfall after another left flooded basements, washed out roads and a cleanup that's still going for plenty of families.

Help has been available since then, but only in certain areas. The province has now widened the map, adding 13 more municipalities to the Manitoba Flood Recovery Program.

It's a one-time program for homeowners and tenants, and it was built for a specific group: people who didn't qualify for the province's regular disaster assistance because flood insurance was available on their property.

Applications are open now. For a lot of families out west, help that wasn't there a month ago is there today.

Click here: To check your eligibility and apply for the Flood Recovery Program!

There aren't many places in this city you can bring your dog that aren't a park or a patio. The ballpark is about to be one of them.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes are running their eighth annual Dog Night on August 15 against the Sioux City Explorers, and for one evening the place belongs to a few hundred very happy dogs.

Proceeds from a jersey auction and 50/50 draw go to local pet rescues, so while your dog gets a night out, a few other dogs in the city get some help along the way.

Click here: To grab tickets for you and your pup!

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

Events marked with (Tickets / $) require advance purchase. Double-check dates before heading out!

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