Posted by David Klassen

The last long weekend of the summer will bring some expected closures on Monday, August 2.

Here’s what’s closed and a list of services operating on reduced schedules:

Closed/Not Operating:

• City of Winnipeg civic offices
• No garbage or recycling collection (Tuesday, August 3 will be Day 5)
• No mail delivery
• All city libraries
• All Leisure Centres
• Animal Services Agency
• Indoor pools, except Pan Am, operating from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Reduced Operating Hours:

• Most stores/shopping centres will be open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Winnipeg Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule.
• Assiniboine Park Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Conservatory will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All outdoor pools will be open, weather permitting, from 12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wading pools will be open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and spray pads from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If hitting the links is your thing, all municipal golf courses will be open. To book your tee time, call 311 for Kildonan Park, Windsor Park and Crescent Drive, and 986-3490 for the John Blumberg golf course.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

ChrisD.ca photo

Posted by David Klassen

Manitoba Health issued a heat reminder late Friday afternoon, warning Manitobans to take precautions when spending time outside this weekend.

Temperatures in some areas of the province are expected to reach the low 30s with possible humidex values close to 40.

Areas to put on the sunscreen and fill up on extra fluids include Winkler, Altona, Morden, Melita, Boissevain and Killarney.

Health officials are reminding young children, seniors and adults with medical conditions to take extra precautions to protect themselves this long weekend.

Further information is available by contacting Health Links at 1-888-315-9257.

The world’s largest multicultural event is set to begin on Sunday, as Folklorma kicks off its 41st year.

The annual summer gathering draws thousands of people to venues across the city, including bus tours from the U.S. But while organizers say they expect a lower attendance from out-of-towners this year, the party will still be as lively as ever.

This year there are 41 pavilions citywide, drawing an average crowd of about 425,000 annually — which is lower than than 442,000 people who visited Folklorama in 2009.

The 15-day event runs from August 1-14, but will officially kick off on Saturday afternoon at The Forks. The Scotiabank Stage will host international and local talent beginning at 5 p.m. A  number of family activities and a cultural market are also planned. An ambassadors parade will follow at 6 p.m.

Can’t make it out? Shaw TV (channel 9) will broadcast live from The Forks beginning at 7 p.m.

Admission into each pavilion this year is $6 per person, $54 for a Family Pack of 12 tickets, or free for children under 12. VIP World Tour passes are $69.95 per night and include admission to three pavilions, express entry, luxury motorcoach service, complete meal with alcoholic beverages and reserved seating. Early demand for World Tour passes has been so great, additional packages have been added, say organizers.

Don’t forget about the free weekday entertainment highlighting some of this year’s Folklorama acts at Old Market Square.

For a complete list of this year’s pavilions, visit Folklorama.ca.

ChrisD.ca photo/Ted Grant (Brazilian Pavilion 2009)

What was once known as Classic Rock Long Weekend and then the Little River Rock Fest, will take to the fields of Minnedosa for another year this August long weekend.

Rockin’ The Fields of Minnedosa — the non-profit cooperative organized by fans of the previous two festivals above — began Thursday and continues today, Saturday and Sunday.

The four-day outdoor concert will see Effect and Cause, Take with Audio, Helix and Whole Lotta Angus rock the main stage tonight, with The Perms, Bif Naked, Wide Mouth Mason and a slew of other acts performing on Saturday.

The Kings, Northern Pikes, Glass Tiger and Mudmen will take the main stage on Sunday.

Tickets and campsites sold like hotcakes months ago, but you may be able to score yourself a last-minute seat on sites like Kijiji.

Posted by Tyler Sutherland

If the weather gods do indeed bring that chance of showers Environment Canada is calling for on Monday, there isn’t a shortage of things to do in the city.

The Manitoba Museum is open all day Monday, August 2, and will be featuring their popular summer displays, including Ancient Seas (left), Shakin’ All Over and Laser Shows.

Ancient Seas is an animated undersea observatory, and the first of its kind in Canada. Shakin’ All Over is a showcase of Manitoba’s musical legacy while viewing some artifacts donated by legendary musicians. This Saturday, live entertainment is presented by the Winnipeg Folk Festival, featuring Karla Adolphe, Scott Nolan and Mason Weselowski, the Young Performers Program 2010 Participant. Entertainment runs every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

The museum is particularly proud of its Planetarium Laser Shows, which were brought back by popular demand. Choose between Queen, Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, the British N-Vasion, or all of them. A special family show plays daily at noon and 3 p.m.

The Manitoba Museum will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Once you’re done there, you can head over to the Western Canada Aviation Museum and see the WW II Lancaster Bomber.

Handout photo

Posted by Sarah Klein

It was another successful year for the Gimli Film Festival, as 2010 proved to set a new attendance record.

The 10th annual event drew in 25% more people than last year, making the beach screenings, film showings, workshops and parties as popular as ever.

The Saturday night beach screenings of “Passenger Side” and “Neil Young Trunk Show” saw the single largest audience in festival history.

Ian Johnson won the My Gimli Short Film Contest, Curtis Wiebe won the Best Manitoba Short for his film “The Devil Wears A Paper Hat” and Ryan Fitzgerald won $15,000 in the Rogers/Manitoba Film & Music pitch competition.

Gimli’s festival wasn’t the only that broke records this year. The Winnipeg Fringe Festival set its own indoor attendance record with 86,717, up 5,364 from 2009’s final attendance of 81,353.

The Gimli Film Festival returns July 20 to 24, 2011.

Posted by Brian Schultz

Roughly 70 passengers aboard the MS River Rouge found themselves stranded Thursday afternoon after the boat ran aground.

The vessel became stuck on a sandbar or rock reef in about two feet of water just before 1 p.m. north of Miller Road off Highway 9.

Selkirk RCMP say a tugboat from Lockport was called in to assist in freeing the vessel, but was unable to dislodge it.

Passengers were shuttled off the boat with the help of the Canadian Coast Guard from Gimli.

The owner of the MS River Rouge was attempting to make arrangements for land transportation of the passengers back to Winnipeg.

Transport Canada is investigating the situation.

Image credit: Destination Winnipeg

Manitoba Justice, along with assistance from the Winnipeg police, began seizing the Hells Angels clubhouse under the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act on Thursday morning.

Watch:

Under the act — which was passed last June — the property and its contents located at 2679 Scotia Street is considered proceeds of crime. Along with real estate, items such as cash and vehicles can also be forfeited. Property ordered forfeited by a court can be sold, donated or destroyed.

By mid-afternoon, crews on scene tearing down the steel gate at the front of the property, which bares the Hells Angels logo. One remaining cruiser sat out front as of about 3 p.m. (above).

CTV Winnipeg broke the story on their noon hour newscast, saying officers began working their way in just after 9 a.m.

It hasn’t been a good week for members of the motorcycle club. A few days ago, police stopped several members in Headlingley and handed out numerous tickets during a routine traffic stop.

ChrisD.ca video/WpgCameraMan

The Disraeli overpass will soon be in the centre of a major rehabilitation project worth nearly $200 million set to begin in 2011. When it’s finished in 2013, the freeway will be wider, smoother and more accommodating to cyclists and pedestrians.

While construction has yet to officially begin, a group of Winnipeggers are hoping to have the CPR rail overpass renamed to something a bit jazzier.

Greg Glatz and Marlo Boux, aka “Greg and Marlo” from CJOB’s weekend show, have suggested renaming the structure the Bachman-Turner Overdrive. “Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, the founders of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, have represented Winnipeg to the world for over 30 years with their straight-ahead, industrial-strength rock ‘n’ roll,” a statement on GregandMarlo.com read.

The radio hosts have set up a petition to collect signatures and plan to eventually hand them over to Mayor Sam Katz. Depending on the response, this could end up turning into a hot election issue. As of late Wednesday, about 350 people had signed their name to the petition.

Legal issues now prevent the duo from using the name “Overdrive” in their title, so Bachman and Turner is what they’re now called. Maybe the Bachman-Turner Freeway would be a better choice to avoid a pesky lawsuit. Or as Power 97 suggested, the Bachman-Turner Overpass.

The local music legends recently performed together at the High Voltage Festival in London on July 25.

Handout photo

You may soon be able to leave your iPod at home the next time you head out to Winnipeg Beach.

The CRTC approved an application for a new FM radio station to operate in the lakeside community north of Winnipeg.

In a ruling filed Wednesday, the federal broadcast regulator approved the use of the 107.5 MHz frequency to be used by CJIE-FM for new English-language commercial radio programming.

The new radio station — which has yet to be named — will serve Gimli and Winnipeg Beach, with its transmitter located in Arborg.

No word on when it will eventually hit the airwaves, but we’re told the format will be country/pop/rock.

ChrisD.ca photo

The 11th Annual Cruz-In-Downtown car show is set for Saturday, August 7 at the Pony Corral downtown.

Organizers held a press conference on Wednesday, where they unveiled details of this year’s event. All the action will be located at St. Mary Avenue and Kennedy Street, with a parade kicking things off at 11:40 a.m.

The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ is one of the key sponsors this year, offering up a free kids zone, petting zoo, carnival games, inflatable rides and other activities.

The featured car club this year is the Drag Racing Association of Manitoba. Other clubs from across the province will also line the streets.

The extremely popular burnout competition returns on York Avenue and Edmonton Street. Spectators can safely see and feel the power produced by some of the of the classic and late model cars in a safe, controlled environment. The entry fee is $20.

Cruz-In-Downtown participants may pre-register at a cost of $10 on Sunday nights at the Pony Corral Restaurant at 400 Wilton and Grant Avenue, and at all Piston Ring locations. For more information, call John or Beverly Dyck at 889-7822.

Proceeds from the car show go to support The Rainbow Society.

ChrisD.ca photo/Marc Evans

Posted by Brian Schultz

The 2010 Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame inductees were announced on Wednesday, and include four athletes, two sports community builders and two teams.

The 2010 inductees include:

Kenneth J. Galanchuk — Basketball
Jo-Ann Lindsay — Golf
Shane Moffatt — Baseball/Hockey
Christine O’Connor — Builder/Soccer
George Phillips — Builder/All Round
Frank Rigney — 1966-67 Team Manitoba/Football
Centennial Canoe Team
1984 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Team

“These eight recipients join an exclusive group of Manitoba’s finest in sport,” said Don Pincock, president of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors. “We strive to preserve, celebrate and showcase the history and heritage of sport excellence and achievement and these six individuals and two teams have earned their place in Manitoba’s sport history.”

All eight recipients will be inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame at the 31st Annual Induction Ceremonies on Saturday, November 6 at the Victoria Inn.

Tickets for the Induction Dinner go on sale August 1. More information is available at SportManitoba.ca.

DOWNLOAD biographies on each of the inductees. (PDF, 164 KB)