Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 21, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba SA V O U R M A N I T O B A M A N I T O B A ’ S P R E M I E R F O O D , D R I N K A N D L I F E S T Y L E M A W I N T E R 2 0 2 5 H e a r t h , H o m e & H o l i d a y Warm up to the season W A T C H F O R I T A T M A N I T O B A L I Q U O R M A R T S ! Read online: winnipegfreepress.com/fp-features with flavours that feel like home FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2025 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM SECTION B CONNECT WITH WINNIPEG’S NO. 1 NEWS SOURCE ▼ CITY ● BUSINESS ‘Champs’ serve up soups and inspiration KIERAN Schellenberg wasn’t just stir- ring soup at the launch of the Raw Car- rot on Thursday — he was mixing up hope and purpose. “It’s difficult for people with disabil- ities to find a job,” said Schellenberg, 26, who is on the autism spectrum and also deals with OCD, ADHD and anx- iety. “It’s great to get out, have work and be productive,” he said, adding that having a job also aids with self esteem. Schellenberg is one of eight people with disabilities working at the Raw Carrot, a social enterprise that launched this week at St. Peter’s Angli- can Church in River Heights. “They all work like champs,” said kitchen manager Cara Klippenstein of the staff, who made 800 frozen serv- ings of gourmet soup including carrot, potato bacon, hearty lentil and barley and veggie mania. The Raw Carrot is the brainchild of Rebecca Sherbino of Paris, Ont. She co-founded the social enterprise in 2014. “I did it because of a person at my church,” Sherbino said, referring to a woman with a cognitive disability. “She had great potential, but couldn’t find a job. There were so many barriers to employment. But she wanted to work.” When efforts to help find her a job came up short, Sherbino decided to cre- ate one. Social enterprise’s first foray outside Ontario offers ‘dignity of work’ for those with disabilities JOHN LONGHURST JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Kieran Schellenberg stirs the pot during Thursday’s launch of the Raw Carrot. ● INSPIRATION, CONTINUED ON B2 RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS IS NOVEMBER THE NEW OCTOBER? With the mercury hovering between freezing and 6 C, Winnipeggers could be forgiven for thinking their calendars are out of whack. At The Forks, friends Karla Cardenas and Hussain Ali catch up as old university friends, sipping their beverages on the sunny patio. More seasonal norms are on their way by the middle of next week. Traffic to be ‘huge problem’ neighbour-to-be predicts Residents oppose 55-plus complex JOYANNE PURSAGA A MULTI-FAMILY complex proposed for Charleswood has triggered a mixed response, with some residents con- cerned it would bring unwanted traffic and clash with the surrounding com- munity. The proposed development, which has 132 housing units on Roblin Boule- vard, must be approved by city council. The 4.7-acre (1.9-hectare) site con- tains three properties, including the Charleswood United Church at 4820 Roblin Blvd., as well as 4724 and 4814 Roblin, which each contain a sin- gle-family home. The development would maintain the church and add a six-storey residential building with a height of 69.5 feet (21.2 metres), with units geared toward the 55-plus age group. Some community members are try- ing to stop the project, however, be- cause they argue it’s a poor fit for the neighbourhood. Wayne Lucas, who lives about a block away, said he believes the development would have several unwanted side-ef- fects. “With… so many people (in) such a small space, traffic is going to be a huge problem around the community,” said Lucas. That poses safety risks to children who attend a nearby school on Dieppe Road, he said. “It is extremely, extremely full of traffic already. You cannot pass down there at quite a few times of the day, but (especially) when students are being dropped off,” said Lucas. He’s also concerned the large multi- family building would allow the new residents clear views into single-family homes and yards, while creating noise, light pollution and eliminating some green space. During a hearing at the Assiniboia community committee meeting on Thursday, several more residents op- posed the plan. Steini Hibbert said he may not have purchased his Charleswood home dec- ades ago if he knew this development was coming. “It’s a blight on the neighbourhood. It is not a benefit,” said Hibbert. By contrast, proponents of the pro- ject said it will provide options for people to age in place near active trans- portation, shopping and restaurants, while preserving hundreds of trees, improving land drainage and allowing generous setbacks from existing sin- gle-family homes. “There is a great need for 55-plus apartment units in Charleswood… Very few options exist right now,” said Jas Kalar, president of Exemplar Developments, during the committee meeting. Kalar said a shorter building would have led the structure to spread out more, coming closer to neighbouring homes. Eric Jensen, another proponent of the project, agreed the homes are greatly needed. “Clearly, there’s a shortage of hous- ing, particularly for people who want to stay in the community… I think it’s time that Charleswood kind of catch up and provide more housing oppor- tunities, particularly for aging people,” said Jensen. ● HOUSING, CONTINUED ON B2 Province to expand intimate images law T HE Manitoba government plans to broaden the law governing the non-consensual distribution of in- timate images to include nearly nude pictures and threats to share the ma- terial. The bill before the legislature would also compel websites to remove the im- ages. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said Thursday the proposed changes are part of a set of 10 recommendations put forth in a review from the Crown law analysis branch of the justice depart- ment last year. “This is an evolving space. We know that there’s always work to be done, but this really does address those rec- ommendations and it brings us to the forefront where we should be in Mani- toba about protecting children,” Wiebe said. In Tuesday’s throne speech, the gov- ernment vowed to bolster the current law and make it the “strongest in Can- ada.” Wiebe said when it comes to forcing websites to take down intimate images, it’ll be up to the companies to follow legislation in each jurisdiction they operate in and be willing to work with local governments. There wouldn’t be a penalty, per se, and it would be up to the courts to de- cide the matter, the minister said. The amendments would make it il- legal to take or share nude or nearly nude images of a person after their death. Kalyn Danco, associate general coun- sel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the rapid evolution of the internet and the sharing of images makes the issue difficult to address, which means policy responses need to adapt quickly. “Our organization has been advocat- ing for stronger protections for victims of this form of sexual violence, and so we are encouraged to see the Manitoba government is listening and taking action.” The centre runs a national tip line where people can report online child sexual abuse and exploitation, and it receives hundreds of reports each year of images being shared without con- sent. She said the inclusion of a threat to release an image is an important amendment. Once an image has been distributed, containing it can be incredibly diffi- cult. The threat of distribution can be used as a coercive control tactic. “It’s very important to acknowledge the harm from that type of threat, that type of extortion,” Danco said. NICOLE BUFFIE ● IMAGES, CONTINUED ON B2 ;