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Volume 113 issue 10 October 14 2026

Page 1

News

4 Editorial

8 Comment

Arts & 12 Culture

Sports & 14 Recreation

15

Extra sweet

Get out of here!

Back to the old house

Cool and composed

Football forever

HOPE holding bake sale to support Manitobans battling breast cancer

If you can escape the student grind with a vacation, you should

Old homes don’t deserve to be torn down to make room for ugly new houses

U of M student Ari Hooker is earning much acclaim as a classical composer

Former Bison Daniel Conway continues legacy as a broadcaster

Another reason to be thankful

October 14, 2026

SINCE 1914

VOL. 113, NO. 10


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No. 10

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109 HELEN GLASS BUILDING UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA WINNIPEG, MB THEMANITOBAN.COM | 204. 474. 6535

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Manitoban is the official student newspaper of the University of Manitoba. It is published monthly during the summer and each week of regular classes during the academic year by the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.

Mikaela Warkentin

editor@themanitoban.com

ads@themanitoban.com

The Manitoban is an independent and democratic student organization, open to participation from all students. It exists to serve its readers as students and citizens.

EDITORIAL

The Manitoban is a member of the Canadian University Press, and our journalistic standards can be found on the Manitoban’s website.

BUSINESS MANAGER Alice Teufack accounts@themanitoban.com BUSINESS SUPPORT MANAGER Ramisah Musarrat

MANAGING EDITOR

Peace Ifeanyi

me@themanitoban.com COPY EDITOR

Eden Quiring

copy@themanitoban.com NEWS EDITOR

Arifah Gheesah

news@themanitoban.com NEWS EDITOR

Roy Albright Obah

news@themanitoban.com RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Mansura Akter Meghla research@themanitoban.com COMMENT EDITOR

Quinn Mayhew

comment@themanitoban.com ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Boris Tsun Hang Leung arts@themanitoban.com SPORTS EDITOR

Faiyaz Chowdhury

sports@themanitoban.com

DESIGN AND VISUALS DESIGN EDITOR

Deveney Jarrow

design@themanitoban.com GRAPHICS EDITOR

Emma Gillich

graphics@themanitoban.com PHOTO EDITOR

Ebunoluwa Akinbo

photo@themanitoban.com

AUDIO AND VIDEO AUDIO EDITOR

Max Reid

audio@themanitoban.com VIDEO EDITOR

pages 3 to 4

Zulkifl Rafah

video@themanitoban.com DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR

Faisal Rahman

social@themanitoban.com

VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEER STAFF Sijy Varghese

The newspaper’s primary mandate is to report fairly and objectively on issues and events of importance and interest to the students of the University of Manitoba, to provide an open forum for the free expression and exchange of opinions and ideas and to stimulate meaningful debate on issues that affect or would otherwise be of interest to the student body and/ or society in general. The Manitoban serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism. Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute to any section of the newspaper. Please contact the appropriate editor for submission guidelines.

RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY

page 6

EDITORIAL

page 8

DIVERSIONS

pages 9 to 10

COMMENT

pages 12 to 13

The Manitoban reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its Editorial Board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic, ableist or libellous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors. Editorials in the Manitoban are signed and represent the opinions of the writer(s), not necessarily those of the Manitoban staff, Editorial Board or the publisher. A “volunteer staff” member is defined as a person who has had three volunteer articles, photographs or pieces of art of reasonable length and/ or substance published in the current publishing year of the Manitoban.

ARTS & CULTURE

page 14

SPORTS & RECREATION

page 15

Any individual who qualifies as a volunteer staff member must be voted in by a majority vote at a Manitoban editorial board meeting. Elected representatives and non-students may be excluded from holding votes as volunteer staff members in accordance with the Manitoban Constitution.

VOLUNTEERS Adam Johnston

interested in volunteering? email me@themanitoban.com today!

2

All contents are ©2026 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.


News

October 14, 2026 news@themanitoban.com

UMSU board sets executive by-election for Oct. 22 Nominations open Oct. 13 for vacancies in the UMSU’s VPFO and VPEA portfolios Roy Albright Obah, staff

U

MSU’s board of directors approved a by-election through board appointment to fill two vacant executive positions at its Oct. 8 meeting. The decision followed the failure of motions 0717 and 0718, which would have redistributed the responsibilities of the vacant positions among the remaining executives. The governance committee was subsequently tasked “to develop a process, and procedure for conducting by-elections for the vice president external affairs (VPEA), and vice-president finance and operations (VPFO) vacancies.” At the meeting, board members considered two proposed election procedures. One was motion 0720, which proposed a by-election through board appointment, and the other was motion 0721, which proposed a regular by-election where eligible student voters elect the replacements. Motion 0720 was approved

and 0721 failed. Before the vote, the chair of the governance committee, outlined the considerations behind the proposed procedures. “We looked at UMSU’s previous procedures, how other student unions in the country have handled similar situations, and what would realistically be manageable in the middle of the academic year,” the committee chair said. The approved process will determine replacements for Cameron Provost, the former VPFO, and Aiden Peters, the former VPEA. Both executives resigned from their positions. The motion stated that “the executive by-elections shall take place at the board meeting starting at 6 p.m. on October 22.” Interested candidates must submit a minimum of 50 valid signatures in support of their nominations. Nominations open Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. and close Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. If no eligible candidate comes forward for either

vacancy by the nomination deadline, that position will remain vacant and return to the board for consideration of next steps. According to the motions, the appointment by-election is expected to cost approximately $5,230, about $4,770 less than a by-election by student vote. The approved process also shortens the election timeline. The regular by-election option would have stretched the election process to Nov. 2 and 3. However, the appointment process limits voting rights to eligible board members, meaning students will not directly elect the replacements through a union-wide vote. A question period will be open to board members and students-at-large, although priority will be given to questions from board members. This differs from a regular election forum, where students can question candidates as part of the election process. The committee chair said

the governance committee developed the options for the board to consider, and that the committee did not “formally endorse either option.” The approved procedure applies only to the two vacant executive positions at this time and does not perma-

nently amend UMSU’s governing documents.

UMSCAS Icebreaker

Mastani Diwali

The U of M Sociology and Criminology Association of Students is hosting an icebreaker event for attendees to meet the executive team and make friends. The event is taking place on Oct. 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the faculty of arts lounge. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Interested parties can RSVP through the club’s Instagram page @umscas.

The U of M Hindu Students’ Council and Laksh U of M are hosting Mastani Diwali on Nov. 6 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. in University Centre’s multi-purpose room. The event will celebrate the festival of lights with music, food, rangoli, performances and a DJ. Entry tickets are priced at $10 for U of M students and $20 for non-student attendees. More information is available on Instagram at @hsc.uofm or @ laksh.umanitoba

Women’s Heart Health Panel

PHOTO BY EBUNOLUWA AKINBO / STAFF

Interested and eligible students can review the nomination requirements by visiting umsu.ca/by-election.

‘Toban news briefs Arifah Gheesah, staff Lemonade stands for hope U of M Undergraduate Leaders in Healthcare and the U of M Dairy Club are hosting a lemonade stand with ice cream to raise funds for CancerCare Manitoba Foundation to support Manitobans with cancer. The stand will be outside of the Science Students’ Association lounge at 209E Armes on Oct. 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be four different ice cream flavours available — matcha, chocolate, vanilla and coffee.

UMMSA 36th Annual Conference The U of M Muslim Students’ Association (UMMSA) is back with its 36th annual conference planned for Nov. 13 to 15. UMMSA will be expecting guest speakers from across Canada and the U.S. This three-day event will consist of networking sessions, workshops and Islamic lectures. UMMSA is also planning on launching their new merch as well as expanding their MSA cafe menu. Interested parties can find more information at @um.msa on Instagram.

The U of M Women’s Heart Health Club and UMSU Women’s Centre are organizing a panel for an evening of discussions with panelists in women’s research and heart health. The event is happening on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. in EITC E2 165 featuring panelists Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin — primary investigator at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Punam Mehta — a Rady faculty of health sciences instructor, Rhea Vaags-Olafson — Reh-Fit director of health and fitness and Noor Imran — a U of M medical student. More information can be found at @womenscentre_ umsu or @umanitoba.whhc on Instagram.

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Vol. 113, No. 10 news@themanitoban.com

News

A treat with HOPE U of M student-led bake sale supports breast cancer awareness Arifah Gheesah, staff

U

of M Healthcare Outreach Program and Events (HOPE) is having a bake sale on Oct. 13 and 15 to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The bake sale will take place in front of the Science Students’ Association lounge at 209E Armes from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All proceeds will go to Helping Hands for Manitobans with Breast Cancer Inc. Raeesa Hoque, HOPE events coordinator, said the bake sale will include an assortment of treats with ingredient lists available for students with dietary needs or restrictions. Beyond fundraising, the bake sale also aims to raise awareness about local organizations supporting people affected with breast cancer. Hoque said brochures from Helping Hands for Manitobans with Breast Cancer Inc. will be available at the table, allowing students to learn more about the organization without having to make a pur-

chase. The event also provides an opportunity for students to discover ways to get involved in their community. Fatin Shadab Talukder, UMSU director for HOPE, explained the idea behind the event. “Students are always in a rush […] A bake sale is really easy for students to purchase something,” he said. “A bake sale is a good way to provide them with that energy. It’s all homemade, right? It’s all made with care, love and good ingredients.” HOPE is a student-led outreach and fundraising group that aims to educate and inspire students about healthcare careers. As a new club, they are hoping to reach more students with the bake sale. “Take a piece of HOPE with you,” Hoque said. Their outreach is offered both in English and French for accessibility and inclusivity across Manitoba’s bilingual community. HOPE also operates at the University of Saint-Boniface, connecting

students to healthcare on both campuses. HOPE’s outreach also includes high school visits. Their last visit was to Sisler High School for a fully-French radiology outreach event. HOPE has participated in community initiatives such as Better Blankets for Babies, a collaborative project with the U of M Student-Organized Market Initiative involving fundraising and making blankets for mothers and babies in need. HOPE plans to introduce students to lesser-known careers in healthcare. Talukder explained that the healthcare field extends beyond traditional professions such as medicine, pharmacy and dentistry. “Healthcare is more than clinical care,” Hoque added. “It’s not just a one-way path.” She explained that students pursuing careers in healthcare may sometimes feel discouraged when they do not achieve the academic results they expected. However, hope

GRAPHIC BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

is not lost, as opportunities are plentiful in healthcare. Hoque recalled learning about medical illustration as a potential healthcare career, an opportunity that surprised her. “I was like, wow, that’s different,” she said. “There are lots of opportunities.” Looking ahead, HOPE

plans to organize additional healthcare panels and outreach events. As the club continues to grow, Hoque hopes the bake sale will help connect more students with the organization while supporting the wider community.

Bringing Nigerian heritage close to U of M UMNISA marked Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day with cultural activities Roy Albright Obah, staff In honour of Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day, the U of M Nigerian Students Association (UMNISA) organized a five-day event featuring activities celebrating Nigerian culture. The week’s celebration, Naija on Campus, began on Sept. 28 with a display of traditional clothing called “Traditional Fusion.” Joshua Okoye, UMNISA president, said “[the event] was positioned for the Nigerian students on campus to have fun with their fellow students and also be able to connect with the larger Nigerian students community.” The celebration featured Nigerian music, cultural clothing, snacks, dance and sports. Nigerian vendors also displayed food, clothing and other products. Balancing the event schedule with academic commitments presented challenges, Okoye shared. Despite the hurdles, Okoye said the association’s executive and events teams collaborated to plan the week, with members sharing ideas, assigning responsibilities and coordinating activities. The association also con-

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nected with Nigerian businesses in Winnipeg through vendor participation. Okoye said these connections supported UMNISA’s efforts to promote Nigerian culture and “helped make the celebration more engaging.” He said seeing attendees engage with Nigerian music, food, fashion and sports was among the most memorable aspects of the celebration. “An event like Naija on Campus helps bring people together, create friendships and build connections between students from different backgrounds,” Okoye expressed. UMNISA plans to continue organizing cultural and social activities, and initiatives focused on networking, advocacy and student support. “We hope that students and attendees were able to know that even if we are far from home, there’s also a home here,” Okoye said. “There’s always a community at the U of M that cares about the Nigerian students, their advocacy and their well-being.” The final lap of the event was crowned with an Afropegga Night Out, which featured DJ ALTAY at Savana. Nigeria gained its

PHOTOS BY EBUNOLUWA AKINBO / STAFF

independence on Oct. 1, 1960 after nearly a century of British colonial influence and rule. In 1963, it became a federal republic, ending its con-

stitutional relationship with the British monarchy. For more updates about UMNISA’s future events, stu-

dents can follow their Instagram page @_umnisa.


Research & Technology

Vol. 113, No. 10 research@themanitoban.com

Beyond narratives of loss Rewriting Inuit history through Inuit knowledge Mansura Akter Meghla, staff

F

or Sharon Angnakak, understanding Inuit history requires more than revisiting what has already been written in the archives. It demands asking whose interpretation of that history has been preserved and whose knowledge may have been misunderstood along the way. Angnakak — an Inuk from Iqaluit, Nunavut and an assistant professor in the U of M’s Indigenous studies department — researches Inuit history, Inuit philosophy, legal anthropology in the Arctic, cultural exchange between Arctic Indigenous peoples and the state and Arctic sovereignty from Inuit perspectives. Her work examines the intersections of Inuit knowledge, religion, law, colonialism and political development. A central goal of her research is to challenge narratives that frame Inuit history primarily through cultural loss and adaptation. Instead, Angnakak applies Inuit frameworks to highlight Inuit agency, innovation and continuity. She emphasized Inuit as “agentic cultural innovators” who have both driven cultural change and maintained cultural traditions. Angnakak’s current work involves transforming her PhD dissertation into a manuscript. The research asks whose account of Canadian-Inuit history is considered authoritative and how Canada established sovereignty over Inuit and the Arctic. It also inspects how Inuit beliefs and speech were translated into Western categories of knowledge during efforts to establish Canadian sovereignty. Her PhD research revisited two highly documented criminal cases involving Inuit. These are the 1917 murder trials of Sinnisiak and Uluksuk when Inuit were tried in a Canadian court for the first time, and the 1941 Belcher Island murder trials. Angnakak’s archival research applied Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit — Inuit philosophy and traditional knowledge — alongside Inuktut — Inuit languages — to reconsider how these cases have been understood. She found inconsistencies in archival records, including records of interpretations between Inuktut and English during investigations and court proceedings. The historical records contain different interpretations

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GRAPHIC BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

of the same events. Canadian the research also demon- duced by non-Inuit through officials understood the kill- strated the challenges of rely- interpreters, Angnakak argued ings as “murder,” while Chris- ing on historical records pro- that researchers should not tian missionaries interpreted duced by outsiders. “Trans- automatically take archival them through the concept lation and interpretation accounts of what Inuit supof “martyrdom.” Angnakak’s between languages always posedly said at face value. research introduced another risk the skewing of messages Instead, she uses sources such perspective, an interpreta- from intended meaning,” she as “Inuktitut Bibles, early diction grounded tionaries and in the Inuit oral histories “Translation and interpretation between concept of that discuss “ m a l i g a i t ,” Inuit philosolanguages always risk the skewing of loosely transphy for ways to messages from intended meaning” lated as “laws.” interpret that By revisithistory.” — Sharon Angnakak, U of M department of ing the case Angnakak’s files through approach is indigenous studies assistant professor Inuit laws, connected to language and a broader purphilosophy, Angnakak iden- said. This becomes particu- pose to ensure that Inuit are tified motives for the kill- larly important when the sub- understood as active particiings that she argued are more ject involves justice, law, reli- pants in their own history. For consistent with Inuit know- gion, culture and philosophy, her, community impact is parledge and ways of being. This where meaning and language ticularly important. She sees approach created a new inter- are connected to the world- serving the community as a pretation of the history sur- view of the culture in which a fundamental Inuit value and rounding the cases, she high- message originated. hopes her research can help lighted. Because historical records young Inuit. According to Angnakak, about Inuit were often pro“If young Inuit can view

their history through agency and innovation — rather than narrowly through power and oppression — then I think my work will have made [an] impact,” she said. She hopes this perspective can also shape how students approach research on Inuit culture and society. While colonial harms must be acknowledged, Angnakak said studying Inuit culture through Inuit frameworks can offer a different and more affirming perspective. “Studying Inuit culture and society can be freeing and celebratory as it exposes us to [a] worldview that is vastly different from the epistemology that dominates academia,” she said. Her future research will continue exploring Inuit testimony, interpretation and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, working directly with Inuit communities in Nunavut.


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Editorial

Vol. 113, No. 10 editor@themanitoban.com

From UMLearn to Cancún and back When that trip calls in the middle of the semester, answer it! Ebunoluwa Akinbo, staff

I

magine having to write weekly discussion posts, research and refine the direction of your honours thesis and keep up with six-credit elective courses. This is the chaotic beauty of being in my final year of university, with a full course load and a busy schedule. Amidst this brouhaha, I hopped on a 48-hour trip to Cancún, Mexico for an escape. Hold that thought! ’Cos the border officer in Winnipeg gave me that stare and her questions felt like a UMLearn quiz while she searched my bag. “That’s what you do when family calls,” I said. Going to celebrate my aunty’s birthday/a family reunion in Mexico, for someone who lives far away from home, is surely a good way to get away from all my UMLearn notifications.

To travel is to learn, first of all, about myself. With my luggage left in Toronto after arriving in Cancún and the party starting the following day, I couldn’t survive Cancún’s heat in the thick clothes I wore from Winnipeg. I had to go find clothes and toiletries, and struggled because the stores I went to had no large shoe sizes. My bag finally arrived on the evening of the party, and I could wear my shoes and some makeup. With a 48-hour trip comes the best part... drum roll... DUFRY! A funny abbreviation for duty free shops, if you ask me. Here’s my tip — know your limit and stay within it when shopping at Dufry. Make sure your items are packed and sealed in a Dufry bag. If immigration officers open it for inspection, make sure they reseal it with their tape marked “INSPECTED.”

PHOTOS BY EBUNOLUWA AKINBO / STAFF

8


Tough

9 8 7 6 1 4 5

Previous solution - Medium

7 9 6

No. 824

6

3 2 7 4 5 6 1 8 9

4

SUDOKU

7 1 8

5

Easy

© 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

1

9

cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to The solutions will be published here in the ne see how ‘straights’ are formed.

6 1 9 8 2 7 5 3 4

4 8 5 1 3 9 6 2 7

9 7 8 2 6 1 3 4 5

1 3 4 5 9 8 2 7 6

5 6 2 3 7 4 8 9 1

8 4 6 9 1 2 7 5 3

2 5 1 7 4 3 9 6 8

7 9 3 6 8 5 4 1 2

Previous solution - Very Hard

xkcd.com

Sijy Varghese, volunteer staff

6

3

© 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

8

3 1 2 5 2 4 1 3 2 4 9 4 3 5 8 6 9 7 9 8 6 8 7

8

If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store. You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

3

5 8 9 4 6 7 9 8 3 8 9 7 2 7 6 3 1 8 6 7 3 5 4 7 4 3 2 5 6 4 3 2 5 5 4 6

5

8

Easy

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

4 9 5

5

3

1

board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

2 3

6 2 4 1

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9

4

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1

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1

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9

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If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

4

4 6 3 8 7 9 1 5 2

9 2 4

5 9 1 7 6

2 7 9 3 1 5 6 8 4

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number can Previous solution Hard But... repeat in any row -orVery column. rows divided by black 3 6and 4 columns 9 1 5 are 8 2 7 squares 2 1 8into 7 compartments. 3 6 4 5 9 These need that 7 9to5be8filled 4 in 2 with 6 1numbers 3 complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set 4 8 1 2 5 3 9 7 6 of numbers with no gaps but can be in 5 order, 2 3 6 7 1 4Clues 8 in black any eg 9[4,2,3,5]. 6 7remove 9 1 that 8 4number 2 3 5as an option cells 5 6 3 2 8 7 9 4 are not part in1that row and column, and of8any 3 straight. 2 4 7 Glance 9 5 6at the 1 solution to The solutions will be published here in the next issue. see 9 how 4 7 ‘straights’ 5 6 1 are 3 8formed. 2

7

6 1 7 9 5 2 8 4 3

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

5

3 6 7 5 8 3

3 5 8 1 4 7 9 2 6

5

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

9 2 4 6 3 8 7 1 5

4 1 7 9

Medium

Previous solution - Tough

Sudoku Solution To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers each 823 Previous solution - Easy1 to 9 such thatNo. row, column, and 3x3 box contains 9 8 1 2 3 6 5 4 8every 9 5 3 2 6uniquely. 7 4 number In Straights, 1 6 5 4 7 8 like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 1 7 3 5 7 4 6 9 8 can repeat in any row or column. But 6 3 5 4 2 7 rows1and 8 5 4 3 are 2 columns 6 divided by black 7 9Straights Solution4 3 2 7 into 6 5 compartments. 4 squares Each 4 5 3 8 6 7 9 1 2 compartment must form a “straight.” 3 4 6 9 7 8 2 1 A straight is a set of numbers with How to beat Str8ts – 3 9 Like no single no Sudoku, gaps but it cannumber be in can any order, eg repeat in any row or column. But... [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove 6 7 1 rows and columns are divided by black that number as an option squares into compartments. These in that need be filled in with numbers 2 rowtoand column, and arethat not part of 5 complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set straight. ofany numbers with noGlance gaps but at can the be insolution 8 3 any [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black to order, see eg how “straights” are formed.

© 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

No. 823

Very Hard

© 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

No. 823

SUDOKU

Puzzle by Signdicated Puzzles

8 2 .str8ts.com 5 1 3 4 7

If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

STR8TS

Straights

Puzzle by Signdicated Puzzles

xt issue.

SUDOKU

Sudoku

© 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

Diversions

October 14, 2026 graphics@themanitoban.com

2026 Alance AB

Do you have a comic you’d like to submit to the Manitoban? Email your submissions to graphics@themanitoban.com

9

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Vol. 113, No. 10 graphics@themanitoban.com

Diversions

The Goose the ‘Toban Crossword Created by MJ, volunteer

Where am I? I’m MJ, now your paper’s very own student puzzlemaster. I love words, I love puzzles and I love people. I will see to it that my passions shine through in the puzzles I contribute to the Manitoban. Expect a ~15x15 crossword grid every few weeks, one that will challenge and entertain if you give it focus and patience. The rules and idiosyncrasies that govern The New York Times crosswords will also govern my own, if you are at all familiar. Mine will be themed crosswords — that usually means that they contain a “revealer”

that will aid your solving process (see 38-Across). I aim to match the Tuesday-Thursday NYT crosswords in terms of theme difficulty, but I will include both easy (Monday) and borderline unfair (Friday/ Saturday) clues to appeal to all audiences. The solution will be shared in the next Manitoban issue. For now, keep an eye out for any clues with a question mark (signifying wordplay or similar shenanigans). I plan on sharing some solving tips with time. See if you can unlock this puzzle’s theme today. Good luck, and remember, no Googling!

Down

Across 1. Manitoba Blue Cross provides this 10. A ___ his word 15. What constitutes the Aries constellation 16. This kind of protein was first chemically synthesized in the Hadean Eon, roughly 3.5-4 billion years ago 17. Adjective for a people person 18. Where you can find a specific gene in a genetic sequence 19. Weight units rarely used at the ALC 20. Shade 21. You wish it wasn’t a problem. It is... in a word? 22. Hear sweet nothin’s whispered in here 23. Director Anderson 24. Kick out 28. With Grey, it is dark brown?

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30. Mail, as a letter 34. Smallest unit on an oven timer, usually 36. Be aware of 37. Adjust in pitch, as a 25-down 38. Notoriously hard to navigate section of South Osborne, or an apt descriptor of the 4 shaded spaces in this grid 41. If and else’s partner, in Python 42. Series known for its political satire with 1000 episodes and counting, as of 2026 43. Overwatch hero with the ability to teleport in her direction of movement 44. Consumes 45. Political assistant 47. “He’s there, the Phantom of the ___” 48. Mini organization? 49. U.K. medical organization

51. Wagers 55. You will be asked to fill one out after completing a course at the UofM 56. Northern Lights location 59. Former Phoebe Bridgers collaborator Oberst 60. Supercalfragilisicexpialidocious 63. Poker player’s surrender 64. A kind of 47-Across 65. The toothy youngest Baudelaire sibling in a children’s series 66. Period in sports that comes before it gets busy

1. U.N. agency that invests in the economic growth of developing countries 2. ___ and cranny 3. Like nursery rhymes 4. Coffee containers 5. Corporate Social Responsibility: Fr. Abbr. 6. “Right back ___” (compliment sometimes accompanied with finger guns) 7. Where one might find a bush... or “the bush”? 8. Most widely spoken Indigenous language in Canada 9. This kind of event can cause lightning: Abbr. 10. Low alcohol beers 11. Love in a Romance language? 12. A perhaps lukewarm compliment, better when elongated 13. Burden 14. Encompassing acronym for code available to modify, share and reuse without cost 21. Choose from drop-down menu, as with a cursor 22. Famous last words 23. Some bird lovers campaigned to eradicate one kind of this bird in the 1920’s, according to the 2nd edition of the Pocket Birds of Canada, because it was so aggressive 24. Host, as a show 25. String instrument often visually mistaken for its sister instrument 26. Emphatic sentence concluder, commonly used in British slang 27. Cops can use these to keep

your hands behind your back 29. Comparable in years (Clue Credits: David J. Khan) 30. Plumbing part that prevents dangerous gases from entering homes 31. Can be a fluid unit of measurement 32. Scoff (at) 33. Earth, in some sci-fi movies 35. Do them before they’re due soon! 39. Still kicking 40. Gold, in Spanish 46. “La Vie ___” by Edith Piaf 48. Geeky 50. Gets (at) 51. Bio, chem and physics, to name a few 52. Smoked or fried, it’s always by a vegetarian’s side (Banh Mi House, 1373 Pembina, get a #11, and thank me later) 53. Soon, in poetic past 54. München : Munich :: ___ : Cologne (Clue Credits: Christopher Youngs) 55: Appear (in) 56. Abbr. that might appear in the sender address of a postcard coming from Silicon Valley 57. Purveyors of buckets of fast food 58. Vowel line on a keyboard, by one definition, anyway 60. UM Safe, UMRecreation, UMaps or Umanitoba, for example 61. I’m sure we all love Canadian geese... but what is a French goose? 62. French refusal


U

S T P e G am M

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Vol. 113, No. 10 comment@themanitoban.com

The Manitoban horoscope for the week of Oct. 12 Zodiac sign mania, flip a coin and see your fate this week Quinn Mayhew, staff AQUARIUS January 20 – February 18 Aquarius, well, well, well, we meet again, back with me telling you to appreciate the things that others do for you a little more. Sometimes you forget, and that’s okay, but you need to remember to show appreciation when you can. PISCES February 19 – March 20 Pisces, it’s time you stop encroaching on your friends’ lives. Everyone deserves to have their own thing without you partaking in it. Let them have some space in their lives for them to grow. ARIES March 21 April 19

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Aries, you go from zero to a hundred real fast — you need to work on de-escalating your emotions. Stop snapping every time someone questions you. Choose the high road and keep it to yourself.

TAURUS April 20 May 20

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Taurus, the squirrels are watching. They chatter around your house and you feel them circling. Make sure you’re safe when you go out. Protect your drink and always leave with people you know. Do not be so willing to trust strangers. GEMINI May 21 June 20

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Gemini, I think you should buy that item you’ve been wanting to buy for a while. I know you’ve been saving and are being responsible, but you need to treat yourself every so often. CANCER June 21 July 22

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Cancers, sometimes your friendships are not forever. Sometimes you drift apart, and that’s okay. You need to stop blaming others for the ending of a friendship, but also look inward a little more, and maybe you’ll find your answer.

LEO July 23 August 22

SCORPIO October 23 – November 21

CAPRICORN December 22 – January 19

Scorpios, I never thought I’d be the one to say this, but you need to be more chronically online. You stay off the internet to prove a point that you’re better than others, but you’re not. You don’t always need to be online, but sometimes it’s okay.

Capricorns, please take a break. You have overworked yourself recently, and that may put strain on your interpersonal relationships this week. This may cause undue problems in the days to come.

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Leos, please stop doubting yourself, you need to gain more confidence in everyday life. Stop being timid about things you’re passionate about, be loud and be passionate. VIRGO August 23 – September 22 Virgos, I need you to know that it is your fault this week. You care about people, but sometimes not as much as you love yourself, and it ends up hurting people. LIBRA September 23 – October 22

SAGITTARIUS November 22 – December 21 Sagittarius, you are my rainbow gel pen in this grey world. You guys are everything that is good. Please be kinder to yourselves.

Libras, money is not everything. Money this, money that, you show off your bank account as though it’s a prize. You need to learn how to be gracious.

GRAPHICS BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

Pave paradise, put up an infill lot If you want a modern house, buy a modern house Quinn Mayhew, staff Dr. Seuss once wrote, “A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean.” The Lorax, although a reminder for kids to be more conscious of their environmental footprint, is still proving to resonate since its publication in 1971. If you look closely enough at Winnipeg neighbourhoods, you’ll see the overwhelmingly alarming rate at which green space is being taken over by urban sprawl. The park you may have played in during childhood has been demolished, or perhaps the tree you used to sit under was cut down to make way for yet another infill home. Bland infill homes are devoid of personality and life, consisting of monotone beige and an everyday sameness that fuels my insomnia past the point of reality. Although, these infills may seem like a good idea on paper, as old homes require a lot of work and it’s a lot easier to tear

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down a home and build a new one than it is to fix one — or is it? I view houses as their own entities, as beings with impressions and memories. When people leave homes, I think they take a little of that home’s lifespan with them. When a house dies, those memories are retained in the minds of the people who lived in it. Some people say, when a goodbye hurts, you know you spent your time well. I see myself saying goodbye to more and more houses on my block in Wolseley — houses I used to play in, and the neighbours who have long since passed away, whose memories still linger in their old homes, whom I catch glimpses of when I pass by their old house windows — to make way for the everyday trudge of modern housing. Infill housing is not a solution to the ongoing housing crisis. When you tear down a single-storey home in a neigh-

bourhood predominantly of middle-class workers, students and hippies and build a three-storey million-dollar home, you are fundamentally altering the neighbourhood. A few suggest that it is not the homes that matter but the people, and I agree with that to some extent. But when your neighbour used to be a 90-year-old woman who would make you cookies in exchange for mowing her lawn, and you get Jeff, the Porsche-enthusiast AI developer who races down the block past children and chains his pit bull to your neighbour’s fence, I’m going to say that was, indeed, not a good trade. The big problem is that we don’t care enough to learn who used to live in these houses, instead we build new homes to list at a million dollars. I also agree that neighbourhoods need to change and evolve, but when the infills destroy trees, park their trucks on the boulevard and

GRAPHIC BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

siphon water from the fire hydrants for these construction projects, that’s not creating a solution to the housing crisis, it’s fueling a deep problem. “People make neighbourhoods” is true to an extent, but I think homes hold memories, souls, if you will. When

we destroy homes to build multi-million-dollar houses for single families, often spanning three storeys, we create undue harm and push neighbourhoods toward gentrification. Protect old homes before you decide to bulldoze.


October 14, 2026 comment@themanitoban.com

Comment

Winnipeg and the way forward Why Winnipeg needs to build smart for the future Adam Johnston, volunteer

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innipeg has passed 850,000 residents, largely driven by immigration, with projections of 900,000 within a decade and one million within 25 years. Yet immigration is slowing as climate change, global instability and shifting federal priorities reshape migration. To keep growth affordable, we must rethink how we build and move through the city. Winnipeg has long been seen as a small big city, shaped by sustained immigration. Programs such as the Provincial Nominee Program have helped drive population growth. Winnipeg also now has over 102,000 Indigenous residents — the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, many of Métis ancestry. Together, I believe Indigenous peoples and immigrants have anchored the city’s labour force and economic resilience. Winnipeg’s growth is now at risk as federal plans to reduce immigration threaten the city’s population trajectory. Despite critics like Alberta’s Danielle Smith calling for reduced immigration, these pressures will persist — and likely intensify — as geopolitical crises and extreme weather from climate change, here and globally, displace people. Environmental science journalist Gaia Vince, in a 2022 piece for the BBC, noted that hundreds of millions of people have been projected to need to flee their homes by 2050 due to the impacts of climate change. From northern Manitoban wildfires to global heatwaves, instability will drive movement toward safer regions. Winnipeg is not yet strategically prepared for this rapidly shifting reality. Winnipeg continues to

underinvest in sustainable mobility while committing over $1 billion to road‑widening projects like Kenaston and Chief Peguis. A stronger transit system, 30 km/h neighbourhood networks and river‑trail pathways would better support equitable, low‑carbon travel and Indigenous land stewardship. Meanwhile, Winnipeg had the highest share of new housing built in sprawling areas from 2016–2021, and developed land grew 96 per cent between 1971 and 2019 as 82,000 residents from mature communities left. With more than 80 per cent of trips made by car, transit ridership has eroded, and the city now faces nearly $8 billion infrastructure deficit, rising property taxes and deteriorating satisfaction among users of Winnipeg Transit, according to a 2025 City of Winnipeg satisfaction survey. Winnipeg can only lead by building smarter and more sustainably. That means shifting funding away from billion‑dollar road expansions and into stronger Winnipeg Transit service, more buses, a properly financed bus garage and affordable or fare‑free options for youth, seniors and low‑income riders. Completing a citywide active transportation network — linking 30 km/h streets, paths and river trails — would expand safe mobility for people who rely most on transit. Winnipeg’s future depends on remaining welcoming to newcomers while sustaining the country’s largest urban Indigenous population. That requires using resources wisely by building more efficiently, prioritizing equitable and cost‑effective transportation and reinvesting in inner‑city neighbourhoods so they once again form a strong

backbone of the city. Growing city, as displacement will con- at a smarter, more equitable sustainably is the way Win- tinue to influence who comes and environmentally sustainnipeg can stay resilient in a here and why. able level than ever before. We rapidly-changing world. As Vince said in the BBC, have a chance to build our city Winnipeg cannot ignore the “Only strong nation states stronger and better for everyone. external polit“Winnipeg must be ready to grow at a ical forces and climate change Adam Johnsmarter, more equitable and environmentally ston that are going hosts sustainable level than ever before” “Not Necesto shape our sarily The future in population growth. While the will be capable of setting up Automobile” on Thursdays at growth currently may not be the systems of governance 11:30 a.m. on UMFM 101.5. He as fast as initially expected, that will help our species sur- can be reached at notnecesthese external forces will play vive climate change.” Win- sarilytheautomobile@gmail. a hand in how we look at our nipeg must be ready to grow com.

GRAPHIC BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

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Arts & Culture

Vol. 113, No. 10 arts@themanitoban.com

Meet U of M’s Gen Z virtuoso composer Ari Hooker discusses musical upbringing, composing and what lies ahead Boris Tsun Hang Leung, staff

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t is not every day you meet a 22-year-old composer and concert pianist on campus, but Ari Hooker is exactly that. Now in the last semester of his degree in piano performance at U of M, Hooker has already composed dozens of pieces, even performing his own piano concerto with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO). In 2025, CBC named him as one of the 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, and he shows no signs of slowing down. “I’ve always just believed in being dedicated to the things you love and working hard, not accepting laziness, and just always trying to become a better version of yourself and grow as a human in all aspects of your life,” the pensive phenom told the Manitoban. It can be said Hooker’s musical journey started before he was even born. Born to Yuri Hooker — the principal cellist at WSO for 25 years — and conductor and pianist Michelle Mourre, music was ingrained into his family. Hooker started playing piano at age three and cello at four, initially taught by his parents before moving onto other teachers. “Music was always a value in our home from a very young age, and it was a discipline that we had growing up,” he commented. Unexpectedly, one of Hooker’s early forays in music was playing keyboard with the four-piece indie band Training Wheels, which he started with a high school friend. The band debuted with the single “Me and You” in December of 2021, wrote and released several singles and an EP and performed shows before going dormant due to the band members’ diverging schedules. “It was super different from anything I’d experienced in the classical world because obviously, the energy of a classical concert is completely different to that of a rock show,” he said. “It was a super fun time.” Hooker started to compose more prolifically at the end of high school, which is when he recognized his zeal for composing. “[Composing] was a completely new love for music than the piano had ever given me. Not that I don’t love the piano, but composing was just something totally new and something that I knew that I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” he said. One of Hooker’s earliest

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works is a three-movement divertimento for string quintet, written in June 2021. As of now, the Gen Z composer has written 25 major compositions in total for piano, strings and symphony orchestra, each containing around 10 to 15 pieces. Many of them have been recorded, with the latest release being The Sum of the Parts in 2026. For the album, he recorded his sonatas for violin, viola and cello and his piano quartet — compositions he considers his best works so far — with musicians from across Canada in only a week. “A lot of the starts of pieces have been melodies or ideas that have popped into my head,” said Hooker, portraying his creative process as a combination between composing in his head and at the piano. “I like to have everything all sorted out in my mind before I put it down on paper. I generally don’t revise very much in my works because I just like to have a clear idea of what I’m going to write before I write it down.” “Once things are on paper, it’s just a matter of practicing it and of engraving it in music notation software, and then it’s ready to perform,” he explained. Hooker identified the 20th century, without a doubt, as his favourite musical period, characterizing it as an era where music “exploded” and became widely accessible, in addition to being shaped by different traditions. He named giants in classical music such as Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev and Sergei Rachmaninoff as his favourite composers. “Ravel is probably my alltime favourite. I think he just had such a masterful understanding of harmony and orchestration and balance, truly a classical composer, but in a completely different harmonic setting,” the composer stated. His fondness for the classical composers is sometimes apparent in his earlier works, especially with titles such as “Le rêve de Ravel” or “Vocalise,” the latter perhaps a nod to Rachmaninoff’s song. However, with several years of experience under his belt, Hooker is steadily finding his compositional voice, describing his sound as rich tonal harmonies and memorable melodies on classical instruments. “When I started out, I felt as though my pieces were still my own, but they were to a degree, I guess, imitations of

PHOTO BY ZULKIFL RAFAH / STAFF

other styles,” he added. “But the more I compose, the more things that influence me, and the more things that I absorb, the more they coalesce into one.” His latest composition is Scenes from Korea / 한국의 장면 들, Op. 16 for solo piano, composed in June and July of this year. The inspiration behind the suite was a trip to Korea with his girlfriend, which Hooker described as a “dream come true.” The recordings, alongside other recent works, will be released as an album soon. “[The trip was] an amazing experience, super inspiring, both just as a human […] to experience a completely different culture from what you’re used to, but also as a composer to see so many new things,” he recounted. “I just knew that I had to write a piece about it. I had to somehow express everything that I was seeing, and so I wrote a set of 16 pieces. We were there for 16 days, and I took one moment from each day that I was there and expressed it through music.” Self-expression is at the core of Hooker’s composition, and he cited nature, other cultures and just experiencing the world as sources of inspiration. For example, the fifth piece from Scenes from Korea, “Beside A Merry Stream | 청계 천 옆에,” muses on the stream that traverses Seoul, writing in an Instagram post that he was so exuberant in that moment even the stream he was walking along seemed happy. Composing is his way

of expressing what words and language cannot convey. “I’ve always just really wanted people to experience the beauty and the joy that music can bring,” he said. “If my music can somehow inspire [other people], that would be success for me.” Hooker can spend eight to 10 hours a day composing or practicing, depending on the number of upcoming recitals. He tries to balance the two, though he admitted, with a laugh, to favouring and enjoying composing slightly more than practicing. However, hard work pays off and Hooker is an illustrious performer. In 2024, he won the Aikins Memorial Trophy at the Winnipeg Music Festival, an award given to most outstanding performance by an instrumentalist in a competition at the diploma level. He had the opportunity to perform a movement of a concerto with the WSO as part of the award, and naturally, he requested to play his own composition, Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 5. This is Hooker’s most memorable performance yet. Apart from it marking his debut with WSO, which his father was still a part of at the time, he said hearing his piece played by a live orchestra was “mind blowing.” The virtuoso was also one of the winners in the U of M Concerto Competition in 2025, later performing as a soloist with the U of M Symphony Orchestra. He was awarded the Women’s Musical Club of

Winnipeg scholarship in the same year. “Both were absolutely an honour to be a part of and to be fortunate enough to win,” said Hooker. “It’s amazing that Manitoba has things like these to support young artists and support them in achieving their goals of becoming professional musicians.” During his time at U of M, Hooker has studied under Juilliard graduate and pianist David Moroz, whom he described as “always very encouraging.” “[Moroz] wanted me to play things that I loved, and I really appreciated that about his teaching,” he stated. “[The program] also just gave me a lot of freedom to learn what kind of person I wanted to become, what kind of musician I wanted to become, and it gave me the freedom to pursue my own interests as well.” Outside of classical music, the U of M student is a Nintendo fan and video game music enthusiast. He has been transcribing the entire soundtrack of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the past year with the goal of eventually publishing the score. Hooker looks forward to composing and performing full time after graduation. He is also considering graduate studies, possibly in Toronto or Montreal. “I would love to continue to study composition, and continue just composing and producing more,” he said.


Sports & Recreation

October 14, 2026 sports@themanitoban.com

From Bison athlete to commentator Daniel Conway’s journey from locker room to broadcast booth Faiyaz Chowdhury, staff

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aniel Conway, an athlete with the Bisons football team until 2025, has now transitioned into a football commentator for the Bisons football games. However, football was not Conway’s first passion. A picture of Kobe Bryant guarding Michael Jordan on his bedroom wall hints at his soft spot for basketball. “Basketball was kind of like my first love.” Conway revealed that he imagined himself playing basketball at a U Sports level, but that never came to fruition. Realizing that, Conway shifted his focus to playing football and luckily, he was invited to the tryout, making his way onto the roster. When Conway was about

four years old, his older brother, who was a New England Patriots fan, introduced him to football. His brothers, Nick and Stefan Conway, were also athletes for the Bisons football team. Throughout Conway’s time with the herd, the locker room experience is something he cherishes. “[There is] amazing team culture, playing football, it’s just the most fun.” He expanded on the locker room culture by saying that it is where the athletes spend most of their time during the school year doing homework, studying or just hanging out. According to Conway, the environment churns out “real connections” with other players.

Conway last played for the Bisons in December 2025 against the Regina Rams, but he has since hung up his jersey. Despite leaving the team as a player, Conway could not hold back his enthusiasm for the season that the team is having. Conway shared that as a commentator he tries to be both authentic and professional. “In certain circumstances, if you were to watch my broadcast, you can definitely tell how excited I’m getting for certain players,” he said. “One of the things I do a lot is try and emulate commentators who do professional games […] It’s fine to be authentic, but you also want to be professional.” Conway shared that as a commentator, he cannot yet

always predict what plays the Bisons are making in the game. However, he focuses primarily on describing the actions as they take place. In the 2026 season, Maya Turner became the first woman captain in the history of the Bisons’ football program. As a former teammate, Conway has nothing but praise for Turner. “She’s been one of the integral parts of the team for the past four, five years,” Conway said. “I think she came in 2022 […] I had already known about her.” According to Conway, Turner has been dedicated to the sport and always put in the work. He added that she had proved a lot of people wrong who had doubted her with the

homecoming game in 2023, when the herd won due to her game-winning kick in overtime. Since then, Turner has been a trailblazer. Referring to the 2024 season, when Turner was the first woman in U Sports history to be a Canada West Football All-Star, Conway said, “If you’re being unbiased about it, the best kicker in the Canada West for an entire season […] You can see why she has been named captain.” The Bisons football team is expected to play the Saskatchewan Huskies on Oct. 16, having faced them already this season where the Bisons won 40-22. The next home game scheduled for Bisons football is on Oct. 31, at the Princess Auto Stadium.

IMAGES COURTESY OF DANIEL CONWAY

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