New collaborations, adorable sibling love, and online creativity made good-news headlines this week.

More access to services coming for Manitoba youth

The Province of Manitoba is working with private groups to establish five hub sites that will offer expanded access to mental health and addiction services for youth in Manitoba.

The Manitoba government, Shared Health and a group of philanthropic partners led by United Way Winnipeg are expanding Integrated Youth Services (IYS) in Manitoba by awarding five additional Youth Hub sites.

“We are thrilled to be part of this. What United Way does is bring partners together and this time around we are working with philanthropic partners, the province and Shared Health and community groups to really make this happen” says Connie Walker, president and CEO of United Way Winnipeg.

Read more
 

'I just felt this is where I needed to be:' Former Manitoban preparing for two-month mission trip in western Canada

A recent phone call left one former Manitoban packing for a two-month mission trip in western Canada.

Born and raised in Killarney and now living in Vancouver, Landon Goerzen is getting ready to lead community outreach programs in Kelowna, B.C. and Fort McMurray, Alta. through YWAM (short for Youth with a Mission).

The five-month training program of YWAM’s Discipleship Training School includes three months of lectures and two months of community outreach through April and May 2021. The current facilitator for the outreach portion was unable to lead the team in the two months in Kelowna and Fort McMurray, so Goerzen was asked to help.

Read more
 

First day of spring kicks off new season with unseasonably warm temperatures

Some say it felt more like summer than spring on Mar. 20 this year.

The wind may have kicked up some dust to end the week, but it also kicked temperatures into high gear, setting records across the province.

Winnipeg was one of 24 communities in the province to set new a new record for daily high temperatures Saturday according to data from Environment Canada.

Read more
 

WATCH: Brotherly love in action as a boy teaches his little brother how to breathe through a tantrum

The brotherly love was real between two siblings as a six-year-old helped his four-year-old brother calm down during a tantrum.

Ashley, a mom of three boys, shared the adorable story on her Twitter Sunday, Mar. 14.

"My four-year-old was about to have a tantrum and my six-year-old helped him manage his breathing so he could calm down," Ashley writes on Twitter.

Read more
 

PRAISE: Prayers answered for 6-year-old's brain tumour test results

The Willson family from Portage la Prairie is rejoicing after hearing the doctors removed most of their daughter's lemon-sized brain tumour.

Elizabeth Willson had been feeling dizzy and nauseous for a couple of months before her family took her to a doctor. It was through a series of tests and appointments they located a tumour the size of a lemon, just above her cerebellum.

After an eight-hour surgery on February 9, the family waited for results from the biopsy taken after doctors removed the tumour. 

Read more
 

School 'Zooming' into uncharted territory with pandemic-inspired play

The latest theatre work to come out of the University of Manitoba is not in a theatre at all, but that's the point.

Dr. Katrina Dunn is an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba's (UM) Theatre program and the director of ZOOM LENS.

"What is remarkable about Debbie Paterson, the playwright, is that she has somehow found a way to have these really pithy and unique observations about the moment that we are in," the director says.

Read more
 

Christian university pulls off stunning upsets, enters Sweet 16 of March Madness

A Christian liberal arts university is defying the odds and turning heads at the NCAA's men's championship tournament.

Oral Roberts University, in Tulsa, Okla., has become just the second-ever 15th seeded team to make it to the round of 16 teams, known as the Sweet 16.

The Golden Eagles first stunned the basketball world when they beat No. 2 Ohio State on Friday.

Read more
 

Culture more than 'song and dance' to Folklorama Ethno-Cultural Arts director

The director of Folklorama's newest programming is excited to see Manitobans excited about exploring aspects of other cultures.

Tuesday is Christian Hidalgo-Mazzei's first day as the new Ethno-Cultural Arts division, but he has spent the past 30 years with the organization. Heading up this division has been a dream of Hidalgo-Mazzei's, saying he had been pushing for programming like this for a long time.

"The festival puts a lot of attention on the song and dance, the spectacle, the show, which is great, (I) love it, but tangible cultural heritage also takes other forms," he says.

Read more
 

Two brothers using social media as a way to share the love of Jesus

Two Winnipeg brothers are hoping to redeem the time young adults already spend on their phones and social media with their new project, Redeem 180.

Isaac and Caleb Mogilevsky are brothers who live together. Caleb is 19-years-old and works part-time for Youth for Christ in Winnipeg as the videographer. Isaac is 21-years-old and already runs an online ministry called Daily Disciple. 

"Redeem 180, the idea basically the idea came about via us seeing a statistic that said the average 18-24 year-old spends 180 minutes on social media per day," says Isaac.

Read more
 

Zach Williams releases barnburner of a new single

'Stand My Ground' is the title of the new single being released by recent Grammy-award winner Zach Williams. 

On March 14, 2021, Williams won the Grammy award in the category of Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. He took home the award for his song 'There was Jesus', featuring Dolly Parton. 

"'Stand My Ground' is the first of four new songs on the deluxe edition of Rescue Story," Williams posted on Instagram. 

Read more
 

Military sending hundreds to help with vaccines in Manitoba's North

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are being sent in to help with COVID-19 vaccinations in 23 Northern Manitoba First Nations.

Federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says up to 200 military personnel will take part in the operation, which is expected to last until the end of June.

Read more
 

'This is more than a gallery': Qaumajuq director says centre welcoming space for all

Bright and lit, Qaumajuq's building will serve as a beacon of reconciliation in Manitoba as it officially opens Thursday.

The Winnipeg Art Gallery's (WAG) newest addition, Qaumajuq (pronounced kow-ma-yourk), is more than only an Innuit art centre to CEO and Director Dr. Stephan Borys.

"This is more than a gallery, it is more than a museum. It is a place, it is a discussion. It is a place for dialogue, learning, understanding, and perhaps most importantly for reconciliation," Borys says. 

Read more
 

Update: Arts community thankful for $6M tide over

Manitoba's Premier says the arts are an important industry and is glad to make his latest funding announcement.

Reminiscing over his own childhood piano performances in Portage la Prairie's annual festival, Premier Brian Pallister announced funding towards arts programs.

"Manitoba's arts and cultural sector has been drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Health restrictions that are necessary to protect Manitobans have very, very significantly limited the ability of this sector to do what it does best: bring people together to enjoy a shared experience."

Read more
 

YFC still able to do outreach through dance classes

Even with an unprecedented year, a local youth ministry is excited about upcoming outreach opportunities taking place in Winnipeg.

Kristie Sidwall is the Senior Ministry Director of Masterworks Dance Studio and the Director and Founder of Surfacing Dance Studio. Both of these are apart of the Youth for Christ (YFC) ministry in Winnipeg. 

"Masterworks is our recreational program and Surfacing is our pre-professional program," says Sidwall. 

Read more
 

'Making a difference one hot dog at a time'

The owner of Willy Dogs is proud to be using his business to help charities close to his heart, raising thousands for local organizations.

A hot dog stand turned community staple has been putting his business to good use, with one of Will Gault's latest charity ventures being a family affair. 

"It is a big thing for us to be able to (give back) and that our business has been so blessed," Will says. "We are becoming a little staple here in our community and it means the world because we call this community, St. James, home."

Read more
 

MP proposes bill to make sex-selective abortion illegal

An MP from Saskatchewan recently proposed federal Bill C-233 and a woman from southern Manitoba is sharing her personal story of why she disagrees with sex-selective abortion.

Tracy Suzanne from rural Manitoba recently signed the petition saying that sex-selective abortions should be illegal in Canada. This is also a bill that MPs from each political party are standing behind, for various reasons. 

MP Cathay Wagantall (Yorkton—Melville) proposed Bill C-233 recently which is an act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion).

Read more
 

Bindi Irwin 'blessed' to welcome first child

The Irwin family is welcoming a new addition to their family, a girl named Grace.

Bindi Irwin, the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin's daughter, and her husband Chandler Powell are celebrating the birth f their daughter and one-year anniversary on the same day.

"Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and the day of birth to our beautiful daughter," she writes on Facebook.

Read more
 

Tauren Wells, TobyMac collaborating on latest Aaron Cole track

A Christian Hip Hop artist is dropping his newest single with the help of two major players in the Christian music scene.

Tauren Wells and TobyMac are backing Aaron Col's latest track Like You. They both make appearances in his music video.

"The love has been immaculate. Love y’all, it’s only the beginning!" Cole writes on Facebook about the release.

Read more
 

Justin Biber participates in faith-based prison visit

Justin Bieber spent Tuesday in a California prison, participating in a faith-based program.

Bieber and a pastor attended California State Prison in Lancaster, which holds more than 3,000 inmates, CBN News reports.

The visit to the prison was approved by the institution's warden in support of their faith-based programs, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesperson tells Fox News.

Read more