Midweek check-in, Winnipeg! 💙

Clouds are hanging around for the next couple of days, but it clears up by Friday. Good timing, because there's a long weekend waiting right behind it.

Grab your coffee, settle in, and let's dive into what's happening around Winnipeg.

Now, in today’s edition:

— Jas Singh

School starts next week, and mornings are about to get loud again.

Lunches, backpacks, everyone out the door on time. For some families, there's one more thing on the list this year. The bus.

Free Youth Transit Passes are coming to students ages 11 to 21 in Grades 7 to 12, at public, independent, and home school programs across the city.

Passes get handed out at school, so your kid just needs to ask a teacher or an administrator for theirs.

Winnipeg Transit put together a guide for new riders.

The guide covers more than that. What to do if they miss their stop, how to get off the bus, and how to handle a full bus driving by without stopping, which happens more than you'd think in the first weeks of school.

Full guide is below. Give it a read, then send it to another parent staring down the same busy morning.

Click here: To see the full guide and get your kid ready for their back-to-school bus ride!

It's not December. It's not the week before a long weekend.

Summer did what summer does. Sun, lake water, chlorine, and three months of it.

Your ends are dry. Your colour went brassy somewhere in August. The cut you got in May stopped being a cut around the middle of July.

Same story for your kid, except they're not going to say anything about it.

School starts next week.

And that's the week. The last few days before the first bell, when every parent in this city remembers at the exact same time.

Artistly has 8 artists working on St. Anne's Road, open 7 days a week, and even that isn't enough once Sunday hits.

Book your kid in now, before the calendar fills and picture day shows up with them looking like they just got off the dock.

Then book the chair beside them. You've been putting yours off since June, telling yourself you'd get to it once things slowed down, and things did not slow down.

One trip, two chairs, and it's done.

📍 567 St. Anne's Road

Summer's just about done, and the list of reasons to leave the house gets shorter every week. The library just gave you a good one, and it doesn't cost a thing.

Starting September 14, Manitoba artist Maureen Winnicki Lyons becomes the newest Maker-in-Residence at Winnipeg Public Library.

She's been working with fibre art for more than 25 years and has taught thousands of people around the province.

Now she's teaching all of it for free.

Her residency runs until December 10, so there are plenty of classes between now and then. Workshops are booked through the library's calendar, so it's worth picking one and grabbing your spot early.

And all of it is free. No experience needed, no reason to talk yourself out of it, just a couple of hours out of the house making something with your hands.

Click here: To see the full class calendar and sign up for a free one!

The last long weekend of summer always seems to sneak up on us. School starts next week, routines are coming back, and warm weekends are starting to feel a little more precious.

So if you haven't made plans yet, the province just gave you a good excuse to spend one more day outside.

From September 4 to 7, you won't need a vehicle permit to visit any Manitoba provincial park.

Two things before you go. Camping fees still apply and national parks aren't included. And leave the firewood at home. Moving it out of Winnipeg isn't allowed because of emerald ash borer, and you can be fined for it. Most campgrounds sell their own.

If one last summer weekend at the lake sounds pretty nice right about now, this is a good one to get on the calendar.

Click here: To see all the park locations and start planning your Labour Day weekend!

After weeks of repairs following major flood damage, emergency care is coming back to Dauphin.

The emergency department at Dauphin Regional Health Centre will reopen on Labour Day, September 7, while work continues throughout the rest of the hospital.

Not everything is back just yet. Some patients will still need to travel for dialysis, chemotherapy, and labour and delivery, and transportation support is available for those trips. Surgery and endoscopy are still being restored.

There's more work ahead, but for people in Dauphin and the surrounding communities, having emergency care close to home again is a welcome step forward.

Click here: To see the latest on which hospital services are back and where to go for the ones still being restored.

Many people think seeing the ballet is a little too formal for a night out. For four shows this month, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is doing things differently.

Their new Studio Series runs September 24 to 27, and it's a much more relaxed way to see a performance. The night starts in the lobby with a jazz trio from the University of Manitoba, snacks on the house and a cash bar.

Three of the four shows are at the RWB Founders' Studio at 380 Graham, with Sunday moving to the Desautels Theatre. Doors open an hour before curtain, and the RWB says that's when to get there.

Tickets start at $40, and it's a studio, so there isn't a lot of room.

Turns out the ballet doesn't have to be a formal night out after all.

Click here: To learn more and get your tickets before they sell out!!

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!