U Radio

Safe, affordable housing is the difference between crisis and stability for women, gender-diverse people, and families in Manitoba. Safety is the bare minimum needed to move from surviving to thriving. 🏠✨ The Right to Housing Coalition’s Safe Homes for Women and Gender-Diverse People campaign is calling on the province to invest in social housing that builds community, dignity, and belonging for all.

The Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters (MAWS) launches the "Your Voice, Your Vision" campaign, engaging youth aged 15-24 to challenge dating violence through workshops and multimedia projects. 🌟💻 This initiative aims to empower young people with knowledge and support to foster healthy relationships and create safer communities. 💖

https://u-channel.ca/empowering-youth-voices-to-break-the-cycle-of-violence/ 

Three Manitoba teens used powerful spoken-word poetry to confront global conflict, justice, and hope during the kickoff of International Development Week at the Manitoba Legislature, sharing lived experiences shaped by war, displacement, and resilience 🎤🌍. Hosted by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, the event highlighted youth voices, global cooperation, and real-world action toward peace and sustainable change .✨

https://u-channel.ca/how-youth-voices-and-education-are-shaping-the-future-of-global-cooperation/

The Manitoba Museum is expanding accessibility by launching Aira, a free app that connects blind and low-vision visitors with live interpreters so they can independently navigate and enjoy exhibits. ♿📱 With ongoing upgrades like sensory-friendly programs, language inclusion, and barrier-free access, the Museum is committed to making culture welcoming for everyone. 🏛️✨

https://u-channel.ca/manitoba-museum-expands-accessibility-through-technology/

- Photo provided by the Manitoba Museum.

A coalition of 26 Manitoba organizations rallied at the Legislature, urging the province to boost climate investments in Budget 2026 to better align with its net-zero goals and protect communities from escalating climate impacts. They’re calling for action on energy-efficient homes, expanded public transit, and nature protection, arguing the cost of delay is far higher than the cost of action.

The University of Manitoba unveiled its long-term Building Bold capital plan, laying out a proactive, campus-wide vision to tackle aging infrastructure, growing enrollment, and future needs through major new projects. Rooted in sustainability, reconciliation, and student-focused spaces, the plan charts a clear path toward a more inclusive and resilient university for decades to come.

As hate crimes rise across Manitoba, the provincial government has announced a $1-million security enhancement fund to help protect community organizations, cultural groups, and places of worship from hate-motivated incidents 🛡️. Leaders say the funding, alongside education📚 and unity, is a key step toward ensuring everyone can feel safe and supported in their communities.

https://u-channel.ca/manitoba-launches-security-enhancement-fund-to-address-rising-hate-crimes/

New Year fitness motivation often fades, but lasting health is built through small, consistent habits and realistic expectations, not quick fixes. 💪🕰️ Clinical exercise physiologist Allister McNabb says movement, mental health benefits, and community connection are key to building habits that truly last. 🧠

Manitoba’s job market proved more resilient than expected in 2025 💼📊, with manufacturing holding steady and health care surging, but rising competition, skills gaps, and immigration delays made finding work harder for many job seekers. As expectations climb on both sides, adaptability, upskilling, and rethinking hiring practices will be key heading into 2026 🤖📈.

Manitoba is taking health care into the digital age 📱🏥 with new mobile health cards now available through the MB Wallet app, giving residents faster, safer, and more convenient access to care. The move builds on broader health reforms and aims to improve patient safety, emergency response, and support for health-care workers across the province.

Mental wellness is a journey, and programs like Tea and Tales show how storytelling, peer support, and connection help seniors feel seen, supported, and less alone, especially during the holidays ☕💬💙. By sharing stories, building friendships, and filling our own cups first, we strengthen community and move toward balance and resilience together 🌱🤝✨.

🧠Take a Mental Health Break with U Radio and the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba.⁠ https://u-channel.ca/mental-health-break/

Winnipeg Transit is adjusting its new Primary Transit Network and winter schedule as snow, delays, and transfers expose reliability issues, with riders and advocates stressing that dependable service is essential for daily life 🚌❄️. While officials say the redesign is a needed foundation, critics warn underfunding, lost one-seat rides, and winter conditions could push frustrated riders away without stronger support and investment 🥶📉.

https://u-channel.ca/winnipeg-transit-responds-to-rider-concerns-as-winter-schedule-brings-adjustments/

Celebrating 20 years of impact, CMWI launched the Winter Warmth Care Package Campaign, 🧣❄️handmade winter essentials created by newcomer women to support Winnipeggers facing homelessness while building skills, confidence, and community. This initiative turns lived experience into empowerment, proving that giving back can also open doors to brighter futures ❤️

https://u-channel.ca/cmwi-marks-20-years-by-empowering-newcomer-women-and-warming-the-community-through-winter-care-package-campaign/

The West End Cultural Centre smashed its fundraising goal in just one week, pulling in over $70K.✨ The venue now looks to the future, developing programming to bring audiences back in full force, and become more financially sustainable. 🎤

https://u-channel.ca/west-end-cultural-centre-surpasses-fundraising-goal/

E-cigarette use is rising among young Canadians, prompting UM researchers to investigate how vaping may affect developing lungs and long-term respiratory health. 🔬💨 Their work highlights early warning signs, challenges common misconceptions, and stresses the need for inclusive research, especially for women. 🫁

Buying soup is changing lives in Winnipeg, thanks to The Raw Carrot, a social enterprise creating meaningful jobs for people with disabilities through handcrafted gourmet soups 🥣💛. Every purchase helps restore dignity, purpose, and opportunity for those facing barriers to traditional work. 🌟

https://open.spotify.com/episode/074KDPwOGgRhMrZt598SSA?si=7814fa5e11644aec 

History helps us understand how far we've come, and the restoration of Winnipeg’s 115-year-old Louise Bridge highlights the powerful stories embedded in our shared past 🏞️🕰️. This rare relic of Canada’s railway expansion reminds us of both progress and the complex legacies that shaped Manitoba 🚂🌾.

https://u-channel.ca/preserving-the-louise-bridge-a-window-into-winnipegs-early-history/

The Winnipeg Humane Society is facing record demand for its pet food bank as inflation forces more families to choose between feeding themselves or their pets 😔🐾. To help, the organization is creating 100 holiday pet hampers and urging the community to donate, volunteer, or adopt to keep pets and families together 🎁❤️.

https://u-channel.ca/rising-costs-drive-record-need-for-winnipeg-humane-society-pet-food-bank/

Winnipeg’s Christmas Cheer Board is gearing up for what could be a record year, juggling rising demand, higher food costs, and the challenge of operating from two separate locations. 🎁❤️ Despite the pressures, the team remains determined to bring holiday warmth to families across the city and is calling on Winnipeggers to donate, volunteer, and spread cheer. 🎄✨

The Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy conducted a study and recently released a report titled ⁠“Tackling Islamophobia Through Sport and Physical Activity in Winnipeg.”⁠

The study explores how community-level sports programs can be powerful tools in countering Islamophobia and fostering understanding between diverse groups.

https://u-channel.ca/new-study-looks-at-sports-as-a-tool-against-islamophobia/

A hush settles over the crowd as a woman steps up to the podium. She is now the centre of attention. Carmen Puente, General Director of Training & Empowerment Women Congress MB, pauses, looking over the 15 women who have come forward to share their stories. Stories of overcoming barriers, embracing leadership, and inspiring community.

In an exclamation of joy, she says, “Ladies, we did it.”

https://u-channel.ca/women-without-limits-launch-marks-a-milestone-for-manitobas-multicultural-landscape/

New research shows that community sports programs can help bridge divides and build safer, more inclusive spaces. 🏅 Initiatives like those led by the Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy highlight how intentional inclusion, curiosity, and accessible physical activity can counter prejudice and empower Muslim newcomers. 🌍✨

https://u-channel.ca/new-study-looks-at-sports-as-a-tool-against-islamophobia/

✨ Women Without Limits launched with powerful stories from 15 women across Latin America, Canada, and Uganda, celebrating resilience, leadership, and the magic that happens when women come together. 💫 Their bilingual book marks a historic first for Manitoba, uniting cultures and inspiring communities with messages of courage, empowerment, and limitless possibility. 🌎📚💛

https://u-channel.ca/women-without-limits-launch-marks-a-milestone-for-manitobas-multicultural-landscape/

Fernanda Vallejo, founder of Latinas Manitoba, went from starting a small online support group to being named one of Canada’s Top 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians, empowering newcomer women across Manitoba through community, advocacy, and compassion. 🇨🇦✨ Her journey shows how one act of kindness can spark a movement that uplifts an entire community. 💛🌎

https://u-channel.ca/fernanda-vallejo-named-one-of-tlns-10-most-influential-hispanic-canadians/

A new report from the University of Winnipeg and the Manitoba Eco-Network is calling for an overhaul of Manitoba’s outdated environmental impact assessment (IA) process. This marks the first major push for reform in nearly four decades.

A new report from the University of Winnipeg and the Manitoba Eco-Network calls for the first major overhaul of Manitoba’s environmental assessment process in nearly 40 years, pushing for stronger protections, Indigenous leadership, and real public involvement. 🌿 Manitobans are demanding a transparent, science-based system that puts people and the planet first.

📚 The Winnipeg Archives is returning to its historic Carnegie Library home in 2027, restoring a vital space for preserving and sharing the city’s stories. 🏛️ This renovation honours a legacy of public access to knowledge and community connection.

https://u-channel.ca/archives-return-to-carnegie-library-after-a-decade-away/

📱💭 Social media can connect us, but it can also fuel anxiety, addiction, and loneliness. Finding balance, setting boundaries, and reconnecting with real-life community are key to keeping our mental health strong. 💚✨

Take a Mental Health Break with U Radio and the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba.⁠

🎬 The lights are back on in Saint Boniface as Cinémental 2025 kicks off its 34th year, celebrating the strength and beauty of French culture through film. 🇫🇷✨ From Menteuse to Les Barbares, Winnipeg’s francophone community continues to keep its language and stories alive on the big screen.

https://u-channel.ca/how-cinemental-became-a-cornerstone-of-french-culture-in-winnipeg/

🎭✨ Kids in the RETLife Drama Explorers and Playful Performance programs are learning confidence, teamwork, and creativity, all while having a blast pretending to be mummies, aliens, and British characters! 🚀💬 Through laughter and imagination, they’re proving that #LearningNeverEnds and #CreativityConnectsCommunities.

📸 Over 100 newcomers, job seekers, and aspiring professionals in Winnipeg received free headshots to boost their confidence and career opportunities. 🌟 Thanks to photographer Mark Eadie’s community initiative, participants left feeling seen, empowered, and ready to shine.

https://u-channel.ca/how-one-photographer-is-helping-job-seekers-make-their-mark/

Thousands gathered at The Forks on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 🧡, honouring survivors and calling for urgent action on housing, food security, and mental health. ✊🏽 Change is happening, slowly, but advocates stress reconciliation must be a collective journey, walking together for justice. 🌎

https://u-channel.ca/change-is-slow-but-coming-indigenous-organization-urges-action-beyond-symbolism/

Nonprofits in Manitoba are stepping up their digital game 🎯, with Volunteer Manitoba launching workshops on tech, social media, and AI to help organizations thrive online. 💻✨ The focus is to empower people, not replace them, and finding balance in the human–AI–human cycle. 🤝🤖

https://u-channel.ca/volunteer-manitoba-embracing-technology-to-strengthen-the-nonprofit-sector/

Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Conservancy 🌿 is the first in Manitoba to join PaRx, Canada’s nature prescription program helping patients improve health through time outdoors. With discounts on memberships at The Leaf and Zoo 🦋🦁, the partnership makes wellness in nature more accessible for all.

https://u-channel.ca/assiniboine-park-conservancy-becomes-first-manitoba-organization-to-partner-for-new-nature-prescription/

Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche lit up the city with glowing art, powerful storytelling, and high-energy performances, drawing thousands to celebrate culture and community. 🎨✨ From beadwork that honours ancestors to neon “Plant Parties,” the night showed how art strengthens connection and fuels downtown vibrancy.

https://u-channel.ca/nuit-blanche-brings-thousands-to-winnipeg-streets/

🎬🌈 Winnipeg’s Reel Pride Film Festival kicked off its 40th year with record-breaking ticket sales, bold storytelling, and a powerful message of visibility. ✨🙌 As Canada’s longest-running 2SLGBTQIA+ film festival, organizers say the celebration is about joy, resilience, and ensuring queer stories continue to shine.

https://u-channel.ca/canadas-oldest-2slgbtqia-film-festival-marks-40-years-in-winnipeg/

🌿 Tending the Wild, a new exhibit at Galerie Buhler Gallery, invites visitors into a living garden of art, history, and hidden perspectives, blending Métis and Indigenous artifacts with contemporary works by Winnipeg artists. 🎨 Through themes of healing, playfulness, and community, curator Hannah_g hopes each visitor discovers their own story in the collection.

https://u-channel.ca/new-exhibit-explores-healing-history-and-hidden-perspectives/

🧶🇨🇦 At Winnipeg’s 14th annual Fibre Festival, farmers and makers raised concerns over U.S. tariffs, rising costs, and Canada’s shrinking wool infrastructure. 🌾 Yet amid challenges, the event highlighted community, creativity, and efforts to rebuild a sustainable local fibre industry.

https://u-channel.ca/winnipeg-fibre-festival-highlights-tariff-struggles-and-push-to-rebuild-canadas-wool-industry/

🏘️ The City of Winnipeg is moving forward with plans to build supportive housing at five sites, holding public sessions last week to provide information and gain community input. 🤝 These projects aim to provide stability, dignity, and on-site supports for residents facing housing insecurity.

https://u-channel.ca/winnipeg-hosts-public-discussions-on-supportive-housing-at-five-proposed-sites/

🏛️✨ Dalnavert Museum marked its 130th anniversary over the September long weekend with Dalnavert Days, a free community festival featuring tours, crafts, and games. 🎉 The celebration brought Winnipeg’s history to life, connecting families, first-time visitors, and longtime residents with one of the city’s most iconic heritage homes.

https://u-channel.ca/dalnavert-museum-marks-130-years-of-history-in-downtown-winnipeg/