WPG Pennant Weekly

Happy Hump Day, Winnipeg!

With Remembrance Day in the rearview mirror, the countdown to Christmas is officially on. Bring on the twinkling lights, the holiday markets and the steaming hot chocolate. Just hold off on the Christmas music for a little bit longer, thank you very much.

In today’s issue:

Let’s go!

— Ryan Bowman

🌡️ High 6 Low -4 ☀️ Mostly sunny

🌡️ High 6 Low -2 ☀️ More sun

🌡️ High 10 Low 3 ⛅ Mix of sun and cloud

If you’re happy and you know it 👏

The Financial Post recently confirmed what we’ve known (and preached) since launching this little business of ours: Winnipeg is a pretty awesome place to live.

According to The Post, this humble little city of ours is Canada’s top spot when it comes to balancing happiness (a score of 65.9 on the 2025 Leger Happiness Index) and housing affordability (an average of $381,500).

While we weren’t actually named the happiest place in Canada (that honour went to Mississauga, Ont.), Winnipeg did earn the “cheapest price per happiness ratio” at $5,790. Compare that to Mississauga’s ratio of $13,788, with an average home price of $969,501, and it looks like we get pretty bang for our buck.

Check out the full article here.

No Bombers, no problem: Let’s party 🎉

Not having our hometown Bombers in the first Grey Cup that Winnipeg has hosted since 2015 might sting at times over the course of the next few days, and especially come Sunday, but the city will be rockin’ regardless.

With more than 500,000 fans expected to take part in the Grey Cup Festival, officially on from Nov. 10-16, it’s the perfect opportunity to show the country that we punch above our weight when it comes to community spirit and hospitality.

From free family events and a ton of ticketed parties to the game itself and the halftime show featuring MGK, visitors and locals alike are in for one heck of a week!

Read on for a full event rundown in our Experience Local section.

Bring on the bagels🥯

The local bagel scene is about to get a (w)hole lot better.

After a ton of anticipation and social media hype, The Forge Bagel Co., is set to open its doors for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 15. In addition to their Polishire bagels (a fusion of Polish and English-style bagles), the father-daughter owned eatery will feature a full complement of “lifts” — small batch cream cheeses, butter creams and jams made in-house. Check them out at 100-692 St. Anne’s Rd.

Here’s the tea 🍵

We’re not typically big on chains, but if you want to try something a bit different, Cha Halo combines Chinese tea culture and a bevy of unique and tasty drinks. With over 1,000 stores in Asia, they recently opened their first Winnipeg location at 60-70 Park East Dr., in Bridgwater.

New beginnings for Bistro Dansk 🍽️

After 40 years in the Vocadlo family, a Sherbrook Street staple has changed hands.

Bistro Dansk, popular among locals for its welcoming atmosphere and heaping portions of European comfort food, is now under the ownership of Chef Grant Danyluk.

Long live the schnitzel!

Here we grow again 🏡

If you haven’t had a chance to visit our new coffee shop/clothing boutique in House of Local yet, how about two more reasons?

The first is Gemini Collective, a super cool vintage shop featuring preloved fashion, music and accessories (our sneak peek offered glimpses of cowboy boots, old-school CDs and Harley Davidson gear). Their Grand Opening is this Saturday on the second floor, complete with a baking pop-up courtesy of Back Of The Pantry.

The second is another shop — Dotted Lines — which will open a few doors down from Gemini the following weekend. Stay tuned for more details in next week’s issue!

Early bird gets the booth 🐦

Summer might be the furthest thing from our minds right now, but the Winnipeg Folk Festival recently opened applications for 2026 food vendors and Handmade Village. If you’re looking for a spot, act fast — they fill up fast.

Want to see your small business (or your favourite small business) featured here? Reach out to [email protected]

Homesick blues 🏒

After starting the season 9-3, including a 5-3 record at home, the Jets have gone 1-3 on their current road trip across the west coast. With games still in Seattle and Calgary before returning to the Canada Life Centre on Nov. 18, hopefully things don’t get any worse before they get better.

Lesser of two evils 🏈

A Grey Cup featuring the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes normally wouldn’t be on Winnipeg’s radar, but with the Big Game in our own backyard, we should probably (if reluctantly) root for someone. Given the choice between our longtime rival from Regina and the team that knocked us out of the playoffs — Go Als (we guess)?!

Grey Cup festivities 🥳

Football fan or not, the Grey Cup Festival is a great opportunity to get out and celebrate the city. From free family-friendly events like the Telus CFL Fan experience, the Wawanesa Street Festival and the Santa Claus Parade to the Coors Light Concert Series, the Club Regent Casino Party and the Tri-Indigenous Energy Pregame Indoor Tailgate, there’s no shortage of fun to be had between now and the Big Game.

Check out the full event schedule here.

Get cultured 🎭

There are plenty of arts events to check out, including the new Abraham Anghik Ruben (Oct. 28 to April 12), a matter of time (Oct. 28 to July 5) and Crying Over Spilt Tea (Oct. 28 to July 5) exhibits at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and Indigenous teachings through digital art prints at the Manitoba Museum’s presentation of I Belong Here (Oct. 28 to Dec. 31).

Seeing stars 🌟

If science is more your thing, there are also some stellar shows taking place at the Planetarium over the next while. The Queen: Heaven Planetarium Experience combines original footage, images and remastered concert clips, while Aurorae explores the connection between solar activity and northern lights, and Voyage of the Stars offers authentic underwater visuals that will enchant audiences of all ages. Check out the Planetarium’s full schedule here.

Support your local theatre company 🐯

Take in Royal MTC’s production of Life of Pi. Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, this epic story of courage, faith and survival roars to life with riveting storytelling and stunning puppetry. Runs until Nov. 8.

Wednesday, Nov. 12

Thursday, Nov. 13

Friday, Nov. 14

Saturday, Nov. 15

Sunday, Nov. 16

Monday, Nov. 17

Tuesday, Nov. 18

To submit future event listings, shoot us an email at [email protected]

With those spectaular Northern Lights displays this week, we couldn’t choose just one!

A local woman’s legacy will live on with a new inititiative created to help community members experiencing homelessness.

The Main Street Project, along with support from the family of Ashley Tokaruk, is opening a free donations-based clothing and essentials store to help people get what they need with dignity and choice. Tokaruk was a former volunteer who pioneered the Runway to Change fundraiser before passing away in 2021.

To help bring the space to life, the project is aiming to raise $11,110 (inspired by Tokaruk’s favourite number) for items such as plumbing and electrical upgrades, clothing racks, shelving, paint supplies and clothing.

Click here to donate or reach out to the Main Street Project for more information.

Thanks for reading and all the best in the week ahead. See you next Wednesday!