FREE. WEEKLY. VOLUME 75—ISSUE 24—APRIL 1, 2021 INVISIBLE CITY: COVID-19’S UNSEEN SPACES, PHYSICAL & VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG AND DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ON THE COVER The cover of this year’s Urban Issue was illustrated by Austin Boulton. Read more on page 6. INVISIBLE WINNIPEG THOMAS PASHKO THOMASPASHKO MANAGING EDITOR Another publishing year is coming to an end. This issue of The Uniter is our final weekly publication of the 2020-21 aca- demic year. For the past 13 years, this final issue has been dubbed “The Urban Issue,” a themed edition of the paper exploring af- fairs concerning people across Winnipeg, centred around a particular topic. This year is no different, and our theme is “Invisible Winnipeg.” It’s an oppor- tunity for our staff to take a look at the unseen spaces, both physical and virtual, that Winnipeggers have had to consider during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical spaces have been dramati- cally impacted by the pandemic. Many, like restaurants, venues and places of worship, have spent the past year in total or near-total emptiness, depend- ing on the regulations and capacity restrictions of the moment. Others, like public transit, have become fraught with tension over masks, physical distancing measures and the very real dangers of exposure and infection. Virtual spaces, on the other hand, have had to fill that void while Winni- peggers stay home. Online forums have become the venues not just for certain jobs, religious services and arts orga- nizations, but also for social and leisure activities like gaming, streaming and other fandoms. We touch on all of these facets and more in our (virtual) pages this week. While we will be ceasing weekly issues until the start of the U of W’s new aca- demic year in August, we will continue publishing at uniter.ca throughout the spring and summer months. We won’t be dropping an entire issue’s worth of con- tent every week, but we will be reporting on the issues most important to the cam- pus and downtown communities. Stay safe, everyone. PHOTO BY KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK Laura Gurbhoo opened her new bakeshop Gâto during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the logistical challenges. Read more on page 5. UNITER STAFF CONTRIBUTORS CONTACT US SUBMISSIONS CORRECTION MANAGING EDITOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER COMIC GENERAL INQUIRIES Submissions of articles, letters, In the March 24 article “Literary Hely Schumann graphics and photos are encouraged, landscapes,” Katherena Thomas Pashko — [email protected] Callie Lugosi — [email protected] [email protected] however, all new contributors (with Vermette’s The Break was BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ADVERTISING the exception of letters to the editor) mentioned as a winner of the Olivia Norquay — [email protected] Keeley Braunstein-Black — [email protected] ILLUSTRATOR [email protected] must attend a 45-minute volunteer Governor General’s Literary Austin Boulton orientation workshop to ensure that Award in fiction. The novel was STAFF ILLUSTRATOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR the volunteer understands all of the actually a finalist for the prize. Talia Steele — [email protected] Gabrielle Funk — [email protected] ROOM 0RM14 publication’s basic guidelines. WRITER The Uniter regrets the error. FEATURES REPORTER UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Vinay Sharma In-person volunteer orientations are 515 PORTAGE AVENUE Hannah Foulger — [email protected] Keesha Harewood — [email protected] currently suspended due to COVID- WINNIPEG, MANITOBA 19, but over-the-phone and remote FEATURES EDITOR ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER R3B 2E9 orientations can be arranged. Please Charlie Morin — [email protected] Sarah London — [email protected] TREATY ONE TERRITORY email [email protected] for more HOMELAND OF THE MÉTIS NATION CITY EDITOR ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER details. Vacant Alex Neufeldt — [email protected] Deadline for advertisements is noon COMMENTS EDITOR CITY REPORTER Friday, six days prior to publication. Haley Pauls — [email protected] Cierra Bettens — [email protected] MOUSELAND PRESS BOARD The Uniter reserves the right to OF DIRECTORS: Kristin Annable refuse to print material submitted by COPY & STYLE EDITOR CAMPUS REPORTER (chair), Anifat Olawoyin, Larissa volunteers. The Uniter will not print Danielle Doiron — [email protected] Callum Goulet-Kilgour — [email protected] Peck, Andrew Tod and submissions that are homophobic, Jack Walker — For inquiries misogynistic, transphobic, ableist, PHOTO EDITOR VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR @TheUniter @TheUniter facebook.com/ email: [email protected] theuniter racist or libellous. We also reserve Holly Liu — [email protected] Daniel Crump — [email protected] the right to edit for length/style. ARTS LEIF NORMAN (SUPPLIED) A scene from Prairie Theatre Exchange’s production of Hanna Moscovitch’s Post-Democracy, which will run virtually throughout April. While it is difficult for Young Lungs to tidy 20 minutes and was set in the reality adapt a physical medium to a digital space, of an empty theatre. Jones commissioned GHOST LIGHTS, especially with certain workshops that re- Nolan to “write a love letter to the the- quired working with a partner, managing ater, and then what she wrote was some- artistic director Zorya Arrow says it has thing that was immediately speech, in the been beneficial to them as artists, but also immediate present.” CAMERAS AND made financially easier without the costs of However, after filming was finished, a permanent venue. both on Katharsis and the upcoming Adaptation “is like stretching that mus- Post-Democracy by Hannah Moscovitch, ACTING cle,” she says. “The whole pandemic has “there was a real sense of a lack of comple- really opened a lot of doors for a lot of tion or fulfillment, on the part of all the Performance art in pandemic times different accessibility needs, and (we are) artists and production team, because the breaking a lot of new ground.” next stage of creating a play, it’s like, now This season has forced performing-arts it’s ready for us to have a communion with HANNAH FOULGER ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR FOULGERSCOVFEFE SPEAKSTORY organizations to consider how to make the audience,” Jones says. “That feeling of their programming safe and accessible for displacement from that experience is really Winnipeg’s theatre ghosts have had a lonely strate a commitment to change. everyone, including both the artistic teams resonant right now.” year. In the before times, theatres around In the fall, the RMTC embarked on a and audience members. The road ahead is unclear, but, at least the city would be filled with audience season of microprogramming, starting “Everyone is reading their space,” Thom- in PTE’s case, they are coming through members sitting close while watching pro- with Tiny Plays, Big Ideas. The plan was to as Morgan Jones, artistic director of Prai- financially with the help of the wage sub- ductions put together by teams of actors, di- run several short plays written by a diverse rie Theatre Exchange (PTE), says. “The sidy, government support and subscribers. rectors, designers and technicians working group of artists to be staged for small audi- project, the amount of people, (how long) However, performing-arts organizations in enclosed spaces. At the end of the night, ences at the Canadian Museum of Human they’re presenting in real time, to figure out will have to continue this kind of flexibility a “ghost light” would be left onstage at the Rights in small, socially distanced groups. what’s responsible. Every company and all in programming until the pandemic is de- Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (RMTC), They will now be digitally streamed from the humans that make up those companies clared over and beyond, depending on their but now it is left on all the time. It seems May 7 to 23 online. are dealing with balancing rules with con- financial status post-pandemic. the ghosts are self-isolating too. At the time, Kelly Thornton, artistic di- text-based ethics. As for now, companies continue to take Theatres that would have been full more rector of RMTC, said they were announc- “The question is: what makes a theatre calculated risks in planning far ahead. days of the year than not have sat empty. ing programming as shortly as six weeks relevant? What is the purpose of a theater? The Winnipeg Fringe Festival has just Even theatre productions like The Moun- out from the events, as health conditions (How are we) serving all the communities announced they will not have indoor ven- taintop, Post-Democracy and Plé have only and the comfort level of audiences could right now?” ues this year. However, there are other run their performances a few times for the change quickly. Many performing-arts organizations, hopeful plans ahead. Shakespeare in the cameras and empty audiences. Tiny Plays “is our first toe in the water, to including PTE, Young Lungs and Theatre Ruins and Théâtre Cercle Molière are at- In a year of constant change, it’s been see whether audiences are willing to come Projects Manitoba, have found a comfort- tempting to mount their bilingual produc- The Winter’s Tale difficult to predict when, where and how back, and they are actually willing to come able virtual space by offering different on- tion of , which they origi- people will be able to gather. Winnipeg’s back,” Thornton said in November. The line workshops, which is a function of the- nally programmed for the summer of 2020. performing-arts companies had to scrap shows sold out in minutes, but, days before atres more easily translatable to the digital Jones hopes to have both an in-person Voice many plans over the past year. They created the show was to open, Manitoba went into medium. But there are serious philosoph- and digital run of Ismaila Alfa’s at The (Post)Mistress new programs, sometimes with no guaran- Code Red, and the shows were cancelled.