Working Draft magazine

In the family tree, trauma’s roots run deep. After losing a family member to addiction, one young woman confronts the pain of her past and reconnects to her Indigenous identity.

Food helps connect us to our memories, culture, and family traditions. One second-generation Ukrainian immigrant teaches her granddaughter how to make perogies and passes down her love for cooking at the same time.

Third places are spaces where communities gather outside of work and home. Mine happens to be an old bar in Transcona. So what makes a third place and why are they so important to our society?

Some say Newfoundland's distinctive dialects are under threat, but is it really true?

Christie Houston, Lindsey Pfiefer, and Kelly Hunter are prime examples of women who are balancing single-motherhood and entrepreneurship. So how do they do it?

DIY or die — how women in Winnipeg’s music scene embody the values of punk rock.

Men in activism are challenging traditional notions of masculinity by embracing vulnerability and empathy, so why aren't there more of them?

Hoops and Dreams

The Winnipeg Sea Bears made a thunderous impact in their first season, shattering attendance records and sparking a passion for basketball in a non-traditional market. Through behind-the-scenes work from the marketing team and on-court success, they have paved a way for the future of basketball in Manitoba.

After a lifelong appreciation for video games spirals into escapism, a college student has to face the consequences of his addiction. Will he defeat the strong hold of problematic gaming or be stuck forever?

A look into the genre of analog horror.

When a psychotic break lands a teen in the hospital, she is forced to navigate the mental health system. Eight years later, she meets a woman with similar experiences — and finds community and connection.

"Barbie," "Women Talking," and "Promising Young Woman" are three recent films that harness the power of female rage and the female gaze to entertain — and crack open the patriarchy that still runs Hollywood.

Fashion isn’t just clothes — it's identity. From the confidence of a corset to the vibrant stories in African wax prints, our choices say something about who we are.

Learning about where you come from is an important part of figuring out where you belong. But when I began unearthing the buried Métis roots of my family tree, inherited feelings of shame and guilt were also brought to the surface.

A young woman who longed to travel after high school and wasn’t quite ready for post-secondary reflects on the many benefits — and some of the complications — of the gap year program that brought her to Guatemala.

10,000 trees or bust

In the fast-paced world of live production, things can and will go wrong. Industry veterans teach a rookie how to deal with the pressure — the show must go on.

Ew! Body hair on women is gross! But should it be? Prickly hairs or smooth pixels, will the stigmatization of women’s body hair ever end?

Having two families can be difficult to navigate for children of open adoptions. It certainly was for me. Looking back, I see that having supportive parents made it so much easier.

Beadwork for these three Métis artists is more than art — it connects them to their culture, identity, and ancestors.

Fans have always found ways to find new music and connect with the musicians they love. Is TikTok — a platform built around music — fundamentally changing how Winnipeg artists and fans interact?

Canada has been recruiting Filipino nurses for decades with the promise of stability and strong wages, but when Filipino nurses land in Canada do their expectations match reality?

Guru. Enterpriser. Sponsor — to me, he was just Grandpa. Since he died two years ago, I’ve been scripting the final conversation I wish we could have had.

After having a gun pointed at my head during a robbery, all I could do was laugh. If the stereotype is all comedians are depressed and broken inside, then stand-up comedy is our therapy.

How does the loss of a child shape a family — especially when it happens a decade before you are born? Learning about my older brother Ryan’s short life and tragic death is helping me understand my family in a new way.

AI is making headlines in many creative industries, including music — how is Winnipeg’s music scene responding?

While trapped in war-torn Kharkiv, Ukraine, a young couple faced a new fear — becoming parents amidst the bombing. Like many others, they had a hard decision to make. Stay and try to survive, or leave to build a new life elsewhere.

International students leave their home countries to pursue their dreams — and education — in Canada, but once they arrive, many are faced with a harsh reality. Housing, employment, and issues around recruitment that don’t surface until they are already thousands of kilometres from home leave many international students in precarious situations. -Danna Bianca Carreon

Joseph Sevillo, creator of the all-Filipinx musical "Ma-Buhay! A New Musical", and Julia Ulayok Davis, an Inuit performer and aspiring creator, are ushering in a new — more diverse — era for musical theatre in Manitoba.

Northern leopard frogs were abundant all across Canada until half a century ago. Some populations have bounced back. Others have not. When it comes to conservation, loving living things deeply is half the battle, but is it enough save these frogs?

Thanks to TikTok, Gen Z, and the impending climate crisis, the online second-hand clothing resale market is booming — but in-person thifting is here to stay.

After moving to Canada from Russia at the age of 13, I was lost, but a low-barrier dance studio in Winnipeg is helping me — and many others — rediscover the joy of dance and tap back into my relationship with myself.

Through challenges on two canoe trips — near hypothermia on the first, and a crashed canoe on the second — one young leader gained perspective about true strength on the Turtle River.

“Is this dress okay? What should we make for dinner? Is my life on the right track? While my Portuguese grandmother and I don't speak the same language, there are things deeper than language that bind us together.”

Manitoba Hydro has been Winnipeg's main source of energy since the 1920s.

They advertise their energy as clean and green — but are we being greenwashed?

An inside look at a mining town: successes, resilience, and the inevitable loss for the people of Flin Flon.

Three Manitobans say microdosing "magic mushrooms" has helped them with their mood, motivation, and mindset, but psilocybin is still an illegal substance. What does the scientific community say?

The demand for cheap clothing has fueled a culture of overconsumption. It’s time to swap fast fashion for a sustainable future.

When you've got a foot in three worlds, it's hard to know where you belong.

Learn how to harness the power of cold therapy.

Blacklegged tick populations are on the rise in Manitoba. Can anything be done beyond self-directed prevention, or is Manitoba setting itself up for a repeat of the spread of zebra mussels? By Stephen Bennett

Immigrants leave their home countries in hopes of a better quality of life for themselves and their families, but at what cost to their health? By Elisha Corsiga.

Social media has been crucial in amplifying grassroots voices in the digital age. But in a world of infinite content and minimal regulation, can we tell the difference between 'real grass' and astroturf?

Water — the Earth's blanket — connects us all. As a little girl, I looked at the ocean with pure wonder, but as I've learned about inequalities and seen destruction in our waterways, my relationship to water has gotten more complicated. - Shauna Turnley

My ancestors hail from Holland, Scotland, and Ukraine, but I’ve never felt connected to any of them. I found myself in my stepfamily.

By Miranda McGregor

We may not know what happens after we die, but should know the environmental impact of our end-of-life decisions. — Madison Reynolds

A newbie's account of winter foraging in Manitoba.

Microplastics are harmful to marine life, ecosystems, and human health — and they are turning up everywhere. How should we respond?

Cultural connection takes effort and engagement, so what does an immigrant family do when stuck between tainted traditions, a disconnected diaspora, and the promises and pitfalls of a new, naturalized life? - Sergiy Volotovskyy

Is your pint green? Learn how craft breweries are reducing their environmental impact and what you can do to help.