Sign in

Kevin Rollason

@fpkevinrollason.bsky.social
985 followers 65 following 496 posts

Kevin is a National Newspaper Award winning journalist at the Free Press in Winnipeg who is always on the lookout for stories which interest and inform readers

PostsRepliesMedia
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Breaking news - I’ve retired! Yes, after 41-plus years in journalism - 38 of them at the Winnipeg Free Press - I’ve retired. A thread…
10594
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Helmut Harder was an elementary school teacher who became a Theology professor at the Canadian Mennonite Bible College. He was a founder of the Winnipeg Mennonite School and was General Secretary of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
021
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Wendy Pritchard was a teacher for more than three decades at Parc La Salle and then La Salle School. But she also was a baton twirler and was not only the provincial champion but became a judge at international competitions #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
031
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Randall Westman worked with his dad at the family business, Manitoba Pant, making clothes. He and his wife bought Netley Resorts in 1995 and for the next three decades helped people make memories there #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
031
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Gwen Buccini helped people get wheelchairs one can tab at a time - she was the founder of Tabs for Wheelchairs and I wrote about her life in my free Passages newsletter www.winnipegfreepress.com/briefings/tu...
081
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Gerry Fingler loved airplanes - especially very small ones. He was a member of the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada from 1949 to 2025 and he founded Cellar Dweller Hobby Supply in 1972 #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
051
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Wayne Ferguson had several jobs - from Cargill to Shell to the Crocus Fund and then his own construction company. But though his job might change, he continued to play pool after hours and went on to help create the Canadian Amateur Pool League #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
021
Reposted by Kevin Rollason
Belinda Squance @belindasquance.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Dr. Balacko was a friend of our family for many years. He was my parents' trusted pharmacist. My dad (who passed in 2004) always spoke highly of Bill. As a fellow small business owner, my dad valued people who gave back to their community.
051
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Ted Foreman went from playing hockey to managing the investments of NHL players. He played a pre-season game with the Montreal Canadiens before breaking his leg. He became a financial planner with IG Wealth for 42 years - and much more in his life #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
082
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Greg Lacomy won a national NCAA hockey championship as a player and later was inducted into the MB Hockey Hall of Fame for coaching teams to championships. His day job included being provincial deputy minister of agriculture #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
021
Reposted by Kevin Rollason
Drew Scott Daniels @drewsdaniels.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Thank you for writing about this.🙂
021
Reposted by Kevin Rollason
Tom Hawthorn 🇨🇦 @tomhawthorn.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Christopher Dafoe was an astute critic for the Vancouver Sun in the late 1970s, early 1980s.
031
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Christopher Dafoe might have stayed as a reporter - except for that unfortunate incident when he knocked on a door during a hostage situation and police had to rescue him when shots rang out. He became a drama critic here and Vancouver #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
142
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
You might have thought your phone and internet service was the only one out in the city last week. Turns out a large swath of the city was hit - along with Grace Hospital - for days but Bell MTS didn’t tell anyone about it - we did. My story on the outage: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
winnipegfreepress.com
Bell MTS outage lasts for days, affects 911
A widespread Bell MTS outage this week struck a Winnipeg hospital and an unknown number of Manitobans who couldn’t call 911 because their landline and internet service was down for days. The Grace Hos...
163
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
We see it while driving by - it has been part of our history for more than a century. Now, instead of being torn down and tossed away, a developer is going to save the old Union Stock Yards water tower. My story: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
winnipegfreepress.com
Water feature: 113-year-old St. B tower to be saved
One of the last remnants of what was once the largest meatpacking facility of its kind in the British Empire is being saved by a developer. A 27-metre high water tower in St. Boniface, emblazoned with...
061
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
The census comes out every five years and we fill it out, but why? Here is my story about why we do it and how the data is used: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
winnipegfreepress.com
Census data does much more than determine population
The children of families who live in public housing in Tuxedo are more likely to graduate from high school, go to college or university, and less likely to need income assistance when they become adul...
021
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Dr Bill Balacko was a pharmacist. He opened Tache Pharmacy in 1974 and life saving medications unavailable elsewhere. It specialized in compounding medications as well as bio-identical hormone replacement therapy #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
091
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Al Posaluko was a teacher who taught at Charleswood Collegiate for many years after pioneering high school education in Duck Bay. He was director of the Catholic Youth Organization and later president of the West End Seniors Centre #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
031
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Bob Cameron worked as a wildlife biologist with Manitoba Conservation. His favourite projects were working on the restoration of Oak Hammock Marsh and bringing wood bison back to Chitek Lake with Waterhen/Skownan First Nation #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
0112
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Shirley Winslow was active in the Whiteshell Provincial Park community where she lived. She served on the local school board, was a Justice of Peace, and she was a park attendant until she was 75 #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
011
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Gloria Camp was a teacher who was a founding member of the confluence education movement and led workshops in North America and Japan. The province hired her to create support services for students with autism entering school #RIP @WinnipegNews passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
053
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Greg Pester was a local music legend. He was owner, operator and the driving force behind the Royal George Hotel in Transcona, giving musicians a stage to play on. He also played with several bands including The Chaparrals and Sassy Jack passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
0193
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Margery Forgay helped to protect your teeth - here and nationally. She received her dental hygiene diploma in Rochester, New York and later was the founding director of the University of Manitoba’s School of Dental Hygiene from 1963-76 #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
031
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Louise Nichols volunteered with the Red Cross and helped after the Los Angeles earthquake, floods in St Louis, and 9/11 in New York. She also was president of the Grace Hospital Auxiliary and received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
031
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Sheldon Bowles flunked Grade 11 and had to take it again - but that’s how he met his wife. The son of a Lt.-Gov., he went on to be business editor at the Free Press, a New York Times best selling author, and president of Domo Gasoline #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
041
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Robert Fallis was known in two sports. He volunteered with Golf Manitoba, serving as rules chair, referee and board member. He also was a long time basketball referee in the Winnipeg School Division and as Winnipeg Invitational Tournament convener #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
040
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Eugenia Ellie was a realtor who always told her family “Dad made the bread and butter and she made the jam.” Perhaps it is apt then that after the kids left home, and she retired, she opened Ellie’s Bed and Breakfast #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
passages.winnipegfreepress.com
ELLIE EUGENIA MARY - Obituaries - Winnipeg Free Press Passages
EUGENIA MARY ELLIE 1932 - 2026                                                      Life well lived …...
020
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Colleen Drew’s career included Winnipeg Photo and CNIB, but at Manitoba Hydro she was payroll manager. She was so good at it that she went on to teach payroll classes at Red River College and after retiring had several payroll contracts #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
041
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
The matriarch of the Richardson family - Tannis Richardson - has died. Here is my story on her long life, philanthropy, volunteerism - and tragedy - which touched not just Winnipeg, but the nation and beyond #RIP @WinnipegNews www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
winnipegfreepress.com
Matriarch of Manitoba's Richardson family dies at 99
The matriarch of the Richardson family — the last of a generation that included her husband, George, and his siblings James, Agnes, and Kathleen — has died.
020
Reposted by Kevin Rollason
Audra 🇨🇦 Halfdansdottir @intheprairie.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Struck by how many notices I’ve seen recently, whether birthday announcements or obituaries, of people over the age of 100. RIP Mr. Maruca.
241
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Lorraine Oughton was always up for Scrabble - and her family had an extra 10 years to play with her. That’s because three “angels” performed CPR on her and it’s why the family is asking for donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
043
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Karl (Rolly) Karlsson worked with copper and sheet metal in Sweden. He came to Canada and was well known across the country for his work including restoring the copper on the Manitoba Legislature dome and a church dome in Dauphin #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
081
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Keith Tinsley would have been busy today playing a pipe organ in days past. He was a music teacher before becoming a civil servant, but also a pipe organist at local churches including St John’s. He also played at several English cathedrals #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
061
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Lorraine Hercus and her husband loved camping in a tent with their kids. What they didn’t like was the cold and wet weather. She was happier when she and her husband developed a trailer they could go in - and the boler trailer was born #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
052
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Sandra Swystun was on the Dean’s list for commerce before switching to law. She articled here and then worked with the federal government in Ottawa and then a Toronto law firm. After retiring, she worked a term at the human rights museum #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
041
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Peter Maruca cut a lot of hair - a lot. Peter lived to 102 and for most of those years he was a barber. He worked in Transcona, cut hair for both men and women, and was the oldest practicing barber both by age and seniority #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
061
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Marion McNabb operated a grain farm with her husband near Minnedosa. She was president of the Manitoba Women’s Institute, sat on its provincial board for years starting in 1974, and served as chair of the Farmlands Ownership Board #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
020
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Lionel Desmarais’ dad invented a knife to cut through Manitoba gumbo for construction. Lionel himself invented a way to lay fibre optic lines quicker beside railway lines and then helped create the world’s largest fibre optic network #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
032
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Dr John Wade was an anesthesiologist who advocated for patient safety. He was the U of M’s Dean of Medicine, deputy minister of health and founding chair of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. He was inducted into the Order of Canada #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta....
041
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Marilyn Tkach loved to cook - Sunday roast beef and Yorkshire pudding were fixtures. That’s probably why she wrote and designed her own cookbook with her favourite recipes. She also wrote Meandering with Marilyn #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
041
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Dave Wawryk was a baker at Safeway and a baking and patisserie instructor at Red River College. He was also a volunteer with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum and Archives and spent many hours organizing its collection and database #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
071
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Susan Bethune was interested in history - at work and home. While working in the Dean’s office at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine she reorganized and computerized its archives. She also traced her ancestors back to 1567 #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
021
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Don Anderson graduated from clinical psychology and worked as a forensic psychologist with the Youth Court here. He later became self employed, seeing patients and writing forensic reports for the province’s justice system #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
021
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Helen Guzman was a doctor in the Philippines before coming to Winnipeg in 1966. She completed an internship here and then went on to have a long career at the Municipal Hospitals, now Riverview, doing palliative and oncology care #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta....
061
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Judith Johnson had a career varying from being a flight attendant to poetry editor at Herizons magazine. She also founded Leatherleaf Books, illustrated children’s stories, and sold her paintings #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
071
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Ralph Cantafio was a tailor - and the father of modern soccer in Canada. He founded the Winnipeg Fury, was a leader of the Manitoba and Canadian Soccer Associations, was inducted into Halls of Fame, and has a soccer complex named for him #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
071
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Steve “Vita Steve” Derewianchuk is still the only NDP MLA elected in southern Manitoba and that was way back in 1973. He was Reeve and councillor in the LGD of Stuartburn, a staunch volunteer, and is in the MB Baseball Hall of Fame for his skill #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
141
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Lena (Fung Ha) Yee was born in China and joined her husband here to make tofu at a relative’s grocery. The couple opened Yee’s Grocery in Chinatown in 1979 and she later helped her kids at their 4 Seasons Chinese Food restaurant #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
030
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Alexandra Mason wasn’t a teacher but she taught hundreds of elementary students how to fight climate change during her too short of life. Read about her life - and others - in my latest free Passages newsletter www.winnipegfreepress.com/briefings/ed...
020
Kevin Rollason @fpkevinrollason.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
While living in Alberta, Barb Pink’s job with an architectural firm was on the Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump centre. In Winnipeg, she worked at James Richardson and would take great pics of sunsets from the top floor of the building #RIP passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-deta...
053