SSAB - February 16, 2026

Happy Long Weekend! It’s Louis Riel Day! Who was he?!-Founder of Manitoba (only declared in 1992)-One of the Métis = French+First Nations marriages-Led a couple of rebellions-Was hangedOlympics continue, too bad I couldn’t live in a city where I could see the Olympics! Canada going for gold, women’s hockey team to play the US!Off to China? Thirty days free! What’s the catch?To the Leaf! The controversy!https://deal.town/monocle.com/the-monocle-minute-on-design-wednesday-23-august-2023-F3FNEB64Lhttps://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/the-leaf-greenhouse-and-garden-complex-winnipeg-canadahttps://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?i=803346&p=52&view=issueViewerhttps://www.reddit.com/r/Winnipeg/comments/1hp14l3/assiniboine_park_conservancy_blames_contractors/https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/assiniboine-park-conservancy-sued-over-the-leaf-construction-project/And off to The Grove for a pint and a feed! Heard some people reminiscing about Winnipeg!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog新年快乐!00:00 Long Weekend Check-In: Louis Riel Day & Being Back on the Prairies02:37 Olympics Update: Hockey Rivalries, Rare Fights & Snow Sports06:22 Global Holiday Season: Tet, Lunar New Year, Presidents’ Day & Canada’s February Break06:53 Who Was Louis Riel? A Crash Course in Métis History09:58 How Canada Expanded West: Hudson’s Bay Company, Fort Garry & the Red River14:13 Rebellions, Exile, Execution: Riel’s Legacy and Why Manitoba Celebrates Him21:09 China News: 30-Day Visa-Free Entry for Canadians? What It Means23:42 Geopolitics Sidebar: Intelligence Recruiting Videos & Spring Festival Timing26:32 Winnipeg’s ‘The Leaf’ Greenhouse: What It Is and Why It’s Controversial29:18 Inside The Leaf: Tropical Heat, Butterflies, and a Winter Escape35:22 Off to the Pub: The Grove, Local Arts Chatter, and the Price of a Pint37:41 Wrap-Up: History Theme, Links, Newsletter, and Support the Show