Hal Anderson

I'm a big pizza guy, but I'll admit I'm a bit of a snob about it. I've had way more pizza I didn't like than pizza I did. So when I finally stopped at PizzaLand on my way back from the lake, I understood why people kept telling me, "Hal, you've gotta try this place." Sauce is huge for me, and theirs is terrific. I ordered thin crust, and it had the kind of crunch I wish more pizzas had. Owner Matt Slobodzian told me how they get it that way. They bake the pizza in a pan, then take it out and finish it right on the stone bottom of their old-school oven. They make the dough fresh and shred their own full-fat mozzarella in-house. All the toppings are top quality. PizzaLand has been at 1765 Main Street since 1990, when a former Tony's Pizza delivery driver everyone knew as Uncle Larry bought the location and gave it a new name. Matt started working there at 16 and eventually took over. It's a North End institution tucked between Hartford and Belmont. I'll be back for another pie, and next time I'm trying the wings too. They fry them in tallow. It's not my end of town, but still, how did I wait this long?

Most of us were watching the mayor's race on election night. Scott Gillingham kept his job, but look at what happened down the ballot. Nine new city councillors were sworn in this week. They join six incumbent councillors and a returning mayor. That's a lot of change at 510 Main Street. Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, says this new council has a mandate to challenge conventional thinking. I think he's right. And I'd say to those nine rookies, don't be afraid to make a little noise. Just look around. Residents are worried about crime in their neighbourhoods. We've got people living in tents and people with jobs wondering how they're going to cover the rent. If the way we've been doing things at City Hall for the past four years was working well enough, I don't think we'd still be having so many of the same conversations. So when somebody tells you, "That's how we've always done it," ask them how that's been working out. And if you hear that an idea has been studied before, ask what came of it and what you can do about it now. Winnipeggers voted for change in a big way. Let's see it.

I hope you tune in for Hal’s Kitchen at noon today (and again tomorrow) on 680 CJOB. The show is now sponsored by Marcello’s Meats at 200-Meadowood across from St. Vital Centre. Thanks, Marcello! On Hal’s Kitchen this weekend, Winnipegger Brendon Shewchuck who did great on MasterChef Canada, something new from Santa Lucia Pizza, the story of Paella and much more. Hal’s Kitchen is also a column that appears in the Winnipeg Sun every Sunday.

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Brendon Shewchuk's run on CTV's MasterChef Canada is over, but the Winnipeg electrician isn't hanging up his apron. He finished eighth. Not bad for a home cook who earns his living working with a different kind of power. His undoing was the Wall Challenge. Working on opposite sides of a wall, partners had to rely on verbal instructions to produce dishes that looked and tasted identical. Shewchuk and teammate Harley Maranan struggled to get their plates to match, and Brendon's technical errors sent him home. But he's already cooking up his next chapter: a personal chef experience. He's launched Brendoncooks.com, where people can join a mailing list to find out when bookings open. "I couldn't go on MasterChef Canada and not share a little bit of love with my city!" he wrote on Instagram. Shewchuk has been cooking since he was 12 and combines global flavours with fine dining flair. He's also a third-generation electrician and a youth hockey coach. Brendon will join me next weekend on 680 CJOB to talk about his MasterChef experience and what's cooking next. Catch him at noonboth Saturday and Sunday. Making the top eight in a national cooking competition is something to be proud of. Now Winnipeggers will have a chance to find out what impressed the judges. I'd say that’s a pretty good consolation prize.

There's never been a better time for the province's film industry than right now. And Kenny Boyce, the City of Winnipeg's manager of film and special events, gave me a number that really got my attention. "We're almost doing a million dollars a day in film in Manitoba," he told me. Almost a million dollars a day! That's quite a story, especially when you consider Kenny says the industry generated $5 million in total during his first year on the job. So, why do movie and television productions keep coming here? The tax incentives certainly help, but Kenny says it's also our talented crews, our locations and the support of government and the business community. We have entire neighbourhoods that still look much as they did decades ago and a film community with the skills to bring all kinds of stories to life. And let's not forget the people. Winnipeggers get excited when a production comes to town, and we go out of our way to make the cast and crew feel welcome. The industry also creates good jobs for Manitobans, from actors and technicians to the people who make signs and prepare sets. As Kenny puts it, Manitoba punches way above its weight. And that's something worth celebrating.

Crime in Winnipeg is so bad…

C’mon Winnipeg! Be sure your voice is heard today. The polls are open until 8 p.m. Here are a couple websites you might need to make sure your ballot is cast and counted… Winnipeg.ca/WhereDoIVote Winnipeg.ca/Election2026

As a kid, Chekov was one of my favourite Star Trek characters. His running gag was claiming that practically everything was a Russian invention. And a memorable movie moment was his heavily accented phrase, “nuclear wessels,” in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

I've gone out of my way for a Crumbl cookie. Now I just have to go to Regent. Paulina Coombs and Christina Bighill have brought the gourmet cookie chain to Crossroads Station at 1570 Regent Ave. W. Christina is married to retired Blue Bombers star Adam Bighill. Paulina's husband also played in the CFL, mostly with the Toronto Argonauts. The women met through football in 2019, and their kids helped turn that connection into a friendship. Then came a trip to Arizona in 2022, where they tried Crumbl and figured Winnipeg deserved a taste. I'm with them. I've enjoyed Crumbl while travelling, and these are excellent cookies. The bakery draws from more than 300 cookie and dessert varieties, unveiling its weekly lineup Sunday nights. Coombs says chocolate chip and pink sugar are regular favourites, with other flavours rotating through. There are also dirty sodas, combining pop, flavoured syrups and a little cream. But the cookies will get me through the door. "We just wanted to share that love with everybody else," Coombs told me. Congratulations, ladies. I'll be the big guy trying to get to the front of the line.

Legendary sports broadcaster Bob Irving, probably the nicest person I know, recently shared some advice he got from one of his mentors, Cactus Jack Wells. It never hurts to be nice. Some candidates in Winnipeg's civic election could use that advice. I'm also talking to the municipal unions that have filled my mailbox with their spiteful pamphlets. With election day on Wednesday, this campaign has been nastier than I'd like. Yes, politics is competitive. But why can't you compete without making it personal? Political strategist Michael Diamond made an interesting point on my radio show. "Negative campaigns diminish all campaigns." He says they lower our opinion of politicians. Everybody gets dragged down. So why do it? Because it works. We might not like it, but we remember it, and it can influence our vote. Therapist Carolyn Klassen of Conexus Counselling says our brains are wired to pay attention to danger. Suggest an opponent is a threat and we listen. But respect can get our attention, too. A candidate who treats opponents decently might also be someone we trust to work with others. That matters when you're trying to run a city. Tell me what's wrong. Tell me how you'll fix it. Then let me decide. Nasty might win votes. But I'd rather have nice win mine.

Hal’s Kitchen now airs on CJOB every Saturday and Sunday at noon. It’s a jam-packed show this weekend. -Crumbl #Winnipeg -Pizzaland -St. Norbert Farmers’ Market -Mars Canada I hope you tune in! And don’t forget about my Hal’s Kitchen #food column in the Sun every Sunday.

What took us so long to switch? It really is much better water! And you’re buying local from a #Winnipeg company, World of Water, that’s been around for half a century.

The three leading candidates in Winnipeg’s mayoral race will debate the issues this morning. Pop some popcorn and tune in to CJOB at 9 o’clock for Scott Gillingham, Kevin Klein and Mike Vogiatzakis, moderated by Richard Cloutier. Then at 10, we’ll talk about it on Connecting Winnipeg with Hal Anderson.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers punter Jamieson Sheahan knows a thing or two about delivering a good kick. Now he's hoping to put one in your coffee cup. The Australian has launched Propa Coffee, a passion project inspired by something he missed from home. Turns out, homesickness can brew up a business. Sheahan says the difference is in the roast. He prefers a light to medium-light, with the smooth, creamy character he associates with Australian coffee culture. He's trying to avoid that bitter taste that can linger. "It's like a passion project for me," he says. "We pride ourselves on our coffee." There's also a Manitoba connection beyond the guy wearing blue and gold. Jacked Up Jill in Headingley roasts the beans for Propa, which offers three varieties. Sheahan says teammates are drinking it, Bomber fans have been buying it and some customers are coming back for more. That's a pretty good sign when you're building a coffee business. Football remains the priority, but he'd love to make coffee part of his future after the final whistle. For now, you can check out the beans at PropaCoffee.com. He's also hoping to get them onto Winnipeg store shelves. A little taste of Down Under, roasted right here.

A new season of Hal’s Kitchen begins today at noon on 680 CJOB. I’ll talk to the owners of Greek Market & Pasquale’s. My hour-long food show will air every Saturday & Sunday at high noon on the mighty ‘OB. And don’t forget about my Hal’s Kitchen food column every Sunday in the Winnipeg Sun. Thanks for listening & reading!