Oly Backstrom

@olybackstrom

Winnipegger. Believer in people of all abilities. He/Him

1,741 Following2,174 Followers4,255 Posts

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Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· 24d

Rest in peace Sid Rogers, who was a true champion for Manitobans with barriers in their lives including people with disabilities. Sid lived a life in service to all Manitobans.

An obituary showing the picture of a smiling man. Text: "Sidney Walter Rogers - It is with deep sadness that our family announces that Sid Rogers died Tuesday evening July 14, 2026, of a sudden and unexpected heart attack. A longer obituary, including details of a service, will follow. Chapel Lawn Funeral Home"

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· 25d

back of Black truck with Manitoba license plate: "MWAHAHA"

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· 26d

I had the good fortune of meeting her 11 years ago. Judith was a badass. (I'll give G.H.W. Bush some credit for the ADA)

Erin Riehle, Judith Heumann and me posing at a Winnipeg Jets game

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· 26d

Google Maps has a wildfire viewing/tracking option. Go to layers -> More and select "wildfires" It's scary how big they are in NW Ontario, and wild how they're all lined up in a row - like they're going to grow into each other.

Google maps showing fires and fire areas in NW Ontario.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· 28d

The Assiniboine River is lower in Winnipeg today (for now).

west view of Assiniboine River from Hugo Dock. spectacular sky as sunset nears.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 10

Father John Misty. Beautiful, brutally dark, preachy, buffoonish, confused, scarily lucid. Brilliant. 10/10 Best show I've seen in a while.

Father John Misty gesturing, band behind him bathed in Misty light

Father John Misty singing and playing acoustic guitar.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 10

The Secret Beach (featuring Kacy from "Kacy and Clayton" brought the sweet harmonies (and goofiest between song banter). Interlake and Fur Mountain SK represent.

man and woman, both with guitars and singing. a third person is playing fiddle.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 10

Black Country, New Road just busted out a killer cover of Black Star's Ballad of El Goodo, one of my faves. Sweet!

wide angle shot of folk fest stage showing sunny blue sky with appropriately sweeping high level swafts of cloud

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 10

Great to see @winnipegfolkfest.bsky.social moving the accessibility ball forward. This year we have live audio description for people with vision loss!

picture of a person wearing a device over their mouth allowing them to provide live audio description of the performance. Photo taken and posted with permission.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 9

FONTINE kicks off @winnipegfolkfest.bsky.social with a solid set of great tunes.

long shot of Winnipeg Folk Festival main stage. Band performing.

wide angle shot of folk festival stage, audience in foreground

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 9

École Lavérendrye summer vibes #Winnipeg

facad of grand old grey brick and stone school, lovely sky with scattered clouds partly obscuring sun, photo framed on left by an elm tree

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 9

Earl Grey summer vibes #Winnipeg

Old brick school (Earl Grey) in foreground; spectacular fine clouds against a blue sky, sun partly obscured, in the background.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 8

Many #Winnipeg neighbourhoods (imcluding my hood) getting mosquito fogging tonight. Might want to keep the windows closed. legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/...

city of Winnipeg map with many areas marked in blue meaning mosquito fogging tonight

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 8

Hugo Dock view of a surging Assiniboine River, mostly blue sky in background

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 4

Glorious #Winnipeg morning.

residential street draped in green elm canopy, deep blue sky in background

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 4

Whatever went through, Osler SK area dodged the tornado. #SKStorm. From my wife who is there. Whew!

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 4

Scary tornado warning situation by and in Saskatoon. This is moving northeast. #SKStorm

big purple radar storm blob on northwest corner of saskatoon

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jul 2

A turbulent sky meets a turbulent Assiniboine, Hugo Dock #Winnipeg

lovely threatening sky over a fast moving, overflowing river

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 30

Last Ottawa walk before returning to the Peg.

view of the Ottawa River, with Gatineau in the distance

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 29

We're at the National Gallery. Found this rare piece.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 29

I'm a TIDAL (as opposed to a Spotify) user for streaming music (primarily because I like that they pay their artists more, but the audio quality is better IMO as well). TIDAL just dropped their initial stance on AI - generated music.

Our stance on AI-generated music
Hi,
AI music generation tools are changing how music is created and distributed. As this technology evolves, Tidal is introducing platform standards to protect artists, their craft, and inform listeners.
Here are the highlights of our new AI Policy:
Tidal will identify and tag AI-generated music in our app. Listeners will see an "AI" badge next to music we detect as wholly AI-generated.
Tidal will not tolerate AI-generated music that impersonates an artist or group, or that facilitates fraudulent activity. We're implementing automatic tools to remove these releases immediately and on an ongoing basis.
Tidal will not allow music that is 100% AI-generated to be monetized. No royalties will go to such releases, nor will AI-generated uploads be eligible for direct-to-fan sales.
We will expand these policies to music that is substantially AI-generated when AI detection technology is sufficiently reliable to do so.
You'll start seeing these changes from July 15.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 28

I was able to get a peek at Thunderhead, the soon-to-open 2SLGBTQI+ National monument near the Ottawa River. www.thunderheadmonument.ca

green space with an upright tubular monument with an asymmetrical curved opening

green space with an upright tubular monument with an asymmetrical curved opening (from a bit further back)

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 28

These are pretty fascinating - I walked by these and assumed they were an art installation...which I suppose they are in a way. They are actually stacks of the Cliff Energy acentre near Parliament Hill. They serve the function of ventilation and exhaust. Pretty slick for "smoke stacks".

two towering mirrors against a deep blue sky

two towering mirrors against a deep blue sky (view from a bit closer)

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 27

The locks of Rideau Canal.

looking up at a series of locks on the canal. Chateau Laurier in background

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 27

Rideau Canal morning walk.

view of Rideau canal from pedestrian bridge. Chateau laurier in distance.

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 26

Ottawa from the Gatineau side.

Ottawa River in foreground, bridge, parliament buildings in distance, lovely partly cloudy sky

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 26

Trying the wood fired bagels in Gatineau

wood fired bagel stove, bagels, man in bib hand rolling bagels

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 26

This is in front of the National Art Gallery. He approached a small group I was standing beside and posed for a photo.

PM Carney approaches people. security detail watches carefully

PM Carney and group walk outside National Art Gallery

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 26

Out for my morning walk, grabbed a coffee, bumping into people and such.

Prime Minister Carney with a group of people

Oly Backstrom@olybackstrom· Jun 26

It's hard to overstate the extent, impact & influence William Janzen had on peace and justice issues in Canada & around the world. This absolute powerhouse through his work with MCC, presented as a Member of the Order of Canada today. Born and raised in Blumenheim SK, William now resides in Ottawa.