June 2026

Your mother passed away in February. She left a will, named you executor, and the estate is about what you expected: the house in River Heights, a chequing account at the credit union, a small GIC, and her car. You bring the will to the bank, expecting them to release the account. Instead, the person across the desk asks whether you have “the grant of probate.” You were sure Manitoba got rid of probate years ago. So why are you being sent to court?

A Winnipeg couple buys a house. The mortgage and the title go in one partner’s name, maybe because of credit, maybe because the down payment came from one side of the family. The other partner pays half the bills for years, helps with renovations, treats the place as home. They never get married, because marriage was never the point.