The frost all over the freezer items is a clear indication that there's no defrost cycle. Normally, the evaporator coil is the coldest thing in the fridge, and so frost forms on IT rather than anywhere else. That frost is melted off with each defrost cycle, so moisture is eliminated from everywhere in the fridge. Technically speaking, the frost should "sublimate" or go directly from a solid to a vapour without first melting. As that happens the humidity of the air in the fridge goes up, but that humidity would then normally form frost on the evaporator coil. If there is no defrost cycle, and the evaporator coil gets covered over and insulated with frost, the humidity in the air in the fridge will keep rising and end up forming frost on the heaviest objects in the freezer (things with a lot of thermal momentum) which will still be very cold. I expect that's why the OP noticed frost on the stuff in the freezer.

So, I would look for a wiring diagram for that fridge and see if it's equipped with a test plug which will allow you to check for continuity through the defrost heater. Failing that, look for a removable panel in the freezer compartment. Behind that panel you should find the evaporator coil and the defrost heater. Visual inspection of the defrost heater should tell you if it's still OK or not. It needs to be in one piece.

If there's no continuity through the defrost heater, or if it's obviously broken, then you don't have a defrost cycle, and frost will build up on the evaporator coil and effectively insulate that coil, thereby resulting in your freezer becoming warmer, which is what you're experiencing.

Check with your fridge guru and see if there's a way of testing for continuity through the defrost heater. If not, ask him what panel needs to be removed to access the evaporator coil and defrost heater(s), and visually inspect that defrost heater.

Defrost timers are always suspect, but defrost timers are generally pretty reliable and are seldom the cause of problems.

If the frost that's formed on your evaporator coil is all patchy, with some being hard ice, then it's probably your defrost thermostat. Technically, this thing is called a "Defrost Termination Switch", or "DST", and a new one only costs about $10 to $15.

And, finally, beer won't go bad if you don't keep it cold.

I guess one of the "advantages" of living in Winnipeg is if your fridge ever craps out on you in the winter, you can put all your food in the trunk of your car. The outdoor temperature will be colder than the freezer in your fridge from November to March most years. But, if you live where I live, the idea of keeping food in your car instead of your fridge to reduce global warming isn't one you think about too much. In fact, you think a lot more about buying a car with a big engine that'll produce more CO2 to kinda help this global warming thing along.