It’s a love-in

Kinew, NDP rise to new heights in Free Press-Abacus Data poll; support for Khan, Tories falls further

Buoyed by a bump outside Winnipeg, support for Premier Wab Kinew’s NDP climbed to its highest level yet, while the Tories lost some ground.

Transportation Safety Board investigating after two pilots found dead near Regina

REGINA - A Manitoba-based flying school and air taxi provider says two of its pilots were found dead near Regina on Friday.

Adam Penner, president of Harv's Air, says in a statement that two people were aboard the Cessna 172 on a night flight from Regina to Steinbach, Man.

Penner says a search began after the aircraft did not arrive on schedule, and the plane was found along with its two occupants on Friday evening near Kisbey, southeast of Regina.

Harv's Air says it is shocked and saddened by the tragedy, and it is working with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada in determining the cause of the deaths.

AC/DC leaves Winnipeg crowd thunderstruck

AC/DC proved once again that rock ‘n’ roll ain’t noise pollution.

A rowdy stadium of about 35,000 people at Princess Auto Stadium couldn’t agree more as the Australian rock legends made their first trip to the city since 2015 on their PWR/UP tour, cranking out two hours and 20 minutes of raw and raunchy high-voltage material, a mix of blues, crunchy power chords, melodic riffs and double entendres that spanned five decades.

Their wide-ranging appeal was apparent in the demographic makeup of the crowd, which ranged from young children to seniors, many clad in $30 glowing devil horns from the well-stocked merch booth that also offered posters, banners, beer koozies, lanyards, tour books and T-shirts.

There is no one in music quite like guitar god Angus Young. He is 71, but onstage he is ageless, a hyperactive teenager dressed in his signature blue schoolboy uniform and yellow and blue cap, running around, duck-walking and leaping in the air while cranking out riff after riff and extended solos on his trusty black Gibson SG.

Jets up against the clock

Time has often been on the side of the Winnipeg Jets, with Cole Perfetti’s famous “Manitoba Miracle” buzzer-beater serving as Exhibit A.

But that won’t necessarily be the case this coming season, when the clock threatens to become a stubborn and, at times, confusing opponent.

Premier Wab Kinew’s decision to adopt permanent daylight time will have a significant impact on the hockey club, both as hosts and visitors, head coach Scott Arniel told the Free Press on Sunday.

Athletes are creatures of habit, and their regular routines are going to be challenged during the period from Nov. 1 to March 14, which covers the majority of the 84-game campaign.

Jets goaltender collects victory in first start for new team

He received the loudest ovation on the team before the puck had even been dropped, with chants of “Stuuuuu” ringing out inside Canada Life Centre during pre-game introductions.

And he heard the love time and time again — with each and every save, in fact — as the evening progressed.

Yes, the Stuart Skinner era is off to a strong start, as the new No. 1 man in net for the Winnipeg Jets made a great first impression on Monday in front of an announced crowd of 13,363.

Skinner stopped 31 of 32 shots he faced in a 3-1 pre-season victory for the Jets over a very young, inexperienced Colorado Avalanche squad.

Gillingham pledges growth office to speed up projects

Scott Gillingham says a new Winnipeg growth office would maintain a “shovel-ready” list of projects with the greatest potential to boost the city’s economy, if he’s re-elected as mayor.

A new chief growth officer would be hired to lead the office, with a goal to ensure the most promising projects have up-to-date cost estimates and designs, so they can quickly move ahead when funding becomes available.

“We need to be ready … so that when levels of government come forward and want to invest, we can say yes immediately and get to work in building the infrastructure that is required to grow our city,” said Gillingham.

The growth office, which he referred to as Winnipeg GO, would consolidate key staff who support economic growth in one group. That would include up to six new full-time staff positions. An unspecified number of existing employees would also be redeployed to support its work.