Good morning!
PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSTyson Beasley and April Fields, with their son, Andrew, and daughter, Abigail, will charge their Volt electric cars using power from the solar-energy system on their garage.
Power to the people: Solar power, that is. It seems more Manitobans than anticipated are plugging into Manitoba Hydro’s solar-energy incentives as a way to utilize the power of the sun and bring down their energy costs. More than 20 residential and commercial customers had equipment installed within the first month of Hydro’s Power Smart solar energy program. The utility is hoping for 50 in the first year. Free Press business writer Murray McNeill has the story. READ MORE
Your forecast: At 5:45 a.m., it was cloudy but fairly bright in Winnipeg. By 6:15 a.m., the sky resembled midnight — except for the flashes of lightning — as a thunderstorm moved into the region. And by 6:30 a.m., the city was being pounded by rain. Environment Canada says the showers should end by mid-morning and we’ll see a mix of sun and cloud the rest of the day. The high is 27 C. On a humid Saturday, expect a partly sunny day and a high of 26 C, while Sunday will be much the same, with a 30 per cent chance of showers, and a high of 25 C.
In case you missed it
SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILESConservative Sen. Don Plett said he won’t support bill C-10 unless the federal government makes commitments for Manitoba’s aerospace industry.
Ally of aerospace industry: A senator from Winnipeg is doing his best to save city jobs in the aerospace industry, or at least force the federal government to offer up millions of dollars in training. Conservative Sen. Don Plett said he will do everything he can to prevent Bill C-10 from passing the upper chamber before the summer recess unless the federal government comes up with $20 million in promised aerospace job training funds for Manitoba. The bill amends the Air Canada Public Participation Act to no longer require the airline to keep heavy maintenance jobs in Winnipeg, Montreal and Mississauga. READ MORE
A new direction: Local runner Len Rolfson has competed in every Manitoba Marathon since the event began in 1979, so it’s fair to say he knows the route like the back of his hand. Well, organizers have thrown Rolfson and thousands of others a big curveball this year, reversing the direction of the 26.2-mile course. The start and finish lines for the big race Sunday are still located on the University of Manitoba campus. The full marathon begins at 7 a.m. READ MORE
Quebec premier confronted: A Montreal vigil for the Orlando massacre took a weird twist Thursday night when someone physically confronted Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard. Quebec provincial police said an advocate for the transgendered community who had spoken at the vigil threw something at the premier. Authorities said it was too early to say whether charges would be laid. The premier was not injured. READ MORE
Up next
Laura Roberts / InvisionGarth Brooks last played Winnipeg in 1996.
He’s got friends: Local fans of Garth Brooks are in their glory. The country music superstar kicks off a weekend in Winnipeg tonight with his first of four shows at the MTS Centre. Brooks, who is touring with Trisha Yearwood, has a 7 p.m. concert tonight, two shows (7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.) Saturday and one show Sunday evening (7:30 p.m.). READ MORE
Grinding it out: Two of the world’s best skateboarders are in the city today for what promises to be a rad demonstration. California native Paul Rodriguez and Shane O’Neill of Australia, along with six others from the Primitive Skateboards-sponsored team, hit up The Forks Plaza at 4 p.m. for a demo and autograph session.
Independent Iceland: On this day in 1944, Iceland declared independence from Denmark. The event is commemorated by local members of the Icelandic community every year. The traditional wreath-laying and Jon Sigurdsson Day celebrations will be held on the grounds of the Legislature at 6:30 p.m. Guest speak will be Einar K. Guðfinnsson who is the Speaker of the Icelandic Parliament (Alþingi). A gala concert at the Winnipeg Art Gallery follows the ceremony. The concert begins at 8 p.m. READ MORE
Around the water cooler
AMY SANCETTA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILESFor a glimpse at the fragility of masculinity, browse the greeting-card aisle.
Manly dads: What better way to let Dad know there are limited roles for him in today’s society this Father’s Day than with an ultramasculine card. “Dads, according to Big Greeting Card, come in the following categories: Beer Dad. Golf Dad. Handy Dad. Car Dad. General Sports Fan Dad,” writes Jen Zoratti. “Cards for dads are a lot like T-shirts for toddlers: aggressively, relentlessly gendered.” READ MORE
Pack your passports: A border security crackdown means Manitoba cottagers on Lake Metigoshe now have to report to the Canada Border Services Agency every time they use their boats. Less than 10 per cent of Lake Metigoshe is on the Canadian side, and cottagers can’t go boating without crossing into international waters, said Noreen Johnston, a Lake Metigoshe resident. READ MORE
Catch the Hip live: So many Canadians, much to their great disappointment, did not get tickets for The Tragically Hip concerts across the country. But CBC and the Hip have partnered to celebrate the band’s return to its hometown of Kingston, Ont., on Saturday, Aug. 20 by broadcasting the show live and commercial-free on all platforms. The concert, the last stop of a 15-date, sold-out tour, starts at 7:30 p.m. CDT and will be aired on CBC Television, CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 2 and CBC’s YouTube channels, as well as cbcmusic.ca. READ MORE
Trending now
Hail stones photographed near Winkler Friday morning.
#mbstorm: It was pitch-dark dark outside of Head Start headquarters earlier this morning, thanks to massive storm clouds lit only by lightning. There have been photos tweeted of golf-ball-sized hail near Winkler, and heavy rain and thunderstorms are predicted for southern Manitoba this morning.
Meat Loaf: The classic rock singer collapsed on stage during a performance in Edmonton Tursday night. Meat Loaf was singing “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” when he bent forward and then knocked over his mic stand before falling to the floor. READ MORE
On this date
On June 17, 1949: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that fifteen international brotherhoods, representing 100,000 Canadian rail workers, were demanding a 40-hour work week for the same pay as for a 48-hour work week, with an hourly wage increase of seven cents. On the campaign trail, Prime Minister St. Laurent attacked the Conservatives’ practices in his home province of Quebec, saying the federal party there was merely a Duplessis organization.
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