On the night table

Kevin Gausman traded by Toronto Blue Jays to Chicago Cubs

TORONTO - Kevin Gausman's time with the Toronto Blue Jays has come to an end.

The veteran right-hander was traded by the Blue Jays to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday in return for outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene.

Bateman, a 24-year-old outfielder, hit .312 with three homers, 20 steals and 33 RBIs in 82 games for triple-A Iowa this season. Southisene, a 21-year-old shortstop, hit .326 in 44 games for High-A South Bend.

Gausman signed a five-year, US$110-million deal with the Blue Jays on Dec. 21, 2021 and has been one of Toronto's most reliable starters for five seasons.

Hydro CEO needs to reckon with winds of change

Methinks Hydro CEO Allan Danroth protests too much.

At a recent hearing in front of the Public Utilities Board, Danroth suggested Hydro’s plan to build a $3-billion natural-gas-powered generating plant near Brandon was being subjected to unfair criticism. The gas turbines are meant to bolster Hydro’s grid in the event that drought lowers output from hydro-generating stations.

After hearing submissions from interveners concerned about the gas-turbine plan, Danroth lashed out at the “constant, uninformed criticism” that has not only shaken trust in Hydro but also triggered threatening responses from the public.

Danroth said Hydro is monitoring “eight credible threats” against employees, five of which targeted the CEO himself. Although Danroth cited some specific incidents — employees being threatened with guns, and one where a homeowner set his dogs on a meter reader — he refused to elaborate on the circumstances.

What’s open, what’s closed, what’s up in Winnipeg on Terry Fox Day

The first Monday in August marks Terry Fox Day in Manitoba, honouring the legendary Canadian who was born in Winnipeg in 1958. 

Downtown Keg closes… to reopen nearby

Downtown Winnipeg is without a Keg restaurant — for a couple of months, anyways.

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar vacated 115 Garry St. on Wednesday, after more than five decades at the location. It will open in a new Donald Street apartment tower this fall.

Its move comes after years of waiting. The DSM, at 185 Donald St., sat as a partially started apartment block after its developer stopped operating and sought creditor protection in April 2023. The developer began the project in 2019.

Carrington Real Estate took over in 2024. Part of the 14-storey site’s initial plans — pre-Carrington — was for the Keg to occupy the main floor.