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Travellers in Winnipeg scramble to rebook flights as WestJet attendants reach tentative deal

WestJet flights were back in the skies Monday after a brief flight-attendant strike grounded planes across the country. But even as their cancelled flights were rebooked, many travellers spent the holiday scrambling to adapt to new, altered plans.

By 11:30 a.m. about 200 people were queued up in front of WestJet’s check-in booths at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. Many were there to check in for an afternoon flight to Toronto, which, along with most other WestJet flights for the day, was now listed on the departure board as proceeding as planned.

Others, unable to reach someone on WestJet’s apparently overburdened customer service hotline, were hoping to find a solution to altered travel plans that had delayed their travel by days, or in some cases rerouted them through other cities.

Dan Schenkeveld was among them. The Kamloops resident spent most of the past month on a deep wilderness canoe trip in Nunavut. When he got back in cellular service range, he learned that a WestJet flight attendant strike was looming: “We’re aware of the issues around unpaid work, and we’re compassionate to that,” he said.

Ticked off by Trump’s tantrums

U.S. President Donald Trump recently threatened tariffs on Canadian products for the wildfire smoke that wafts across the border.

We have failed to manage our forests properly, he says, causing the smoke choking America’s big cities. And many of his Republican colleagues have joined the chorus, demanding sanctions against Canada for our unneighbourly behaviour. We north of the border should all be outdoors, rakes in hand, to clear combustible debris from our forest floors. Quite right.

Canada is missing a major economic opportunity. Just imagine an army of rake-equipped forestry workers. What a boost to rake manufacturers!

Canada’s boreal forest is only 2.7 million square kilometres. If we gave each Canadian, including infants and the elderly, a rake, each would only have to clear 6.6 hectares (about 16 acres). Piece of cake! Many, of course, would be raking the more than two-thirds of remote boreal forest without road access. This would boost the employment of highly trained search and rescue workers!

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.

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. 

Pimicikamak lockdown lifted after fatal shooting

Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said an arrest has been made and the community-wide lockdown has now been lifted after a shooting Friday that left one person dead.

RCMP were called by local First Nations Safety Officers about a seriously injured person at around 9:30 p.m. Friday on Main Road in Pimicikamak Cree Nation. Officers found two men at the scene. A 42-year-old man with a gunshot wound died at the scene. The other person was not injured.

The community went into immediate lockdown as the RCMP sought the suspect. An advisory posted by Monias Saturday had asked residents to stay inside their homes, lock doors and windows, keep children inside and not to open their doors to anyone they did not know.

In a statement on social media Sunday afternoon, Monias said the RCMP had arrested one person.