The Wrap: MPI backtracks, Porter Airlines launch and Le Burger Week

In a sudden swerve late Thursday afternoon, MPI changed lanes on its decision to issue driver’s licences to some high school students without subjecting them to a road test. MPI attributed Thursday’s surprising U-turn to an “overwhelming response from the driver education community” that allowed the corporation to hire a sufficient number of outside instructors on contract to cross the picket line in order to test all Class 5 applicants. Meanwhile, striking road-test examiners were “disturbed” by the plan’s announcement, said one with more than a decade of experience.

Porter Airlines has landed in Winnipeg. On Sept. 7, the plane will take off with its first round of passengers commuting between Winnipeg and Toronto. The Free Press took a tour of the new plane, which does not have middle seats. Food and drink will circulate twice daily on the route to Toronto. Planes will leave Winnipeg at 12:30 and 6:20 p.m. “It’s not low cost, and it’s not super premium… It’s not something that any other airline in North America has,” says Brad Cicero, Porter’s communications director.

Le Burger Week kicked off its tour de gluttony today with 183 Winnipeg restaurants participating in the 12th annual national food festival, which runs until Sept. 14. Dozens of local proprietors have created burger entries with timely and timeless cultural fascinations in mind, from Barbie to Taylor Swift. Eva Wasney has a few samples of some of the trendy offerings.