Everyone knows, the bird is the word

Automation reaches new heights on farm

LANGHAM, Sask. — The thousands of farmers from across the Prairies who flock to the annual Ag in Motion show every July seem oblivious to the possibility the technology on display could one day replace many of them.

Families with children in tow, Hutterite colony workers, grandparents and young couples just starting out roamed through the 600 or more exhibitor displays, amazed at how everything about farming just keeps getting bigger, more efficient and increasingly more automated.

It’s now possible to seed using a 100-foot-wide drill — a 12-foot jump over the widest available a few years ago — provided the farmer can afford a tractor with enough horsepower to pull it. Those sell for around $850,000 and up.

Granted, the number of farms with enough acres to justify that kind of width and drawing power is still relatively small, but farms continue to grow. And it’s no secret the number of people who have the interest, skills and financial wherewithal to run them continues to shrink.

Ref ‘dominates’ game in Sea Bears loss to Honey Badgers, says coach

Following a festive Christmas-in-July-themed Saturday afternoon inside Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Raimbault didn’t mince words about who he thought was the Grinch in a hard-fought 88-86 loss to the visiting Brampton Honey Badgers that ended in controversy.

As the Sea Bears owned a one-point lead in Target Score Time, Brampton guard Sean East II was awarded three free throws — all of which he converted — after a questionable foul called on Teddy Allen by official Perry Stothart.

Raimbault, who has been known to bite his tongue on such topics, left nothing to the imagination about where he stood on the game-deciding judgment made in a game that had major post-season implications.

“I just felt like it was a fitting ending to the game where Perry Stothart had dominated the flow of the game from the start,” he said. “For him to call a bit of a guess foul and end the game on the foul, I felt like it’s disappointing that he can come in and dictate how the game’s going to be played and flow, and (that) continues to be a bit of an M.O. for him. So I think we’re disappointed with the fact that the league continues to let that happen.”

Vacant Bay store on road to redevelopment, St. Vital Centre owner says

Entertainment attractions are coming to fill the former Hudson’s Bay space in St. Vital Centre.

Montreal-based real estate firm Leyad, the south Winnipeg mall’s owner, says it is finalizing an agreement for the vacant property. Further details should appear in the next couple months, said president Henry Zavriyev.

“We’re looking at what other types of experiences we can bring to the mall that aren’t just typical retail,” he said during a visit to Winnipeg this week.

“We want to create an experience where you can just come to the mall, hang out here for hours, no matter if you’re a kid, an adult, a retiree.”

Fried Chicken Fest beckons Winnipeg foodies

We all know about Burger Week. Now hungry Winnipeggers can round out January with Fried Chicken Fest (Jan. 21-28). This inaugural celebration is starting out with 15 venues across the city, but it’s got tons of potential.

Like the burger, fried chicken can go in all sorts of directions, from classic southern style to the super-crisp Korean variation, with loads of freestyling flavour variations.

Cornerstone (93 Osborne St.) is serving up its fried chicken banh mi style, with pickled veg, Sriracha and mayo. Little Goat (2615 Portage Ave.) is going classic French with pommes aligot and green beans. Brazen Hall (800 Pembina Hwy.) pours a little of its Steel Cut Blonde ale into its marinade before smothering a big chunk of bird with Nashville hot sauce. La Carnita (456 Main St.) drizzles its fried chicken thighs with guajillo sauce and adds a side of green papaya frito.

Fried Chicken Fest has not yet reached Burger Week levels of craziness, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Battle-hardened Burger Weekers know all that buzz can lead to long lineups and “sold-out” signs.

An eroding Winnipeg neighbourhood looks to new foundations

WINNIPEG - The lot Jesse Bettcher lives on in Winnipeg's North End used to be a pile of burnt rubble. Same with the one next door. And the one across the street.

But he's now the proud owner of a two-storey house with blue-grey siding and white trim, so new the orange construction fencing is still out front.

It's a dream home for Bettcher, and the latest hope for a city seeking to knock down, clean up and revitalize neighbourhoods that have seen hundreds of homes left vacant, leading to safety hazards and worries about the future.

He bought the house as part of a pilot project aimed at creating affordable home ownership. It let him and his family move out of a rental that he said was falling apart.

Protests spur Ukraine military reshuffle

Even nations fighting for their survival can’t escape politics. “The president should not choose sides during a war,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters earlier this month after sacking his defence minister.