Yoko Ono to receive Edward MacDowell Medal for lifetime achievement

Living the dream

DETROIT – As Tyrel Bauer took a left turn out of the tunnel from the Winnipeg Jets dressing room and into the stands, he was met with a hearty round of applause from the 25 friends and family members who had made the trek from various points around North America.

Bauer had just realized a childhood dream and the significance of the moment was not lost on some of his biggest supporters.

“It was a special walk, for sure. A special walk,” Bauer said on Saturday afternoon before the Jets departed for a two-game road trip that begins on Sunday in Detroit against the Red Wings. “Those people who came – and many more that weren’t there and were cheering on from afar – they’ve always been there.

“I wanted that for my family, maybe even more than I wanted it for me. They’ve been through thick and thin. I’ve stressed mom out quite a bit over the years doing my job. That meant a lot for them and I’m really happy they could be there for it.”

Province looks to boost safety for cannabis workers

The province is introducing new legislation it hopes will improve safety for those working in cannabis stores.

“The safety of Manitobans is always a main priority for this government, so when we heard from the Manitobans that work in these stores that this is what was needed to help keep them safe, we listened,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said in a news release.

The province introduced Bill 56 on Monday, which would amend the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act.

The first of two amendments would remove the requirement for cannabis stores to have window coverings on storefronts, which the province said will increase visibility from the outside and ensure workers are not secluded from public view.

Rifles win the battle, but lose post-season push

The Winnipeg Rifles huddled around a television in their hotel meeting room in Saskatoon on Saturday, hoping for an outcome that would lend them control of their fate come Sunday afternoon.

The junior football club had scratched and clawed to give itself a fighter’s chance at the playoffs entering the final week of the Canadian Junior Football League regular season, but needed some help to set up a win-and-in scenario.

That wouldn’t come to fruition. The Rifles held their collective breath in suspense for the better part of three hours as the Edmonton Huskies pushed the Edmonton Wildcats to the brink before ultimately falling 35-31, ending Winnipeg’s season.

“It was a very anxious feeling. I think everyone was on edge the whole time, throughout the dinner, throughout the day. But that’s just kind of normal travel days in general, in the (Prairie Football Conference), it’s just such a tight conference,” said Rifles fifth-year right tackle Jaden Sawatzky.

Bombers get ‘whopped’ in Montreal

MONTREAL — It’s hard to fathom that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers smacked these Montreal Alouettes five weeks ago.

The team that pulled off that 44-28 upset at Princess Auto Stadium was nowhere to be found in La Belle Province on Saturday night.

You can, however, now find them in the basement of the West Division at 7-8 after getting completely outmatched and outclassed by the Als in a 37-10 beatdown.

“This was bad,” left tackle Stanley Bryant told the Free Press postgame. “They basically had their way all around. They whopped our ass.”

Connor powers Jets past Red Wings for first win of season

DETROIT — Kyle Connor is on a mission.

Whether it’s the baby bump from the birth of his second child or his constant mission to elevate his game and find new ways to score, the Winnipeg Jets left-winger is flying out of the gate and seemingly notching goals at will.

After scoring in the season opener for an NHL record ninth consecutive time, Connor delivered a pair of goals and added an assist in his home state to lead the Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena.

“The sheer amount of volume that he gets and how he gets himself in a good spot, he’s able to get that release off from anywhere,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti. “His first one was just all skill. What a finish that was and then his second one, just reading the play so well. (Coming) off the pads like that, kind of in front of him and he put it in a small little window top shelf that no goalie could ever save. He doesn’t panic when he gets into those spots, obviously.

Residents who blame civic politicians for all that ails us should know it’s not entirely their fault

Winnipeggers see dysfunction on city streets and assume it is a failure by the city; in fact, this failure is more fairly assigned to the senior levels of government.