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Klein, Gillingham trade jabs over megaproject

Two of Winnipeg’s mayoral candidates wasted no time trading barbs over who bears responsibility for the skyrocketing cost of overhauling the North End sewage treatment plant, during a televised debate Wednesday.

Scott Gillingham and Kevin Klein pointed the finger at each other for the rising cost of the massive project, which had a cost estimate of $795 million in 2015 and had ballooned to $3.2 billion as of the latest estimate.

“We need to be able to understand how that amount tripled in that short a time,” Klein said at the event held at CBC’s downtown Winnipeg headquarters. He pointed out the first estimate was given when Gillingham was chairman of the city’s finance committee. He questioned what the incumbent did to garner funding for the project.

Gillingham shot back by noting Klein was Manitoba’s environment minister in 2023. He accused his opponent of failing to make a dent on the cost.

Jets out of tune against Blues

ST. LOUIS – The issue is no longer limited to secondary scoring for the Winnipeg Jets.

Although they continue to be far too reliant on the top line for production, the Jets have suddenly been limited to not enough goals in a more general sense.

The latest example was a 2-1 loss Tuesday to the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.

The Jets battled hard in this Central Division duel, but they’ve scored 24 goals in nine games (2.67 goals per game) and have one victory during the past five games after a 3-0-1 start. One of those losses did come in overtime (1-3-1).

Limited visibility, radio communication among safety issues cited in mid-air collision

An investigative report into a mid-air plane crash that killed two student pilots in southeastern Manitoba cited concerns about radio communication, situational awareness and visual detection methods.

Two small planes collided twice and crashed into a field after one aircraft ended up flying above the other while both approached a runway at Steinbach South Airport the morning of July 8, 2025, a Transportation Safety Board report said Wednesday. The planes belonged to the Harv’s Air Service flight school.

“Once they’re on final (approach), the ability to see each other would have been very limited,” said Eric Vermette, a TSB regional manager in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg-born gynecologist’s latest busts menstruation myths, offering much-needed facts for women

Although Dr. Jen Gunter became internet famous by being known as Twitter’s resident gynecologist, she’s currently on every social media platform, along with her website TheVajenda.com and the Body Stuff podcast. Her goal? To ensure women have scientifically backed information to help them navigate medical decisions with facts, not shame.

Her latest work, Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation, is her fourth book. She’s also written The Menopause Manifesto, The Vagina Bible and The Preemie Primer.

Dr. Gunter’s medical knowledge runs deep. In addition to being an obstetrician and gynecologist, she’s also a pain medicine physician. With 30 years of experience, her writing has appeared in academic publications as well as in the New York Times, the Cut, USA Today and Self. She was born and raised in Winnipeg and currently resides in San Francisco.

Like The Vagina Bible, Blood involves debunking myths propagated by the patriarchy (and the Greeks, as it turns out), highlighting outdated medical practices and exposing the potential dangers associated with the wellness industry.

Henderson crosswalk has glaring safety gap, say researchers months after pedestrian killed

Six months after a fatal collision at a crosswalk on Henderson Highway, two traffic safety researchers question why the intersection remains an outlier that is missing key flashing lights.

The City of Winnipeg is being urged to install “backflashers” to better protect road users moving in all directions at the intersection where a 32-year-old father died in the spring.

“It’s these little, mundane, non-sexy engineering problems that can cause everything right up to fatality,” said Curt Pankratz, an associate professor at the University of Winnipeg who studies traffic engineering and policymaking.

On April 19, shortly before sunrise, Gabe Beardy was struck when he was crossing the six-lane thoroughfare at Neil Avenue.

Chief medical officer quits, cites work environment ‘challenges’

Manitoba’s provincial chief medical officer is resigning from his position at Shared Health, citing the role’s demands and work environment challenges in an email viewed by the Free Press.

Dr. José François, who’s held the executive position since April 2024, sent an email to provincial medical specialty leads that said his final day will be Jan. 17, 2027, after he submitted his resignation Wednesday. Several other senior leaders have departed the provincial health authority in recent months.

“Serving in this role has been a privilege,” François, a longtime family physician from Ste. Anne, wrote in the email.

He said his “greatest pleasure” was working alongside and supporting an “exceptional group” of provincial medical specialty leads and chief medical officers.