Times changing for downtown blues club

WestJet, CUPE reach tentative deal as passengers scramble amid flight disruptions

CALGARY - WestJet and the union representing some 4,400 flight attendants reached a tentative deal Monday to resume work after a brief work stoppage, but neither side is sharing specifics yet.

The airline had said Sunday it had proposed a 13 per cent pay increase starting in October, and then a 2.5 per cent increase in each of the next three years until 2029.

The airline also said it offered a new duty pay premium, equivalent to another 12 per cent salary increase, which WestJet said is designed to solve the cabin crew's claim of unpaid work.

In a news conference in Calgary on Monday, CUPE local 8125 president Alia Hussain said the flight attendants have 30 days to ratify the agreement, and the union will spend the coming days preparing a slide show to present to the members.

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: Caution. Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions from 1:15 p.m. until 10 p.m. After that, the moon moves from Aries into Taurus.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

You have lots of mental energy because the moon is in your sign dancing with your ruler fiery Mars, which pushes you into a leadership role. It makes you feel independent and ready to challenge anyone who challenges you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

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. 

Tracing South Asian community’s influence in Manitoba

When Pamela Rebello arrived in Winnipeg from India in 1968, following a few years in Cleveland, Ohio, she forged a path led by determination and courage with the vision to contribute to the province.

Those attributes could be found among many of the individuals who made up the first South Asian diaspora in Manitoba.

“We relied on each other,” says Rebello of the small group of newcomers who adjusted to a new home and way of life. Holding on to their cultural identity and values was key to that transition as well as dealing with feelings of isolation.

Rebello, along with other community leaders, took their interest in fostering South Asian culture a step further by establishing the India School of Dance, Music & Theatre in 1980.

Stampeding to Starlette’s

ELMA — Build it and they will come.

Lee and Star Giesbrecht are the owners of Starlette’s Burger Saloon, a western-themed, outdoor eating spot situated on the married couple’s 40-acre spread, immediately north of Elma.

Seated at one of a half-dozen picnic tables that dot the grounds, Star recalls a conversation she and Lee had prior to the May 2025 grand opening of their locale, which, with its weathered-wood exterior and rustic swinging doors, wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of Yellowstone.

Because they are “literally in the middle of nowhere,” Star says Lee thought it would be advantageous to mount a TV in one corner of the kitchen, for those occasions when they’d be twiddling their thumbs for hours on end, with little to do.

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.