Zimmermann had espionage in mind at NY Fashion Week

Grieving families, local leaders want review of Interlake intersection after teens die in crash

A two-vehicle crash that killed four teenage friends in the Interlake Sunday night prompted outpourings of grief in several communities and calls for safety improvements at the intersection, which was also the site of a death in July.

Recent high school graduates Maya Borsa and Chloe Vermette, both 18, were identified by their families as victims of the collision at Highway 8 and Provincial Road 229, just west of Winnipeg Beach.

“(Chloe) was a very bubbly, loving personality. Always giving, always caring. Her friends meant the world to her,” said her mother, Veronique Vermette, who struggled to comprehend the tragedy when she went to the scene Monday. “We sat in the rain for hours, and it blew my mind that four lives were taken.”

The teens’ parents are waiting for RCMP to provide more information about the cause of the crash. Chloe, who graduated from Windsor Park Collegiate in Winnipeg in July, was driving one of the vehicles, her mother said.

EU envoy says a ‘unique’ new partnership with Canada forming ahead of Carney’s speech

OTTAWA - The European Union's ambassador to Canada says the bloc is crafting a new partnership with Ottawa unlike anything that currently exists.

"What we have in mind is something different from what we have with other countries," Geneviève Tuts said in a Wednesday interview. "That will be something unique."

Prime Minister Mark Carney said last month he was pursuing even deeper ties with Europe after signing a defence-industrial pact in addition to the existing strategic partner agreement and a free-trade deal.

"This fall, we will begin discussions with the European Union — the world’s second-largest economy — to build a much stronger and deeper security and economic partnership," Carney said on Aug. 22.

The plane truth about a dangerous president

U.S. President Donald Trump has crossed firmly into cutting-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face territory.

Earlier this week, the president who seems to set policy by spontaneous social-media eruption announced his plans to halt the sales of Bombardier aircraft in the United States, spouting his usual complaints about Canadians and Canadian producers not playing fair.

As usual, the complaint seems to be rooted in the now-usual process: someone close to the emperor whispered in his ear that Canada had treated a Bombardier competitor — Gulfstream — badly, so Trump responded with a pronouncement of broadly agreed doubtful legality. Presidents don’t actually have the power to single out individual companies and ban them from doing business.

Nevertheless, the threat alarmed Bombardier executives, customers, employees and government officials.

All quiet on the Hellebuyck front

Pull up a chair, folks, as we address the elephant in the room. Or, to be more precise, the decorated goaltender who is not in the room. Or on the ice. Or even in the city.

Not surprisingly, the Connor Hellebuyck situation took centre stage Tuesday as members of the Winnipeg Jets held their first media session following an informal, pre-training camp skate.

“We’re definitely going to get asked about it. That’s no chirp to anybody. I think that’s just the reality of the situation,” admitted veteran defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who took part in an hour-long practice at Hockey For All Centre that involved nearly every member of the organization.

With one very notable exception, of course.

Growing pains? Maybe, but it’s worth it

With Winnipeg’s free youth transit pass rolling out this month, the city should expect more young people to use the bus.

This is not a flaw in the program. It is one of the key benefits. I have spent more than a decade working on youth transit in Kingston, Ont., and more recently with communities across Canada. The lesson I keep coming back to is simple: when young people are given the chance to learn transit — use it and see it as a normal part of life — they become more confident riders. Over time, many become paying riders, too.

Even so, operational costs are a valid consideration. Winnipeg Transit runs a real system with real limits. Buses fill up. And if full buses are consistently passing people by, that hurts everyone.

The city knows this and is responding accordingly. September’s rollout will be staggered to give Transit a chance to watch where demand appears and then adjust. According to the Winnipeg School Division, older students are expected to receive passes first, with other grades following through September. This is specifically to give the system more room to adapt.

Bumps in the road as students collect free bus passes

Alexis Enns left her guidance counsellor’s office empty-handed, but no less excited about starting Grade 12 — even though she still didn’t know how she would get there or her timetable — on Tuesday.