Quebec to invest $252 million in preventive health programs over five years

What’s open, what’s closed, what’s up in Winnipeg on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Sept. 30, 2026

The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day, as it's known in Manitoba, happens Sept. 30 with many commemorative community events scheduled.

Jets new backup Stevenson ‘stoked’ to be in tandem with Skinner

It didn’t take long to get the dirt on the newest member of the Winnipeg Jets.

Meet Clay Stevenson, who has no problem if you prefer to refer to him by his long-standing nickname of “Mud.”

“You know, Clay is in the mud, and there you go. That’s it, right there,” Stevenson said Wednesday with a laugh. “I got it in juniors when I was playing in Coquitlam, and kind of stuck ever since.”

Stevenson is now hoping to make a name for himself in a city that, quite fittingly, translates to “muddy water” in Cree. The 27-year-old from Alberta was placed on waivers by the Washington Capitals and claimed by the Jets, who were looking to clarify a goaltending situation which was as murky as the Red River.

Ferraro gets call-up to the Jets

Landon Ferraro vividly recalls the moment his NHL career came to an extremely painful end — Oct. 20, 2017, in downtown Winnipeg.

“My last play was a breakaway on Connor Hellebuyck,” Ferraro told the Free Press this week.

“I tried to poke the puck past the first D. It was me and (Dustin) Byfuglien chasing it down. I thought he was going to throw me across the ice, so I tried to cut in on him, and he moved. I overextended, and I literally ripped my abductor off the bone and gave myself a hernia.”

Ferraro — at the time playing forward for the visiting Minnesota Wild — said he managed to get off a weak shot that hit the Jets goaltender square in the chest. But his 77th appearance in the big leagues would be his last following previous stops with Detroit (which drafted him 32nd overall in 2009) and Boston.

In a smart-device world, some families keep phone jacked into the wall

When the phone rings in Kristin Shiach and Jordan Sobkowicz’s Riverview home, their three daughters race to see who can be the first to answer.

“It depends who is closest,” says 13-year-old Emily. “If I’m sitting in my room, I can get to it quickest.”

“That’s because it’s always in your room,” Anna, 10, replies. “You never put it back!”

“Usually, when the phone rings,” explains Sobkowicz, “someone yells really loudly —”

Wawanesa rebrands newest branch WSI

Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. has completed its acquisition of Ontario-based Everest Insurance Company of Canada and rebranded it as WSI, expanding Wawanesa’s commercial capabilities.

WSI will operate as a distinct organization within the Wawanesa group of companies, retaining the expertise, talent and underwriting discipline that established Everest as a respected player in the speciality market, Wawanesa announced on Thursday.

Wawanesa acquired Everest Canada from Everest Group Ltd., a Delaware-based global reinsurance and insurance provider. The deal was first announced in March and received regulatory approval in September. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“It was a very competitive process,” Wawanesa president and CEO Evan Johnston said. “This was a sought-after asset and we were the successful bidder, which I’m very proud of.”

Storylines aplenty as Jets’ regular season set to begin

If the Winnipeg Jets get their way over the course of the coming months, this 84-game redemption tour will extend beyond the regular season.

For the time being, the focus of this group is to leave the disappointment of a 26th-place finish in the rearview mirror and to get back to playing the style that allowed them to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs three consecutive springs before falling eight points short last April.

“We’re just ready for a fresh start where we’re looking ahead, and we’re excited to get the season underway,” captain Adam Lowry said Thursday. “Obviously, a short training camp but I feel like we got up to speed.”

The Boston Bruins will be Friday’s opponent (7 p.m.) in this 16th season opener for the Jets since the franchise relocated back in 2011, and the storylines surrounding the club are plentiful.