Cool runnings By: Free Press photojournalist John Woods Posted: 7:39 PM CDT Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

De Havilland calls for national water bomber fleet as it scrambles to meet demand

MONTREAL - On July 13, a pair of Canadair water bombers touched down on the Seine River, skimming along its surface to refill their water tanks as they battled a wildfire south of Paris.

The "super scoopers," with their signature ketchup-red wing tips on a mustard-yellow body, sucked up 6,000-plus litres from France’s most famous waterway in one go as part of a fight against the flames then rampaging across Europe.

The event in north-central France underscored how wildfires are ranging even farther from their traditional grounds and fuelling an urgent need for water bombers to fend off climate disasters.

The iconic Canadair turboprops serve as the only amphibious firefighting aircraft currently in production built from the outset for that purpose, rather than being retrofitted to douse flames.

Hurricanes’ pressure too much for Jets

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Nikolaj Ehlers spent 10 years making a big impact for the Winnipeg Jets, scoring 234 goals along the way. On Saturday, he got his first against his former team.

And it was a doozy.

Ehlers’ power-play tally early in the third period snapped a tie and proved to be the game-winner in a 3-2 victory for the Carolina Hurricanes in front of 14,415 at Canada Life Centre.

Team president locked out, day after speaking out on arena’s closure

A longtime team official in Manitoba’s hockey community says he’s being punished by the City of Winnipeg for speaking out about the poor condition of one of its rinks.

Barry Bonni, president of the River East Royal Knights, has occupied an office at Terry Sawchuk Memorial Arena for more than four decades.

On Friday, he was locked out.

“They’re on the war path,” Bonni said.

Cool runnings

Sunday marked the 14th year of the annual WFPS Run in support of the Heart & Stroke Foundation in Winnipeg.

Organizers estimate more than 6,200 runners would be lining up bright and early at the Canadian Mennonite University campus to compete in one of the 5 km, 10 km or half marathon events.