Good morning!
Insiders meet Doer: The Free Press News Café was packed Wednesday evening as part of the Free Press Insider Program. The newspaper’s readers got front-of-the-line access to hear Gary Doer, the former Manitoba premier and Canada’s former ambassador to the U.S., offer frank opinions on the American presidential election. Doer spoke with firsthand insight, as someone who has met Donald Trump, and dined with Hillary and Bill Clinton at their home. READ MORE
Your forecast: It’s expected to be a precipitation-free day, with a mix of sun and cloud, a high of 19 C and wind from the west at 30 km/h. Tonight will be a low of 11 C. Friday will be a high of 17 C with a 30 per cent chance of showers.
In case you missed it
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILESTraffic at the Waverley CN Rail crossing.
Rail relocation: Ottawa bureau chief Mia Rabson reports exclusively today that Winnipeg Liberal MP Dan Vandal is urging Premier Brian Pallister to get on with a planned study on relocating rail lines outside of Winnipeg, but the province hasn’t yet responded. “For decades we have been talking about this and the thing that is always missing is accurate information,” Vandal said of the prospect of moving at least some of the 150 kilometres of tracks that criss-cross Winnipeg and are the bane of motorists. READ MORE
Gay pride, or gay hide?: Sexual identity issues were controversial in the Hanover School Division last spring when trustees refused to allow discussion of them in the division’s classrooms, leading to thousands of people attending Steinbach’s first Pride parade. At the time, Education Minister Ian Wishart offered to have provincial staff work with the trustees. Free Press reporter Nick Martin decided to check whether the trustees are indeed meeting with the provincial staff. READ MORE
Up next
Community leaders: The Canadian Red Cross honours two local humanitarians at a luncheon today. Humanitarian of the Year Award goes to Shahina Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Social Service Association, who works to bring together people of different cultures and faiths, including recent Syrian refugees in Manitoba. The Young Humanitarian of the Year award goes to Michael Redhead Champagne, founder of Aboriginal Youth Opportunities.
Play ball!: The first game of the Winnipeg Goldeyes versus St. Paul Saints playoff baseball series was postponed because of rain Wednesday evening. Game one will now be played tonight, with game two on Friday. Both games are at Shaw Park. READ MORE
Around the water cooler
Mark Taylor/ The Canadian PressWinnipeg Blue Bombers kicker Justin Medlock kicks a field goal during first half CFL action against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina on Sunday, September 4, 2016.
Blue stars: The Canadian Football Leagues named three stars on Wednesday, and two of them were Blue Bombers. Sure-footed kicker Justin Medlock and fleet-footed receiver Quincy McDuffie were honoured for Winnipeg’s 28-25 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Sunday’s Labour Day Classic. The Bombers have sold out the stadium for Saturday’s Banjo Bowl rematch against the Riders. READ MORE
Peter Mansbridge: Free Press critic Brad Oswald, who gets paid to watch television, wonders whether the departure of CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge signals the end of an era. He notes the relevance of traditional television news has declined in a digital age with immediate access to information, and many modern viewers prefer news personalities who deliver the news with opinion and attitude. READ MORE
Trending now
Paramount PicturesActors Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner and James Doohan from the original ‘Star Trek’ series.
#StarTrek50: It’s been half a century since the original crew of the starship Enterprise decided to boldly go where no one (well, “no man,” in Gene Roddenberry’s original series) had gone before. Since then the fictional crew has been featured in big-screen blockbusters and inspired numerous spinoffs in a huge, interlinked future exploration of the universe. The characters — and Roddenberry’s vision — have lived long and prospered.
On this date
On Sept. 8, 1988: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that a beaver being kept as a pet in Rennie was prone to gnawing through walls and building dams in doorways. “Bucky” had been rescued as an infant by a Department of Natural Resources employee and now lived with him and his wife. Manitoba Community Services Minister Charlotte Oleson unveiled a plan to make private daycares eligible for government subsidies. A western Canadian consortium including two Winnipeg companies was vying with a Quebec firm for a $5.2-billion air traffic modernization project. READ MORE
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