Automotive and Aerospace

Please review each article prior to use: grade-level applicability and curricular alignment might not be obvious from the headline alone.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Andy Baranowski, owner of J.W. McDonald Auto Service, by one of his cars, a 66 Thunderbird Landau.
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Leaving auto repair life in the rear-view

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview
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Leaving auto repair life in the rear-view

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Thursday, Jul. 7, 2022

For decades, Cadillacs, Mustangs and Audis have overnighted in the Exchange District for repairs and transformations.

Now, a Winnipeg mechanic envisions a new use for his shop — one that sees it filled with milk and produce instead of wrenches and tires.

“There’s no groceries down here,” said Andy Baranowski, owner of J.W. McDonald Auto Service. “Where are you going to get your milk?”

The 189 Bannatyne Ave. building has been an auto repair garage for almost a century — since 1923, according to the Manitoba Historical Society.

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Thursday, Jul. 7, 2022
Retired astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield talks about his own extraordinary stories of leadership as one of the keynote speakers at the Greatness in Leadership business management event in Lethbridge, Alberta on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Rossiter
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Hadfield urges Shatner to 'soak up' spaceflight

Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview
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Hadfield urges Shatner to 'soak up' spaceflight

Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Saturday, May. 23, 2026

One Canadian spaceman to another, former astronaut Chris Hadfield is encouraging William Shatner to follow the wise words of Captain James T. Kirk as he braces himself for a real-life blastoff: "Boldly go."

Hadfield said he quoted the "Star Trek" star's iconic mantra in a note wishing him well on his voyage aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket ship on Wednesday.

The flight was originally planned for Tuesday but Blue Origin has announced it is being delayed 24 hours due to forecasted high winds.

Hadfield, a self-identified Trekkie who commanded the International Space Station, said he's thrilled that after decades of service in the fictional Spacefleet, the Quebec-raised actor will soon get to experience the final frontier for himself.

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Saturday, May. 23, 2026
The fully electric Tundra Buggy is 16 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and 45 feet long.
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Iconic Churchill Tundra Buggy goes electric

Martin Cash 5 minute read Preview
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Iconic Churchill Tundra Buggy goes electric

Martin Cash 5 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021

The Churchill travel company, Frontiers North Adventure, has been operating its fleet of iconic Tundra Buggies for decades but for various reasons John Gunter, CEO of the company, knew the fleet needed to be upgraded.

A chance encounter between Gunter and Red River College’s former head of research and partnerships three years ago put Gunter on the path towards electrifying the Tundra Buggies.

On Tuesday, the fruits of that labour were revealed at Red River College’s Vehicle Technology and Energy Centre (VTEC) — the first EV (electric vehicle) Tundra Buggy.

It was a collaborative effort between Frontiers North, RRC’s VTEC, New Flyer and the non-profit Vehicle Technology Centre that pooled a growing expertise in heavy vehicle electrification that has been developing over the past decade in Winnipeg.

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Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021
MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Auto detail shop poised to fight pandemic

Willy Williamson 5 minute read Preview

Auto detail shop poised to fight pandemic

Willy Williamson 5 minute read Saturday, Apr. 18, 2020

Since COVID-19 has taught us to continually wash our hands, and many of us have already cleaned every corner of our homes, it's a sure bet a few of us have also turned our efforts to sanitizing our vehicles.

Your usual Saturday morning ritual of washing your car on the driveway with the garden hose and vacuuming the interior and wiping down hard surfaces with car cleaning products is likely all you'll need to keep your vehicle shiny and safe — but if you know or suspect your vehicle has come into contact with coronavirus, or just want to increase your peace of mind, it may be time to call in a professional.

The majority of auto detail shops, which fall under the same essential services category as automobile repair shops, have remained open during the pandemic.

Tom Segal, 45, the owner of Blue Ocean Auto Detailing in Headingley, has seen it all in the more than 25 years he's been cleaning cars, including dirty diapers, rotten food crammed between seats and rodent infestations, but this is his first pandemic.

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Saturday, Apr. 18, 2020