Technical Vocational Education

Hackathon teams race to solve defense tech challenges as Europe boosts military capabilities

Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Hackathon teams race to solve defense tech challenges as Europe boosts military capabilities

Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press 7 minute read Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

SANDHURST, England (AP) — Hunched over laptops, the team of four raced to solve a challenge: how to get a set of drones to fly themselves from one place to another when GPS and other signals are jammed by an enemy.

Elsewhere around the hall, groups of people — engineering students, tech workers and hobbyists — gathered around long tables to brainstorm, write computer code or tinker with more drones and other hardware.

Most of them were strangers when they first gathered last month at Britain's Sandhurst Military Academy to compete in a 24-hour “hackathon" focused on defense technology. Many were drawn to the event because they wanted to use their technical skills to work on one of the biggest challenges confronting Europe: the continent's race to beef up its military capabilities as Russia's war in Ukraine threatens to widen global instability.

“Given the geopolitical climate, defense tech is relevant now more than ever,” said Aniketh Ramesh, a startup founder with a Ph.D. in robotics in extreme environments and one of the drone team members. The hackathon, he said, “is a good place to sort of go and contribute your ideas.”

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Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

Participants gather for the London Defence Tech Hackathon, a weekend brainstorming solution for technical challenges, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Camberley, England, May 10, 2025. (AP Photos/Kelvin Chan)

Trump’s education secretary threatens to pull funding from NY over its Native American mascot ban

Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Trump’s education secretary threatens to pull funding from NY over its Native American mascot ban

Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press 5 minute read Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (AP) — New York is discriminating against a school district that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot and could face a Justice Department investigation or risk losing federal funding, President Donald Trump’s top education official said Friday.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, on a visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island, said an investigation by her agency has determined that state education officials violated Title VI of the federal civil rights law by banning the use of Native American mascots and logos statewide.

The department's civil rights office found the state ban is discriminatory because names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the “Dutchmen” and the “Huguenots,” are still permitted.

McMahon described Massapequa's chiefs mascot as an “incredible” representation of Native American leadership as she made the announcement backed by dozens of students and local officials in the high school gymnasium.

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Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, front right, visits Massapequa High School, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Massapequa, N.Y., along with local elected officials. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo)

Quebec tables bill to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers on sale of goods

Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Quebec tables bill to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers on sale of goods

Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

QUÉBEC - Quebec is moving to lower interprovincial trade barriers, as part of a push by provinces and the federal government to increase domestic trade in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Minister for the Economy Christopher Skeete tabled a bill on Friday to remove all restrictions on the use and sale of products from other provinces and to facilitate labour mobility – with some exceptions.

Skeete told reporters in Quebec City that the bill sends a message the province is ready to drop barriers and stimulate trade between regions.

"If you look at what Quebec is doing today, we're leading the charge," he said. "We have one of the most ambitious bills in the federation right now. It's something we're very proud of and it's something that will have lasting change going forward."

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Quebec Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism Christopher Skeete tables legislation at the legislature in Quebec City, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Army Corps analysis finds Great Lakes pipeline tunnel would have sweeping environmental impacts

Todd Richmond, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Army Corps analysis finds Great Lakes pipeline tunnel would have sweeping environmental impacts

Todd Richmond, The Associated Press 6 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Building an underground tunnel for an aging Enbridge oil pipeline that stretches across a Great Lakes channel could destroy wetlands and harm bat habitats but would eliminate the chances of a boat anchor rupturing the line and causing a catastrophic spill, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Friday in a long-awaited draft analysis of the proposed project's environmental impacts.

The analysis moves the corps a step closer to approving the tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. The tunnel was proposed in 2018 at a cost of $500 million but has been bogged down by legal challenges. The corps fast-tracked the project in April after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies in January to identify energy projects for expedited emergency permitting.

A final environmental assessment is expected by autumn, with a permitting decision to follow later this year. The agency initially planned to issue a permitting decision in early 2026.

With that permit in hand, Enbridge would only need permission from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy before it could begin constructing the tunnel. That's far from a given, though.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

FILE - In this photo shot from a television screen provided by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy in June 2020, shows damage to anchor support EP-17-1 on the east leg of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline within the Straits of Mackinac in Mich. (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy via AP, File)

Nova Scotia NDP says province too secretive, must release environmental racism report

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Nova Scotia NDP says province too secretive, must release environmental racism report

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia’s Opposition NDP called on Premier Tim Houston's government Friday to release a report about the province's long history of environmental racism, saying it’s a matter of accountability.

An eight-member panel was expected to submit its report to Houston's government in December 2023.

Justice Minister Becky Druhan, who is also responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism, did not answer Thursday when pressed by reporters to explain why the government is sitting on the report.

Druhan also wouldn’t answer when asked whether she had seen the panel’s recommendations, saying its work predated her appointment as minister.

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Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender speaks to reporters at the provincial legislature in Halifax, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Hudbay Minerals staff evacuate Flin Flon, Man., due to wildfires

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Hudbay Minerals staff evacuate Flin Flon, Man., due to wildfires

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

TORONTO - Hudbay Minerals Inc. says its non-essential staff in the Flin Flon, Man., area are evacuating because of wildfires in the region.

The company says it hasn't been actively mining at its Flin Flon site since 2022, but it still runs care and maintenance work and also has services there to support its Snow Lake operation.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba have declared provincewide states of emergency to deal with the wildfires that, in Manitoba, has forced 17,000 residents to evacuate including 6,000 in and around the northwest city of Flin Flon.

Hudbay says the evacuation order because of wildfires will likely affect production at Snow Lake because a large portion of its staff live in Flin Flon, which sits about 200 kilometres west, but it still expects to reach its guidance for the year.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

A wildfire in the Flin Flon, Man. area is shown in a government handout photo on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — Manitoba Government *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Tony Hawk, Mark McMorris help open skateboard park expansion in Smithers, B.C.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Tony Hawk, Mark McMorris help open skateboard park expansion in Smithers, B.C.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Tony Hawk and Mark McMorris wanted their presence at the Smithers Skate Park expansion unveiling to amplify skateboarding's importance in the remote, northern B.C. community.

Skateboarding icon Hawk and Canadian snowboarding star McMorris travelled to the town of 5,000 people for Thursday's opening. They lauded the community's pluck in raising $1.8 million to increase the size of the street park and build a bowl for skateboarders next to the Yellowhead Highway that runs from Winnipeg to the West Coast.

"I don't go to many grand openings, to be honest, but this seemed like a really unique situation," Hawk said. "I don't want to say it's the most remote area, but in remote areas, skateboarding is still a valid option for kids to choose, and they want to do it. We need to provide facilities for them."

McMorris, a three-time Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist whose 24 X Games medals is the most among snowboarders, has a special place in his heart for skateboarding.

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Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk high-fives young fans during the grand opening of the expanded Smithers Skate Park in Smithers, B.C., in this Thursday, May 29, 2025 handout photo. Hawk and Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris visited the northern B.C. town of 5,000 to celebrate the community’s $1.8-million effort to grow the park. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Erica Chan *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Bank of Canada expected to hold key rate after surprise Q1 GDP jump

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Bank of Canada expected to hold key rate after surprise Q1 GDP jump

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

OTTAWA - The Canadian economy got a boost to start the year as businesses rushed to get ahead of tariffs, and some economists believe that lift will be enough to keep the Bank of Canada on the sidelines at its interest rate decision next week.

Real gross domestic product rose 2.2 per cent annualized in the first quarter of 2025, Statistics Canada reported Friday, up a tick from 2.1 per cent in the fourth quarter.

The first quarter figures topped StatCan’s flash estimate for annualized growth of 1.5 per cent and beat calls for 1.7 per cent from a Reuters poll of economists.

"We did get a better number, overall," said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Statistics Canada released real GDP figures for the first quarter of 2025 on Friday. A worker uses an angle grinder on a vessel under construction at Seaspan Shipyards, in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, October 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Trump says US Steel will keep HQ in Pittsburgh in a sign he’ll approve bid by Japan-based Nippon

Marc Levy And Paul Wiseman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Trump says US Steel will keep HQ in Pittsburgh in a sign he’ll approve bid by Japan-based Nippon

Marc Levy And Paul Wiseman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. Steel will keep its headquarters in Pittsburgh as part of what he called a “planned partnership” that seemed to signal that he’ll approve a bid by Japan-based Nippon Steel to make a big investment in the iconic American steelmaker, if not buy it outright.

Still, Trump's statement left it vague as to whether he is approving Nippon Steel's bid after he vowed repeatedly to block the deal to prevent U.S. Steel from being foreign-owned.

More recently, Trump suggested that Nippon Steel would invest in U.S. Steel, not buy it, and one union official suggested Friday that the federal government will have a role in the company's management going forward. But investors seemed to take Trump's statement as a sign that he's approving some sort of merger, sharply pushing up U.S. Steel's shares, and the companies issued approving statements.

Nippon Steel said the partnership is a “game changer — for U.S. Steel and all of its stakeholders, including the American steel industry, and the broader American manufacturing base.” U.S. Steel said it “will remain American, and we will grow bigger and stronger through a partnership with Nippon Steel that brings massive investment, new technologies and thousands of jobs over the next four years."

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump signs executive orders to boost nuclear power, speed up approvals

Matthew Daly And Jennifer Mcdermott, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Trump signs executive orders to boost nuclear power, speed up approvals

Matthew Daly And Jennifer Mcdermott, The Associated Press 6 minute read Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed executive orders Friday intended to quadruple domestic production of nuclear power within the next 25 years, a goal experts say the United States is highly unlikely to reach.

To speed up the development of nuclear power, the orders grant the U.S. energy secretary authority to approve some advanced reactor designs and projects, taking authority away from the independent safety agency that has regulated the U.S. nuclear industry for five decades.

The order comes as demand for electricity surges amid a boom in energy-hungry data centers and artificial intelligence. Tech companies, venture capitalists, states and others are competing for electricity and straining the nation's electric grid.

“We’ve got enough electricity to win the AI arms race with China,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. “What we do in the next five years related to electricity is going to determine the next 50" years in the industry.

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Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Runway lights weren’t working as pilot tried to land at foggy San Diego airport before fatal crash

Julie Watson And Josh Funk, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Runway lights weren’t working as pilot tried to land at foggy San Diego airport before fatal crash

Julie Watson And Josh Funk, The Associated Press 7 minute read Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The runway lights were out, a weather alert system wasn’t working and there was heavy fog at a San Diego airport when a pilot who had flown across the country made the decision to proceed with landing but came up short and crashed into a neighborhood, likely killing all six aboard the aircraft, investigators said Friday.

Investigator Dan Baker of the National Transportation Safety Board said officials will work over the next year to determine what caused the Cessna 550 Citation to crash just before 4 a.m. Thursday. The jet was carrying a music executive and five others. No one in the neighborhood of U.S. Navy housing died, but eight people were treated for smoke inhalation from the fiery crash and non-life-threatening injuries.

The pilot acknowledged the weather conditions for landing at the small airport were not ideal and debated diverting to a different airport while discussing the visibility with an air traffic controller at a regional Federal Aviation Administration control tower, according to audio of the conversation posted by LiveATC.net.

The FAA had posted an official notice for pilots that the lights were out of service, but it’s not known whether the pilot had checked it. He didn’t discuss the lights being out with air traffic control, but was aware that the airport’s weather alert system was inoperable. Ultimately, the pilot is heard saying that he’ll stick with the plan to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.

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Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

at the site of a plane crash Friday, May 23, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Inquiry must be called to get answers on sand mine scandal

Tom Brodbeck 5 minute read Preview

Inquiry must be called to get answers on sand mine scandal

Tom Brodbeck 5 minute read Friday, May. 23, 2025

It’s pretty clear by now that an inquiry should be called into the Sio Silica scandal.

Ethics Commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor released his long-awaited report into the matter this week. He found that former premier Heather Stefanson, then deputy premier Cliff Cullen and then economic development minister Jeff Wharton, violated the province’s Conflict of Interest Act by attempting to approve a licence for a controversial silica sand mining project after their government was defeated in the Oct. 3, 2023 provincial election.

All three ministers pushed to have a Class 2 licence under the Environment Act approved for Sio Silica, days before the new NDP government was sworn into office.

They did so even though they knew, or ought to have known, that it violated the “caretaker convention,” a longstanding constitutional principle in Canada that prohibits governments from making major policy decisions once a general election is called (unless it’s related to an urgent matter of public importance).

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Friday, May. 23, 2025

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Ethics Commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor found that former premier Heather Stefanson, then deputy premier Cliff Cullen and then economic development minister Jeff Wharton, violated the province’s Conflict of Interest Act.

Cohere asks U.S. court to toss complaint from media alleging copyright infringement

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Cohere asks U.S. court to toss complaint from media alleging copyright infringement

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

TORONTO - Cohere is asking a U.S. court to throw out complaints from media outlets that have accused the artificial intelligence company of infringing on their copyright.

In a dismissal motion filed in a New York court on Thursday, Cohere accused publishers including the Toronto Star, Condé Nast, McClatchy, Forbes Media and Guardian News of deliberately using its software to "manufacture a case."

The Toronto-based company said the outlets must have "stylized" prompts they entered into Cohere's software to elicit portions of their own work, which sometimes included inaccuracies.

It argued nothing in the complaint filed by the outlets suggests that any real customer has ever used the company's software to infringe on the publisher's copyright.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

A man uses a computer keyboard in Toronto in this Sunday, Oct. 9, 2023 photo illustration. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Josef Newgarden fastest in final Indy 500 practice. Takuma Sato and other contenders have problems

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Josef Newgarden fastest in final Indy 500 practice. Takuma Sato and other contenders have problems

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press 4 minute read Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Josef Newgarden spent the final 2-hour practice for the Indianapolis 500 on Friday carving through a track full of cars.

He'll have to do the same thing when it counts on Sunday.

The two-time defending Indy 500 winner, who will start in the last row as punishment for an illegally modified part found during qualifying, had the fastest lap of the 2-hour final practice on Carb Day at 225.687 mph. Teammate Will Power, who will also start at the back, was fifth while fellow Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin was just 27th on the chart.

“We have the tools and the people to battle to the front,” Newgarden said, “which is what we plan to do.”

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Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Josef Newgarden drives into the first turn during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% penalties on smart phones as his trade war intensifies

Josh Boak, The Associated Press 8 minute read Preview

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% penalties on smart phones as his trade war intensifies

Josh Boak, The Associated Press 8 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 50% tax on all imports from the European Union as well a 25% tariff on smartphones unless those products are made in America.

The threats, delivered over social media, reflect Trump's ability to disrupt the global economy with a burst of typing, as well as the reality that his tariffs have yet to produce the trade deals he is seeking or the return of domestic manufacturing he has promised voters.

The Republican president said he wants to charge higher import taxes on goods from the EU, a longstanding US ally, than from China, a geopolitical rival that had its tariffs cut to 30% this month so Washington and Beijing could hold negotiations. Trump was upset by the lack of progress in trade talks with the EU, which has proposed mutually cutting tariffs to zero even as the president has publicly insisted on preserving a baseline 10% tax on most imports.

“Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States.”

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

President Donald Trump attends a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Demonstrators demand overpass at dangerous Carberry intersection

Alex Lambert 5 minute read Preview

Demonstrators demand overpass at dangerous Carberry intersection

Alex Lambert 5 minute read Friday, May. 23, 2025

CARBERRY — More than 150 people stood near the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 to denounce the preferred option for a redesign of the intersection in response to a collision two years ago that killed 17 people.

They carried signs that read “safety not shortcuts,” and “how many more accidents before they listen.” The group opposes a U-turn option, which is called an RCUT.

Jordan Dickson, 31, one of the organizers, said the RCUT model isn’t safe for the farmers and truckers who live in the area.

“There’s hundreds, if not thousands of trucks … plus all the other everyday passenger traffic coming through here,” she said.

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Friday, May. 23, 2025

More than 150 people gathered to protest proposed changes for the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5, where 17 people died in a crash in June 2023.

Forgotten Flavours Artisan Bakery fills Pennyloaf void on Corydon

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview

Forgotten Flavours Artisan Bakery fills Pennyloaf void on Corydon

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

After nearly a year, the smell of fresh bread will once again fill a Corydon Avenue bakery.

The sign out front no longer reads “Pennyloaf Bakery,” and the staff inside are no longer employed by former clothing mogul and entrepreneur Pepper Foster.

Instead, an emblem for Forgotten Flavours Artisan Bakery faces passersby. Owners Chris and Maria Holbrow busy themselves inside 858 Corydon Ave., preparing for the Winnipeg shop’s first day open Tuesday.

“We’re trying to complement the space and ensure that we can fill a void that was very sad to see go,” Chris Holbrow said. “We have a great product to offer.”

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Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

Woody’s Barbershop opens doors, fulfils personal dream

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Preview

Woody’s Barbershop opens doors, fulfils personal dream

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Wednesday, Sep. 4, 2024

For his birthday this year, Adam Woodbury treated himself to a business.

On June 30, the Red Seal hairstylist celebrated turning 32. The next day, he got the keys to 558 Academy Rd.; after almost two months of renovations, he opened Woody’s Barbershop late last month.

“I’m so happy,” Woodbury said Tuesday during some downtime between clients. “My life has changed forever and it’s going to be so exciting.”

A barber’s pole spins in the front window of the 850-square-foot shop, located near Lanark Street.

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Wednesday, Sep. 4, 2024

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Adam Woodbury, who formerly rented a chair at Waltz On In, has started a place of his own. ‘My life has changed forever and it’s going to be so exciting,’ he says of the new venture.

Four-week program injects staff into city’s home-care ranks

Tyler Searle 4 minute read Preview

Four-week program injects staff into city’s home-care ranks

Tyler Searle 4 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 25, 2024

Efforts to bolster the roster of professionals who work in the city’s home-care sector are paying off as the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority celebrates the addition of hundreds of new employees.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said Monday that 256 health-care aides have been hired by WRHA since February, when the city had a 24 per cent vacancy rate among home care workers.

“Home care is about providing dignified, compassionate services to the folks who need it most,” Asagwara said in a news release.

“The WRHA has put in a huge effort to recruit home-care workers and it’s paying off. It’s all good news: fewer vacancies, more visits and less frustrating cancellations for people.”

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Tuesday, Jun. 25, 2024

Spending on private health-care aides skyrockets

Carol Sanders 4 minute read Preview

Spending on private health-care aides skyrockets

Carol Sanders 4 minute read Monday, May. 27, 2024

While the province tries to rein in the soaring costs of private agency nurses, spending on private health-care aides has also skyrocketed.

Freedom of information requests show spending on private agency health-care aides is way up in at least two Manitoba health regions.

The Interlake-Eastern Health region spent $8.7 million on private health-care aides in 2023-24, more than double the $3.4 million spent in 2021-22. The Prairie Mountain Health region spent almost $14.8 million for the first nine months of the 2022-23 fiscal year, nearly triple the $4.8 million spent in 2021-22.

Nearly half of what the Prairie Mountain region spent on agencies went toward travel costs, said Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union that filed the freedom of information requests.

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Monday, May. 27, 2024

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
“Here we are again with the same offer for another group of MGEU members,” union president Kyle Ross said in a news release.

Manitoba auto repair shops in high gear amid lengthy MPI strike

Tyler Searle 4 minute read Preview

Manitoba auto repair shops in high gear amid lengthy MPI strike

Tyler Searle 4 minute read Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023

Despite bumps in the road, Manitoba auto repair shops are chugging along as strike action at Manitoba Public Insurance drags into its seventh week.

“There are some delays, but we are hoping the (MPI) people can get back to work. We miss them. We miss the adjusters, but there is not much we can do about it,” said John Vernaus, owner of Vernaus Autobody in Winnipeg.

“Can you ask for more when (MPI is) operating with maybe one-10th of the staff?”

Around 1,700 walked off the job Aug. 28, after the Manitoba Government General Employees’ Union and the Crown auto insurer failed to reach a contract agreement. Many services have been halted, delayed or limited in the weeks since, as MPI works to maintain operations with reduced staff.

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Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
Johnny Vernaus, president of Vernaus Auto Body, with technician Roy Samlal, says minor claims are processing quickly, but vehicles with extensive damage are taking longer to be assessed.

Flour & Flower plants roots with Waterloo Street location as demand for unique cakes, cookies decorated with edible flowers grows

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Preview

Flour & Flower plants roots with Waterloo Street location as demand for unique cakes, cookies decorated with edible flowers grows

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Saturday, Sep. 30, 2023

Rachel Nedelec’s baking has reached the Grammys and Australia, an international fashion house and at least one yoga studio.

Next week, Flour & Flower will have a permanent home — its first brick-and-mortar bakery.

“I said, ‘I want it, I need it, this is my space,’” Nedelec recounted, laughing.

She and her real estate agent had heard the spot at 530 Waterloo St. was coming available. It was déjà vu: Nedelec first toured the site in early 2020, when her business was not yet half a year old.

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Saturday, Sep. 30, 2023

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Rachel Nedelec, owner of Flour & Flower bakery, is opening her first storefront location on Waterloo Street next week. The company’s creations were included in Grammy Awards gift bags this year.

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

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Former mechanic gives a face to Rainbow Stage's Beast

Randall King 5 minute read Preview

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Former mechanic gives a face to Rainbow Stage's Beast

Randall King 5 minute read Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025

It’s not exactly a tale as old as time.

About 20 years ago, Christian Hadley was an auto mechanic dissatisfied with the grind of machining auto parts and deflated at the prospect of repairing another tire.

He needed a change, and not the kind involving 5W30 motor oil.

His career pivot was, quite literally, dramatic. At the age of 25, he went to the University of Winnipeg to study theatre arts. He emerged with skills in both set-building and makeup design. And he brings those skills to fruition in the Rainbow Stage production of Beauty and the Beast.

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Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025

November 28, 2025