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One last flyover for aviation workhorse

4 minute read Preview

One last flyover for aviation workhorse

4 minute read Yesterday at 11:57 PM CDT

Hockey fans at the NHL’s outdoor Heritage Classic last weekend were no doubt thrilled by the sight and sound of two CF-18 Hornet fighter jets conducting a flyover at Princess Auto Stadium shortly before the puck was dropped for the much-anticipated Winnipeg Jets/Montreal Canadiens matchup in our province’s capital.

Flyovers such as these always create a spectacular scene, as the speed and power of the jets are on full display for the brief moments they’re in view above the stadium bowl.

But fans who maintained their skyward gaze for a few seconds after the Hornets’ blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance were treated to a much more poignant aeronautical exhibition, as a CC-130H Hercules aircraft passed over the stadium in the fighter jets’ wake.

Compared to the supersonic CF-18s, the massive, propeller-driven transport plane probably seemed to be doing more of a “crawl-over.” What most folks at the outdoor game probably didn’t realize, however, was that this was almost certainly the last time they’ll see one of these ubiquitous Canadian Forces aircraft in the sky.

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Yesterday at 11:57 PM CDT

Premier Wab Kinew poses for a photo with a clock in his hands at the Legislative Building in September after declaring Manitoba will permanently adopt daylight saving time. (Ruth Bonneville/Winnipeg Free Press)

Is Canada headed for time chaos this weekend?

Michelle Bastian 5 minute read Preview

Is Canada headed for time chaos this weekend?

Michelle Bastian 5 minute read Yesterday at 11:53 PM CDT

When Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew declared Sept. 17 that the province would remain on permanent daylight time, he suggested it was a historical moment people would share with their “great-great-grandkids.” But, while Sunday, Nov. 1 has been heralded as the date many Canadians will stop changing their clocks, there are rumblings behind the scenes that suggest this will actually cause more trouble than ever before.

There are, of course, the warnings from chrono-biologists and sleep scientists about the damage permanent daylight time will do. The lighter evenings will mean many more dark mornings. But there is another set of problems in the offing in the critical infrastructure that underpins our digital lives.

While it used to be common to spend the Sunday morning after a time change going around our homes updating the clocks, we now wake up to devices that have already adjusted to the new time. These automatic updates occur regularly for daylight time and when we travel to new time zones.

Our clocks are able to change by themselves owing to the hard work of a group of volunteers who were recently named in a list of the people who hold up the internet. This group, led by Paul Eggert, a computer scientist at UCLA, maintains a little-known tool called the Time Zone Database.

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Yesterday at 11:53 PM CDT

Opinion

Premier Wab Kinew is shown with a clock in his hands at the Legislative Building in September as the province announced it will permanently remain in Daylight Savings Time. (Ruth Bonneville/Winnipeg Free Press files)

How permanent daylight time could affect Canadian schools

Michael Antle and Amanda L. Sullivan 6 minute read Preview

How permanent daylight time could affect Canadian schools

Michael Antle and Amanda L. Sullivan 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:43 AM CDT

Sleep is fundamental to well-being. Decisions to end bi-annual clock changes and remain on permanent daylight saving time (DST) in British Columbia, the North West Territories, Alberta, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario have consequences for many Canadians due to potential sleep disruption.

The health risks of transitioning to DST, including increased heart attacks and fatal car accidents, have led most sleep and chronobiology experts to advocate for ending seasonal clock changes in favour of permanent standard time.

Governments justify opting for DST to provide later daylight for a range of reasons, including facilitating evening activites, alignment with other areas and promoting health.

While permanent DST provides more daylight in the evening hours — something sometimes appealing for those with flexible schedules and access to outdoor spaces — it comes at the cost of later sunrises.

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Updated: Yesterday at 9:43 AM CDT

Opinion

Dr. Jose Francois has announced his resignation as Shared Health’s provincial chief medical officer. The high turnover and vacancies in key health positions in the province are a bad sign. (Submitted)

Shared Health needs some serious healing

4 minute read Preview

Shared Health needs some serious healing

4 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Doctors are trained to seek out the causes of illness, not just to treat the symptoms.

That is, perhaps, a style of examination that the government of Premier Wab Kinew should follow with the health-care system as a whole. Because the symptoms look a little dire.

Last week, provincial chief medical officer Dr. José François announced he will leave his position in January 2027. That means he will leave a position he has only held since April 2024 — less than three years.

His departing email certainly raised more questions than it answered. While he wrote that he enjoyed working with Shared Health’s dedicated professionals, “the demands of the role, coupled with the challenges of the work environment, have led me to reflect on my professional priorities and seek opportunities that offer a renewed sense of purpose, fulfillment and enjoyment.”

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Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Opinion

A voter places their ballot in the ballot box at the polling station in the East End Community Centre in Brandon during the 2022 municipal election. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)

Candidates giving voters good reason to turn out

4 minute read Preview

Candidates giving voters good reason to turn out

4 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Democracy works best when voters have real choices, and this year, Brandonites have been given exactly that.

As early voting figures smash previous records — with 2,386 ballots cast in just three days of advance polling compared to a mere 376 four years ago — it’s rather clear that our community is more deeply engaged.

While political analysts debate whether this historic turnout is driven by shifting voter habits, a competitive mayoral race or the fact that nine out of 10 city wards are actively contested, the reality is this: none of it would be possible without the individuals who stepped forward to run.

Stepping into the political arena is no small task. It requires an immense sacrifice of personal time, energy and privacy. For the past several weeks, more than two dozen council candidates and our two mayoral hopefuls have spent their evenings and weekends pounding the pavement, knocking on doors and listening to the concerns of Brandonites in every corner of the city.

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Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Opinion

Janet Leigh is shown in a scene from 1960's

From scream to all‑powerful cry

James Deaville and Sara Beth Lyons 6 minute read Preview

From scream to all‑powerful cry

James Deaville and Sara Beth Lyons 6 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026

As Halloween approaches and screen audiences are saturated with the sights and sounds of screaming women in horror films and TV shows, it’s a great time to look at the women whose vocal artistry created genuinely effective screams on screen.

Behind every memorable cinematic scream lies a vocal performance that is often reduced to a natural, unreflective outburst. But that assessment obscures the women behind its most powerful manifestations. For example, think of the work of Shelley Duvall in “The Shining,” Janet Leigh in “Psycho” or Toni Collette in “Hereditary.”

Certain screen actors have made the scream their calling card to fame and notoriety, under the designation “scream queen.” These queens are the unsung heroes of the horror industry through their dedication to the vocal performance of the fear and terror in the many guises of horror.

Long live the (scream) queen

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Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026

Opinion

Education Minister Tracy Schmidt’s directive draws a sensible line between legitimate educational communication and private interactions that can create unacceptable risks. (Mike Deal/Winnipeg Free Press files)

Provincial directive sets appropriate boundaries

4 minute read Preview

Provincial directive sets appropriate boundaries

4 minute read Monday, Oct. 26, 2026

Most Manitoba teachers are responsible, caring professionals who work hard to support their students and would never dream of abusing their positions of trust by sending inappropriate private messages to students.

They understand the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and putting students’ safety first.

But there are some who have crossed that line, with troubling consequences. That is why the provincial government’s decision last week to prohibit teachers and other school staff from texting or using social media to contact students is an important and necessary step to protect children.

The new rules, announced Friday by Education Minister Tracy Schmidt, prohibit school employees from initiating remote communications with students or responding to messages through unauthorized platforms. That includes texting, personal social media accounts and private messaging applications, regardless of whether a teacher is contacting a student during school hours or while coaching a sports team or supervising extracurricular activities.

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Monday, Oct. 26, 2026

Opinion

Candidates in Ward 2 and Ward 5 take part in a Brandon city council debate at Brandon University's Lorne Watson Recital Hall on Oct. 14. Brandon University professor Jennifer Mateer writes that we shouldn't restrict local candidates from using artificial intelligence, but adds that

Is AI changing local democracy? We should probably talk about it.

Jennifer Mateer 4 minute read Preview

Is AI changing local democracy? We should probably talk about it.

Jennifer Mateer 4 minute read Monday, Oct. 26, 2026

With Brandon’s municipal election just one day away, campaign signs have appeared on lawns and fences over the last several weeks, political advertisements have filled our social media feeds, and candidates have been knocking on doors.

This is all pretty standard.

Still, the look and feel of this election seems different to me. Some of the posters, social media posts and even replies to voters appear to have been made, at least in part, using generative artificial intelligence (AI). More than one sign I’ve driven past has that glossy, uncanny finish image generators turn out. How are we as a community feeling about that?

There is a fair case for using AI in local politics. Running for city council or school board trustee costs money, and most candidates can’t hire a graphic designer or a communications consultant. If AI lets someone on a shoestring budget put out a poster that holds its own next to one from a better-funded opponent, I can see the appeal.

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Monday, Oct. 26, 2026

Opinion

Karen Velthuys writes that when it comes to education, it’s time to ask whether the system is falling short of the student rather than whether the student is falling short of the system. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

Is the student or the system falling short?

Karen Velthuys 5 minute read Preview

Is the student or the system falling short?

Karen Velthuys 5 minute read Monday, Oct. 26, 2026

One night at bedtime, a 10-year-old looked at her mother with tears in her eyes and said, “Mom, I think I’m stupid.”

Her friends could read. She couldn’t. The teacher kept moving on. And she’d quietly worked out that the problem must be her.

She’s not the only one. Roughly half of Manitoba students aren’t meeting grade-level reading expectations on provincial assessments. As schools begin screening young readers from kindergarten to Grade 4 this fall, it’s the right moment to ask why.

Every education system answers a basic question: who is this built for? We expect children to read by about the end of Grade 3, to sit and focus for long stretches, and to show what they know in one narrow way — written down, on time, in the format we hand them. A student who does those things is called “a good student.”

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Monday, Oct. 26, 2026

October 30, 2026

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