A little compromise could go swimmingly

Beyond Bond, Connery characters funny, fierce

When I was a kid, many of my peers collected sports cards. I collected movie cards, starting with the 1965 run of James Bond 007 cards put out by the good folks at Fleer.

At that point, only three Bond movies existed: Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964). (Thunderball would be released later in 1965.) The cards were basically productions stills of Sean Connery’s Bond in action, with appropriate captions: “Hunted by a Helicopter” as seen in From Russia With Love, or “The Incredible Laser Ray” or “Oddjob’s Deadly Derby” from Goldfinger.

So the news of Sean Connery’s death over the weekend had a kind of visceral effect, as it would on those of us who valued movie heroes over champions of the gridiron or baseball diamond. Connery, who lived to the ripe age of 90, presented a different kind of hero than the TV do-gooders of the era, a fact announced in an early scene from Dr. No when Bond cold-bloodedly kills a would-be assassin after he’s emptied his own pistol. “That’s a Smith & Wesson, and you’ve had your six.”

Connery played Bond a total of seven times, and while he was undoubtedly the best of the Bonds, only a few of the movies hold up. Connery is certainly phoning it in in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), for example, letting his character devolve into self-parody. But his quest to escape the Bond brand resulted in a few interesting roles, including The Anderson Tapes (1971), in which he played a career criminal with a conscience (sans toupée), or Zardoz (1974), a delirious post-apocalyptic fantasy in which his primitive warrior goes up against a race of immortal intellectuals.

Pimicikamak lockdown lifted after fatal shooting

Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said an arrest has been made and the community-wide lockdown has now been lifted after a shooting Friday that left one person dead.

RCMP were called by local First Nations Safety Officers about a seriously injured person at around 9:30 p.m. Friday on Main Road in Pimicikamak Cree Nation. Officers found two men at the scene. A 42-year-old man with a gunshot wound died at the scene. The other person was not injured.

The community went into immediate lockdown as the RCMP sought the suspect. An advisory posted by Monias Saturday had asked residents to stay inside their homes, lock doors and windows, keep children inside and not to open their doors to anyone they did not know.

In a statement on social media Sunday afternoon, Monias said the RCMP had arrested one person.

‘Definitely a tough one’: Travel delays drag down Sea Bears in 114-90 loss to Vancouver Bandits

The Winnipeg Sea Bears will head into the playoffs on a disheartening note.

Winnipeg’s pro hoops squad had hoped to ride a wave of confidence into the Canadian Elite Basketball League post-season on the strength of locking up the top seed in the Western Conference.

Instead, the Sea Bears ended the regular season after being handed their worst defeat of the season, a 114-90 rout at the hands of the Vancouver Bandits at the Langley Events Centre in British Columbia on Sunday.

“Definitely a tough one, but we got a home game coming next week. Just get ready for that,” said Simon Hildebrandt, who was the only member of the Sea Bears available for a post-game interview.

School funding increase called skimpy in light of escalating expenses

Annual operational funding for public school divisions that are strapped for cash, owing to expenses related to COVID-19, staff wage settlements, and a surge in the cost of living, will not keep up with inflation in 2022-23 — for another consecutive year.

Kindergarten to Grade 12 schools will receive $120 million in provincial funding next year to undertake regular operations and address new cost pressures, Manitoba Education announced Friday.

That sum includes base funding of $20.2 million for public and independent schools, a one-time $77-million allotment to address current financial strains, and a $23.2-million grant (the equivalent of a two per cent tax hike) to make up for a mandated freeze of education property taxes, as the province works toward phasing out the tax.

Education Minister Wayne Ewasko touted the commitment as one that will both ensure divisions have the resources required so that all students can succeed, no matter where they live in the province, and reduce the tax burden on residents.

‘There’s another Kamloops coming’: Here are some Canadian sites believed to hold more unmarked graves of Indigenous children

A network of more than 130 institutions would eventually spread across the country. The last shut its doors in the mid-1990s.

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. today. After that, the moon moves from Pisces into Aries.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

The day is a mixed bag. There are still fun opportunities to play and enjoy socializing with others. However, you might be sandbagged by someone who is critical or negative. Be careful with whom you choose to associate, because they might irk you. Focus on home repairs.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)