Alberta premier wants direct compensation from U.S. if Keystone XL pipeline dead

CBC series digs into Cold War hockey showdown

Fifty years ago today, Winnipeg played a part in one of Canada’s greatest cultural touchstones.

Manitobans largely heeding calls to stay home, but some continue to flout rules, data shows

The data is clear: Manitobans, for the most part, have got the message and are staying at home.

But there are outliers ignoring public-health directives, increasing the risk of community spread of COVID-19, which has eclipsed 100,000 deaths worldwide.

Data from Toronto-based Environics Analytics shows Manitoba has done well when it comes to sheltering at home as the pandemic deepens.

Environics Analytics senior vice-president Rupen Seoni said the company used cellphone location data from apps to track weekend movements throughout the country from Feb. 1 to April 5.

Snowbird detour

Canadian snowbirds rethinking their usual winter destinations in the United States in light of the trade war launched by the Trump administration may want to consider looking a bit further south, to Mexico.

Long stays in the U.S. can take many forms and so can extended stays in Mexico. Beach-access options exist all along Mexico’s east and west coasts. There are houses and condominiums in towns and cities from Cancún to Tulum and from Cabo to Escondido available for purchase or rent. Just as in the U.S., the nearer you are to the beach, the more you will pay.

Not all Canadian snowbirds winter in beach communities in the U.S. and not all great long-stay options in Mexico are in coastal communities. I’d like to tell you about some of my favourite non-beach locales in the Latin American nation. You can easily explore these spots through popular apps and services like Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia, or search for locally based real-estate accommodation services.

But first, an answer to a question I often hear from people who have not been to the country: Is Mexico safe? People regularly hear stories of Mexican drug cartels and their turf wars and killings. These things do happen, but as a Mexican acquaintance once told me, “If you don’t buy drugs, don’t sell drugs and don’t do drugs, you have nothing to worry about.”

Jets vets weigh in on franchise goalie Hellebuyck not reporting to training camp

Hockey is the ultimate team sport, where it’s supposed to be about the crest on your chest rather than the name on your back.

So how is Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request and subsequent training camp strike playing out inside the Winnipeg Jets locker room — particularly among other core players he’s gone to battle with over the years?

“Obviously the news is heartbreaking,” Jets forward Kyle Connor said Thursday.

“It feels like we had such a special group here and for whatever reason — I can’t speak to the reason until we hear from the man, I’m not going to speculate on what it is but I know that a lot of guys in that room that are heartbroken.”

Gerdau recycling workers on strike

Workers behind recycling operations for Selkirk’s steel mill walked off the job last week, calling for higher wages.

Unionized members voted to strike July 23, with a 92 per cent mandate. Months of bargaining hasn’t produced a new deal, said United Steelworkers Local 8740. The union represents 78 members striking at Gerdau AmeriSteel Manitoba Metals recycling plant.

“We’re not being recognized for the amount of work we’ve been doing,” Andrew Sealey, acting president of the local, said Thursday. “The mill is a sensational beast … We’ve got to feed her all the time, and she’s always hungry.”

The scrap metal inspected and unloaded at the recycling facility is used in steel mill operations.