Latest news with #Manitoba-based
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Two planes crash mid-air near Winnipeg killing student pilots in rare training tragedy
Two student pilots were killed after their planes collided mid-air near the Steinbach South Airport , about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Winnipeg. The crash occurred at approximately 8:45 am in the rural municipality of Hanover. Both pilots, a man and a woman, were flying single-engine aircraft when their planes collided during a training exercise , according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Neither had passengers on board. RCMP said both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not been released, and authorities are working to notify their families. The aircraft involved were a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172 , both operated by Harv's Air, a Manitoba-based flight training school with locations in Steinbach and St. Andrews. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Indonesia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo Adam Penner, president of Harv's Air, confirmed the victims were students at the school. The woman was training for her private pilot license, and the man already held one and was preparing for commercial certification. Both were flying solo at the time as part of routine takeoff and landing practice. 'I'm devastated,' Penner said. 'But I'm not sure I can say anything more than that until their families have been notified.' Live Events The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has deployed a team of investigators to determine the cause of the crash. The agency, which investigates air and other transportation incidents in Canada, will analyze flight data and communication logs as part of the probe. 'This is still evolving,' RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Melanie Roussel said at a press conference. 'It's a two-plane collision, which is not something that happens every day.' Witnesses near the site reported hearing a loud bang followed by a plume of black smoke. Flight operations at Harv's Air have been temporarily suspended, and counsellors have been brought in for staff and students. The investigation will focus on communications, flight paths, and whether protocols were properly followed. Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland offered condolences via social media and said a minister's observer will monitor the investigation.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Merchbot enters Bombers' starting lineup
Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans can now purchase team merchandise at Princess Auto Stadium the same way they might buy a bag of chips in a workplace break room. Manitoba-based Vidir Solutions Inc. launched its merchandise vending machine at the Bombers' 2025 CFL season home opener last month. Referred to by the company as 'merchbot,' the machine allows fans to purchase hats, hoodies and T-shirts with a few taps on a touchscreen. Vidir is advertising the machine as the first of its kind to be found at a North American sporting event. It's designed to revolutionize how athletic programs manage merchandise sales. 'We wanted to create something that would cause some sizzle and some buzz,' said Mario Fontes, director of sales and marketing. 'We feel that the merchbot has some value for all kinds of sports organizations out there.' A family-owned business, Vidir makes an assortment of specialized automated material handling units. The business is headquartered about 100 kilometres north of Winnipeg in Arborg, with an additional manufacturing facility in Teulon. Vidir's vertical storage solutions are used by some of the biggest retailers in the world, including Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes. According to the company, the merchandise vending machine product improves a sports team's operations by automating the merchandise sales process in a compact space, improving the speed of service while maximizing on-hand inventory quantities. The challenge with the Bomber Store at Princess Auto Stadium, Fontes said, is it gets busy and the lines at the tills can get long. There's a potential for lost sales if people lose patience and leave the store before making their purchase. 'This (merchandise vending machine) allows teams to have multiple facilities in the building where people can pick up their hat or jersey away from the store,' Fontes said. The Bombers' machine is 2.1 metres tall, 1.5 m wide and 1.5 m deep, but Fontes said the company can manufacture merchandise vending machines more than three times that size. He added that Micro Center, a computer retail chain in the United States, is already using Vidir-created machines at six of its stores that are similar to the merchandise vending machine. The Micro Center machines are 7.3 m tall, 4.8 m wide and 1.8 m deep, and are self-serve kiosks where people can purchase different colours and gauges of 3D printing filaments. Vidir employees build the software that runs these machines. The software allows customers to track their inventory with ease. 'It's not just a hardware solution — it's a software solution as well,' Fontes said. He calls the Bombers' machine a test unit and envisions Vidir building six- and 7.5-metre-tall versions for sports teams. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'We're very happy about the product,' said Fontes, who declined to share how much such a machine might retail for. The merchandise vending machine has worked out well for the Blue Bombers, said Wade Miller, team president and CEO. 'For them to create something that helps us save space in our stadium and allows for vertical storage … it's fantastic,' Miller said. 'It allows us to carry more product than we usually would in that area (of the stadium). As our fans get used to it, we look forward to growing it.' Vidir Solutions was founded in 1986 by Willie Dueck, a farmer and entrepreneur. The company has more than 250 employees in Canada and around 20 in the U.S. It provides products to 45 countries. Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Digital agriculture languishing in Canadian fields
Opinion Frustration oozes out of the opening lines of a report highlighting the current state of adoption for digital agriculture in Canada. 'Digital agriculture offers powerful tools to address Canada's pressing agricultural challenges, but the current approach isn't delivering results,' says the analysis compiled by Manitoba-based EMILI and the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. 'Despite the potential to increase yields by 20 per cent, while reducing environmental impact, Canada captures just three per cent of global agtech venture capital investment compared to 55 per cent in the United States.' SUPPLIED A drone-mapping tech demonstration takes place at Innovation Farms, the Manitoba field space EMILI uses for testing new ag technology. If the trend continues, the report forecasts fewer Canadian agtech companies and fewer innovations to support Canadian farmers, which places the sector at a competitive disadvantage relative to more 'digitally advanced nations.' EMILI (Enterprise Machine Intelligence Learning Initiative), an industry-led body that works with farmers, industry, investors and innovators to promote the development of digital tools for agriculture. So from its perspective, any pace of adoption is too slow. But if you overlay the issues holding it back and the future challenges Canadian agriculture faces in productivity, competitiveness, profitability, generational transfer, labour and sustainability — to name a few — it's hard to argue with the report's conclusion. In short, while farmers have widely embraced technology such as GPS guidance systems, which have shown to reduce fuel costs by as much as 15 per cent and increased yields by upwards of 10 per cent, they have been slow to fully embrace this expanding suite of technologies. It's not because they are stodgy old stick-in-the-muds like they are sometimes portrayed, but because the results so far can't consistently align with the promises. That hesitancy in turn puts a chill on investment as startups working in the innovation space struggle to scale up to commercial release and enter a marketplace where uptake is anything but certain. Just as with the adoption of no-till farming two generations ago, farmers moving into this space aren't just buying different field equipment, they must change how they think about farming to achieve the benefits. It's how they apply what is described as the 'broad ecosystem' of software, robotics and AI-driven insights to their on-farm management that unlocks the potential. 'These tools don't just boost yields. They save time, reduce stress and strengthen farmers' control over their operations. Recognizing this full scope is key to unlocking its full potential across all farm types,' the report says. However, on the farm, potential doesn't pay the bills. If it doesn't rain or it's too cold, hot or wet, the return on investment on a new technology evaporates, even if it works as promised, which isn't always the case. Plus, there are significant barriers to adoption, not the least of which is poor connectivity. More than one-fifth of rural Canadians still lack access to high-speed internet and 90 per cent of Canada's farmers live in underserved areas. Data ownership and control are another problem. Farmers are repeatedly assured they retain ownership of their data, but control over how it is used is a grey area underscored by lengthy consent forms that seemingly require a legal degree to decipher. Farmers are careful about how much intel about their operations they share, as it can affect relationships with suppliers, buyers and competitors. Information is power. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. Another issue is interoperability; the different technologies and platforms in the marketplace today don't always talk to each other — making it hard for farmers to harvest the benefits of an integrated system. On top of all that, the policy approach within Canada has been fragmented and short-sighted. 'Canada's mix of federal and provincial programs is not sufficient to drive a digital revolution in Canadian agriculture,' the report says. It calls for digital agriculture to become the focus of Canada's next five-year plan for agriculture when it is negotiated by federal, provincial and territorial ministers. That plan must include an enabling regulatory environment, investment in programs and partnerships, as well as extension support for farmers. Or Canada will fall even further behind. Laura Rance is executive editor, production content lead for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@ Laura RanceColumnist Laura Rance is editorial director at Farm Business Communications. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Vancouver Sun
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Canadian Armed Forces deployed to assist northwestern Ontario wildfire evacuations
The federal government is deploying members of the Canadian Armed Forces to help evacuate a northwestern Ontario First Nation as wildfires rapidly spread in the region, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday. Carney said in a social media post that Ottawa has accepted Ontario's urgent request for assistance in and around Sandy Lake First Nation, and the military will help with emergency airlift evacuations. 'We're prepared to mobilize every resource needed to keep Canadians safe,' Carney wrote. In response to rapidly spreading wildfires in northwestern Ontario, the federal government has accepted a Request for Federal Assistance from the province. We've deployed Canadian Armed Forces aircraft and personnel to support emergency airlift evacuations… As of Sunday, the Ontario government said the Red Lake 12 wildfire, near Deer Lake First Nation, is out of control and more than 1,500 square kilometres in size. The fire is about six kilometres from the community of Sandy Lake First Nation, it said. 'Overnight growth was minimal, but the fire has been exhibiting high intensity activity this morning,' the Ministry of Natural Resources said. Helicopters and fire ranger crews are continuing to suppress the fires and are focusing on structure protection, the ministry said, adding that minimal rain is forecasted in the next 24 hours. The ministry said Sandy Lake First Nation is conducting a phase one evacuation of residents by air, and boats will be available if needed. The province said Deer Lake First Nation remains evacuated and is being protected by fire rangers. Aerial suppression activities will continue as smoke conditions allow, with helicopters and 11 FireRanger crews continuing suppression operations and focusing on structure protection. Minimal rain is forecasted over the next 24 hours. It said the province's northwest region had 26 active fires as of Saturday night, seven of which were out of control. Videos and photos on social media showed one fire approaching a construction site near Sandy Lake First Nation on Saturday, with multiple cargo containers catching on fire and crews reportedly escaping the blaze by sheltering in one of them. Manitoba-based construction company Sigfusson Northern confirmed their crew was safely evacuated after they were working on a job site near the First Nation. 'Our crews showed an extreme level of professionalism and courage in the face of a rapidly changing situation,' the company said in a social media post. Other provinces, including Manitoba and Saskatchewan, are also undergoing evacuation efforts in some areas due to wildfires. The wildfires have prompted air quality alerts in Ontario. Environment Canada warned that smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility in areas including Sioux Lookout, Summer Beaver and Ear Falls. The weather agency added that some northeastern areas, including Timmins, Kapuskasing and Attawapiskat, are under a special air quality statement Sunday due to the smoke. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Edmonton Journal
Canadian Armed Forces deployed to assist northwestern Ontario wildfire evacuations
Article content It said the province's northwest region had 26 active fires as of Saturday night, seven of which were out of control. Videos and photos on social media showed one fire approaching a construction site near Sandy Lake First Nation on Saturday, with multiple cargo containers catching on fire and crews reportedly escaping the blaze by sheltering in one of them. Manitoba-based construction company Sigfusson Northern confirmed their crew was safely evacuated after they were working on a job site near the First Nation. 'Our crews showed an extreme level of professionalism and courage in the face of a rapidly changing situation,' the company said in a social media post. Other provinces, including Manitoba and Saskatchewan, are also undergoing evacuation efforts in some areas due to wildfires. The wildfires have prompted air quality alerts in Ontario. Environment Canada warned that smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility in areas including Sioux Lookout, Summer Beaver and Ear Falls. The weather agency added that some northeastern areas, including Timmins, Kapuskasing and Attawapiskat, are under a special air quality statement Sunday due to the smoke.
