Latest news with #Penner
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Gallery: Folk festival opening always special
The Winnipeg Folk Festival opened Thursday night to sunny skies and a flock of fans eager to snag 50th-anniversary keepsakes. A line hundreds of people deep formed in front of the merch tent shortly after the gates opened. Mementoes were the first order of business for Ally Robertson and Todd Angus. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Lineups stretch far past the entrance before the gates open at Folk Fest on Thursday. 'We came in and immediately got in line, this is not the year to miss out on something you might want,' Robertson says. The couple waited for more than an hour to get their hands on a commemorative bandana, hat, T-shirts and patches. They also made sure to buy a mug to add to their collection, which dates back to their first festival, and the beginning of their relationship, in 2008. To Robertson, the pile of green, red and gold clothing in her arms is more than just stuff. They're tangible reminders of good memories made with friends. 'It becomes part of your history,' says the perennial festival camper. 'Some day at our memorial service or whatever, half the pictures are going to be from folk fest. It's just part of us.' Nearby, Ali Cameron bounded over to her friends triumphantly. She had secured the goods: a baby blue Peach Pit shirt and an orange tee with the silhouette of a yellow cat, a holdover from Fred Penner's recent Cat Came Back tour. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The merch line at Folk Fest on Thursday. 'It's something I hold very near and dear to my heart because my mom had the cassette and she used to play it for us when we were little,' the 21-year-old says, pointing to her sister Katie Fleming. Penner's main stage set could be heard wafting over the trees and the group had just wrapped up an animated singalong to Sandwiches. 'I'm so glad they put him on the main stage,' Fleming says. 'He deserves it, he's a legend,' adds friend Aaron Feuer. The Winnipeg-born musician and beloved children's entertainer has appeared at the festival on nine separate occasions between 1978 and 2011, but never on the main stage. Judging by the reaction from fans, it was about time. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Ali Cameron shows off her classic Fred Penner t-shirt at Folk Fest on Thursday. Cheers of 'We love you Fred' could be heard during his performance, which opened with a cover of (Ghost) Riders in the Sky and featured an array of originals from his wide, feel-good catalogue, including, of course, The Cat Came Back. Penner's knack for audience engagement shone as listeners young, old and in-between sang and clapped along to his cues. The show was a star-studded, family affair with backing vocals from two of Penner's four children, Hayley and Kendra. Al Simmons and Allison Russell joined in for the finale, a cover of The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell — a moment Russell later described as a 'surreal childhood dream.' The weather was hot and muggy as Thursday's event opened with a blessing from Grandmother Chickadee Richard and a sweet performance by young singers from Winnipeg's Ojibwe bilingual program, Giinawind Riverbend Community School Abinoojiiyag Nagamog. Russell returned to the stage after a tweener performance by Manitoba two-piece Slow Spirit. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Ally Robertson and Todd Angus with their newly-bought merch at Folk Fest on Thursday. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. The Montreal-born, Grammy-winning artist, whose solo career has skyrocketed in recent years, oscillated between the clarinet, banjo and her powerful vocals. Supported by an excellent all-female band, Russell had the crowd on its feet swaying along to hits from her latest albums, Outside Child and The Returner, as well as a potent performance of Superlover — a 2025 collaboration with Annie Lennox that calls for love in the face of ongoing international crises. At press time, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit had taken the stage for their first festival performance in a decade, opening with Crimson and Clay off the Alabama artist's 2025 release, Foxes in the Snow. Clouds rolled in for the final performance of the first night of the festival, which wraps Sunday and is set to include several special golden anniversary events. Visit for tickets and a full lineup. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Indigenous children's choir Giinawind Riverbend Community School Abinoojiiyag Nagamog sings for the opening blessing at Folk Fest on Thursday. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The crowd listens to Allison Russell on the main stage as the sun sets at Folk Fest on Thursday. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Allison Russell on the main stage at Folk Fest on Thursday. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Five-year-old Mariel Ladouceur, (left) and Lauriane Bellefeuille, age four, listen to the music at Folk Fest on Thursday. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS After nine appearances at previous folk fests, Fred Penner finally got his moment on the main stage Thursday. Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. 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The Hill
10-07-2025
- General
- The Hill
2 student pilots killed in midair collision in Canada
Two student pilots died on Tuesday morning when their single-engine planes crashed in midair south of Steinbach, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Adam Penner, president of Harv's Air pilot training school, said the two were practicing takeoffs and landings in small Cessna planes. He said they appeared to have tried to land at the same time and collided a few hundred yards away from the small runway. Penner added that the planes are equipped with radios, but it appears the two pilots didn't see each other. Police are releasing few details but said the pilots were pronounced dead at the scene and that there were no passengers. Royal Canadian Mounted Police could not confirm the identities of the victims during an afternoon news conference. 'I don't have that information,' said Manitoba RCMP Cpl. Melanie Roussel. 'There's really limited information right now.' Penner said the flight school, which his parents started in the early 1970s, has students from Canada and around the world training for professional and recreational purposes. The school trains about 400 student pilots a year. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been notified. Steinbach is about 42 miles south of Winnipeg, the provincial capital.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Two planes crash mid-air in Canada, Indian pilot killed
A 23-year-old trainee pilot from Kerala was among two people killed in a mid-air collision involving two single-engine aircraft near Steinbach in Manitoba, Canada, officials Penner, president of Harv's Air pilot training school, told CBS News that the two were practising takeoffs and landings in small Cessna planes. He said they appeared to have tried to land at the same time and collided a few hundred yards away from the small said the planes are equipped with radios, but it appears the two pilots didn't see each deceased, Sreehari Sukesh , hailed from Kochi, and his body was recovered from the wreckage following Tuesday's crash. The Consulate General of India in Toronto expressed "deep sorrow" over the tragic loss in a social media statement."With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Mr Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot, who lost his life in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Manitoba. We extend our deepest condolences to his family. The consulate is in contact with the bereaved family, the pilot training school and local police to provide all necessary assistance," the post consulate added that it is in contact with the bereaved family, the pilot training school, and local police to provide all necessary assistance.(With TOI inputs)
NDTV
10-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
Indian-Origin Student Pilot Killed In Mid-Air Crash In Canada
Ottawa: An Indian origin student pilot was among the two people who were killed in a tragic midair collision involving two training aircraft in Canada on Tuesday, the Indian Consulate General of India in Toronto said on Wednesday. The crash occurred on Tuesday morning, about 400 metres from a runway used by Harv's Air pilot school near Steinbach South Airport in Canada's southern Manitoba. The dead pilots were identified as a 21-year-old Sreehari Sukesh, a resident of Kerala and his classmate Savanna May Royes, a 20-year-old Canadian citizen. "With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Mr. Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot, who lost his life in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Manitoba. We extend our deepest condolences to his family. The Consulate is in contact with the bereaved family, the pilot training school and local police to provide all necessary assistance," the Consulate General said in a post on X. With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Mr. Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot, who lost his life in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Manitoba. We extend our deepest condolences to his family. The Consulate is in contact with the bereaved family, the… — IndiainToronto (@IndiainToronto) July 9, 2025 Sreehari had already obtained his private pilot's licence and was pursuing his commercial pilot certification, according to local media reports. Two student pilots were practising takeoffs and landings in small Cessna single-engine planes at the time of the incidents, according to Adam Penner, president of Harv's Air pilot training school. According to Penner, both pilots appeared to have tried to land at the same time and collided a few hundred yards away from the small runway. Their planes were equipped with radios, but it appears that neither pilot saw the other coming, according to a report by the New York Post. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) pronounced both pilots dead at the scene and stated that there were no passengers. Harv's Air pilot training school, which was started by Penner's parents in the early 1970s, trains about 400 student pilots a year and has students from around the world-- training for professional and recreational purposes.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- 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.
