Features
Former Winnipegger Rich Nairn living every young Canadian hockey fan’s dream
By MYRON LOVE For a Canadian kid born in Regina and raised in Winnipeg life couldn’t be better for Rich Nairn.
As the long-time executive vice president in charge of communications and broadcasting for the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, Nairn, the son of well-known former local broadcaster and personality Ernie Nairn, is living the dream – and then some.
Not only does he get to work year round in a hockey environment – but also he gets to do it in a place where he never has to pick up a snow shovel or wear a parka.
Growing up in Winnipeg, one could say that Nairn had a conventional upbringing – Ramah School and Grade 7 at the former Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate before completing high school at St. John’s-Ravenscourt. He earned a BA (Political Science) at the University of Manitoba and then an MA in Communications at the University of North Dakota.
Nairn got his start in the sports world when Sam Katz brought the young man on board as director of media relations for what was then the newly minted Winnipeg Thunder basketball team in the short-lived National Basketball League.
“The Thunder played its games in the old Winnipeg Arena,” Nairn recalls. “When the league (and the team) shut down (in 1994), a few of the local media reached out to the Winnipeg Jets’ (01 version) Vice President of Communications, Mike O’Hearn, and suggested that they hire me.”
Nairn became the Jets’ director of media relations. “I loved working for the Jets,” he says. “I had followed them for years just like so many other Winnipeggers. And, like my fellow fans, I couldn’t believe that they would actually leave the city. It was heartbreaking for all of us.”
The good news for Nairn was that the team’s new ownership wanted him to stay on in his position. “I was one of just 13 former Jets employees who were invited to accompany the team to Phoenix and help launch the franchise,” he recalls. “While I knew that I would miss my family and friends in Winnipeg, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to continue working in the NHL.
“Twenty-six years later, I have loved every minute of it.”
Now, contrary to the view that some readers may have had about the Coyotes’ struggles in building a fan base in Phoenix, Nairn reports that the first seven years in the team’s new home town was very much a love-in. “We owned the city,” he recalls. “Charles Barkley had recently moved on from the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Cardinals weren’t playing very well, and the Arizona Diamondbacks did not exist yet.
“We also had some star players such as Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk, Teppo Numminen, Rick Tocchet, Mike Gartner and Nikolai Khabibulin, and we made the playoffs the first six of seven seasons in Phoenix.
“The team began to run into attendance problems after the team owners moved the Coyotes into a new arena in Glendale, west of Phoenix,” he notes. “It became more challenging for fans to get to the new arena, which wasn’t centrally located.”
Despite the Coyotes’ struggles over the years, Nairn asserts that the sport’s popularity has increased tremendously in the region. “The number of young kids playing hockey in the Valley area continues to grow significantly,” he reports, citing Auston Matthews, NHL star and the Toronto Maple Leafs top scorer, as a prime product of the area’s hockey system.
The Coyotes themselves, despite having had little success over the years -the team is in last place in its division this season – is looking forward to a more promising future, Nairn predicts. “Our team is in the process of rebuilding,” he notes. “It’s the only way to acquire elite talent and every Stanley Cup winner has done it. Look at Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay. We have three first round draft picks and four second round picks in this July’s NHL Draft. We are expecting to see notable changes in our fortunes over the next three to four years.”
For Rich Nairn, being the Coyotes’ point man for PR and broadcasting is a year-round job – with the only real down time coming during May and June (at least for teams that don’t make the playoffs). “We have the NHL Draft in July, followed by prospect development camp, NHL free agency, the NHL schedule release and then rookie camp, veterans training camp and the regular season,” he points out. “Arizona is a very competitive sports market with the Suns, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, ASU football and basketball, NASCAR and a very successful PGA tournament. My job is to be very proactive and to try and generate as much media coverage for all aspects of our organization.”
His role also encompasses liaising with the Coyotes’ TV and radio rights holders and broadcasters, arranging and coordinating media interviews with and talking points for management, players and coaches.
During games, Nairn can be found in the press box at Gila River Arena or on the road with the team. While he doesn’t travel on as many road trips as he used to in the past, he does take advantage of the Coyotes’ road games in Winnipeg to come home to see family and friends.
Speaking of family, Rich and his wife Aimee are the parents of three children: 10-year-old Jakob and six-year-old twins Harper and Jaden, who are all involved in youth hockey and soccer. The family are also active members of the local Jewish community centre.
Nairn notes that Phoenix has a large Jewish population.
No doubt that Rich Nairn is a very fortunate man indeed.
Features
Football: Which team from Israel could we see in the European Cup next year?
With Europe’s club competitions heading into another summer of drama, Israeli football is on the table. The domestic season is done, trophies picked up and now a new batch of clubs can now try their luck against continental competition.
What are the prospects of these teams in Europe next year and who are they? It all starts with Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s title, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s cup win and the competition of the best Israel football teams against each other, as fans look to Champions League on Wincomparator to see what teams are in contention.
How Israel’s clubs qualify for Europe: The 2026-2027 spots
Qualification to join the European elite hinges on the 2025-26 Israeli Premier League table and the Israel State Cup. Israel will have one Champions League spot, one Europa League spot, and two Europa Conference League spots in 2026-27.
That means the league winner gets into the Champions League, the State Cup winner goes on to Europa League qualifying. The next eligible league’s finishers take the Conference League slots. It’s a good model as it provides a tangible reward for consistency at home, while at the same time demonstrating the importance of each playoff game. A top three finish can help a club’s summer, bring in better players and provide fans with a European tour before the next season’s start.
The Champion’s quest: Israel’s hope for the Champions League
Meet the 2025-26 Premier League winner: Hapoel Be’er Sheva
Hapoel Be’er Sheva have qualified for Israel’s Champions League after their Israeli Premier League title win with 79 points scored in 36 games. Ran Kozuch’s side closed the gap on the three-point lead but also showed significant strength in the attacking phase to secure a win in a crucial championship round with Beitar Jerusalem.
Their challenge also comes as their reward. Hapoel Be’er Sheva are only expected to begin in the second round of the Champions League, not the league round. To get to the main competition they need to pass through the first round of the other national champions in two-legged ties, and their seeding, fitness and sharpness in early-season competition could be a game breaker.
While the club has experience in Europe and a rabid Turner Stadium following, the path is tough. It takes one bad outing to wipe out a year’s worth of work. However, as long as the bedrock remains the same and they are able to put some depth into the team, the champions have the balance to fight.
Battling in the Conference League: Israel’s other European contenders
The State Cup winner and league runners-up
Maccabi Tel Aviv go to Europe after the Israel State Cup final 2-1 win against Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem. That win denied Be’er Sheva a home double, and also meant that Maccabi got into the Europa League qualifying, where they were put in the second qualifying round thanks to access-list rebalancing.
The Conference League qualifiers are Beitar Jerusalem who finished second in the league with 76 points, and Hapoel Tel Aviv who finished fourth with 60 points. The importance of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s cup victory lies in the fact that it unlocked the rest of the way in the league. Beitar’s season was particularly impressive as they scored 78 goals and lost just four matches. On the other hand, Hapoel Tel Aviv managed to remain above Maccabi Haifa in the final table standing, earning them a well-deserved European berth.
The Europa Conference League is no consolation prize for these clubs. It’s a realistic platform. Although there are still a few hurdles to navigate, Israeli sides consider this competition to be the most realistic one for European football in the autumn.
A look at past successes and future hopes
This group has reason for belief, based on recent history. Israeli teams can make significant nights in Europe, and Maccabi Haifa did just that, when they made it into the Champions League group stage in 2022-23, and then impressively took out Juventus 2-0 in Haifa.
There is significant monetary and sporting worth in qualification. A UEFA cup can make a difference to a club, as can better attendance, TV coverage and recruitment opportunities. The early storylines will be the draw for Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the Champions League, as well as Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa league and the two Conference League routes — Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv. They all have tricky paths to follow, but all four provide Israeli football with a realistic European presence next summer.
Features
At one time one entire block of McAdam Ave. was almost totally Jewish
This story originally appeared in a November 2014 issue of The Jewish Post & News:
1994 McAdam Ave. reunion (names inside story)By GERRY POSNER (This story first appeared in November 2014.)
Once upon a time when life was simpler and gentler, there was a street in the north end of Winnipeg which was like all other streets in the city except in one significant way. Everyone, but for one family, living on McAdam east of Main Street was Jewish.
Features
Cheap Weed In Canada: A Smart Shopper’s Guide
Since legalisation, cannabis has settled into Canadian life as an ordinary, regulated purchase. And like groceries or gas, the price can vary a surprising amount from one shop to the next once you start comparing.
For a lot of buyers, that has turned the focus to value. Affordable options like cheap weed prove a lower price and a tested, quality product can go together. This guide explains how to shop smart in Canada without cutting corners.
Why Has Affordable Cannabis Become So Popular?
Because the novelty has worn off, and buyers now shop like they do for anything else. In the early days, people paid whatever the new legal stores asked. That has changed.
A few things drove that shift:
- A maturing market, with more retailers competing on price.
- Online sellers, whose lower overhead keeps costs down.
- Savvier buyers, who now compare rather than grab the first option.
- A wider range of formats and budget-friendly bulk sizes.
The result is a real focus on getting value for money. Crowdsourced figures put the early average near $6.85 a gram, and cannabis price data from Statistics Canada shows how legal and illegal prices have differed since 2018.
That gap is exactly why shopping around pays off. A careful buyer can pay noticeably less than a careless one for a comparable product. The sticker price is only where the comparison starts.
How Do Canadians Shop for Cheaper Weed?
With the same care they bring to any regular expense. A handful of habits make the biggest difference. These are the ones worth adopting:
- Compare the per-gram price. It is the only fair way to weigh two options.
- Buy larger formats. Bigger quantities almost always lower the unit cost.
- Skip premium markups. Plain flower beats pricey pre-rolls for value.
- Watch for sales. Online retailers run them often, especially on holidays.
- Match potency to the plan. A stronger product means you use less each time.
None of these involve settling for a worse product. They simply put your money to better use, the same way you would stretch your money on any other purchase. The cheapest sticker is rarely the best value, and the priciest is seldom worth it.
The same logic applies whether you shop in person or online in Canada. Read the label, weigh the cost per gram, and let the numbers guide you rather than the branding.
Is There a Catch With Low-Priced Cannabis?
Not in the legal market, which is the part newcomers miss. In Canada, every legal product is tested and labelled to the same standard, whatever it costs.
That means a budget option from a licensed seller has cleared the same checks as a premium one. It is screened for contaminants, and its potency is verified. Price reflects branding, packaging, and store margins far more than basic safety.
The genuine differences are in the finer points. Premium flower might offer a better aroma or a richer flavour, and some formats simply cost more to make. For everyday use, though, a well-priced choice usually performs just fine.
The real catch is buying outside the legal system. Health Canada’s overview of the Cannabis Act is a sensible read on what legal really means. Buying legal protects you, not buying expensive.
What Makes a Cheap Purchase a Smart One?
A couple of quick checks, mostly. A real bargain holds up to a second look, while a false one does not. The table below shows what to weigh.
| Check | Why It Matters |
| Is the seller licensed? | Only legal retailers guarantee tested product |
| What is the per-gram cost? | The headline price can hide a weak deal |
| Is potency on the label? | Higher strength can stretch your money |
| Are there bulk or sale deals? | These usually beat single-unit pricing |
| What does delivery cost? | Shipping can erase an online saving |
Any shaky answer there is a reason to pause. A licensed seller with clear pricing and labelling is the safe choice, while a suspiciously cheap unlicensed source is not. The legal age applies regardless, at 18 or 19 depending on the province.
Treat cannabis like any other considered purchase. Compare, check the details, and let value rather than habit lead the decision. That is how modest savings add up across a whole year.
Before You Buy
- Cannabis prices vary widely by retailer, format, and store overhead.
- Comparing the per-gram cost is the fairest way to judge value.
- All legal Canadian cannabis is tested, so cheaper is not unsafe.
- Bulk buys, sales, and plain formats keep spending down.
- Always buy from a licensed source, and factor in delivery fees.
Photo by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels
Alt text: A shopper comparing prices online at home
Smart Savings, No Compromise
Buying affordable cannabis in Canada is not about chasing the lowest number you can find. It is about understanding what shapes the price and shopping with a little intention. Stick to licensed, tested products, compare the real cost per gram, and lean on bulk deals and online pricing. Do that, and an affordable choice stays a smart one, purchase after purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cheap Weed Safe to Buy In Canada?
Yes, provided it comes from a licensed retailer. All legal cannabis in Canada is tested for contaminants and labelled for potency, regardless of price. A lower cost usually reflects branding and overhead rather than weaker safety, so a budget option from a legal seller is still a safe one.
How Do I Find the Best Cannabis Deals?
Compare the per-gram price, buy larger formats, and watch for sales from online retailers. Checking potency against price helps too, since a stronger product can mean you use less. The key is shopping deliberately instead of defaulting to the same brand or store each time.
Why Is Cannabis Cheaper Online?
Online sellers usually carry lower overhead than physical stores, and they run sales and bulk deals more often. That lets them price competitively while still selling tested, legal product. Just remember to factor in shipping, which can offset the saving on a small order.
Does Paying More Mean Better Cannabis?
Not necessarily. Price reflects branding, format, and store margins as much as quality, and all legal product meets the same testing standards. Premium options may offer a better aroma or appearance, but a well-priced choice often works just as well day to day.
