October 30: Gunnarson's failed escape; Stuart Craig; last trolley; flogging protest; new airport.

October 30,1999 -Manitoba media pioneer Stuart Craig dies. His first venture was the purchase of Brandon’s CKX radio in 1948 which he grew into the A-Channel television network of the early 2000s.

October 30, 1983 – Recreating an escape once performed by Harry Houdini, Winnipeg's Dean Gunnarson is bound in a coffin and lowered into the Red River.

An error with the crane movement filled the coffin with water and Gunnarson was pulled from the river four minutes later unconscious and still bound. He survived the escape attempt.

October 30, 1970 – The final trolley bus runs in Winnipeg. The Manitoba Transit Heritage Association has that last trolley, a 1950 Can-Car/Brill model T-48A (Metro Transit # 1752.)

October 31, 1884, Winnipeg Daily Sun 

October 30, 1884 - Two thousand people take to the streets of Winnipeg in a mass protests against the flogging of a prisoner.

A man named McCormick escaped from prison and was recaptured later that week. For his troubles, Manitoba Attorney General Miller sentenced him to 24 lashes, 12 at the beginning of his sentence and 12 at the end.

Many, including military, political and medical leaders reacted with disgust. The use of flogging as punishment was seen as outdated, barbaric and an embarrassment for the province's reputation. "The Winnipeg Flogging" even ended up in the New York Times.

The NWMP and troops from the 90th Battalion were called in for crowd control but, aside from the burning of a couple of effigies of the AG, there was no violence.

October 30, 1966 - Ken Leishman, the Flying Bandit, again escapes custody. This time from the Vaughan Street Jail.

October 30, 1964 – St. Boniface mayor Joseph Guay and police chief Russell host the opening ceremony of their city’s new court building and police station designed by Etienne Gaboury.

October 30, 2011 – A changing of the guard for Winnipeg air travel as the Winnipeg International Airport is officially closed. At 5:10 am the first travelers depart from the new James A Richardson International Airport on an Air Canada flight.