Shelby Proznick

With school being back in session for about a month now, and flu season now approaching, the Portage la Prairie School Division is now looking for more spare bus drivers.  

Shelley Anderson, Supervisor of Transportation, says that after two years of not needing as many bus drivers, there is a shortage of spare bus drivers. She notes that they are needed if one of the regular bus drivers get sick. She says that spare bus drivers are just as crucial as the usual drivers.   

October is not only for falling leaves and halloween, it is also Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Dyslexia is one of the most common disorders. Vicky Carnegie, Literacy Coordinator with the Portage Learning and Literacy Centre says one in five people are impacted by dyslexia.  

"Dyslexia affects people in many different capacities. It can take their organization skills; their time management and it also impacts their ability to read."

Now that fall is here and winter is approaching possibly faster than we thought, as some surrounding areas may have received snow earlier this week. 

You may be wondering what to do with your garden. Shea Doherty, Operations Manager at Our Farm Greenhouse, says that there are lots of things that you can do to help your plants this winter. Even if you are afraid that some little critters may be on the rise there is a solution.

Interested in aviation and can't find a place to learn more about it? Southport Aerospace Centre Inc. is holding a Careers in Aviation Expo with Wings & Helicopters magazines.

Jon Robinson, an editor for Wings and Helicopters, based out of Toronto, says this Expo is a once-a-year event perfect for anyone interested in aviation.

"The Expo is targeted to young professionals and aspiring aviators who might be looking for a career change."

Robinson notes how excited they are to host this Expo in Southport.  

Have you considered becoming a member of the Rotary Club? Do you know what they do? That's a question the local group wants to answer as they hope to bring in more members.

Fred Wright, the District Governor of District 5550, was the speaker at Tuesday's Portage Rotary Club meeting and talked about how he is looking forward to the year ahead.

"The action plan is about strengthening all of our clubs and ensuring that rotary is viable and thriving into the future."

A city-wide garage sale is about to take place here in Portage la Prairie.

The sale is being hosted by the Portage Heritage Committee organization, they are asking community members to drop off their items in order to raise some funds. President of the Heritage Club Tom McCartney explains what the sale is all about.

Portage la Prairie's MCC days gave back to the Herman Prior Activity Centre last week.

On Wednesday, MCC raised $3000 to help finish renovating the back offices of the Activity Centre.

PortageOnline caught up with Executive Director Kathy Bryce, who says that she could not have asked for a better day.

"Well, there was quite a few people that went through. We had all of our board members there actually for the day and they were the ones volunteering over there. So, they did a wonderful job. "

You will notice the Prairie Fusion Arts and Entertainment Building is a lot more flashy. They have officially added three new billboards. 

Stefanie Dunn, executive director at Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment, talked to PortageOnline about how amazing it is to have something like this attached to their building.  

Delta Beach residents may have to pay ten per cent more on the levy price they already pay. This change was discussed at Tuesday's RM meeting.  
Ryan Kontzie, Ward 3 councilor, explains what the residents can do now that the increase is happening.  

"Nowadays, things are going up. Residents were aware of it at the AMM, and there'll be a period set up where they can come in and talk to council about it. It allows them to voice their concerns as well if they're for it or against it." 

He also notes that although this was discussed, this is not the final step. 

High school students in the Portage la Prairie School Division can now apply to be a part of Portage's City Council. 

Councilor Sharilyn Knox says that being a youth councillor is a massive part of the decisions during council meetings.   

"It's always important that a council has a perspective from every demographic that they're doing things to make decisions. So, having youth sit at the table is very important."