Betty Sawatzky

The month of March is Kidney Awareness Month; however the Kidney Foundation of Canada likes to call it Kidney Health Month!

Members of the Bison Association of Manitoba are enjoying this week at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair!  Their booth in the Royal Farmyard shows a life-size picture of a full-grown bison, and association member, Bridie Ritchie, says she actually had to decrease the picture size to get the bison on the banner!

Jim and Bridie Ritchie raise about 160 head of bison southwest of Brandon, near Souris, with about 85 breeding cows and 3 bulls, as well as a mixture of younger animals.

The Royal Farmyard has been a hot spot for families this week at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair at the Keystone Centre, offering hands-on experiences for all ages to meet and greet goats, cattle, horses and sheep, and so many more furry and fuzzy friends!

The city of Brandon is bustling with activity as staff and volunteers of the Provincial Exhibition, and everyone involved with this year's Royal Manitoba Winter Fair crowds the Keystone Centre!

Provincial Ex General Manager, Mark Humphries, says it takes 4-5 days to move all the displays, trade show material, equipment and more to prepare for the hundreds of exhibitors, competitors and participants to showcase their skills in next week's event.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF) has received $165,000 through the Manitoba Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund to establish a new archery program in Manitoba schools. 

Program Coordinator with the MWF, Chase Dreilich, says the funding will go towards facilitating the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and purchasing equipment for participating schools.

The spring season prompts those of us who love our flower beds to peruse through the newest seed and plant catalogues to add new flowers, shrubs and ornamental grasses to our walkways, pots and landscaping!

However, problem weeds disguised as a pretty new addition to plant in your garden, could in fact be a noxious weed that isn't allowed in Manitoba.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF) received $41,300 through the province's Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund (FWEF) to update their Hunter Education 
Program.

The MWF administers the Hunter Education Program for the Province of Manitoba and puts just over 4,000 students through the program each year. Managing Director Carly Deacon says the funding will be allocated to three specific areas: updating their software, modernizing their in-person Hunter Education Program instruction, and expanding their mentored hunt program.

Fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes across Canada, and the RCMP are warning residents to be vigilant against scammers who pose as someone or an organization that they're not - through social media, emails, phone calls and texts. 

Fraudsters will get to know someone through social media like WhatsApp and Facebook and study that person so that when they make contact, they're quite familiar with that person. Or they will build relationship through social media to gain trust and then ask for money once the relationship is well established.

The spring session has begun at the Manitoba Legislature and MLA for Turtle Mountain, Doyle Piwniuk, says, he's excited to be back at the legislative building.

Piwniuk has been named PC Critic for Manitoba Public Insurance and Efficiency Manitoba.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF) has received $165,000 through the Manitoba Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund to establish a new archery program in Manitoba schools. 

Program Coordinator with the MWF, Chase Dreilich, says the funding will go towards facilitating the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and purchasing equipment for participating schools.