PembinaValley

Tick season is in full swing, but mosquitos have yet to make their presence known.  Let's just say when the time comes for them to realize our Manitoba winter is officially over, they'll be sure to show up!

It's interesting to note how hardy something so tiny like a mosquito can live through a Manitoba winter!

"They're hardy!  They over-winter as either eggs or really early larvae stages depending on the species, and they're able to survive until conditions become favorable," says Dr. Bryan Cassone, Professor of Biology at the University of Brandon.

May Long Weekend is the unofficial kickoff to gardening season in the Pembina Valley — few people are as prepared as John Froese, the man behind Post Road Vegetables in Hochfeld. For nearly 30 years, John and his family have run a market garden, growing everything from cabbage to his personal favourite: gourmet sweet corn.

With its historical sites and tidy appearance, Miami could be a destination for any discerning visitor. 

While it might be a bit more common to see a billboard advertising this pleasant village in Manitoba, how about Alberta?  

That’s just where one was spotted.  

With student enrollment growing at record rates, Western School Division (WSD) has submitted a revised five-year capital plan to the Province of Manitoba, highlighting urgent infrastructure needs to accommodate the rapid population increase. 

WSD Superintendent Stephen Ross says the capital plan is essential in identifying and requesting support for major school projects, including classroom additions and mechanical upgrades. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney had a brief audience with Pope Leo XIV Sunday afternoon at the Vatican following the pontiff's inaugural mass in St. Peter's Square.

Carney was seated in the second row with his wife Diana for the mass, in a section amongst other world leaders and heads of state.

The prime minister, who is a devout Catholic, was one of the few world leaders to kneel during the blessing of the Eucharist, and was spotted at two instances taking a picture of the Pope on his phone to mark the occasion — before the mass started and after it had concluded. 

As the first Indigenous person ever to lead the federal department responsible for delivering services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis, Mandy Gull-Masty knows she has a daunting task ahead.

But the newly-appointed Indigenous services minister also knows what it's like to sit at both sides of the table — as a cabinet minister now and, until recently, as the grand chief of the political body representing 20,000 Cree people in northern Quebec.

In recognition of their outstanding leadership and dedication to public safety, Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt and Morden Police Chief Brad Neduzak were honoured this week at the Manitoba Legislature by Borderland MLA Carrie Hiebert. 

As part of National Police Awareness Week, Hiebert invited both chiefs to the legislative chamber on Tuesday (May 13) to receive a special Private Member’s Statement in their honour. The moment served as a public expression of gratitude for the crucial, and often unseen, work the chiefs and their teams do to protect their communities. 

JUNO-nominated Winnipeg-based artist Don Amero has built his career on honesty, heart, and the power of storytelling. In his latest collection of songs, Amero shares deeply personal stories—of grief, faith, fatherhood, and the search for peace in a noisy world.

On a warm evening in Emerado Park, Kenton Dyck can be found set up for a viewing of the night sky as a part of Astro Club, a club he founded in the summer of 2023. This past Monday, we went to visit Kenton and some of the Astro Club regulars to get a look not only into the club, but at the sky above us.  

New telescope tech 

Astro Club currently has three telescopes—two are the more traditional, Dobsonian kind, and one Dwarf 3 smart telescope, which Kenton uses as an educational and photography tool. 

Two young entrepreneurs from Morden are putting a modern twist on a timeless treat—and drawing crowds in the process. Brothers Eli and Gavin Hildebrand have launched Swirl & Twirl Cotton Candy Co., a family-run business that’s gaining popularity across southern Manitoba for its fluffy, flavour-packed cotton candy.