PembinaValley

Summer is in full swing, and so is Lemonade Stands for Hope!

From July 18-20, lemonade stands have been popping up across the province as part of a community-wide effort to support those facing cancer, this through the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.

The Bank of Canada has largely kept to the sidelines as it tries to get a sense of how U.S. tariffs will impact the economy — and some economists think it might just stay there.

After a quarter-point cut in March, the central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.75 per cent in April and June.

With last month's jobs figures showing a surprise gain and core inflation levels holding steady at around three per cent, economists now broadly expect the central bank will continue its holding pattern at its next decision on July 30.

Some of the villages in the area have been taking the time to reflect on their history as they celebrate their 150th anniversaries from when they were established. 

150 years.  

A century and a half.  

That only really boils down to roughly six generations or so ago, when weary families were stepping off boats, children clinging to mothers’ skirts, oxen pulling wagons heavy with the barest necessities.  

John and Irene Plantz, along with their banjo-playing friend Jon Penner, recently blessed the community with their gospel harmonies at our Farmer Appreciation Lunch. Performing under the name “Rooted in Him,” the group brings heartfelt music, ministry, and encouragement to every stage and gathering they attend.

This summer, children and adults in the community will chalk the town red, orange, yellow, and all the other colours of the rainbow.  

Winkler Arts+Culture (WA+C) has brought back Chalk the City.  

The program, which runs for four weeks, encourages the community to get outside to decorate driveways and sidewalks in Winkler.  

There are prizes available, too.  

Air quality warnings are in effect for much of Manitoba this weekend as wildfire smoke continues to linger over the region.

Environment Canada says much of the province will be dealing with poor conditions, with Winnipeg expected to see an air quality health index rating of over 10 by Saturday night.

The agency says the very high risk conditions in Winnipeg, as well as Flin Flon in northwestern Manitoba, are expected to last throughout the weekend.

Altona Rhineland Emergency Services (ARES) responded to a vehicle fire Friday night at Neuhorst.

According to Chief Greg Zimmerman, when crews arrived at the scene located southwest of Altona and just north of the U.S. border, they found the SUV fully engulfed in flames.

It's Zimmerman's understanding the lone officer in the vehicle had previously been driving through a hay field, and the hay had accumulated under it near the catalytic converter. He added, when the officer stopped on a road after exiting the field, the hay ignited setting the vehicle on fire.

Funeral For:  Constance Denyse Connie Goertzen 
Funeral Date: July 25, 2025 
Constance Denyse Connie Goertzen, 63, of Winnipeg passed away Monday, July 14th at Winnipeg. She is survived by her husband Ken, 3 sons: Matthew (Sarah), Allan and Eric, her mother Anne and stepdad Jake Sawatzky, and her brother Douglas. She was predeceased by her father Ben Krahn. 
The celebration of life for Constance Denyse Connie Goertzen will be held Friday, July 25th at 2pm at Glen Lawn Funeral Home, 455 Lagimodiere Boulevard, with burial at Glen Lawn Cemetery. 

As part of Canada Historic Places Days, the Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) announces its annual list of the Top-10 Endangered Structures in Manitoba for 2025.

These buildings and structures, listed from oldest to newest, are historically significant landmarks that face uncertain futures due to neglect, development pressures, or lack of awareness.

Each year, MHS highlights the critical need to preserve Manitoba’s built heritage.  These structures tell the stories of the people, communities, and industries that helped shaped both urban and rural Manitoba.

The 2025 wildfire season is already one of the worst on record for Canada and there is a high risk that more fires will break out in August, federal officials said on Friday.

More than 5.5 million hectares of land have burned so far this year, more than double the 10-year average for mid-July.

That is still well behind the record fire season in 2023, when more than 6,000 fires burned more than 15 million hectares of land.

There were 561 fires burning as of Friday, including 69 that were considered out of control.