Michael Blume

Portage-Lisgar post-by-election celebrations took place Monday night at Branden Leslie's office in Portage la Prairie. Larry Maguire, Member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris, introduced Leslie to cheering supporters. 

A University of Wisconsin River Falls professor and seven of her students have given back after learning about the former residential school in Portage la Prairie.

National Indigenous Residential School Museum executive director Lorraine Daniels received a call from Kirsten Lindbloom, who originally hails from Portage la Prairie and now teaches at the UWRF, and says the team south of the border is giving the Museum a community garden.

(Title of this story has been changed in consideration of the local family at request of Museum)

Kirsten Lindbloom is a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin in River Falls but was born in Portage la Prairie. She says circumstances allowed her to connect some dots from her childhood, and she realized that her grandfather, W.C. Warren, was the principal of the Portage Residential School in 1958. 

The school has since been converted to the National Indigenous Residential School Museum and is a work in progress.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities is encouraging municipalities to send in their concerns.

Executive director, Denys Volkov, says resolutions are one of the ways the Association hears from its members throughout the year.

The Prime Minister of Canada paid a visit to Portage la Prairie Wednesday afternoon to help launch the campaign office for Portage-Lisgar Liberal candidate, Kerry Smith.

Justin Trudeau arrived just before 1 p.m. to a closed meeting with Liberal volunteers.

The leaders of Manitoba's three big political parties discussed and debated a variety of topics at the Provincial Leaders Forum hosted by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) at its recent 2023 Spring Convention in Winnipeg. President Kam Blight says Premier Stefanson, NDP Leader Wab Kinew, and Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont were present.

"It was quite exciting," notes Blight. "We feel very fortunate that all three leaders agreed to be a part of this great event."

An Oak Bluff resident has stepped up to the plate to submit her name for the nomination for the Conservative nomination in Portage-Lisgar, following Candice Bergen's exit from her role as MP. Rejeanne Caron made the announcement this week. 

"I am a mom of a 12-year-old girl," says Caron. "I'm a wife. My husband's retired from the RCMP and I live in Oak Bluff. I am a police officer with Winnipeg Police Service for my 29th year now and I'm still active. I am on the streets, I'm working in West District and I'm responding to 9-1-1 calls."

Recent foggy conditions have caused problems in some areas of Southern Manitoba more than others.

It's something that Manitoba Hydro has to keep an eye on every year.

The Notre Dame, Somerset, Baldur area has recently been plagued with hydro lines weighed down by ice, swinging in the wind. Those lines are now recovering daily, but Manitoba Hydro Media Relations Officer Bruce Owen says you only have to look back a few years when Portage la Prairie lost power for several days. 

A decrease in recruitment enrollees this year has become a problem for the RCMP.

Normally, about 1600 people sign up to become RCMP members, but this year, they struggled to see 300 join the team. 

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki notes it's not just happening in the RCMP.

The Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was in Portage la Prairie Monday at the local detachment. It was as part of her visit for the Change of Command ceremony that took place on Tuesday afternoon for the new Assistant Commissioner. Brenda Lucki was here with the new Assistance Commissioner for Manitoba, Rob Hill.