Westman

Funeral For: Phyllis Senkiw
Funeral Date: August 12, 2025 
Phyllis Senkiw, 88, of Steinbach passed away Monday, August 4th at Bethesda Regional Health Centre, Steinbach. She was survived by her daughter and family. She was predeceased by her husband Boris.  
The memorial service for Phyllis Senkiw will be held Tuesday, August 12th, 1pm at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, with ash interment at a later date. 
Donations may be made to a charity of one's choice. 
Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel Co-op. 

Severe thunderstorms passed over the northern half of the Westman Region dumping heavy rains.  These are the communities with rainfall amounts over 10 mm

Inglis 16.2 mm

Russell 10.5 mm

Alexander 13.1 mm

Bede 21.4 mm

Birtle 32.7 mm

Erickson 12.1 mm

Hamiota 10.9 mm

Kenton 15.3 mm

Lake Audy 12.4 mm

Oakburn 57.5 mm

Rivers 15.2 mm

Since midnight today as of 8 am:

Ethelbert 37.4 mm

Lake Audy 17.8 mm

Neepawa 42.0 mm

Last Friday, the Toews family and staff at Killarney's Home Hardware celebrated 60 years of serving their community.  The family legacy with the local hardware store started in 1965 when Ron Toews partnered with Norm Lyons, and from there the business grew to be what it is today. 

On July 5, the Valleyview Co-op C-Store/Gas Bar in Virden was buzzing with energy and purpose as 10-year-old Bowen Wolfe hosted his very first lemonade stand fundraiser in partnership with Valleyview Co-op. His goal? To raise money for D-Camps, a specialized summer camp program for children living with Type 1 Diabetes.

Bowen, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 6, has already participated in multiple Junior Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a Cure fundraisers in both Regina and Winnipeg.

The federal government is setting up a safety net of loans, product-development grants and market diversification plans for Canada’s softwood lumber industry in an effort to shield it from the worst of American duties and fees.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the plan Tuesday, promising $700 million in loan guarantees to address what he called "immediate pressures" and $500 million for long-term supports to help companies diversify export markets and develop their products. 

Carney also promised that future projects will "prioritize" Canadian lumber. 

The Nellie McClung Heritage Site in Manitou has officially reopened its doors after an extensive restoration, and its timing couldn’t be more perfect. The house has been meticulously restored to its 1908 glory, a year that marked the beginning of McClung’s success as a bestselling author, and the museum now houses the largest collection of original Nellie McClung artifacts in the country.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5TH

South West Baseball League
Finals - Best of 5
Game 4
Boissevain at Oak River - 6:30 PM (Postponed to Wednesday)
Boissevain leads series 2-1

American Association Baseball
Winnipeg Goldeyes 4 at Sioux Falls Canaries 5

MLB
Toronto 10 at Colorado 4

UPDATE ON THE SOUTHWEST BRANDON WASTEWATER SERVICING PROJECT

Public hearing to be held Mon, Aug. 18, 2025 at 7 p.m.

In 2023, the City of Brandon announced that we were moving forward with a major project to support growth in the southwest part of the city: the Southwest Brandon Wastewater Servicing Project. This project includes important upgrades to the wastewater system, which will help new homes and businesses connect to safe and reliable services, as the system was at capacity. 

The Manitoba Wildfire Service advises that fire danger remains high to very high across much of the province today.

A number of communities have made the decision to evacuate due to the risk of wildfire, loss of road access due to wildfires or smoke. This includes Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and people with health conditions from Little Grand Rapids First Nation and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation (South Indian Lake). Other communities have been able to begin the process of returning home, such as Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake) and Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake).

From Friday, August 1, 2025 to Saturday, November 15, 2025 crop residue burning is NOT AUTHORIZED, except by permit, in the municipalities of Rosser, Headingley, St. François Xavier, Cartier, Macdonald, Ritchot, Taché, Springfield, East St. Paul and West St. Paul.

For Tuesday, August 5, 2025 through Wednesday, August 6, 2025 crop residue burning is NOT AUTHORIZED in all municipalities and zones in Manitoba due to smoke from forest fires contributing to poor air quality.