Portage

Portage la Prairie schools are welcoming students back with a series of upgrades and staffing updates across the division, Superintendent Pamela Garnham says.

Garnham notes, “This year our operations department had a busy summer. We have some major construction projects happening in Portage Collegiate. We're actually tearing down the male and female washrooms and we're making eight inclusive stalls. We've been working on that and we're expecting completion of that by the end of beginning to middle of October.”

As the new school year looms, the Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) Trojans football team is already deep into their pre-season preparations, led by newly appointed head coach Alec Zebrun. With a strong core of returning players, fresh talent, and a strong team culture, expectations are high for the upcoming season.

Zebrun, who steps into the head coaching position following the departure of Brendon Brydges, brings experience and familiarity to the position.

The Rural Municipality of St. Laurent has extended its state of local agriculture emergency for another 30 days as farmers continue to struggle with drought conditions.

The move allows the municipality to maintain communication with provincial and federal authorities and request support where needed.

Why the extension matters

Richard Chartrand, Reeve of St. Laurent, notes, "Even though we had a lot of rain, it's not going to be enough to alleviate the cutting for hay, for feed, for the animals."

The Community Safety Office in Portage la Prairie is finding a creative way to encourage positive behaviour among local youth this summer by handing out ice cream.

Office Manager Caitlyn Saindon explains that the initiative comes through a partnership with the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation (PCRC). Officers will be giving away vouchers for ice cream sandwiches from What’s the Scoop? to young people spotted doing the right thing.

A new community-based art exhibition is calling on local artists and creators to share their work in a project focused on mental health. The Portage Learning and Literacy Centre (PLLC) is inviting submissions for The Art of Healing: Exploring Mental Health Through Creativity. 

Organizers Cora Pohl and Rachel Pilipchuk say the idea is to create more opportunities for artists in Portage la Prairie while also building an open space to reflect on health and healing. 

What began as a simple idea, sparked by a lack of girls-only options in summer hockey, turned into a full day of learning, laughter, and empowerment for 60 young female players on August 16 at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie.

Local coach and former University of Manitoba Bisons player Lindsay Blight organized the camp, intending to create a space where girls could develop their hockey skills, build confidence, and connect with others in a supportive, all-female environment. By all accounts, she delivered.

Glen Jones, retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and president of the local non-profit branch of the Canadian National Association of Federal Retirees, says they're located in Portage la Prairie to advocate for those who are paying into or receiving pensions from Canadian public service, including honourably discharged non-pension veterans. He notes spouses and survivors are also eligible.

Portage la Prairie is preparing for its 45th Annual Terry Fox Run, set for Sunday, September 14, at Island Park.

Registration opens at 9:15 a.m., with the run starting at 10:15 a.m. and continuing until noon. Participants are encouraged to preregister online, though on-site registration will also be available.

The starting point is near the tennis and pickleball courts at Island Park.

Portage–Lisgar MP Branden Leslie is hosting a series of community barbecues this week, giving people in smaller towns a chance to connect with him outside of election season. The first takes place Monday in St. Claude, followed by events in Morris, Morden, and Plum Coulee.

Gas prices in Manitoba have remained relatively steady in recent weeks.  

The provincial average sits at about 133.8 cents per litre, down slightly from last week but up a couple of cents from last month. Most stations in Portage la Prairie are at 132.9 cents per litre.

Patrick De Haan, petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, notes that the removal of the federal carbon tax earlier this year has helped keep prices lower than last year by about $0.14 a litre.