Portage

As the heat continues across southern Manitoba, local pet care expert Rachelle Dion is urging dog owners to take extra steps to keep their animals safe and cool.

Dion, who owns The Farm Pet Retreat just outside Portage la Prairie, says dogs can overheat quickly, even during everyday routines.

Watch for signs of heat stroke

“Just remember that the dogs are always more sensitive to heat than we are,” Dion notes. “They cool themselves mainly by panting and through their paw pads.”

The controversy over plans to redesign the dangerous Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 intersection near Carberry shows no signs of easing.

Ray Muirhead, mayor of Carberry, stands firmly against the province’s preferred Reduced Conflict U-Turn (RCUT) design, echoing growing public frustration with the proposal following a public meeting held June 25.

The province has earmarked $12 million for improvements following a tragic 2023 crash that claimed 17 lives, but Muirhead and many residents remain unconvinced the RCUT is the right solution.

June brought its share of thunderstorm activity to the Prairies.

The Canadian Crop Hail Association says mid-June thunderstorms damaged crops across Western Canada, dropping pea- to toonie-sized hail.
 
CCHA member companies are investigating more than 900 claims of crop damage from hailstorms that occurred June 13-20. The majority of the claims were filed in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Farmers have been out evaluating crop damage to determine the impact, as some crops can recover depending on the damage and the stage of the crop.

A section of 7th Street NE in Portage la Prairie is closed as of Friday, July 4, due to a watermain break.

The road is shut down between Lorne Avenue and Fisher Avenue, with water service in the area also temporarily disrupted.

City crews are on site working to complete the watermain repair and restore services.

Both the road closure and water outage are in effect immediately, impacting residents and drivers in the surrounding area.

The City of Portage la Prairie intends to have the road reopened and water service restored by the end of the day Friday.

Austin Fire Department crews spend several hours Thursday evening extinguishing two separate fires burning along a bushline near MacGregor.

The call came in just after 7 p.m., with a report of trees on fire near hydro lines in the area of Road 67W and Road 58N, located within the Municipality of North Norfolk.

Upon arrival, firefighters discover not one, but two fires burning a few hundred feet apart.

Both are along the same bushline and close to a nearby pasture.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers came into the inaugural Stampede Bowl unbeaten and riding high in the saddle after being pegged — once again — as Canadian Football League contenders.

They are now exiting Cowtown after being thrown from their steed and then lassoed, hogtied and branded by the Calgary Stampeders in sloppy, mistake-filled 37-16 loss in front of 22,485 at McMahon Stadium, a result which drops them to 3-1 — ditto for the Stamps — and takes a whole pile of shine off what had been an impressive unbeaten start to the season.

Portage la Prairie faces another day of hot and humid weather as Environment and Climate Change Canada maintains its heat warning for the region. Temperatures are expected to reach the low thirties, with humidex values making it feel close to 40 this afternoon and early evening.

Stay cool and watch for storms

Despite the heat, the annual Portage Ex kicks off today, and attendees are encouraged to stay hydrated and seek shade while enjoying the festivities.

With the grazing season underway there are some things producers can look at to help gauge the health of their rangelands. One indicator is the species composition; this includes which species and types of plants you are seeing as well as amount of each species. 3 terms that we often hear when talking about range health are decreaser, increaser, and invader which can be used to describe how plants respond to grazing pressure.

THURSDAY, JULY 3RD

CFL
Calgary Stampeders 37 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16

American Association Baseball
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 4 Winnipeg Goldeyes 3

MLB
Toronto 8 New York Yankees 5

FRIDAY, JULY 4TH

The Old West will be on full display as thousands clad in tassels, boots and buckles march through city streets today to kick off the Calgary Stampede.

Country superstar Shania Twain will saddle up and lead the parade on horseback before performing Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Stampede runs until July 13.

The “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” singer, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., last took the stage at the Stampede in 2014.