Portage

After more than a decade of stops and starts, shovels finally hit the ground on the long-anticipated Water West Extension Project in the Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier.

On Thursday afternoon, under the watchful eyes of community members and local officials, Reeve Delmer Nott led the official sod-turning ceremony at the Belcourt Community Club, one of the facilities set to benefit directly from the new water line.

A wildfire in northern Manitoba has destroyed seven homes in a day the chief and council of the local First Nation are calling "horrendous."

Officials of Tataskweyak Cree Nation say in a Facebook post that a fire that ignited northwest of the community on Friday was fanned by strong winds, and that approximately 175 residents have been evacuated east to Gillam, Man.

Tataskweyak was evacuated earlier in the fire season and had lifted the order in mid-June, but then had to push back the date when people could return due to problems with its water system.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes (24-26) snapped their three-game losing streak with a 4–1 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (26-26) Saturday afternoon at Newman Outdoor Field, evening the series at one game apiece.
 
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The spirit of Kelly Human resonated through the third annual memorial concert held in her honour this week, featuring a heartfelt performance by the Métis Prairie Steppers, the square dancing group she co-founded.

Recent rainfall in Portage la Prairie is fueling an increase in local mosquito populations, though numbers remain significantly below levels requiring fogging, according to City Public Works Superintendent Paul Ziesmann.

The city has intensified daily monitoring of mosquito traps.

Rainfall spurs mosquito activity

Ziesmann confirmed the link between the recent wet weather and rising mosquito counts detected in the city's surveillance network.

"There's been an increase in precipitation in the last week or two," Ziesmann stated.

RCMP in the Central Plains area, covering Portage la Prairie, Treherne, Amaranth, and surrounding rural municipalities, responded to 305 calls for service between June 23 and June 29, 2025.

Traffic violations and provincial statutes

During this period, the RCMP delt with 83 traffic offences under the Highway Traffic Act, investigated six vehicle collisions, and charged five impaired drivers.

They also handled 34 calls related to provincial statutes, including the Mental Health Act and Child Welfare Act.

Justin Lilley, a Carberry-based taxidermist and avid hunter, has secured a notable achievement in Manitoba's big game community.

Two black bear skulls from bears harvested by Lilley have qualified for entry into the prestigious Manitoba Big Game Association's record book this year, showcasing the impressive size of local bruins.

Whether you’re headed to the beach, planning a weekend at the lake, or checking out a summer fair, sun protection should be part of your daily routine, even when the sun’s hiding.

Karen Faurschou, educator with Central Plains Cancer Services, reminds people that UV rays aren’t just a summer thing.

“UV rays can be harmful all year round, even in the spring, fall and winter, especially when reflected off snow or water in Canada,” she notes. “UV levels can be high from late March to early October, so protection is needed beyond summer.”

As the City of Portage la Prairie prepares to roll out its new garbage bin system on August 1, residents in the surrounding Rural Municipality (RM) will not be making the switch, at least not any time soon. Questions have been brewing and Roy Tufford, Reeve of the RM of Portage la Prairie, confirmed there are no plans in the near future to adopt the city's new waste disposal approach.

Tufford pointed to several reasons for staying the course, including a binding contract with the RM's current waste collection provider.

After missing recent rainfall that soaked nearby areas like Portage la Prairie on Canada Day, farmers in the MacGregor region were growing increasingly concerned about crop conditions amid rising heat and dry forecasts.

Lorne Hulme of Hulme Agra Products shared these words just before Thursday night, when his operation, located four miles south of MacGregor, hadn’t previously seen any meaningful rain in weeks.

“We haven’t had any rain,” he noted earlier in the week.