Portage

A boating trip on Lake Manitoba ended in tragedy after two men from Sandy Bay First Nation became stranded and attempted to swim to shore.

Yesterday evening, around 8:00 p.m., RCMP responded to a call from the Sandy Bay Fire Department after a boat malfunction left two men, a 41-year-old and a 22-year-old, stranded on the lake. The pair had launched their boat earlier that day from behind the community's water treatment plant.

Portage la Prairie’s McDonald’s was filled with energy and excitement on Thursday, as the local community came together to support an important cause. The annual McHappy Day event raised funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in Winnipeg.

Jebin Joseph, the manager at the Portage la Prairie McDonald’s, spoke about the event’s significance.

While some take the game very seriously, for most soft tip dart players, the sport is a chance to socialize and compete with other teams of similar skill levels. At the end of the season, hundreds of teams from around the world participate in a tournament in Las Vegas.

CANTERRA SEEDS recently announced it would be acquiring Alliance Seed, saying the move would strengthen their seed business and expand distribution across Western Canada.

The pedigreed seed operation will continue to operate as a standalone brand under CANTERRA SEEDS’s umbrella, with key staff transitioning to maintain continuity and customer relationships.

Brent Derkatch, CEO of CANTERRA SEEDS says Alliance Seed has built an impressive portfolio and a network supported by committed seed growers. 

It appears the recent trade tensions between the U.S. and China are delaying the proposed merger between Bunge and Viterra.

China has not yet approved the $34 billion merger between the two ag giants. 

The deal has received antitrust clearance from the European Union and Canada, but the transaction remains stalled in China
 due to what many people say is a result of trade tensions between the United States and China.

The merger was originally announced in 2023. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has declared a primary control zone for avian influenza in Manitoba.

The CFIA says it has declared the Rural Municipality of Boissevain-Morton a primary control zone.

The status means that specific measures are being implemented to prevent the spread of the disease through movement restrictions and permits.

To date, 17 premises in Canada have been identified as being infected with AI, including two in Manitoba, three in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba.

The government isn’t thought to be in a hurry to impose a large duty on yellow peas as it takes steps to reduce food inflation.

India’s pulse trade is pushing for the government to implement a large tariff on imported yellow peas.

Bimal Kothari, chair of the India Pulses and Grains Association, recently told the Hindu Businessline that he wants to see a 50 per cent import duty on the crop to ensure the landed price is equivalent to the government’s minimum support price for desi chickpeas.

A section of 10th Street NW in Portage la Prairie is temporarily closed and water service has been disrupted following a watermain break Friday morning.

The City closed 10th Street NW between 6th Avenue NW and 7th Avenue NW effective immediately to allow crews to complete emergency repair work. Water service in the immediate area has also been shut off while the repairs are underway.

City crews are on site and working to restore service and reopen the road as quickly as possible. Both the closure and the disruption are expected to be resolved by the end of the day.

The Canola Council of Canada's 2024 grower survey asked growers to identify the diseases, weeds, and insects posing the greatest economic risk to the crop. Flea beetles topped the list once again, maintaining their position from the 2022 and 2020 surveys.

Update: 

The Special Air Quality Statement issued by Environment Canada Friday morning has ended.

Original Story:

Environment Canada had issued a Special Air Quality Statement for areas surrounding Portage as wildfire smoke from northern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba drifts into the region. The region is experiencing reduced visibility and significantly deteriorated air quality.