Portage

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.

THURSDAY, MAY 8TH

NHL
Playoffs - Round 2
Game 2
Washington 3 Carolina 1 
Series tied 1-1

Playoffs - Round 2
Game 2
Edmonton 5 Vegas 4 (Overtime)
Edmonton leads series 2-0

PWHL
Playoffs - Semifinals
Best of 5
Game 1
Ottawa 3 Montreal 2
Ottawa leads series 1-0

The Winnipeg Goldeyes opened the 2025 American Association season with a 6-5, ten-inning defeat at the hands of the Cleburne Railroaders (1-0) Thursday at La Moderna Field.
 
On an overcast and breezy evening, Cleburne edged the Goldeyes (0-1) in a tight battle that saw both teams going back-and-forth from the second inning on.

Landen Bourassa took the Opening Day nod for the first time since pitching for the University of San Francisco and fired a six-inning quality start, allowing three runs on five hits, walking a batter and striking out four.

Grass fires in the area are the cause of widespread smoke this morning.

The Portage la Prairie Fire Department responded to a large marsh fire Thursday night in the St. Ambroise area. 

The location of the fire was east of Highway 430 and north of Highway 411, and as of early Friday, it was still burning.

A British Columbia researcher in South Asian affairs said Thursday that concerns about the current India and Pakistan tensions are justified, given that the region has not seen conflicts this intense in more than 25 years. 

M.V. Ramana, professor at University of B.C.'s school of public policy and global affairs, said the last time there was a realistic risk of nuclear weapons being used was the conflict between the two sides in the Kargil region of Kashmir in 1999. 

Born and raised in Portage la Prairie, Jason Towle has spent 18 years serving as a constable with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS). Now, his son Jaytey is following in his footsteps as a newly graduated constable with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNPS), beginning his journey in front-line policing.

Though Jason came to policing later in life, it was always the career he envisioned.

Sunset Palliative Care, now in its 31st year serving Portage la Prairie and area, is still expanding its outreach and services. Executive Director Aldene Moroz highlights the organization’s focus on support that's always accessible, including its volunteer visits for individuals regardless of their palliative status.

A senior medical advisor with the Public Health Agency of Canada says the country could lose its measles elimination status if the highly contagious disease continues to spread into the fall.

Dr. Marina Salvadori warned of the possibility Thursday as cases in Ontario grew by nearly 200 infections, adding that would only occur if prolonged spread continued beyond mid-October 2025.