Portage

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture President Keith Currie says Canadian agriculture is at a critical juncture, with the recent dramatic rise of trade uncertainty, high costs, and more frequent extreme weather events.

He notes during the recent election, the CFA made the priorities of Canadian farmers very clear: farmers need to see a focus on competitiveness, resiliency, and maintaining rule-based trade.

Portage cottage owners are watching nervously from afar as wildfires continue to threaten areas near Lac du Bonnet.

Kristine Hannah, who owns a four-season cabin in Poplar Bay Provincial Park, says her property is currently under evacuation notice. The area is located approximately 32 kilometres northeast of Lac du Bonnet and is home to only about 33 cabins.

Cabin purchased just one year ago

Hannah and her family bought the property on May 15, 2024.

A lightning strike ignited a wildfire at Oak Hammock Marsh on the evening of May 11, raising concerns as the region heads into the summer season. The blaze, which broke out around 8 p.m. near the Wetland Discovery Centre, quickly threatened the surrounding environment. Thankfully, the flames moved away from the building, preventing any structural damage, and a swift response from firefighters brought the fire under control by 11:45 p.m.

The City of Portage la Prairie is asking residents to take part in its annual random daytime lead testing program.

The initiative helps the city meet provincial regulations and aims to better understand the risks of lead exposure in residential drinking water systems.

Each year, 40 home samples are required. The city is prioritizing homes built before 1975, with a focus on properties constructed before 1950 that may still have lead service lines.

Testing is free, and the results are shared only with the homeowner and provincial health officials.

Late on the night of May 12, a vehicle fire prompted a response from the Austin Fire Department at the intersection of Highway 1 eastbound and Road 63W in the Municipality of North Norfolk.

Firefighters received the page at 11:46 p.m., according to an incident report posted by the department.

Harvey Watson

It is with deep sadness that the family of Harvey Wayne Watson of Rossendale, Manitoba, announces his peaceful passing on May 5, 2025.

Born on February 22, 1941, in Portage la Prairie to John and Bertha (Orton) Watson, Harvey was raised in Rossendale where he developed a deep connection to his community, the land, and a lifelong appreciation for life’s simple joys. Dad was a devoted family man, who lived a full and meaningful life surrounded by the love of those closest to him.

Gaby Chappellaz recently visited the offices of Central Plains Cancer Services (CPCS) with a donation in hand—$850.55 raised during the Annual St. Claude Garage Sale held May 3, 2025.

Chappellaz and her team set up a lemonade stand and bake sale at the community event, with all proceeds directed to CPCS.

This marks the fourth year the group has raised money for various charities within their communities.

TUESDAY, MAY 13TH

NHL
Playoffs - Round 2
Game 4
Dallas 3 Winnipeg 1
Dallas leads series 3-1

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

MLB
Tampa 11 Toronto 9

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14TH

A global study from UNICEF suggests many Canadian kids are unhappy, with social struggles such as bullying and difficulty making friends among the sources of their anguish. 

UNICEF’s 19th Report Card suggests one in five youth in Canada face frequent bullying, one in five are lonely and one in four struggle to make friends.

It blames bullying in particular for a drop in life satisfaction reported by 15-year-olds, down three percentage points to 76 per cent since 2018.

Prime Minister Mark Carney shook up his cabinet Tuesday by moving some key players involved in Canada-U.S. relations into new positions and promoting 24 new faces in a move meant to signal change at the top.

While some were prominent figures in former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government — including Dominic LeBlanc, Mélanie Joly, Chrystia Freeland and François-Philippe Champagne — Carney froze out other prominent members of his predecessor's team.

Carney named 28 full ministers to his cabinet, which will meet for the first time on Wednesday.