Portage

As What’s the Scoop in Portage la Prairie opens their doors for the season, the beloved ice cream spot is marking the occasion with a new mural created by Winnipeg artist Rachel Lancaster. 

Rhonda Lodwick, owner of What’s the Scoop, says the idea to commission Lancaster came from admiration for her online work. 

If you or someone you know is considering post-secondary education, Booth University College (Booth UC) has an open invitation for a visit. 

United Way West Central Manitoba is preparing to host its Largest Indoor Garage Sale tomorrow (Saturday, May 3rd), at the Canad Inns Portage Curling Club. Running from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the event aims to attract thousands of shoppers while raising funds for vital community programs. 

Megan Romphf, the Community Engagement Coordinator explains the idea for the sale didn’t originate in Portage. Instead, it was inspired by a long-running event in Brandon. 

The federal riding of Terrebonne in Quebec has gone from the Liberals' win column back to the Bloc Québécois after a postelection vote validation process.

Bloc candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, who had represented the riding since 2021, said in a social media post that she came out with a lead of 44 votes and that a judicial recount will take place.

"For someone to be officially elected, you have to wait until the end of this process," Sinclair-Desgagné wrote in French. "I hope to have the honour of representing Terrebonne again in the coming years."

Conservative MP Damien Kurek is set to step aside to allow Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to run in a byelection in the Battle River—Crowfoot riding in Alberta.

Kurek says he is "temporarily" stepping aside as MP for the riding, which he has held since 2019.

The Conservative party confirms that Poilievre will run in the Battle River—Crowfoot byelection once it's called.

Alberta

The St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) is notifying irrigators that they are now accepting water orders.

For the 2025 irrigation season, water allocation will remain at 12 inches at the farm gate based on the recent Irrigation Water Supply Forecast from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation.

Crews have started flushing lines and are charging the system for water startup, expected to be available across the entire district by May 5th to 9th.

Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Appreciation was underway this week in Portage la Prairie, highlighting those who dedicate their careers to shaping young minds. Local early learning centres are taking time to celebrate their staff for the passion and hard work they bring to guiding kids through their earliest years.

The Portage la Prairie Fire Department is once again hosting its much-anticipated annual bike auction, marking the 45th year of raising funds for the Manitoba Firefighters Burn Fund. The event will take place on Saturday, May 3, with bike viewing starting at 9:00 a.m. and the auction kicking off at 10:00 a.m.

"We've got about 140 bikes ready for auction, and that number could still go up," said Curtis Rance, a firefighter with the Portage Fire Department.

"We'll have an auctioneer there, and bikes will be brought up one at a time for bidding."

In the last issue we discussed warm and cold clouds, and we learned that most of our local precipitation is produced in cold clouds, which means that most of it starts off as snow, even in the summer.

This week we are going to look at the different types of precipitation we experience and examine how each type forms.

Next on our list of precipitation types is sleet or ice pellets.

This form of precipitation is created when raindrops freeze in the air before they reach the ground.

The next generation of Manitoba musicians will be descending on Portage la Prairie this weekend for the Provincial Music and Arts Festival, the first of two that will take place in the province this month.