Portage

A veteran Ottawa journalist is firing back against what he says are "entirely false" claims by a former Conservative cabinet

The Rotary Club of Portage la Prairie can almost cross a large project off their to-do list.

The duck pond at Island Park is almost complete, following the installation of some concrete bump-outs around the water. P.R. Director Preston Meier says the four-phase project started back in 2019.

"It had been a while since the club had done a major project," explains Meier. "We really envisioned taking the duck pond that was there for the last 100 years and trying to make it a special spot. We were able to meet with the City and develop a plan over four years."

The Portage Terriers and Winnipeg Freeze battled it out in a tighter game than most were expecting, with Portage coming out on top 2-1 in overtime. The Terriers came into the game winners of four straight, while the Freeze have only won one game this season.

A quiet first period saw just one entry found the scoresheet. Jacob Michelson would take a cross-checking penalty with 38 seconds remaining in the frame, which the Freeze would not get an opportunity to set up, thanks to a couple nifty clears from Owen Witt.

Manitoba's Health, Seniors, and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara recently visited Portage la Prairie, touring the new hospital alongside Premier Wab Kinew. Asagwara said the visit provided a valuable opportunity to engage with the community and healthcare leaders. 

The annual Pass, Set, Crush Volleyball Tournament held at La Verendrye School (LVS) recently concluded with an exciting victory for the boy's team from LVS. This year's event saw both boy's and girl's teams competing fiercely, with the boys unexpectedly clinching the championship title.

Mitch Nelissen, one of the coaches, and LVS Phys'Ed teacher expressed surprise at the boys' triumph. 

"We weren’t expecting to win, but the team came together and played exceptionally well."

The Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) Trojans football team faced a heartbreaking playoff loss against the Fort Frances Muskies on Thursday, October 24, ending their playoffs earlier than they hoped. Head Coach Brendon Brydges shared his thoughts on the game and the journey the team undertook this year.

"It was tough, especially since we had nine Grade 12 players, some of whom have been with the team since my first-year coaching."

Brydges emphasized the hard work and commitment demonstrated by the team throughout the season. 

Canada's long-held consensus on immigration is under threat but has not disappeared, the immigration minister said in an interview after announcing a major cut to the number of newcomers to Canada. 

On Thursday, Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to slash Canada's immigration targets by 20 per cent next year and admitted the Liberal government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Friday that Canada strongly condemns a new surge of "horrifying violence" perpetrated by gangs in Haiti.

Gang violence has increased in the Caribbean nation in recent weeks and the UN says gangs now control 85 per cent of the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

Kenya is leading a multinational security mission to restore order after gangs drove out the former prime minister with targeted attacks earlier this year.

A transition council is now leading the nation, with the goal of holding elections next year.

Here's a look at some of this week's top news photos as selected by editors.

A man uses an umbrella to shield himself from the rain while walking on the Stanley Park seawall across the water from downtown Vancouver, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A back-to-back often provides teams with an opportunity to demonstrate who they really are. Tonight will be no different, despite coming in against the team suspected to be the weakest in the MJHL.

The Winnipeg Freeze have a single win against the Terriers so far in their 185-game history, an overtime victory against the Dogs at the Hockey For All Centre. The Terriers led the game with a minute to play, but a goal with the Freeze net empty tied things up, and Elliot Perreault scored 44 seconds into the extra frame to spoil the dogs perfect record against them.