Portage

A Portage la Prairie woman is turning memories of her rural upbringing into a heartfelt children’s book that’s capturing imaginations and celebrating the simple joys of farm life. Brenda Solomon explains she never expected anyone, besides her family, to see the book.  

“It was just meant to be a bit of a memory. I started it out as a little project for my grandkids, my kids, and a few of my family members, and it grew into something a little bit bigger,” Solomon says.  

The City of Portage la Prairie has officially launched its annual Spring Yard Waste Collection program, which will run throughout the month of May. The initiative is designed to help residents dispose of yard and green waste efficiently, aligning with their regular solid waste collection days.

"It's an annual program the city facilitates. We partner with a third-party contractor to collect yard waste right from the curbside, on the same day residents put out their solid waste.” said Paul Ziesman, Superintendent of Public Works.

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Martha Kehler. Martha embraced the arms of her Lord and Saviour on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at the age of 86 years.  

Funeral Service will take place on April 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM at MacGregor Sommerfeld Church.

Burial will be at Austin Sommerfeld Cemetery.

Viewing will be held on April 28, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Clarkes Funeral Home Macgregor, MB

Donations may be made to MacGregor Health Foundation

Clarkes Funeral home Gladstone/MacGregor in care of arrangements. 

THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH

NHL
Playoffs - Round 1
Game 3
Winnipeg 2 at St. Louis 7
Winnipeg leads series 2-1

Playoffs - Round 1
Game 3
Toronto 3 at Ottawa 2 (Overtime)
Toronto leads series 3-0

Playoffs - Round 1
Game 2
Florida 2 at Tampa Bay 0
Florida leads series 2-0

Playoffs - Round 1
Game 3
Vegas 2 at Minnesota 5
Minnesota leads series 2-1

Dozens of people lined up Thursday night to air opposition to and support for Manitoba's plan to add gender expression to the human rights code — a move that would include protections for people to be called by their preferred pronouns.

Derek deVries, pastor at Park City Gospel Church in Winnipeg, said the NDP government's bill would force Christians to go against their beliefs.

"This (proposed) law forbids Christians from following Christ's example. It requires speech he would not permit," deVries told a legislature committee.

The Portage Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is set to transform its challenging parking lot into a safer, more accessible space after receiving a $14,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Portage and District. The funding will address the current dirt-and-mud terrain riddled with potholes and uneven ground, which has long hindered accessibility for visitors, particularly those with mobility challenges.

A family's birthday tradition is helping push the Accessible Playground Equipment fundraiser forward in Portage la Prairie. Kim Wikdahl, a volunteer and co-chair of the Parks Committee, first pitched the idea in 2022 after seeing a family help their child, who uses a wheelchair, get on and off a school bus. It made her realize how few accessible options there were in the city's parks. 

Gas prices across Manitoba are seeing marginal movement this month, with only slight fluctuations of one or two cents per litre. While wholesale prices have dipped from around 90 cents to just under 88 cents, Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, says the real shift is coming at the retail level, where stations are sacrificing their margins just to stay in the game. 

“Gas stations are often running at zero margin,” McTeague notes. “They're able to make it up on sales of diesel, premium, or even what they sell in stores.” 

Manitoba's energy regulator has approved higher natural gas prices.

The Public Utilities Board says rates for a typical residential customer will rise 12.4 per cent, or about $73 a year, starting May 1.

The board says the increase is due to several market factors, including reduced natural gas storage levels in North America following a colder winter.

Higher demand for liquefied natural gas was also cited.

Gas rates are reviewed regularly and the next review is slated for August.