Portage

While many people had an extra day off for Good Friday, Portage la Prairie firefighters were busy responding to two separate grass fires near St. Ambroise.

Crews were dispatched around 3 p.m. and spent about 6 hours bringing the fires under control. A resident from the area also lent a hand by offering use of their tractor and the fire department was thankful for the extra support.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to strike down a key element of the Liberal government's environmental policy Friday as he and other party leaders got back on the campaign trail following the national leaders' debates in Montreal.

The campaigning Friday also coincided with the opening of the first of four days of advance polling across the country.

Both Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh stayed in Quebec to make announcements Friday morning, while Liberal Leader Mark Carney made his way to Niagara Falls, Ont.

Long-time broadcaster Paul Edmonds believes this Winnipeg Jets team is built different from years past and that this group could be on a special path as they get ready to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight against the St. Louis Blues.

'White Out' a special thing for fans and the team

This week, Portage saw leaders calling for change amid safety concerns, and a therapy dog bringing smiles to faces. Keep reading to see all of Portage's top news stories.

A routine stop at a business led to an arrest for the Portage la Prairie RCMP after an officer recognized a woman in breach of her court-ordered curfew.

Around 12:30 a.m. on April 7th, an officer pulled into a business on Saskatchewan Ave E and identified Denica Pearson, a familiar face to law enforcement. Pearson was previously released under strict conditions, including a curfew she was violating at the time.

At Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI), a quiet transformation is taking place—one that's changing lives, reducing conflict, and giving students a place where they can simply be themselves. At the heart of this change is Tyler Mauws, PCI’s Mental Wellness and Rehabilitation Coordinator, and the brain behind a rapidly growing wellness initiative rooted in compassion, connection, and community.

The 22nd Annual Keystone Alpaca Classic is underway this weekend at the Keystone Centre in Brandon. Alpaca enthusiasts and producers from across the Prairies and Ontario are gathering to showcase their top-quality animals and share their passion for alpaca farming.

Kim Dyck, President of the Manitoba Alpaca Club and owner of Hundredfold Farm in Stephenfield, says the alpaca industry in Manitoba started in the early 90s. "There's quite a few farms in Manitoba. We have about 10 or 12 members of the Manitoba Alpaca Club. Those people raise alpacas for their fiber."

With only ten days remaining before election day, voters in Riding Mountain electoral district will have five candidates to choose from in the upcoming federal election.

Advance voting kicks off starting today and will continue through the long weekend until Monday.

Elections Canada has their lists updated for the candidates of each constituency.

The five candidates for Riding Mountain are:

The Supreme Court of Canada says a person must wait seven years after completely finishing their post-secondary studies before they can be released from student loan debt under the federal bankruptcy law.

The top court's decision came Thursday in the case of Izabela Piekut, who received government student loans in the course of three university programs from 1987 to 2003.

Piekut later returned to school and earned a master's degree in 2009 without the help of additional student loans.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney spent his first English election debate presenting himself as a safe pair of hands for a country in crisis — while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre sought to frame him as more of the same after a decade of Liberal government.

Carney, who is leading in the polls, became the main target of all his rivals' attacks early in Thursday's final debate of the election — a trend that carried over from Wednesday's French language debate.