Portage

Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison today announced $3.4 million over four years to support the development of two new facilities at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) which includes the Omics Resource Centre at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and Beef Reprotech facilities at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE).

TUESDAY, JUNE 17TH

NHL
Stanley Cup Finals - Best of 7
Game 6
Florida 5 Edmonton 1
Florida wins series 4-2

American Association Baseball
Winnipeg Goldeyes 9 Sioux Falls Canaries 3

MLB
Toronto 5 Arizona 4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18TH

A Statistics Canada reports says Canadians are spending less time with friends than ever, with the decline sharpest among the working-age demographic.

The data released Tuesday show that in 2022, only 19.3 per cent of Canadians saw friends on an average day, down from 47.9 per cent in 1986.

The questions to those in the survey asks if they were with a friend or family member in person, separate from communicating using technology such as phone, email, or social media.

Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness of Manitoba, Bernadette Smith, says the province is responding to long-standing safety concerns at Oak Tree Towers in Portage la Prairie with major investments and collaboration.

"Safety and security are always our number one priority here in the province of Manitoba," notes Smith.

Manitoba Progressive Conservative leader Obby Khan was in Portage la Prairie Tuesday morning for a breakfast fundraiser and networking event alongside local MLA Jeff Bereza.

The event gave residents a chance to meet Khan face-to-face, ask questions, and share their thoughts on key provincial issues.

Khan says the visit is part of his ongoing efforts to connect with Manitobans across the province.

Katherine Knox has earned the title of valedictorian for West Park School's graduating class of 2025, and with it, the opportunity to reflect on a journey shaped by academic dedication, community involvement, and meaningful relationships.

"I was super excited," said Knox about being selected. "I'd been hoping that I would be valedictorian for a really long time. I was up against one other person, but it was still really nice to know that I got picked."

Manitoba's government has signed an agreement to support an area of Ukraine in its reconstruction efforts, including in the areas of agriculture and utilizing the expertise of Manitoba Hydro.

Premier Wab Kinew made the announcement in Calgary following the G7 leaders' summit in nearby Kananaskis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been scheduled to meet with Kinew but left early to go home.

Zelenskyy told the G7 that overnight Russian attacks killed 15 people and injured more than 150 in Ukraine and he called for support from allies.

Prime Minister Mark Carney pulled off a successful performance hosting the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., say some world leaders and foreign policy experts commenting on his perceived pragmatism and savviness.

Fen Osler Hampson, international affairs professor at Carleton University, said Carney guided the G7 "through the diplomatic Rockies," navigating "shifting weather" on the global front and avoiding "avalanches and treacherous cliffs."

Cory Moar is stepping into her new role as director at Portage Ukrainian Nursery School, but her roots with the school go back nearly two decades.

After university didn’t quite fit, Moar returned home to Portage la Prairie and began volunteering at the nursery school. It was then-director Lori who encouraged her to pursue early childhood education through Red River College’s program at Southport. She accepted the position at nursery school as an ECE ll in 2008  then became an ECE lll while working full-time.