Portage

The federal government plans to work urgently to remove Chinese tariffs on Canadian agriculture and seafood products, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday.

"The Canadian government is engaging with its Chinese counterparts at the ministerial level and we'll continue those discussions," Carney told reporters after meeting with premiers in Saskatoon.

"They're a top priority for us." 

The commitment came in a statement after the meeting and it says premiers want Canada's trading relationship with China to improve. 

Manitoba politicians reached a deal to speed passage of a free trade bill Monday, hours before the legislature was to break for the summer. More than 30 other bills were also set to be approved on the last day of the spring sitting.

The trade bill, based on a deal with Ontario, would remove trade and labour barriers for some goods and services between Manitoba and other jurisdictions that pass similar laws. Other provinces have recently joined the effort, as part of a national plan to boost the economy and respond to tariffs imposed by the United States.

Chase Stegall, the 20-year-old son of Winnipeg Blue Bombers legend Milt Stegall, has died.

The Blue Bombers confirmed the news in a statement shared Monday by team President and CEO Wade Miller.

“We are heartbroken to learn of the sudden and tragic passing of Chase Stegall, beloved son of Blue Bombers legend Milt Stegall,” said Miller. “Chase was a bright and talented young man with a promising future, and his loss is felt deeply across our entire Blue Bombers family.

Donald Neil McDougall

On May 29th, our beloved husband and father, Donald Neil McDougall, passed away peacefully at St. Claude Health Care Centre at the age of 88 years.
Neil will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife Sharon, and his children Donald and Susan. He was predeceased by his parents Donald & Dorothy (Toucher) McDougall, along with his seven siblings.

Busses were seen outside of CanadInns Portage around 4PM this afternoon.

Some evacuees appeared to be waiting on board, with more waiting outside the front entrance of the hotel.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Monday hotels in Winnipeg are opening up to thousands of evacuees who have fled their homes due to raging wildfires.

Speaking ahead of the premiers' conference in Saskatoon, Kinew said some 1,000 hotel rooms are being made available for evacuees in the province's capital city.

"Nobody wants to sleep on a cot for more than a day or two, even in an emergency," Kinew said.

"We're connecting folks who need those enhanced accessibility supports first and then broadening it out to everybody else who needs help, too."

Four medical students from the University of Manitoba recently spent a week in Carberry as part of their Rural Week program, gaining valuable insight into rural healthcare and community life.

Rural Week is a one-week learning experience for all first-year medical students enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. It provides an opportunity to get first-hand experience and exposure to not just rural and northern medicine but also rural and northern life.

A 47-year-old Winnipeg man has died following a two-vehicle crash late Saturday afternoon on McGillivray Blvd. in the RM of Macdonald.

Emergency crews from the Stonewall/Headingley RCMP detachment responded just after 4 p.m. to the scene near Road 8E, where a motorcycle and an SUV had collided.

RCMP say the crash happened when a 17-year-old driver of a westbound SUV attempted to pass another vehicle and collided with an oncoming motorcycle heading east.

As northern wildfire evacuees continue to settle in Portage la Prairie, Mayor Sharilyn Knox is calling on residents to help meet some immediate, critical needs. A new donation drive is now underway at City Hall to collect essential items for families who were forced to leave their homes behind.

In a public notice issued this afternoon, Mayor Knox outlined a list of urgently needed supplies. All donations must be new, unopened, and have original tags to ensure the health and safety of the recipients.

Urgently needed items include:

The federal government is investing $15 million into Protein Industries Canada; the funding is being used to strengthen Canada's agri-food sector.

The new funding will focus on genomics and AI programs by bringing new tools to plant breeders, farmers, ingredient processors, and food manufacturers.

The programs will enable farmers and companies across Canada’s agrifood sector to build a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable food system.