Portage

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. 

Alberta is working on strengthening its market presence in Southeast Asia.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson is in Southeast Asia to promote Alberta as a reliable supplier of agricultural products.

The overall goal is to strengthen relationships with Vietnam and the Philippines to increase trade and investment opportunities that 
will directly benefit producers and processors by opening new markets for Alberta agriculture and food products.

Farm Credit Canada is investing $2 billion to advance agtech innovation in Canada’s agriculture and food industry. 

The money which will be invested by 2030 will direct more investment into innovative devices, instrumentation, research, and methodologies designed to improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

Stats show Canada’s agtech sector is lagging, putting Canada at a strategic disadvantage, while Japan  and the European Union have been increasing investments in ag tech.

Alberta's latest crop report shows 90 per cent of the provincial crop is now in; that's ahead of the 5-year average of 81 per cent. 

Roy Larsen, the director of Statistics and Data Development for Agriculture and Irrigation says seeding progress in the South is at 97 per cent complete, the North West at 93 per cent, the Central region is at 89 per cent, the North East at 86  per cent, and the Peace at 84 per cent.

Crop progress shows 99 per cent of the dry peas have been planted, while oats lag behind at 74 per cent. 

Portage la Prairie residents are seeing some relief as the thick wildfire smoke that shrouded the area over the weekend is beginning to clear.

Shannon Moodie, meteorologist with Environment Canada, says the air quality started improving early Monday morning.

"There’s some heavier smoke lingering in the eastern part of the region, just closer to Winnipeg,” she noted.

Environment Canada and Manitoba Health have issued a special air quality statement for Portage and areas east. In addition, an air quality warning is in effect for areas of the Interlake.

What started as a simple sketch on the back of a napkin has turned into a major recreation destination, according to the Portage Junk Yard Dogs Cycling Club.

A grand opening celebration was held Saturday, May 31 for the club's new Bike and Activity Park.

“I’m very thrilled and very relieved that this could all happen,” notes Gary Bergen, president of the Junk Yard Dogs. “Three years ago this was some sketches on the backside of a napkin. And that idea just kept growing.”

Bergen says the group felt it was finally time to celebrate the milestone.