Portage

The Manitoba Museum might have one of the largest collections of Hudson’s Bay artifacts, but its CEO isn't bitter the defunct retailer's crown jewel isn’t destined for her institution.

There will soon be a new home for the 355-year-old royal charter that birthed the Bay, giving it extraordinary control over a vast swath of unceded lands — and enormous influence over settlers' early relations with Indigenous Peoples.

The Tampa Bay Rays recalled 25-year-old outfielder Tristan Peters from triple-A Durham, Peters will join the Rays for their west coach swing, starting in Seattle.

Drafted out of Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the seventh round by Milwaukee in 2021, Peters has starred at triple-A this season. The six-foot outfielder owns a .282/.370/.453 slash line, 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases through 105 games for the Bulls.

While the Manitoba government begins mosquito spraying in Winkler due to high West Nile virus risks, Portage la Prairie reports low mosquito counts and no current plans for spraying.

Paul Ziesmann, Superintendent of Public Works for the City of Portage La Prairie, says mosquito numbers in the area remain well below thresholds that would trigger control measures.

Glyphosate, a key product that is used by a number of farmers, could be coming to an end.

Bill Anderson, the CEO of Bayer, noted on Wednesday that the company will be forced to end its US production of glyphosate, unless regulatory or legal changes are made to prevent litigation.

Harvest operations are slowly starting to get underway. Crop condition and staging across the Prairies is variable depending on location and rainfall patterns.

In Manitoba, early reports of swathing in canola have come in from the Interlake and Central regions, along with some winter cereals.

Oilseed Specialist Sonia Wilson put together this week's Manitoba Crop Report.

If you were caught dodging downpours or peeking out the window at grey skies Friday morning, you're not alone. Much of southern Manitoba, including Portage la Prairie, woke up to bouts of heavy rain, flashes of lightning, and a lingering smoky haze. According to Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor, it’s all part of an unsettled weather pattern that's expected to stick around for another day.

Portage la Prairie’s annual charity softball game between industry giants McCain and Simplot took place Thursday evening at Rotary Republic Park, carrying special meaning this year as players and fans gathered in memory of Scott Williams, a beloved former employee who passed away earlier in 2025 after battling cancer.

The long-running rivalry, known locally as the ‘Battle of the Tater Titans,’ began in 2004 as a way to support cancer care for families connected to both companies.

Update:

The power was restored just before 12:30 p.m.

Original story:

An unplanned power outage was affecting nearly 1,000 customers in Portage la Prairie this morning.

The outage began at 10:23 a.m. Friday, August 8, and impacting areas south of Saskatchewan Avenue from Royal Road to Elm Street, as well as some locations north of Saskatchewan Avenue along the same stretch.

Manitoba Hydro says 996 customers were without power.

A quiet Thursday afternoon turned chaotic at GME Thrift Emporium in Portage la Prairie when a vehicle accidentally crashed through the store’s south wall.

A store manager said the incident happened around 2 p.m. on August 7 at the shop’s location on 2380 Sissons Drive, in the city’s west end.

Advance polls in a historic federal byelection for Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot open today.

For the first time ever, Elections Canada says voters must fill out a blank ballot.

The agency lists a record 214 candidates running in the rural riding, with voting day on Aug. 18.

The majority are part of the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group calling for various changes to Canada's electoral system.