Portage driver issued multiple tickets for speeding 145 km/h in a 100 zone

An 18-year-old from Portage la Prairie is facing the consequences after being caught speeding on the Trans-Canada Highway last week.

According to the Central Plains RCMP Weekly Report, a Portage officer was patrolling Highway #1 near the city on September 18 when the officer observed a vehicle passing other vehicles at a high rate of speed.

The officer used radar to verify the vehicle's speed and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle was travelling at 145 km/h in a 100 km/h zone in dense fog and without daytime running lights. 

NDP MP introduces bill to criminalize residential school denialism

An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.

If the bill is passed, people could be charged under the Criminal Code for promoting hatred against Indigenous Peoples by condoning, justifying or downplaying the historical and lasting impact of residential schools.

Austin and MacGregor Fire Departments team up to put out combine fire

Austin and MacGregor Fire Departments swiftly responded to a report of a combine on fire within the municipality of Austin this week.

According to an Austin MB Fire Department Facebook post, the incident occurred Wednesday, September 25. The post notes that MacGregor firefighters arrived on the fire scene first and had already begun suppressing the fire before Austin firefighters arrived to help with the effort.

The fire was reportedly contained exclusively to the combine, and no further damage transpired.

Terriers' annual meeting reveals financials, new board members

Monday night saw the Portage and District Terriers organization host their Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Stride Place.

The meeting focused on the replacement of several resigning board members, along with the release of their financial statement for the year. Re-elected President Dave Koroscil outlines how the organization felt about the season.

Colin Doyle and Brad Bailey attend annual Safety of Our Cities Conference in Mississauga

City of Portage la Prairie Public Safety Chair Colin Doyle recently traveled to Mississauga to attend a public safety conference with Director of Public Safety Brad Bailey. Doyle explained it was the second annual Safety of Our Cities Conference, which was spearheaded last year by the Edmonton police chief.

Foreign ministry rang alarm bell over challenges in countering disinformation online

Canada's foreign ministry expressed alarm about its shrinking ability to counter foreign disinformation online due to limited access to data and the evolving tactics of adversaries, a newly released memo shows. 

The memo, tabled Wednesday at a federal inquiry into foreign interference, noted Canada had led the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism to identify and respond to threats to democracy through open-source data analytics. 

Central Plains Capitals host weekend hockey showcase

A busy weekend at Stride Place saw 13 Women's U18 teams play a total of 26 games at the Central Plains Capitals U18 Showcase. The Caps' Head Coach, Ferdi Nelissen, who was also the Showcase Coordinator, says he was impressed with how the event went.

"The showcase went really well. We had teams from Saskatchewan, and all the way from British Columbia, we had two teams. So, we were really pleased, we had 13 total teams, and the competition was really good. It went off without a hitch; it's a great facility to host it in, and it was an excellent weekend."