Portage

Portage la Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox says she is deeply frustrated following news that James Hilton, accused in the January crash that killed Portage resident Kellie Verwey, breached his release conditions this past Saturday after being sent to an unsupervised treatment facility. RCMP issued a warrant for his arrest and then located the accused late Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m incredibly frustrated with this situation and hearing this news in the last few days. My heart just goes out to the family who I feel just continues to be victimized in this situation,” says Knox.

North Memorial School in Portage la Prairie has started the year with fresh energy, welcoming new students, new staff, and new programs. Principal Valerie Smith says enthusiasm is high among students, parents, and teachers as the school heads into the fall.

Enrollment has grown by about 25 students, raising the population while still leaving space for more. Smith says the newcomers are already becoming part of the school community as “honorary Grizzly Bears.”

“We are really welcoming a lot of new people to our school,” notes Smith.

The Gladstone Flying Club welcomed the community to the Gladstone Airport just north of town this past Saturday for a day of flights, food, and classic cars, all in the name of raising crucial funds for airport operations.

Despite a morning of passing rain showers, the event drew an estimated 150 to 200 people who enjoyed plane rides, a barbecue, and a classic car show.

Pierre Poilievre is encouraging Prime Minister Mark Carney to adopt Conservative plans to deal with the country's housing crisis, which he said is entering a new phase as prices begin to fall in some cities.

At a press conference Tuesday in Brampton, Ont., the Conservative leader blamed Liberal policies for the housing crunch and invited the government to "steal our best ideas."

"They first inflated the housing bubble, and now Liberals are bursting the housing bubble," he said, noting that construction is slowing in Ontario.

Fiscal experts say Ottawa will have to be transparent with Canadians in the upcoming fall budget to justify a seismic shift in spending away from government programs and toward defence and infrastructure.

The federal Liberals are expected to table the annual budget sometime this fall, possibly as early as next month, after forgoing the traditional spring budget.

The Portage Terriers annual rookie game saw 9 goals scored, with only one in the Terriers' favour. The Dogs iced a lineup consistening of all rookies, including two players who are 15, against the Oil Capitals who dressed four 20-year-olds.

The first frame saw 22 shots directed on goal, but only four from the Terriers. Virden scored a pair of goals that Portage was unable to respond to in the frame, making it 2-0 Virden after the first period.

Farmers have had some decent harvest weather as they work on the harvest, with a few occasional showers moving through.

With combines rolling across the golden fields north of St. Claude, the Bruneau family is celebrating not only a surprisingly strong harvest, but over a century of farming on the same land.

“We’re four generations now, working on the fifth,” says Gerard Bruneau of N.G.B. Farms, where he farms alongside his father, three sons, and, occasionally, his two-and-a-half-year-old grandson Colter. “He loves being out here. I think he’ll be interested in taking it over, but he’s only two and a half, so we’ll see,” he adds with a laugh.

RCMP have reported at 4:16 p.m. Tuesday that they arrested James Hilton without incident and he is now in custody in Winnipeg.

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Portage la Prairie RCMP have issued an arrest warrant for 25-year-old James Hilton.

Police say Hilton breached conditions of his release order tied to several charges, including dangerous driving causing death. Those charges stem from a three-vehicle crash on January 15, 2025. Hilton was the accused in the tragic event that caused the death of area resident Kellie Verwey.

Erma Botterill is celebrating 45 years of service at Canadian Tire, a career that began in September 1980 and has spanned three store locations, multiple ownership changes and decades of technological evolution.

Botterill started at the original downtown location, which was later replaced by a store on the same plot, now Dufresne. The current site opened in 1999.

Over the years, she has adapted to changes in retail, from manually pricing items to today’s digital systems.