Portage

Portage la Prairie's Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) has several initiatives on the go to help continue their efforts in the community.

A BBQ at the Homestead Co-op this week will help with their safety patrols as well as a major accessible playground project, while a separate golf tournament later this month supports youth programs.

Portage la Prairie opened its doors, and hearts, last week as evacuees from northern Manitoba arrived after being displaced by fast-moving wildfires. With more than 260 people from communities like Flin Flon, Cross Lake, and Pukatawagan temporarily resettled in local hotels, residents and organizations in the City of Possibilities wasted no time stepping in to meet their needs.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is expected to introduce a bill today spelling out the federal government's next steps on border security.

The recent throne speech promised legislation to bolster security at Canada's borders and new tools for police and intelligence agencies to help them stop the flow of deadly fentanyl and its precursors.

The government also said the Canada Border Services Agency will be given new powers to examine goods destined for export to prevent the movement of illegal and stolen products, including cars.

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.