Ty Hildebrand

A music producer from Altona is making national waves. Laura Smith better known by her artist name Daggerss has been selected as one of just seven women across Canada to take part in Music Publishers Canada’s 2025 Women in the Studio National Accelerator, a program designed to support mid-career women and gender-diverse producers.

Now in its seventh year, the accelerator offers professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities with some of the top minds in Canadian music.

One of the oldest and most beloved fairs in Western Canada is back and better than ever! The Carman Country Fair runs this weekend (July 10–12), kicking off summer in the Pembina Valley with a full weekend of agriculture, entertainment, and high-octane fun for all ages. “This is the 145th Carman Country Fair,” said Elaine Owen with the Dufferin Agricultural Society. “Very few fairs have been around that long, and even fewer keep reinventing themselves like this one.”

Ashley Funk didn’t wake up expecting to become a hero. But during a torrential downpour on her family’s homestead, that’s exactly what happened when she discovered a litter of newborn kittens trapped under a flooded coop, and dug them out with nothing but a stick, her bare hands, and a whole lot of grit.

A stormy start

The story began after a recent summer storm dumped buckets of rain on Funk’s rural property.

On August 8th, Ryall Park in Carman will transform into a cosmic celebration as the community gathers for Table for 300: A Charlie Redstar Dinner, a long-table dining experience commemorating one of Manitoba’s most intriguing mysteries—Charlie Redstar, the UFO that captivated the town in 1975.

This unique event, hosted by Boyne River Keepers and Carman Dufferin Communities in Bloom, aims to bring together locals and visitors alike in a celebration of local history, natural beauty, and community spirit.

After three years of painstaking restoration, the La Riviere CPR station is ready to welcome visitors to its new home in Manitou. The Pembina, Manitou Culture and Heritage Association will host a grand opening this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with official ceremonies scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Originally built in 1898 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the station served the La Riviere community for nearly 80 years before being moved to the Archibald Historical Museum for preservation. When the museum closed, local heritage advocates stepped in.

In the early 1960s, during the height of Cold War anxiety, Canada quietly installed over 2,000 Fallout Reporting Posts across the country to track nuclear fallout in the event of an atomic attack. Now, over 60 years later, the Miami Railway Station Museum has resurrected one of these long-forgotten bunkers—this time as a museum exhibit.

This Saturday, July 5th, the first-ever 500 Stephen Car Show Fundraiser rolls into Morden Plaza(282 Loren Drive), offering locals a fun, family-friendly way to support one of the region’s most vital community centres.

Nothing says summer in southern Manitoba like the return of the Morden Farmers Market. Open every Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Suncatch on 8th Street in Morden, the market is a vibrant hub of fresh produce, homemade goods, and community connection.

For longtime attendee and first-year organizer Lorna Epp, being part of the Morden Farmers Market is more than just a summer activity — it’s a celebration of local life. “The people — yeah, I love the people,” Epp shared. “It’s a nice atmosphere. We’re outside. We’re happy.”

Over 2,000 entries poured in over the Canada Day long weekend as people across the Pembina Valley entered the Morden Home Hardware Rockin’ Summer Winning Weekend for a chance at some serious summer prizes. At the top of the heap? A 50” Samsung Crystal UHD TV from My AutoGlass and a Golden Ticket to the Rockin’ Summer Grand Finale at Morden Home Hardware.

The lucky winner? Tim Giesbrecht of Winkler, who says the win came after a pretty laid-back weekend.

Canada Day celebrations at Lake Minnewasta are well underway, and the energy is building for a day packed with family-friendly fun, lakeside vibes, and unforgettable fireworks. Morden’s annual Beach Blast is back, and this year's event promises to be one of the biggest yet.