PembinaValley

You could call it a Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week throwdown, one that will benefit two organizations as they strive to beat each other regarding who can sell the most of the delicious treats by end of day Sunday, May 4th. It all began with a phone call to us from Morris YFC's Jack Wiebe who wanted to issue a challenge to his colleague Sheridan Sawatzky at Altona YFC/Youth Unlimited.

A group trying to make a case for electoral reform by creating very long ballots is declaring victory in this week's election — even as critics accuse it of indulging in stunts that undermine democracy.

"It's been a success," said Mark Moutter, one of dozens of protest candidates who ran in the Ottawa riding of Carleton.

"I've never seen people looking more optimistically at electoral reform, ever."

Manitoba Agriculture has released its first crop report of the season, providing valuable insights into the current state of seeding and livestock activities across the province.

Oilseed Specialist Sonya Wilson says seeding is just getting underway, with provincial seeding progress at approximately three per cent. This is ahead of the five-year average of one per cent. Farmers are currently planting spring wheat, peas, and a small amount of oats, particularly in areas west of Brandon and near Rapid City, with some activity in other regions as well.

“How do people find their way if they’ve been sexually assaulted in Winkler, Morden, Carman? Where do you go, and how do you do this?” 

These are pressing questions that Ang Braun, the executive director of Genesis House, began wondering about a while ago. For many people in the Pembina Valley, they are questions with a difficult answer or no answer at all. 

"It's absolutely devastating to see what happened there."

That's how Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens is describing the aftermath of the Quality Inn and Suites fire that broke out late Tuesday afternoon, stressing how thankful he is there was no loss of life or serious injuries. 

Funeral For:  Ken Krahn 
Funeral Date: May 8, 2025 

With the recent election victory of Mark Carney and his Liberal team, the Grain Growers of Canada have emphasized the urgent need to address the ongoing tariff situation with the U.S. and China. Executive Director Kyle Larkin highlighted the severe impact these tariffs are having on Canadian farmers and the broader economy.

Tariff Challenges:

The Liberals rose from the ashes under Prime Minister Mark Carney in a stunning reversal of fortunes this year, but the party's failure to sweep many of the ridings it sought Monday night denied it a resounding majority mandate.

A big part of that failure happened in Ontario, where the party lost many incumbents — even as Carney called for a strong mandate to deal with the threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Elections Canada says more than 68 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the federal election — more than 19.5 million people.

While this election was widely expected to see increased turnout, it did not surpass the record set in March 1958, when 79.4 per cent of eligible Canadians voted.

But the nearly 68.7 per cent turnout was the best since the 1993 federal election, which saw 69.6 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

Conservative Ted Falk will serve another term as Member of Parliament for Provencher. 

Falk first became the Member of Parliament for Provencher back in 2013, when he won a by-election, taking 58 per cent of the votes. He then served in government for two years until the Conservatives were defeated by the Liberals in 2015. Though the Conservatives lost that election, Falk was victorious. He would go on to win subsequent elections in 2019 and 2021. With what appears to be another victory in 2025, this will be Falk's 5th term in office.