PembinaValley

Manitoba's energy regulator has approved higher natural gas prices.

The Public Utilities Board says rates for a typical residential customer will rise 12.4 per cent, or about $73 a year, starting May 1.

The board says the increase is due to several market factors, including reduced natural gas storage levels in North America following a colder winter.

Higher demand for liquefied natural gas was also cited.

Gas rates are reviewed regularly and the next review is slated for August. 

The Winnipeg Jets suffered a lopsided 7-2 defeat in St. Louis on Thursday night, as the Blues rode early pressure and a playoff hat trick from Pavel Buchnevich to claw back into the series.

The loss trims Winnipeg’s series lead to 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Sunday.

Buchnevich shines, Blues dominate from the start

Heading into the game, the Jets were well aware of the challenge ahead. Mark Scheifele had said earlier in the week that playing in St. Louis’ building would be a difficult test, and he was proven right in emphatic fashion.

Party leaders emphasized familiar themes Thursday as they criss-crossed the country to shore up support in the final stretch of the federal election campaign.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre began Thursday in Halifax — where he pitched a promise of change for Canadians struggling to afford life's essentials — before heading to Saskatoon.

In Coquitlam, B.C., Liberal Leader Mark Carney spoke about bringing Canadians together to build up the country to fight U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war.

Seed treatments can play an important role against disease, helping to give the newly emerging crop a better start.

Dr. Kelly Turkington, a plant pathologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe says seed treatments can effectively control seed-borne diseases such as Fusarium, spot blotch pathogens in cereals, and loose smut in barley. 

The Morden Chamber of Commerce and Winkler and District Chamber of Commerce hosted a Federal Election Forum Wednesday night at the Morden Activity Centre.

All five Portage-Lisgar candidates were invited, with Conservative Branden Leslie, Liberal Robert Kreis and People's Party of Canada candidate Kevin Larson participating. Also on the ballot are the Green Party's Janine Gibson and the NDP's Lisa Tessier, both of whom who did not participate in last night's event.

Some of the topics and questions asked by those in the crowd included:

Funeral For:  Henry Thiessen 
Funeral Date: April 27, 2025 
Henry Thiessen, 88, of Winnipeg formerly of Stuartburn, passed away Tuesday, April 22nd at Heritage Lodge. He is survived by his wife Susan, 1 daughter, 2 sons, 1 sister, 6 brothers and their families. He was predeceased by his parents Jacob and Ana Thiessen, 2 sons, 3 sisters and 6 brothers. 
The funeral service for Henry Thiessen will be held Sunday, 11am at Friends Funeral Service, 2146 Main Street, with burial at Reinfeld Cemetery. 
Viewing will be at the chapel one hour prior to the service. 

The second annual Canadian Wild Pig Summit is set to take place on April 29th. This virtual event will feature a morning of presentations focusing on wild pig monitoring programs and recommendations from Indigenous communities regarding the Canadian Invasive Wild Pig Strategy.

Organized by Manitoba Pork, Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, and Animal Health Canada, the summit aims to address the growing wild pig population in Western Canada. These animals pose significant dangers to people and livestock and cause considerable environmental damage.

The Western Dairy Expo begins today in Saskatoon, bringing together dairy producers from across Western Canada to showcase the best of the best in the dairy industry. 

The event runs through Saturday at Prairieland and is also being live-streamed.

The Expo starts at 2 pm today with junior events, featuring showmanship and a junior show where kids under 21 will present heifers.

If advance voting was any indication, it seems there is a lot more interest than usual in next week's federal election. 

Marie-France Kenny is Regional Media Advisor for Elections Canada. She says 7.3 million electors voted by advance voting nationwide. This represents an increase of 26 per cent compared to the last general election in 2021. 

Donald Bolen, the archbishop of Regina, is travelling to Vatican City for Saturday’s funeral of Pope Francis – a journey, he says, is to honour a pontiff who mirrored his vision and his compassion.

"When (Francis) put out a book called 'The Name of God is Mercy,' I smiled. Because my episcopal motto is 'mercy within mercy within mercy' — very much that same understanding,” Bolen said in an interview.

"I had enormous respect for Pope Francis through his pontificate.”