Michael Blume

This past Wednesday, October 30, saw a surge in fraud-related reports to the RCMP. We wrote of one instance last week, and more reports are coming in.

Portage and MacGregor Incidents

On that day. RCMP in Portage la Prairie received reports of two seniors being defrauded after they got phone calls from a man claiming to be a lawyer for their grandchild. The caller gave the victims their grandchild's name, told them the grandchild was in jail, and said they needed money for bail.

The second annual Beef and Forage Conference took place this week in Portage la Prairie, with the first having been in Brandon. Shawn Cabak, a livestock and forage specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, is one of the organizers. He says they had a great lineup of speakers from across the Prairies, as well as some American speakers.

Following a burst in the "grandparent scam" reported Wednesday, Stride Credit Union's Eastern Regional Branch Manager Patrick Callin noted that October 30 saw a peak in related calls.

A senior from Portage la Prairie narrowly escaped a major financial scam by putting on her detective hat. The resident, who chose to remain anonymous, explained that she received a call on her landline from a private number.

Rash of reports in Portage la Prairie

Several calls came in Wednesday (October 30) about the exact same scam.  Take the advice of this fortunate and fast-thinking senior who realized what was happening.

We've seen the Queen's Jubilee Medal program celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 50 years as monarch, followed by the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal commemorating 75 years on the throne. A medal is forged for each significant milestone of the monarchy in Canada, and the next is the King's Coronation Medal.

Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie says the medals haven't been delivered yet, but 20 have been allocated to his office for the region’s representation.

Former Member of Parliament Robert "Bob" Sopuck was known as a tireless advocate for rural communities and a valued friend and mentor. he passed away on Wednesday, October 23, at his residence near Sandy Lake. 

Sopuck served as MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa from 2010 to 2019, in representation of rural Manitobans with dedication and 

Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie was given the privilege Monday in the House of Commons to honour the man whom he called his former boss, mentor, and friend. 

Premier Wab Kinew presented the heroes from the first response team for their work at the Carberry Tragedy last year with Order of the Buffalo Hunt.

Manitoba Hydro announced that drought conditions have impacted its financial status, resulting in a $157-million net loss for the corporation.

Media Relations Officer Peter Chura explained that low water levels lead to less surplus energy available for sale.

Conservative Members of Parliament from across the country gathered Wednesday for their regular weekly caucus meeting.

Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie noted it was nice to get back to the office.

He is supporting a piece of legislation brought forward by a colleague, Bill C-379, aimed at ensuring repeat offenders remain behind bars.

Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie has relayed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's call for a non-confidence vote in the House of Commons in order to trigger what they are calling a "carbon tax election".

Leslie is back in Ottawa and says he is ready for Parliament to resume in a few days, with caucus meetings scheduled over the weekend.