Steinbach

The outdoor play area at the Steinbach Family Resource Centre is officially open for the season. 

Executive Director Jo-Anne Dalton says the space is ideal for families with young children who need a safe place to burn off some energy. 

The Province issued a wildfire update Friday evening at 5:06pm. Here's a breakdown of the information by region.

Eastern Manitoba faces largest wildfire threat

A massive wildfire near Bird River continues to burn out of control, prompting a mandatory evacuation of the community of Bissett. The blaze, known as Fire EA061, is estimated at 124,238 hectares and has forced the closure of Provincial Road (PR) 315 at Poplar Bay Road. Travel to Bird River and northward to PR 314 is restricted.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says there is a tonne of compassion being displayed as wildfires burn out of control in all regions of our province. 

Welcome to another Made in Manitoba, and this weekend we're focusing on a singer-songwriter from Westman, Scott Dunn, who is making his first appearance on our program.

Scott was born and raised in Deloraine, and now lives at Lake Metigoshe in retirement. That rural upbringing and lake life has inspired his music and sound. His musical journey started when he was only 6 or 7 years old, and he saved up to buy his first guitar from, you guessed it, the Sears catalogue! Playing consistently into his teens, before taking a brief break and picking it back up in his mid 20s.

People from Steinbach and surrounding communities waited at the doors for the opening of ROC Eastman’s Used Book Fair.  

Board Chair Shauna Doerksen says that the event has become embedded into the community.   

“Every opening day there are folks waiting outside to get in. Even you know summertime and wintertime and so just seeing folks outside waiting really demonstrates how much this has become a part of the community.”  

Prairie farmers may have to contend with rust this year, a disease that can significantly impact crop yields.

Dr. Kelly Turkington, a research scientist in plant pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lacombe, explains that rust spores typically originate from the Pacific Northwest and the Texas-to-Nebraska corridor in the U.S. These spores, which include stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, and crown rust in oats, are carried by the wind and usually start appearing in the prairies in June.

Almost no rain has fallen since April 1 in Nipawin and Prince Albert 

Rain has become a rarity in Nipawin, Sask.

In the 30 days of April, Nipawin received one millimetre of precipitation. In the first 27 days of May, the Environment Canada weather station in Nipawin recorded 1.5 mm of rain and snow.

It’s a similar story across the northern agricultural region of Saskatchewan. There’s been almost no rain this spring in Hudson Bay, Carrot River and Prince Albert.

The department says producer engagement, field demonstrations and making data available online are expected of its researchers

Agriculture Canada employs about 380 scientists at its 20 research centres across the country.

Their job?

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As wildfires continue to ravage parts of Manitoba, communities across the province are stepping up to support those affected. 

This week has seen significant fluctuations in the commodity markets, particularly in wheat and canola prices. Following the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend, wheat prices dropped sharply on Tuesday, falling by $10 to $15 per tonne.