Steinbach

Connor Hellebuyck was perfect again on home ice, stopping all 22 shots he faced for his second shutout in a row on home ice, as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Dallas Stars 4-0 in Game 5 of their second-round series Thursday night at Canada Life Centre.

Facing elimination down 3-1 in the series, the Jets rose to the occasion in front of a raucous Whiteout crowd on a stormy evening in southern Manitoba.

Severe thunderstorms need rising air, and to get that you need heat, or rather, you need a large difference in temperature between two areas.

Many people associate thunderstorms with a very hot day, but just having one of those does not mean that there is a large difference in temperature.

To get thunderstorms on a hot day, you need to have cool air aloft.

Initiatives in Saskatchewan and Alberta recognize some of the country’s most extensive and unique remaining prairie ecosystems.

There’s a new focus on protecting biodiversity in native prairie grasslands in southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta.

It’s coming in the form of new “key biodiversity area” designations, denoting they’re home to species at risk in this rapidly vanishing landscape.

Bird River Bible Camp is celebrating as its power, and security surveillance have come back on despite a wildfire ravaging the area.

"As of this morning we got power back at the camp. We aren’t out of the woods yet; but we are witnessing the faithfulness and sovereignty of God," Southland Church, which runs the camp, says in a Facebook post.

Saskatchewan's Weekly Crop Report shows 49 per cent of the provincial crop has been seeded, that's up from 31 per cent last week and well ahead of the five-year average of 32 percent.

Crops Extension Specialist Meghan Rosso says pulse crops continue to lead in seeding progress with 78 per cent of field peas seeded, 71 per cent of lentils and 65 per cent of chickpeas now in. 

Wildfires in eastern Manitoba are causing significant damage to powerlines, resulting in power outages.

Peter Chura, a media relations officer with Manitba Hydro, says about 500 homes were without power as of Thursday morning due to blazes in the area.

"It's still a little bit difficult to put in a time of restoration on that because we're just accessing the areas where we've seen a lit of damage," he says, noting that damage includes burnt and fallen poles, powerlines, transformers, and other equipment.

A couple in West Hawk Lake are holding to hope as they are evacuated from the area due to a wildfire.

"Things are looking fine on our end, like the south," says TJ Harder, co-owner of Tallpine Lodges in the area.

He says on Wednesday night, a lot of smoke blew in, but otherwise it's been relatively normal—aside from, of course, an evacuation order the province recently put out.

More restrictions will take effect Friday morning in southeastern Manitoba, as the result of raging wildfires.

Our province announced Thursday afternoon that beginning Friday at 9 am, a full fire ban and backcountry travel restrictions will be implemented. This is for both inside and outside provincial parks. 

The impacted region includes Areas 1, 2 and 3, which basically includes everything east of Provincial Road 302. 

Our province says motorized and non-motorized travel will be prohibited without a valid travel permit.

As firefighters work tirelessly to control the wildfires threatening the Rural Municipality of Piney, residents are stepping in to help protect their communities. 

Josh Verhoog of Moonshadow Holsteins in St. Labre says he first noticed trouble on Tuesday. 

Dealing with a fire on your farm can be both dangerous and devastating. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce the risk of fires.

Improper use of burn barrels can easily start fires. People often contribute to the risk of fire by not using proper screens on burn barrels or clearing the grass around the barrel itself.