Steinbach

Thousands of Manitobans remain out of their home communities due to wildfires.

With recent cooler weather — accompanied by rain in some areas — there was no word of additional evacuations as of Tuesday afternoon.

But the 13,000 residents of Thompson were still being told to be ready to evacuate if necessary as the forecast called for drier weather and strong winds.

The Canadian Red Cross was already housing evacuees in Winnipeg.

RCMP say they've arrested the pilot of a small aircraft that was allegedly hijacked from Victoria and flown to Vancouver International Airport, where other flights had to be temporarily halted.

RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say in a statement that a report came in just after 1 p.m. Tuesday about a Cessna that "had been hijacked" and was on its way to Vancouver.

Police say the "sole occupant" of the plane was arrested after it touched down. 

The company that owns a rail line and port in northern Manitoba has increased its capacity to transport goods, as governments eye potential growth in trade through Hudson Bay to overseas markets.

Officials with Arctic Gateway Group said Tuesday a new dedicated critical mineral storage facility has been built at the Port of Churchill, tripling the port’s storage capacity for critical minerals.

12-year-old Hudson Girardin had a terrific year with the U13 Southman Saints lacrosse team, and while he loved every minute this year, he's really looking forward to a bright future in the sport.

Before reflecting on the Saints season which was topped off by a championship, Girardin went back to the beginning and how he first fell in love with the sport. "It was my dad," he says with a smile. "I just watched him play and it really made me want to play. I started playing when I was seven, so before I got into organized lacrosse, I just played with my dad and my brother, too."

Manitoba Hydro is reminding customers to stay safe and informed when it comes to electricity use and power outages. 

Media Relations Officer Peter Chura says that while other places may experience brownouts, when lights dim due to high power demand, this is not a common issue in Manitoba. 

“We have enough capacity to serve all of our customers regardless of the situation.” 

When life gives you lemons...turn them into a business opportunity!

The Rural Municipality (RM) of Ritchot is once again hosting its Sweetest Lemonade Stand Contest, inviting local kids and teens to pour their hearts into a refreshing blend of entrepreneurship and creativity.

"We encourage children and youth under the age of 18 to set up a lemonade stand," says Danielle Peters, the RM's community engagement coordinator.

Southeast Cancer Support Services (SCSS) is launching a new initiative called Wishes of Hope.  

The program focuses on granting wishes for children with cancer in the Southeast area — whether that be a new toy, a bedroom makeover, meeting a hero, or going on an exciting experience. 

Underlying inflation remained stubbornly hot in June, leading financial markets and many economists to firm up calls for a third straight interest rate hold from the Bank of Canada later this month.

Statistics Canada said Tuesday that the annual pace of inflation accelerated to 1.9 per cent in June, up from 1.7 per cent in May and largely in line with economists’ expectations.

Prices didn't ease much at the gas pumps last month, the agency said, and higher prices on motor vehicles and other durable goods also drove inflation higher.

All proceeds from this week’s KPMG Taste of Summer Charity BBQ will go directly to the Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue (SAAR). 

Kitten palooza 

President Graham Pollock says they are very busy at this time of year. 

“This kitten season we've taken in a lot of kittens and younger cats and as a result, we've got a multitude animals in our rescue right now.” 

The Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) says the province remains at a moderate to high fire danger level, with small pockets of reduced fire danger observed. The fires of note status and sizes remain unchanged from Monday's reporting.

MWS has cancelled all burn permits for the Burn Permit Area, with no new burn permits issued at this time. Additionally, travel permits are required within active fire boundaries.