Steinbach

One person is dead after a possible drowning Thursday on Caddy Lake.

At 1:22 pm, Falcon Lake RCMP received a report of a drowning. RCMP, the Whiteshell Fire Department, and emergency medical services responded immediately. 

It was reported that two men had entered the water, but only one resurfaced.

The Whiteshell Fire Department located the missing male under water. The 23-year-old from Winnipeg was pronounced dead on scene.

That is all the information that has been provided.

Falcon Lake RCMP continue to investigate. 

Canada’s labour market topped expectations in June amid a surprise surge in hiring.

Statistics Canada said Friday that the unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a percentage point to 6.9 per cent in June as the economy added some 83,000 jobs.

The vast majority of those jobs were part-time, the agency said, with 47,000 positions added in the private sector.

A Reuters poll of economists heading into Friday’s release had expected the jobless rate would rise to 7.1 per cent in June as employment levels held flat.

Environment Canada issued an Air Quality Warning Friday morning for all of southeastern Manitoba.

Wildfire smoke from northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan will be drifting across the province for the next several days. 

Local smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility. Motorists are asked to ensure their driving lights are on. 

During heavy smoke conditions, everyone's health is at risk regardless of their age or health status. 

You are encouraged to limit time outdoors. Reschedule or cancel outdoor sports, activities and events.

The NDP's leadership race to replace Jagmeet Singh will formally begin in September, with a six-month race to follow according to a rules framework adopted by the party's national council. 

A new leader will be chosen no later than March 29, when the party holds its 2026 convention in Winnipeg.

An entry fee of $100,000 has been set for candidates to show their "organizational and fundraising capacity."

Debates and other leadership events hosted by the party will be streamed online in both official languages, according to the framework. 

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports on Aug. 1 in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media Thursday night, evidently setting a new date for bilateral negotiations between the two countries. 

Canada and the United States had committed to working on a new economic and security agreement with a July 21 deadline for a deal. The boosted tariff pressures call into question progress toward the initial time frame.

As storm season continues, residents are being reminded of the importance of having a 72-hour emergency kit ready. 

A recent SteinbachOnline poll revealed that 63.95 per cent of respondents either don’t have a kit or haven’t even thought about putting one together. 

Steinbach Fire Chief Kel Toews says that statistic does not come as a surprise. 

"Simply put, the man is a living legend."

Those were the words of Steinbach Deputy Mayor Michael Zwaagstra on July 2nd, referring to Jake Epp. Zwaagstra made that comment at a City Council meeting after hearing Epp speak at the Mennonite Heritage Village Gala on June 27th. Epp passed away eight days later, on Saturday, July 5th, at the age of 85.

It's Feel Good Friday with the Steinbach Auto Dealers! Corny Rempel stopped by the AD Penner Park to treat some city workers to some free Starbucks, compliments of the Steinbach Auto Dealers. They got to pass on the blessing!

To watch more Feel Good Friday videos, click here! 

It's going to be a very special experience for a number of Steinbach football people as they get set to head out to Nova Scotia to be a part of U18 Canada Cup.

The Planning Manager for Hanover says they witnessed an explosion in construction in the second quarter of this year.

Jeremy Neufeld says the first three months of 2025 ended up being fairly average in terms of construction activity. He notes they were cautiously optimistic for the rest of the year.

"And then quarter two came and things, May and June especially, just exploded for us," says Neufeld.

He notes that as soon as road restrictions were lifted in May, the municipality saw a significant uptick in permits.