Westman

More people in northern Manitoba are leaving their homes as wildfires continue to threaten communities.

The roughly 600 residents of Cranberry Portage have been placed under a mandatory evacuation order because fires have knocked out power to the community -- a situation expected to last for days.

An evacuation of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, which started earlier this week, is ongoing and officials are expecting five flights to leave for Winnipeg by the end of today.

Funeral For:  John Friesen 
Funeral Date: June 2, 2025 
After a rich life, John Friesen, of Winnipeg, passed away at the age of 94 on May 24th, 2025.
He was predeceased by his wife, Charlotte Perry, his parents, Isaac and Maria Friesen, and two sisters and two brothers. He is survived by his stepdaughter, Lianne Perry, five sisters, and four brothers.

There's no rain in the forecast for Flin Flon, Manitoba, over the next week as crews there fight a wildfire that's raging nearby.

Temperatures throughout the weekend are expected to range from the low to high 20s, before cooling off.

Thousands have evacuated the northwestern Manitoba city, including municipal government officials and health-care professionals.

Flin Flon mayor George Fontaine said on Friday that unless things changed, the fire was projected to take chunks out of the town.

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

The Canadian Red Cross is coordinating relief efforts, providing essential aid to evacuees and assisting in recovery operations.

In Westman, while the immediate threat of wildfires remains low, the community feels the impact deeply. The spirit of solidarity is evident as neighbors come together to support fellow Manitobans in need.

Ottawa probably can't help overhaul how municipalities raise funds in the near future, because the federal government is now focused on major, nation-building projects, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday

"We're building on what has worked. We're learning lessons from what hasn't," Carney said at an event held by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

The group represents cities and towns that have lobbied Ottawa for years to give them more independent means of financing their operations.

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says she doesn't blame First Nations leaders who are voicing frustration with governments promising to fast-track development in their territories in the name of national unity.

"I don't blame them. They're frustrated and they're being disrespected," National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday morning.

"If we're not at the table making these decisions right off the bat, this is what happens and it causes the Canadian government more problems later."

After being voted out of the Southeast Manitoba Hockey League, the Ste. Anne Sr. Aces filed a complaint with Hockey Manitoba in hopes of overturning the decision and be allowed to play in the 2025-26 season.

Back on May the 4th, Aces President and Head Coach Kevin Lansard was informed while at a league meeting that the original six teams of the SEMHL held a vote and ousted the Aces on the heels of St. Anne claiming their third straight league championship.

FRIDAY, MAY 30TH

Manitoba High School Athletic Association
Baseball Provincials
Birtle/Hamiota/Rossburn/Shoal Lake (Co-op) 7 vs Stonewall 3
Boissevain/Wawanesa (Co-op) 7 vs Goose Lake/Grandview (Co-op) 5

Quarterfinals
Birtle/Hamiota/Rossburn/Shoal Lake (Co-op) 9 vs Boissevain/Wawanesa (Co-op) 3

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.