Portage

This past weekend, the Portage Ex Fair returned in full force with record-breaking attendance, expanded entertainment, and rave reviews from both visitors and vendors. 

Fair general manager Heather Greenlay and Paul Trimble, chair of the Gate and Midway Committee, agree that the three-day celebration delivered a strong showing despite challenges like heat and Canada Day logistics. 

A new exhibition now open at Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment in Portage la Prairie is stirring fond memories for anyone familiar with summers at Delta Beach.

My Delta Experience by local artist Karen Braden is on display in the Portage Mutual Gallery until Sept. 4, featuring 42 detailed works inspired by her time at the lake between 1980 and 2010.

Lee Beaton, manager of gallery operations, says Braden has been a longtime contributor to the local arts community and it’s special to see her work on full display.

A new powerhouse in Manitoba's women's slow pitch is making waves both on and off the diamond. The Prairie Queens, a competitive slow pitch team led by sisters Melora Barton and Ashley Ozunko, recently clinched the provincial title with a perfect 6-0 record, a remarkable achievement for a team in its very first season.

The idea for the team started as a casual conversation between the sisters, who had been subbing with other women's teams.

The 69th annual Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede is set to bring prairie history to life from July 24 to 27 at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum grounds in Austin. The long-running event blends rural heritage, entertainment, and hands-on exhibits for families, history buffs, and machinery enthusiasts alike.

Elliot Sims, executive director of the Manitoba Agricultural Museum, says the reunion offers a rare glimpse at the evolution of farm machinery through generations.

Ottawa is expected to miss its 2026 deadline to implement $10-a-day child care services across the country, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in a new report published on Wednesday.

The analysis concluded that just six provinces and territories are meeting that fee target now.

David Macdonald, an economist with the centre, said even though fees have dropped significantly everywhere, the federal government is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline.

Two active members of the Canadian Armed Forces are among four people arrested and charged on Tuesday for allegedly participating in an anti-government plot to forcibly take possession of land in the Quebec City area.

Three of the suspects, motivated by "violent extremism," planned to start a militia and "took concrete actions" to facilitate terrorist activity, the RCMP said. Two 24-year-olds and a 25-year-old allegedly took part in military-style training that included shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises, using a variety of firearms and high-capacity magazines. 

Fernand Gervais, of Bagot, Manitoba, passed away peacefully at the Tiger Hills Health Centre on July 7, 2025 at the age of 77 years.

Tuesday nights are about to get a lot more inclusive in Portage la Prairie, thanks to a brand-new swim program designed especially for children with special needs and their families.

SwimPossible, the brainchild of local parent and advocate Tara-Marie Hall, is diving into its first season tonight, bringing together children, families, and volunteers in a fun, supportive environment where every swimmer is celebrated for who they are.

With the end of the crop year coming up on July 31st, we are starting to see a seasonal slowdownof grain movement.

CN's Assistant Vice President of Grain, David Przednowek says even with the seasonal decline, they have still registered just over half a million tonnes of grain movement per week over the past couple of weeks.

"We are seeing the demand for CN supply hopper cars for grain movement decline. You know, in the past couple of weeks we've seen orders for CN supply equipment in that 3334 car per week range. "

Two people are dead after two single-engine planes crashed in mid-air south of Steinbach, Man.

Adam Penner, president of Harv's Air pilot training school, says the two were students and were practising takeoffs and landings in small Cessna planes this morning.

He says the two appear to have tried to land at the same time and collided a few hundred metres away from the small runway.

He says the planes are equipped with radios, but it appears the two pilots didn't see each other.