Quarry Days draws big crowds and good vibes

Quarry Days returned to Stonewall this past weekend, bringing with it the kind of small-town energy and big-community turnout that’s made it a staple of the Interlake summer for years.

The three-day festival, which ran from Friday to Sunday this past weekend, delivered exactly what people have come to expect, live music, food trucks, parades, a midway, and thousands of smiling faces. The street was packed from Friday night through Sunday afternoon, with locals and out-of-towners soaking up the last stretch of summer.

Fewer wildfires burning in Manitoba this week than last week

Submitted by cory.knutt on Tue, 08/19/2025 - 14:19

The number of active wildfires in our province has dropped slightly since last week.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service is reporting that there are now 153 active wildfires in our province, which is down from 161 on Wednesday. The total number of wildfires this year is 417, which is well above the average of 331 for this time of year.

According to the Manitoba Wildfire Service, there is a low fire danger in the majority of the province, with a moderate fire danger level in the central and eastern areas. 

Roughly 1,000 residents from Snow Lake, Man., set to return home after evacuation

Submitted by cory.knutt on Tue, 08/19/2025 - 11:11

A northern Manitoba town that has been evacuated twice this summer due to out-of-control wildfires has been given the go-ahead to return home later this week. 

The mandatory evacuation order for the roughly 1,000 residents who live in Snow Lake, about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, is expected to lift Friday morning. 

The town says in a Facebook post that a welcome centre will be set up at the community's hall to provide resources and assistance for returning residents, including mental-health supports and a food bank. 

Poilievre's byelection win sets the table for his return to Parliament this fall

Submitted by cory.knutt on Tue, 08/19/2025 - 10:23

After a summer of rodeos, dinosaurs and door-knocking, Pierre Poilievre is now officially heading back to Ottawa as a Conservative member of Parliament for Alberta.

The Tory leader will represent the sprawling rural riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, in the province's eastern region, after winning a byelection on Monday. 

"Getting to know the people in this region has been the privilege of my life," Poilievre told a crowd at a victory party in Camrose, Alta., on Monday night. "In fact, I've had a hell of a lot of fun."

Flight attendants union says tentative deal reached to end Air Canada strike

Submitted by cory.knutt on Tue, 08/19/2025 - 10:20

Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants have reached a tentative deal to end a strike that began on Saturday morning.

The airline said it will gradually begin operations Tuesday.

The two sides met through the night with a federal mediator before reaching a tentative agreement that will be brought to members of the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

"Your right to vote on your wages was preserved," the union said in a post on its website announcement the end of the strike.

Portage graffiti program on track as summer winds down

Submitted by cory.knutt on Tue, 08/19/2025 - 10:00

Portage la Prairie’s free summer graffiti removal program is wrapping up with just a few days left for residents to report vandalism.

The initiative, run by the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation (PCRC), offers property owners an easy way to have graffiti painted over or removed at no cost.

“This summer we've done 19 properties. Every year kind of varies in terms of size of projects and the number of tags we do," remarks Mari Kozar, executive director of PCRC. "If anybody has any graffiti to report, definitely get those reports into us."

Oakville eight-year old's pour heart into cancer fundraiser

This past weekend, the Sweetland family who live in Oakville, Manitoba turned a simple lemonade stand into a heartfelt community fundraiser in support of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation's Lemonade for Hope campaign.

For Kelly Sweetland, the initiative is deeply personal. "When my mother-in-law passed away eight years ago, we felt the need to fundraise for cancer care in her memory," she explained. Since then, more friends and family members have been affected by cancer, motivating the Sweetland's to continue fundraising.

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