Portage

The Fort la Reine Museum, one of the oldest institutions of its kind in Manitoba, is receiving a boost to its operations with a $65,000 grant from the City of Portage la Prairie. Executive Director Emma Ens-MacIver is excited about the funding. Though they apply for the grant every year, this year’s grant is more than they've received in the past. This added financial support will help the museum add some much-needed staffing support. 

Earlier today, just before 1:00 p.m., a motor vehicle incident occurred on Saskatchewan Ave and Shindleman Way in the west end of Portage la Prairie.

Manitoba First Nations Police Services were on scene, and westbound traffic was partially blocked off.

No additional information is available at this time, but if it's made available, this page will be updated to reflect it.

The 2024 holiday season in Portage la Prairie was brighter and safer thanks to Central Plains Safe Ride Inc.'s successful Operation Red Nose campaign. The program provided 319 safe rides home and raised $11,120 in donations, which were distributed among the organizations that sent teams of dedicated volunteers to prevent people from drinking and driving in the community.  

Central Plains Safe Rides President Leo Lapointe shares his pride for their volunteers this year. 

It all began in 2016 when a young Portage resident gave hockey a shot. It didn’t quite click for him, but his love for skating remained. That’s when Joel Simpson discovered something new—speedskating. 

Simpson no longer lives in Portage, but Calgary. Still, Portage is where the journey began, as he made regular trips to Winnipeg to train in a sport that would eventually take him across the country. 

For the first time in nearly a decade, U18 hockey is returning to MacGregor. Brett Davey, President of the MacGregor Minor Hockey Association, made the announcement on Facebook a while ago, and the organizers are now waiting to find out what league the team will be playing in.

Davey outlines why they are coming back now.

With a federal election looming, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is launching Vote for Grain, a national campaign to engage grain farmers in the federal election and ensure their voices are heard.

A representative for the Canadian Red Cross says the situation on the ground in Myanmar is "still very dire and tragic" days after a massive earthquake that has killed more than 1,700 people.

Canadian Red Cross operations lead Chiran Livera said teams of staff and volunteers made up of both international and local Red Cross workers were in Myanmar when the quake hit on Friday, and they have been able to distribute help, including water and shelter kits, from warehouses stationed around the country.

Many butterflies, bees and moths are fluttering into oblivion. A new report co-authored by a Canadian researcher warns that more than one-fifth of pollinator species it studied in North America are at risk of extinction.

Potato seed producers in the Portage la Prairie area are expressing deep concern over the recent wave of cancelled orders. While the exact cause remains unclear, some are pointing to U.S. tariffs as a possible factor. 

Larger potato growers could be facing losses of up to $1 million in seed sales. These farmers supply the seed potatoes that other producers rely on to grow their crops. 

Industry voices growing concern 

Keystone Agricultural Producers president Jill Verwey says her organization is working with producers to bring attention to the issue. 

The Portage la Prairie School Division is continuing to lobby for long-term access to part of the Manitoba Developmental Centre (MDC), with a particular focus on the Aspen Centre. Superintendent Pamela Garnham says the division has already been using the site and will continue to do so for several more months.