Portage

With the storm out of nowhere that blanketed Portage la Prairie within an hour, accidents have been taking place around the entire region.  A traffic light was taken out at 18th St W and Sakatchewan Ave.  

Here are some photos near Oakville that were taken at about 5:15 p.m. today, March 27.

Drivers say that roads are slippery but drivable once the sanding trucks deal with the situation.

Unofficial witness reports say no injuries appeared to have occurred.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is ramping up its efforts ahead of the upcoming federal election, launching a campaign aimed at ensuring the voices of municipalities are heard and their needs are addressed.

Joe Masi, an FCM board member and City of Portage la Prairie councillor, says the campaign is built around the theme of being Stronger Together: Local Strength, National Prosperity.

UPDATE: 4:05 p.m.

Visibility has since improved but is still far from ideal. Please remain cautious if you absolutely must be out on the highways.

You may want to consider staying home this evening if you're able.

The amount of snowfall in town is already so bad that it's near whiteout conditions at times, and on the highways, it's not bound to be much better.

If you absolutely need to be on the roads, as always, take it slow, use your lights, and give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.

Three eighth-grade students from Yellowquill School have leveled up their esports reputation, clinching fourth place in the Manitoba School Esports Association Tournament for Brawlhalla—a dramatic improvement after a challenging 2023/2024 season. The team, coached by Myles Hrechka, battled through the competition on May 18–19 in Winnipeg, supported by tech sponsors Alienware, Dell, and Intel Gaming.

As the weather warms and snow begins to melt, the condition of gravel roads in the Rural Municipality (RM) of Portage la Prairie can become a challenge for drivers. Garth Asham, the councillor for Ward 1 and Deputy Reeve of the RM, is urging residents to be cautious as they travel these roads in the coming weeks.

"Up until now, our roads are in really good condition," Asham said. "But with the expected snowfall today and Friday, it's going to change the condition of our roads quite a bit. We just have to be prepared."

The end of the month is Monday, and it looks like the last few days of it may feature a return to winter like conditions.

Canadian police patrolling corners of the dark web are well aware of the commonly nefarious ways criminals exploit artificial intelligence. 

There's deepfake pornography. Voice impersonation. Romance scams that turn into financial fraud.

But recently there's been a new twist — criminals offering to "jailbreak" the very algorithms that form the architecture of AI's large language models, or LLMs, tearing down their safeguards so they can be retasked for criminal purposes.

Call it tech support for cybercriminals.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26TH

MJHL
Playoffs - Quarter-Finals - Best of 7
Game 4
Northern Manitoba 4 Neepawa 3 (Double Overtime)
Northern Manitoba leads series 3-1

Manitoba U15 AAA Female Hockey League
Finals - Best of 5
Eastman 3 Central Plains 2
series is tied at 1-1

Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League
Finals - Best of 5
Game 3
WPG Wild 4 Brandon 3 (Overtime)
Wild win series 3-0

Liberal Leader Mark Carney is back in Ottawa today to deal with the fallout of new auto tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Carney said he was suspending his campaign plans for the day and would return to Ottawa to hold a meeting of the Canada-U.S. cabinet committee.

It's unclear when Carney will be back on the road to continue campaigning. 

Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) Grade 12 students are buzzing with anticipation as they prepare for an upcoming class field trip to Italy and Greece. For many, the journey marks their first time visiting Europe, offering a chance to explore ancient architecture, savour Mediterranean cuisine, and immerse themselves in vibrant cultures before graduation.