Portage

The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims’ families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.

A lawyer representing the families of two teenage girls murdered by notorious killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo said they had been denied the right to deliver their statements in person at Bernardo's upcoming parole hearing. The issue was raised by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during question period in the House of Commons Wednesday.

Portage la Prairie residents are halfway through their chance to help shape the city’s 2025 budget. The City Council’s first-ever budget planning survey has been live since October 29, and closes on November 30. With only a couple of weeks remaining, city officials are urging everyone to take a few minutes to weigh in on how their tax dollars should be spent.   

Randy Boissonnault is leaving his post as employment minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet after weeks of questions about the Edmonton MP's shifting claims of Indigenous identity and his business dealings.

"I always look for a silver lining out there, and unfortunately, I just didn't see it."

That's from Portage la Prairie MLA Jeff Bereza on his reaction to Tuesday's Throne Speech by the Wab Kinew government in the Manitoba Legislative Building.

He explains there was talk of a hydro rate freeze, but he wonders if this would set Manitobans up for higher hydro rates down the road.

The Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) Trojans football team wrapped up their season with a celebratory banquet on November 18, honouring athletes for their performance on and off the field. This year's event was particularly special, marking a return to in-person celebrations after several years. The event showcased the hard work and dedication of the players who helped the team achieve a successful season.

Head coach Brendon Brydges expressed his pride in the team's growth, noting the strong turnout and spirit of camaraderie. 

Closed highways to the west, southwest and northwest of Portage have brought traffic to a halt in many areas of Manitoba today. Roads are also very slippery inside the communities getting the snow as well. Snow plows have been busy since the wee hours of the morning in Portage and the RM of Portage however many roads will remain icy as crews make their way through the region.

A vehicle took a tumble into Crescent Lake earlier today but stopped before the brush on Crescent Road west across from Microtel in Keeshkeemaquah due to the extremely slippery conditions.

Alert Ready, Canada's national public alerting system, will be put to the test today.
    
An emergency alert test message will be sent out over multiple communications channels, including your local Golden West station, at 1:55 p.m. 
    

Treasury Board President Anita Anand is warning that if the House of Commons doesn't get back to regular business, some government departments might be in financial trouble.

On Monday, Anand tabled a supplementary estimates request for $21.6 billion to fund programs including housing, dental care and the national school food program.

One of the biggest-ticket items is $970.8 million for compensation adjustments for civil servants as a result of collective bargaining agreements.

A U.S. border patrol intelligence agent recalled Tuesday feeling horrified when he realized a group of migrants from India, including a young child, were out in a freezing blizzard on a stretch of open prairie at the border between Manitoba and Minnesota.

"My heart sank ... because there's more people out there," Daniel Huguley testified at the trial of two accused human smugglers. 

Some adult migrants had already been picked up after trying to walk undetected across the border on Jan. 19, 2022. One of them had a backpack, and Huguley said he looked inside.