Portage

Hockey players from across the world are travelling to rookie camps for various NHL franchises, and several Manitobans are making the journeys.

Dawson Cowan, a goaltender from Warren, Manitoba, plays with the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Spokane Chiefs, and just recently was in southern California, taking part in the San Jose Sharks' rookie camp.

Cowan notes that the experience of camp has been a big learning experience for him.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suffered another devastating byelection blow with the loss of a second Liberal stronghold, this one to the Bloc Québécois in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun.

Voters went to the polls Monday in the Montreal riding as well as in Winnipeg's Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP retained its long-held seat after a tough race against the Conservatives.

Trudeau already faced calls from party faithful to resign as leader after unexpectedly losing Toronto—St. Paul’s to the Conservatives in a byelection this past June.

Several rounds of severe thunderstorms have left parts of the Central Plains, Pembina and Red River Valleys drenched this morning. Not one, not two, but three waves of severe thunderstorms rolled through the region, with warnings issued for several areas south of Portage including Morden, Winkler and Altona. The warnings came between late afternoon Monday and early this morning.

The Portage Collegiate Saints golf team captured the Zone 4 High School golf championship banner Monday at the Scotswood Links golf course in Elm Creek. 

Brooke Henderson (90), Ella Harkness (93), Kora Montour (98), Lexi Henderson (116) & Paige Bailey (164) of PCI took the girls title with a score of 281. Rory Perrin (105), Willow Winslow (111), Rylee Harms (116), Delaney Darby (118) & Aubree Sloan (120) of Morden finished second with a 332 total.

The three best scores were used to determine the team results. 

A long-time Portage la Prairie School Division teacher and leader is moving on after 27 years.

Tracy Vanstone, the principal of École Arthur Meighen, will be taking on a new role with the Manitoba Teachers' Society (MTS) as of October 8, where she will work as the Staff Officer of Professional and French Language Services.

Manitoba's governing New Democrats ousted backbencher and defence lawyer Mark Wasyliw from caucus Monday, and Wasyliw fired back by accusing Premier Wab Kinew of being a micromanaging, toxic bully.

The NDP said it removed Wasyliw because a partner at his law firm is representing convicted sex offender and disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

Members of Parliament will hold an emergency debate in the House of Commons Monday evening on a string of recent deaths of First Nations people during interactions with Canadian police forces.

Six First Nations people have died in the last two weeks at the hands of police officers, which NDP MP Lori Idlout characterizes as a "disturbing pattern."

She wrote a letter to House Speaker Greg Fergus calling for the emergency debate, lambasting what she called a lack of media coverage of the deaths and inaction by the government to pass legislation on First Nations policing.

Winnipeg Goldeyes General Manager Andrew Collier has been named American Association Executive of the Year, the league announced Monday.
 
The 2024 season marks Collier’s 23rd as the club’s General Manager. He previously won the award in 2014 in the American Association and 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2009 in the Northern League.

Mother nature has recently blessed Portage la Prairie with above-seasonal days, and that trend looks to continue this week.

Christy Climenhaga, a Scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), says it will be an interesting and unsettled week across much of the province, especially parts of southern Manitoba.

Canadian farmers can take advantage of a program that can give them a leg up this harvest season through the Canadian Grain Commission's (CGC) annual Harvest Sample Program.

Through that farmers get an unofficial grading from the CGC which they can use to help market their commodities.

Program Manager of Analytical Services Kerri Pleskach talks about the program and how it helps out Canadian producers.