Portage

The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a challenge of a government ban on firearms that Ottawa considers fit only for the battlefield, not hunting or sport shooting. 

The Liberals outlawed some 1,500 firearm models and variants in May 2020, meaning they could no longer be legally used, sold or imported. 

The move was generally applauded by gun control advocates as a first step toward removing firearms used in mass shootings from circulation. 

It was a love for design and commitment to her community that inspired Kim Puddicombe to launch her new business. As of this month, KIMBO Print will be serving Portage la Prairie and the surrounding area with custom printed apparel and promotional items.

Puddicombe says it was the right time to turn her creativity into a business.

“I was in the potato industry for 20 years, and I decided to take a different path,” she reflects. “I thought to myself, ‘What a perfect time to test the waters in this business’.”

Two Grade 12 students from Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) are being recognized for their strong performances at this year’s Skills Manitoba competition. 

Portage la Prairie MLA Jeff Bereza delivered a Private Member’s Statement at the Manitoba Legislative Assembly last week, honouring local business Shindico’s 50th anniversary. Founded in Winnipeg by Portage la Prairie brothers Sandy and Robert Shindleman, the company began as Greenberg’s Groceteria, a small grocery store that prioritized community support over profit.

A tense situation unfolded in Dauphin on Sunday when RCMP responded to a report of a firearm threat in a residential area. The incident, which occurred around 2:45 p.m. on Ida Street, led to the arrest of two teenagers and the seizure of a significant quantity of illegal drugs.

Police say a 17-year-old allegedly pointed a firearm at a 23-year-old woman before fleeing the scene. Officers arrived quickly and launched a search for the suspect. He was found and arrested shortly afterward. A 16-year-old was also taken into custody as part of the investigation.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney's French language skills will be put to the test, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will seek to turn his numbers around, when the five main federal party leaders square off in Montreal tonight in the first of two debates ahead of election day on April 28.

The two-hour French-language debate will be moderated by Radio-Canada's Patrice Roy and will focus on five themes: the cost of living, energy and climate, the trade war, identity and sovereignty, and immigration and foreign affairs.

The chief of a Dakota Plains First Nation is facing sexual assault charges following an investigation by Saskatchewan RCMP.

Donald Smoke, 53, currently the acting chief of Dakota Plains First Nation located southwest of Portage la Prairie, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault in connection with an incident reported to police in June 2024.

According to RCMP, investigators determined the alleged offences occurred in February 2024 in Kindersley, Sask. The complainants are both adult women.

Manitoba’s provincial and municipal leaders united at Tuesday's Association of Manitoba Municipalities Spring Convention to demand stricter federal bail reforms, citing preventable tragedies and systemic failures. The call follows high-profile cases like the killing of a young Portage la Prairie woman by a repeat offender released on bail.

A police pursuit near Sandy Bay First Nation has resulted in multiple weapons charges being laid against a 17-year-old after officers recovered firearms from a stolen vehicle. 

On April 6th, the Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNPS) was alerted by the RCMP to be on the lookout for two stolen trucks believed to be traveling toward the Sandy Bay community. Officers soon located the suspect vehicles — a white Ford truck and a Dodge truck — on Highway 50 near Langruth. 

Authorities have identified two persons of interest in connection to last month's fire at Grace St. John's Anglican Lutheran Church in Carman.
    
It didn't take long for Pembina Valley RCMP to declare the devastating early-morning March 13th blaze as suspicious and appealed to the public for any video surveillance footage that could help in the investigation.

Now, RCMP has released two photos from video surveillance depicting the persons of interest and are once again looking to the public, this time to help figure out who the pair is.