Portage

Portage la Prairie city councillor Joe Masi says this week’s throne speech offers a promising roadmap for Canada’s future, but the real progress will depend on how well all levels of government work together.

Speaking from Ottawa at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) annual conference, Masi, who also chairs FCM’s Election Readiness Working Group, says the federal government’s plans for housing, infrastructure, and public safety are in step with the needs of local communities.

Evacuees that have come to Portage will be able to get new washed clothes through the work of MCC in Portage.

Donors are asked to bring pre-washed, labelled clothes to be donated to those who have been relocated Portage la Prairie in order to facilitate easy distribution.

Donations can be dropped off at MCC between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 31. 

Adult and childrens clothing are needed, along with bathing suits that are in good condition.

See the full post by the Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation below.

As wildfires rage across Northern Manitoba, the city of Portage la Prairie is pulling together as a community to help those in need.

On Thursday evening, approximately 260 evacuees arrived in the city after being forced from their homes in communities such as Flin Flon, Cross Lake, and Pukatawagan due to the advancing fires. What began as a temporary setup at the CanadInns Portage Curling Rink has since transitioned into more long-term accommodations at local hotels, offering evacuees more comfort during this difficult time.

Prairie farmers may have to contend with rust this year, a disease that can significantly impact crop yields.

Dr. Kelly Turkington, a research scientist in plant pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lacombe, explains that rust spores typically originate from the Pacific Northwest and the Texas-to-Nebraska corridor in the U.S. These spores, which include stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, and crown rust in oats, are carried by the wind and usually start appearing in the prairies in June.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says thousands more evacuees are expected and the city of Flin Flon is virtually deserted as wildfires continue to rage in his province.

Kinew told a Friday news conference that the mayor, councillors, health-care staff, and other officials have had to depart Flin Flon.

"The only folks remaining on the ground are firefighters and folks in the office of the fire commissioner and RCMP, who are there to battle the blaze," Kinew said.

"We do expect some very, very challenging conditions in Flin Flon and in the surrounding community."

Almost no rain has fallen since April 1 in Nipawin and Prince Albert 

Rain has become a rarity in Nipawin, Sask.

In the 30 days of April, Nipawin received one millimetre of precipitation. In the first 27 days of May, the Environment Canada weather station in Nipawin recorded 1.5 mm of rain and snow.

It’s a similar story across the northern agricultural region of Saskatchewan. There’s been almost no rain this spring in Hudson Bay, Carrot River and Prince Albert.

The department says producer engagement, field demonstrations and making data available online are expected of its researchers

Agriculture Canada employs about 380 scientists at its 20 research centres across the country.

Their job?

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Portage la Prairie RCMP dealt with two separate incidents involving bear spray this past weekend, resulting in charges for both adults and youths.

Teens arrested after confrontation escalates

The first incident took place on Saturday, May 24, at around 4:45 p.m. While on patrol, RCMP officers observed two youths carrying bear spray. Police stopped the pair, a 15-year-old female and a 13-year-old male, both from Portage la Prairie, and placed them under arrest.

This week has seen significant fluctuations in the commodity markets, particularly in wheat and canola prices. Following the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend, wheat prices dropped sharply on Tuesday, falling by $10 to $15 per tonne.

Wildfires across Manitoba have forced many communities to evacuate and the number of displaced people in the province is getting close to 20,000.

With hotel space filling up all across the south, special accommodations are being set up and several hundred evacuees have already arrive at the Portage Curling Club located in CanadInns, with that space becoming home for the next while.

The entire community of Flin Flon and the surrounding area have been evacuated and the only ones who remain are those who are fighting the fires and many other communities have been affected.