Portage

Ukraine and its allies held a virtual meeting Sunday as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares for a high-stakes discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said in a Sunday afternoon statement that he took part in the call with the "Coalition of the Willing," a group of nations that have agreed to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian's full-scale invasion. The statement did not indicate that Carney would be part of Monday's discussions.

A deeply personal homecoming brought Alberta-based Métis author Karen Hourie Ellefson back to Portage last week, where she hosted a special reading of her children’s book inside the Hourie House, a historic building named after her own family.

The event was part of a free summer reading program at the Fort la Reine Museum, organized in partnership with the Family Resource Centre. The museum’s executive director, Emma Ens-MacIver, says the experience was both meaningful and memorable for Ellefson and the community alike.

What began as a spur-of-the-moment decision by Jim Brands to take his motorcycle out for a spin has grown into a weekly tradition that draws riders from Portage la Prairie and beyond.

Brands says the idea first came to him about six years ago while standing in his front yard. He noticed his motorcycle sitting in the garage untouched for weeks, and his boat sitting idle in the yard. That prompted a thought: something needed to be done. Remembering how a cousin used to phone friends to ride somewhere for supper, swap stories, and then head home, he decided to do the same.

Boxelder bugs are starting to gather in greater numbers around Portage la Prairie as summer winds down. John Gavloski, entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture, says they begin leaving the trees where they feed in late summer and fall, searching for warm, protected places to spend the winter. Buildings with large south or west-facing walls are especially appealing, and some bugs find their way indoors.

In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "Ya like jazz?"

If so, you may well take an interest in this Portage local.

Every Wednesday at the Portage la Prairie Regional Library and Thursday at the Prairie Fusion Art Gallery, “Jazzy John” Sushelnitsky offers free performances of swing-era jazz that echo across the prairies.

A retired teacher, John brings decades of musical devotion and community spirit to life through his guitar—and now through his YouTube channel, John’s Jazz Joint.

Central Plains Cancer Services (CPCS) has been preparing for fall programming with some adjustments to a program that is returning.

Last fall, CPCS began hosting a wellness retreat at Southport for survivors and thrivers of a cancer diagnosis. Sharilyn Knox, Executive Director of CPCS, notes that this year's edition is starting to fill up already.

When Prime Minister Jean Chrétien got hit in the face with a pie 25 years ago, the only thing hurt was his pride.

A quarter-century later, Canada's security landscape has changed radically. Threats of violence against politicians have become far more common. What seemed like a harmless prank then looks more like a warning now.

"There is this view that you're a politician, it's all fair game," said Catherine McKenna — who was herself the target of multiple threats of violence while she served as a federal minister.

The Pan American Health Organization says Canada has the highest number of measles cases on the continent and more action is needed to address low vaccination rates.

The regional agency within the World Health Organization, which covers North and South America, says there has been an exponential rise in measles this year. 

As of Aug. 8, it recorded 10,139 confirmed measles cases across ten countries, representing a 33-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024, when there were 311 cases. 

Brad Sanderson and Tyler Klassen of Portage la Prairie have spent decades restoring and maintaining vintage cars. Sanderson, president of the Vintage Cruisers car club for the past 10 years, has been working on classic vehicles for 35 to 40 years. Before retiring from corrections in 2019, he worked in several body shops, including Dan and Pete’s Auto Body in Portage and others in Brandon. 

Two Grade 10 students from Portage Collegiate Institute have wrapped up their term as youth councillors for the City of Portage la Prairie, gaining hands-on experience in local government and community engagement.

Francois Barnachea and Yuvan Ramachandran officially concluded their roles at Monday night’s council meeting on Aug. 11. The pair began their term in the fall and spent several months attending meetings, supporting local initiatives, and helping organize events for their peers.