Scoreboard/Line-up - Wednesday, May 28
Portage Chamber backs trade law, urges continued action
The Manitoba government’s push to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers and promote Canadian-made goods is receiving strong support from the Portage la Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce, but the Chamber wants to see more than just announcements.
Earlier this month, the province introduced Bill 47, the Fair Trade in Canada Act, which would make it easier to do business across provincial lines by adopting a system of mutual recognition. The legislation is part of a broader effort to strengthen the national economy amid global uncertainty.
Warm weather will wake Manitoba’s mosquitos and raise disease risk
Once temperatures and moisture levels line up, the province's most infamous summer pest will return in full force.
Dr. Bryan Cassone, a biology professor at Brandon University, says it’s remarkable how resilient mosquitoes are in surviving Manitoba winters.
"They're hardy," says Cassone. "They over-winter as either eggs or really early larvae stages depending on the species, and they're able to survive until conditions become favourable."
Sunny days return with Splash Island’s June 2 opening
After a month of preparation, Splash Island Waterpark in Portage la Prairie is on track to open Monday, June 2.
Staff have been working since the start of May to get the popular water park up and running. Though the site isn’t fully ready just yet, the team is confident they’ll meet their target.
“It's not 100% there yet, but it absolutely will be by next week,” notes Zapphira Major, recreation manager for the Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA). “They put a lot of work into it.”
Canada Post puts forward ‘final offers’ to union as overtime ban continues
Canada Post on Wednesday laid out its "final offers" to the union representing 55,000 workers after negotiations resumed Wednesday morning, as tensions run high over the future of the beleaguered institution.
Included in the proposal are an end to compulsory overtime, a signing bonus of $1,000 for urban employees and $500 for rural and suburban ones, cost-of-living payments that are triggered at a lower inflation threshold.
Parliament gets back to work with a new prime minister and many new faces
Parliament gets back to work Wednesday with a new Speaker, a new prime minister and plenty of new faces in the House of Commons.
Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia will preside over the House of Commons for the first time today, while his office has confirmed that all 343 members of Parliament have now been sworn in.
Roughly a third of those MPs, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, were elected for the first time in April and will face their first question period today.
Human smuggler sentenced to 10 years after frozen deaths of Indian family at border
A judge in Minnesota has sentenced a man to 10 years for his role in a human smuggling operation that saw a family freeze to death in southern Manitoba near the Canada-U.S. border.
Harshkumar Patel, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, did not address the court.
A co-accused in the case, Steve Shand, was to be sentenced later Wednesday.
Judge John Tunheim described the crimes as "extraordinarily serious.”
A jury convicted the two men last fall on four charges related to bringing people illegally into the United States from Canada.
City crews freshen up road lines for summer
The City of Portage la Prairie is rolling ahead with its annual street line painting program this week, and local drivers are asked to take extra care while crews are on the roads.
The work is expected to take five to seven days to complete, with crews operating daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The goal is to freshen up road markings across the city to help improve safety and visibility for drivers.
Stay back and let the paint dry
City councillor Faron Nicholls says it’s a simple request that goes a long way.
Automated variable rate system helps irrigators get it right
InteliRain is like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but for irrigation farmers — getting their fields “just right” for water distribution.
The Calgary-based company uses an automated variable rate irrigation system that allows growers to maximize yields, minimize workloads and conserve water.
One dead, one injured in RM of Stanley crash
A 64-year-old man is dead and another man is seriously injured following a two-vehicle collision early yesterday morning in the RM of Stanley.
Around 6:15 a.m. on May 26th, Carman and Manitou RCMP responded to a report of a crash at the intersection of Road 5N and Road 25W. Upon their arrival, they found local fire crews and EMS already on scene, tending to the occupants of two vehicles, which were found in the ditch.