Candace Derksen

The Altona/Rhineland region has been selected for a second federal pilot program that aims to connect businesses and employers with the skilled newcomers they need to thrive.
    
In a follow up to the successful 5-year RNIP program, which saw over 140 successful applicants accept job offers from local employers before concluding this past August, the region will now participate in the Rural Community Immigration Pilot.
    

A diplomatic solution would be the ideal outcome to the looming U.S. tariffs, according to Bram Strain, president and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba.
    
Strain will be representing 100 of Manitoba's largest employers in his role on the Province's new U.S. Trade Council, made up of 16 of Manitoba's industry leaders, to support preparations for the tariffs.

He says they want to understand the tariffs' impact and where they could be mitigated or combatted.

Altona Town Council is taking action to address public transportation needs in the community. 

The group has engaged Eco-West Canada, a national not-for-profit organization based in Winnipeg with a mandate of promoting the sustainable economic development rural municipalities, to conduct a public transportation and fleet optimization study for the community.

With recent snowfalls and freeze/thaw cycles, police in Altona are reminding motorists to drive to road conditions.
    
The encouragement comes after officers investigated two separate collisions this past week. In both cases, police warned the motorists about their driving.
    
While the posted speed limit in town is 50 km/h, police note, however, if the roads are snow covered and slippery, motorists need to drive at a pace that allows them to maintain control of the vehicle.
    

Nearly a dozen Manitoba conservation officers are now patrolling along the Canada-United States border in the province and acting as another set of eyes and ears, supporting the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as they amp up their own enforcement of the international boundary. 

Altona Town Council is shelving plans to renovate the old library space in Golden West Plaza.
    
The plan was to transform it into some town offices, along with a few incubator offices and a meeting room available for short-term rent.
    

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• Former Altona library space to be transformed

However, Mayor Harv Schroeder says the plan was scrapped during recent budget deliberations.

A man from Altona is out nearly $1,000 after falling victim to a scam.
    
According to the Altona Police Service, the man received a phone call from someone claiming they needed to work on his computer. After he complied with the caller's requests, the scammer was able to defraud him out of $900.

This is just one example of the ongoing attempts being made to bilk area residents. 

The MP for Portage-Lisgar has been taking advantage of some newly found free time, thanks to a prorogued Parliament, using it to foster stronger community connections.

During this unusual time, Members of Parliament from across the country are able to spend more time in their constituencies rather than head back to Ottawa. It won't be until late March when they return to the capital.

Outreach in Communities

Branden Leslie says he's been able to connect with many people in Portage-Lisgar and discuss important issues.

We are being invited to bring Morden's cultural spirit to life. 

As the city prepares for the 15th annual Multicultural Winterfest, the organizing committee is looking for someone to design a mascot for the event and has launched a contest to find the perfect fit. It is open to people of all ages from communities throughout the region, not just Morden. 

"We actually just want to involve more of the community; to bring them together, to see what they'd come up with, how they feel about this festival and how they see it," explained Danny Rocha. 

Driven by the dedication and hard work of its employee-owners, Friesens Corporation has had a strong start to 2025 and is poised to continue that success. 

That strong employee-ownership culture was celebrated last week as the Altona-based book manufacturer hosted a memorable evening of celebration and camaraderie during an "Unplugged Nite” as part of its Employee-Owner Days. According to the company, about 300 employee-owners, along with its entire Book Sales team, participated in the event that took place at the Millennium Exhibition Centre.