Judy Peters

Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says the government is prioritizing rural recruitment, training and partnerships to improve access to care in rural communities. This comment was made in the midst of their listening tour, visiting various health-care facilities across the province.

Commitment to rural Manitoba 

Steinbach Youth for Christ Executive Director Rueben Singh is celebrating 20 years of service with the organization, reflecting on the changes he has witnessed and the ongoing impact of their work with youth in the community. 

Singh said while some challenges remain consistent, there have been notable shifts over the years. 

A blast of Arctic air has settled over southeastern Manitoba, bringing frigid temperatures that are expected to last well into the second week of February.

Meteorologist Natalie Hasell from Environment and Climate Change Canada says the cold snap is a result of an Arctic air mass moving in behind a passing low-pressure system. 

While temperatures dipped to frigid lows this month, Manitoba Hydro says electricity consumption hit a record high.

Spokesperson Peter Chura says the demand was so high that Hydro had to purchase additional electricity from the energy market. With power consumption rising each year, Chura says the utility is looking at ways to ensure supply keeps up with Manitoba’s growing needs. 

Manitoba Hydro says electricity consumption hit a record high on January 20th as extreme cold gripped the province.

Spokesperson Peter Chura says the demand was so high that Hydro had to purchase additional electricity from the energy market. With power consumption rising each year, Chura says the utility is looking at ways to ensure supply keeps up with Manitoba’s growing needs. 

Captain Lyle Davis of the Ste. Anne Fire Department says his team faced one of the largest incidents of their careers on Friday, responding to a multi-vehicle pile-up during a blizzard. 

“We were dispatched around 8:30 a.m. to a multi-vehicle accident on Highway 12, about three kilometres south of Ste. Anne,” said Davis. “As we were heading to the scene, I got another notification from 911 saying there had been multiple calls, and it was just piling up.” 

There’s confusion over whether the federal government will extend the deadline for making charitable donations eligible for the 2024 tax year. 

Keith Stewart, Regional Development Director for Adult and Teen Challenge of Central Canada, says many organizations are waiting for official confirmation. 

Stewart explains that donations mailed by December 31 are typically eligible for a tax receipt, but this year, a postal strike caused delays. 

More details have been released regarding the recovery of a 58-year-old man’s body from a pond in the RM of St. Anne on Christmas Eve.

According to a statement posted by the HEARTeam on social media, the recovery operation began around 2:30 p.m. on December 24 when they were called to the scene, just north of Steinbach. A skid steer loader had broken through the ice, and the man was reported missing.

Steinbach Community Christmas has wrapped up its hamper deliveries for the season, but the work isn’t entirely done. Co-chair Carolyn Peters says this year’s effort was a huge success, with 1,464 hampers delivered to families in need. The hampers reached 2,073 children, spreading Christmas cheer to homes across the area. 

Crews continue to clean up on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Winnipeg after a semi fire caused significant delays Saturday morning.

At 7:41 a.m., the Tache Fire Department posted a note to social media to alert motorists of closed lanes on the Trans-Canada Highway.

"TransCanada Westbound lanes near Dufresne closed due to semi fire."