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Category: News

 

Snowbirds Arrive In Winnipegosis Today

Today is the day the Canadian Snowbirds perform in Winnipegosis.
 
Barrett Procyshyn, one of the organizers for the village's centennial celebrations, says you can't be on the lake during the performance...
 
"The water is closed in the whole Winnipegosis harbour, as per the Canadian Forces. So you gotta be at the beach to see them."
 
Procyshyn says the best day to be on the water is Sunday for the Mossey River raft race.
 
The snowbirds perform around 6.
 
Hydro Service Interruption Today In Pine River And Cowan
 
Manitoba Hydro customers in the Pine River and Cowan areas will experience an interruption to service this afternoon.
 
Hydro says the outage is necessary to safely repair substation equipment.
 
The outage is expected to last from 1:30 to 3:30.
 
About 340 customers will be affected.
 
Manitoba Crops Advancing Quickly

Crops are continuing to advance quickly in Manitoba.

The smoky, hazy conditions created by wildfires in the north have
not impacted crops, and may have helped buffer temperatures as well
as benefited crops in the drier areas of the province.

Over the weekend, areas of Manitoba saw thunderstorms with heavy
rainfall, strong winds, and in some cases hail. Crop lodging
occurred, particularly in spring cereals and corn.

Livestock producers were able to make progress with first cut
haying operations, although rain showers and high humidity impacted
some operations.

Winnipeg Explosion Investigation Expands

The investigation into a Winnipeg man accused of sending
explosives in the mail to lawyers and his ex-wife has expanded into
Alberta.

Police in Lethbridge were asked yesterday to check an apartment
building and mailbox for suspicious packages after Winnipeg police
said letter bombs may have been sent to a relative of Guido Amsel's
in the southern Alberta city.

Lethbridge police evacuated the apartment building and closed
roads in the area. They checked the building but no suspicious
packages were found.

They also checked a Canada Post mailbox containing undelivered
mail and nothing was found.

Soldiers Prepared For Saskatchewan Fires

After a day's worth of intensive training, some 360 soldiers from
Edmonton will hit the ground today and start helping in the fight
against wildfires threatening northern Saskatchewan communities.

Steve Roberts with Saskatchewan Wildfire Management says the same
training offered to the military will also be offered to other
groups, such as First Nations that want to join the firefighting
effort.

He says other Saskatchewan residents with previous training have
also volunteered and they will be added to the 600 firefighters who
have been working in the north for nearly two weeks.

Fires as well as thick smoke have forced an estimated
9000 people from their homes in more than 50 communities.

Pope Continues South American Tour

Pope Francis is wrapping up the first leg of a three-nation South
American pilgrimage.

The pope will visit the elderly and give a pep talk to priests in
Ecuador before flying to Bolivia.

The environment, ministering to the poor and the government's
tense relations with the Catholic Church are high on the agenda in
Bolivia.

Details
Category: News

 

KAP Farmers Recovering From Frost

Most canola and flax farmers in Manitoba have recovered after
many were forced to reseed following a frost in late May.

At the Keystone Agricultural Producers' general council meeting
in Brandon yesterday, the group's president, Dan Mazier,
said the frost wiped out over a million acres of crops.

But they were reseeded and have now caught up.

Mazier says there are a few areas in province that are dry but
for the most part, it's shaping up to be a nice, average production
year.
 
Winnipeg Bombing Suspect In Court Today
 
A Winnipeg man accused of sending letter bombs to two Winnipeg
law firms and his ex-wife is scheduled to appear in court today.

Guido Amsel, who is 49, is charged with attempted murder and
other offences but has not yet entered a plea.

Amsel is accused of sending small voice recorders packed with an
explosive compound to his ex-wife Iris Amsel's workplace, to her
lawyer and to a law firm that used to represent him.

The first bomb exploded nearly a week ago, causing severe
injuries to Maria Mitousis, the 38-year-old lawyer who represented
Iris Amsel in the couple's lengthy divorce. The other two bombs were
safely detonated.
 
Saskatchewan Firefighters Making Progress
 
Firefighters in northern Saskatchewan say they're making progress
against wildfires that have forced more than 9000 people
from their homes.

Better visibility allowed tankers to drop water on the flames.

Governor General David Johnston spent part of yesterday visiting
some evacuees in Regina, where he praised what he calls the
firefighters' ``great professionalism.''
 
Tobacco Companies In Court After Lawsuit
 
Lawyers for Canada's big three tobacco companies are due in a
Montreal court this morning after they were on the losing end of a
costly class-action ruling early last month.

That's when a judge ordered the companies to pay $15 billion to smokers who either couldn't quit or who suffered
tobacco-related illnesses.

Today, the companies will try to quash the part of the ruling
that forces them to make an initial payment of more than $1.1 billion in the coming weeks whether or not they plan to appeal.
 
Greece Tabling Bailout Plan Today
 
This is the day the Greek government pledges to table a detailed
plan to try to get the country's battered finances in order.

The plan will be examined by eurozone creditor countries before
Sunday's meeting of all 28 European Union leaders.

The weekend conference in Brussels is viewed as Greece's last
chance to stay in the group of 19 countries using the euro as their
currency.

Since 2010, Greece has had two bailouts from its European
partners and the International Monetary Fund totalling $330 billion.

And, Greece is seeking a third bailout.
 
South Carolina Legislature Votes To Remove Confederate Flag
 
The South Carolina Legislature has voted to take down the
confederate flag from the grounds outside the building.

It was raised more than 50 years ago to protest the civil rights
movement.

The confederate flag was viewed by many African-Americans as an
affront after nine black churchgoers in Charleston were shot to
death June 17th in what police allege was a hate crime.

Details
Category: News

"Great Things Happen In Manitoba Schools"

The math isn't adding up for some Manitoba students, and a recent report from the C.D. Howe Institute shows international exam scores are falling below average.
 
Manitoba's Education Minister says the results don't show any distinction between city students and rural.
 
James Allum says the test results are only good at a provincial level, and don't show what's happening at a regional level.
 
Allum wants to remind people that 86 per cent of Manitoba students are meeting or exceeding expectations, and the vast majority of kids are doing very well in the educational system.
 
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Province Denies Budget Report Request

Manitoba's finance ministry has refused a request by The Canadian Press to release any documents forecasting deficits or surpluses beyond 2017 for the so-called summary budget.

The summary budget is an overall plan that includes Crown corporations and is used to determine whether the government is abiding by the province's balanced-budget law.

The department says the forecasts were prepared for the NDP cabinet.

It says that means they must be kept secret under the freedom-of-information law that shields virtually any cabinet document from public release.

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FCC Makes Major Donation To STARS

The STARS air ambulance system has received a $500,000 boost from Farm Credit Canada.

The contribution will be spread evenly over STARS operations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta over the next five years.

It will be used to help cover costs associated with medical and communication equipment, helicopter upgrades and training.

STARS president and CEO Andrea Robertson says the ambulance service is something many who work for FCC in rural Saskatchewan have at their disposal if it is needed.

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Truth And Reconciliation Report Released Tomorrow

Just over 130 years after the first Indian residential schools were established by the Canadian government, the commission examining the dark legacy of the schools is set to release its summary report tomorrow.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has spent five years examining the now-dismantled system that was designed to ``take the Indian out of the child.''

Survivors say the crowded institutions were rife with physical and sexual abuse, unsanitary conditions and -- according to commission chief Justice Murray Sinclair -- were responsible for perhaps six-thousand deaths.

Himself a survivor, Manitoba's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson says the number of kids who died at residential schools is just one of the areas that needs more exploration.

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Canada Failing At Protecting Ocean Ecosystems

A newly released report says Canada is doing a poor job of protecting its ocean ecosystems from industrial development.

The study by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says only 0.11 per cent of Canada's ocean territory is fully closed to what it calls extractive activities such as fishing and oil and gas development.

It notes in the US and the UK, such ``fully closed'' areas represent closer to 10 per cent.

The report expresses particular concern over the Laurentian Channel off Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ottawa is considering protecting the area, but its proposal would still allow oil and gas drilling and seismic testing within the protected zone.

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Female Mounties Trying To Certify Lawsuit

Several female Mounties from across Canada will be in BC Supreme Court today, hoping to certify a class action lawsuit against the police force.

About 360 current and former RCMP members are alleging gender discrimination, bullying and harassment within the force.

Joanne Mayer worked for the RCMP in the late 1980s before quitting because of alleged sexist treatment.

She says she felt compelled to come forward with her story after hearing about the experiences of RCMP veteran Janet Merlo, who launched the suit three years ago.

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Category: News

Details
Category: News
 
Today A "Prime Opportunity" For A Church Apology
 
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says today is a "prime opportunity'' for some past wrongs to be acknowledged by the Catholic Church.
 
Perry Bellegarde is urging Prime Minister Harper to use his
meeting today with Pope Francis at the Vatican to secure a papal apology for the church's role in Canada's residential school legacy.
 
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which spoke to thousands of surviving students about abuses suffered, issued recommendations last week that included a call for a papal apology on Canadian soil.
 
To date, the Vatican has only issued a communique of sympathy.
 
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Possible Strike For MLGA Members
 
Manitoba Government and General Employees Union members from the Manitoba Liquor and Gaming Authority have voted in favour of possible strike action in negotiating a new contract with LGA.
 
MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky says members want to see a fair and reasonable wage increase and they want their health benefits to remain intact.
 
Gawronsky says there are two main groups that would be affected by any potential strike taking place.
 
"The liquor inspectors, they do the liquor permits and the inspecting of social events, making sure that the bylaws and liquor laws are being followed. The gaming folks are the ones that approve raffles, and they look after the VLTs across the province and make sure all of the laws with that are being followed." 
 
LGA spokesperson Liz Stevenson says they're prepared to negotiate with the union whenever they're ready.
 
Until that happens, Stevenson says they will continue conducting business as usual.
 
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Possible Trade War Starts To COOL Down
 
The US Congress has taken the first step in backing away from a continental trade war and the threat of punitive tariffs from Canada.
 
A repeal of a controversial meat-labelling law sailed through the House of Representatives by almost 70 per cent and will now face a tougher test in the US Senate.
 
The meat-labelling law had prompted threats of tariffs from Canada against a range of American products including wine, chocolate and frozen orange juice.
 
Before the vote, Canadian ambassador Gary Doer said he wanted to see the measure pass the House with 250 votes, which would represent a healthy majority. It wound up getting 300 votes.
 
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Cop Killer Was Wanted For Anti-Semetic Bullying
 
Edmonton police say a man suspected in the shooting death of one of their officers was being investigated for a hate crime that was anti-Semitic in nature.
 
Forty-two-year-old Norman Raddatz allegedly mounted an online campaign of extreme bullying against another man in the city last year.
 
Police say the target and his family became so concerned for their safety that they filed a complaint a few months ago.
 
Police believe they found Raddatz's body in the burned-out remains of his home.
 
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Wait Times Still The Worst In Winnipeg Hospitals
 
Winnipeg hospital emergency room patients continue to suffer the longest waits to see a physician in the country.
 
The Canadian Institute for Health Information says 90 per cent of city ER patients got to see a doctor within five-and-a-half hours in 2013-2014.
 
The Canadian average was 3.1 hours.
 
Grace General Hospital had the longest waits of any emergency room in Canada for the second year in a row.
 
There, 90 per cent of patients had to wait almost eight hours to see a doctor. That's still an improvement over the previous year, when it was over nine hours.
 
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Saskatchewan Siblings Detained For Disrespecting Sacred Mountain 
 
A brother and sister from Saskatchewan have been detained on suspicion of posing naked at the top of a sacred mountain in Malaysia just days before an earthquake killed 18 climbers on the mountain.
 
Lindsey and Danielle Petersen are being held for four days while they're investigated on allegations of indecent behaviour.
 
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan has blamed the earthquake on a group of 10 foreigners who allegedly stripped down, saying they showed disrespect to the mountain.
 
He has said a special ritual will be conducted to appease the mountain spirit.
 
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Amazon Now Offering Clothing Items For Canadian Customers
 
Amazon.ca wants shoppers to say ``Yes'' to the dress, along with the shoes and the jacket.
 
The online retailer has launched a new section on its Canadian website devoted to clothing and shoes, for both men and women.
 
It's the latest move by the Seattle-based retailer to grab a bigger share of the shopping list.
 
The company already offers an array of consumer goods in Canada, like non-perishable grocery items, electronics and housewares.
 
In the new section, Amazon says it will carry brand names like Levi's, French Connection and Puma - with 1.5 million new fashion items stocked altogether.
 

Details
Category: News

Details
Category: News

No Decision In Wrongful Conviction Case

A judge has reserved decision on whether to exclude one of the
people named in the lawsuit of a man now living in Winnipeg who is
seeking more than $6 million in compensation for wrongful
conviction and imprisonment.

Stephen Lakas, formerly of New Brunswick, was convicted of sexual
assault in 2010 and spent two years behind bars.

He alleges there was evidence that supported his case, including
telephone records, that his legal aid lawyer knew about but didn't
present at his trial.

Lakas was released in June 2011 after an appeal was granted and a
new trial ordered. The Crown later withdrew the charge.
 
Sewer Problem Relocates CancerCare Patients
 
An overpowering sewer smell in St. Boniface Hospital has caused
CancerCare to relocate some of its treatments.

CancerCare CEO Dr. Sri Navaratnam says cancer patients are very
sensitive to any smell and can become nauseated by bad odours if
they're going through chemotherapy.

CancerCare is advising people with regularly scheduled outpatient
treatments at the hospital that their appointments will be relocated
for the next several days.

About 20 to 50 patients per day will be affected by the change.
 
Health Canada Wants Nutrition Label Changes
 
Health Canada wants to overhaul labels on packaged foods so it
will be easier to tell which ones are loaded with sugar.

The department is acting on complaints from consumers and
dietitians who say it's hard to make sense of the current labels.

With obesity on the rise, Health Minister Rona Ambrose says it's
important for Canadians to know that any food with a sugar content
of over 15 per cent is ``a lot.'' 
 
BC Wildfire Still Burning
 
Firefighters have their hands full battling an out-of-control
wildfire 160 km northeast of Vancouver.

Since the blaze broke out south of Lytton on Thursday, it has
charred 15 sq. km

Dry conditions are fuelling the blaze, which has forced 10
families from their homes on the Lytton First Nation.
 
Charges Laid In Escaped Prisoner Case
 
An employee of an upsate New York prison is spending the weekend
in jail after being charged with helping two inmates escape from the
maximum-security institution last Saturday.

Authorities allege Joyce Mitchell, who works in the prison tailor
shop, gave hacksaw blades and chisels to the two convicted killers,
who cut through their cell walls before fleeing.

Mitchell has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Her next appearance in a Plattsburgh court is set for Monday.

In the meantime, about 800 police officers continue to look for
the two escapees.
 
Tropical Storm Carlos Gaining Strength
 
Tropical storm Carlos is gaining strength off the Pacific coast
of Mexico.

Forecasters predict the storm, which has winds of 100 km/h, could strengthen into a hurricane tomorrow.

Carlos is centred over the eastern Pacific about 200 km
south of Acapulco. 

Details
Category: News
 
Berens River Man Killed In Hit And Run
 
Police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run that happened in rural Manitoba over the weekend.
 
Early Saturday morning, RCMP were called to a collision involving a vehicle and pedestrian on Main Street in Berens River.
 
When officers arrived, a male was suffering serious injuries and the vehicle has left the scene.
 
The 29-year-old victim - from Berens River - was transported to a local nursing station, where he succumbed to his injuries.
 
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact RCMP or Manitoba Crime Stoppers.
 
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Bowman Marches In Pride Parade
 
Numerous politicians marched in yesterday's Pride Parade in Winnipeg, but one in particular had people buzzing.
 
Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman gave a speech about acceptance before marching alongside other participants.
 
Bowman's predecessor, Sam Katz, would raise the rainbow flag at City Hall to kick off Pride Festival.
 
But organizers say they don't know why Katz never participated in the parade.
 
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Stronger Clubroot Strain Vexing Scientists
 
Researchers are grappling with a tough new strain of clubroot that can overcome resistant varieties of canola.
 
Agronomy specialist Dan Orchard with the Canola Council of Canada says there are 16 fields confirmed in Alberta with a strain of clubroot that has overcome all of the resistant varieties on the market.
 
Clubroot has been in Europe for centuries but was first discovered in Western Canada near Edmonton in 2003, and since then it has steadily moved from a few fields to 30 municipalities.
 
Low concentrations of regular clubroot varieties have been found in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but not the newer strain.
 
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Ritz Talks Foreign Workers For Agriculture
 
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the government knows the red-meat sector needs long-term employment solutions, not temporary fixes.
 
Ritz says the government has some programs that allow foreign workers to become permanent residents, but acknowledges that more needs to be done.
 
Canadian Meat Council spokesman Ron Davidson says they don't want temporary workers.
 
Davidson says they want permanent workers who want to immigrate to Canada and be Canadian citizens.
 
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Lac-Megantic Hearing Begins Today
 
A Quebec superior court will begin hearing arguments today on the future of a proposed $431-million settlement offer to victims of the 2013 Lac-Megantic rail disaster.
 
A class action suit against some 25 companies has been put on hold pending the outcome of the settlement offer.
 
But Canadian Pacific Rail has refused to participate in the offer and is challenging its legitimacy.
 
CP says it wasn't responsible for the disaster that killed 47 people, noting it had handed off the oil train to Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway.
 
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Dinosaurs Devour Box Office
 
The dinosaurs of ``Jurassic World'' are stomping the competition.
 
The first new Jurassic movie in 14 years had the biggest global opening ever this weekend with nearly $512-million.
 
Its North American opening is the second largest, at an estimated $204-million, just behind ``Marvel's The Avengers'' from 2012.
 
Melissa McCarthy's comedy ``Spy'' dropped to a distant second, followed by the earthquake disaster flick ``San Andreas.''

Details
Category: News
 
2015 Incidents On Par For Parkland RCMP
 
Incident numbers for Parkland RCMP in the first quarter of 2015 are on par compared to a year ago.
 
Staff Sergeant Lee Fortin says break and enters and theft-overs were up over January, February and March.
 
Fortin explains a group of out-of-towners were responsible for a lot of the disturbances earlier this year.
 
 "We had a group operating in town stealing snowmobiles and ATV's and we've charged 3 people for that and we believe they're responsible for a lot more. Since we've apprehended them - for this quarter - everything's pretty much on par with where we were last year."
 
For example, Fortin says this year there's been 12 theft-unders; last year there was 16. There was 2 theft-overs in 2014 over the same period, this year three, so everything's been pretty close.
 
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NDP Spends Big On Steady Growth Campaign
 
The Manitoba government spent almost one million dollars in the last fiscal year on signs and advertisements promoting its Steady Growth, Goods Jobs campaign.
 
Documents obtained by The Canadian Press show the government spent $665,000 on television, radio, newspaper and online advertisements.
 
Another $327,000 was spent putting up hundreds of signs at construction sites, housing developments and other areas.
 
Rachel Morgan, a press secretary for the provincial cabinet, says the money is for a public awareness campaign that shows Manitobans their money is being put to use on infrastructure.
 
But the Opposition Tories have called the Steady Growth campaign taxpayer-funded propaganda.
 
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Terrorist Suspect Never Charged With Crime
 
The Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties says it's outrageous that a Canadian citizen is facing 25 separate bail conditions without being charged with a crime.
 
Twenty-three-year-old Aaron Driver of Winnipeg spent a week in jail after being arrested on suspicion he may aid terrorist groups or activities, but has since been released on bail.
 
He must be monitored electronically around the clock, can't own a computer, and must undergo religious counselling.
 
Published reports have said Driver posted messages on social media that praised terrorist activities.
 
Authorities are seeking a peace bond to limit his activities -- measures Ottawa says are needed to protect Canadians from terrorism.
 
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Civil Groups Lash Harper In New Report
 
With just months before an expected October election, a report is being released today by a coaliton accusing the Harper government of stifling dissent by punishing civil society groups.
 
The report documents the grievances of groups it says were denied money by the government or were subjected to other forms of intimidation simply because they disagreed with the Tories.
 
Among its signatories are the heads of Amnesty International Canada and Greenpeace Canada.
 
The coalition accuses the government of muzzling scientists, and undermining the work of the military ombudsman, the commissioner of the environment, the correctional services investigator and others.
 
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Foreign Meat Seized At Border
 
Canadian border officials have butchered a traveller's plan to bring a stash of raw meat into the country.
 
The Canada Border Services Agency says 27 kilograms of undeclared raw meat were seized at Toronto's Pearson International Airport recently.
 
Border officers found a selection of products including partly frozen beef cuts, whole goose and smaller avian birds.
 
A traveller from Egypt was counselled about the requirement to declare all food, plant, animals and related products.
 
The meat was seized and destroyed.
 
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Flooding Delays Stanley Cup Celebrations
 
It took the Chicago Blackhawks 77 years to win the Stanley Cup on home ice -- and last night, the NHL team had to wait a few extra minutes after beating Tampa Bay 2-0 to celebrate with the actual trophy in hand.
 
When the final buzzer sounded, the Stanley Cup itself was not yet in the United Center because of severe rainstorms in Chicago that left many streets flooded.
 
A police escort helped get the Cup to the arena for the on-ice celebration.

Details
Category: News
 
Dauphin CAO Praises New Recycling Program
 
A new recycling initiative designed to bring the City of Dauphin's larger apartment blocks on board is going well.
 
CAO Brad Collett says the city has had great cooperation with community landlords and there have been excellent numbers thusfar...
 
"As of today (Tuesday), we've delivered 113 of the 95 gallon rolling bins to apartment complexes. We've got 26 scheduled for delivery tomorrow (Wednesday), as well as 8 scheduled in the future, and we`re only waiting for a hand full of landlords to return our phonecalls, so things are going very, very well." 
 
Collett says as the rolling bins are delivered, the recycler is notified and begins pick-up immediately.
 
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Sex Assault Suspect Found Guilty
 
A jury has found a Winnipeg teen guilty of a brutal sex assault on his girlfriend that has left her permanently incontinent.
 
The teen, who was 15 at the time of the March 2012 attack, cried when the verdict was delivered yesterday.
 
Sentencing isn't expected to occur until the fall and the Crown says it will argue that the teen be sentenced as an adult.
 
The 15-year-old girl suffered extensive blood loss and major external and internal injuries and she had to undergo surgery.
 
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KAP And NDP Supporting Good Fertilizer Practices
 
The Manitoba government, the Canadian Fertilizer Institute and Keystone Agricultural Producers have renewed a commitment to sustainable agriculture practices through appropriate fertilizer use.
 
Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says the agreement supports the good work already being done by Manitoba's farmers.
 
He says many in the agriculture sector are focused on environmental and economic sustainability.
 
Dan Mazier of Keystone says farmers want to protect the environment and protect the bottom line of their operations, and this stewardship program can help them do both.
 
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New Rules Introduced For Peat Harvesting
 
Manitoba has introduced strict new rules to govern peat harvesting.
 
Conservation Minister Tom Nevakshonoff says it must be ensured that peat harvesting is managed sustainably in order to protect Manitoba's land and waterways.
 
The legislation bans peat harvesting in all provincial parks and in wildlife management areas with the exception of one where there were pre-existing dispositions.
 
More than 30 per cent of Manitoba is covered by peatlands.
 
Nevakshonoff says they are a vital resource for managing the effects of climate change because they are the most efficient natural place to store carbon.
 
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Edmonton Says Goodbye To Daniel Woodall
 
Edmonton will say goodbye today to a police officer murdered on the job.
 
A regimental funeral and celebration of life will be held for 35-year-old Constable Daniel Woodall, a married father of two from the U-K who was shot and killed last Monday while serving an arrest warrant in a hate-crimes case.
 
Thousands of first responders from Canada and elsewhere are expected to take part in today's funeral procession from the Alberta legislature to Edmonton's Shaw Conference Centre, where a public service will be held.
 
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Manitoba D-Day Soldier Honoured In France
 
A Winnipeg soldier who stormed the beach on D-Day is being honoured by the country he helped liberate.
 
Ninety-year-old Francis Godon was presented with the Legion of Honour medal, France's highest award, at a ceremony yesterday.
 
Days after landing on Juneau Beach in June 1944, Godon was captured and held as a prisoner of war until the end of the conflict.
 
The Second World War veteran says the medal represents all of the Canadian soldiers who never made it home.

Details
Category: News

 

 
Selinger Set To Delivery '60s Scoop Apology
 
Manitoba is set today to become the first province to formally apologize to aboriginal adoptees.
 
Premier Greg Selinger is scheduled to deliver the apology in the legislature following an honouring ceremony of victims of the so-called '60s Scoop.
 
Thousands of aboriginal children were taken by child-welfare agents from their homes starting in the 1960s and placed with non-aboriginal families.
 
Selinger has said the apology will acknowledge damage done to those who lost their culture and their families.

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Province Boosting Small Scale Food Sector Support
 
More support for the small scale food sector is coming from the Manitoba government.
 
A list of 21 recommendations were made to the province by the Small Scale Food Manitoba working group earlier this year, and Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says they've now started to act on them.
 
"We've assigned two staff people to work on the business development for small scale farmers and processors, and we continue to provide an education component with outstanding questions that anybody that's in an existing business that chooses to expand but also someone that may be interested in starting up a new business when we talk about small scale food processing." 
 
Kostyshyn says these recommendations are aimed at helping both current and future entrepreneurs in the small scale food sector.

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Farmers Wrapping Up 2015 Seeding
 
Seeding progress across the Parkland area is essentially completed for the season.
 
According to this weeks provincial crop report, the odd greenfeed or reseeding still needs to occur, but Pam de Rocquigny with Manitoba Agriculture says seeding operations for the region have wrapped up.
 
"And of course with that... herbicide applications are also on-going now as kind of crops and weeds are advancing and definitely the nice weather that we had last week in terms of those warmer temperatures are definitely advancing crops as well."
 
Soil moisture levels are mostly adequate throughout the Parkland, but some regions would benefit from additional precipitation.
 
De Rocquigny points out the Roblin and the Swan Valley areas in particular as areas that would definitely appreciate some more rain.
 
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Nine Dead In Charleston Church Attack
 
Authorities in Charleston, South Carolina are still searching for a man who walked into a historic black church last night and opened fire, killing nine people.
 
The gunman is described as a white man in his 20s, and authorities are calling last night's shooting a hate crime.
 
Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley says the shooting during a prayer meeting at Emanuel AME Church is ``the most unspeakable and heartbreaking tragedy'' that can only be done by someone with hate in their hearts.
 
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US Challenging Retaliatory Trade Tariffs
 
The United States is challenging the math that's led the Canadian government to demand three billion dollars in punitive tariffs on American products in a potential trade war.
 
It's requesting arbitration to calculate an appropriate amount, as Canada moves toward tariffs in this decisive phase of a years-long battle at the World Trade Organization.
 
The arbitration request came at a meeting yesterday in Geneva, where Canada asked the WTO to approve the multibillion-dollar penalties in a long-running dispute over meat labelling.
 
Canada is in a position to retaliate after a series of rulings against an American law that requires meat sold in the U.S. to carry a label saying where it was born, raised and slaughtered.
 
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Anonymous Takes Credit For Federal Cyberattack
 
The cyber vigilante group Anonymous is taking credit for a cyberattack on on federal government websites, but Public Safety Minister Stephen Blaney says only law-enforcement will make that determination.
 
The ``denial-of-service'' attack shut down several federal servers yesterday and played havoc with government email.
 
Blaney says no personal information was compromised.
 
Anonymous says it staged the cyberattack to protest the Harper Conservative government's recent passage of the anti-terrorism bill and is planning a demonstration against Bill C-51 on Saturday.

Details
Category: News

Selinger Vows To Support 60's Scoop Families

 
Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger vows the province will follow up on its apology to adopted aboriginal children with action.
 
Selinger apologized in the legislature to aboriginals who were taken from their homes in the 1960s and '70s, and placed with non-aboriginal families.
 
Without ruling out compensation, he says Manitoba will support affected families while ensuring that chapter in Canada's history is taught in the province's schools.
 
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No Weapons Found In Brandon Stand-off
 
A Brandon police officer says no weapons were found in the home of a man alleged to have made threats at people and himself.
 
A 25-year-old man surrendered himself to police after an approximately six-hour stand-off at White Swan Trailer Court on Wednesday.
 
A Brandon public information officer says a man made threats towards specific people and towards police, and initially said he had weapons in the house.
 
A police report says the suspect was taken to hospital for a mental health assessment. At this point no charges have been made and police continue to investigate.
 
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Graham James In Court Today
 
A court appearance is set for today in Swift Current, Saskatchewan for Graham James.
 
The convicted sex offender and ex-junior hockey coach will face more sex-related charges stemming from his time as coach of the Swift Current Broncos in the 1990s.
 
The investigation into the new charges began almost two years ago when the RCMP received a complaint from a former Broncos player.
 
James is finishing a prison sentence for sexually abusing two other former junior players -- Todd Holt and retired NHLer Theo Fleury.
 
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New Logo For RM Of Mossey River
 
Their name change is still being reviewed by the province's municipal board, but the RM of Mossey River has a new logo they're set to debut.
 
Head of Council Kate Basford says they're still holding off on debuting the logo until the change becomes official, but when it does, it will appear "everywhere and anywhere".
 
"It will be on our letterhead, on our envelope. It will be on business cards, on our name tags. I just recently went to district meetings and felt sad that I didn't have a name-tag with our new logo and our new name so, we've been holding off on a lot of things because of this, and we're just waiting to go forward." 
 
Basford says the earliest time they'd start using the new logo would be after the Winnipegosis centennial next month.
 
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Charleston Shooting Investigated As Hate Crime
 
Wednesday's massacre at a church in Charleston, South Carolina is being investigated by the U-S Justice Department and the FBI as a hate crime.
 
Nine African-Americans were shot to death by a white man who quoted as saying something must be done to stop blacks from ``taking over the world.''
 
Twenty-one-year-old Dylann Roof is in custody in Charleston pending a bond hearing.
 
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Saskatoon To Host 2017 CCMAs 
 
The Canadian Country Music Association awards will be back in Saskatoon in 2017.
 
Saskatchewan's own Codie Prevost has been nominated for four CCMA awards in his career, including two when the show was in Saskatoon in 2012.
 
He says it would be amazing to win an award in his home province.
 
This year, the CCMAs are in Halifax, and next year they will be in London, Ontario.

Details
Category: News

 

Province Laying Out Zebra Mussel Containment Strategy

The Province of Manitoba and Parks Canada are working together on this years zebra mussel containment strategy for Riding Mountain National Park.
 
Manitoba has launched its yearly campaign to fight the spread of the invasive species in the provinces lakes and rivers.
 
Candace Parks - aquatic invasive species specialist with Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship - says RMNP water craft inspectors were in Winnipeg the first week of May receiving training.
 
"This summer anybody travelling with a water craft over the highways, we`ll be telling the public where our decontamination units are and where watercraft inspection stations will be. Plus, we`ll be working with Riding Mountain National Park and if someone is travelling for example in that vicinity and needs to get their watercraft decontaminated, they can also go to Riding Mountain to get that done, so we`re working and partnering on this program."
 
The provincial government expects this years cost to battle zebra mussels will total around $600,000.
 
Last year was about a million dollars, but included harbour treatments.
 
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Dauphin Girl Giving Away Bike
 
A Dauphin girl is holding a contest for kids to see who can do the best good deed.
 
Nine-year-old Harli Chymy is giving away a new bike she was awarded for fundraising more than $500 dollars for Heart and Stroke.
 
She says when kids perform good deed, they or their parents can post it on the Good Deed Giveaway Facebook page and that enters them into the contest.
 
Harli says she'll pick the best good deed for the winner. The winner will be chosen on June 30.
 
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True North  Square Moving Forward

A major hurdle in front of the True North Square project in Winnipeg has been cleared.

True North, which owns the Winnipeg Jets, has purchased the former Carlton Inn site from CentreVenture, the city's development agency.

Along with a parking lot across the street, True North wants to build three towers, including a hotel and public plaza for hockey fans.

True North says this is a significant advancement for the $400-million proposal.

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Parizeau Passes Away

The blunt-talking sovereigntist premier whose strategic cunning came close to ripping Quebec out of Canada in 1995 has died.

Jacques Parizeau was 84.

His spouse announced his death last night on her Facebook page, writing ``Immense grief tonight... The man of my life has gone.''

She says Parizeau passed away after ``a titanic fight'' and that the family will love him forever.

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Harper Heading To Ukraine

Prime Minister Harper will make his third visit to embattled Ukraine this week as part of a week-long trip to Europe, that will also take him to the G7 leaders' summit in Germany.

It was a year ago that Harper last travelled to Ukraine, where he affirmed Canada's support for the country as Russian-backed separatists overtook parts of eastern Ukraine.

Simmering unrest continues despite the September ceasefire.

Harper's itinerary will also include Poland, and then Italy where he will meet with Pope Francis.

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Feed Shipments Detained Due To Toxin Concerns

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is detaining corn shipments from India used for livestock feed to protect animal and human health.

The agency says these imports must be tested after samples of organic feed corn were found to have up to 20 times the permitted levels of aflatoxins.

Aflatoxins are produced by a fungus and can cause serious health problems in animals such as cancer and birth defects.

The CFIA says aflatoxins can be transferred to milk and other animal products and could pose a threat to food safety.

Details
Category: News

More Prison Time For Graham James

Graham James has been ordered by a judge in Swift Current,
Saskatchewan to spend another two years in prison.

It happened after James, a convicted pedophile, pleaded guilty to
sexually abusing another of his former players 25 years ago while he
coached the Swift Current Broncos junior hockey team.

The victim, who is now 43 and cannot be identified, says justice
has been done -- though he wishes James had received a tougher
sentence.

It's the third time James has faced charges of sexually
assaulting his former players.

He's in a suburban Montreal prison wrapping up a five-year term.

 Winnipeg Liberal Leaves Party Over Bill C-51 

A former Liberal candidate and party organizer from Winnipeg has
torn up his Liberal membership card because the party voted in
favour of the anti-terrorism legislation.

Victor Andres, who ran for the Liberals in 2011 in Kildonan-St.
Paul, and unsuccessfully sought the nomination again for this
upcoming election, issued a letter today saying he could no longer
remain a Liberal.

He says he cannot abide the support for Bill C-51, which makes it
a new Criminal Code offence to promote terrorism and gives more
power to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau qualified his support saying he
intends to amend the bill to include more oversight if elected.

Winnipeg Parade Canceled Over Safety Concerns

Winnipeg is blocking an annual street festival's parade permit
over traffic and safety concerns.

Officials have denied a permit for the Manitoba Filipino Street
Festival Parade on northbound McPhillips that was set to happen
today.

City officials say due to negative feedback over traffic issues
the organization will not be allowed to close the route off.

They say 1,250 vehicles per hour pass through the truck route
during the three-hour time frame requested. A report says that would
disrupt emergency vehicles to nearby Seven Oaks Hospital.

Vigil For Charleston Shooting Victims

Thousands gathered in Charleston, South Carolina last night for a
vigil to honour the victims of America's latest mass murder.

The mourners prayed for nine African-Americans who were shot last
Wednesday in a church during a Bible study session.

The alleged assailant, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, showed no emotion
when he appeared in court yesterday via video link to face murder
charges.

Roof, who is white, was ordered to remain in custody pending his
next court appearance
in October.

Russian Seeking Re-Entry Into G8

It appears Russia has launched a bid to try to get back into the
G8, and President Vladimir Putin suggests it's something Prime
Minister Harper will just have to accept.

Putin was kicked out of the G8 last year for Russia's role in
fuelling unrest in eastern Ukraine.

While the US hasn't yet stated its position on whether Putin
should be allowed back in, Harper has made it clear that he's
vehemently opposed to the idea.

Commons Rise For Summer

The 41st Parliament came to an end with many MPs heading home to
their ridings to gear up for re-election campaigns.

Prime Minister Harper is expected to call the election in early
September with the vote set for October 19th.

Recent polls put NDP support as high as 36 per cent, the
Liberals as low as 23 per cent, and Harper's Conservatives somewhere
in between.

Details
Category: News

Details
Category: News
 
Aboriginal History The Focus Of New Education Policy
 
Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger says his government will ensure students in Manitoba learn the legacy of residential schools as well as the '60s Scoop.
 
The '60s Scoop refers to the practice in the 1960s and beyond of removing aboriginals from their families to live in non-aboriginal homes.
 
Selinger says his government will introduce legislation this fall for a new First Nation, Metis and Inuit education policy for teaching the history, as well as culture, traditional values, and contemporary lifestyles of aboriginals and the significance of treaties.
 
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Missing Autistic Boy Located Safely
 
An autistic teenager who went missing in Winnipeg last week after his father dropped him off at school has been found safe, but very far from home in Pickering, Ontario.
 
RCMP in East St. Paul say in a news release that 16-year-old Nicholas Read was located ``safe and sound'' late Saturday.
 
The say they won't be releasing further details out of respect for his family, but thanked the public and media for their help.
 
Rob and Corrine Read says their son hitched a ride with a trucker, who then called police after dropping him off in Ontario.
 
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P&H Elevator Demolition Goes Smoothly
 
The blaster in charge of the demolition of the Parrish and Heimbecker elevator in Saskatoon says the job went perfectly over the weekend.
 
Tristan Rakowski says elevators have to be rolled because their internal structure is too rigid to allow them to collapse inward like other buildings.
 
The concrete structure stood since 1910, but closed last year when the company moved operations outside the city.
 
Firefighters blocked off storm drains during the detonation to prevent any potential runoff from entering them, and then stood by just in case something went wrong.
 
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Herbicide Advise From Canola Council
 
The Canola Council of Canada is encouraging producers to get out in the field after they've sprayed to see how the herbicide has performed.
 
Angela Brackenreed of the council says at least 21 different weed species on the Canadian Prairies are resistant to a number of different herbicides.
 
Brackenreed says resistance to glyphosate is a huge threat to production, so it's important to manage it effectively.
 
Brackenreed reminds growers to always follow the label directions when using herbicides.
 
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Environmental Groups Advocating For Cleaning Up Great Lakes
 
Canada and the US are getting an earful from environmental groups about not doing enough to protect the Great Lakes from chemical pollution.
 
The groups cite a new report that finds a bi-national committee tasked with tackling the problem three years ago has come up with only four toxins to list as chemicals of concern.
 
The Canadian Environmental Law Association says governments in both countries must get serious about stopping toxins -- especially pollutants from consumer products -- from entering the Great Lakes.
 
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Search Broadens For Escaped Convicts
 
The search for two convicted killers who escaped a northern upstate New York prison more than two weeks ago is ranging far and wide as authorities check out reported sightings.
 
Authorities converged last night on Mountain View, a hamlet south of the Ontario-Quebec border, after reports a person was seen running from a hunting camp.
 
Officials say the immediate area surrounding the prison in Dannemora remains a major focus.
 
But hundreds of searchers have also been checking out two towns 560 kilometres away following a sighting report near the Pennsylvania border.

Details
Category: News

 

Big Excitement Planned At Dauphin Ag Fair
 
There's lots of excitement going on in the City of Sunshine this week.
 
Besides Dauphin's Countryfest which kicks off Thursday, the Dauphin Ag Society are hosting their annual Ag Fair here in town.
 
Jamie Damsgaard - sponsorship, advertising and promotions chair person with the Dauphin Ag Society - says there's lots of exciting new events for people to check out at this years fair.
 
 
 
The Dauphin Ag Fair runs Thursday till Saturday at the DMCC fair grounds.
 
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Renovation Season For MVSD
 
As students leave classes for the summer, construction crews will be busy in several schools across Mountain View School Division.
 
The largest project MVSD is handeling is the ongoing renovations at MacKenzie Middle School.
 
Secretary Treasurer Bart Michaleski says they're excited to see a number of new things at the school once the renovations are completed, but they're trying to be patient with how long the construction will take.
 
 
 
Renovation projects will also be taking place at Roblin Elementary, Grandview School, the DRCSS, Grandview Elementary, Whitmore School, Goose Lake High, and Gilbert Plains Collegiate.
 
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Prairie Provinces Agree On Water Guidelines
 
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, along the federal government, have agreed on updated water quality guidelines for a dozen interprovincial rivers.
 
Mark Lee, a manager with Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, says the update is focused largely on items that are contained in modern pesticides.
 
Lee says the agreement requires a province responsible for the harm to take measures to address it and reduce levels to below the guidelines.
 
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Denny's Server Helped Locate Missing Autistic Boy
 
A server at a Denny's Restaurant in Manitoba played a pivotal role in helping locate a missing autistic teen 2-thousand kilometres away in Ontario.
 
Kim Forest says she spotted 16-year-old Nicolas Read hitching a ride with a trucker headed east.
 
She tipped off police and they tracked down the trucker and located the boy in Pickering late Saturday.
 
RCMP say no charges against the driver are planned.
 
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Severe Weather Batters Great Lakes Area
 
Residents around the lower Great Lakes took cover last night from a summertime storm that hit both sides of the border.
 
Severe thunderstorms across northern Illinois included at least one tornado, damaged dozens of homes and left at least seven people injured.
 
There were also reports of at least two tornadoes in Michigan -- one southeast of Saginaw.
 
The system then moved into southern Ontario, bringing severe thunderstorms and hours of sporadic tornado warnings.
 
Localized flooding and power outages were reported, including in the Toronto area, but there have been no reports of injuries.
 
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Support Building To Remove The Stars And Bars
 
Support is building in South Carolina for removing the Confederate flag from public display.
 
South Carolina's governor and a number of lawmakers say its use as a symbol of hatred by the man accused of killing nine black church members last week has made the flag too divisive.
 
Similar sentiment has been expressed in Mississippi and Tennessee.
 
In the retail world, Wal-Mart says it's removing the Confederate flag and related items from its shelves, and from its website.
 
Also moving to halt such sales is The Flag Shop -- the Vancouver-based chain of stores that sells the Confederate flag in Canada.

Details
Category: News

 


Pool Discussions In Gilbert Plains

Gilbert Plains' Centennial Wading Pool may not open by July 1st.
 
Reeve Blake Price says every effort will be made to try and have it open but it's probably going to be a squeeze.
 
After some discussion last night, Gilbert Plains council authorized painting of the pool.
 
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Province Helping Students With New Website
 
Manitoba is investing in a new online portal to help more students attend post-secondary education institutions.
 
ECampusManitoba.com will allow students to go online and complete a number of tasks with the click of a mouse.
 
The online system allows students to transfer credits, access online textbooks and transfer courses.
 
The strategy has been in the works for several years. Part of the website is already up and running; other links will take until December to be operational.
 
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Lake Friendly Accord Signed
 
Ontario and Alberta have signed on to help Manitoba improve water quality in Lake Winnipeg and other waterways.
 
At a meeting of Canada's environment ministers, the two provinces signed the Lake Friendly Accord.
 
Lake Friendly executive director Colleen Sklar says it commits them to reducing nutrients and algal blooms in the water.
 
Ontario has pledged to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing into Lake of the Woods.
 
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Fed's Ratify UPOV '91
 
Canada has announced that it has ratified the UPOV '91 treaty to improve the plant variety protection system, finalizing one of the key measures of the recently-passed Agricultural Growth Act.
 
With the ratification of UPOV '91, plant breeders have more protection and farmers have better access to a wider variety of seeds.
 
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says stronger intellectual property rights have proven to provide greater incentives to increase investment in research and development for Canada's crop sector, giving farmers greater access to the newest crop varieties.
 
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Foreign Doctors Easing Pressure In Rural Saskatchewan
 
The Saskatchewan government says physicians recruited from outside of Canada are helping to ease the demand for family doctors in rural areas.
 
The government says 15 new doctors are practicing in Saskatchewan thanks to a program that assesses the abilities of people who have graduated from foreign medical schools.
 
Another 11 graduates are being reviewed and could begin practicing family medicine in communities later this summer.
 
Dr. Dennis Kendel, CEO of the Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan, says the physician shortage is no longer a crisis.
 
But he says recruitment continues for doctors in Canada and internationally.
 
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NATO Resigns Itself To Russian Challenge
 
NATO appears to be taking a collective deep breath and resigning itself to a long confrontation with an unpredictable Russia.
 
Defence ministers from the US, Canada and other NATO countries open a meeting in Brussels today to continue reshaping an organization originally founded in 1949 to deter the Stalin-era Soviet Union.
 
Moscow is once again a major challenge, added to new ones like Islamic extremism and cyberattacks.

Details
Category: News
 
Flin Flon Boy Safely Located
 
A missing boy from the Flin Flon area is now safe and sound.
 
RCMP had reported that 11-year old Joel Fidler had last been seen after school Tuesday afternoon.
 
Police would like thank all involved for the assistance in locating Joel.
 
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Tornadoes Rip Up Southern Manitoba
 
Damage is reported to be minimal after tornadoes tore through Southern Manitoba yesterday afternoon.
 
Environment Canada has confirmed to other media outlets two tornadoes - possibly three - touched down near Manitou by the Manitoba-US boundary on Wednesday.
 
One farmer reported to CTV News the tornado caused some damage to his canola field.
 
Funnel clouds were also reported from Pilot Mound to Altona, and Northwest of Winnipeg.
 
Environment Canada lifted the severe thunderstorm watch last night, and said the tornado potential would diminish near sunset.
 
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Provinces Push For Shoal Lake All-Weather Road
 
The Ontario and Manitoba governments as well as the city of Winnipeg are calling on Ottawa to help fund construction of a road for a reserve that straddles the boundary between the two provinces.
 
A boil-water advisory has been in effect for 17 years for the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, which has no all-weather road connecting the reserve with the outside world.
 
The reserve was carved off from the mainland 100 years ago to build an aqueduct that supplies fresh water to Winnipeg.
 
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Saskatchewan Premier To Apologize For '60s Scoop
 
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says the province will apologize for the practice that saw thousands of aboriginal adoptees taken from their homes in the 1960s and '70s, and placed with non-aboriginal families.
 
Such an apology was issued a week ago by Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger.
 
However, Wall says Saskatchewan won't offer compensation to the victims.
 
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Russia Extends Import Ban
 
President Vladimir Putin has extended Russia's ban on the import of many agricultural products for another year.
 
The ban was Russia's response to Western sanctions imposed last year over the Ukraine conflict.
 
The extension was expected after the European Union agreed this week to keep its sanctions in place through January.
 
Putin said yesterday that Russia's ban on dairy products, meat, seafood, vegetables and fruit would remain in effect until June 24th next year.
 
The ban not only affects the European Union and the United States, but also Australia, Norway and Canada.
 
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Ambrose Lashes Out At New Vancouver Marijuana Bylaw
 
Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose is taking a verbal swipe at Vancouver city council which passed a bylaw to regulate illegal marijuana dispensaries.
 
Mayor Gregor Robertson blames the Harper government's tight medical marijuana laws for the sharp rise in pot stores in his city, and adds something had to be done to regulate them.
 
Ambrose says marijuana is neither an approved drug nor medicine in Canada, adding ``storefronts selling marijuana are illegal.''
 
She also says she expects ``police to enforce the law.''

Details
Category: News

 

Victim Burned In Northern Manitoba Assault

The Pas RCMP have charged three youths in an aggravated assault case.
 
Mounties were alerted to a report of a 16-year female from The Pas who had been taken to hospital after being seriously assaulted at a house party on June 21st.  
 
Police investigation determined that while the victim was asleep, she was burned by numerous suspects at the party, leaving her with second and third degree burns to a small area of her body.
 
She was transported to hospital in Winnipeg, where she is recovering and remains in stable condition.
 
Three males have been charged with one count each of aggravated assault in the case; a 15-year-old and a 19-year-old from The Pas, and a 17-year-old from OCN.

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Parkland Farmers Need Rain

Precipitation would go a long way for a lot of Parkland area crop producers right now.
 
According to this weeks Provincial Crop Report, most areas of the region are in need of additional rain, with some crops starting to exhibit stress symptoms from lack of moisture.
 
Canola is still generally in the seedling stage, with conditions ranging from fair to poor as a result of dryness and reseeding due to frost.
 
Weed control continues as conditions allow, and some early seeded crops are about ready for fungicide treatment if necessary.
 
Pastures and hay fields are maturing rapidly as a result of the heat and reduced moisture conditions, and some fields are being impacted.
 
Alfalfa weevil has been reported in the Eddystone area, with massive damage reported in some fields.

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Province And Ottawa Funding Farm Management Practices
 
The Manitoba and the federal government are funding two new beneficial management practices.
 
The first will support more environmentally responsible fuel storage and the second will help reduce the risk of spreading crop and livestock diseases between farms.
 
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says farmers are continually improving the sustainability of their operations and putting best management practices into place.
 
He says the funding will help further protect the environment while ensuring the long-term health and economic strength of the agriculture industry.
 
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Emergency Alert System Tested This Week 
 
A new emergency alert system was put to the test this week after the first two confirmed tornadoes of the year swept through southern Manitoba.
 
Alert Ready warnings were put in place by the CRTC to provide potentially life-saving information to Canadians by cutting into radio and television broadcasts.
 
The system is run by the Weather Network and was tested in Manitoba in May.
 
The province says there were some issues with the audio quality of the alerts, as the automated voice appears to have some difficulty pronouncing the names of some communities.
 
But officials say they're working to improve the system.
 
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Feds Uncommitted To Funding Reserve All-Weather Road
 
The federal government won't say whether it will help fund the construction of a road connecting the remote Manitoba reserve of Shoal Lake with the outside world.
 
Both Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg announced yesterday they will pay part of the cost for a permanent, all-weather road.
 
But at a ceremony on the reserve yesterday, federal Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford would only reiterate Ottawa's million-dollar pledge to a design study for the project.
 
That left several community members who attended the ceremony openly sobbing with disappointment.
 
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Heartland Honored With Angus Award
 
The Canadian Angus Association has named Highway 21 Feeders Limited as their western feedlot of the year.
 
Headquartered in Acme, Alberta, Highway 21 Feeders services Strathmore, Olds, Drumheller and Red Deer.
 
The association also named Heartland Livestock Services as the Canadian Angus auction market of the year.
 
Heartland is based in Virden, Manitoba, and has been in service for more than 60 years.