Melfort firefighters, citizens rescue exhausted horse from muddy pit

MELFORT, Sask. — Melfort firefighters spent about three hours rescuing an exhausted horse from a muddy pit between Melfort and Star City on Sept. 16.

The Melfort Fire Department was paged at 7:34 a.m. following a report of a horse trapped in a pit, fire chief and emergency measures co-ordinator Leonard Whitney told SaskToday.

Firefighters arrived to find the horse standing in a muddy hole approximately five feet deep and 10 feet by 10 feet. The animal was visibly exhausted, according to the MFD.

Whitney said the horse is believed to have slipped into the hole and remained trapped for several hours overnight.

New exploration may lead to Uranium City’s revival

URANIUM CITY, Sask. — More than four decades after uranium mining helped build Uranium City, exploration crews are again drilling in the historic Beaverlodge uranium district, this time to determine whether the area could support a new uranium project.

Triton Uranium Corp. is advancing its approximately 46,000-acre Atlas Project, combining new exploration with decades of historical drilling and mining information from the area. The property is located within or adjacent to several areas where uranium was previously mined.

Scott Evans, Triton’s president and director, told SaskToday in a phone interview that the Atlas Project remains in the exploration stage and no decision has been made to develop a mine.

“We’re talking about taking an old historic mining area, trying to bring it back to life,” Evans said.

Portage soup kitchen sees record demand

The Highway Community Kitchen (HCK), operating out of the Highway Pentecostal Church in Portage la Prairie, is facing unprecedented demand for food support as living costs continue to rise across the region.

Tracy Erickson, an organizer with HCK, reported that daily meal numbers surged sharply throughout August, with the kitchen consistently serving more than 50 guests per day and peaking near 60 meals in early September.

“Normally, we would be doing between 25 to 35, maybe 40 (meals), with the odd day hitting 50,” Erickson said. “In August, it just went to 50 and stayed there … from the slower days, it’s definitely doubled.”

Erickson noted that while summer months typically bring a slight increase in visitors due to transient populations, the recent surge has sustained itself across a much broader demographic, including young families with toddlers and working individuals who are unable to keep up with rising grocery prices between paydays.

Can Internationals stay close at President’s Cup?

Lambs led to slaughter. David vs. Goliath. The lions against the Christians. Shooting fish in a barrel. Bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Pick your metaphor and it will apply to this week’s President’s Cup golf competition, held every two years and often begging the question: Why?

Since its inception in 1994, the United States’ 12-man team has had its way with the Internationals, a team of 12 golfers from outside the U.S. or Europe. That means eligible players could come from Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, etc. Overall, the U.S. has been formidable, winning 13 events, tying one and losing one. This year’s clash at Medinah Country Club in Chicago is expected to almost certainly extend the Americans’ winning streak. The only hope for the Internationals would be if Donald Trump elbowed his way onto the U.S. team and had to play without cheating.

How powerful are the Americans? The U.S. team will send out players ranked 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9 in the Official World Golf Ranking. That No. 1, of course, is Scottie Scheffler, who recently won two of the three PGA Tour playoff events, including the Tour Championship. The Internationals’ highest-ranked player is No. 13 Si Woo Kim of South Korea, a fine player but hardly someone to be feared by the Americans.

Farmers use data and tech to boost profit, protect environment

Manitoba farmers are increasingly turning to soil sampling, variable-rate fertilizer application and other technologies to reduce environmental impacts while improving the profitability of their operations.

That was a key message during a recent tour of farms participating in the Lake Winnipeg Basin Project, which brought together representatives from government, municipalities, watershed districts, Indigenous communities, universities, non-profit organizations and agricultural businesses.

Scott Graham, an agronomy manager with Simplot, said the project gives farmers an opportunity to learn from one another while showing the public how agricultural methods can contribute to watershed health.

“Decisions really are data-driven on farms these days,” Graham said.

Thompson seeks immigration boost to fill labour gaps

Thompson is seeking provincial approval for a regional immigration initiative that would bring up to 200 endorsed workers to Northern Manitoba over three years to help address labour shortages in sectors ranging from health care and trades to retail and hospitality.

The proposed Regional Strategic Initiative is being advanced by the City of Thompson, Thompson Chamber of Commerce and Thompson Community Development Corporation.

A letter of intent sent to Manitoba’s labour and immigration minister in August formally notified the province of the community’s plans and requested an allocation of 200 endorsements over a three-year pilot period.

The proposal is aimed at filling workforce gaps identified through a regional labour forecast and an employment survey conducted among Thompson businesses.

Brandon doctor training program grows

A growing number of medical students and residents are receiving hands-on training in Brandon as Prairie Mountain Health continues to expand its partnership with the University of Manitoba.

The Brandon Satellite Program, which began in 2013, provides medical training in a rural setting with the goal of exposing future physicians to the realities of practising outside Winnipeg.

The program has grown to include three streams based primarily in Brandon: a two-year family medicine residency, a five-year psychiatry residency and a one-year longitudinal clerkship for third-year medical students completing clinical rotations.

There is also a hybrid five-year anesthesia residency that includes part of its training in Brandon, and a one-year enhanced skills program in emergency medicine.

How about them apples? They’re now in season

Fall has rolled in with sweaters on pegs, autumn leaves and air as crisp as fresh apples. And that means apples are in season, ready to be enjoyed fresh, baked into goodies or even cooked up with savoury main and side dishes.

For apples to grow out here on the Manitoba prairies, they must be cold-hardy cultivars that will survive and thrive in spite of our cold winters. The two best known are the Manitoba apple, which was first developed at the Morden Experimental Station in 1931 and the goodland, developed in 1925.

A powerful nutritional punch comes with the apple’s sweet crunch with the red delicious coming in first with its dark skin boasting disease-fighting antioxidants. Honeycrisp and Fuji are close behind in health-protecting plant compounds.

Fuji and red delicious are especially high in fibre (about four grams per apple) and pectin, a soluble dietary fibre. Pectin helps promote gut flora in the digestive tract. Fibre also promotes fullness and having a small serving of cheese or chopping an apple into some cottage cheese is a tasty and nutritionally sound snack.

Closing Melita church donates $175K reserve to local causes

The Victoria United Church has donated roughly $175,000 to local organizations following its closure in Melita.

The church hosted its last service on April 19 due to an aging church council that no longer felt it could sustain the work required of it, board chair Neil Franklin told the Sun in a recent interview. The board decided to donate the church’s reserves to local community organizations that had a connection to the church.

“We wanted to keep our funds within the town that have a meaning to church,” he said. “Every one we chose, there was a reason it was associated with church.”

Three examples of recipients included the Melita Early Learning Centre, the Prairie Vision Arts Council and the Melita and Area Handivan.

Rural Roundup — Sept. 24, 2026

KILLARNEY

At the age of 81, loyal cycle enthusiast Bob Moore plans to make yet another ride for charity. And this year is special, because it marks two decades of stepping into the saddle and hitting the road to help others.

“I will be riding 81 kilometres on October 3, because that is my age in numbers,” Moore said. “I will ride around Crystal City, depending on which way the wind blows. I have four different routes I could take, and I like the wind at my back.”

This year, Moore aims to raise $10,000 to help pay for two adapted bikes for a couple of kids in need: nine-year-old Scarlett of Warren, who is autistic; and Gabriel, 11, of Brandon who has Down Syndrome. If the fundraiser surpasses its target, the extra money will be used to buy an iPad for another child, Moore said.

CFB Shilo projects bring windfall for local contractors

A new ammunition compound is planned at Canadian Forces Base Shilo at a cost between $200 and $300 million.

Preparations are underway to build the compound, CFB Shilo commanding officer Lt.-Col. Jack Nguyen told the Sun last week. A timeline has not been released, however a Defence Construction Canada (DCC) representative tentatively said that the project will take shape in the next five years.

“It’s needed infrastructure,” Nguyen said. “We’re already starting the process. We’re already on the ground doing ground clearance.”

The new compound would be located in the base’s training area, and would be supported by new road developments. The compound will replace an existing compound that is across Highway 340 from CFB Shilo — and currently needs to be accessed via a public road.

City of Thompson updates its wildfire protection plan

Thompson city council has unanimously adopted an updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan following a record-setting 2025 wildfire season.

The 2026 revision, approved Aug. 11, is intended to co-ordinate wildfire preparedness, response and mitigation across Thompson and the surrounding area. The plan covers an eight-kilometre radius around the city, encompassing roughly 200 square kilometres.

The need for improved co-ordination was highlighted last summer when Fire 061, reported July 4 about eight kilometres north of Thompson Regional Airport, grew from an estimated 10 hectares to more than 1,000 hectares in a single day. The fire ultimately reached more than 22,000 hectares.

The updated plan brings together the City of Thompson, Thompson Fire and Emergency Services, the Manitoba Wildfire Service, the Emergency Management Organization and mutual-aid partners.

For those wishing to have their item listed in upcoming editions, there is now an earlier deadline for publication, so items are needed at least two weeks in advance of the date of your event. Please email to carthur@brandonsun.com.

TODAY

• 5:30 p.m. — City of Brandon Parks and Recreation is offering a Learn to Draw session beginning today and running until Oct. 22 at the Cultural Resource Centre (638 Princess Ave.) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Ages 14+. Supplies included. Register at brandon.ca/rec-programs or call 204-729-2471.

FRIDAY