The City of Portage la Prairie has recently moved its community safety officers (CSOs) into a new, larger headquarters, a development local officials say signals a long-term commitment to community security.

The new facility is currently undergoing renovations, including fresh paint, during the official move. The building is now open to the public and offers significantly more space than the previous office, allowing for better operational security and employee amenities.

“This is a great move for the community safety officers to move over there because the building is substantially larger,” said Councillor Colin Doyle. “It just gives them all a little bit more space for, one, for confidentiality reasons, and because it is a secure facility now, as opposed to just an office you can walk into.”

The new location is at 14 Tupper Street South. Doyle added that the building will also provide functional upgrades for staff, including proper locker space and shower facilities.

A donation from the Kiwanis Club of Neepawa & Area will help create a new sensory-friendly space aimed at making local day camp programming more inclusive for children of all abilities.

The club recently contributed $750 toward the development of a Sensory-Friendly Quiet Zone at Neepawa’s day camp facility. The space is designed to provide children with a calm environment where they can take a break, regulate emotions, recharge and return to activities when they feel ready.

Neepawa CAO Colleen Synchyshyn said the room will include a variety of resources tailored to different sensory and self-regulation needs.

“The Sensory Friendly-Quiet Zone is designed to be a welcoming space where children can take a break, regulate, recharge and enjoy a calmer environment whenever they need it,” Synchyshyn said.

Whether the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series or miss the playoffs altogether, the 2026 season will be remembered for the significance of the team celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Only those of a certain age who were around to watch the Jays’ first-ever game back in April, 1977, will recall that instead of sunshine pouring into Exhibition Stadium, where the Jays played their first few seasons, a fluke spring snowfall soured the day. The average American ball fan whose image of a stereotypical Canadian is someone who resides in a cold country and perhaps lives in an igloo may have had those myths confirmed with video replays of that snowy day, April 7. A Zamboni was even needed to clear snow from the field. Normally, weather that extreme would have caused a postponement of an outdoor baseball game, but there had been so much hype about the Canadian expansion team playing its first game, it was full steam ahead.

The Blue Jays won the game 9-5 over the Chicago White Sox, as Doug Ault (career batting average .236 and 17 home runs), banged out two homers.

Wouldn’t it be grand if the Blue Jays celebrated their 50th year of existence with a World Series championship? Year 49 produced an American League East title, an AL championship and a near-miss in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, losing Game 7 in extra innings at home.

If you’ve ever wondered how the necktie became the “classic” Father’s Day gift, you’ve got Norman Birrell to thank.

Father’s Day was first inaugurated in the U.S. in 1910, and as things often do, the idea eventually migrated its way north.

In 1936, during the Great Depression, Toronto menswear retailer Norman Birrell, who sold a lot of neckties, saw an opportunity to market the day and prop up the summer sales slump. His enthusiastic promotion of the day as the chairman of the Toronto Father’s Day Committee, joined by other businessmen, helped to give the local economy a boost with sales and jobs while honouring dads for all they do.

And so here we are, with 90 years’ worth of necktie purchases under our belts, still celebrating devoted fathers.

Rae and I have been proud honeybee producers for over 25 years, off and on, and I can say with some confidence that my knowledge of bee management has barely increased over that time. Bees are a mystery.

For example, we had a hive that turned vicious this spring. In early May we opened up the hive, searching for the queen to ensure that she was healthy and laying eggs. The bees didn’t take kindly to our intrusion and basically found every possible way to access my bee hood and sting me. I have never been stung so many times.

Later, we determined that they were likely on the verge of running out of food. Who knew that bees could be “hangry”? The reason for the food shortage was that the hive’s queen bee was very healthy and able to lay lots of eggs this spring, which in turn meant that the hive was very active. With lots of bees in the hive but no sources of flowers due to the late spring, the hive had used up most of their honey stores, despite the fact that we fed them multiple times in the fall and again this spring.

Now that the dandelions are finally flowering, along with a staggering number of other plants that had obviously been waiting for 30 C temperatures, the bees are busy collecting fresh pollen and nectar and the hive is much better behaved. Thank goodness, as I was starting to take it personally.

The opening of Portage la Prairie’s first Filipino restaurant is being celebrated as a milestone for cultural diversity and community integration in the Central Plains region.

Jeepney Portage la Prairie recently opened its doors at 177 Saskatchewan Ave., meeting a long-standing demand within the local immigrant population. The establishment represents the brand’s second location, expanding from its original roots in Winnipeg.

“As an immigrant, I came to Portage almost 10 years ago … and all I hear are comments of Filipinos here is how we wish we had a Filipino restaurant,” said co-owner Oliver Cabading.

Cabading, who also serves as the president of the local Filipino association, opened the business alongside two partners, one based in Winnipeg and another from Portage. Beyond offering a taste of home, the owners made it a priority to support local youth by structuring casual summer employment opportunities for students.