As we had into another weekend, Manitoba sits at a moderate to high fire danger. 21 wildfires continue to burn in the province. The Wildfire Service says seven are considered out of control, and more than 902,000 hectares of land has burned. The worry is with temperatures heating up and thunderstorms rolling through, lightning could ignite more fires.
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For the evacuated residents of Lynn Lake and Flin Flon, there’s good news. It’s expected Flin Flon residents can begin returning to the city next Wednesday, and those from Lynn Lake can head home today. In Flin Flon, there will likely be limited health-care and grocery store items, but hydro and cell service is fully functioning. Lynn Lake’s health services were reopened Thursday, and hydro should be fully restored soon.
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As the climate heats up, experts say we’ll start seeing more insect pests spreading across Canada. A report says black-legged ticks, the ones that carry Lyme disease, have now populated most of southern Manitoba – and in the Northwest Territories, 10 new types of mosquitoes have been found with some that could carry diseases like malaria.
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Because of the severity of the current measles outbreak, Manitoba Health has expanded vaccine eligibility. Children aged between six and 12 months in the Southern and Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authorities can now
get one additional dose of the vaccine. Manitoba has seen 105 measles cases since February.
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The search for a missing Brandon teenager continues. Owen Bedford disappeared early last Sunday morning after leaving Houstons Roadhouse. Police now say he did get in a taxi and was dropped off at nearby Giant Tiger. Officials continue to urge those with security and doorbell cameras to check their devices. Bedford’s family says it’s highly unusual for him to vanish with no communication.
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Saturday is National Indigenous Peoples Day. The celebration in Brandon will begin with a pipe ceremony at 10:00 am at the Riverbank Discovery Centre. The opening ceremonies kick-off at noon. There will be displays set up on site, as well as children’s activities and a food tent.
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A group of Clear Lake residents is taking legal action against Parks Canada’s ban on motorized boats. The ban was put in place to try and stop the spread of invasive zebra mussels, but the group says the decision was made without consultation – or how it would affect the area’s economy.
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Another open house is scheduled to take place in Carberry next Wednesday into plans to redesign the nearby intersection of Highway 1 and 5. It was the site of a deadly crash in 2023 that killed 17 people. Three different options will be presented, but it appears a ‘restricted crossing U-turn’ is the leading design. Last month, locals protested against the RCUT calling it dangerous.
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Canada Post says it has reached a contract deal with its second-largest union – the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association. It calls for an 11-percent pay raise over three years. Meanwhile, there’s still no deal with CUPW which represents 55,000 employees.
