MANITOBA PARKS: After the flood

For some Manitobans, last summer’s flood is just a memory. But for farmers and property owners along the Assiniboine River, Lake Manitoba and some other regions, the effects of the flood are still very evident — and this applies to several of our provincial parks, as well. Some parks remain closed for the foreseeable future,

UN envoy says Canada needs a “right to food strategy”

The special rapporteur on the right to food's visit marks the first time the UN has 
dispatched an official to investigate food insecurity in a developed country

If everyone using a food bank in Manitoba lived in one place, it would be the province’s second-largest city. There are approximately 56,000 Manitobans who lack access to food because they either can’t afford it, or have nowhere to produce any themselves — or both. They are the Manitobans that Winnipeg Harvest has been trying


OUR HISTORY: 1800s — 1940s

Getting around in the early days The Manitoba Agricultural Museum is opening a new transportation display on Manitoba Day May 12. The display tells the story of transportation in rural Manitoba from the Red River cart of the 1800s right through to the vehicles of the 1940s. It uses real artifacts from the various eras

Fury over new flood peg

The province’s apparent decision to make 2011 Lake Manitoba flood levels the new standard has raised the ire of area ranchers and municipal officials. “It’s fine for Mr. Topping to hope that we will raise our cottages and homes up to levels that would be safe in another flood. But we can’t raise the farm-


Our history: Thomas Bunn House

River Lot 97, Bunn’s Road, RM of St. Clements Begun in 1862, the former Thomas Bunn House is likely the oldest continuously occupied dwelling in all of Manitoba and one of its oldest surviving stone structures. It is also a superb example of a modest-size “Georgian-style” house, popular at the time in Scotland and England,

A young farmer’s business acumen wows Toronto judges

Brett Sheffield didn’t think farming was in his future, but five years ago he made an abrupt U-turn and came home to start with 160 acres. The 26-year-old has since expanded his land base to 1,700 acres, and is nearly finished a two-year agricultural diploma program at the University of Manitoba. He also became owner


Farm community rallies around one of its own

Manitoba’s rural community is rallying around a Ste. Rose farm family who lost their home to a fire April 28 while they were in Winnipeg receiving leukemia treatments for their critically ill toddler. Friends say Rob and Erin Brunel have been overwhelmed by outpouring of support. Brunel is well known for his activities in farm

Dry, windy weather fans grass fires

April was a wild, windy and hot month across the province — and some of the heat wasn’t from sunshine. Volunteer fire departments have been busy dousing grassfires that have raced out of control, claiming one life and several properties. Despite the weekend rains, all rural residents, including farmers, are being urged to avoid lighting


Campaign will highlight local food products

A $3-million jointly funded industry and government campaign supporting local food kicks off April 25

Manitobans can now clearly identify local food on store shelves with the launch of a new Buy Manitoba campaign at Canada Safeway stores in the province. The three-year local food promotion will see 33 stores decked out with sign-age and product identifiers encouraging shoppers to choose the more than 1,000 grocery products, including meat, fresh

Fish dish wins gold at Food Fight

Anew table-ready fish product called Walleye Wonders knocked out the competition at this year’s Great Manitoba Food Fight and earned Meda Olson first place and $15,000 worth of research-and-development expertise from the Food Development Centre. “I knew I had a good product that’s different,” said Olson, a homemaker from St. Martin in the northern Interlake