Two people have died in a wildfire in the Lac du Bonnet area northeast of Winnipeg. RCMP say they were aware the man and woman were trapped, but because of the extreme conditions, emergency crews were not able to reach the location until Wednesday morning. There are no reports of others unaccounted for in the municipality.
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The extreme fire conditions in the eastern part of Manitoba has forced the closure of Whiteshell Provincial Park. All park users, including full-time residents and cottagers, must leave by 1:00 pm today. There are currently six
states of emergency across the province. The fires in the Lac du Bonnet and Nopiming areas – and a blaze near The Pas – are among 5 listed as out-of-control.
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As parts of Manitoba burn, an overland flood watch been issued for Westman including areas south of the Trans-Canada along the Virden to Brandon corridor – and west of Highway 10 including Souris, Melita and Boissevain.
The province says a system could drop over 80 mm of rain through Friday.
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To try and keep zebra mussels out of Pelican Lake, southeast of Brandon, only one boat launch will be open this summer. Half-a-dozen inspectors will check boats in Ninette at the north end of the lake. The remaining 20 accesses around the lake will be closed to the general public.
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Manitoba health officials have broadened the eligibility for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as the number of measles cases continue to rise. Those eligible now include infants from six months to under 12 months of age – specifically in the Southern and Eastern Regional Health Authorities. 44 cases of measles have been reported so far this year, with 24 in the last week.
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Manitoba and Ontario have an agreement to boost the movement of goods and labour between the two provinces. It includes direct-to-consumer alcohol sales by the end of June. The provinces already do about $19.5-billion in inter-provincial trade annually. Manitoba’s top exports to Ontario include canola and crude oil – while Ontario sends us household goods, food and drinks.
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If you can eat almost anything – almost everything is on the menu at this year’s Calgary Stampede. A couple of the wilder items include Mopane worm poutine. It’s made with the larva of the emperor moth, an important source of protein in South Africa – and the “Spam-pede” bao bun. Inspired by the Hawaiian snack it’s filled with Spam, garlic shrimp and pineapple. The 10-day Calgary Stampede starts July 4th.
