The risk of wildfires across the province has increased once again. The Manitoba Wildfire Service says most of the province is now under a high to extreme fire danger, and the number of active fires has jumped to 98. In the last two weeks, lightning strikes started more than a dozen new fires and they continue to threaten multiple communities. 60 people have been evacuated from Garden Hill First Nation, people in Snow Lake are leaving
for a second time, and in eastern Manitoba everyone in the southern part of Atikaki Provincial Park have been ordered to leave.
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A group of American politicians wants Canada to do something about the smoke crossing the border. Six Republican lawmakers wrote Canada’s ambassador saying Americans are not enjoying the summer because of wildfire smoke. They pointed to forest management and arson as possible factors behind the fires, but no mention of climate change. U.S. president Donald Trump has called climate change a “hoax”. Natural Resources Canada says wildfires are a global problem caused by climate change and prolonged drought.
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The Manitoba government has backed away from a proposed change to the intersection of Highway 1 and 5 near Carberry where 17 people died in a bus crash. Over 2,000 local residents opposed the ‘restricted crossing U-turn’ design saying it would NOT improve safety. The province will now consider other options; residents would prefer an overpass.
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Manitoba drivers are getting faster and faster on the highways, and this has the Mounties concerned. They say every couple of days, officers are catching super-speeders…drivers travelling at speeds of up to 200 kilometres-an-hour. RCMP say there’s also been a spike in impaired drivers travelling at those extreme speeds.
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We might be able to order alcohol products directly from producers in other provinces by next spring or earlier – it’s all part of the move to break down internal trade barriers. A new poll found 6 in 10 Canadians feel removing
those barriers will help offset the damage done by U-S tariffs.
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This week, the U.S. dropped its policy of requiring airline passengers to remove their shoes at airport security, and Ottawa says it’ll work to align its flight security regulations. American officials say they’ve found other ways
to keep travellers safe. The no-shoes rules was introduced after Richard Reid, the infamous ‘shoe bomber’, tried to trigger explosives hidden in his shoes in 2001.
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We’re in the heart of summer travel season, and the trend of Canadians avoiding taking trips to the United States continues. Travel agencies say domestic bookings have increased as Canadians look for home-grown adventures – and travel to Europe also remains strong.
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There have been a number of ridiculous TikTok trends, so it’s not too hard to believe this is happening. Police in Alabama are warning about the ‘Kool-Aid Challenge’ where children or teens kick-in or run-through doors and fences…just like the Kool-Aid guy in the TV commercials. Cops say Alabama has a law that allows homeowners to use deadly force if there’s a break-in…so, they’re urging kids to find safer activities.
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To expand on inclusivity, Mattel is introducing a new Barbie with Type 1 diabetes. The doll will wear a continuous glucose monitor on her arm, and will hold a phone displaying an app for the monitor. She’ll also have an insulin pump attached to her waist. Mattel says the new doll will enable more children to see themselves reflected in Barbie.
