Local News
Decision on corridor for Trans-Canada twinning near Ontario border expected this fall, province says
The Manitoba government is taking more time to evaluate and select a preferred corridor for the twinning of a 16-kilometre section of the Trans-Canada Highway near the Ontario boundary.
An earlier timeline indicated Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure expected to choose an alignment by the fall of 2025. A provincial spokesperson told the Free Press on Monday a decision is expected this winter, but a different spokesperson said Wednesday a decision is expected this fall.
“The department continues to evaluate corridor alternatives and will undertake additional geotechnical, environmental and design work as part of the (functional design study) to support the selection of a preferred corridor,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The study, which will include Crown-Indigenous and public consultation, is expected to be completed in late 2027, with a detailed design to follow.
MTI will then be in a better position to set construction timelines and provide an estimated project cost, the spokesperson said.
Rivers restoration projects get a funding boost
RIVERS — The provincial government is providing $98,000 to help restore the Rivers train station, develop a bicycle museum on the site and expand bike trails in the community.
The train station is an important part of the province’s history, said Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard, who was in Rivers on Wednesday.
“This project preserves a key piece of Manitoba’s heritage, and it creates new opportunities for tourism, culture and local economic and recreational development,” Simard, the MLA for Brandon East, told a gathering of about 25 people.
The funding, which is coming from the provincial program From the Ground Up — Safe Healthy Communities for All, is also being used toward researching and producing the Sekine bicycle story with Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan, for the planned museum.
Rivers hosted a Sekine bicycle factory for the Japanese company from 1973 to 1981, shipping parts by rail across North America via the town’s train station.
Road access restored near Swan River
Province Advises Road Access Restored Near Swan River Valley Following June Flooding
Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) is advising that significant progress has been made restoring access to provincial roads affected by June rainfall and flooding in the Parkland and Interlake regions.
Throughout June, heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flooding, road washouts and damage to provincial infrastructure. Some communities received as much as 200 mm of rain, leading to overland flooding, water-covered roadways and dozens of washouts.
At the height of the flooding, MTI reported more than 50 roads had been damaged, were covered by water or had experienced washouts. Travel was significantly restricted and motorists were advised to avoid affected areas.
Travellers in Winnipeg scramble to rebook flights as WestJet attendants reach tentative deal
WestJet flights were back in the skies Monday after a brief flight-attendant strike grounded planes across the country. But even as their cancelled flights were rebooked, many travellers spent the holiday scrambling to adapt to new, altered plans.
By 11:30 a.m. about 200 people were queued up in front of WestJet’s check-in booths at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. Many were there to check in for an afternoon flight to Toronto, which, along with most other WestJet flights for the day, was now listed on the departure board as proceeding as planned.
Others, unable to reach someone on WestJet’s apparently overburdened customer service hotline, were hoping to find a solution to altered travel plans that had delayed their travel by days, or in some cases rerouted them through other cities.
National News
Fewer tourists visited Nunavut in summer 2025, but spent more money overall
Nunavut saw fewer visitors but more money spent in the territory between July and September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, Statistics Canada data shows.
There were 22,800 out-of-territory visitors to Nunavut during the three month stretch last year, well down from the 25,000 tourists that visited during the summer of 2024.
Despite the downturn in the number of visitors, tourists still spent $46 million on their 2025 trips.
That’s up from $44 million spent by travellers from July to September 2024.
Increased spending is enough reason for optimism, according to Alex Stubbing, president and CEO of industry association Travel Nunavut.
“The travel industry is in a really good place. Our latest economic impact assessment showed Nunavut’s travel sector continues to grow and makes a major contribution to the territory’s economy through jobs, GDP, labour income and tax revenues,” Stubbing said.
International News
Fishing closures are becoming routine as record heat warms rivers in the US West
LIVINGSTON, Mont. (AP) — Trout need cool water to survive, but record heat this summer has driven water temperatures to lethal levels for fish.
Wildlife officials are banning fishing during certain hours on rivers and streams across the U.S. West, following an exceptionally dry winter and amid widespread drought. Lower water levels mean rivers can heat more rapidly.
The restrictions aim to reduce stress on species including highly-prized trout. Anglers travel from around the world to find the fish in Yellowstone National Park or Western Montana’s Blackfoot River, featured in the movie “A River Runs Through It.”
More record temperatures are forecast this weekend as a heat wave in the Southwest expands north into the Rocky Mountains and east across the High Plains.