The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing targeted enhancements to AgriStability to support producers impacted by significant early summer rains and resulting flooding in June and July, helping affected farmers access timely support to manage recovery and maintain their operations, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced.
“Farmers across Manitoba work hard every day to manage risks and keep their operations strong in the face of unpredictable challenges,” said MacDonald. “These changes to AgriStability will provide producers with timely and meaningful support when they need it most, helping them manage financial pressures and make decisions with greater confidence.”
The targeted enhancements include waiving 2025 late-filing penalties for impacted producers in municipalities and First Nation communities that declared a state of emergency due to flooding. Producers outside these areas who missed the June 30 filing deadline due to flooding may appeal for a waiver of late-filing penalties.
“Flooding has created significant challenges for producers in impacted regions, and our government is taking action to ensure farmers have access to the support they need as they recover,” said Kostyshyn. “By enhancing AgriStability supports, we are helping producers manage the impacts of flooding, maintain their operations and continue contributing to Manitoba’s strong agricultural sector.”
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are also increasing the maximum interim payment available to producers enrolled in the 2026 AgriStability program year to 75 per cent from 50 per cent of the estimated final payment. This change will improve cash flow for producers by allowing them to receive a larger interim payment within weeks of submitting a completed application. Producers who have already received an interim payment will automatically receive a top-up to the 75 per cent level.
The Manitoba government has also implemented late participation for the 2026 AgriStability program year, allowing producers who did not enrol by the April 30 deadline to still participate in the program, albeit with a reduced benefit. Producers who wish to participate through late participation must pay the required fee before submitting their 2026 AgriStability enrolment.
Flooding across Manitoba in June and July affected producers at a critical point in the growing season and coincided with important AgriStability and AgriInvest deadlines. These targeted enhancements provide additional flexibility through existing Business Risk Management programs and help producers access support without the need for new programming.
AgriStability protects Canadian agricultural producers against large declines in farming income resulting from production losses, increased costs and changing market conditions. It is one of the Business Risk Management programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).
For more information about AgriStability, visit http://agr.gc.ca/agristabili ty.

COMING AUGUST 14! Roadshow Pickleball Manitoba will be running a youth pickleball camp for ages 10-17 years in Russell on Friday, August 14, from 10 am-3 pm at the George P. Buleziuk Hall (106 Shell River Ave. S). FREE register at: Pickleballmanitoba.ca
There is NO pickleball or badminton from July 27-Sept 4. They will both resume the week of Sept 7th. Days and times to follow!
Healthy Baby is Wednesday, Aug 5, from 11 am-1 pm upstairs in the Bunge Room located in the Russell Memorial Multiplex, Main St entrance. This is a free program for expecting parents and those with babies under the age of one. Come join us!
There are two horseshoe pits located next to the Russell Swimming Pool. They are up and ready to go! There are two old sets of shoes on site as well as a rake. If you would like the new horseshoes, they can be signed out for FREE at the pool during pool hours or at the recreation office 204 -773-2422.
PlayBoxes are set up and ready to go! PlayBoxes are filled with outdoor toys, balls, bases outdoor games, etc. There is a box in Binscarth next to the toboggan slide, and one in Russell on the south side of the GPB Hall (106 Shell River Ave. S.) These items are free to play with, just contact the recreation office for the code! Unlock the box, unlock the fun! Please return all items and lock the box when finished. Thanks!
The disc/frisbee golf course is now set up! The starting point is located on the walking trail next to the Russell Museum (314 Assiniboine St. W). There is a course map along with a rule sheet attached to the post at the start of the course. Need discs/frisbees? They are located in the PlayBox on the southside of the GBP Hall. Call/text 204- 821 - 8285 for the code. Please return and lock the box back up when you are done. Thanks!
Follow us on Facebook: Recreation Department Municipality of Russell Binscarth Not on Facebook? Check out our community bulletin board located on the front of the Russell Memorial Multiplex (Main St)

By Derek Holtom
Training camps are set to open in roughly six weeks for Manitoba Junior Hockey League teams, but you’ll forgive those based on the west side of the province for being more than a little distracted.
Places such as The Pas, Swan River, Dauphin, Waywayseecappo, Virden, Neepawa, and all places in between have been hit with one bad headline after another.
Most of the bad news centres around flooding, which we’ll get into right away. But up north the Northern Manitoba Blizzard were rocked by the news that local product Isaac Tomchak has been diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia, a rare blood disorder in which his bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells. Having aplastic anemia can increase a person’s risk of developing certain cancers - most notably, leukemia. The treatment requires a bone marrow transplant.
Tomchak was slated to be a key part of the Blizzard this year, coming off a season where he scored 14 goals, 22 assists and added 119 penalty minutes. But now his top goal is getting treatment and recovering.
A GoFundMe was set up for Tomchak by his aunt to help cover costs for the family in the days ahead. The community rallied and quickly blew through the set goal, so much so that donations were paused after four days.
Tomchak posted an update on the site through his aunt, stating in part “I really appreciate all the support and love that I have received during this incredibly challenging time. It helps me as well as my family stay positive. We all believe that it’s gonna be a smooth recovery and you guys helped us do that. Thank you everybody!!"
It’s heartwarming to see a young man with so much potential have a positive outlook after being told some bad news, and it doesn’t shock me in the least to see his community rally behind him. Having spent many years in Swan River and Dauphin I’m fully aware of how communities can come together in challenging times to help those in need.
And there are perhaps no more challenging times than right now in western Manitoba. They have had not one but two massive flooding events this year. Before the floods, the region dealt with a large snowpack and a late melt. Then the first flooding happened around June 6 and 7 as seven inches of rain, flooding many areas and devastating others such as Minitonas.
That was just the appetizer as it turns out. A torrential rain blasted Western Manitoba in late June, leading to unprecedented flooding. When I saw the flooding in Dauphin on the streets in front of where the Dauphin Kings play – blocks away from the Vermillion River, I was stunned. When I saw the first home I lived in in Swan River under water, I was shocked. But when I saw the social media posts of all the people I know watching their homes get destroyed, when I saw bridges being washed away, I was saddened.
So here we are, mere weeks away from the start of training camps for MJHL teams, and the water hasn’t even finished receding in some of these devastated communities. It’s actually hard to reach many areas safely, as emergency repairs to bridges and highways continue.
While the focus rightly remains on the cleanup and the rebuilding, I wonder how all these communities are going to be in any position to do much in terms of recreation this coming winter? What kind of hit will businesses take from crops and livestock being washed away? What sort of entertainment budget will remain for people who have seen their homes destroyed?
Already we see the Swan River Valley Ag. Society made the difficult decision to not host their wildly popular Northwest Round-Up and Exhibition this year. Having covered and volunteered for this event in the past I have some idea of the magnitude of effort needed to host an event such as this. Seeing how much work is needed to get Swan River and surrounding communities back on their feet, this feels like a right call.
Operating a junior hockey team is a challenging proposition in the best of times. These could be described quite literally as the worst of times. I worry first and foremost about the people affected by these floods. But in the back of my mind, I wonder how MJHL teams in western Manitoba (and frankly any sort of amateur sports) will fare in the coming months.

The annual Beef and Barley is only possible because of the incredible support of local volunteers and community organizations. Since 2014, they've proudly given back over $120,000 to local groups and community projects, and they hope to continue investing int he people and organizations that make our community so special. Can your group lend a hand this year? If you're part of a local community organization and are interested in helping with this year's festival, they'd love to hear from you! There are many ways to get involved, and your support helps ensure the festival continues to thrive while giving back to our community. Email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get involved! Join them for a planning meeting on Tuesday, July 21st in the Brad Room in the Civic Centre on Russell’s Main Street.
It’s a really fun committee to be involved in!