Canadian hockey fans don’t have to be reminded that it has been 33 years since a team from one of our provinces has claimed the Stanley Cup, but the way things are going, it could be another 33 — or more — before the cup returns north of the 49th parallel.

A series of situations — nice weather and better tax rates are two of the most significant — seem to be conspiring against a team from Canada ever winning the Stanley Cup again. It might happen, because upsets are a normal part of sport, but roster building for Canadian teams is getting more difficult all the time.

Case in point: Vancouver Canucks had a rebuild in mind and they had the perfect player around which to build that potential contender: Defenceman Quinn Hughes. But after six seasons with the Canucks, Hughes told management he wouldn’t sign a contract extension, so they were forced to trade him. The best deal available was with Minnesota, who sent a couple of promising players (Zeev Buium and Marco Rossi) to the Canucks in exchange for the all-star Quinn.

Ottawa Senators have been showing recent signs of contending, making the playoffs with a team that oozed potential. But in mid-June, the team’s captain, not to mention its heart and soul, Brady Tkachuk, told team brass he, too, would not be signing an extension and gave management a list of four teams to which he would agree to be traded. Shocker of all shocks, one of those teams was the Florida Panthers where his brother Matthew plays. (Matthew, of course, orchestrated his own departure from a Canadian team, Calgary Flames, in 2022, and the floundering Flames still haven’t recovered.)

The City of Dauphin has purchased a vacant downtown lot near the Watson Art Centre, saying the acquisition is a long-term investment intended to preserve future redevelopment opportunities and support the community’s economic development goals.

City council approved the purchase of the property at 114 First Ave. N.W. for $25,000. The purchase will be funded through the City’s development reserve, which council established in 2025 to respond to strategic land acquisition opportunities.

Deputy City Manager Lisa Gaudet said the reserve was created to allow the City to act when key properties become available rather than waiting for the annual budget process.

“One of the intended purposes of the reserve is to enable the City to acquire strategically located properties when opportunities arise, rather than missing them because funding is unavailable or timing does not align with the annual budget process,” she said.

Sports has its stars and its superstars but only a handful throughout the 21st century could be deemed megastars. The megastar list might include Wayne Gretzky, Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Pele, but Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi has the credentials necessary to join that exclusive group.

For more than 20 years, Messi has starred on the world stage, playing in a record six FIFA World Cups, leading Argentina’s national team whenever international competitions are held and is the leader of the Inter Miami team in Major League Soccer. But if North American sports fans were unaware of Messi’s brilliance, they got a first-hand look at the megastar in action in Argentina’s first World Cup game, played in Kansas City against Algeria. At the age of 38, all Messi did in his team’s opener was score all three goals — his first World Cup hat trick — in a 3-0 victory, bringing his World Cup career goal total to 16. That tied him with former German striker Miroslav Klose. With five or six more games to go, Messi is almost certain to be No. 1 by the time the World Cup ends in mid-July.

Messi played in his first World Cup in 2006, when he was a fuzzy-cheeked 18-year-old with star potential written all over him. That potential manifested itself into the football legend the world knows today. He spent the first 17 years of his career with Barcelona in the top Spanish league, La Liga. He then spent two seasons with Paris and the latest four with Inter Miami. In those 23 seasons Messi accumulated 579 goals in 644 games. He was at his most prolific during his Barcelona days, averaging more than a goal a game (464 games, 474 goals).

Argentina has won three World Cup titles through the years, the latest coming in 2022 when Messi led his team to victory over France. Only two other teams have won consecutive World Cup championships and Messi would love nothing more than to help Argentina pull off a repeat title this year.

Maintenance work now underway on Neepawa’s water tower marks the first known time workers have entered the structure since it was built in 1982.

Residents may notice a slight reduction in water pressure while the project is completed over the next two weeks. The Town of Neepawa announced the work earlier this month, describing it as routine maintenance on one of the community’s key pieces of infrastructure.

According to Denis Saquet, Neepawa’s Manager of Operations, the tower has undergone inspections in the past, but this is the first time in its 44-year history that crews have physically entered the tank.

“This will be the first time in 44 years, to our knowledge, that someone has been in the tower,” Saquet said.

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — Long Plain First Nation has completed a multi-million-dollar expansion of its water treatment plant, marking a significant milestone in a broader federal initiative to improve safe drinking water access across Manitoba First Nations.

The community, approximately 20 kilometres southwest of Portage la Prairie, celebrated the completion of the upgrades Tuesday, June 23 alongside regional leaders and federal representatives, including Minister Rebecca Chartrand, on behalf of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). The project is part of a combined $122.2-million federal investment spanning five Manitoba First Nations, including Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Berens River First Nation, Misipawistik Cree Nation, and Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve.

Long Plain First Nation Chief David Meeches estimates the water treatment plant upgrades cost between $20 million and $30 million. The milestone follows years of community patience under persistent boil water advisories.

“It’s nice not to worry about that anymore,” Meeches said. “We’re very grateful for Canada and Indigenous Services Canada for stepping in and helping us out. I know how frustrating it is for other First Nations who encounter similar issues with their water and sewer.”

A popular downtown gardening initiative is returning this season to provide Portage la Prairie residents with free, fresh produce directly from the sidewalk.

The Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation (PCRC) has planted six “Garden Goodie Boxes” at high-traffic locations across the downtown core. The communal gardens are designed to foster environmental stewardship and ease the burden of rising grocery costs by making healthy food accessible to everyone.

“Each garden goodie box is planted with a combination of different vegetables,” said Hope Faschoway, community facilitator for the PCRC. “They can be picked and utilized by anyone here in the city of Portage.”

This year’s boxes are heavily stocked with tomatoes and cucumbers. They are located in front of A&V Electronics, Subway, the BDO Centre and near Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) and the MCC Thrift Shop.

A new regional transit service is moving closer to reality for Long Plain First Nation following the arrival of a fleet of passenger buses.

The community recently took delivery of three transit buses, an acquisition that marks the culmination of a collaborative planning process that began four years ago.

Long Plain Chief David Meeches credited the community’s former leadership and the City of Portage la Prairie for originally developing the concept in 2022. Meeches said current council members and staff have worked diligently to push the project across the finish line.

“All we simply did is notify our people that this is now becoming a reality,” Meeches said of a recent update posted to the community’s social media page. “It’s not a formal announcement.”

University College of the North has been selected to lead a new international network focused on improving solid waste management across Arctic communities.

The institution announced it will serve as the lead organization for the newly established Thematic Network on Solid Waste Management in the Arctic under the umbrella of the University of the Arctic.

The network was officially approved by the UArctic General Assembly on May 29 during meetings in Tórshavn, following a proposal review process and presentation by Anderson Assuah, an associate professor in UCN’s Aboriginal and Northern Studies department.

Assuah will lead the international initiative, which aims to strengthen collaboration, research and knowledge-sharing around solid waste management challenges facing Arctic communities.