The Business Council of Manitoba offers Indigenous Education Awards (IEA) that offers financial assistance to Indigenous students attending post-secondary education in Manitoba, providing a $3,000 annual award to help alleviate financial barriers during the academic year.
Applications are now open for 2026-2027. Find more information, and how to apply, here.
The Telus ICF offers grant funding to Indigenous-led programs supporting Indigenous Peoples in Canada across all provinces and territories. Grants ranging from $5,000 – $25,000 are available.
Deadlines:
Spring: February 4 to March 4, 2026, or until the first 200 applicants are received.
Fall: September 10 to October 7, 2026, or until the first 200 applicants are received.
In Southern Health-Santé Sud, Healthy Together Now (HTN) provides grant opportunities that promote health equity, prioritize groups that are underserved and supports structures that remove unfair and avoidable barriers to health.
Our Healthy Living Team has been summarizing the data for the 2022-2023 funding year with a grant theme of “Increasing Community Belonging”, chosen to encourage social connections in communities, as connection is a foundation to overall health and well-being. The following impacts were found:
Projects helped support the following four HTN pillars:
We also received some highlights of what worked well:
Some future considerations groups reflected on were to:
“This project has been transformative for our community. Thanks to the generous support of Southern Health-Santé Sud (Healthy Together Now), we were able to create a space that celebrates cultural diversity, welcomes newcomers and honours the home languages of Indigenous peoples. By investing in the arts and fostering visibility for all, this initiative has made our community more inclusive and more connected. The cultural awareness it has sparked will continue to resonate, leaving a lasting legacy of belonging and shared understanding.”
Wancha Chanku Otakiya (One Path, Many Ways) – Portage la Prairie
Walking is just one winter activity to get you moving! Regular physical activity during the winter months could include walking, snow shoeing, or shoveling.
Get creative and have fun this winter!
Benefits of walking:
Before walking:
During your walk:
After you walk:
Construction of the new Portage Regional Health Centre is now complete, marking a major milestone in the delivery of modern health care services for Portage la Prairie and the surrounding region.
With the building phase finished, work is now focused on the installation of medical equipment, digital systems and comprehensive training for clinical and operational staff to ensure a smooth transition into the new facility. These final preparations will support safe, efficient, and patient-centred care leading to the official opening in the fall of 2026.
The new two-story Portage Regional Health Centre spans approximately 275,0002 feet and has been designed to meet the evolving health care needs of the community. The facility includes 114 acute care patient beds and will provide a full range of services, including medical care, palliative care, rehabilitation, family birthing, surgical services and special care.
Over the past two and a half years, the project has represented a significant investment of time, skill and collaboration.
More than 1.49 million worker hours were dedicated to construction – the equivalent to over 170 years of combined effort.
Crews poured 10,500 cubic metres of concrete, enough to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools and installed 1,700 tons of structural steel, roughly the weight of 1,200 cars.
The scale of the build is reflected in the finer details as well.
The health centre’s exterior features 238 punch windows, while inside, 951 doors were installed using more than 10,000 pieces of hardware.
Construction included 35,000 lineal feet of interior walls and 1.4 million square feet of drywall – enough to cover 32 acres or stretch 66 miles if standard 4×8 sheets were laid end-to-end. In addition, 190,0002 feet of ceiling grid was installed throughout the facility.
Once fully operational, the new Portage Regional Health Centre will provide a modern, welcoming environment for patients, families and staff, and will play a critical role in strengthening health care services for the region for decades to come.
Portage Regional Health Centre
Southern Health–Santé Sud is continuing to assess impacts across the region as a result of the snowstorm.
Home care services have been disrupted due to road conditions. Impacted clients have been asked to activate their back-up plans. Some elective surgeries at sites across the region have been postponed, along with some non-essential day programming. Patients will be contacted if any appointments are cancelled.
Please continue to check the Emergency Department schedule and call ahead to confirm operation hours and scheduled appointments with care providers.
For all emergencies call 911.
An annual grant that is intended for trail associations, municipalities, or other not-for-profit groups, that have the means to provide continued stewardship of trails.
Specific objectives for this grant include:
Application deadline: January 9, 2026
To learn more and/or apply: Grants | Trails Manitoba
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, asks students across the country to envision a reconciled Canada and make something that reflects their vision.
To enter, students may create artwork, write an essay, or plan a community project to promote reconciliation. More information and links to apply to both the art and essay, and the project streams.
Application deadline: January 23, 2026
A powerful resource providing descriptions and lists for community, health and government programs.
Designed for older adults, caregivers and families, the guide will help you navigate supports and services in the province.
In addition to a general guide for Manitoba, there are five versions of the guide based on regions within the province. When you select the guide for your region, you’ll find specific information on programs and services available where you live.
National Ribbon Skirt Day in Canada is a day dedicated to understanding, respecting and supporting Indigenous cultures and histories.
January 4, 2026
The day was inspired by Isabella Kulak, a fifth grader from Cote First Nation, who in 2020 was told her ribbon skirt wasn’t formal enough for the school’s Formal Day. Ribbon skirts hold cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous Peoples, symbolizing identity, resilience and connection to heritage. Isabella’s story sparked a movement that led to the successful passage of Bill S-219 in 2022 by Senator Mary Jane McCallum, to formally recognize this important day on January 4, 2023.
To learn more about the importance of Ribbon Skirt Day!