Over the past two decades, PortageOnline has had several different looks. And starting tomorrow, one of the most dramatic changes in its history will take place. Yes, it will look and feel different to you, but our hope is that it better fits how you interact with digital information in 2022. 

We will continue to be your trusted source for finding out more about your community, the people who live, work and play here and local businesses who drive and support growth in our part of the province. So, what will change and what will stay the same? 

The design will change 

The new site will bring all of your local news, sports, agriculture, community and national stories into one easy, scrollable feed. Each story will be categorized and labelled to make it easy for you to read more of what you care most about. Did you know? Readers of PortageOnline consumed almost 14,000,000 pages in the last year! 

You’ll find the new website easier to use on your phone or tablet. We’ve all changed the way we consume information and now, we’re bringing the design of the site in line with what you’re already doing. Did you know? Nearly 65 per cent of traffic to PortageOnline is on a mobile device or tablet

The new website comes with a new app for even better access from your phone. You’ll also be able to sign up to receive notifications for crucial, time-sensitive information like breaking news, weather and emergency alerts. 

You will see more of the trusted local information you need to update many times per day. You will get to know more about your community as we bring many of the stories we’ve told on other pages to the forefront. Did you know? The average time spent reading a news story on PortageOnline in the year was almost two minutes.

 What stays the same?

Our deep commitment to our community. Our reporters and staff live here in the very same community we are reporting on. We care about our family, friends and neighbours and our proud to serve you every day. We are driven to support growth in local businesses as we create a vibrant community together. If you have a username and password for any of the pages you visit on a regular basis those will all stay the same as well.

Much like social media feeds such as Instagram and Twitter, content is constantly being updated and posted in a user-friendly manner to allow for up-to-date news, weather and sports and nonstop entertainment. 

Stories are now easier to access and results can be filtered with the click of a button. By clicking the menu, you can sort by local news, national news, community, local sports and much more.

Golden West Portage sales manager Travis Roberts stated, "The biggest change that people are going to see is it is a mobile-first site. Our previous site was a desktop-first version that was mobile-friendly, now we are turning that into a mobile-first that is desktop friendly. Access on mobile devices couldn’t be easier, allowing for local information available on the go wherever you are. It’s the same great content you’ve come to expect, only with a new face and features"

PortageOnline's look in 2022how PortageOnline looked in 2002