Portage la Prairie's hosting this year's Manitoba Water and Waste Water Conference. City councillor Melissa Draycott says a lot of people will be visiting the city this weekend.

"That conference is actually going to start on Sunday," Draycott explains. "It's going to go until Wednesday, in Portage la Prairie at the Canad Inns. We can expect to see approximately 400 people attending. It's a trade show and annual conference for the Manitoba Water and Waste Water Association."

City staff have been preparing for the event over the past year, and all our hotels are being booked up with an overflow expected into Southport. Draycott adds although the conference is an annual event it hasn't been to Portage for some time.

"It's just a great opportunity for Portage to have a large conference come to town like this," she says. "We'll definitely see quite a few new faces around town for the next couple of days."