2019 was a weird and wacky year full of newsworthy events.
As we enter 2020, 730 CKDM has compiled a list of the top news stories in the Parkland for 2019.
10. Millions Of Tonnes Of Lithium Found In Snow Lake
In January, a geologist discovered a 6.3-million-tonne reserve of lithium in the Snow Lake area.
The geologist’s company, Snow Lake Resources, said it was planning on building multiple mines in the area, which would employ 500 people.
The job prospects were welcomed, as other companies announced layoffs.
Dauphin’s annual summer festival had a different kind of vibe this year, as Canada’s longest-running country music festival celebrated its 30th birthday.
The weekend featured an outstanding lineup of artists including Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Streetheart, Brothers Osborne, Old Dominion, Jason Aldean, and Toby Keith.
Festival goers braved blistering heat and thunderstorms to take in the celebration.
The weekend saw 9,000 people come through the gates to watch 54 artists over the 4-day festival.
Tickets for next year’s Countryfest are available now.
In March, a series of traffic stops led to the seizure of a large amount of cocaine, as well as meth, drug paraphernalia, and weapons.
One traffic stop on Main Street in Dauphin resulted in the discovery of 764 grams of cocaine.
Two days later, another traffic stop saw police seize 11 grams of meth, a Taser, and a can of bear mace.
A Tootinaowaziibeeng Band Councillor, named Steven Gerald Catagas, was arrested on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking and failing to comply with a recognizance.
29-year-old Dauphin resident, Preston Rodger Flatfoot, was also arrested and charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Weapon x 3, and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime.
7. Freak Accident Stops Ebb and Flow Powwow
On August 16th, the Ebb and Flow Powwow was cut short, by an incredibly unlikely event.
The centre pole was struck by lightning.
13 people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries and were later released.
No one was seriously hurt in the incident.
6. Fall Full Of Elections
The fall saw both a provincial and a federal election.
It all started in August when after months of speculation, Premier Brain Pallister called an early election, with a set date of September 10th.
The campaign was a rather short one at just under a month-long, but it was a harsh one. PC Leader Pallister and NDP Leader Wab Kinew traded jabs on the campaign trail, and during the televised debate.
The local campaign was much more civil, with only 3 candidates running.
The PC candidate was the incumbent Brad Michaleski, who just three years prior had won the previously orange riding. The NDP candidate was veteran politician Darcy Scheller, and the Liberal candidate was newcomer Cathy Scofield-Singh.
The candidates participated in a couple of forums in Grandview and Dauphin, where they aired out their plans if they were to be elected as MLA.
Election night saw Brad Michaleski once again win his seat, and the PC Party of Manitoba claim a majority government.
Days after the provincial election ended, the writ dropped for the federal election to be held on October 21st.
Like the provincial campaign before it, the federal campaign was fast-paced, hectic, and mean.
The leaders of the federal parties swapped jabs and back-handed compliments during the televised debates. The obvious feud was between Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who were fighting for a prospective majority.
Locally, there were 6 candidates. The Liberal candidate was once again newcomer Cathy Scofield-Singh, former KAP president Dan Mazier ran for the Conservatives, veteran Kate Storey was running for the Green Party, former Dauphin MP, Laverne Lewecky was the NDP candidate, Frank Godon was the candidate for the newly-formed People’s Party of Canada, and Jenni Johnson represented the Christian Heritage Party of Canada.
The local candidates were just as civilized in their forums as their provincial candidates.
Election night saw Conservative Dan Mazier win by a landslide but federally, it was a different story. Justin Trudeau’s Liberals had won the election, but with a minority.
The results of the hard-fought election saw two federal leaders step down, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Conservative Leader Andrew Sheer both resigned.
On June 23rd, the Husky Gas Bar in Dauphin was robbed at gunpoint.
A man entered the station carrying a long-barreled shot gun and demanded cash and cigarettes, he then proceeded to strike two employees with the gun, take cash and cigarettes, and fled on foot.
The man ran to a nearby apartment complex, where a lengthy standoff ensued. The 18-year-old suspect surrendered at 1:30 am the next morning.
Recently, 18-year-old Michael Chartrand was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the incident.
4. Hometown Hockey Hits Dauphin
The community was abuzz in November as Roger’s Hometown Hockey set up shop in Dauphin.
The event is a festival that travels coast to coast and showcases small Canadian towns with great hockey stories.
The festival featured many family-friendly attractions like the Roger’s Fan Hub where people could test their skills, and a street hockey rink for the kids to play the day away.
Part of the festival was a national broadcast on Sportsnet with hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone. Hockey legends joined MacLean and Slone during the Dauphin stop. Fans had the chance to meet former Dauphin King and Stanley Cup Champion Butch Goring, Dauphin’s own Olympic silver medallist Brigette Lacquette, and former NHL tough guy Colton Orr.
The festivities also lined up with a minor hockey tournament, a DRCSS Clippers game, and the Parkland U18 Ranger’s Ukrainian Night, which saw Hometown Hockey host Tara Slone and Colton Orr perform the ceremonial puck drop.
During the national broadcast, Dauphin residents filled the area around the studio, showing off their love for hockey and the community.
Tara Slone had the full Dauphin experience by having the chance to dance with Canada’s National Riding and Dancing Cossacks.
There was also a feature done on Dauphin Kings legend and Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz, where he spoke about the effect that Dauphin had on his career.
As Hometown Hockey came to a close, CKDM's Isaac Wihak interviewed Ron MacLean, if you'd like to hear the full interview, click here.
3. Tough Year For Agriculture
The 2019 crop year had started out like any other, full of potential.
A hot, dry summer followed resulting in many beef producers in the Interlake and Parkland regions declaring states of agricultural disaster, due to the lack of feed growth during the year.
The hot and dry summer was followed by the opposite end of the spectrum, a very wet and cold fall, starting with the Thanksgiving Snowstorm.
The storm, along with lots of rain, resulted in flooded fields and slowed harvest operations. The harvest that would usually end in October was stretched into mid-November, with many crops, like potatoes, not delivering adequate yields.
On top of the harsh growing conditions, beef producers were given a shock shortly after the provincial election.
The Government of Manitoba has announced changes to the province’s Crown Lands Leasing Program, leaving many beef producers concerned about the future of their farms.
The changes included a cap of 15 years on new leases with no potential of renewal, the removal of the ability to transfer land leases to a new owner, or even to a family member.
Concerned ranchers gathered by the hundreds at local meetings to air their grievances and to figure out a route forward.
Provincial ag advocacy groups like Manitoba Beef Producers and Keystone Agriculture Producers lobbied the government for changes to the new rules.
The government proposed small changes like allowing leaseholders the first right of renewal before their lease was put up for auction.
Even though changes have been proposed, none of them have been put into effect.
2. Thanksgiving Snowstorm Cripples Province
After a hot and dry summer, Manitoba was hit by an overwhelming snowstorm over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The storm dumped over 70 cm of snow in some parts of the province, resulting in highways being closed for the weekend. Every highway out of Dauphin was closed at one point in the weekend.
The wet, heavy snow knocked down over 2000 Hydro poles leaving communities in the dark for weeks, including the entire city of Portage la Prairie being without power for days.
Premier Pallister declared a state of emergency, which brought in help from other provinces including Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
The damage the snowstorm caused was estimated in the $110 million dollar range.
The warm temperatures that followed the snowstorm, flooded fields and caused the City of Winnipeg to open the Red River Floodway in the fall for the first time ever.
1. Manhunt Grips Country
In July, a young tourist couple was found dead in northern B.C., along with an unknown body found next to a burnt-out truck.
The truck belonged to two teens from Port Alberni, B.C named Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod. The teens were considered missing persons.
The B.C. teens were later determined to be suspects in the murders of 24-year-old American Chynna Deese and her Australian boyfriend, 23-year-old Lucas Fowler.
A few days after the bodies were found, the boys were spotted at a Co-op in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan driving a grey 2011 Toyota Rav-4.
Shortly after, that Rav-4 was found, burnt-out, Gillam, Manitoba.
The manhunt had started, with countless RCMP resources dispatched in the remote, Manitoba community, leaving residents, and the rest of the country on edge.
The third body found in B.C. was later determined to be 64-year-old UBC lecturer, Leonard Dyck. McLeod and Schmegelsky were charged with his murder, while still remaining suspects in the other two killings.
After days of fruitless searching in Gillam, and surrounding communities Fox Lake and York Landing, the Canadian Armed Forces were deployed to assist in the manhunt.
The search proved tough for officers, as the landscape was dense and gruelling.
As the search stretched into its third week, RCMP discovered items near a damaged boat on the banks of the Nelson River. The items were determined to have belonged to the suspects, which led police to focus their search.
The next day, two bodies were found 8 km away from the burnt-out vehicle, in dense bush. The bodies were found to be those of McLeod and Schmegelsky.
Autopsy results confirmed that the teens had died of self-inflicted gunshots.
Police later shared that the items found on the Nelson River included a cell phone, where through a series of videos, the boys had admitted to the three killings, and laid out their last will and testaments.
Canada wasn’t the only country fixated on the search for the two teens. Media from around the world made their way to the small town of Gillam, to get the latest details of the ongoing manhunt.
One of those journalists was Australian reporter Alexis Daish, who spoke with CKDM’s Isaac Wihak about what made the manhunt so interesting for Australians.
Just this month, more details on the murder suspects were made public, after warrants that were filed during the case were analyzed.
To see those details, check out the article.
