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The Manitoba government has laid out the Phase Three draft plan today.
Premier Brian Pallister says the next stage of allowing more businesses to reopen will happen no sooner than June 21st.
The province is looking for the public’s feedback on the proposed changes.
We can expect the following services to be restored in Phase Three:
- increasing gathering sizes to up to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors;
- developing guidelines for faith-based and other cultural gatherings, pow wows and other Indigenous cultural and spiritual gatherings, and small summer fairs and festivals;
- easing border restrictions to allow residents of western Canada and northwest Ontario to enter Manitoba without the need to self-isolate for 14 days;
- resuming regular licensed capacity for child-care centres with guidelines in place;
- increasing group sizes for day camps from 24 children to 50;
- increasing indoor occupancy levels for community/service centres and senior centres/clubs;
- allowing people employed by or affiliated with a film production to enter Manitoba without self-isolating for 14 days;
- allowing people employed by or affiliated with a professional sports team to enter Manitoba without self-isolating for 14 days;
- removing occupancy limits for retail businesses while ensuring physical distancing measures are in place;
- increasing indoor and patio occupancy limits to 75 percent of total capacity for restaurants, bars, beverage rooms, brew pubs, microbreweries and distilleries; and
- lifting occupancy limits for regulated and non-regulated health professions including registered massage therapists.
A detailed version of the reopening plan can be found here.
Manitoba businesses that want to give feedback, or have questions about how the next phase will affect them can visit https://engagemb.ca/.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The federal government is keeping the information they relied on to decide against exempting grain dryers from the carbon tax to themselves.
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says her department analyzed information through the Agriculture Taxation Data Program and figured out the carbon tax applied to grain dryers would cost someone between 210 and 819 dollars per year.
She adds, that is at most 0.42 per cent of revenues, which isn’t high enough to exempt grain dryers as they did for fuels used to heat greenhouses or run farm vehicles.
Bibeau’s spokesman says the analysis won’t be made public at this time and refers back to the 2-year-old report that estimated the added costs of the carbon tax for farms.
A conservative MP from Alberta, John Barlow, says he’s being flooded with bills from farmers that he says show Bibeau’s estimates are “completely out of touch.”
Barlow says some farmers are showing bills in excess of $10,000 for the carbon tax.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The momentum continues to build for the Gilbert Plains Splash Park as they have received their first major grant.
Vice President of the Gilbert Plains Splash Park Initiative, Cory Gulenchin, says the grant of $75,000 is a huge stepping stone for them.
“This is one of the first grants that we’ve ever gotten for the splash park. The bulk of the money that we’ve raised so far, in excess of $70,000 right now, has come just from grassroots fundraising and a lot of events and planning and stuff like that. From just doing things local here, 75 is a huge chunk, this is gonna be a huge stepping stone for us in order to get some more grants to fulfil the dream of building this park.”
Gulenchin says Melissa Stefaniw was a big reason for this grant by helping them with grant writing. Going forward, Cory says she’ll be able to help them apply for more grants because she knows what they are and aren't eligible for.
“It’s just amazing how fast we got this one. We’re very grateful that we can move forward on this. I think people will start to see that there is actual money coming in for this project and it’s just gonna move us forward and get us there, that much quicker.”
Gulenchin says completing the goal of $400,000 to build the splash park will put them on the map.
“This is not an ordinary splash park, this thing is massive, it is huge, it’s one of a kind and it’s going to be a lot bigger than some of the other ones that the communities do have right now. Having that for a small community like Gilbert Plains, it’s going to attract a lot more to the Centennial Park where the campgrounds are and possibly for the golf course itself.”
The Splash Park Initiative is also doing a field of dreams and they already have a 150-acre field of canola seeded and sprayed. Signs with all the sponsors will be displayed at the field. Gulenchin is hoping for a good bumper crop this year to make some good money.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
More than 80 homes in southeast Manitoba had to be evacuated because of flooding and heavy rain that washed out road access.
The RM of Stuartburn has been hit with about 150 mm of rain over the past few days, as the forecast continues to call for rain and drizzle in the area.
Many grain farms across Stuartburn are flooded, along with cattle ranches and hog barns.
The Rural Municipality of Piney also declared a state of local emergency on Tuesday.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
7:55 p.m. Update: The weather advisory has ended.
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A weather advisory is in effect for much of the Parkland, calling for conditions favourable for the development of funnel clouds
The following areas are included in the weather advisory:
- Gilbert Plains Mun. incl. Ashville
- Grandview Mun. incl. Valley River Res.
- Mossey River Mun. incl. Winnipegosis and Fork River
- Mun. of Ethelbert incl. Garland
- Mun. of Roblin incl. Makaroff Shortdale and Bield
- Mun. of Russell-Binscarth incl. Gambler Res.
- R.M. of Dauphin incl. Sifton and Valley River
- R.M. of Lakeshore incl. Ochre River and Makinak
- R.M. of Lakeshore incl. Rorketon and Toutes Aides
- R.M. of Riding Mountain West incl. Asessippi Prov. Park
- Minnedosa - Riding Mountain National Park
If conditions become more favourable for the development of landspout tornadoes, watches and warnings will be issued by Environment Canada.
To report severe weather, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tweet reports using #MBStorm.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
No new COVID-19 cases were announced in the province today.
There are 8 active cases and 285 people have recovered.
At this time there are 300 cases in total in Manitoba. No one is in the hospital, and the number of deaths stays at 7.
For more information, go to manitoba.ca/covid19.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Swan River RCMP seized multiple firearms and drugs after a search of a home last week.
On June 5, 2020, a search of a vehicle at the home in Swan River located a small amount of cocaine, several firearms, and drug paraphernalia.
32-year-old Dallas Genaille from Swan River was taken into custody and is charged with three counts of weapons possession contrary to an order, five counts of failing to comply with a release order, possession of a firearm knowing possession is unauthorized and possession of a controlled substance.
RCMP continues to investigate.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Allegations of an on-duty police officer entering a home without permission are being followed by the Independent Investigations Unit (IIU).
On September 1st, 2018, an officer with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service was involved in a pursuit and located the suspect vehicle abandoned near a home in Sandy Bay.
While searching for the suspect, the officer is alleged to have entered the home without lawful consent- which is considered a criminal offence.
The investigation continues.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Today we could learn more about the federal government’s plan to rework the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program.
Parliament's spending watchdog will deliver a report today about the costs of extending and changing the program.
The latest numbers show that 8.4 million people have applied for the benefit that offers $2,000 a month for those out of work — totalling more than $43 billion in payments as of June 4th.
The Trudeau government has introduced a bill that aims to punish Canadians found to be defrauding the CERB program, but it appears to be getting very little support from the opposition parties.
Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says imposing fines or prison terms for fraudulent CERB claims would hurt the most vulnerable Canadians.
The prime minister insists no one will be penalized for making honest mistakes in the application process.
According to the proposed legislation, fines could be up to three times the amount that was received in CERB.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
The Dauphin Senior Centre is now able to offer more services to their members, but staff are exercising a great deal of caution.
The province advises that senior centres limit gatherings to 10 - 15 people, and are also mandating strict physical distancing guidelines — but over at the Dauphin Senior Centre, Program Co-ordinator Kim Armstrong says it just doesn’t make sense to reopen the doors to in-person programs at this time.
“Rather than ask our seniors to congregate and put them at risk, we are choosing to stay closed until likely September.”
Although the doors will remain closed to members for the time being, Armstrong tells us their services are gradually getting back to normal.
The Senior Centre is now able to offer home deliveries for their congregate meal program.
“We are able to deliver to their homes. We have a little bit of funds that are able to expand our program that way.”
The Senior Centre is also expanding their phone call program, checking in on members for a “friendly visit over the phone.” The Programming Co-ordinator hopes seniors in the community take advantage of these programs that are available to them.
“We can’t identify everyone in our community that might need a phone call every day, or once a week — so we’re asking that anyone feeling kind of lonesome, or that just want to have a chat once a day, to give us a call and register with us so we’re able to reach out to you.”
The Dauphin Senior Center can be contacted at 204-638-6485.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The City of Dauphin Spring Clean-Up has completed the Day 3 area of the garbage schedule and has moved to the Day 4 area.
Crews are currently on the south-side of the Day 4 area.
The Compost Site at the City Waste Disposal Site is open 24/7.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
