NewsNow
The Chief and council of Minegoziibe Anishinabe (formerly Pine Creek First Nation) filed a lawsuit in the Court of Queen’s Bench to stop the logging being done by Louisiana Pacific within their traditional lands which includes Duck Mountain Provincial Park and Provincial Forest.
The lawsuit is happening until the Government of Manitoba will conduct consultations with indigenous people after it hasn’t been consulted about the forest management rights for over 15 years.
Minegoziibe Anishinabe, which is 110 kilometres north of Dauphin, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the 4,000 Anishinaabeg members.
The group says the logging has been a long-standing issue with concerns about the decreasing population of animals such as moose across the area since 1995 which caused the province to no longer allow moose hunting in the area since 2011.
Right now Duck Mountain is the only provincial park that allows commercial timber harvesting with the first Forest Management Plan for the area being authorized back in 1996 and was supposed to be revisited after 10 years.
During that time Louisiana-Pacific submitted a plan for an additional 20 years which wasn’t approved by the province but in 2012 the Lieutenant Governor authorized Manitoba and their conservation minister to extend the term of the original contract which happened multiple times until the most recent one at the end of 2021.
The lawsuit wants the court to stop the current extension and wants Louisiana-Pacific to not be allowed to continue logging until they have consulted with the First Nation directly.
The case will be in front of a judge on February 8 and we will continue to have more updates as they are released.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
James Flatfoot, 34 of Pine Creek, has died while in custody at Stoney Mountain Institution. Flatfoot was sentenced to five years, three months, and 22 days on December 16, 2021. Flatfoot was charged with robbery, possession and use of a firearm, and flight from a peace officer.
Correctional Service Canada is investigating the circumstances around the death, as it does in all cases involving the death of an inmate.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
If you're wanting to take part in the 'Freedom Convoy' and you're in Dauphin or the area, you can have that chance. Dustin Taylor made a post on Facebook Monday night that a group is planning to meet at Walmart in Dauphin between 7:30 and 7:45 in Dauphin on Tuesday morning.
The convoy is expected to reach Brandon at around noon. The group from Dauphin will first head to Neepawa before heading to Brandon.
Dustin said he has $500 pre-paid fuel cards for up to 20 trucks that are willing to make the trip.
"I feel like a farmer, we need to support something where there is some unity again," said Taylor.
The post from Dustin has garnered a ton of support from locals.
- Details
- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is being introduced in the province and if you're a farmer and are struggling with mental health, it could be for you.
The program is aimed at providing mental health support for farmers and their families. It's been designed to provide one-on-one counselling sessions from professional counsellors with a background in agriculture to farmers and their families.
Gerry Friesen is a board member with the program.
"It's been something that has been talked about for a number of years," said Friesen. "Finally about a year ago, a group of us came together and came up with what we have today."
Farmers and their immediate family members can access six free, confidential (one hour) counselling sessions with a registered and skilled counsellor with a background in agriculture, funded by the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program. Services will be available during the day, evenings or on weekends to accommodate farmers' schedules and can be in person, on the phone or video chat depending on the farmer's preference.
"It's pretty simple, a farm wouldn't be a farm without farmers," said Friesen. "As someone that has battled mental health problems, this is a much-needed service and I'm glad that it's going to be offered."
Services will officially begin being offered in March and if you're interested in these services, head to Manitoba Wellness Farmers Program.
- Details
- Contributed by Darnell Duff
This evening Dauphin City Council met for their second meeting of the month at City Hall with some of the council in person and a few live on zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions in place for distancing.
The highlights from this meeting included the appointment of Devin Shtykalo as the 2022 Deputy Mayor who will be taking over at the position after it was previously held by councillor Rodney Juba. Mayor Christian Laughland thanked councilor Juba for all his input, hard work and assistance as the Deputy Mayor.
The council also discussed the following throughout this meeting:
- The City of Dauphin proclaimed that Wednesday January 26th will be Bell Let’s Talk Day. This Wednesday marks the 12th annual Bell Let’s Talk Day which brings to light the importance of mental health resources that are available. The city encourages residents of the city to join the conversation through #BellLetsTalk calls, texts, and social media posts to help drive Bells donations to mental health above the commitment of 155 million dollars.
- The City of Dauphin proclaims February 2022 as Heart Month in recognition of Heart & Stroke’s mission to prevent heart disease, save lives and promote recovery from heart and stroke diseases. The council commends the thousands of volunteers, staff, and researchers of Heart & Stroke for all their commitment and dedication and wishes them continued success in fundraising throughout the month of February in a different way than usual due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
- The council recognizes the Inter-Mountain Watershed District (IMWD) and the environmental benefits that trees provide and that the IMWD will offer young tree seedlings at minimal cost to landowners within the district’s boundaries. Applications can be found on the IMWD website or from their office in Ethelbert and Ste. Rose. You can find the website here.
- The council also discussed a letter of support for a grant application through the provincial Building Sustainable Communities fund for the Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corps pilot project that would last 2 months which would include:
- Accessible rides (Van) for residents of Dauphin
- Transit type pickups (one pass through the community in the morning and one in the afternoon)
- Transportation (free or for a small fee) to low-income families and seniors for medical appointments and shopping.
During the councillor privileges, councillor Juba mentioned the progress that Habitat for Humanity’s Dauphin chapter has had over the month of January and all the hard work the committee has put in with the Meaning of Home initiative that helps students raise money for the local build. Councilor Juba also mentioned that they hope to be able to commence the build in March.
On top of this, all the councillors mentioned the importance of Bell Let’s Talk Day and mental health support as well as the hard work that the Dauphin Health Auxiliary Board put in to help the community over the 120+ years it was around before it disbanded.
Youth Council member Katherine Kowalchuk also had a chance to give an update on what she has been up to over the past month which includes volunteering at the Parkland Humane Society on Mondays, working on schoolwork as she nears the end of the first semester of Grade 12, teaching swimming lessons to kids aged 5-13 over the Christmas holidays and continuing to be a lifeguard at Dauphin Recreation Services.
The next scheduled city council meeting will be at Dauphin City Hall on Monday February 14 at 5 pm and can be viewed on the live stream on the City of Dauphin YouTube page here.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
Steve Shand, the man charged with transporting or attempting to transport illegal immigrants, in connection to the four bodies found by the Canada-U.S. border in Manitoba last week, has been released from custody with conditions.
Per the conditions of his release, Shand will have to surrender all of his travel documents, refrain from obtaining any others, and stay in the district of Florida where he lives with the exception of attending court. He also needs to report any interactions with police, refrain from committing any crimes, and not be in possession of any weapons.
Shand was arrested on January 19th, 2022, by U.S. Border Patrol, when they stopped a 15-person van that he was driving. Inside the van were two passengers who did not have documentation.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Manitoba government is getting its 2022 budget ready and they want input from the public. Finance Minister, Cameron Friesen, is hosting virtual events to get public feedback about this year's provincial budget.
The virtual public engagement event for Rural Manitoba is Tomorrow at 6:30 pm, you can register online here, or on the phone by calling 1-866-626-4862.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
On Friday, officers from Dauphin RCMP and the West District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team executed a search warrant at a residence in the RM of Grandview. The search resulted in the seizure of a prohibited firearm, a prohibited weapon, and approximately 8 grams of crystal meth.
RCMP arrested 23-year-old Jordy Clyde Robertson, from the RM of Grandview, and remanded him into custody on charges including Possession of a Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized, Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose, Possess Firearm while Prohibited, Importing a Prohibited Device, and Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking.
Robertson is scheduled to make his appearance in Dauphin Provincial Court today, while the RCMP continues to investigate.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
A truck convoy is making its way across Canada from Vancouver to Ottawa, protesting recent vaccination mandates. The convoy will make stops in Brandon, Portage la Prairie, and Headingley tomorrow.
A mandate that came into effect on January 15th, requires anyone crossing the Canada-US Border to be fully vaccinated or get a negative PCR test outside of Canada within 72 hours of entering the country, then test again when they arrive, and finally self-test 8 days into their mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The truck convoy to Ottawa was organized by Canada Unity, which is an anti-public-health-mandate group. Their plan is to be in Ottawa by January 29th, where they will be joined by a convoy making its way from eastern Canada.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Snow or extreme cold has been the trend for the past several weeks and it is set to continue.
An extreme cold warning has once again been put into effect as of Monday morning.
A bitterly cold Arctic airmass has settled over the region. This air mass in combination with 15-20 km/h winds will produce extreme wind chill values near -40 this morning with only slight improvement expected during the daytime hours. The extreme cold will continue into Tuesday morning, where temperatures will begin to moderate substantially.
Extreme cold puts everyone at risk. Cover up. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill. If it's too cold for you to stay outside, it's too cold for your pet to stay outside.
- Details
- Contributed by Darnell Duff
A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for a 52-year-old man, who’s been charged with one count of abduction in contravention of custody or parenting order.
Michael Gordon Jackson is described as weighing about 250 pounds, with blue eyes and dark brown hair, and typically wears glasses.
Investigators believe individuals may be aiding or assisting Jackson in evading police and remind the public this activity may result in criminal code charges.
The Saskatchewan RCMP says he doesn’t have a known vehicle, he resides in the Carievale, Saskatchewan area and may have connections to the communities of Dilke, Oxbow, Alameda, and Regina in Saskatchewan as well as Lamont, Alberta. However, he may be in other communities or in Manitoba.
It’s believed his daughter, 7-year-old Sarah Jackson, is with him. She is described as being Filipino/Caucasian, 4 feet 2 inches tall, 76 pounds with long, waist-length brown hair that is all one length with no bangs, has brown/hazel-coloured eyes and last had teal-coloured eyeglasses.
In a news release, police say at this time, the criteria hasn’t been met for an Amber Alert, though continue to “assess the circumstances and information related to this file on an ongoing basis and as new information is reported to the police.”
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is urged to contact the Saskatchewan RCMP at 310-RCMP (7267) or (306) 780-5563, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip here.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
