One Love, One Dauphin

Hundreds of Dauphin and area residents packed Vermillion Park on Friday afternoon for the city's Pride Parade.

PrideParade

All those in attendance made noise, and there was an incredible sense of community, love, and inclusivity.

CKDM caught up with Richard Genaille, youth and recreation minister with the Manitoba Metis Federation, after the event.

"My thoughts, I am just overwhelmed," said Genaille. "The turnout was incredible in the City of Sunshine, just awesome."

Chance Henderson, president of the Mountain View Teachers' Association, led parade goers onto the streets with a megaphone. The hundreds started in Vermillion Park, made their way, and ended up back in Vermillion, where everyone gathered.

"The turnout here was phenomenal. The folks that walked in the parade showed such great spirit," said Henderson. "We couldn't have asked for a better bunch of folks. It was a good time."

Dauphin joined the string of Manitoba communities to host Pride events. It's an annual tradition like none other. It's all about education and learning about the 2SLGBTQ+ community and who they are.

Genaille had a smile from ear to ear when reflecting on the event, which continues to grow every year.

"Look at the people, it's overwhelming," ended Genaille. "It brings butterflies to my stomach."

Once everyone got back to Vermillion, there were speeches and a hot dog feast. Among the festivities was an incredible group of young Parklanders who had a drumming session.

The weather was outstanding, the community support was great, and the love was felt. For Henderson, this event is critical for the city.

"It's very important. All folks belong," ended Henderson. "We need to get together to celebrate inclusion and diversity. We need to be accepting."

Pride 2025 has come to a close in Dauphin. Pride 2026 is already in the works and promises to be another special day of inclusion, love, and acceptance.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Jun 15, 2025 - 12:00 pm

Closures for several parts of Riding Mountain National Park have now been lifted following the recent completion of prescribed fires in several parts of the park.

A total of 1,400 hectares were burned under the watchful eye of Parks Canada officials in the Menzie and Baldy Lake area.

Among the areas closures now lifted are Baldy Lake road and trail, Central Trail, Baldy Lake Trail, Gunn Lake trail, Long Lake trail, and Whitewater, Gunn Lake, and Long Lake backcountry websites.

The fires were done in order to improve the forage for several types of wildlife, including elk and moose.

They will also help to maintain and restore prairie grasslands and reduce the risk of dangerous wildfires in the park.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Jun 15, 2025 - 12:00 pm

Just in time for the start of summer..... the Splash Pad in Ste. Rose is now open.

Located in Burnside Park, the splash pad is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

Lakeshore and Ste. Rose recreation invite everybody to check it out and cool themselves off at the same time.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Jun 14, 2025 - 9:50 pm

June is Pride Month, and throughout the month, many communities in the Parkland have been hosting Pride events to celebrate inclusiveness and provide a space where everyone is welcome.

On Monday, the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation will host their event. It will begin a flag-raising ceremony at noon at the school.

"The excitement is very high. The involvement from other programs taking part has been very proactive," said Lance Roulette, community wellness worker with Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation. "The overall interest is high."

As is the case with all Pride events, Lance says the theme is based on acceptance and being proud of who you are.

"And you know, sharing that high level of acceptance within the community, everyone deserves to know they aren't alone," offered Roulette.

There will also be a community float decorating contest and a free BBQ.

"We have a bouncy castle for the kids, little tattoos for kids," ended Roulette. "There will be an information booth. To conclude the day, there will be a drag show."

Organizers have been running the event for a few years and are once again excited to celebrate inclusivity.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Jun 14, 2025 - 2:00 pm

Chuckwagon and chariot races are set to return to Ste Rose this weekend, as the Parkland Horsemen's Association brings two days of action to the PHA racetrack just north of he community.

PHA secretary Faye Soucy says all of the excitement begins Saturday afternoon.

"We are going to be running chariots at 3 pm on Saturday, with the wagons going at 5. We will also have the Redneck Ranch Petting Zoo coming to see us. They will be there at 1 o'clock. We have never had them here before. They are a bunch of small animals, and it is going to be more hands-on."

Sunday races go at 1:30 for the chariots and 4:30 for the chuckwagons, with two Dash for Cash races taking place.

Also new this year is an Engine Death Pool, while the Beer Gardens will feature Owen and Wade Anderson, and Brad Johnson, all on Saturday night.

Admission is $15 per day or $25 for the weekend.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Jun 13, 2025 - 5:00 pm

Gilbert Plains is set to be "country-fied" this weekend.

Their 3rd annual Broncs, Bulls, Barrels and Ballgowns event goes on Saturday and Sunday at the rodeo grounds.

Gymkhana events start Saturday morning at 10, with the rough stock and barrel events going on Sunday at 1.

Organizing committee member Courtney Roehl says they have a wide range of skill levels competing this weekend.

"We have a couple of professional riders who are coming for the rough stock events. And then we have lots of locals, starting at the age of 5, with our oldest competitor in her 70s."

Saturday will wrap up with a "Party in the Dirt" dance beginning at 8 pm.

Day passes are $10 each day, unless you want to attend the dance - then the Saturday pass is $20.

Weekend passes are $25 while tickets to just the Saturday night Party in the Dirt is $15.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Jun 13, 2025 - 2:36 pm

A 34-year-old man from Dauphin is facing charges after he was arrested.

On June 12, at 4:00 p.m., Dauphin RCMP located Kyle Sutherland. Sutherland had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested without incident.

While they were searching, officers found a large quantity of Canadian cash along with methamphetamine.

He faces charges of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over $5,000, and Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Jun 13, 2025 - 11:00 am

Anglers from as far away as B-C and Ontario have converged on the Russell area for the 26th annual Prairie Classic Walleye tournament.

Fishing goes Friday and Saturday, and director Eric Labaupa (la-bow-puh) says Lake of the Prairies is ready for the 74 teams that will be taking part.

"This lake, I will argue with anybody, is one of the top walleye lakes in the country, or in North America for that matter. So there is always fish here; you do not need to be a very good fisherman to catch fish here. There has been some cool weather here lately, so the competitors will have to adjust what they are doing. But I was on the lake on Wednesday and we caught about a dozen, so that was not bad."

The awards will be handed out tomorrow night at the Russell Multiplex.

Over $40,000 in cash is up for grabs, including $17,500 for the first-place team.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Jun 13, 2025 - 10:49 am

In 49 days, Ukrainian culture will be front and centre.

Taking centre stage and embracing all the beauty that comes with the Ukrainian culture. Canada's National Ukrainian Festival (CNUF) runs from August 1 to 3. Tickets are on sale now, and there are fewer than 20 upper camping spots available.

"I think we're sitting in a pretty good spot, just waiting for the weekend to happen," said Kayla Gillis. "We have a few more things to put in place. Entertainment is ready to go, and stay tuned for schedules."

Before that, festival organizers are giving you a chance to get a head start on the festivities. There will be a kick-off party in Dauphin on Saturday, beginning at 11:00 a.m. It'll be at Obsolete Brewing Company, and it'll be a day to remember.

"We're cooking you breakfast, lunch, and supper. We're going all day and night," offered Gillis. "We have Midlife Crisis joining us from Saskatoon. We have dancers starting at two and another session starting at six."

There will be a Toonie Raffle, a BBQ fundraiser with delicious Kuba burgers, merchandise, and even a bouncy castle. There is no admission.

"If there's anyone out there that would like to have a good meal, certainly come out and check it out," said Cory Lafontaine. "We will also have CNUF merchandise, so that's very exciting. It's a tiny sampling of what you're going to experience at the festival in August."

The 60th CNUF runs in August, and on Saturday, you can get a head start on the festivities.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Jun 13, 2025 - 5:00 am

The wait is almost over.

Dauphin's Countryfest is in 13 days, starting on June 26. Ahead of the festival, Countryfest announced they're inviting wildfire evacuees from Manitoba, Creighton, and Denare Beach to the festival, free of charge. Evacuees have an opportunity to receive a general admission ticket along with camping and parking.

Duane McMaster is president of Dauphin's Countryfest.

"We looked around and saw all of these people who have been affected," said McMaster. "We thought we could help displaced people who maybe won't be able to get a holiday in."

Evacuees wishing to attend Dauphin’s Countryfest are asked to call the office at 6223700 to register. There is only a limited amount of general admission tickets, camping, and parking passes available for evacuees. You're asked to contact them as soon as possible.

The festival opens with the CKDM Rockin' Thursday Night Kickoff party. That features Dallas Smith and Default.

"We usually start having our weekly board meetings up at the site starting in June," offered McMaster. "It's nice to get back up there, we get to see the place getting spruced up. You can feel the excitement."

If you're on the fence about attending this year, there are so many reasons why you should. The annual event is Canada's longest-running country music festival. Jordan Davis and Josh Ross, two of the hottest performers in country music, will tear up the night.

John Michael Montgomery, Lonestar, Meghan Patrick, Jackson Dean, and the Road Hammers are a few more of the performers that will be on stage.

"We've got some local Manitoba talent. Desiree Dorion, Kate's Outlaw," ended McMaster. "We would love for everyone to support us. We're showing our support for the evacuees in the province. It would be great if everyone came down to celebrate everything Dauphin's Countryfest is. We can't wait."

That's Dauphin's Countryfest from June 26 to 29.