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The Town of Swan River has set aside what it's calling a Crime Reserve, $50,000 to combat crime in the Town, and is developing a plan on how it will be used.

A pilot project is also in the works to re-work how non-major crimes are dealt with in Swan River by creating provincial and/or municipal alternatives to avoid further burdening the federal justice system.

They're deciding to move in this direction as the result of a town hall that was held on March 17th.

According to the Town, the meeting was successful in educating the public on the realities faced within the justice system, providing a sounding board for local residents and businesses, and securing connections with organizations affected by the crime situation in the Valley.

Rainbow Breach Provincial Park will reopen on Friday, June 17th for day use. This excludes the campground; however, it is closed until at least June 24 as water levels on Dauphin Lake remain very high. 

You're paying more at the grocery store, you're paying more when you buy a house and you're certainly paying more at the pump to fill up your vehicle.

Gas prices continue to soar and in Dauphin, gas prices are sitting at just more than 2.07 per litre.

And while it would be nice to share some good news on that note, Patrick DeHaan with GasBuddy shares why prices are as high as they are.

"The price of oil has continued to move up and the ultimate problem continues to be demand is very high and the supply is very low," said DeHaan. "Also the number of refineries that have closed in Canada and the United States over the past few years."

With a full summer ahead, Patrick expects that gas prices will continue to rise and they could do so dramatically. He expects in the very near future prices could reach 2.14 a litre and at their worst, prices could rise to more than 2.30 per litre.

"It's just a matter of time before we hit 2.10 and prices will continue to rise from there," said DeHaan. "If there is a hurricane somewhere in the world or a major disruption, I wouldn't be surprised to see prices rise to 2.50 per litre."

Patrick says there isn't much good when it comes to the price of gas but it's something that we have to deal with.

The Habitat for Humanity Dauphin Chapter is scheduled to break ground on their new build today, however, poor weather could push the start of the project. Chapter Chair Rodney Juba talked about all the people that helped make this build possible.

“This committee has worked hard and stayed together through challenging times. I am proud of the hard work of each member of our group and we look forward to the successful completion of this build”

Fusion Credit Union is hosting a kick-off fundraising BBQ for the project in their parking lot (505 Main St N, Dauphin, MB) from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm tomorrow, June 16. There will be speeches and cheque presentations at noon during the BBQ.

Habitat also wanted to thank the Thomas Sill Foundation for contributing $10,000 towards the build, and Fusion Credit Union who donated $7,500 so far and they will also be contributing the proceeds raised at the BBQ.

The Parkland Chamber of Commerce held its State of the District address this afternoon at the Watson Art Centre. The main theme was a new regional initiative called Stronger Together, which encourages municipalities in the region to work together.

Stephen Chychota, executive director of the Parkland Chamber of Commerce, said that the event was a platform for municipalities to work together and that by doing so, they would be stronger together. He also said that there's a group working on bringing skilled labourers to the area to help alleviate the challenges brought on by the labour shortage.

It's not the be-all end-all for anything, but... if we bring [more workers to the area], we can start filling these jobs and bring more opportunity because they bring family and maybe they deviate from what they're doing and they go out on their own business sort of thing.

Robert Brunel, mayor of the Municipality of Ste. Rose, spoke at the event. He said that it's important for municipal leaders to work together and that municipalities, such as McCreary, Ste. Rose, Lakeshore, Mossey River, Dauphin, Grandview and Ethelbert, are working in close collaboration in many areas. These areas include wastewater and solid waste regulations, housing, and economic development. It was also brought up that if municipalities take similar positions, they would be in a stronger position to lobby the federal and provincial governments. He also announced a new tourism partnership that will include the launch of a new website called Hello Parkland.  

There was federal and provincial representation at the event.

Dan Mazier, MP for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, addressed the event virtually with a pre-recorded message that included support for scrapping the carbon tax and suspending the GST on fuel to make life more affordable.

Brad Michaleski, MLA for Dauphin, gave a speech at the event expressing his support for the Chamber's Stronger Together initiative by agreeing that working together is the right move for a challenging time. According to Michaleski, the whole region has to be strong and things should be approached in a regional way.

The Manitoba Government announced the approval of the province's first potash development today. Potash and Agri-Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM) can start extracting and producing potash near Russell.

Premier Heather Stefanson made the announcement earlier today. She said the government and PADCOM have been working with local indigenous communities and leaders to encourage participation in potash production. PADCOM has partnered with the Gambler First Nation, which is participating as a 20% equity owner.

Canada is the largest producer of potash in the world, at nearly 15 million tonnes, and according to the PADCOM website, their mine would add an additional 2 million tonnes of capacity.

David Bosiak has announced he's running for Mayor of Dauphin in the October 26th municipal election. He says his years of working in the community development field would help him in the position of Mayor.

"I like to view it as finishing the job." said Bosiak, "I moved back to town when I just finished university and got a three-month term position that I thought I was gonna be here for three months and then be gone. Three months turned into a year, turned into five years, turned into opening my gym. A series of fates ended up in me being here forever."

Bosiak said he spent his whole professional life in Dauphin and really grew to love the community and feel like a part of the community.

"I worked for the provincial government for eleven years in community development, so I saw how Dauphin operated, I saw how all the communities in the Parkland operated," said Bosiak, "I'd like to think I've seen just about everything, how effective councils work, how some communities are a little bit less effective and what they might do differently."

Bosiak is the second candidate to announce they're running, joining Kerri Riehl, making it the first contested election for Mayor of Dauphin since 2010. Bosiak said he's happy to have the contested race, saying it benefits the community, and will bring important issues to the forefront.

The Dauphin City Council held a regular council meeting this evening. Some highlights from the meeting include:

There was a public hearing for a variance report to allow the construction of two single-story 2,158 sq. ft. triplex dwellings consisting of two single-bedroom dwelling units and one two-bedroom unit at 218 Buchanon Avenue West.

John Yury and Jerry Wheeler were at the meeting in person to answer questions about the application, as well as other variances that had been previously approved.

During her report, City Manager Sharla Griffiths talked about the upcoming city plan and the events that took place last week.

Through a request for proposals, the review of the Development Plan project was awarded to Urban Systems, a consulting firm with offices in western Canada including Winnipeg. Part of the review process was a 'Development Plan in a Week' blitz in the community, which took place last week. During that time, the consultant set up a 'studio' in the Committee Room at City Hall and used that as their home base office to conduct their consultations with Council, Staff, stakeholders, and the public.

When the online survey closed today, there were 150 responses, which according to Urban Systems, is an outstanding number for a community this size.

The next Dauphin City Council meeting is scheduled for June 27th. You can watch today's Regular Council Meeting on the City of Dauphin YouTube page here.

The Red River North RCMP got a report of human remains in a field in the RM of West St. Paul on June 6th. When they arrived, officers were able to determine the deceased was a female around 40-50 years old.

Upon investigation, the RCMP determined the deceased was 53-year-old Lori Ann Mancheese from Ebb & Flow First Nation. Police are waiting for the results of an autopsy, as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, which they believe is non-criminal at this time.

If you have information, please call Red River North RCMP at 204-482-1222, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online here.

After having to pause operations while looking for a new Driver/Coordinator, the Grand Plains Handivan is back in operation as of today. According to Larissa Love, after weeks of looking, they were finally able to find the right candidate.

We interviewed a couple of people on Friday, and we were successful in hiring somebody.

The Handivan provides transportation services to residents of Gilbert Plains and Grandview, with Daily trips to Dauphin, and would've been a huge loss for the community had they not been able to fill the position. Anyone needing the Grand Plains Handivan services can call them at 204-638-2464.

June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and there is no better time than now to get help if you need it. 

It's estimated that roughly 11 people die by suicide each day in Canada and that adds up to about 4,000 people losing their lives to suicide each year in the country. Statistically, men have committed suicide more often due to a mental illness with the 50-59-year-old age group topping the list. Of the 4,000, it's reported that 90% were living with a mental health problem or illness.

11.8% of people report thoughts of suicide in their lifetime while 2.5% of people report thoughts of suicide in the past year. While it is men's mental health awareness month, now is the time to reach out for help as well if you're a female and you are struggling. The big message is you're not alone.

Eleanor Snitka is the community peer support worker for Peer Connections Manitoba in Dauphin and the area.

"Mental health issues are not weaknesses," said Snitka. "When you reach out for help, it's actually related to strength. Reaching out for help can save your life."

Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in men in Canada and it's the second leading cause for children and youth between the ages of 10 and 19. 

"It can't be said enough, taking care of your mental health is so incredibly important," offered Snitka. "We are all in this together. Reaching out may not be easy, it is hard but it can be so extremely beneficial. If you are having trouble, reach out and someone is here to help you."

If you are having trouble, Eleanor says the first step is to talk to your family doctor to see what options you have.