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The Government of Manitoba wants to cut the amount of money paid to investment managers who handle public sector pensions, by merging management services.

Premier Pallister stated that public servant pensions are operating in silos that result in lower returns for investors. He is challenging the managers of those pensions to work together to lower the fees being paid.

“It’s an enormous amount of money every year, and pension plan managers will appreciate having a better and more consistent degree of transparency,” said Pallister.

Pallister estimates that the proposed move could mean $200 million more in annual returns that will ensure that the funds remain strong.

The Premier swore that the move wasn’t trying to force everyone to have the same pension plan. He said it was about respecting the different divisions among pension plans and having public pension funds becoming “better and smarter shoppers” when they invest.

He went on to say that the government will be meeting with pension fund managers soon. The managers have been told to report back to the province with a joint recommendation by March.

Alberta, B.C., Ontario, and Nova Scotia have merged aspects of their public sector pension plans

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A man involved in the shooting of an RCMP officer in Onanole last year has pleaded guilty to charges laid against him.

Shane Beaulieu entered guilty pleas this morning in Brandon provincial court to possession of property obtained by crime, two firearm-related charges, and two counts of break and enter.

Beaulieu, along with three other men, was arrested after Corporal Graeme Kingdon was shot and seriously injured while investigating a break-in near Onanole in August of 2018.

The shooting resulted in a massive search for the suspects that lasted until the next afternoon.

During the manhunt, Beaulieu was arrested while walking down a road in the area around 6 am. He has been out of custody on bail since October 2018.

Therae Racette-Beaulieu, the man who admitted to the shooting, is currently serving a 15-year-prison sentence for attempted murder, and another three years for the crimes that led up to the shooting.

Racette-Beaulieu also faces charges in connection with a stabbing at the Brandon Correction Centre after his sentencing.

Delaney Houle and Tommy Beaulieu also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

31-year-old Shane Beaulieu has been to jail several times in the past.

He is set to be sentenced in May.

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Dauphin’s Countryfest is expanding its borders and adding a new project in Thunder Bay, Ontario called Country on the Bay.

Ann Ransom, Countryfest president says that the organization does more than just their annual Dauphin summer festival by putting on concerts around Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as helping with other music festivals in the prairies.

The organizers of Country on the Bay in Thunder Bay reached out to Countryfest asking for assistance to help put on the festival, and Ransom says it was an easy decision.

“We looked at it a little bit further and went this is a great opportunity to diversify our revenue opportunities, it’s a good thing for our organization, and for Dauphin, and for our brand,” said Ransom.

Ransom added that participating in other festivals and expanding the brand generates a lot of clout in the industry, which allows them to buy more talent.

While Countryfest might be looking to other festivals for revenue opportunities, Ransom says Countryfest is still very much Dauphin centric.

“We are still local, we are still a not-for-profit organization, it’s still out of Dauphin,” said Ransom. “The nice thing is we’ve got 31 years of experience in this organization, and that’s seen throughout the industry as quite reputable.”

Ransom went on to say that the Country on the Bay festival is a way to put Dauphin on the map.

“It’s a different market, being able to showcase what we can do, and the talent that we have in Dauphin, and spreading out a bit,” said Ransom “We’re excited about the new partnership, and the new opportunities it will bring.”

The lineup for Country on the Bay includes Toby Keith, Terri Clark, Gord Bamford, High Valley, Hunter Brothers, The Roadhammers, The Reklaws, and The Washboard Union.

Pre-sale tickets are on sale today, and regular tickets go on sale tomorrow.

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A fire burned down the main building for Sandy Bay Child and Family Services on Sunday.

The chief of Sandy Bay First Nation said that the incident occurred sometime before 5 am yesterday morning.

Sandy Bay fire crews battled the fire for four hours with the assistance of the Alonsa and Langruth fire departments.

Around two dozen staff members were based out of the building which housed administration, family enhancement programs, and social workers' offices.

The chief added that the building was a central hub for the Sandy Bay CFS and that he did not know the exact extent of the damage, or what was recovered.

To contact staff who worked at the main office, First Nations members are asked to call the Winnipeg office at 204-856-2030. According to a Facebook post, messages will be relayed and calls will be returned within a reasonable time.

The cause of the fire is still unknown as the provincial fire commissioner’s office is still investigating.

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With the holiday season upon us, the RCMP are reminding Manitobans of the importance of driving sober.

The Holiday Checkstop Program has been running since the start of December and the stats from December 1st to 8th have been released:

26 people were charged with a criminal code impaired driving offence, 15 alcohol or drug related tiered administrative roadside suspensions were handed out, 141 charges were handed out under the Highway Traffic Act, and 34 written warnings were issued. Overall, 3,700 vehicle were checked, and the highest blood/alcohol reading was 0.23.

From the beginning of the year until now, alcohol is suspected to be a factor in 27 fatal collisions.

In Dauphin on Fridays, Saturdays, and New Year's Eve, the Dauphin RIDE program will be running. If you need a ride, call 204-638-5707. 

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New impaired driving consequences are now in effect and anyone caught driving while impaired will face tougher consequences.

If a driver registers a "warning", which is a blood alcohol level between .05 and .079 or fails a drug screening test, their license will be suspended immediately for at least 3 days for a first offence. As well, you'll be slapped with an administrative penalty of $400 and your vehicle will be impounded for 72 hours. The length of the license suspension and vehicle impoundment go up with each offence.

Drivers who register a blood-alcohol level over .08, or a blood drug concentration higher than five nanograms of THC will have their license suspended for 3 months and their vehicle impounded. They'll also have to use an ignition interlock for a year and pay a $700 fine plus a $50 driver's license reinstatement fee.

On top of all that, if your license is suspended two or more times within a 10 year period, you'll have to complete the Impaired Driver Program at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba at your own expense. Your Driver Safety Rating will also be ruined.

You can find more details on impaired driving consequences here.

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The Manitoba First Nations Police Service has taken one of the province’s most wanted off of the streets.

On Friday afternoon, police attempted to make a traffic stop on the Sandy Bay First Nation, when the car took off.

Police said a car chase followed and lasted for around 30 minutes before the vehicle stopped and the two people in the car fled on foot.

A female suspect was arrested rather quickly, but it took a 10 minute foot chase to catch the other suspect.

MFNPS say the suspect was wanted by both the First Nations Police and the RCMP on several outstanding warrants.

29-year-old Edward Sutherland, was taken into custody with charges pending.

The female suspect is also awaiting charges.

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The Dauphin Regional Health Centre Palliative Care Redevelopment Project has received a donation from Cargill Limited and additional backing from Corteva Agriscience.

The donation is for 2,500 dollars.

The Palliative Care Redevelopment Project is over half-way done.

All thanks to donations, the Dauphin Hospital Foundation has been able to purchase two of four new beds and they’re in use, and all four palliative care rooms have been painted and redecorated.

To complete the initial project, they need to purchase the last two beds.

 

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The Government of Manitoba says the province’s deficit is running lower than expected.

The finance department released new figures that show the province is expecting to have a deficit of $350 million for the fiscal year that ends in March.

The $350 million is $10 million lower than the government had predicted in the budget last spring.

Finance Minister Scott Fielding cites that health-care spending is above budget, but spending for other departments is lower than anticipated.

A big factor in the lower deficit is a decrease in spending for infrastructure in areas like housing and education.

The PC government has vowed to have the budget balanced by 2022-23, and Minister Fielding says these numbers show that the province is on track to do that.

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A Brandon police officer was stabbed in the head with a hypodermic needle by a woman who said that she wanted to kill him.

The stabbing occurred last night just after 8 pm after police were called to a disturbance at a home in the city.

The first officer on the scene said he heard a woman screaming from inside. He was met inside by a 25-year-old woman wielding a hypodermic needle filled with an unknown fluid.

The woman then proceeded to attack the officer, and stab him in the head.

As the fight went on, the woman said she wanted to kill the officer, she then urged others in the home to do the same.

The officer was able to get the woman under control until backup came and arrested the woman.

The suspect was scheduled to be in court this morning.

The officer was taken to hospital and later released. He is receiving treatment for exposure to potentially hazardous fluids.

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Between October 2018, when cannabis was legalized, and September 2019, Canadians spent 908 million dollars on legal cannabis.

Statistics Canada says that works out to 24 dollars per person.

In Manitoba, just over 56 million dollars was spent which works out to 41 dollars per person.

Demand for legal weed was the highest in Yukon where sales per person were at 103 dollars, while BC was lowest at 10 dollars per person.

Ontario spent the most money on legal weed at 216 million dollars, followed by Alberta at 195 million and Quebec with 194 million dollars spent.

The 56 million Manitobans spent ranks 5th highest total and 2nd highest in western Canada.

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