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Manitoba Hydro has submitted its General Rate Application with the Public Utilities Board.
“While we know rising costs are tough for many of our customers right now, and that no one wants to pay more for their energy, the rates we’re asking for are necessary to ensure we’re able to provide our customers with the safe and dependable service they need today and in the future,” said Jay Grewal, Manitoba Hydro’s President, and CEO
Hydro is seeking confirmation from the Board on the 3.6% interim rate increase it awarded in January of this year, as well as further increases of 3.5% on October 1st, 2023, and another 3.5% on April 1st, 2024.
“These proposed increases will help ensure Manitoba Hydro has the financial resources available to handle the risks created by our $24 billion debt load, and factors that are out of our control like fluctuating interest rates, export market prices, and water levels,”
During last year's drought, Manitoba Hydro Experienced a $248 million loss, while high precipitation and better prices on the export opportunity market this year mean the utility is projecting a net income of $559 million.
The Public Utilities Board has released a public notice about the application, and there are three ways that Manitobans can voice their opinion on the issue.
- As a Presenter – If you want to make a virtual or in-person formal presentation to the Public Utilities Board on this matter and are willing to respond to questions about your presentation, please go to www.pubmanitoba.ca and apply to become an approved Presenter. Presentations are limited to a maximum of 10 minutes.
- Written Comment – If you would like to comment in writing on the rate increase, please go to www.pubmanitoba.ca and provide your written comment.
- As an Approved Intervener – If you want to actively participate in the public hearing as an Intervener, please go to www.pubmanitoba.ca and apply for Intervener status. Interveners are required to represent the interests of a significant group of customers and may be required to combine their intervention with others representing similar interests.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Dauphin R.I.D.E. (Reducing Impaired Driving Everywhere) Program has returned for its 30th year.
The service provides people in Dauphin and area with a safe ride home for them and their vehicle if they have been celebrating the festive season with alcohol or cannabis. The program begins on Friday, December 2nd, and Saturday, December 3rd, operating from 10 pm to 3 am each night.
Spokesperson for Dauphin R.I.D.E., Sarah Shuttleworth, says there is a need for volunteer drivers.
"Our last year was 2019, so our volunteer list has dwindled quite a bit since then, [and] we run solely on volunteers", commented Shuttleworth, who's grandfather John Shuttleworth headed the committee that started the R.I.D.E. Program 30 years ago
Volunteer drivers must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver's licence. The program also needs people to help with setup and to provide snacks to the volunteers. To sign up, you can call 204-638-1463 and leave a message, or contact their facebook page. The program is also welcoming donations of money to help with the cost of running it.
It is important to note that if you need to use the Dauphin R.I.D.E. Program, you must have a vehicle to bring home as well, and they will only take you home.
"We aren't a taxi service, you must have a vehicle. We will also not drive you from one party to another, we drive you straight home", noted Shuttleworth.
If you need to use the R.I.D.E. service, you can call 638-5707. It will be available from 10 pm to 3 am on the following nights:
Friday, December 2nd
Saturday, December 3rd
Friday, December 9th
Saturday, December 10th
Friday, December 16th
Saturday, December 17th
Friday, December 23rd
New Year's Eve, Saturday, December 31st
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
The Dauphin Christmas Parade of Lights is just ten days away, on November 26th, but it's not too late to sign up. Registration is open until this Friday, November 18th.
Parade Chair Pam Werbiski says they have five categories that people can sign up for.
"The categories are educational, religious, service club or group, commercial, and personal. We'd like to see everybody out, and there will be hot chocolate stands on route as well"
CKDM will also be playing Christmas music during the Parade on the 26th. You can register for the parade by texting 204-647-1155, or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Manitoba government will be testing its Alert Ready system tomorrow afternoon. This means that TVs, radios, and wireless devices across the province will get an emergency at 1:55 p.m.
Alert Ready is the National Public Alerting System, which is used for anything from Amber Alerts to Natural Disaster Warnings. The test is to ensure the system is working properly, and identify any areas that need improvement.
However, not all devices in the province will get the alert. This can occur for a variety of reasons including device compatibility, connection to an LTE network, cell tower coverage, and device software and settings.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Dauphin and District Community Foundation has their giving challenge running until Sunday this week. Executive Director Kit Daley says it's a great time to make a donation to the DDCF.
"The giving challenge started in 2014 as a way to help community foundations in Manitoba grow their unrestricted funds. For every five-dollar gift you make to your local donation, the Winnipeg Foundation and the Manitoba government each add a dollar, increasing your donation by 40 percent."
The Foundation is also hosting its first in-person event since 2019 on Friday, to celebrate its giving challenge.
"We will be celebrating and promoting the giving challenge, we'll be announcing and celebrating philanthropist of the year, we are having award-winning artist Emma Peterson Performing, and we'll have appetizers and a cash bar. Tickets are 35 dollars a person and can be purchased at our office at City Hall."
You can also call the DDCF to get tickets at 204-638-4598.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Manitoba Ag Ex was a hit in Brandon this year, bringing exhibitors from across the prairies to the event. Provincial Exhibition General Manager Mark Humphries says they were very happy with how this year's event turned out.
"It went very very well, We were thrilled with the attendance, of obviously the livestock producers, and also the general public coming to view. It's nice to come out of COVID and people are moving around again, so we're really pleased with the overall attendance, and the exhibitors."
It was Humphries' first large event since being named the General Manager of Provincial Ex, and he credits the people around him for all their help.
"Well for me, we've got a really good team of staff here at the Provincial Ex, and a fantastic volunteer base of directors. So they've really helped my first event along. The staff team members are the ones that are responsible for the animals and the agricultural side and they did a fantastic job with all the bookings and entrances, and you know, all the paperwork that runs with that."
Provincial Ex is now getting ready for its Winter Wonderland Market at the Dome on December 2nd and 3rd.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The new City of Dauphin Council held its first Regular Council Meeting tonight.
On the Agenda was the proclamation of November as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and next week as Municipal Government Awareness week.
City Manager Sharla Griffiths gave her report, which included a brief recap of the 2022 Municipal election.
"Thanks to everyone who voted; approximately 44% of the electorate participated.Thank you to our Senior Election Official, Kirk Dawson, for his work on the election, both on the day of and the months leading up to it. Thank you to the Deputy City Manager and her team who organized the election; I'm familiar with the process from my participation init in 2014 and 2018 and recognize the hard work put into the election while also keeping up with daily tasks at City Hall."
Griffiths also spoke about economic development in the community and the progress that Vermillion Growers has been making.
"The leaders at Vermillion Growers have shared with us some of the moving parts they are orchestrating to get the project to the point of being able to grow tomatoes, and they are working diligently to make MANY things happen at the right times."
The council will be attending the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Fall Convention and Trade show next week in Winnipeg, and the next regular council meeting will be held on November 28th.
Tonight's meeting was live streamed to the City of Dauphin Youtube Page.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Virden RCMP responded to a two-vehicle crash on Saturday evening on Provincial Road 257 near Kola. When officers got to the scene, they discovered an SUV had crossed over the centre line and collided head-on with a semi-trailer.
The driver of the SUV, a 34-year-old female from Virden was pronounced dead on the scene, while the 74-year-old male from Brandon that was driving the semi wasn't physically injured. The Virden RCMP is still investigating the incident.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
A thriving local business community is the best way to help grow an area, and there's a trickle-down effect when you chose to support a locally owned business.
Thriving local businesses help grow a local economy by creating jobs and increasing customer choice. It's also a good way to help keep taxes down for residents in an area says Parkland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stephen Chychota.
"There are taxes that get paid to municipalities, they're able to update infrastructure, keep a healthy community, and keep taxes down for the broader community and the residents. It just spreads so vastly. So the more that people can use their hard-earned dollars and support their businesses in their community or in their region, it just benefits the community as a whole."
Coming out of a pandemic, many businesses have struggled, and supporting those businesses has far-reaching effects says Chychota.
"It makes the health of those businesses be sustained, and then more businesses are able to pop up, and current businesses are able to expand. Whether that's more retail space, a different location builds, hiring more staff, whatever the case may be. It just makes so much sense to make sure the health and well-being of our businesses in the area are being maintained."
Chychota says that local businesses having a good relationship with each other is also important.
"It starts of obviously with that business itself, but those businesses can then, in turn, employ people, they can buy other goods and services from other businesses in the region, and that ripple effect continues, so those other businesses can keep going."
CKDM is encouraging people throughout the Parkland to "Put Your Money Where Your House is" and support businesses that are locally owned.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has completed its investigation into a serious injury sustained during an arrest in the RM of Dauphin in July 2020.
In March 2022, a man filed a complaint with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP in regard to an arrest on July 29, 2020. The RCMP then reported the incident to the IIU.
The man says that he sustained broken ribs during the arrest, which the IIU defines as a serious injury. During their investigation, the IIU reviewed the following:
- Use of force report
- Occurrence summary reports
- Officers’ notes and reports
- Police vehicle video recording
- Court package
- Copy of CRCC complaint
- Medical report of the affected person dated July 31, 2020
- Court transcripts dated April 25, 2022
After the investigation, the civilian director of the IIU found no evidence to justify a charge against the officer.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Province of Manitoba released its Summary of Insects on Crops in Manitoba, and the Northwest region had some reports of high levels of Wheat Midge this year.
John Gavloski, the Manitoba Agriculture Entomologist says grasshoppers were also an issue this year, with a few dry summers in a row causing the numbers to be high. He says thanks to the wet start to this summer, next year could look a bit different.
"Late in the season I did go and see some fields with very heavy levels of, basically dead grasshoppers clinging to the top of the plants. It's a disease called summit disease. We see more of that in wetter, damper years, so I'm hoping that might have some impact on next year's population, we'll have to just wait and see."
Gavloski says that the province also saw a high level of Aphids this year.
This is one, again, where the weather was a factor. Once any of the small grains; wheat, oats, barley; hit the soft dough stage, they're considered to be, not susceptible to aphids anymore. The problem was this year a lot of the cereal crops remained susceptible well into August. Often by August, we're not worried about aphids, and in late July to about mid-August, there were quite a few fields that had economic populations of aphids."
Gavloski's full Summary of Insects on Crops can be found here.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
