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The Mountain View School Division will have a new Assistant Superintendent, Programs and Planning come July 1st as Suzanne Cottyn has been named to the position. She takes over the position from Stephen Jaddock who will take over as the Superintendent/CEO The same day.
I always appreciate the opportunity to understand everybody's roles in a different way, and when you move into a different position you often get to have a better understanding of how everyone contributes to the overall functioning and health of the system.
Suzanne has been with MVSD in a number of different positions including Resource Teacher, Reading Recovery Teacher, and Principal at Henderson Elementary school. Since 2014, Suzanne's served as the Coordinator of Curriculum and Assessment for the division.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund has now brought eleven families to The Parkland, with another expected sometime soon. I sat down with three of the women who came here as a part of the fund, and they shared some of their experiences.
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Nataliia came to Canada with her two-year-old daughter, but before they arrived here, they had to overcome some very difficult barriers. They drove to Poland with her parents but they had to wait at the border for six days before being able to enter the country.
"It was a tough time, there were a lot of cars, there wasn't much fuel, and it was winter. Once we crossed the border in Poland it was fine there, people were very welcoming, like here."
They spent three months in Poland and weren't sure what the next step would be. Nataliia connected to the Family Fund through Facebook and made the decision to come here with her daughter, while her Parents returned to Ukraine.
Nataliia was already able to find a job here and said she feels right at home.
"I didn't expect to see what I see here, the support. People make us feel at home. I miss my home very much but here, I forgot for some periods of time, and I appreciate everything that people are doing for us."
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Sofiia talked about what life was like before they were forced to leave.
"It was horrible because the whole time was war, [there were] flights maybe every three hours, and bombs every time, non-stop."
Sofiia said Russian soldiers showed up at their door and told her family they had five minutes to leave their home. They were forced to go to Russia with nothing and had to find money so they could get to Poland where they were able to stay for a few months before they came to Canada.
"Canada is very peaceful, very helpful, it's a very beautiful place. People in Canada are amazing, they're really kind, very lovely people."
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When Yana came to The Parkland she had absolutely no idea what to expect, and Father Brent Kuzyk from St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox Church translated what she was saying.
"She had in mind, as she came to Canada that the situation here was going to be like a hostel, so it would be one building and several people living in that room. It was a shock to her that indeed she had her own apartment and her own space."
Yana spoke about how amazing everyone in the community has been. She said when she first walked into her apartment, everything she needed was there. She said that people are contacting her daily, she wasn't just dropped off and left alone.
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A number of people who came to The Parkland as a part of the Family Fund have already found jobs, however, the fund is still helping the others look for work. If there are any jobs available in the Dauphin area, you can reach out to 100th Meridian Immigration at 204-648-7366.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Just after midnight on Sunday morning, the Dauphin Fire Department got a report of a structure fire on 3rd Avenue South West. When they arrived, the structure itself was completely gone, but the contents and the surrounding trees were all on fire.
Crews quickly put out the fire, but several Province of Manitoba vehicles that were parked along the adjacent property line were damaged by the heat.
The fire's considered suspicious and is under investigation. There are no estimates on the cost of damage at this time. If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please contact the RCMP at 204-622-5050.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
On Sunday, June 12, the Dauphin RCMP received a complaint of theft from the Director of the Trembowla Cross of Freedom Museum and Church, which is about 20 kilometres northwest of Dauphin.
Sometime between May 29 and June 12, the bell tower was knocked over and the church bell was stolen. The bell is made of bronze and is a historical piece dating back to the 1890s.
Seven bronze memorial plaques were also stolen.
If you have any information, please call the Dauphin RCMP at 622-5020. You can also submit a tip anonymously at Crime Stoppers.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
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.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
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.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
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.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
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.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
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.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
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.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
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.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
