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The Leadership of the Ebb And Flow First Nation has put pen to paper on a Treaty 2 Agricultural Benefits Specific Claim Submission.
This marks the start of a long journey, as this specific claim will see up to 3 and a half years of review before a settlement is reached.
According to the Government of Canada's Website, Specific claims like this are meant to address past wrongs against First Nations.
Often referred to as "cows and plows," agricultural Benefits Specific Claims would seek to compensate the current indigenous population for the failure to deliver on previous treaty failures.
According to the Ebb & Flow First Nation Ka Ka Kwe Ke Jeong Facebook page, Cheif Wayne Desjarlais and the leadership will host information sessions and provide regular updates as it moves along.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Workers at Brandon’s Maple Leaf Foods have ratified a new contract.
The 7-year deal includes a 23% bump in wages and a 30% increase in shift premiums.
The agreement also provides greater flexibility for using banked overtime and secures increased company contributions to benefits, dental plans and pensions.
61 per cent of the members represented by UFCW Local 832 voted in favour of the new deal.
Maple Leaf has 2,000 employees in their Brandon facility.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitoba's Progressive Conservatives are ringing the alarm over a shortage of paramedics in western Manitoba.
They say it’s reached a crisis point in several communities, adding Virden has just 9 of 17 paramedic positions filled, Erickson with two out of four spots, Shoal Lake at one out of 13, and Russell with 5 out of 13 paramedic spots filled.
They add only 7 of 30 emergency rooms within Prairie Mountain Health were operating at full capacity and were open 24/7 during the month of December.
PC Health Critic Kathleen Cook is accusing the NDP government of abandoning rural Manitobans.
One solution, they say, would be to reinstate a rural paramedic training program that was previously offered in Brandon.
The PC Caucus is also calling on the provincial government to take immediate action, including providing accommodations to paramedics in Shoal Lake in order to make the area more attractive and help alleviate the understaffing at the EMS station.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A former Parkland resident and former Manitoba PC cabinet minister has won the Conservative nomination to run in the upcoming federal election in Winnipeg South.
Janice Morley-Lecomte, who grew up in the Cayer area and attended school in Ste. Rose, will run against Liberal cabinet minister Terry Duguid in the next federal election, which could happen as early as this spring.
Between 2016 and 2023, Morley-Lecomte served two terms as the Progressive Conservative MLA for the Winnipeg constituency of Seine River, also spending eight months in the cabinet as the Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness in the short-lived Heather Stefanson government.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
RCMP say they have removed between 50- to 70-thousand-dollars worth of drugs from the streets after a pair of recent drug busts at the Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg.
Members of the Manitoba Integrated Law Enforcement Team and Roving Traffic Units conducted the seizure, first stopping a passenger who was en route to Gods Lake Narrows.
They say 49 grams of meth was seized from 32-year-old Kenneth Ross of Gods Lake Narrows, who was arrested and charged with one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Then three days later, they searched another passenger - this time a woman headed for Gods River, and seized 67 grams of cocaine and 56 grams of meth following a search.
Forty-year-old Tanya Okemow faces two counts of possession for a purpose of trafficking.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Canada Post is looking to make some changes to recoup financial losses.
In a move that has been criticized as "risky and Ineffective," Canada Post is raising the cost of stamps by 25 percent.
Canada Post expects to generate approximately $80 million in additional annual gross revenue in 2025 from this new measure, but that hardly covers the $3 billion the corporation has lost since 2018.
It says that higher delivery costs, paired with a growing Canadian population have contributed to its financial stress.
A stamp purchased in a sheet will now cost $1.24, rather than the previous 99 cents.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
A 47-year-old man from Bacon Ridge is facing a slew of charges after he was arrested over the weekend.
On Saturday at about 10:00 a.m., officers from the Ste. Rose Detachment responded to a report of a possible impaired driver on Highway 5 near Ste. Rose who was stuck in a ditch. Before officers arrived, the vehicle was able to get out of the ditch and continued driving. Officers learned that the vehicle was heading to the Ebb and Flow First Nation and while officers located the vehicle, the suspect did not stop and the officer did not pursue.
Shortly later, the vehicle was located in a driveway in Bacon Ridge. When officers arrived, the man exited the home and pointed a handgun at the officer before going back inside. He was then arrested without incident and the weapon was an air pistol.
Michael Houle is charged with; Pointing a Firearm, Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose, Operate a Conveyance while Over 80mg%, Impaired Operation of a Conveyance, Flight from Police, Dangerous Operation of a Vehicle, Resist Arrest, Obstruct Police Officer, and Fail to Comply with an Undertaking.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
A new art display has opened at the Watson Art Centre.
"His name is Tengnamoe and he is a Filipino artist, and all of his artwork is spray painted," according to Cam Bennett from the Watson. "I took a quick picture the other day of a Beatles piece that he has and it is really cool. I think most of the art is for sale as well and quite reasonably priced so I would encourage people to drop into the Watson and have a look at that."
Bennett adds Tengnamoe will also be in town this Saturday for a special open house.
"Saturday from 5 until 7 pm, there will be a bit of an open house (at the Watson). We will have the bar open and the artist will be there to tell us how he makes this fantastic spray paint artwork."
The show is on display until late February.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitoba Land Stewards are hosting a town hall meeting this Wednesday in Erickson to discuss the Parks Canada Ecological Corridor Program, and how it affects the public.
Landowners, homeowners, cottage owners, business people, and outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to attend the meeting, which will also include speakers from the Manitoba Wildlife Federation.
The meeting is set for 7 pm at the Erickson Legion.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitoba's Independent Investigation Unit is investigating the use of a police dog by Manitoba First Nations Police Service during an investigation in Sandy Bay, which led to injuries for an adult male.
The incident occurred last Thursday at about 6 am when police attempted to stop a vehicle involved in an earlier incident.
The car slid into the ditch and a man fled on foot to a nearby mobile home.
While inside, police say he brandished a weapon and threatened to shoot officers.
As he was taken into custody, the suspect is said to have lunged at officers with an object, which led to a police dog being deployed, biting the suspect. The suspect was taken to Portage Hospital with injuries, which also triggered the automatic investigation by IIU.
Any witnesses are asked to contact the IIU at 1-844-667-6060
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Parkland Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn series is returning in 2025.
The first Lunch and Learn will take place on January 21st, and Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota will go over some of the highlights.
"We are going to go through a bit of a highlight reel and see where the Chamber has been over the past few months and where we are going to go. But we also want to give a platform to some groups in the area and give them an opportunity to shed some light on what they have been doing and what is to be expected for their future. So a little panel discussion type of thing and some good highlights. "
The Chamber will also be announcing the destination for their 2025 International trip at this luncheon.
It will take place at Aspen Lodge at the Parkland Rec Complex.
More info can be found on the chamber's website.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
