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Rent costs for some Manitobans will increase next year.
The 2020 rent guideline is set to rise 2.4% on January 1st.
The annual guideline, which is advised by the Residential Tenancies Branch, is applied to most rental properties including apartments, houses, and duplexes.
However it doesn’t apply to:
- rental units renting for $1,545 or more per month as of Dec. 31, 2019;
- personal care homes;
- non-profit housing with subsidized rent;
- approved rehabilitated rental units; and
- new buildings that are less than 15 years old, where an occupancy permit was first issued or a unit first occupied after April 9, 2001, or;
- buildings that are less than 20 years old, where an occupancy permit was first issued or a unit first occupied after March 7, 2005.
Landlords can apply for an increase higher than the guideline if they feel the increase doesn't cover any extra costs they’ve incurred.
Landlords must also provide tenants with written notice three months before any possible rent hike.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The Manitoba Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed the two bodies found in Gillam are Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod.
The two are confirmed to have died by suicide by gunfire. There were two firearms found near the bodies.
While they can’t confirm how long the suspects have been dead, there are strong indications that they were alive for several days after being sighted in Gillam.
Forensic analysis is being conducted to confirm whether the guns were used in the murders in BC.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The 42nd Manitoba provincial election campaign is officially underway.
While the election date has been set and parties have been campaigning for weeks, the campaign could not officially start until the formal issuing of writs after Pallister asked Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon to dissolve the legislature.
With the September election date already chosen, Tuesday would have been the last possible day to start the campaign. Under provincial law, an election campaign has to be between 34 and 28 days long.
Pallister called for an early election in June, citing the fixed election Day in October 2020 would interfere with celebrations around Manitoba’s 150th birthday.
Manitobans will go to the polls on Tuesday, September 10th
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
A huge fire at one of Manitoba's largest dairy farms has resulted in the deaths of about 800 cattle.
The fire broke out early this morning (August 12th) at Pennwood Dairy, which is northeast of Steinbach.
About 60 firefighters from the Steinbach, La Broquerie, Blumenort, New Bothwell and Ste. Anne fire departments all responded to fight the blaze at 36168 Clearsprings Road, at around 5:00 a.m.
It's reported that the dairy barn represents approximately 2.5 per cent of Manitoba milk production.
No employees were in the building at the time of the fire and they were able to save about 200 cattle.
No estimates on the damage value have been provided and we'll have more as we can.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Northwest Métis Council held its Annual Regional Meeting this past weekend.
The meeting brought Métis communities from around the Parkland together to recap the success of the past year as well as contribute to plans going forward.
During the meeting, it was announced that the NMC is planning on building a daycare facility as well as a new office where the old Sneath-Strilchuk building is currently located. The goal of these new projects is to create Métis jobs.
Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand focused his speech on ongoing political negotiations, both good and bad, and urged everyone in attendance to do their part and vote in the upcoming provincial and federal elections. He also pointed out the economic success of the past year, saying the MMF has created more jobs and in turn raised more money to help serve communities.
The day also featured a lunch, entertainment, and a silent auction.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The autopsies of the two bodies found in Gillam are complete.
RCMP say there are some formalities to go through before they can officially identify the bodies. The belief is still that the two bodies belong to Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod.
Any details of the autopsies will have to be released by British Columbia RCMP. More details are expected today.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
You may have noticed at night you can see some shooting stars.
The Perseid Meteor Shower happens because the earth is travelling through a giant cloud of dust in space, and the pieces of dust burn up in the atmosphere and that’s what you see in the sky.
Scott Young, planetarium manager at the Manitoba Museum, says the best time to see the meteor shower is just before dawn on the 13th because that’s the peak of the meteor shower and the almost full moon will have set by then.
The best place to see the meteor shower is outside of cities and towns.
Young says the northern lights have been on the increase and there’s more to see in the night sky. If you look towards the south and the west, the two brightest things you can see is Jupiter and Saturn and if you stay up late there’s a chance you could see other planets too.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Family Fun Day is tomorrow at Vermillion Park.
Colette Carefoot says it starts at noon and goes until 4.
There’ll be games, food, prizes, rainbow auction, grand prize draw, free bouncy castles, free face painting and music.
Carefoot says it’s a fun, affordable day designed for local families.
All proceeds from the event go to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Manitoba.
Family Fun Day has been going on for about 20 years but this is just the second year Re/Max Parkland Realty has put it on.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
One of the films to be shown at the Neepawa Film Festival is "Revolving Doors - A Rockumentary," by Tanner Bennet, from Dauphin.
"This documentary I put together about two and a half years ago, I co-worked on it with Steve Langston of Dirty T-Shirt Productions about my Father's rock n' roll band. I thought this would be a good story to tell, because who doesn't love rock n' roll, and it's local... it's something that I'm passionate about, I've played with my Dad before, I watched him growing up."
Bennet graduated this year from the Interactive Media Arts program at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon. "I'm just excited to continue my career... becoming a filmmaker and making documentaries is always a dream of mine... I'm really excited to see how my next project turns out."
The next step for Bennet is to head to Winnipeg in September to look for work in his field, or take more schooling.
"Revolving Doors - A Rockumentary" premiered at Dauphin's Yard Fringe in 2017, and it'll be shown in the second half of screenings at the Neepawa Film Festival which starts at 1.
Admission to the festival is $8 for adults, and $4 for anyone under 18. For more information, head over to neepawafilmfest.ca.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
Google Earth users can now hear over 50 Indigenous language speakers from around the world saying simple phrases and even singing traditional songs.
The “Celebrating Indigenous Languages” project is designed to honour the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages.
When people use Google Earth, they will be able to select locations chosen by the speakers who lent their language to the program.
The seven Canadian Indigenous languages are Hul’q’umi’num, Mohawk, Inuktitut, Northern Plains Cree, Woodlands Cree, and Swampy Cree.
The project can be in the Voyageur part of Google Earth, which is an educational storytelling platform.
\The project only features 50 of the nearly 7,000 Indigenous languages worldwide so far, but Google is hoping the project will if more people are interested in adding their own languages
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Filmmakers from the Parkland, and some of their work, will be on full display today (August 10th) at the inaugural Neepawa Film Festival.
The screenings take place at the Roxy Theatre, at 291 Hamilton Street in Neepawa, starting at 1 pm.
"Anything with a local connection does really well for attendance, so I thought it'd be really neat if we could get some locally-made movies that people will come out and watch their neighbours or their friends... or the place they grew up in, whatever the case may be," said Kate Jackman-Atkinson, who's on the Roxy Theatre Board.
Tickets to the festival are just $8 for adults, and $4 for anyone 18 and under. The ticket will allow you to see all the films to be screened, of which there are several different genres. "We've got some historical ones, we've got a comedy one, a documentary, and a few dramas," according to Festival Chair, James Willis.
There are 3 prize categories which the audience can vote on: People's Choice, Best Youth Entry, and Nod to Neepawa. There will also be an intermission halfway through the screenings, and a Q&A session with the filmmakers afterward.
Included in the showings is Tanner Bennet, who submitted a rockumentary about his Father's band The Revolving Doors.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
