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Premier Heather Stefanson and Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced today that as a proactive measure the Manitoba government is shifting to a one-week remote learning period for most Manitoba students after the holiday break to ensure schools can implement enhanced measures for in-person learning.
Effective Jan. 10, a phased-in approach will be applied to allow students of critical service workers in kindergarten to Grade 6 and all high-risk students and students with special learning needs in kindergarten to Grade 12 to attend school if no alternate care is available.
Current plans are to have all other students return to in-person learning on Jan. 17.
Meanwhile, all child care centres that offer 12 months of service including those in schools will remain open but are strongly recommended to prioritize children of critical service workers. This also includes school-age child care facilities that operate based on the school calendar.
As of January 10 licensed centres and child care homes will be able to apply for funding to offset the loss of parent fees for situations like reduced capacity due to staff shortages or if they’re required to close due to COVID-19.
The minister noted several enhanced measures have been put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 in schools and will be expanded in the coming days including:
- Distributing 500,000 rapid tests to all schools for students from kindergarten to Grade 6 and planning to expand access to rapid tests for all Manitobans as the rapid testing kit supply increases in Manitoba, particularly for schools with high case counts of COVID-19.
- Requiring medical masks for all staff during this high transmission period and allowing students to wear a well-fitting mask with at least three layers and schools to provide masks for students if needed. Manitoba will be distributing at least five million more child and adult medical masks over the next eight weeks to increase supply in schools and support increased demand.
The minister noted schools across the province continue to implement enhanced ventilation projects in accordance with provincial ventilation guidelines for schools.
For more information on plans for returning to in-class learning, visit the provincial website here.
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- Contributed by Eric Fawx
In May 2021, the Manitoba RCMP received a report of historical sexual offenses that occurred between January and December of 2010.
At the time the incidents began, the victim was a female teenaged student and the suspect was an adult male teacher employed at a school in the Turtle Mountain School Division.
On December 22, 2021, RCMP officers arrested and charged 39-year-old Troy Innes of Brandon.
Innes was employed as a teacher at the Brandon School Division at the time of arrest and was charged with Sexual Assault x2, Luring, and Sexual Exploitation of a Young Person by a Person in a Position of Trust or Authority.
He was released on a number of conditions and is scheduled to appear in court in Killarney on March 8, 2022.
Important information for survivors of sexual assault
Under the Criminal Code, individuals under 18 years old cannot consent to sex where the other consenting party is in a position of trust, authority or there is dependency on that person.
There's no time limit to report a sexual assault to police. Even if you were assaulted years ago, you can still report it to the police. Many survivors do not report right away and choose to do so later in their lives. Reporting a sexual assault can help you seek justice and start the healing process.
If you wish to report a sexual assault, you can contact your local police to make a report. If you chose not to report sexual assault to the police directly, you can report the crime through a third party. Third-party reporting is when someone else reports the crime to the police. It allows survivors who do not want to report the crime directly to ensure police receive a report about the crime.
Klinic Community Health is able to receive third-party reports from survivors of sexual assault who are 16 years and older anywhere in Manitoba. In this process, the survivor completes a form with the support of a Sexual Assault Crisis Program worker, and this information is sent to police without the survivor's identifying information.
For more information on third-party reporting please contact Klinic's 24/7 Sexual Assault Crisis Line at 204-786-8631 or toll-free at 1-888-292-7565.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Last night around 6:30, Dauphin Fire Department went to a report of a snowmobile fire on the SnoMan Trail west of the City.
Using the side by side, crews were able to access the machine and used portable extinguishers to put out the fire.
There are no injuries as a result of the fire because the rider noticed there was something wrong and dismounted the machine before calling for help.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Michif Children's Place in Dauphin will be closed on Tuesday, January 4.
An individual within the centre has tested positive for COVID-19 and is following all Public Health guidelines and protocols.
"Due to the high case numbers we are seeing and wanting to keep our children, staff and community as safe as possible, we have decided to close our centre for the day," said a release.
If you have a child that attends the centre, your account will be credited. Parents can expect an update by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Check your Fastoche account regularly.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Dauphin Regional Health Centre has announced the arrival of the first baby born at the Health Centre in 2022.
Eileeanna Mollie Campbell was delivered at 10:15 p.m. on January 1st, to parents Amanda Hubert and Tyson Campbell of Dauphin. Eileeana weighed in at 6 pounds 15 ounces.
In a release issued this morning, the management and staff of the DRHC and Prairie Mountain Health extended their congratulations and best wishes to the parents and their new baby.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Manitoba has announced they will be allowing child care workers with mild COVID-19 symptoms who test negative to return to work.
The workers need to have mild symptoms and no fever without medication for 24 hours, as well as either a negative test from a provincial testing site or two negative rapid tests before returning to work. If workers start to have worse or new symptoms, they need to tell their employer and immediately self-isolate.
The decision is being criticized by people in the child care industry and Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont called it a "Desperation Move" and said before it happens, the province should do more, like providing rapid tests and N95 masks to the workers.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Last night, the Dauphin Fire Department responded to a call of smoke in a home southwest of the city.
When they arrived, firefighters were met by the homeowner that reported the house filled with smoke after building up a fire in the woodstove. Crews laddered the roof and inspected the chimney to find it was blocked by an accumulation of ice.
The extremely cold temperature over the past few days caused a freeze-thaw condition in the chimney eventually blocking it off completely. Thankfully the owner recognized there was an issue as soon as they noticed the smoke coming back into the home.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Today Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon announced that the province is making changes to the self-isolation public health orders currently in place in order to adapt to the rise of availability of rapid antigen tests as well as helping address the surge in COVID-19 case by the Omicron Variant.
The changes will include:
- Requiring all people who have tested positive for COVID-19 to isolate including those who completed a rapid antigen test.
- Changing isolation requirements to five days from 10 days since the date of the test for fully vaccinated people who are not showing symptoms.
- Changing isolation requirements to five days from 10 days since the date symptoms started appearing or the date of the test, whichever is later, for fully vaccinated people as long as their symptoms are improving, and they do not have a fever.
- Requiring individuals who have only isolated for five days due to the changes above to wear a medical-grade mask while in a public setting for the five days immediately following their self-isolation.
- Requiring isolation for people who have tested positive who are not fully vaccinated for 10 days after the date of their test if their symptoms are improving, and they do not have a fever.
This public health order will come into effect at 12:01 am Saturday January 1, 2022.
Public Health officials also recommend that people who are leaving isolation avoid all non-essential visits to high-risk settings or non-essential contact with high-risk individuals for an extra five days after isolation is complete.
The above orders also continue to include the following from the previous orders:
- Requiring close contacts who are not exempt from self-isolation requirements to self-isolate for 10 days.
- Requiring people to provide information about locations where people have been in the previous 10 days for contact tracing purposes as required.
Public Health officials also recommend that all household close contacts who are exempt from self-isolation while the case is isolating be extra cautious and avoid all non-essential visits to high-risk settings or non-essential contact with high-risk individuals.
For all information on COVID-19 in the province click here.
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- Contributed by Eric Fawx
Below is a list of some business holiday hours around Dauphin for New Year's Eve weekend.
Dauphin Liquor Mart
Friday, December 31 — 9 am - 7 pm
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED
Fusion Credit Union
Friday, December 31 — 9 am - 2 pm
January 1-3 — CLOSED
Dauphin Market Place Mall
Friday, December 31 — 7 am - 6 pm
Saturday, January 1 — 9 am - 9 pm
Walmart
Friday, December 31 — 8 am - 6 pm
Saturday, January 1 — 9 am - 9 pm
Safeway
Friday, December 31 — 8 am - 6 pm
Saturday, January 1 — 9 am - 6 pm
No Frills
Friday, December 31 — 9 am - 6 pm
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED
Co-op Food Store
Friday, December 31 — 8 am - 6 pm
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED
Co-op Main Street Gas Bar
Friday, December 31 — 6:30 am - 7 pm
Saturday, January 1 — 8:30 am - 7 pm
Co-op Mountain Road Gas Bar
Friday, December 31 — 6:30 am - 7 pm
Saturday, January 1 — 8:30 am - 7 pm
City of Dauphin
Friday, December 31 — City Hall and City Shop Close at Noon
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED (as well as 2nd and 3rd)
Dauphin Rec Services
Friday, December 31 — Admin office Closes at Noon (Facilities Open)
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED
Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy
Friday, December 31 — 8:30 am - 4 pm
Saturday, January 1 — 12 pm - 2 pm
Super Thrifty Pharmacy
Friday, December 31 — 9 am - 4 pm
Saturday, January 1 & 2 — CLOSED
Monday, January 3 — 9 am - 12 pm
Dauphin Vet Clinic
Friday, December 31 — 8:30 am - 3 pm
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED
When the clinic is closed, a vet is on call for emergencies at 204-638-3208.
Canada Post
Friday, December 31 — 830 am - 4 pm
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED (As well as 2nd and 3rd)
COVID Testing Site (301 Main Street North)
Friday, December 31 — 9 am - 3 pm
Saturday, January 1 — CLOSED (As well as 2nd and 3rd)
CKDM’s office will close Fri Dec 31 at 3 pm for New Years' and will be re-opening on Tuesday, January 4 at 8:30 am.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
A nurse shortage in the province has left several hospitals in the Prairie Mountain Health Region to have their emergency departments closed over the holidays.
Some hospitals including Roblin, Shoal Lake and Souris are closed longer term because of physician shortages as well.
Several facilities south of Brandon are closed due to nursing shortages and it has left patients no choice but to have to travel much further to communities like Brandon for assistance.
Prairie Mountain Health has said that in some hospitals the emergency department and in-patient beds have had to close because of the shortages.
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- Contributed by Eric Fawx
