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CKDM News Now is continuing its profiles of each of the candidates in the Riding Mountain Constituency for Monday's federal election.
The last time that the Parkland region was represented in Ottawa by the Liberal party was from 1993 to 1997, when Marlene Cowling served as the Member of Parliament for what was at the time known as the Dauphin-Swan River constituency.
Terry Hayward is hoping to change that as of April 28th.
"The Liberal party has always been interested in this riding. But to be honest, rural candidates in Manitoba have always been difficult to find. I have been a candidate before. This is my fifth run as a candidate in a rural Manitoba riding. Riding Mountain is a beautiful riding, great people, and I see change happening here."
Hayward last ran federally for the Liberals in the 2019 federal election in the Brandon-Souris riding.
A resident of Anola, Hayward may not live in the Riding Mountain riding, but he knows the issues here are similar to his home area.
"This is a rural riding, and we share all of the same issues concerning rural ridings, anywhere small towns and rural ridings. We have housing issues, crime issues, food price issues, the common issue of what is happening to us south of the U-S border and people travelling. So I think there is a commonality there."
The Manitoba Election Readiness chair for the Liberal Party, Hayward is also a substitute teacher at an elementary school in the Sunrise School Division.
Hayward says it is time once again for the Riding Mountain constituency to be represented within a Liberal government, this time headed by Mark Carney.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Neepawa is set to be coloured in all the brightest colours on May 24.
Rotary - The New Wave Neepawa will host a colour run starting at 10:00 a.m. at Rotary Park in that community. You can choose either a one-kilometre or a five-kilometre walk or run.
"At different checkpoints, you'll be blasted with powered colour," said Jenna Lowry, organizer. "By the end of your run, everyone will be all colourful. It's a fun way to get everyone together to raise funds for a new playground at Rotary Park."
Early bird pricing is in effect until Friday. It's $40 for those aged 16 and older, $20 for those aged between five and 15. Four and under are free. Lowry encourages those of all ages to attend.
"That's why we did either the one-kilometre or five-kilometre route, it's for anyone," ended Lowry. "You can walk, run, bike, anything you want. Bring the dog, whatever you want."
Prices after Friday will increase. To register, head to Colour Run Neepawa.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Town of Swan River is gearing up for a community-wide clean-up on Thursday.
From 11 to 1, community members will go around town picking up garbage, recycling, and any needles they find. Hosted by the Swan River Sharps Committee, everyone in Swan River is encouraged to lend a helping hand.
If you have time, you're asked to meet at the Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre at the Outdoor Pavilion on Thursday just before 11:00 a.m.
There will be prizes and snacks as well for those who help.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Job seekers are encouraged to polish up their resumes and bring it with them to the Parkland Business Expo next month.
Dauphin's Countryfest is managing this year's expo, and President Duane McMaster says they will be allowing exhibitors to post signs at their booths, announcing that they are hiring.
"We are very pleased to be able to continue to offer that option there. We want our exhibitors to be able to show off everything they make, what they have for sale, and the services that they provide. And also, that they can let people know that they are hiring, and that way maybe that way people will be able to reach out and introduce themselves and find out a little bit about the organization, and maybe we might be able to connect some job seekers with employers."
Job seekers and exhibitors can find out more information at the Community Resources table during the Business Expo, which takes place May 3rd and 4th at the Parkland Rec Complex.
The table will be located in Credit Union Place, next to the Assiniboine College Parkland Campus booth.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Get ready for the snow.
A snowfall warning has been issued. Much of the Parkland is expected to get 10 to 20 centimetres of snow beginning Monday night and continuing into Tuesday. Travel conditions are expected to worsen, so if you have to be on the roads when the snow hits, drive to the conditions and be safe.
Wednesday calls for periods of snow or rain. Come Thursday, the sun will be back with a high of 10. Saturday's high is 17, and 15 on Sunday.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Motorists travelling on the Yellowhead and Highway 10 near Minnedosa will soon be doing so on freshly paved roadways.
The province has announced it is spending $20.3 million on re-paving and surface improvement projects in the area.
Highway 10 between Highways 1 and 25 will be re-paved, as will the Yellowhead between the North and South junctions near the community.
The rest stop at the North junction of the Yellowhead near Minnedosa will also be re-paved as part of this project, while surface improvements will take place on Highway 10 between Highway 24 and the South junction of the Yellowhead, and on the Yellowhead from Provincial Road 250 to Highway 10.
Work on the 22.1 km of roadway will begin later this spring.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
All this week, CKDM will be previewing the five candidates seeking the Riding Mountain seat in the federal election.
Today, we profile incumbent Dan Mazier, who will again represent the Conservative Party.
A farmer from the Elton area, Mazier was first elected to Parliament Hill in 2019 and has represented this area in Ottawa ever since.
One of the highlights of his time in Ottawa was when he brought forward a private member's bill that holds internet companies accountable for misleading service claims.
That bill was passed, and Mazier says being able to work with other parties in Parliament is one key lesson that he has learned during his time in the nation's capital.
"I had to understand and find a way to work with other parties across the aisle, which was a really good learning experience. And you know, there is a lot of mess to clean up in Ottawa, and we need to get into power to figure out just how much mess there is to clean up."
Mazier has been very busy over the last few weeks going door to door throughout the riding.
One key issue he keeps hearing about from voters is affordability.
"Everybody knows, when you go to the grocery store or when you go to fill up your vehicle, that it is costing more to live. Definitely more over the last 10 years. I am quite impressed with how everyone is in agreement that we are definitely paying more in taxes and that the Liberals have absolutely just hammered the working class in this country."
Violent crime and seniors being targeted by scammers are other issues that Mazier is hearing lots about while on the campaign trail.
Election day is exactly one week away on April 28th.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Dauphin Friendship is all about the community and offers a wide range of programs.
That includes their agency luncheons, parenting classes, Christmas hamper program, healthy baby program, and the Food for Thought program, to name a few. They take in great pride in making sure they are always there for the community.
Crystal Amyotte is the executive director at the Friendship Centre. She has been there for 19 years, beginning as a program coordinator before moving to finance for 16 years.
"Community to us is the spirit of helping each other. We want to do whatever we can to make lives better in the community," said Amyotte. "That's what's most important, coming together to celebrate, and help those in need."
There’s no denying the powerful impact the Dauphin Friendship Centre has on the community—and earlier this month, their dedication and hard work got the recognition it truly deserves.
At the Parkland Chamber of Commerce's State of the District luncheon, the Friendship Centre was presented with the Philanthropist of the Year Award.
"Our staff and board we're very excited, we were honoured to have received it," ended Amyotte. "We appreciate the DDCF for acknowledging all our hard work and dedication. We wouldn't be able to do what we do without our many partnerships in the community and the wonderful volunteers we have."
This marks the first time that the Philanthropist of the Year Award has gone to an organization.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Local hunters, anglers, farmers, and indigenous people are encouraged to take part in a special town hall meeting later this month, hosted by the Manitoba Wildlife Federation.
The meeting, which was originally supposed to have been held in late March but had to be cancelled then due to poor weather, has been rescheduled to April 29th at 7 pm at the 8th Avenue Hall in Dauphin.
Rob Olson is a Senior Science Advisor with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation.
"It bis going to be talking to licensed hunters and anglers and landowners and agricultural producers about the threats that we see facing people that use land for their livelihood or their pastimes, whether it is hunting or fishing. So we see unprecedented threats coming at us at this moment, and it is really a chance \to share information and get feedback from the local community."
Some of those issues include a 75 per cent cut in Moose Tags last fall, a proposal for nine new federal protected areas in Manitoba, as well as maintaining access for everyone to resources in the province.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The city has announced that the collection of yard waste from the green bins will begin this week.
Items such as leaves, grass clippings, pine needles and cones, wood chips, and small branches can be placed in your green bin and collected at yur curb every two weeks on the opposite week from your trash and recycling collection.
For larger yard waste items, City Public Works Director Mike van Alstyne reminds you that there is no longer a designated spring clean-up program in Dauphin.
"Our waste disposal site has a yard waste drop-off area that is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day where materials can be hauled to the disposal site."
Tuesday, April 22nd, marks the launch of green yard waste collection in the Day One area.
Homeowners who do not have a green yard waste bin can contact City Hall to have one dropped off at their property.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Rural Municipality of St. Laurent is getting a boost to keep its residents safe.
The provincial government announced that the RM will receive $472,500 for the purchase of a new 2026 fire truck.
The department currently relies on an aging pumper truck, but with a new fire truck on the way, they'll soon have two in service. The older truck is expected to stay operational for another four years, giving the team some much-needed backup and flexibility.
Richard Chartrand is the reeve for the RM of St. Laurent.
"Myself, the council, and our CAO were very pleased with the timing of it. We're in the middle of completing and submitting our financial budget for the year," said Chartrand. "This gives us quite a bit of breathing room, so we could allocate some of the money elsewhere. It's a breath of fresh air for us."
In 2024, the St. Laurent Fire Department responded to 10 motor vehicle collisions, nine grass fires, three lift assists, 15 alarm responses, two equipment fires, one Stars landing, three structure fires, two mutual aid requests, one other agency assist, and two other medical responses.
Chad Malfait is now the fire chief, and as Chartrand says, everything is running more smoothly. This was after several members were dismissed from the force.
"He's 110 percent into this; he wants to keep our residents safe," ended Chartrand. "We now have 19 firefighters, and they're all willing to take the training and take courses. They attend drill nights. You can tell the morale has increased."
The new fire truck for the station is expected to arrive in two years.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
