Gilbert Plains High School Rodeo Plans On Pause

A group of organizers for the Gilbert Plains High School Rodeo have made the decision to postpone the event until next year.

Not long ago, the Gilbert Plains/Grandview Agricultural Society decided they would no longer host the event, so a group of families stepped up to make sure the event was still put on.

Rodeo organizer Sheila Dudar says the committee has spent the past few months planning sponsorships and getting volunteers.

Sheila says the committee wanted to see the rodeo event continue, as Gilbert Plains has a great facility and the kids love to rodeo. She has three daughters that are into barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying.

The cancellation of the rodeo comes as a big disappointment. President of Manitoba High School Rodeo Association Mark Buchberger explains it was a necessary precaution.

“Gilbert Plains was one of four rodeos we needed to make a decision on whether or not we could go. With the government regulations with regards to the pandemic, we just couldn’t go forward with it.”

This year's event was originally scheduled for May 30th and 31st.

Organizers are now looking ahead to next year, for the Gilbert Plains High School Rodeo 2021.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 8:00 pm

Portage RCMP arrested a woman from Dauphin, a man from Sandy Bay, and seized meth and a firearm this past weekend on Saturday.

The RCMP responded to a 911 call around 12:30 pm Saturday at a residence on 17th St. NW in Portage.

When officers arrived, they located two suspects who had outstanding warrants of arrest.

The two suspects were arrested and police seized a small amount of methamphetamine, a prohibited firearm, ammunition, mace, a machete, and numerous forms of personal ID that didn't belong to those in the residence.

RCMP also located a stolen truck from Winnipeg outside the residence.

30-year-old Francis Beaulieu from Sandy Bay First Nation has been charged with over 10 weapon, drug, and fraud offences. He was remanded into custody and appeared in court yesterday.

A 25-year-old woman from Dauphin has drug charges pending and will appear in Winnipeg court June 16th, 2020.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 7:58 pm

Times like these really emphasize how important it is to have quality healthcare.

One local organization has relied on their volunteers for over 30 years to help make sure Parkland area residents have continued access to excellent care.

The Dauphin Hospital Foundation (DHF) is now using National Volunteer Week (April 19th - 25th) as an opportunity to sincerely thank their volunteer Board members.

Chairman of the board Doug Deans explains the volunteers work hard to support and promote projects that benefit the Dauphin Regional Health Centre and Dauphin Personal Care Home.

"Looking back on over three plus decades, we take this opportunity to recognize all past and present volunteer Board members as well as our health centre support staff for their contributions to our legacy," stated Chairman Doug Deans.

The DHF gathers donations and then uses that money to supplement programs or buy things for the hospital that the government doesn’t provide.

Deans is especially proud of one program in particular; a fund that helps nurses expand their education if there’s a program of study they are interested in.

The DHF also recently helped fund the initial phase of redeveloping the Palliative Care unit.

“We do our best to let people know we are here. We are here trying to collect money to be used within the Parkland, within the Dauphin Hospital. The money stays here in Dauphin. Any money someone does give us is used locally to support local initiatives and projects within the hospital.”

Deans says the Foundation thanks all donors and supporters for their contributions to health care.

If you want to donate to the DHF, you can contact the front desk of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre and you will be directed to the person at the regional health authority that handles the foundation.

For more information visit the Dauphin Hospital Foundation website.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 6:34 pm

Mayor Allen Dowhan is expressing his frustration with the provincial government’s decision to move forward with the jail closure during the pandemic.

The mayor requested to meet with Justice Minister Cliff Cullen to discuss ending the closure, and the City of Dauphin even offered $1 million to help cover the costs of revamping the jail.

Mayor Dowhan says he still hasn't heard back from the Justice Minister's office.

The only response he’s received is a letter from the Minister, which appears to indicate there will be no budging on the official May 29th closure date.

He says the decision is disappointing for the employees, who now have to uproot families.

The Mayor is still encouraging local groups to continue their lobbying efforts.

“I have a lot of appreciation for the groups and individuals that are writing [the province]. Keep on lobbying the government. We want to make the message clear: this is the wrong decision at the wrong time.”

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 3:03 pm

Public Health Officials have announced 1 new case of COVID-19 in Manitoba.

The total number of cases is now 255.

The total number of cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region remains at 13.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths remains at 6.

At this time, there are 99 active cases in the province, and 150 people are recovered.

Dr. Brent Roussin reminds Manitobans that just because there's a lower number of cases doesn't mean our risk is lower.

"I want to continue to thank all Manitobans for following Public Health orders, but again, caution that our low numbers should not indicate that our risk is lower. COVID-19 is still in Manitoba. We still see this virus circulating. It's circulating in all health regions at this point."

For the most up to date information, and to access the online screening tool, visit Manitoba.ca/covid19.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 1:53 pm

Organizers of Dauphin’s Countryfest have adjusted the festival dates for 2021.

Last week it was announced this year's festival would be postponed, and organizers set the 2021 festival date to happen in late June.

The organization has decided to move the 2021 festival dates to July 1 – 4, 2021.

Festival general manager Rob Waloschuk says organizers are confident the adjusted date will work best for all parties involved.

“Over the past few weeks, we have been working diligently on all of the details related to postponing the event. Throughout this process and ongoing consultation with artists, volunteers, service providers and fans, we have decided to adjust the dates towards the July long weekend. Some of our ongoing discussions have been with other Manitoba event organizers who find themselves changing their plans to next year as well”.

With the dates now set for 2021, Countryfest will honour all tickets purchased for the 2020 event in 2021.

More information and ticket details will be sent out to all ticket holders later this week.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 12:36 pm

To minimize the impact to highways from damage during spring thaw conditions, Riding Mountain National Park has implemented spring weight restrictions on vehicles.

On highway 19 through the park, vehicle weight restrictions of 6006 lbs or 2730 kg are in place and will be enforced.

As an approximate guide, the largest vehicle allowed would be an empty three-quarter-ton truck or a loaded half-ton truck.

This limit will be in effect until road and weather conditions permit restrictions to be lifted.

The restrictions for highway 10 are a little bit different.

The highway will be closed to heavy truck traffic, three axles or more, within the boundaries of RMNP.

Advance signage will be posted to allow alternative routes to be used. RMNP advises that in order to ensure compliance there will be unscheduled enforcement of these restrictions.

Vehicles with three axles or more will be allowed access to the townsite, the Parks Canada Maintenance Compound, and the Clear Lake Golf Course from the south entrance of the park only for delivery purposes.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 9:59 am

The Manitoba West District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team and the Dauphin RCMP executed a search warrant at a house on 4^th Avenue SW in Dauphin, Sunday night around 9:15.

The RCMP seized crack cocaine, a large sum of cash, a cash counting machine, and a .30-06 calibre rifle.

A 26-year-old man from Dauphin was arrested and faces several drug and firearm charges.

He was released on an undertaking and will appear in court on June 23, 2020.

The Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team focuses on intelligence-based investigations into drugs, rural property crime and serious, prolific offenders within our communities.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 9:29 am

Dauphin’s City Council meetings have been going virtual as a precaution during the pandemic.

Last night’s meeting was live-streamed on Youtube and the City of Dauphin Facebook page. You can watch the meeting in full here.

One item on the agenda was a letter from Justice Minister Cliff Cullen regarding the closure of the Dauphin Jail.

Mayor Dowhan called the letter “a very disappointing response from the minister”, and explains that an in-person meeting was requested with the Premier and Justice Minister’s office, however, the letter was the only response.

The Mayor encourages local groups to continue their lobbying efforts to “make sure government hears our concerns” on this issue.

Another item up for discussion was a life-size monument of a woolly mammoth at the Fort Dauphin Museum. The idea is to educate children on what these mammals looked like when they were alive over 10,000 years ago.

The Accommodation Tax (a 5% tax per night on hotel stays and accommodations) was read for a 2nd and 3rd time and scheduled to be in effect as of January 1st, 2021.

The next Dauphin City Council meeting will take place on Monday, May 4th.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Apr 21, 2020 - 9:12 am

Planning for the McCreary Fair and Rodeo was totally sidetracked by COVID-19.

McCreary Agricultural Society treasurer Debbie Johnson explains the decision to postpone the fair came down to sponsorships.

“With the virus, we couldn’t go ahead with the planning. There’s also the aspect of the sponsors. We can’t ask businesses to sponsor us if they’re hurting financially with this going on.”

Debbie says the annual Mother’s Day trail ride has also been cancelled for this year. She says planners are looking to reschedule the trail ride later in the summer.

When it comes to the idea of rescheduling the Fair and Rodeo later in the summer, Debbie says it’s not very likely.

“I can’t see that being feasible because it costs a lot of money to put on a rodeo. We have to have a stock contractor come in; that’s thousands of dollars. We look for sponsorship for that, and this year I don’t see it being feasible.”

The McCreary Fair and Rodeo was originally scheduled for June 13th and 14th. Organizers have postponed it until next year.

The McCreary Agricultural Society want to thank all of their sponsors for their support.