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Over $96,000 in COVID-19 fines were handed out last week in Manitoba.
Officials issued 62 tickets to Manitobans for various offenses, five for not wearing a mask in an indoor public place, and three to Manitoba businesses, for a total of 70 tickets.
Officials advise 53 of the 62 $1,296 tickets issued were in relation to gatherings in private residences or outdoors, six for failure to self-isolate, one for unnecessary northern travel, and two issued to sole proprietorships.
Manitoba Justice Officials report that 22 tickets were issued in relation to rallies, including two tickets from the Winkler rally on May 1, six tickets from The Forks rally on May 1, and 14 tickets from the Law Courts rally on May 3.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The Mossey River Municipality has issued a complete burning ban.
Effective today (Tuesday, May 18th) all burning in the municipality is restricted, including burn barrels and fire pits.
Anyone burning will be charged accordingly.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The Mountain View School Division has announced that Henderson Elementary School will be moving to full remote learning for two weeks.
Beginning Thursday, May 20th, Henderson Elementary will be closed to in-person learning until June 3rd due to an increased number of COVID-19 cases associated with the school.
Exceptions will be made for Kindergarten to Grade 5 students who are children of Critical Service Workers and can’t make alternative care arrangements, and children with special needs.
The MVSD is advising of another case of COVID-19 associated with Henderson Elementary. The school division was notified of the case on Monday, May 17th.
The individual was not present at the school during their infectious period and had no school-related close contacts; therefore no public health investigation is required.
Questions about this remote learning period can be directed to the school at 204-638-4653.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Nearly $2 million in fines has been handed out to individuals and businesses for breaching public health orders in the province -- but as of late last month -- not even close to that amount has been paid back.
By April 28, only $162,975 had been paid back, according to a spokesperson for Manitoba Justice.
At the beginning of Manitoba’s second wave of COVID-19 in November, the province announced 90 personnel from G4S Canada would be deployed to enforce the public health orders. At the time, Premier Brian Pallister said the move was to target the few people who refuse to follow public health orders, which puts those who do at risk.
Then, on May 7, the province increased the fines for people who fail to wear a mask multiple times from $298 to $486 and doubled the ticket for other penalties under the order.
People who don’t pay their fines can't renew their driver’s licence through Manitoba Public Insurance or the province could garnish their wages, Pallister said at the time.
If a ticket for a Public Health Act offence isn’t paid, it moves through the provincial court system and a $100 default conviction penalty would be applied. Unpaid tickets are also sent to a collection agency.
If a collection agency becomes involved, and funds aren’t recovered, the offender’s credit rating is negatively impacted for the next several years, according to a spokesperson from Recoveries Manitoba, a collection agency in Winnipeg.
On Monday, Dr. Brent Roussin reiterated how important it is to continue following public health orders.
"We need to be cautious and we need to continue doing what we can to keep everyone safe," ended Roussin. "We also need eligible Manitobans to get their vaccine, it's very important."
As of Monday, more than 50% of eligible Manitobans had gotten their first dose. You can book yours by calling 1-844-626-8222. If you are booking an appointment for your child who is under the age of 18, you must book in their name, not yours.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Manitoba 150 is providing $2.5 million to 240 legacy projects across the province through Build 150, and some of that money is trickling into the Parkland.
Five different projects are being funded in Dauphin.
Dauphin Public Library is receiving funding to create an enchanted forest feel in the children's area.
Parkland Regional Library Director, Alison Moss says they usually have a very busy children’s room with lots of programming.
“One of the things that we really got talking about that it was time for a refresh in the children’s space. So this project just fit the mandate of really celebrating our communities and Manitoba.”
Vibrant green flooring will be installed and a local artist will create a tree of life on the feature wall.
Alison says the library wanted to use local artists for the children’s area.
“We worked with Northern Edge Logworks and we shared our dream of bringing the outdoors in. We also had a youth volunteer come and do some painting on the wall.”
Existing furniture will be re-purposed by Perry Kowall from Northern Edge Logworks to complement the design, and new windows will flood the space with natural light.
Henderson Elementary School will be getting funding for playground upgrades which will include 16 new swing sets and the replacement of the sandbox with a single smaller piece of equipment.
Bart Michaleski, Secretary-Treasurer for Mountainview School Division they work closely with all of their schools whenever they’re looking to improve their playground facilities.
“It’s always great when one of our schools is successful in achieving some funding through various grants, and Manitoba 150 has been supporting a lot of community initiatives and it’s great to see.”
Dauphin Recreation Services is receiving funding and will be upgrading the ice plant, including replacing an outdated cooling system with a more modern and environmentally-friendly option.
The City of Dauphin’s funding is going towards designing and building a multi-use path to provide increased safety to cyclists and pedestrians.
Canada's National Ukrainian Festival will also receive funding to create a shed over the traditional bake ovens to protect them from the elements and prevent further deterioration.
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- Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson
Cynthia Nault has loved baking for as long as she can remember. Whether she's making a cake, cookies, or anything in between, the Gilbert Plains native who now lives just outside of Winnipeg loves to be in the kitchen doing her thing.
And now with a quick few clicks, you could help her win $20,000. Cynthia is competing in the 'Greatest Baker Competition' and her group includes bakers from all over Canada. A passion for her, Cynthia advanced to the second round last year. Her sister; meanwhile, made the top five in the second round.
"That was so great, I was cheering her on, she did a great job," said Nault.
$20,000 would go a long way towards Cynthia's future goals, but she says it's not all about the money. At the end of the day, Nault will continue spending many hours in the kitchen whether she wins or doesn't.
"I do this for the fun, this is what I love doing," said Nault. "I'm happy to share my baking with others, it's a great feeling."
Now that's where you come in. Until May 20, you can vote for Cynthia as she looks to advance to the next round. At this point, she's in a good position sitting in 9th in her group and the top 15 will advance. All you have to do is head to 'Vote for Cynthia' and you can help send the Gilbert Plains native into the second round.
And the next time you're in the kitchen baking and you're wondering what the recipe to success is, Nault says to never rush things.
'Low temperature more time. Helps to not over-bake and burn and gives a nice even colour," ended Nault. "As well as when a recipe says room temperature make sure it’s that. There is a reason for it.
If Cynthia were to win the $20,000 grand prize, it would go towards opening a bakery, something she dreams about very often.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Police say a man from Rossburn has been arrested after impersonating a Peace Officer.
On May 13th Manitoba First Nation Police Service Officers received a report of a suspicious man that gained access to the Waywayseecappo First Nation, by pretending to be a Peace Officer.
Because of COVID-19, access to the First Nation is currently limited.
Police say the suspect was arrested without incident, and a 2014 retired Ford Taurus Police Interceptor was seized.
The vehicle was equipped with security bars on the rear windows. A set of red and blue flashing LED lights was also seized.
The 45-year-old suspect from Rossburn has been charged with impersonation of an officer and will appear in court at a later date.
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- Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson
A record 41,754 COVID-19 vaccine appointments were booked on Friday after age eligibility was lowered to 12 and older.
The Manitoba government is reminding parents to book their child's appointment under their child’s name, not their own name. If that parent had already received a first dose, the appointment would be cancelled as second-dose appointments are not currently being accepted.
Parents who used their own names to book their child’s appointment and received a cancellation email are encouraged to call or go online to book again.
People aged 12 to 15 can either attend the appointment with a parent, guardian or caregiver, or bring a signed consent form at the time of their appointment. If the youth attends without a guardian and without a signed consent form, they will go through an informed consent process with a clinical lead to assess their ability to consent on their own and proceed with the vaccine.
Young people aged 16 and 17 can sign their own consent form.
Appointments can be made by calling 1-844-626-8222, or online.
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- Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson
A special air quality statement is in effect for Dauphin and much of the Parkland, including the Municipality of Ethelbert.
Several wildfires are burning northeast of Ethelbert and in Lake St Martin area causing localized areas of smoke, reducing visibilities and causing poor air quality downwind of fires.
Due to the locally smoky conditions that we can expect, individuals living in or travelling to the above-noted areas are advised to be aware of potential health concerns that can be associated with current local air conditions. In these current conditions, and even in less affected areas, some individuals may experience sore eyes, tears, coughing and a runny nose.
In areas affected by smoke from wildland fires, you're encouraged to take the following precautions:
- limit outdoor activity and/or strenuous physical activity; if breathing becomes difficult or uncomfortable, stop or reduce the activity;
- reduce exposure to smoke by staying indoors or moving to areas with cleaner air, as conditions can vary dramatically by area;
- turn off furnaces and air-conditioning units that may draw smoke indoors; and
- keep indoor air cleaner by avoiding smoking or burning other materials
People at higher risk include older adults, infants and young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic conditions, such as breathing difficulties or heart problems.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Mountain View School Division has been working to improve accessibility needs in their schools.
The division recently received funding from the province for additional accessibility options such as grooming rooms, elevators, and wheelchair ramps.
Bart Michaleski, MVSD Secretary-Treasurer, says construction is currently underway at Henderson Elementary School to install new grooming rooms.
“We actually received funding support for a grooming room at Henderson and another one at Mackenzie. It’s for students with special needs and that have those special washroom requirements, and grooming rooms are designed for those purposes.”
Michaleski adds that the division has started planning for all accessibility projects in the region.
Upgrades are projected to cost around $2 -$2.5 million.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Last week the Manitoba Government announced that it came to an agreement with Xplornet Communications Inc. to provide over 125,000 unserved or underserved Manitobans with high-speed internet.
This will provide broadband services to nearly 30 First Nations, and 270 rural and northern communities in Manitoba.
Member of Parliament for Dauphin, Swan River, and Neepawa, Dan Mazier says it’s great news anytime there’s an announcement about improvements to internet access in rural areas.
“I think the pandemic has really highlighted the importance of how we’re going to do business in Canada today and into the future. I think the internet is here to stay and the more we can get online and start and interacting – especially in rural Canada the better. We need infrastructure for that though.”
Mazier has been pushing for broadband funds in the Parkland in Parliament for quite some time.
“As far as the universal broadband fund, I’ve been working very closely with the Parkland group on a very important project. I’ve been pushing in Ottawa, trying to get those funds secured here in the Parkland, and actually, we’re in the process of introducing legislation that will improve the quality of internet access as well, so stay tuned for that.”
Mazier says he applauds the province for stepping up and doing this for rural Manitoba.
A full list of communities receiving services can be found here.
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- Contributed by Trillian Reynoldson
