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A surplus posted by the Manitoba government for the end of 2019-20 will be short-lived, as the province now expects several years of deficits due to the economic impact of the pandemic.
It’s the first time the Manitoba government is registering a surplus in more than a decade.
Premier Brian Pallister gave the update on Tuesday alongside Finance Minister Scott Fielding, focused on Manitoba’s economic outlook.
The 2020 deficit is expected to be nearly $3-billion due to the impacts of fighting COVID-19.
You can view the 2019-20 public accounts and 2020-21 first-quarter report by clicking here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The province has gained 34 new cases of COVID-19 today.
Two of the cases are in Prairie Mountain Health; none are in the Dauphin Health district.
One of the cases is in the Northern Health region, 5 are in the Southern Health-Santé Sud region, and 26 are in Winnipeg.
There are a total of 1,953 cases. Manitoba has 606 active cases and 1,327 are recovered. Fourteen people are in hospital and the number of deaths remains at 20.
Public health officials have declared the COVID-19 outbreaks over at the Assiniboine Centre at the Brandon Regional Health Centre in Brandon have returned to the Caution (yellow) level on the Pandemic Response System.
Health officials are strongly recommending that Manitobans limit the number of close contacts outside their household.
For more information on COVID-19, click here.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Canada’s COVID-19 tracing app will soon be available in Manitoba.
Starting next week, Manitobans will have access to the COVID Alert app, which notifies you if you come into contact with a person who’s tested positive for COVID-19.
Manitoba’s Health Minister Cameron Friesen stresses that the app does not use or store your location information, and is completely voluntary.
“It doesn’t rely on GPS. It doesn’t give the government information about who you are or where you are, rather it uses Bluetooth to link with others and their phones when you come into contact over that threshold period of time.”
The app is currently being used in Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Friesen says at least 60% of Manitobans will need to download the app in order for it to be effective.
For more information about the COVID Alert app, click here.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Increases to water and wastewater rates in the City of Dauphin could be coming if their proposal is accepted by the Public Utilities Board.
It’s been three years since the rates have gone up and since then, new regulations have come into place, costing the City more for the treatment of wastewater.
The City’s director of finance, Scott Carr says the rate increase isn’t significant and will be less than 10 per cent.
The province requires the removal of ammonia and phosphorus from the wastewater which increases Dauphin’s costs.
Carr says another rate increase is likely after the increase in 2023.
“We are going to require a lagoon upgrade in the next 3 or 4 years. So, there’s an expectation that 3 or 4 years down the road we’ll see a rate increase again to cover those lagoon upgrade costs.”
He says these upgrades aren’t related to the auditor general’s report.
“We meet all the licencing requirements and we’re licenced to operate our lagoon as is.”
If anyone has questions about the increase they can This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the City of Dauphin, or give them a call at 622-3200.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
A report from Manitoba’s auditor general suggests there are problems with the management of drinking water in the province.
Tyson Shtykalo says vigilance is needed to ensure safe drinking water in Manitoba, noting that many water systems are without a certified operator — and sometimes not licensed at all.
The Auditor General’s report says about 40% of the nearly 1,200 water systems he looked at were operating without a licence.
An operating license serves to lay out requirements on water quality standards and appropriate frequency of testing.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
Manitoba’s chief public health officer says Manitobans should reconsider having large family gatherings for the coming holiday.
Dr. Brent Roussin says if you are planning a large family gathering, there are some concerns given the increased risk that comes with prolonged contact in enclosed crowded spaces.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed that sentiment last week, saying the usual Thanksgiving gathering is unlikely, but that “we still have a shot at Christmas”.
The recommendations come as case numbers are surging in many parts of Canada, including Ontario and Quebec.
Winnipeg and the surrounding areas have been elevated on the Pandemic Response System, as health officials look to address rising case numbers.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
RCMP are looking for the public’s help in their investigation into a missing man named Bud Paul.
The 56-year-old man from Winnipeg was reported missing August 7.
Security footage from August 1 at a Liquor Mart in Neepawa showed Paul in the store with two other individuals.
It’s believed he travelled with those individuals from Neepawa to Dauphin in his red Chevrolet Trax with Manitoba licence plate KHE 314.
RCMP are requesting any information regarding the two people seen with Paul at the liquor store and any information regarding Paul's whereabouts after August 1, 2020. RCMP investigators are also interested in any information regarding Paul’s vehicle.
Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP at 431-489-8551.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The province added 39 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and also reported another death.
Manitoba’s 20th death related to COVID-19 is a man in his 70’s from the Prairie Mountain Health region.
None of Monday’s cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region.
Seven new cases are in the Interlake–Eastern health region, 7 are in the Northern health region, 3 cases in Southern Health, and 22 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
As cases surge in Winnipeg, the city and surrounding area have been elevated to orange on the Pandemic Response System.
Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says the new targeted restrictions (requiring masks in indoor public spaces, 10 person limit on all gatherings) are meant to slow the spread of the virus, and points to the recent success bringing down case numbers in Prairie Mountain Health.
There are 618 active cases in Manitoba, with 1,281 individuals listed as recovered.
There are 13 people in hospital, and 7 are in intensive care.
Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen says Dynacare has been enlisted to provide additional capacity for screening sites in the province — something he says will be for the benefit of all Manitobans.
“We made a commitment to expand screening sites and there’s a lot of work that is going into making sure we have the proper screening site capacity in place. Later this week we’ll be opening the first of these additional screening sites,” said Friesen.
The online assessment tool can be found here, and a list of COVID-19 symptoms can be found here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
This year the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign raised $10.56 million, setting a new record.
Now three years running, a restaurant in Dunnville, Ontario sold the most cookies in the country. Dunnville’s population of about 6,000 bought 60,000 Smile Cookies.
Other top-selling restaurants include Binbrook, Ontario selling 35,000 cookies, Peace River, Alberta selling 23,000, and Rosetown, Saskatchewan selling 21,000 Smile Cookies.
Here in Dauphin, raising money for the Henderson School playground, we raised $12,174.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
RCMP say alcohol may be a factor in a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 5 near Grandview this weekend.
Police were called to the scene 2 miles east of Grandview shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, where an eastbound vehicle entered the ditch and rolled.
The driver, a 19-year-old woman from the RM of Grandview, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police say alcohol is suspected as a factor in the collision, and are investigating the matter as such.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
Two people are in hospital and two pets have died after an early morning fire at a mobile home in Dauphin.
The Dauphin Fire Department was dispatched this morning just before 4 a.m. for a structure fire in the southwest corner of the City. Crews located a mobile home with smoke and fire coming from the front section of the home.
RCMP told DFD all occupants had made it out on their own and were with EMS for smoke inhalation, but two pets remained inside.
Fire crews entered the home and found one of the pets immediately, but were unable to revive. The fire was located in the front living room and kitchen area and quickly extinguished. The second pet was located a few minutes later and was also unable to be revived.
The fire department says the fire started from paper falling on top of a baseboard heater and then spread to nearby furniture. The fire continued burning until the smoke alarm activated and awoke the occupant.
No damage estimates are available at this time.
As of this morning, both occupants are in hospital for smoke inhalation and are expected to make a full recovery.
The DFD would like to remind the public that working smoke alarms save lives and that in the event of a fire, evacuate the building through the nearest exit as soon as possible and call 911.
Also, as the weather is beginning to get cooler at night, they ask the public to ensure that there are proper clearances around heating appliances and that nothing has accumulated on or near your furnace, hot water tank or baseboard heaters during the months they have not been used.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
