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Severance payments to political staff following last year’s Manitoba election have reached about $1.7 million, government figures show — and that does not include an undisclosed payout to the former chief executive officer of Manitoba Hydro.
Large-scale staff turnover is a regular occurrence after elections that lead to a government changing hands. The Manitoba election on Oct. 3, which saw the NDP end seven years of Progressive Conservative rule, was no exception.
Unlike civil servants, political staff — ministerial chiefs of staff, policy advisers, cabinet press secretaries, and more — are expected to be politically aligned with the party in power. Their employment comes and goes with changes in government.
Many received less than $10,000, with a few receiving more than $50,000. One of the largest payments — $146,000 — went to a longtime Progressive Conservative who worked for caucus before the Tory election win in 2016 and rose to become chief of staff.
with files from the Canadian Press
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Brandon's Westoba Place is getting an interior facelift.
The Keystone Centre has announced plans to replace the seating in the facility, moving from the current wooden seats to bigger, padded seats with cup holders.
They also plan to install two rows of premium seats near ice level, as well as rail seating and lounge suites will also be added around the top of the concourse.
The total cost for the project is pegged at five million dollars.
Westoba Place plays host to the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, events for the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and Manitoba Ag Days, as well as several concerts.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Three people face charges following a traffic stop south of Riding Mountain National Park that turned into a drug and weapons bust.
Just before 10 am last Friday, Mounties conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Highway 16 in the Municipality of Harrison Park, south of Onanole.
A zip-lock sandwich bag containing dried cannabis was seen in plain view within the vehicle, leading police to arrest the three people in the car.
As they did so, a 31-year-old male suspect fled the scene on foot, heading towards the community of Newdale.
Mounties from several nearby detachments eventually tracked him down on a rural property and arrested him without incident.
A search of the vehicle and suspects led to the seizure of approximately one kilogram of a drug suspected of being cocaine, over 500 grams of a substance believed to be a cutting agent, as well as several knives, cans of bear spray, and other drug-related paraphernalia.
The 31-year-old, identified as Andres Gonzales of Winnipeg, had several outstanding warrants for his arrest and is in custody facing numerous charges.
The 37-year-old male driver from Redwater, Alberta, and a 29-year-old female passenger from Edmonton were both released for future court dates.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Residents will soon have the opportunity to purchase games gear for the 2024 Manitoba Summer Games.
An online store is in the final stages of being set up, and Games co-chair Carla Wolfenden says they will be announcing more details soon.
"The best way to get to it is through our social media platforms. There is actually two Facebook pages that you can follow. There is the Manitoba Games Facebook page, which is run by Sport Manitoba, and our local page is the Manitoba Games Host Society page, and it is more for local promotions so give both of those a follow and you will not miss anything."
Wolfenden says they are excited to be launching games gear sales.
"It is really nice, so I think a lot of people are going to want a piece of Games merchandise, so we will be releasing that."
The 2024 Manitoba Summer Games are set for August 11-17 in Dauphin.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
RCMP in Gypsumville has identified a suspect in a February 12th shooting on the Pinaymootang First Nation that left a 23-year-old man dead.
They say 18-year-old Dredynn Kenneth Ducharme of Grand Rapids is described as being six feet tall and around 140 pounds with longer black hair and brown eyes.
A warrant is out for his arrest as he faces a charge of second-degree murder in relation to this incident.
Police believe Ducharme is in the Winnipeg area and say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is encouraged not to approach him, but instead call either Gypsumville Detachment at 204-659-2682, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Today is Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, a day to celebrate the founder and honorary first premier of Manitoba.
Born to a Metis family that was set against the Hudson Bay Company, Riel spent much of his life fighting both with words and weapons for the rights and freedoms of his people.
Some of his earliest works include forming the Metis National Council, establishing a list of rights for the people of the northwest, and eventually bringing Manitoba into confederation after bringing the eastern dominion of Canada to the bargaining table.
Central to this agreement, the federal government agreed to reserve 1.4 million acres for the children of Métis residents and ensured that the area would be officially bilingual.
Unfortunately, Riel's activism ruffled a lot of feathers in the Dominion after his people found and captured a group of armed Dominion troops in Portage La Prairie in 1870 who were looking to rally support against the provisional government.
The militia was captured, court-martialed, and one of the members, Thomas Scott was executed by firing squad.
The provisional government’s delegates later obtained an agreement with the Canadian government.
The agreement was presented as the Manitoba Act, which received royal assent on 12 May 1870, when the Province of Manitoba entered Confederation.
After the assent of the Manitoba Act, and the execution of Thomas Scott, the federal government sent a sizable military force to the new province on "an errand of peace".
When it became obvious that the expedition was out to lynch Riel, he fled to the United States. On the third of May 1871, he returned quietly to his home in Saint-Vital, Red River, although he often stayed in hiding.
Due to his reputation, Riel was encouraged by his friends and his widespread popularity in French Manitoba to enter federal politics, and was elected in both 1873 and 1874 to represent the province in the House of Commons.
Before taking his seat, he was expelled from the parliament , and a motion was made to Banish him from Canada for 5 years.
The question of whether or not Riel had broken either British or Canadian law for his part in the Red River resistance was never determined in court
In 1884, Riel was called on again once more, this time by the Metis of Batoche, where he tried to create a provisional government for Saskatchewan and draft a 10-point Revolutionary Bill of Rights.
Batoche became a battle ground for the next several months after the Dominion of Canada rejected the previous terms, the bloodshed only ending after Riel himself surrendered.
Riel was tried for treason and hanged November 16th, 1885.
His efforts led to aspects of Canadian life that embody many contemporary issues in the country, including bilingualism, multiculturalism, tolerance for difference and a keen sense of social justice.
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A handful of local businesses will be changing their hours commemorating Louis Riel Day on Monday:
Co-op Food Store
Monday, February 19th - Closed
Co-op Main Street Gas Bar
Monday, February 19th - Open 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Co-op Mountain Road Gas Bar
Monday, February 19th - Open 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Dauphin Liquor Mart
Monday, February 19th - Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fusion Credit Union
Monday, February 19th - Closed
The Dauphin Marketplace Mall
Monday, February 19th - Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Walmart
Monday, February 19th - Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Safeway
Monday, February 19th - Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
No Frills
Monday, February 19th - Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
City of Dauphin
Monday, February 19th - Closed
Dauphin Rec Services
Monday, February 19th - Closed
Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy
Monday, February 19th - 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Super Thrifty Pharmacy
Monday, February 19th - Closed
Dauphin Vet Clinic
Monday, February 19th - Closed
When the clinic is closed, a vet is on call for emergencies at 204-638-3208.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Aspen Room of the Parkland Recreation Complex will play host to a public consultation event, as part of a Fully Accessible Public Consultation process.
The in-person event is set for Monday afternoon from 4-6 pm.
The goal of the consultation is to collect feedback about key issues concerning accessibility, including gaps and barriers within the adult disability services system.
If you are interested in participating in the free event,you are asked to pre-register by emailing Jennifer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or by calling 204-803-4041
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
A Gilbert Plains man will be back in court later this month concerning a case of the recovery of stolen property.
Last October, RCMP executed a search warrant on a rural property near the community, recovering heavy machinery, trucks, off-road vehicles, trailers, and snowmobiles.
The total value of the items seized was around 375 thousand.
25-year-old Jordy Robertson is set to return to Dauphin Court on February 27th.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitobans are being encouraged to get the latest COVID-19 vaccine before the end of April, in order to meet the recommended minimum time intervals between doses between now and a potential fall immunization campaign.
The province says COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be available to all eligible people until April 30, with those wishing to receive a COVID-19 dose after May 1 being encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider.
They add an additional dose of the XBB COVID-19 vaccine is also now available for high-risk individuals, or those whose immune system may require the additional support of another dose.
This includes older people with one or more underlying health conditions, who continue to be at greater risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 and flu.
The province stresses the respiratory virus season has placed significant demands on the healthcare system over the past few months.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The case of a death on the Waywayseecappo First Nation last summer will be back before the courts next week.
Early on the morning of July 5th, Manitoba First Nations Police were called to a home on the reserve, where they found a seriously injured 23-year-old man.
He was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation led them to charge 25-year-old Talisa Brandon of Waywayseecappo with manslaughter.
She appeared again in Brandon court earlier this week and remains in custody until her next appearance on February 22nd.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
