Ste. Rose to host Christmas Festival

Ste. Rose will be holding its first-ever Christmas Festival day this Saturday, highlighted by their first-ever Christmas Parade of Lights.

According to Ste. Rose Municipality Recreation Director Marie Sorlie, there is still some time to enter a float.

"The Dr. Gendreau Home community group is hosting the parade and there is still time. We are not going to say no to anyone, but we would like to have our ducks in a row - or in this case our floats in a row - for the parade before Saturday."

You can still register a float for the parade by calling Rachelle at 204-447-4389.

But Sorlie encourages you to do so before Wednesday morning at the latest so that they can have an idea as to how many floats will be participating.

"We do not have a whole lot of floats signed up, but we do have about 6-8 floats signed up. So some floats are better than no floats, and this is our first Christmas Parade of Lights so I think that starting up small works okay. As people are watching it and as years go on, I think others can fit here."

The parade will begin at 5 pm and follow the traditional Hoof and Holler Days parade route of leaving from the Community Centre and making its way down Maillard Street to Central Avenue (Ste. Rose's main street), before going down Gendreau Street.

Other events that day include a Christmas Craft Sale, a tree lighting ceremony, and opportunities to meet Santa and Mrs Claus, and the Grinch.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 28, 2023 - 1:17 pm

A former Dauphin resident is taking another crack at trying to win the "Greatest Baker" online contest.

The Greatest Baker, which is sponsored by Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss fame, will award $10,000 and a feature spot in Bake from Scratch magazine to the top final vote-getter in the online people's choice competition.

Cynthia Nault explains how the contest works.

"I share a link that they made for me, and everyone can vote for free once a day, or they can pay to get extra votes. And the money that you donate to get extra votes goes to a children's charity that they have. Whoever wins gets $10,000, and having $10,000 would be super awesome. It would help me expand a lot and help get the word out that I do this stuff."

Nault has competed in this competition in the past - finishing in the top 5 one year and was encouraged by her family to do it again this year.

"I was looking through Facebook with my son and he saw this and said, "Mom you have to do this again!" So I said I would, and he helped me pick out the pictures for it. It is a fun little competition for me because you do not have to be away from home. You just get people to vote online and you promote yourself but I am not away from my kids like for other competitions."

Round one of voting is now underway until December 7th, and Nault must finish in the top 10-15 of voting in order to move on to the next round.

She is hoping residents of the Parkland will support her in this contest.

"Even though I live in Ste. Anne, I still like to represent my hometown and the Parkland area. I talk highly about everything there. It is still home for me, even though I do not live there anymore, it is still always home and I am happy that it is home because it is a very loving community."

You can find a link to vote for Cynthia here.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 28, 2023 - 12:59 pm

One man has been charged after a report of shots being fired Saturday night at a residence in Swan River.

RCMP in that community was alerted to the incident at around 9:30, and when they arrived they found gunshots in the front door, front window, and a wall in the home.

Fortunately, nobody was injured.

The alleged suspect fled the scene on foot, but yesterday Mounties executed a search warrant on a home in Birch River where they located six firearms and a large amount of ammunition.

37-year-old David Gabriel of Birch River faces charges of Assault with a Weapon and numerous other firearms-related offences.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 28, 2023 - 12:35 pm

It was a full boardroom at the Mountain View School Division, as last nights regular meeting of board trustees.

The hot topic of the night, Parental Rights.

Dozens of citizens, representatives from the mountain view teachers association, and city hall representatives came out to listen and be heard on the matters of the evening.

Concered citizen Desiree Dorian and Chance Henderson of the Mountain View Teachers Association voiced their opinion on the matter.

Dorian was first to speak on the matter, and she laid out a factual display on how important upholding and respecting the rights of children can be, and how not respecting them could lead to putting vulnerable students at a higher mental health risk.

Speaking on behalf of of the Teacher's Association, Henderson has very front line approach from his years of teaching.

"This is a conversation thats so close to everyone hearts. It's very challenging to separate feeling and fact. We all care for children, and we all want the best for them."

Both Dorian and Henderson spoke passionately about the responsibilities that are laid out in the charters of rights and freedoms and further in manitoba law that dictate the how the rights of children, and their freedom of expression is crucial.

Both speakers suggested that the MVSD uphold its own mission statement to "provide an inspiring, respectful, and safe learning environment where every student is valued, nurtured, and enabled to realize their full potential."

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Nov 28, 2023 - 10:21 am

The annual Food Bank Challenge between the Dauphin RCMP and Dauphin Fire Department is set to begin this Friday.

Dauphin Fire Chief Cam Abrey says it is the 4th year for the fun but worthwhile competition.

"We are a couple of emergency services organizations, and pitting us against each other. You can donate to whomever you want, but we all know that in the end, it is the food bank that wins with the donations that are raised, whether that is in monetary donations or whether it is food donations."

"Really it is just a fun challenge to see who can raise the most. It is everybody who is in need that is the ultimate winner. One of the reasons that we agreed to assist with the food bank is because of the extra demand at this time of the year."

Between December 1st and 7th, the public can drop off donations at either the local RCMP detachment or the fire hall.

"You can drop off donations at the fire hall - 121 2nd Street Northwest," added Abrey. "Or if you are unable to leave home for whatever reason and you would like us to pick up your donations, you can phone 204-622-3100, and we will make arrangements to stop by your home and pick up your donations at the Food Bank that way as well."

After the RCMP won the first two years of the challenge, the Fire Department came out on top last year.

Abrey says there have been no side bets as to who can collect the most donations this year.... at least not yet.

"I think in the first year, I was put into a headlock by one of the RCMP officers for a photo opportunity. And then the second year that we lost, they gave me one of their protective vests to put on that was about four sizes too small. So I was all contorted into that. And then last year we won and all we did was brag about it because it was the first time in three years that we were successful."

The final weigh-ins will take place on December 8th

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 27, 2023 - 12:45 pm

The hot topic issue of parental rights could be discussed during tonight's Mountain View School Division board of trustees meeting.

A delegation is expected to be in attendance regarding the issue.

School board chair Gabe Mercier says they are currently reviewing documents related to the issue from three provinces, but stresses that no proposals have been brought forward to them regarding this topic, on either side.

He says they have a protocol to follow, "if '' they ever do receive a proposal.

"If the proposal is controversial, my right-hand rule is to first put it to an in-camera committee, and let them take a look at it. And if we think it is palatable to the public, we would put it to the public and let them know that we have received that proposal. But so far we have not received any proposals by anyone, on those issues"

Mercier admits he has received numerous emails on the topic as of late.

"Some of the emails do not reflect what is happening. because we do not have a proposal regarding that issue. All we have are three documents that we are discussing. And the people misunderstand what a proposal is. I think as adults, we should be able to discuss issues in education and seriously consider them and then either cast them aside or to look at it."

Mercier says the documents they are reviewing, which were from New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, are currently being reviewed at their policy level.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 27, 2023 - 12:30 pm

Local RCMP could have another tool at their disposal in the future.

Dauphin RCM Sergeant Scott Linklater says body cameras could be added to officers at some point in the future.

"The RCMP is in testing mode right now, they have a couple of models that they are testing to see how they are going. It could be a few months or it could be a few years, I am not sure."

Linklater thinks officers will welcome the addition.

"It is an actual recording of what they see and what has been going on. I think they are looking forward to it because sometimes they are accused of doing something wrong, when they have not. This will very much clear that up, and it also holds them accountable and makes sure they are doing the right things and saying the right things."

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 27, 2023 - 7:37 am

The average retail price for gasoline in Manitoba dropped another 0.9 cents a litre over the past week, according to the website gasbuddy.com.

It now sits at 148.92 cents, which is 4.1 cents cheaper than one month ago, and 9.2 cents cheaper than on this day one year ago.

Here in Dauphin, prices range from 148.6 to 148.9 cents a litre.

Other Parkland communities range from 139.9 cents in Roblin to 148.9 cents in Swan River, Russell and Ste Rose.

The national average price was down a full cent over the past week to 147.54 cents a litre.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 27, 2023 - 7:29 am

Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala says the provincial government intends to temporarily freeze hydroelectric rates, but it may push back the promise it made during the election campaign for one year.

His remarks come as new Manitoba Hydro numbers show the utility is expecting a net loss this year instead of the profit it predicted in the spring.

Sala says the former Progressive Conservative government should have known about the utility's challenges and released an updated deficit figure to include them.

But Tory hydro critic Grant Jackson says they made it clear that Hydro's finances would be challenged by dry weather.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Nov 27, 2023 - 7:27 am

A measure introduced by the former Progressive Conservative government in Manitoba in an effort to help agricultural producers is being expanded by the governing N-D-P.

A temporary rent reduction for Crown land used for things like grazing, haying, and annual cropping had been slated to be 50 per cent this year, 33 per cent next and 15 per cent in 2025.

The N-D-P says next year's rate will be going up to 55 per cent.

Premier Wab Kinew says the move will essentially keep next year's rate the same as it is now and will provide producers with more than two million dollars in support.

with files from the Canadian Press