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Bear spray is increasingly being used as a weapon and new measures are in place to help solve this problem.
Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says with this rise in crime, using identification in the purchase of bear spray could help lower the rates that it's used in assaults.
The Manitoba government is also looking to the federal government to make the sale of bear repellent difficult through stronger restrictions.
With a rise of 75 percent in crimes involving bear spray over the five-year average, these new regulations will be a welcome update.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Manitoba Maple Syrup Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary in McCreary this weekend.
Over the years, the festival has done its best to bring back all of the attractions that everyone loves, as well as add to great activities. Festival President Pam Little says the festival has evolved over the years, and that's what makes it special.
"We've gone from a one-day festival to a two-day festival, we have way more activities than we did our first festival. I think we've also just matured in the way that we're highlighting our indigenous partners that were the first people to tap tree's in this area, and in Canada."
One of the main attractions at the festival is tours of a working Sugarbush, and Little says it's something you definitely don't want to miss.
"The main thing that people come for is to learn about maple syrup and how it's produced, but we have lots of other maple things going on. On Saturday you can go to a working sugarbush, so that's a major thing. You go by horse and wagon, it's quite a nice experience, and out there you roast bannock on a stick, the Asham family will have their bannock out there."
Bannock Roasting at the 2018 Manitoba Maple Syrup Festival
The festival has two days packed full of events, including shows by local musicians, the Old Time Dance with music by the Brendan Chartrand Band, and new this year, a Maple Dessert Contest on Sunday.
You can see the full schedule, as well as purchase tickets to the festival, at the Manitoba Maple Syrup Fest Website.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
A town hall meeting in Dauphin recently took place to discuss the rising crime rates in the area, and the possibilities of bail reform.
Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa MP Dan Mazier, accompanied by Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo, hosted this event to have some open communication with the community.
Caputo was invited to this event by Mazier, as his background as a former crown attorney allowed him to detail the changes and bills moving through parliament around bail.
The bail issues focus on a problem with "prolific offenders", who commit a disproportionate amount of crime, compared to other offenders. The reform looks to change the policies around bail to make repeat offenders have a harder time getting a bail plea. This in turn would free up more resources that would otherwise go to such offenders that would serve their sentence in the community.
The next topic, which also dominated the Q&A session was the ever-rising numbers of rural crime. Mazier noted that these trends in smaller towns are something that may have been seen before elsewhere.
"We're seeing some really startling stats, especially of rural Canada that crime rates are up 32% but even more concerning is the whole issue of what we used to see in Toronto, what we used to see in Winnipeg, that crime is coming to Dauphin, to Swan River, to Neepawa."
Overall, the meeting left off with the strong message that the only way to deal with the crime in our community, is together as a community.
The town hall meeting wrapped up shortly after 8:30 pm.
If you were unable to make it out to the town hall and you still want your voice to be heard, you can email MP Dan Mazier at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or reach his Dauphin office by calling 1-877-405-8946.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Pas RCMP is investigating a fatal accident that took place along Highway 10 near midnight on April 12th.
Police got the call around 12:10 am this morning (April 12th), that an accident had happened on Highway 10, about 2 km north of Highway 60.
The investigation determined that a southbound semi-trailer, driven by a 59-year-old male from Truro, NS, crossed over into the northbound lane and collided with a northbound semi-trailer, driven by a 22-year-old male from Assiniboia, SK.
The 59-year-old male was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the 22-year-old male was taken to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The Pas RCMP, along with a Forensic Collision Reconstructionist, continue to investigate.
Highway 10 from Highway 60, north to Highway 287 was closed but is now back open.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
A State of the District meeting was held at the Ste. Rose community hall for figureheads from the area to talk about community growth.
Mayor of Ste. Rose Robert Brunel was excited to have this event in Ste. Rose, and he's looking forward to working with the surrounding towns to stay connected and thrive together.
"It's really about bringing us together and building those relationships. prior to covid, the state of the districts has been going on, so having them in Ste. Rose is nice to see that it's starting over since covid and it's bringing leaders, community members, and business people together."
Brunel addressed several key factors that affect most places in the parkland area, such as housing growth, increasing tourism attractions, and preserving the campsites and trails.
"These are some of the investments in time and energy and money that people are putting into their community so they can raise their families and make it a good place for others to raise their families and set down some roots, to make it a community where there's something for everyone."
Several important members of the community were there, including Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota, Chamber Board Member Gabe Mercier, Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak, Gilbert Plains Reeve Jim Manchur, Grandview Mayor Lyle Morran, and RM of Dauphin CAO Nicole Chychota.
This meeting highlighted the common points that all of these areas have to address and provided an ideal situation to build a better community, together.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Danny Schur, a resident of Ethelbert and a talented creative mind recently passed away at the age of 56 after a battle with brain cancer.
He was recently found deceased in his residence in Winnipeg. He'd been diagnosed some time ago with this ailment and was undergoing treatment for it.
Danny Schur is a composer and lyricist who writes award-winning music, lyrics, and scripts for the studio, stage, and cinema.
Well known for his compositions in "Strike", a historical musical based on the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, Danny's achievements also brought him to the big screen with the film adaptation called "Stand!" which he directed.
His work earned him a Juno award, as well as a multi-platinum CD for his contributions. His movie "Stand!" debuted in Canada as number one in the Country.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Swan River RCMP responded to a fatal snowmobile collision Friday afternoon.
Police got a report of the crash, on a groomed trail in Porcupine Provincial Forest, at around 3:40 pm. An 80-year-old male from Minitonas was traveling behind another snowmobile when he veered off the trail and collided with a cluster of trees.
The driver that was in front of the male, noticed he wasn't behind him anymore, and turned around to try and find him. He found the male a short distance away with life-threatening injuries.
The injured man was taken back to Provincial Road 365 where they met with RCMP and EMS.Medical assistance was given at the scene, however, he succumbed to his injuries.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Manitoba government will not make Orange Shirt Day a statutory holiday this year.
Premier Heather Stefanson says consultations are ongoing and there is still not a consensus on how the day should be marked. Orange Shirt Day, also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is marked on September 30.
The federal government has made the day a statutory holiday for its workers and federally regulated workplaces, and Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have followed suit.
Orange Shirt Day was first established in 2013, as a part of an effort to promote awareness and education of the residential school system and the impact it has had on indigenous communities for over a century.
In Winnipeg, Mayor Scott Gillingham has said that he is open to making September 30 a holiday and after a survey, nearly 70 percent of Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce members favoured the idea.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The snow is almost gone, and that means the focus of many across the region will be shifting to the potential of spring flooding.
Last year, late snowfalls and high south winds contributed to flooding that did substantial damage across the Parkland. The Manitoba government is still working on more than $6.4 million worth of infrastructure damage in the region.
Rainbow Beach Provincial Park, May 31, 2022
This year's outlook is much better so far, with the most recent report by the Manitoba government calling for Dauphin Lake to rise slightly above its upper operating range after spring runoff, but remain below its flood stage. Dauphin Lake is currently sitting at 854.48 ft, slightly below its upper operating level of 854.8 ft.
Lake Manitoba is expected to remain within its operating range after Spring Runoff. The average lake level is currently at 811.5 ft, right in the middle of its operating range of 810.5 ft to 812.5 ft.
Lake Winnipegosis is sitting at 830.46 ft right now, which is in the middle of it's median and lower decile. After spring runoff, the lake is expected to remain near normal levels.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
CAA Manitoba's annual quest to find and advocate for the worst and most damaged roads in the province comes to an end soon as today is the last day to cast a vote.
Nominating a road for an abundance of potholes is usually the most common factor when people think of the worst roads in Manitoba, but there are lots more factors to consider. These can be problems like poor traffic signal timing, poor patching, constant water back-ups, a lack of sidewalks or bike paths, or congestion.
Last year, Provincial Road 307 in the Whiteshell Provincial Park area garnered the most votes for the worst road in Manitoba. Most others in the top 10 list were located in Winnipeg while 1 was in Brandon.
The goal of the campaign is to draw attention to the most derelict and unsafe roads, so that they may be repaired sooner.
You can nominate a road that you think is one of the worst in the province by clicking here.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
Riding Mountain National Park has released a road report, as the snow has started melting, affecting road conditions. Highway 19 and Rolling River Road are both affected in today's report.
The road report by the Riding Mountain National Park Duty Officer is below.
ROAD CONDITION REPORT – April 10th, 2023
Caution is advised when traveling on Highway 19 and the Rolling River Road within Riding Mountain National Park of Canada due to poor spring driving conditions. Travel is at your own risk. Emergency services may be unavailable. You are also reminded of wildlife collision hazards along these roadways.
*** Road Condition Advisory *** Caution is advised when traveling on Highway 19 and the Rolling River Road within...
Posted by Riding Mountain National Park on Monday, April 10, 2023
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
