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Dauphin is the only city in Manitoba to have been invited to compete in the International Small category of the Communities in Bloom (CiB) International Challenge.
CiB Board Chair Susan Ellis, one of the judges for this year's competition, made the announcement at a luncheon held at the Fort Dauphin Museum last Thursday. She said that Dauphin is competing against the following communities from around the world: Ingria, Italy; Velika Polana, Slovenia; Glaslough Tidy Towns, Ireland; Lewisburg, W. Va., U.S.A.; and Sussex, N.B.
Ellis then went on to say that communities in the competition are being evaluated based on six criteria: community appearance, environmental action, heritage conservation, tree management, landscaped areas, and plant & floral displays.
"The focus has changed over the years and we try to be very, very responsive to what is happening on the ground with municipal governments and communities right now... so that means environmental sustainability and climate adaption and mitigation are really important things that all communities are dealing with and all of them [are] doing it in different ways at different levels, so keep up that portion," she added.
She also said that Dauphin fares really well when it comes to heritage conservation and community appearance.
"You guys have pretty much nailed that with all of the efforts that you're making on behalf of the diversity that we witness from this group already," she added.
Susan Ellis later said that the floral displays and landscaped areas act as the front door to welcome people into the community and that it's all the other things that hold it up, lift it up and make the community grow.
More information on Communities in Bloom can be found on their website.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
Staffing issues have forced Canada Post to temporarily close the Winnipegosis Post Office for several days over the past week and it will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
In an email on behalf of Canada Post, Valérie Chartrand wrote that starting August 2nd, customers can temporarily pick up their mail at the Dauphin Post Office.
The post office is open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Customers must provide a piece of valid government-issued photo identification to pick up their mail.
Anyone with questions regarding their postal service can also contact Canada Post's customer service team online at canadapost.ca/support or by calling 1-866-607-6301.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
The McCreary Fair & Rodeo returns to the Fair Grounds in McCreary this weekend.
The fair kicks off today at 8:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the McCreary Drop-In Centre and will feature many events and activities, including a silent auction, a 50/50 and beer gardens. The rodeo will take place today, as well as tomorrow, at 2 p.m.
Debbie Johnson, treasurer of the McCreary Ag Society, said that they haven't been able to hold the fair & rodeo since 2019.
"We're hoping to bring everybody out... so they can see and enjoy the rodeo... Of course, we'd like to make a little bit of money for our association, so we can make more improvements to our grounds," she added.
Adult admission will be $15 for one day or $25 for the weekend, admission for youth aged 6-17 will be $10 for one day or $15 for the weekend, and children aged 5 and under will get free admission.
The complete schedule of events can be found in the McCreary Ag Society Facebook group.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
UPDATE: The community barbecue and pop-up passport service that were originally scheduled to take place tomorrow, August 4th, in Swan River have been postponed to September 1st.
More details to come.
The original article follows:
Dan Mazier, MP for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, will be hosting a community barbecue and pop-up passport service in Dauphin on Wednesday, August 3rd.
The community barbecue will take place in the Dauphin Market Place Mall parking lot from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the pop-up passport service will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the conference room at Best Western Plus. There will also be a photographer on site to take and print official passport photographs.
In order to get help with your passport application, you must bring the following items:
- Identification: Original birth certificate, Canadian citizenship card, or most recent Canadian passport (current or expired within 15 years). If applying for a married surname, a copy of proof of marriage is required.
- Secondary ID: Photo ID issued by the federal or provincial government (e.g. driver's licence). It must contain your name, date of birth, sex, photo and signature.
- References: Name, mailing address, and phone numbers of two people, not related to you, who have known you for two years.
- Guarantor: A guarantor is a Canadian citizen, 18 years of age or older, in possession of a valid Canadian passport who has known you for two years. A family member may be your guarantor if they meet the requirements. They cannot provide a guarantor. A guarantor is not required for an adult simplified renewal application.
- Payment: Credit card, money order or certified cheque for passport application — $120 for a 5-year adult passport, $160 for a 10-year adult passport, and $57 for a child's (0-15 years of age) passport. The official photographer will charge $20 (cash only).
In addition, Mazier will also be making stops in other communities.
In Neepawa, there will be a community barbecue on Tuesday, August 2nd from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Neepawa Office (across from the Co-op) and a pop-up passport service will be held at the Arts Forward Centre from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that same day.
In Swan River, a community barbecue will take place on Thursday, August 4th from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce Grounds (by the swan) and a pop-up passport service will be held in the Legion Room at the Veteran's Community Hall from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that same day.
Mazier is asking those who are interested in the passport service to R.S.V.P. by emailing him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling him at 204-622-4659.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
A standoff on Ebb & Flow First Nation ended with the arrest of three men.
Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP got a report that a man with several outstanding arrest warrants was seen at a residence on Ebb & Flow First Nation. When police arrived at the residence, the suspect and two other males ran inside.
Police were also able to identify the other two men, and it was discovered that all three were wanted for numerous firearms offenses. The standoff between the police and the suspects lasted several hours, with limited contact between the two sides.
Eventually, officers heard sounds coming from inside the home that sounded like the men were setting up barricades. Soon after, police heard what sounded like an explosion, followed by flames and smoke coming out the windows of the residence.
37-year-old Manuel Houle, from Ebb & Flow First Nation, then jumped out the window and was arrested without incident. A short time later, officers heard several similar explosions, followed by the home catching on fire. 38-year-old Lyle Malcolm, and 27-year-old Tyson Racette, both from Ebb & Flow First Nation, soon exited the home and were arrested.
All three men were charged with Arson, Possessing of a Weapon while Prohibited, Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, Use of Explosives, Pointing a Firearm, and other Criminal Codes offenses. The three men were remanded into custody, and are appearing in Dauphin Provincial Court today.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Canada's National Ukrainian Festival (CNUF) returns to the hill today and will run until Sunday.
The festival kicks off at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the Festival Square Stage and will showcase Ukrainian food, music, dance, arts and culture. Dauphin’s Canada’s National Riding & Dancing Cossacks and Zirka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will be performing live at CNUF as well.
Kayla Gillis, president of CNUF, said that it's going to be a really good time.
"We're hoping everyone can join us. Ticket sales have gone really, really well, so we want to thank everybody for purchasing tickets," she added.
She also said that this year, the opening ceremonies will be incorporated into the whole show.
"We actually have the speeches mixed in with the dances and everything, so it's a little bit... more fun than what we've done in the past," CNUF Vice-President Nick Yakimishen added.
There is a shuttle bus service that runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. to get people to and from the site. One-way rides cost $5, but those with weekend wristbands get unlimited rides. Weekend shuttle bus wristbands can be purchased from Ruff’s Furniture for $15.
More information on Canada's National Ukrainian Festival can be found at cnuf.ca.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
The Parkland Chamber of Commerce is the latest organization to donate to the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund. They donated $1000 in Chamber Bucks, which will be given out to the families the fund is supporting.
Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota says they've seen great representation from the community, and the chamber just wanted to do its part.
"We're just trying to welcome them, and support them where we can." Said Chychota, "We have these Chamber Bucks available to us and working with these local communities, and just try to do that link for them."
Since it began, the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund has raised over 200 thousand dollars, as well as many donations in kind. For more information on the fund, you can call Larry at 204-648-5904, or Karen at 204-648-3567.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Winnipegosis RCMP officers have safely located Liza Houle-Gambler.
The 15-year-old from Skownan First Nation was reported missing to police on Monday, July 25th after she disappeared from her home.
The RCMP wants to thank the public for their help.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
Premier Heather Stefanson was in Swan River yesterday to announce that a CT Scanner will be coming to the Swan Valley Health Centre.
The community raised over one million dollars towards bringing in the scanner, and the Provincial Government will be putting up the remaining two million. Stefanson spoke about the goal of bringing healthcare closer to home during an impromptu stop at the Parkland Chamber of Commerce Street Fair earlier today.
"We've always wanted to ensure that we have healthcare closer to home for everybody." Said Stefanson, "The community of Swan River came together and put some of their own funds together for it, and so we're just topping it up with our two million."
The Swan Valley Health Centre serves a population of 14,000 in the Swan Valley region. Currently, patients in the region are transported via ambulance or travel on their own to Dauphin, Brandon, or Winnipeg to obtain CT scans.
"It will help the entire Parkland Region I think as well." Said Stefanson, "What we don't want is people having to travel all the way to Winnipeg or Brandon, or elsewhere, we want to have the CT Scanner there for those to be able to get their diagnostics closer to home. We've had a challenge obviously, as people in other Provinces have across the Country with surgical and diagnostic backlogs so this will help alleviate the pressures on the waitlist."
The announcement comes a day after Health Minister Audrey Gordon was in Dauphin to announce a Retinal Specialist Pilot Project.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Northwest Round Up and Exhibition returns to Swan River today and will go on until Sunday, July 31st.
The festival kicks off today at 4:30 p.m. with a barbecue, beer gardens, and chuckwagon & chariot races. There will also be a parade tomorrow at 10 a.m. and a pancake breakfast will take place at 7:30 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. In addition, there will be many events, activities and lots of food.
Austen Anderson, president of the Swan River Valley Ag Society, said that it's really special to people in the Valley.
"It's kind of like Swan River's weekend... People hold their family reunions this weekend and have people come and visit them... so to showcase our community and... have a big event like this, [that] makes me really proud," he added.
Anderson also said that only cash will be accepted at the gate and that admission will be $20 for adults, $10 for kids aged 5-12, and free for kids under 5.
The complete schedule of events can be found on the Swan River Valley Agricultural Society Facebook page.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
Although it won't be as intense as the heat wave that scorched Manitoba not too long ago, this weekend's forecast is calling for hot weather.
Because of this, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) wants to help you stay safe during extended periods of heat.
ECCC Meteorologist Terri Lang says that the effects of heat are cumulative and that it's important to stay out of the heat as much as possible.
"You can take a day of heat, but when it's a couple [of] days long and the temperatures aren't cooling off overnight, you don't get rested [and] your body can't recover, that's when the effects of heat start to pile up," she added.
According to Lang, people should seek air-conditioned spaces or go to places like pools and spray parks to cool off.
She also said that those who need to get work done outdoors should try to get it done in the morning or in the evening, since morning and evening temperatures are generally lower than afternoon temperatures, and that covering your skin with loose light-coloured clothing can also help.
Terri Lang then stressed that it's very important to stay hydrated and that people should drink as much water as they possibly can.
Furthermore, those without air conditioning in their homes are still able to get some relief from the heat, as well as the humidity.
"Get a bowl of ice and put it in front of a fan and have the fan [blow] on you. That will help. You can also put your feet into cold water or ice water. That will help cool you off," Terri Lang added.
She also said that people could try sleeping in the basement because, since cold air sinks, the lowest part of the house is generally the coolest.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
