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Last week’s announcement of the closure of the Dauphin Correctional Centre has sent shockwaves through the community, and Dauphin MLA Brad Michaleski says he is aware of the impact.

Michaleski stressed that his primary focus going forward is to help the affected families.

“First and foremost, the number one concern of mine right now is the job losses and the families that are affected,” said Michaleski. “This is a hard announcement for the community and the families to hear, but first and foremost, it’s the effect on the families that I'm most concerned about."

Michaleski adds that the government will do its best to keep within the rules of the collective agreement with the MGEU while relocating the corrections staff.

The reason for the closure of the jail has to do with the age of the building, says Michaleski. He added that while the courthouse and the jail both need work, the jail would take a lot to bring up to current corrections standards.

“The jail is very old, and at the end of its service life,” said Michaleski. “There is capacity available, from a provincial perspective, to relocate the inmates to other facilities. Those are two contributing factors for sure.”

While the news of the closure of the jail is quite sad, Michaleski says he is excited about the improvements that the government is making to improve economic development in the Parkland.

Right after the announcement of the jail closure, Economic Development Minister Ralph Eichler announced that the province will be hosting an economic development tour to try and connect potential investors with opportunities in the Parkland.

Michaleski also said he continues to be excited about all the improvements being made to the Dauphin Regional Health Centre, including the recent announcement of expanded dialysis care in the Parkland.

“There are a lot of positive things that we’re doing,” said Michaleski. “I know this is a difficult decision for the community to hear, but all we can do is move forward and ensure that the employees and the families are looked after the best that we can.”

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On the morning of January 19th, Dauphin RCMP responded to a report of a man being held against his will.

A 40-year-old male, from Valley River, was being held against his will at a residence on Buchanon Avenue, where he had been assaulted numerous times over a brief period of time on the night of the 18th. He added that the 4 suspects who assaulted him also stole his truck.

The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police arrested 4 people in relation to the incident, two of which were remanded in custody, and two were released for a future court date.

21-year-old Samuel Flatfoot, from Dauphin, has been charged with Aggravated Assault, Forcible Confinement, Robbery, and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, and Disguised with Intent to Commit an Offense.

19-year-old Kayla Nepinak, also from Dauphin, has been charged with Aggravated Assault, Forcible Confinement, Robbery, and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime.

A 32-year-old woman from Dauphin and a 40-year-old woman from Valley River are scheduled to be in Dauphin court on April 7th, where they will face charges of Aggravated Assault, Forcible Confinement, Robbery, and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime.

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After the deadly plane crash in Iran earlier this month, the University of Manitoba has created a new scholarship to honour the victims.

In a statement released Friday, the school said that a fellowship will be created to honour the victims of the crash that had ties to the U of M. It is set to be awarded on an annual basis to a grad student in a STEM-related field.

The school also created a scholarship to celebrate the legacy of Forough Khadem, a scientist who graduated from the U of M in 2016. The scholarship will be awarded to international female grad students in the STEM disciplines.

Several victims of the flight PS752 crash had ties to the U of M.

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The Dauphin & District Chamber of Commerce’ Breakfast Education Series starts up this Thursday at the Dauphin Super 8.

The first presentation is called “2020 Your Best Year Yet”, and will be led by Carissa Caruk-Ganczar from The Hub which officially launched this month in Dauphin. “The Hub is a new program and new space … we’re a physical space that is a meeting place for entrepreneurs and business owners”, said Caruk-Ganczar. She noted that they also offer co-working options, event hosting, pop-up retail, and training opportunities.

The Hub is also home to The Program which is their women’s entrepreneurship program. “We’re primarily focused on dealing with and helping women, from whether they’re starting a business all the way through growing … but we welcome everybody in to the door to at least figure out where we can help”.

When it comes to the presentation, “2020 Your Best Year Yet”, Caruk-Ganczar mentioned it’s open to everyone, regardless if you’re a business owner, an employee, or if you’re looking at a career change. “We really designed this session so that if you’ve got a goal or a dream this year - how can you make it happen?”

Caruk-Ganczar explained that with January being an exciting time of year, people think about resolutions and goals but often lose momentum. Her presentation will talk about how to figure out what your vision for this year is and what community tools and supports are available to help you carry out your vision.

The event starts at 7 am, but you don’t need to show up early since the presentation starts at 7:30. The half hour beforehand gives you a chance to do some networking and enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Tickets for the Breakfast Education Series are available here. You can also emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. As well, there's a ticket passport option which saves you money and gives you multiple tickets that can also used for later breakfasts.

You can also find out more information on The Hub by going to their website: thehubs.ca.

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“This is the worst day of my life.”

On Friday Cliff Cullen, the minister of justice and the attorney general, came to Dauphin to announce an investment into the courthouse and the closure of the Dauphin jail.

Dauphin mayor, Allen Dowhan wasn’t expecting the announcement.

“No indication was given. We knew they were coming to make an announcement. I’m a very positive person and I thought, well, maybe something on the rehabilitation centre we’ve been talking about for many years. But when the minister made the announcement, I was shocked, I was shocked and in disbelief. We are a service centre and they’re taking jobs away from our community, our region, and we can’t rebound overnight. They are young families that are being affected, and that’s what really bothers me.”

He adds that there were no plans for anything to help cushion the blow and this is a cut and dry approach.

Dowhan says this will have an economic impact that’ll shrink the region in population and assessments in the community will decrease causing a financial burden to all municipalities and to the City and RM of Dauphin.

After the announcement was made, the city had a meeting with the minister.

"In our presentation to minister Cullen, we asked if there’s any chance for a reversal and he never answered. We kept on that, both whether we’ll be formatting plans on how to pursue a revision or a turnaround of this announcement. That’s our prime goal now, how we’re going to do it I really don’t know.”

Dowhan says they are going to work diligently to try and reverse the decision and try to get new opportunities in the community.

“This is such a devastating blow. It equates to, we figure, about 500 and some people that’s spouses and children.”

For more information on the jail closure, click here, and if you’d like to read the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union’s reaction, click here.

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The province announced a commitment to economic development in the Dauphin and Parkland region.

Economic Development and Training Minister Ralph Eichler, says the Manitoba government will continue to lay a foundation for private-sector investment and job creation in Dauphin and the wider Parkland region with several exciting initiatives this year.

“Our government’s Manitoba Works plan has established a target for creation of 40,000 new jobs in the province over the next four years and a key part of the plan is attracting new investment to communities throughout rural Manitoba including Dauphin and Parkland,” said Eichler.

“We are taking a whole-of-government approach to economic development and job creation, and are thrilled to see the board of Manitoba’s new Rural Economic Development Agency at the table to help achieve our target.”

Eichler adds that through red tape reduction, the decrease to the provincial sales tax and an overall investment of more than $40 million in the region since 2018, the Manitoba government continues to foster the economic conditions that will ensure an even stronger future for Dauphin and the Parkland region.

In a press release, the government included a list of what they’ll do in 2020 to position the region for economic growth:

• The Economic Development Office and the Rural Economic Development Agency will hold a regional meeting with Team Manitoba strategic partners North Forge, World Trade Centre Winnipeg and Travel Manitoba in Dauphin in February.

• The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with the Dauphin and District Chamber of Commerce, will host an economic development tour and mission to the area this spring to connect potential investors with opportunities.

• Travel Manitoba and Dauphin Economic Development and Tourism are discussing opportunities for a place-branding project to support the tourism industry and to position Dauphin to attract increased private-sector investment, and Travel Manitoba will also hold a regional tourism workshop and will work closely with the Dauphin region to market tourism products and opportunities.

• The province will undertake a labour market study for the Dauphin area to provide a tool to support business expansion and to attract investment and will engage Dauphin Economic Development and Tourism in this process.

• Ongoing supports for business and industry in the region will be available through Manitoba Economic Development and Training for training opportunities, as well as for tax increment financing and tax credit programs, as these programs support business expansion and the attraction of investment to the region.

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After the news of the closure of the Dauphin Corrections Centre, the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union is looking for answers.

President of the MGEU, Michelle Gawronsky wonders if the government had taken a look at the impact that closing the jail would be.

“It’s going to have a significant impact on our members, the inmates of the facility it’s going to have a huge impact on the justice system across Manitoba,” said Gawronsky. “Our members are upset, they’re scared, there’s such a huge range of emotions right now. They’re scared for what this means for them, for their futures, for their careers, their families, the community that they live in. This is going to have far-reaching arms.”

Gawronsky says there was no consultation with the union or the employees they represent. 80 people are currently employed at the Dauphin jail.

She added that MGEU was only informed of the closure the day before it was announced, with employees finding out the day of the announcement.

Gawronsky says that while there is nothing that would make the announcement better, more time for employees to prepare would have been appreciated.

“Right now, employees are left with about 60 days to figure out what’s going to happen to their future,” said Gawronsky. “Some of the questions that have already started coming in for me are couldn’t they extend it a little bit longer? What about other options? How are we going to be able to move? What happens to our house here in Dauphin? There are so many questions.”

One thing that also concerns Gawronsky is the effect that losing 80 plus families will have on Dauphin, and what it will do for crime rates in the Parkland.

The MGEU is hoping that the government keeps its promise to withhold the collective bargaining agreement in place when relocating the workers.

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Today the provincial government announced the century-old Dauphin courthouse will be undergoing major renovations as part of ongoing efforts to revitalize and modernize Manitoba’s courts.

The courthouse will be expanded and fully renovated at an estimated cost that exceeds 11 million dollars.

The money will go towards enhancing courthouse security, including more holding cells, to keep the public and court staff safe while improving the efficiency of court proceedings, improving interior and exterior accessibility, including accessible washrooms, and more accessible public, court, and administrative spaces, improving video-conferencing and meeting spaces for lawyers and their clients, and new administrative and office spaces for court staff, sheriff services, and the judiciary.

The design of the courthouse will be finalized in the coming months, with plans to minimize disruptions during renovations.

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Today the provincial government made an announcement that the Dauphin Correctional Centre will be closing.

Justice Minister and Attorney General, Cliff Cullen, says they’ve decided to use the corrections facility to make the renovation to the courthouse.

“So, we will be taking the corrections facility out of operation over the next several months.”

The reasoning behind the closing of the jail is that the Dauphin facility is the oldest in Manitoba and doesn’t meet modern correctional needs.

80 staff at the jail are affected by the closing and were informed of the closing today. The union was notified yesterday.

Cliff Cullen says the goal is to provide employment for all employees if possible and the Manitoba government will be working with the Civil Service Commission and the union to find creative ways to do so while respecting the rights and obligations contained in the collective agreement.

The 60 people in custody in Dauphin will be moved to one of the six other adult correctional facilities located throughout the province. There are currently about 250 openings at the other facilities following an overall decline in the provincial inmate population.

The two closest facilities to Dauphin are Brandon and The Pas.

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The Manitoba Public Utilities Board announced on Wednesday that primary gas rates in the province will go down as of February 1st.

The decrease comes after the board approved Centra Gas Manitoba’s application.

According to the board, rates will be set at $0.0863/m3 down from $0.0910/m3.

The change is expected to save customers $10 a year. Customers who have a fixed-term, fixed-price contract with Centra or a private broker won’t be affected.

The province’s primary gas rates will be reviewed again on May 1st.

More information can be found on the Public Utilities Board’s website.

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After a successful open house yesterday, Mountain View Villa in Dauphin has another chance for you to come by and check things out today.

The 55-plus senior's complex has a handful of affordable 1 and 2 bedroom units waiting for you to move in when you're ready to transition to a peaceful, easier life in Dauphin, with a great view.

When you make the move to Mountain View Villa, your rent will include heat, hydro, water, and air conditioning. Each unit also comes with a fridge, stove, dishwasher, laundry machines, a private balcony, and more.

There were already groups of people waiting for tours of the units when we stopped by at the start of yesterday's open house. Today's open house starts at 10 this morning and goes til noon.

You can view pictures, floor plans, rent details and find contact information at Mountain View Villa's website. 

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