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Health Canada has authorized an updated version of Moderna's COVID-19 booster vaccine.

The new bivalent shot targets the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants and is meant to be used as a booster dose for those aged 18 years and older.

It comes two months after Health Canada authorized a bivalent booster from Moderna that targeted the Omicron BA.1 subvariant and the original strain.

Health Canada says a bivalent booster triggers "a strong immune response" against both of the more recent Omicron subvariants, as well as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus strains.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) says Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are the dominant strains in circulation.

They feature several key mutations from the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, leading NACI to strongly recommend bivalent boosters that target Omicron.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Nov 3, 2022 - 4:46 pm

The Manitoba RCMP have released the monthly police-reported crime statistics for September.

The statistics compare the number of crimes that were reported to police in September of this year with the number of those reported in September of last year.

According to a news release on the law enforcement agency's website, the Manitoba West District — which includes Dauphin — reported decreases in crimes against people and drug enforcement, while crimes against property and common police activities both increased.

Overall common police activities increased by 11% (650 to 724), with the largest increase being seen in reports of a suspicious person, vehicle, or property — up 51% (248 to 375). The largest decreases were in missing person reports, which were down 31% (86 to 59), and in breach of peace reports, which were down 20% (134 to 107).

Crimes against people decreased overall by 19% (410 to 332), with assaults decreasing by 23% (251 to 193) and reports of robbery, extortion, harassment, or threats falling by 16% (132 to 111). However, sexual assaults were up 21% (19 to 23).

There was a 33% increase in property crimes overall (720 to 961 occurrences), with reports of possession of stolen goods representing the largest increase at 140% (20 to 48), followed by reports of theft over $5,000 rising by 82% (67 to 122) and break and enters going up by 53% (92 to 141). The only decrease noted was in arsons, which fell by 7% (15 to 14).

Furthermore, drug enforcement was down by 25% overall (60 to 45).

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Nov 3, 2022 - 6:00 am

Ukrainian Folk Arts Centre President Jim Perchaluk gave an update Tuesday on behalf of the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund.

According to Perchaluk, the fund is now directly supporting 20 families from Ukraine and there are a number of citizens from Ukraine who have relocated to the Parkland to work on farms and/or reside with family.

"Our support to 20 families has definitely exceeded our initial expectations when the fund first started last April at which time we had planned to assist two or three families. With the generosity of the people throughout the Parkland and Province of Manitoba, we have received cash donations along with many donations in kind such as housing, household furniture, clothing, and bikes to support 20 families," he adds.

Perchaluk went on to say that their support group of volunteers has provided transportation to Dauphin from Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, along with rides to the grocery store, bank, work, medical appointments, and English classes.

"A great example of the excellent support services provided by the fund, with a financial contribution from the Dauphin and District Community Foundation, is the set-up and funding of English classes two evenings a week to assist in the learning of our language," he adds.

Jim Perchaluk says that they have been able to welcome and support 56 people from Ukraine and most of the 31 adults who have arrived and are able to work are finding jobs in Dauphin.

"There are 25 children who are either in our schools or day care and many [are] participating in dance or swimming lessons. All are quickly adapting to our Canadian life and are very appreciative of the support and opportunities that are being provided by the fund and community," he adds.

According to Perchaluk, total expenses to date from the fund for the Ukrainian families in the Parkland have been $133,000 and another $142,000 has been allocated to complete their commitment to the 20 families.

"When the fund first started accepting families, we made a commitment to the first 12 families to provide financial support for 12 months of housing, 6 months of transportation, and 3 months [of] food and incidentals. Once we went beyond acceptance of the first 12 families, we had to scale back our financial support to stay within our financial means, therefore our financial commitment to the latest families [was] for 3 months of food and housing, plus support services," he adds.

Perchaluk notes that the fund has been maxed out financially with regard to its commitment to help support the 20 families that have already settled in Dauphin.

"Support to additional families will depend upon new donations to the fund," he adds.

Receipts for income tax purposes will be provided in the next several weeks to all those who have made cash donations.

Anyone interested in learning more can call Larry Hrytsay at 204-648-5904.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Nov 3, 2022 - 5:56 am

UPDATE (Nov. 2^nd, 2:51 p.m.): The dangerous person alert that was issued in relation to a homicide that occurred in Melville, Sask. earlier today has been cancelled.

An update posted to the Saskatchewan RCMP's Twitter profile can be found below.

The Dangerous Person Alert issued in relation to a homicide that occurred in Melville, SK, has been cancelled.

There will continue to be an increased police presence in Melville and on roadways in and around the community as the investigation unfolds. https://t.co/Yb4geyIlpc

— RCMP Saskatchewan (@RCMPSK) November 2, 2022

Update contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

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RCMP in Saskatchewan have released a Dangerous Person Alert regarding a homicide in Melville, Saskatchewan, which involved a firearm.

Two suspects are believed to be involved and there is no description of them available. The location and direction of travel of the suspects is currently unknown. A vehicle that may have been involved has been located abandoned on Highway 10 near Duff, Saskatchewan.

Authorities advise travellers to not pick up hitch hikers and be cautious of someone asking for a ride, or suspicious persons on a property. We will keep an eye out for updates as information becomes available.

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Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Nov 2, 2022 - 11:41 am

A week after election day, the has dust started to settle and Mayor-Elect David Bosiak joined me, Sam Brownell, and Al Gaines on the Al Morning Show today. Below are the questions, along with the answer that Mayor-Elect Bosiak gave.

Question: Throughout your campaign, your focus was moving forward together, I know you've already started meeting with some of the senior administration at City Hall, what's the next step in that process?

"It's just ensuring that we're all on the same page, we had a great meeting yesterday, an intro meeting, getting the new council and incumbents familiarized with all the rules and the protocols and everything that's involved with being a municipal government. We're just really excited to sort of hit the ground running, I know that both all the staff at city hall and the people that have been elected to the council are all really enthusiastic to get going. We've been in a big pause for a couple of years now and everybody's just ready to get going. That's the most interesting thing for me is we want to get something going and we're gonna do that as soon as we can be officially on the council."

Question: Now that you've had a chance to actually see who the council is and briefly meet with them, how do you think that the elected council will help with the process of moving forward together?

"Before I answer that I would just like to thank everybody who ran, I think that the democratic process is truly important and I think for us to have a contested election is valuable because it allows people to make a choice. I think that your question related to those six councilors that got elected, I know them all personally, and I've worked with several of them quite closely in the past on various projects. We have a great mix of incumbents who understand municipal government and can help the newbies get up to speed quickly. I'm just enthusiastic about their approach. Many of them have reached out to me since the election and congratulated me on the approach that we took, let's not look back. We have issues, obviously, every community does, but let's focus on what we can do, what are the solutions, what are the things we can work on, and I think collectively that's what the six councilors will be bringing. Obviously, they have varied interests and skill sets, and experiences, and all of those will blend together as we get on the same page. I hate to use so many cliches but they're relevant, they apply, and I'm just happy that we have a group that apparently wants to work together, and is willing to work together on the list of priorities that we'll identify very soon and get to work at."

Question: Do you think there will be any growing pains when it comes to a new Mayor with three new Councilors and everyone having to learn how to work together?

 "Probably but I hope not. Only because of the attitude that these folks bring. We've already had an informal meeting last night, just to get up to speed on the rules and the regulations and the municipal protocols and all those things that are incumbent upon new council members to understand and appreciate and use going forward. There was just a positive vibe throughout the whole meeting and everybody was looking forward to working together. The discussions that we had were collegial, in the sense that with the incumbent councilors we have some that have been on existing subcommittees and other committees external and internal to the city, and there were very cordial discussions about who should be on what, and how do we blend that, and how do we mix the new in with the old, in the sense of the new council versus the incumbents who have been there. There's just a wealth of experience with the three that are around the table, and their understanding and my appreciation for them, they've all acted as deputy mayor, so they all understand what that role entails, and they're all willing to pitch in where necessary. That's the sense I got from the meeting yesterday, and from my discussions with them since the election. I can't tell you all of the definitives right now but I can tell you that my initial intent of being a team and working together, so far so good, it's only been a few short days, but the feeling is positive, and that's the only thing I could hope for and the outcome was that, so that was great."

 Question: How important is it for the city to build and then maintain relationships with all the surrounding municipalities, as well as both the provincial and federal governments?

"It's absolutely crucial, and I think that wow we'll move forward on the projects, and the things that we'll have to deal with as a community are incumbent upon working with other people. No one person can really do much on their own, they obviously can put in the effort and try and make change happen and sometimes it does, but for the most part, it requires relationships and the relationships that I've developed over the years, and others around the table who have, I think that we're well suited to understand the value of those relationships. I've had so many calls, I can't even tell you exactly how many, from people from other municipalities, other municipal leaders, other people in government who have congratulated me on becoming the mayor and then them suggesting let's continue to talk, let's work together, let's meet, or when they're back in town they want to meet. We've got an AMM convention coming up at the end of the month and we're all looking forward to participating and seeing other people from other municipalities and the provincial government together, and then getting our priorities lined up and getting at them."

Question: Throughout your campaign, you talked about the help you had from your team, is there anything you want to say to everyone who's been by your side throughout that campaign over the last several months?

"I've had steadfast support from a small group of people who are very dedicated to the cause and to what I and we collectively believe in, but beyond that, I have an amazing wife who's been tremendously supportive quietly. She's my rock, and she's so honest with me and that's been truly the most meaningful to me throughout my campaign. Same thing, my sister and my dad are in town and just diehard Bosiak supporters, and so I just can't thank them enough for their support of me and their willingness to tell me the truth and say 'hey David hello? how about...' and I truly appreciate that. Then the small group of people that I had around me were absolutely dedicated, and probably the best thing I can say Sam to conclude is that we were honest with each other, and the response after the election, obviously we were happy with the victory, but just the notion that to a person they said 'it was great working together with these other people I learned so much,' or 'wow that person is so skilled in this area and by watching that they did it made me better,' so that was tremendous. Then just the broader community came out, I was really pleased that our turnout was about a third more, I talked to Kirk Dawson and he did the exact numbers, you guys probably know the numbers better than I do, but there was a greater turnout and that people showed that they cared about our city and that's really important."

The new council will be sworn in at the Inaugural Council Meeting on Monday November 7^th, and their first Regular Council Meeting will be on Monday November 14^th. Both start at 5 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Nov 2, 2022 - 9:38 am

Bill C-288, which was introduced by Dauphin - Swan River - Neepawa MP Dan Mazier, was debated in the House of Commons at second reading earlier this week.

The bill focuses on internet providers having transparency with consumers. MP Mazier says it's time for consumers to know what they're signing up for when it comes to internet service, and be able to properly compare their options.

"Right now, when you go in looking for internet service they can offer 'up to' speeds. It's theoretical speeds, not what you can actually receive. This leads to consumers feeling misled and cheated at the end of the day because they're not buying the service they thought they were gonna get. This C-288 will actually clarify that. It will bring industry and consumers to the table to come up with a made-in-Canada solution that will allow consumers to actually be informed of what kind of service they are buying as far as how fast it'll be when they're using it at peak periods."

Mazier says this is just one step in the process, and there is still a lot of work to be done.

"It just had its first hour in the second reading, there's another hour yet. There'll be some more debate on it and then it will for a vote to go to committee. All indication is I have very broad support, especially among Canadians. Any time you can get transparency on these internet service providers for consumers I think people are pretty pleased with that, and it'll enhance the competitiveness as well."

You can watch MP Mazier's reading of the bill on his Facebook page below.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Nov 2, 2022 - 5:00 am

For the first time since 2019, the Dauphin Fire Department is able to host their annual Fire Fighters Ball in-person. This year is the 122nd version of the event which makes it the longest running annual event in Dauphin's history.

The evening will take place at the Ukrainian Orthodox Hall at 304 Whitmore Avenue East and will begin at 5:30 with cocktails & appetizers. Supper will follow at 7 and then there will be a dance featuring a live band.

"We invite everyone to come out and have a good time, we have cocktails, appetizers, and a live band", commented Cam Abrey, Fire Chief of the Dauphin Fire Department.

Proceeds from the event will go toward a ground-up restoration of the fire department's first motorized fire truck from 1919. There will also be some awards handed out including the Jack Carey Memorial Fire Fighter of the Year award. Recent winners of the award include Justin Barsewsky, Mitchell Kanton, and Ernest Karpiak. 

Image - DFD's first motorized fire truck from 1919.

Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased by calling 204-622-3100 or by talking to a member of the Dauphin Fire Department. You can also stop in at the fire station to get yours.

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Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Nov 2, 2022 - 5:00 am

UPDATE (Nov. 1^st, 2:30 p.m.): According to the Brandon School Division, both Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School and Maryland Park School have returned to Primary Access Status.

The Brandon Police Service has not posted another update on the situation at this time.

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UPDATE (Nov. 1^st, 12:45 p.m.): Brandon Police say that 1^st St. and Maryland Ave. have been re-opened.

In addition, they have posted an update to their Facebook page, which can be found below.

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Original Article Posted on Nov 1^st at 11:13 below:

Crocus Plains School and Maryland School in Brandon are on lockdown.

The Brandon Police Service says they're currently investigating an incident in the area of 1st street and Maryland Ave. They ask that people avoid traveling in the area as there are a number of streets blocked off.

They say that they were advised that several people had left a residence on Cornwallis Cres. and could be armed with firearms. Officers are conducting a thorough search of Crocus Plains for safety reasons.

This is a developing story and the Brandon Police Service is expected to continue giving updates as they become available.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Nov 1, 2022 - 2:30 pm

No Frills will no longer be offering single-use plastic bags as of today.

All Loblaws locations across the province, which include No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Extra Foods, and Wholesale Club are making the change. Robert Sawyer, the Chief Operating Officer of Loblaw Companies Limited, says this move is a part of their commitment to reducing the company's carbon footprint.

“Our efforts to remove single-use plastic bags from our stores have already resulted in 13 billion fewer bags going to landfill. But we know there’s more work to be done. Today’s announcement represents our continued commitment to protecting our environment across the province and beyond.”

Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags, and there will be both reusable grocery bags and totes available for purchase at checkout.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Nov 1, 2022 - 5:42 am

The number of people using food banks in the country has surged to an all-time high. A new report from Food Banks Canada indicates there were nearly 1.5 million visits to food banks in March, a figure that was 15 percent higher than the same month last year.

The March figure was 35 percent higher than visits in March 2019, before the pandemic hit. When it comes to the food bank in Dauphin, there has also been a sharp increase. Prior to the pandemic and prices rising, the food bank would give out about 130 hampers every month. Recently, things have been much busier as they're giving out nearly 220 hampers every month.

As a result, the shelves at the food bank in Dauphin are emptying quicker than ever and you can help re-stock them. You can drop off any non-perishable items at Parkland Crossing or at the Friendship Centre by asking for Robin Gambler. They're also looking for the following.

The next intake is set for Thursday, November 10 followed by another one on November 24. There will also be one on December 8 followed by their Christmas hampers on December 22. If you are in need of some extra food, the food bank is open from 5 to 7 on the days listed above and you must bring your Manitoba Health Card to receive food. 

While the food bank in Dauphin continues to see a surge in the number of people coming in for hampers, Gambler says they will continue to serve the community.

"We want to make sure everyone has enough food in their homes to feed themselves and their family," said Gambler. "Twice a month, we're here to serve you."

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Nov 1, 2022 - 5:00 am