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The Parkland Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Municipal Election Forum and Debate for the RM of Dauphin tonight at 7 p.m. in the Aspen Lodge at the Parkland Rec Complex.

The first half of the event will feature a forum with the 10 council candidates, while the second half of the evening's going to be a debate between Reeve Candidates Tom Gibbs and Ernie Sirski says Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota.

"We'll have them up for the second part of the evening, and they can address some questions that came from the public, as well as have an opportunity to ask each other questions in the form of a bit of a debate. So we'll have lots to go over, and some pretty important elements to the election that's happening."

Chychota says it's not too late for people to get their questions in for the event.

"You can either phone the office and leave a message or talk to me directly, or you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.."

You can also submit questions online, and the event will be streamed live on the Parkland Chamber of Commerce Facebook Page. Check out the full list of candidates running for Mayor, Reeve, Councilor, or School Trustee in the City and RM of Dauphin here.

The provincial minimum wage in Manitoba increased over the weekend and now sits at $13.50 an hour. The change was the first of three scheduled increases that'll see the provincial minimum wage go from $11.95 an hour to $15.00 by October 1st, 2023.

The province announced the scheduled increases over the summer after Saskatchewan announced its minimum wage would be increasing, which would have left Manitoba with the lowest in Canada. The next increase will be April 1st, 2023, and will see the minimum wage go to $14.15 an hour.

According to GasBuddy, the average retail gas prices in Manitoba have risen 14.0 c/L in the past week, averaging 184.59 c/L yesterday. This compares with the national average, which increased by 7.8 c/L in the last week to 165.93 c/L.

The change in gas prices in Manitoba during the past week showed that yesterday's prices were 51.8 c/L higher than the same day a year ago and 19.1 c/L higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 9.7 c/L during the last month and stands 28.3 c/L higher than this day one year ago.

The Town of Swan River will be running its Fall Clean-Up campaign from October 3rd to 7th.

The Town says that they will be following the garbage schedule as close as they can and that there will be no callbacks.

They will only be picking up grass, yard waste, and branches under 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) in diameter.

The Town is asking that everyone bundle and bag their waste for easy loading and warn that materials that are not bagged or bundled will be left behind.

In addition, no construction materials, stones, bricks, large trees/branches, or material other than that specified will be picked up.

Anyone looking for more information can call the Town Office at 204-734-4586.

Tamara Michèle is aiming for a seat on Dauphin City Council as she runs in the municipal election.

Michèle was born in Edmonton, Alta. and moved to Dauphin with her mother when she was fifteen years old.

 "From there, I met the love of my life and we raised our family here and I've been living here ever since [for] thirty-one years," she adds.

Michèle says that people should vote for her because she's honest, has integrity and is caring.

"I think if you want to vote someone into council that you're [going to] trust with making decisions for the community, being a part of making decisions for the community, that they have values and I think that that's the thing that I hold most dear," she adds.

Although Tamara Michèle wasn't planning on running for council initially, she felt a moral obligation to do so.

"I feel that it's really important to put your money where your mouth is, to walk the talk, and so I decided that if I was going to be a part of encouraging others to run for council and to step up... I should do the same," she adds.

If elected, Michèle plans to bring her morals and values to city council, in addition to being a good listener and someone who can bring forth ideas and positivity.

"And also be [a] part of action and that's going to be by collaborating with others, so that we can get stuff done on city council," she adds.

As for the crime situation, Tamara Michèle says that in the thirty-one years she's been living in Dauphin, she's never seen so much crime in the city.

"I was part of the city when they had Citizens on Patrol. I remember when they had neighbourhood watch signs in windows when I was a child and I would come [to] visit my grandma. I think those are the things that have to come back. We have to take responsibility as a community... It doesn't matter how beautiful Dauphin is. If we're riddled with crime and poverty, we're not going to be able to grow," she adds.

Michèle went on to say that her main priority is to be a positive, supportive member of the council who can help when it comes to coming up with ideas and who brings people together.

"I think that's my biggest skillset... I do love people. I love working with people and I want to see a functioning, healthy city council, so that we can accomplish so so much," she adds.  

A complete list of candidates running for office in the City and R.M. of Dauphin can be found here.

The Cowan Community Centre is inviting everyone for a fall supper that will be held tomorrow, October 2nd, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Donna Kovachik, a member of the community centre, says that there will be a large variety of food.

 "We have cabbage rolls, perogies, turkey... vegetables... salads... cheesecakes [and] pies," she adds. 

According to Kovachik, admission will cost $15 and the money raised will be going towards keeping the community centre up and running.

"We have to pay hydro bills and... [the] last couple [of] years, we [didn't have anything], so the hydro bills [need to be paid] and insurance and that," she adds.

Donna Kovachik went on to say that the centre is mainly funded by events and donations.

For the same price as dining in, people are also welcome to place an order for takeout.

Anyone interested in doing so can call 204-569-4812.

The Manitoba Crop Alliance is looking for delegate nominees for their upcoming election.

There are 17 spots up for election, with five open for the Wheat/Barley Committee, and four open for each of the Corn, Flax, and Sunflower Committees. MCA Chair Robert Misko says it's a great opportunity for people to get involved in the organization.

"They have a few things they have to do, they recommend research and sort of go over what we're planning for the year in general. Then they also elect, amongst themselves, the directors of the board of MCA."

Nominations for the MCA Crop Committee delegate positions are due by October 30th at 4:30 p.m. MCA has compiled some commonly asked election questions, including how to register, and you can find them on their website here.

The Town of Langruth will be hosting their Harvest Festival today, October 1st, at the Langruth Sports Grounds from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

All the events will be free and there will be a canteen, featuring a pulled pork sandwich, on-site.

Michelle Teichroeb, one of the organizers, says that it will be a fun day for the family with a lot of activities for kids.

"We have bouncy castles... [a] hay-bale climbing structure... a petting zoo... hay rides... lots of... fun carnival-type games on the grounds... a raffle running," she adds.

Teichroeb went on to say that all the proceeds collected from the raffle, the bingo game and the cow paddy auction game fund their activities.

"Any proceeds that we make above the expenses of the day go into community projects," she adds.

More information can be found in the Langruth Happenings & Events, Langruth Mb Facebook group.

The Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club will be hosting a series of activities at the Northgate Trailhead today, October 1st.

The event will start with a group bike ride for all levels at 2 p.m., which will be followed by a barbecue at 3:30 p.m. and a performance by The Ben Sures Three from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Event Organizer Melissa Stefaniw says that the main goal of hosting the event is to showcase Northgate and celebrate the resiliency of the community.

"We wanted to get people out to actually gather face-to-face and enjoy the last days of summer... It's going to be a nice day... so we wanted to invite everyone out," she adds.

Being able to host an event like this makes Stefaniw feel fantastic.

"Northgate is really near and dear to my heart. I, personally,  was part of getting the project up and running... Now we're doing all kinds of programming up there, so we'd really like to get people out to enjoy the actual facilities that we have up there... You don't necessarily need to be on a bike or... be doing anything crazy active," she adds.

According to Melissa Stefaniw, all of the activities, including the barbecue, are free

Anyone looking to attend is being asked to bring a lawn chair.

More information can be found on the Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club Facebook page.

The Fisher Branch RCMP is asking for the public's help in identifying a vehicle and suspects in relation to a shot that had been fired at a home located near the Fisher River Cree Nation school.

Police received a report of the shot being fired at the residence yesterday, September 29th, at 8 a.m.

When officers arrived at the home, they noticed that its exterior had a bullet hole.

The RCMP say that the school nearby was placed under lockdown and that it was later closed by school officials.

They investigated further and determined that four males in a car drove up to the residence at around 4:30 a.m.

They also determined that one male exited the vehicle and shot towards the home before returning to the car and driving away.

According to the RCMP, nobody who was in the home at the time of the shooting was injured.

Anyone with information is being asked to call the Fisher Branch RCMP at 204-372-6329.

FRCN

Premier Heather Stefanson and Indigenous Reconciliation & Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere have released a statement with regards to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The statement follows:

Today, we recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and we encourage all Manitobans to participate in meaningful conversations about residential schools and their tragic and enduring legacies on First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a crucial day to remember the experiences of residential school survivors and their families. By taking part in conversations and activities, we all honour the healing journey of survivors and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.

As Manitobans and Canadians, we all have a role to play in the reconciliation process for Indigenous people who have suffered the physical and emotional trauma of the residential school system, and the legacy of intergenerational trauma that exists today. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation brings us one step further in the healing process. It is a day for truth-telling and reflection about the trauma faced by Indigenous people and their families, and to build a bridge to a healthier relationship.

The federal government established Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021. The Manitoba government has also recognized this new federal statutory holiday as an opportunity for Manitobans to reflect on the impacts of residential schools, which still resonate today.

In 2017, Manitoba passed legislation to recognize formally Sept. 30 as Orange Shirt Day to acknowledge the trauma of residential schools on First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Flags on all provincial government buildings will be lowered today to half-mast to align with long-standing protocol for all national days of observance. Schools and non-essential government services and offices will also be closed for the day to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.