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The province has announced that it is freezing provincial park fees for the upcoming camping season.
In making the announcement, provincial Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt says the government is focused on keeping parks affordable and accessible for all Manitoba families.
The government also announced that they will be offering free entry into Manitoba provincial parks several times over the summer,, meaning visitors will not need to purchase vehicle permits.
Those times include June 7th to 9th, the week of July 15th to 21st, and the Labour Day long weekend,
Camping reservations for provincial parks opened earlier this week, and today is the first day that you can book campsites in Parkland area parks such as Rainbow Beackm Manipogo, Asessippi, as well as within the Duck Mountains at spots like Blue Lakes, Childs Lake, and Wellman Lake.
Reservations can be made online at www.manitobaparks.com or by calling the toll-free line at 1-888-482-2267.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The recent NDP budget has looked to fulfill campaign promises when it comes to growing the economy and supporting health care.
CKDM caught up with Dauphin's MLA and Manitoba's Ag Minister Ron Kostyshyn to see what's in store for Dauphin, and the agricultural sectors.
"As we all know, agriculture is 9% of our GDP, and we need to keep increasing that. today, we're working with producers and industry as far as added value for business and opportunities"
The Minister highlighted several increases in the lending through MASC that supports producers across the province.
"Through MASC offices, we're increasing the young farmer rebate from $20,000 to $30,000 and increasing the eligibility of loan amounts from $200,000 to $300,000."
Other aspects that are being supported include the continued support of Crown Lands cases, opening 2 rural MASC locations, and a few other details that support life in rural areas and Dauphin specifically.
Minister Kostyshyn also spoke on the investments that are being put towards the Dauphin Justice Center which was a campaign promise, as well as increases in rural health care.
"In our budget, we've now indicated that the justice facility will be moving forward with moving into the engineering concepts and blueprints and the studies to make the justice facility that was proposed"
If you're seeking to review the full 2024 budget, you can find it all on the Manitoba Government Website.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
A stolen vehicle out of Swan River has led to arrests with numerous charges.
On April 4, 2024, at approximately 9:40 am, Swan River RCMP received a report of a stolen vehicle from Swan River. A suspect was reported to have entered a home, stolen keys, and then stole the homeowner's vehicle.
The vehicle was seen on Valley Road at Highway 10, but refused to stop for police. The vehicle was later brought to a halt by a spike strip further down Highway 10.
two passengers were arrested and charged. the driver, 32-year-old Trisha Cook, has been charged with Breaking and entering, Theft of a Truck, two counts of flight from an officer, and driving under the influence to name some of the 8 charges and several tickets.
a 33 year old male passenger was also arrested and received just a single count of Possessions of Property obtained by crime.
The Swan River RCMP Continues to investigate.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Online Security is a growing concern as more of our lives and finances are becoming digital.
The Manitoba RCMP wants to raise awareness around E-transfer scams, as they're becoming prevalent, and more sophisticated than ever.
At first glance, many of these scams look legitimate and provide links for people to input their banking info.
Some extra precautions for those looking to make secure online transactions include checking the email closely, using pre-authorized auto deposits securely through your bank, and taking care of whom you share your information.
If you expect that you've been a victim of digital fraud contact your local police as soon as you can.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Child pornography-related charges have been laid against four men following an investigation by the Manitoba RCMP Internet Child Exploitation Unit.
Over an eight-day period in March, police executed five search warrants in three different Southern Manitoba communities, discovering and seizing tens of thousands of child pornography images.
Three children under the age of six were also removed from these homes under speculation that they were being sexually abused and exploited.
The four men arrested ranged in age from 37 to 56.
They were all charged with Distributing/Uploading/Possessing Child Pornography, with one of the suspects also being charged with Making Child Pornography.
Their names and the towns in which the search warrants were executed were not released in order to protect the identity of the victims.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Five students from the DRCSS are set to head off to Winnipeg tomorrow for the Provincial Skills competition.
The students include Sean Cleave in Cabinet Making, Josh Larocque in Carpentry, Declan Waggoner in Auto Technician, Corbin Gamache in Outdoor Power and Recreation, and Seth Roos in Welding.
Eight students from Swan Valley Regional Secondary School are also competing.
Around 500 students from across Manitoba are competing in one of over 40 hands on-related competitions in both high school and post-secondary levels.
The event runs from 9 until 2:30 at Red River Community College, with winners moving on to the National competition in Quebec City from May 29th to June 1st.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The province says Parks Canada is considering closing Clear Lake to boating this year because of zebra mussels.
Moses says he wants the federal government to consult people more before making a final decision.
Parks Canada says live zebra mussels were found in the lake last November, and an infestation could cause irreversible ecological damage to the lake and downstream bodies of water.
They add testing of the lake over the winter did not turn up any zebra mussel environmental DNA, but a decision has not yet been made about lake use this summer.
The Opposition Progressive Conservatives called on the province to increase monitoring by, among other measures, adding more boat inspection stations and conducting more testing of waterways downstream.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitoba's Municipal Administrators have been updating their code of conduct after recent criminal actions by CAOs.
These changes aim to create a formal complaint process, and the enforcement required for it after 3 issues over the past 4 years
These include former Winnipeg CAO Phil Sheegl accepting a sizeable bribe, former Gilbert Plains CAO Amber Fisher stealing more than $500,000 from the municipality, and Trisha Fraser, Former CAO of the RM of North Cypress Langford who's accused of stealing $30,000 over the past year.
Among the 21 statements in the MMA’s new code of conduct are for administrators to “demonstrate integrity and the highest standards of ethical behavior” and “shall not leverage their position for personal gain or benefit.”
Duane Nicol, the MMA’s president, and CAO of the City of Selkirk, said the changes may not prevent issues such as what happened in the Municipality of Gilbert Plains and Winnipeg, it will help make administrators more accountable to standards and ethical conduct.
Nicol also notes that while the MMA doesn’t have the power of a regulatory body to discipline and potentially take away members’ ability to practice, the changes will ensure there are consequences for breaches.
Punishment would include membership to the association being revoked.
For the full 21 statements for the MMA's Code Of Conduct, visit municipaladministrators.ca
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
A piece of Manitoba history was recently lost as the Lido Theatre was engulfed in flames early yesterday morning.
This historic theater, located in The Pas, was constructed in 1929 and, according to the Manitoba Historical Society, was the first theatre in western Canada built for movies with sound.
The fire destroyed decades of historical artifacts, memorabilia, and documents, including the original blueprints, and many old family photos.
Investigations have determined that the cause of this fire is believed to be arson, and The Pas RCMP is calling on the community for assistance.
Anyone with information regarding this fire is asked to contact The Pas RCMP at 204-627-6204.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt would like to see a special license plate created that would allow Manitobans to celebrate their provincial parks while also raising funds to revitalize natural spaces in Manitoba
Nesbitt's bill would create a special Manitoba Parks license plate, with proceeds from their sale going into the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund.
The fund, which was created in 2021, generates $1 million annually for projects that improve trails, make beaches more accessible, build new playgrounds, restore habitats, protect cultural sites, and invest in other critical park infrastructure to enrich visitor experiences.
The endowment fund was created to support Manitobans wanting to give back to provincial parks through philanthropic donations and legacy gifts.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The flooding situation along the west end of Dauphin Beach appears to be improving.
The R-M of Lakeshore has announced that both Cameron Trail and West Oako Beach Drive have reopened, after being closed over the weekend.
At the time, reeve Clayton Watts said Edwards Creek was backed up and was not flowing into the lake.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
