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The Little Valley Jamboree celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend, and according to event organizer Colleen Woychyshyn, they have something special planned for the anniversary.

We've received past recipient updates from the past 25 years so we're going to showcase some of our past recipients and how they're doing.

The Jamboree raises awareness and funds for children with medical needs in south-western Manitoba. Each year the money goes to specific recipients, and you can read about their stories on the Little Valley Jamboree website here.

It is extremely exciting to get life back to normal and be able to support kids in need again.

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National Aboriginal Peoples Day is officially on Tuesday, June 21; however, a weekend full of events is coming up in Dauphin and around the Parkland.

In Dauphin, the Northwest Metis Council is getting geared up to host events this Saturday, June 18. It'll be the first time in two years they can do so because of the pandemic. Tammy Chief with the Northwest Metis Council says Saturday will be a special day for all that take part.

"We are so excited to open our doors on June 18, we're going to celebrate our metis culture with as many people as possible," said Chief. 

The doors at the Metis Community Centre on 101 11th AVE SW in Dauphin opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the Opening Prayer and it will also include presentations from Vice President, Frances Chartrand, Member of Parliament, Dan Mazier, and Devin Shtykalo who is the Deputy Mayor of Dauphin, just to name a few.

The Cameron Campbell Band will take the stage at 11 and they will be followed by several different groups including the D-Town Steppers and the Junior Tappers.

A free hamburger and hot dog lunch will take place from 11:30 to 1 and then some more performances will take place including Levi and Kamryn Winters. 3:30 is when the closing prayer will take place and the silent auction and attendance draws wrap up the day starting at 4 p.m. 

"We're going to be showcasing so much local talent from this region, we're extremely excited," said Chief. 

Everyone is welcome to attend; however, masks are mandatory and you must provide proof of vaccination status to enter the centre. Children 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult. If you are unable to make the events in person, some will be live-streamed on their Facebook page. 

Prairie Mountain Health is holding a walk-in vaccination site in the parking lot of the Dauphin Market Place Mall.

It will be open this Friday, June 17th, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and all eligible groups can receive a shot.

A consent form will be needed for all three doses and you can download one here.

The City of Dauphin has announced that sections of certain roads have been closed due to repaving.

The following sections are closed until later in the evening:

    • 2nd Ave. N.W. from Main St. N. to 1st St. N.W.

    • 4th Ave. S.W. from Main St. to 1st St. S.W.

In addition to the closures listed above, Main St. is down to one lane — in both directions — at Whitmore Ave. due to roadwork.

If you have any questions, you can call the City Shop at 204-622-3202.

The Mountain View School Division will have a new Assistant Superintendent, Programs and Planning come July 1st as Suzanne Cottyn has been named to the position. She takes over the position from Stephen Jaddock who will take over as the Superintendent/CEO The same day.

I always appreciate the opportunity to understand everybody's roles in a different way, and when you move into a different position you often get to have a better understanding of how everyone contributes to the overall functioning and health of the system.

Suzanne has been with MVSD in a number of different positions including Resource Teacher, Reading Recovery Teacher, and Principal at Henderson Elementary school. Since 2014, Suzanne's served as the Coordinator of Curriculum and Assessment for the division.

The Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund has now brought eleven families to The Parkland, with another expected sometime soon. I sat down with three of the women who came here as a part of the fund, and they shared some of their experiences.

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Nataliia came to Canada with her two-year-old daughter, but before they arrived here, they had to overcome some very difficult barriers. They drove to Poland with her parents but they had to wait at the border for six days before being able to enter the country.

"It was a tough time, there were a lot of cars, there wasn't much fuel, and it was winter. Once we crossed the border in Poland it was fine there, people were very welcoming, like here."

They spent three months in Poland and weren't sure what the next step would be. Nataliia connected to the Family Fund through Facebook and made the decision to come here with her daughter, while her Parents returned to Ukraine.

Nataliia was already able to find a job here and said she feels right at home.

"I didn't expect to see what I see here, the support. People make us feel at home. I miss my home very much but here, I forgot for some periods of time, and I appreciate everything that people are doing for us."

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Sofiia talked about what life was like before they were forced to leave.

"It was horrible because the whole time was war, [there were] flights maybe every three hours, and bombs every time, non-stop."

Sofiia said Russian soldiers showed up at their door and told her family they had five minutes to leave their home. They were forced to go to Russia with nothing and had to find money so they could get to Poland where they were able to stay for a few months before they came to Canada.

"Canada is very peaceful, very helpful, it's a very beautiful place. People in Canada are amazing, they're really kind, very lovely people."

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When Yana came to The Parkland she had absolutely no idea what to expect, and Father Brent Kuzyk from St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox Church translated what she was saying.

"She had in mind, as she came to Canada that the situation here was going to be like a hostel, so it would be one building and several people living in that room. It was a shock to her that indeed she had her own apartment and her own space."

Yana spoke about how amazing everyone in the community has been. She said when she first walked into her apartment, everything she needed was there. She said that people are contacting her daily, she wasn't just dropped off and left alone.

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A number of people who came to The Parkland as a part of the Family Fund have already found jobs, however, the fund is still helping the others look for work. If there are any jobs available in the Dauphin area, you can reach out to 100th Meridian Immigration at 204-648-7366.

Just after midnight on Sunday morning, the Dauphin Fire Department got a report of a structure fire on 3rd Avenue South West. When they arrived, the structure itself was completely gone, but the contents and the surrounding trees were all on fire.

Crews quickly put out the fire, but several Province of Manitoba vehicles that were parked along the adjacent property line were damaged by the heat.

The fire's considered suspicious and is under investigation. There are no estimates on the cost of damage at this time. If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please contact the RCMP at 204-622-5050.

On Sunday, June 12, the Dauphin RCMP received a complaint of theft from the Director of the Trembowla Cross of Freedom Museum and Church, which is about 20 kilometres northwest of Dauphin.

Sometime between May 29 and June 12, the bell tower was knocked over and the church bell was stolen. The bell is made of bronze and is a historical piece dating back to the 1890s.

Seven bronze memorial plaques were also stolen.

If you have any information, please call the Dauphin RCMP at 622-5020. You can also submit a tip anonymously at Crime Stoppers

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The Town of Swan River has set aside what it's calling a Crime Reserve, $50,000 to combat crime in the Town, and is developing a plan on how it will be used.

A pilot project is also in the works to re-work how non-major crimes are dealt with in Swan River by creating provincial and/or municipal alternatives to avoid further burdening the federal justice system.

They're deciding to move in this direction as the result of a town hall that was held on March 17th.

According to the Town, the meeting was successful in educating the public on the realities faced within the justice system, providing a sounding board for local residents and businesses, and securing connections with organizations affected by the crime situation in the Valley.

Rainbow Breach Provincial Park will reopen on Friday, June 17th for day use. This excludes the campground; however, it is closed until at least June 24 as water levels on Dauphin Lake remain very high. 

You're paying more at the grocery store, you're paying more when you buy a house and you're certainly paying more at the pump to fill up your vehicle.

Gas prices continue to soar and in Dauphin, gas prices are sitting at just more than 2.07 per litre.

And while it would be nice to share some good news on that note, Patrick DeHaan with GasBuddy shares why prices are as high as they are.

"The price of oil has continued to move up and the ultimate problem continues to be demand is very high and the supply is very low," said DeHaan. "Also the number of refineries that have closed in Canada and the United States over the past few years."

With a full summer ahead, Patrick expects that gas prices will continue to rise and they could do so dramatically. He expects in the very near future prices could reach 2.14 a litre and at their worst, prices could rise to more than 2.30 per litre.

"It's just a matter of time before we hit 2.10 and prices will continue to rise from there," said DeHaan. "If there is a hurricane somewhere in the world or a major disruption, I wouldn't be surprised to see prices rise to 2.50 per litre."

Patrick says there isn't much good when it comes to the price of gas but it's something that we have to deal with.