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This week is recognized as National Drowning Prevention Week, so the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba gave some tips on drowning prevention.

Dr. Christopher Love is Lifesaving Society Manitoba's Water Smart and Safety Management Coordinator. He said the goal of this week and today is to raise awareness of the problem, and the ways to prevent drowning tragedies from happening.

"Annually every year in Canada we have approximately 450 who die due to drowning, and in Manitoba, it's on average 24 deaths per year. That's just the fatalities, that's not including any injuries that also occur due to drownings across the country."

He said some of the common, standard tips from anyone going around the water are:

  • Never go alone
  • Wear a life jacket when it's appropriate to do so (ie. when boating)
  • Learn how to swim
  • When children are swimming, have active adult supervision
  • When the children are six years of age and under, you should be within arm's reach at all times. 
  • Be sober when around the water

Love also went into more detail when it comes to staying sober whether you're on a boat or just floating around.

"We're not trying to be killjoys and we're not saying don't have fun," said Love. "What we're saying is booze and boating don't mix, alcohol and swimming don't mix. You will become much more likely to become a statistic if you're under the influence when you're in or on the water."

With another very hot week ahead, you're encouraged to enjoy some time on the water; however, do so safely. Stay sober and if you're swimming with young children, make sure they are within arm's reach at all times and always swim with a friend.

The Dauphin Consumers Co-op is turning 85 this year, with celebrations being planned for all of this coming week.

To celebrate the milestone, the public is invited for free coffee and cake at each of the locations, including the Dauphiun Agro and Building Centre on Monday, the food store from 3-5 on Tuesday, and the Main Street and Mountain Road Gas Bars from 10 to noon on Wednesday.

The celebrations will move to the Ste Rose Agro and Home Building Centre on Thursday.

There will also be special events for Co-op Kids club members, including a free family swim from 1:30 to 3:30 on Wednesday at the Parkland Rec Complex, followed by a Hot Dog BBQ from 4-6.

The Ste Rose Splash Park will also host a Free Hot Dog BBQ on Thursday from 4-6.

There will also be a draw throughout the week, where one lucky Co-op member will win a patio lounge set. 

That draw will be made on Friday, July 26th, with entries being accepted at all Co-op locations. 

Carberry will be unveiling their monument soon to honor the 17 dauphin and area citizens who lost their lives just over a year ago.

Ray Muirhead is the Mayor of Carberry, and he's glad his community will honor the people who lost their lives and the emergency services that were on the scene.

"We've got a lot of local people who have donated their time, some concrete base, that being donated, and electrical work to the monument's being donated,  we have 17 trees that have been donated, and we as the town have donated the land"

He also notes that this unfortunate day has deeply linked Dauphin and Carberry.

The unveiling is scheduled for August 11th, and Muirhead invites anyone who can attend. there will also be a public tea afterward for people looking to talk.

Over 11 million dollars will be going to protect vital ecosystems in Manitoba.

This is split into 2 portions, 5.1 million will focus on preventing land conversion and loss of carbon from peat harvesting in the Interlakes region of Manitoba.

the remaining 6.1 million to secure 1,200 hectares of privately owned land prioritizing the maintenance of grasslands, wetlands, and forests.

Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change notes that this is "the largest conservation campaign in Canada’s history, with a goal of reversing biodiversity loss and protecting 30 percent of land and water by 2030."

this funding is part of a 5 billion dollar funding plan to further conservation efforts from 2021 to 2031

Two long-standing cases with ties to the Parkland were back before the courts this week.

A Dauphin man accused of a serious assault from November of 2022 had his case recessed until August 20th.

40-year-old Wayne Becks faces several charges including Aggravated Assault and Uttering Threats, and remains in custody.

And a Winnipeg man arrested following a March 2021 drug bust in the RM of Dauphin also had a new court date set.

33-year-old Jory Rowe is set to return to court on July 23rd. 

Snorkelers with Parks Canada have been hunting for Zebra mussels, the reason Clear Lake has been closed for the season, and they have been found.

During a survey, a live adult zebra mussel was found, as well as a partial shell.

This, along with environmental DNA in water samples, shows that this invasive species has indeed built a presence in the Lake.

The next step is to install an impermeable curtain around the boat cove and pier area to isolate the mussels from the rest of the lake.

Potash is being considered as a means to eradicate this invasive species, but this choice needs more testing and consideration of its environmental impact.

A technical briefing is scheduled for next week that will provide further detail on this situation, and the efforts going into solving it.

Roblin's Chamber Street Fair goes on Saturday along Main Street.

It starts with a pancake breakfast at 9 and is followed up by business and food vendors, a farmers market, and kids activities.

There is no admission cost to attend.

 

Two people were recently charged after using their paddleboards on Clear Lake.

At this time, personal watercraft use on Clear Lake is prohibited and can lead to a maximum fine of $25,000. The two individuals who were charged also had their paddleboards seized.

Park Wardens are asking that if you see someone using a paddleboard or any other personal watercraft on bodies of water within Clear Lake, call them at 1-877-852-3100.

The RCMP's Musical Ride is heading to several communities in the province. 

This includes a stop in Dauphin on Saturday, August 3. That will start at 12:30 at the Dauphin Fair Grounds and tickets can now be purchased at Dauphin Co-op Gas Bars. The community of Ashern will also host an event on Sunday, August 4.

Before that, the show rolls into Erickson next Wednesday, July 24. 

"We have been planning this event for many months," said Eric Bjornson. "We're coming down to the last few days, it's going to be an extremely unique event for Erickson."

The event to be hosted in Erickson next week will also be historic. With more than 800 tickets already sold, Eric says it will be the largest single gathering event in the community since the Queen visited in 1970.

"It's quite exciting, very exciting to be a part of," ended Bjornson. "It will bring many people to town that haven't visited before, we can't wait for next Wednesday. We hope that everyone enjoys their visit."

Pre-show entertainment will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the Musical Ride set to begin 60 minutes later. The riders will also host a question and answer period and introduce their horses. 

You can get your tickets here. You can also head to several locations in Erickson if you're around that community. 

UPDATE: 9:10 A.M. - July 19

We have reached out to the Dauphin Fire Department for more information.

We are expecting to hear more in the coming hours and once we hear something, we will provide all the details.

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A structure fire was called at 4th Ave SE in Dauphin shortly after 6:30 pm, on July 18th.

Flames could be seen pouring out of the front window as the Dauphin Fire Department was on the scene to extinguish the blaze.

Several firefighters worked diligently to douse the flames in the house, with several trucks attending to the fire, and police directing traffic away from the area.

We'll have more details on this situation as it becomes available.

This Weekend, Ochre River Family Fun Days is set for a full day of activities.

Marie Sorlie is a coordinator for this day, and she's excited about the fun.

"Early in the morning, 8 o'clock, there's going to be a pancake breakfast by the Ochre River Fire Department. There is also a ball tournament happening, starting at about 10 am, we have a few teams signed up for that. We also have the beer gardens, the bouncy castles happening, and some giant lawn games for people to play."

Family Fun Day is coming up this Saturday in Ochre River. There will be a community yard sale, vendor sale in the...

Posted by Lakeshore & Ste Rose Recreation on Monday, July 15, 2024

It will be a full day, as it goes all the way until midnight, wrapping up with a kids late-night movie!

Aside from the fun, you might also shop for an interesting find!

"We also, of course, have the community yard sale happening, and over at the community hall, we have an indoor vendor market. I think it's about 10 vendors coming to join us on Saturday showing off their goodies."

So whether you want family fun, local antiquing, beer gardens, or ball games, the Ochre River Family Fun Day offers something for everyone!