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A sizeable investment has been made by the Manitoba Government to preserve and maintain the province's freshwater lakes for generations to come.

The $990 million will go towards a total of 72 actions and water-related projects that look to preserve the many bodies of freshwater Manitoba has, including:

• $763.5 million in capital investment in provincially owned water-related infrastructure through the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s 2023 Multi-year Infrastructure Investment Strategy, which includes $600 million for the Lake St. Martin channel;
• $221 million for programming under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership over the next five years, cost-shared 60 percent federally and 40 percent provincially;
• $4 million in enhanced resources for the Manitoba Water Services Board;
• $1.64 million for enhanced drinking water safety; and
• $1.47 million in new funding within the Department of Environment and Climate for water strategy implementation, including $600,000 for watershed districts.

Manitoba has 100,000 freshwater lakes within its borders, and these plans will look to protect not only the natural areas but aid in agricultural development and keep drinking water clean and safe.

The money will be rolled out to these new and continuing projects over the next five years.

Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson is quite happy with how this plan's Agricultural Partnership "allows agricultural producers to continue being good stewards of the land while playing an important role in Manitoba’s overall economy.”

Updates will continue to come as various projects start up, and to provide clarity of the next steps of this undertaking. 

If your looking to read the full Water Action Plan you can visit The Goverment of Manitoba's Website, or check out the PDF of the plan directly from this link. 

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Contributed by Michael Brossart

Published: Jul 6, 2023 - 2:27 pm

UPDATE: 8:25 a.m. (Thursday, July 06)

Manitoba RCMP has located and arrested Fantasia Prince.

The RCMP thanks the public and media for their assistance. 

UPDATE: 9:50 a.m. (Tuesday, July 04)

Fantasia Prince of the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation is wanted in relation.

She's wanted for 2nd Degree Murder, and she also has other outstanding warrants. 

Mounties advise that if you spot her, do not approach her, as they believe she may be armed, and if you have any tips that could assist in locating her, notify the Manitoba First Nation Police Service, at 204-843-7700, or the Amaranth RCMP, at 204-843-2691.

INITIAL POST:

An investigation is underway after a 24-year-old female was found dead in a home on the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation.

On June 29 at about 3:15 p.m., Manitoba First Nation Police Service responded to an injured female.

When officers arrived, the female was found deceased and her death is being investigated as a homicide.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 6, 2023 - 8:24 am

The Parkland has witnessed some wild weather as of late.

To go along with some hot temperatures during the day, we have seen a healthy dose of funnel clouds and tornados as well as thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rains, lots of lightning, and hail.

Manitoba has seen a higher amount of the latter so far this spring and summer, which has led to a heightened amount of crop hail insurance claims.

"So provincially, we're having quite a bit of hail activity for sure, probably moreso at this time of year than we traditionally do. We've got about 900 claims registered provincially", said David Van Deynze, the Chief Product Officer at Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC).

Van Deynze adds that about 50 of those claims were from the Fork River area from storms last week.

"We've seen some fields that are completely devastated, in that 100% loss range ... there's not a huge area that suffered that kind of damage from what I'm hearing but certainly where it hit hard it hit really hard."

Only time will tell how this year ends up being for hail, but when compared to what Van Deynze says was an abnormally quiet year for hail in 2022, this year has gotten off to a fast start.

"We had just over 1,100 hail claims in the province last year for the entire season and this year we have about 900 registered so far ... certainly we're off to a much busier start than we were at any point last year."

In addition to the Fork River area, the Gilbert Plains area saw some damaging hail last week as well.

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Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Jul 6, 2023 - 6:37 am

Dauphin's Countryfest was a great success over the weekend and in just a few weeks' time, it's Canada's National Ukrainian Festival's turn to take centre stage.

Returning to the festival site just south of Dauphin, CNUF is always one of the best weekends of the year and it takes place during the August Long Weekend. A festival for those of all ages, the three-day event will also include a talent competition on top of all the incredible talent that is coming from across the country.

730CKDM's Cory 'Laffy' Lafontaine will serve as the master of ceremonies and the list of entertainers includes Shumka, Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Trembita, and DJ Gordo, to name a few. 

Ahead of the festival, organizers are currently looking for volunteers. A variety of positions are open including at the main gate for the three days. There are also some great perks if you do plan on volunteering.

"For every four-hour shift that you volunteer, you will get a weekend pass," said Kayla Gillis, president. "It doesn't matter whether you do one shift, two or three, you will get a pass which is exciting."

If you have never been to Canada's National Ukrainian Festival, it truly is a time to celebrate and embrace the Ukrainian culture at a very affordable price as a full weekend pass is just $150. You can also get a lower camping spot for $60 or an upper camping spot for $70. 

"It's a cultural festival and it's a family event, we really focus on that," ended Gillis. "If you have not been, please come on out and enjoy. There is a ton of great food and great entertainment, it's going to be a fantastic weekend."

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 6, 2023 - 5:00 am

The weekly crop report covering June 26th to July 3rd is out and reports significant rainfall in lots of areas that needed it.

In the Parkland, Inglis reportedly received the most precipitation at 57mm. Other places that got decent rain were Ethelbert (43.4mm), McCreary (41.8mm), Dauphin (33.3mm), Ste. Rose du Lac (32.5mm), and Grandview (28.3). You can see more numbers and locations in the weekly crop weather report.

As well as rain, some localised storms brought damaging hail to fields in the Fork River and Gilbert Plains areas. The week also saw continued higher temperatures which helped crops across the region advancing quickly.

The summaries for the Northwest region, which includes the Parkland, and the Interlake region can be found below:

NORTHWEST:

Another week of high temperatures had crops advancing quickly. Areas that are dry and short on precipitation are starting to show the effects. Several localized storms came through the region again with damaging hail in the Gilbert Plains area and Fork River area. The highest accumulated rainfall for the week was Ingles with 57 mm.

Spring wheat continued to advance and is now flowering or just finshed flowering. Many fungicide treatments are complete as stages were reached. True armyworm has been reported in several areas including Dauphin, Swan Valley and The Pas. Some control has been required as numbers exceed threshold levels. Canola is at various stages. While the most advanced canola is starting to pod, the latest seeded canola is quite behind at rosette stage. Adequate moisture would help significantly.

Field peas continue in the R2 and beginning R3 stages. Soybean is now into R1 stage and for the most part looks good. Some areas continue to see grasshopper activity increasing.

INTERLAKE:

Crops are generally looking good with the past week’s showers. High temperatures and good moisture have allowed for fast crop growth. Rainfall continues to be variable with scattered thundershowers in the Interlake region. Northern areas receiving the highest amounts of 30 to 40 mm include Poplarfield, Moosehorn and Fisher. Scattered showers for much of the region were in the 10 to 20 mm range in most part of the South Interlake region.

Much of the region currently reports good soil moisture levels, although some areas remain very dry, and a few isolated areas that need time to dry up after recent heavy rains.

Spring wheat and barley are fully headed and flowering and the cooler weather forecast for this week will certainly help the crop to fill. Oats fields are begining to see fully emerged panicles. Canola stands in the region are variable with some fields looking good with even stands. Others are thin and stagey due to a number of earlier stresses including flea beetle damage and poor germination in dry conditions. The early seeded fields are between 30 to 50% bloom. Heat and moisture has been great for both grain and silage corn; all areas report rapid growth. Most of the crop looks better as compared to some past years. Colour is becoming normal and most fields have a nice dark green colour. Crops are generally shorter than normal.

There are reports of armyworms in a number of fields including perennial ryegrass, fescue and timothy, requiring insecticide treatment. Producers continue to monitor for armyworms daily and cereal crops are being sprayed. Increasing numbers of grasshopper hotspots are being reported in some areas and fields are being monitored carefully. Still seeing some grasshoppers and numbers are increasing but still not at the spray threshold yet in the South Interlake.

Applications for fusarium head blight timing in wheat continues. Most fields will be sprayed and over half of the acres are complete to date. The remainder will be completed by early next week. Fungicide treatment is now ongoing in canola but thinner crop stands, stagey stands and moisture levels inadequate for disease growth will regulate fungicide application.

Details

Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Jul 5, 2023 - 12:23 pm

Months after the Federal Government made the announcement, you may see some extra money in your bank account today.

The food-inflation-focused affordability measure is set to roll out to approximately 11 million low and modest-income Canadians.

Essentially a re-branded GST rebate boost, the payment will be issued through Canada's GST/HST tax credit system, alongside the regular quarterly GST/HST payments.

The payments will vary in value based on the variable of being single/married and how many children are in your care when your 2021 taxes were filed.

For example, if you are single you could receive a maximum payment of:

•  $234 if you have no children
•  $387 if you have one child
•  $467 if you have two children
•  $548 if you have three children
•  $628 if you have four children

And, if you are married or have a common-law partner, you could receive up to:

•  $306 if you have no children
•  $387 if you have one child
•  $467 if you have two children
•  $548 if you have three children
•  $628 if you have four children

The CRA did note that there may be some differences between the GST/HST payment and this grocery rebate, and the rebate is based off the 2021 year, and the GST/HST payment is based off of 2022.

This measure, that's looking to help Canadians offset the growing cost of groceries, comes at a sizeable pricetag, with the federal government spending $2.5 billion to accomplish this goal.

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Contributed by 730 CKDM

Published: Jul 5, 2023 - 6:00 am

A 20-year-old male was arrested on Ebb and Flow First Nation after a gunshot and some yelling was heard at a residence in the community on Monday, July 3rd, 2023.

Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP responded to the report and located the 20-year-old who was seated in a vehicle and speaking to a family member. He was also armed with a rifle.

He then handed the rifle over to the family member and fled on an ATV to another residence where he was arrested while trying to enter it.

A search of the 20-year-old's residence led officers to recover four firearms with ammunition. The 20-year-old was later released for a court appearance scheduled for September 19th, 2023, in Dauphin.

Pictures of the seized firearms, provided in an RCMP news release, are below:

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Contributed by 730 CKDM

Published: Jul 5, 2023 - 5:40 am

Country music fans flocked to the festival site over the Canada Day long weekend as Countryfest returned just south of Dauphin.

The four-day event kicked off with 730 CKDM's Thursday Night Kick-Off Party which was headlined by the Road Hammers and a packed crowd on the Bell MTS Stage. Walker Hayes headlined Friday while Dierks Bentley put on an incredible show on Saturday. 

Duane McMaster is the president of Countryfest and he feels things are back to normal.

"Things went very well, we had some great crowds and the weather was fantastic," said McMaster. "There was a lot of great response about the shows, everyone is still talking about Dierks. People also loved our indigenous artist's showcase. It was a great weekend and it felt great to be back."

Then on Sunday evening, John Fogerty brought a packed crowd to the amphitheatre and he had the crowd singing and smiling for his entire show. 

"He put on one heck of a show, it was a sing-along party," said McMaster. "We were really looking forward to him being on the stage and it was definitely worth the wait."

This year's festival also brought forward an amazing group of volunteers and McMaster is very thankful for all of the help.

"Simply put, we wouldn't be able to do what we did without the amazing volunteers, kudos to all of you," offered McMaster.

Countryfest 2023 has officially come to a close and now, the festival's board of directors will focus on returning for 2024.

"We will be back," ended McMaster. "The planning process now begins and it's going to be another great show."

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 4, 2023 - 8:07 am

Charlie Major headlined the event last year and this year, there will be plenty of amazing entertainment alongside all of the other amazing activities planned.

Mossey River Days is set to return to Winnipegosis beginning on Friday and it runs until Sunday afternoon. 730CKDM's Al Gaines will kick off the festivities with the Al Morning Show on Friday starting at 7:00 and you can also take part in the golf tournament which is played on your own time at the Winnipegosis Golf Course.

There will be a New Horizon's Senior Cribbage tournament on Friday afternoon at 1:00 and the Boulevard Beer Garden's open at 5 on Friday night. Bed of Roses - Bon Jovi Tribute Band takes centre stage at 10:30 on Friday night.

Riley Chartrand is with the planning committee and he knows how excited everyone is for Mossey River Days.

"We're very excited to come back to our roots and get outside," said Chartrand. "We're going to have a ton of fun throughout the two days and we're looking forward to everyone joining us."

Saturday's list of activities kicks off with the Winnipegosis Minor Ball pancake breakfast at the curling rink from 8 to 11 and the slo-pitch tournament hits the diamonds at 10. There is also a perogy sale from 11 to 6 and Alex Lytwyn presents Wheels of Fun by Willpower from 3 to 4. Emma Peterson will take centre stage from 9:15 to 10:15; followed by Almost Famous from 10:30 until 1am. Fireworks will also be featured Saturday evening at 11:15. 

Then on Sunday morning, there's a community church service starting at 10:30 followed by the Mossey River Raft Race at 11 and there will be a fundraising BBQ at the beach. 

"This weekend really does bring the entire family together, there is something for absolutely everyone," ended Chartrand. "We're bringing in some outstanding entertainment for the adults and the list of things to do for the kids is endless as well. It is a very special weekend in the community of Winnipegosis."

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 4, 2023 - 5:00 am

While getting to your destination during summer construction season may take a little longer than you would want, it's the caution that you take that allows everyone to remain safe.

The 2023 SAFE Roads campaign is underway and the goal of the campaign is to make sure everyone knows what to do when approaching a construction zone. Well ahead of entering said construction zones, signs will be posted on the road and drivers are asked to reduce their speeds as workers will be on the road repairing and holding signage.

"Our workers are not in your way, they are at work," said Chris Lorenc, Chairperson for the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association & WorkSafely Program. "Please give them the respect that they deserve so they can carry on with their duties."

While many Manitoban drivers do obey the laws and reduce their speeds around construction zones, Lorenc adds there are some tragedies where workers lose their lives because someone decided not to reduce their speed. He also says construction zones don't come out of nowhere.

"The signage is very well posted and marked," ended Lorenc. "To those Manitobans that obey the laws and slow down, we want to thank you. To those who do not, we are asking you to slow down and take extra caution when entering a construction zone. It's important that we follow the rules of the road."

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 3, 2023 - 6:00 am