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The Progressive Conservatives have temporarily selected a new party leader while waiting on the next party election.
Lac Du Bonnet MLA Wayne Ewasko has taken up the leadership role in the interim while the party works out the details of their next vote.
Ewasko Previously held the title of Minister Of Education and early childhood learning and was part of the key moves that advanced 10-dollar-a-day childcare plans.
Since the PC party lost the 2023 election, Ewasko has stood fast on the projects we had started, pressuring the current government to follow through with building 9 schools that were promised by the former administration.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Manitoba First Nations Police have identified three suspects wanted in relation to a January 3rd shooting on the Sandy Bay First Nation.
Police were called to a home on Ridge Road North that day, where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower body.
Police have issued arrest warrants for three individuals - 28-year-old Keith Douglas Racette, 31-year-old Jesse Myles St Paul, and 36-year-old Gregory James Lee Spence.
All three are wanted on charges of break enter and commit, and aggravated assault, as well as different weapons-related offences.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Sandy Bay detachment at 204-843-7700 or the MFNPS tips line at 1-833-978-0048.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Agriculture In the Classroom is an initiative that brings the Ag knowledge to the classroom.
But as Ag Days are running right now, the classes can attend a hub of agricultural info.
Katherine Cherewyk is the Executive Director of Ag In The Classroom in Manitoba, and she's excited to see how many students are coming to Ag Days as part of this program.
"These are the types of things they need, for students to learn about not only what's just around them, but also what they don't see, and what they need to understand about the world. We Have a lot of fun developing these things."
Cherewyk noted that it's more important than ever to get the next generation of students interested in, and educated on, matters like agriculture and food security.
As large numbers of people flock to large cities, it creates a drain on rural populations, as well as agricultural producer jobs.
Cherewyk's goal is to inspire the next generation through this work at Manitoba Ag Days, as well as through Ag In The Classroom.
"We bring grade 7 and 8 students from the Brandon and Parkland area. they take part in a world game in the morning. They learn about imports, exports global agriculture, food security, ratios, and proportions, just everything. and then in the afternoon, we send them into Manitoba ag days where they take part in an Ag Adventure hunt where they talk to participating booths, and partners we have, where students learn more about careers in agriculture and local agriculture."
As Manitoba Ag Days wraps up for another year, Cherewyk hopes that this experience has left a last impression, and sparks an interest in the hundreds of students who experienced this massive Agricultural extravaganza.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Friends of Dauphin Lake group continues their fundraising efforts towards the purchase of a commercial weed harvester to be used on the lake.
Group member Bill Griffin says they have commitments so far for nearly sixty thousand dollars of the 200-thousand dollars price tag for purchasing and operating the harvester and trailer, adding a mail-out campaign is set to go out by the end of this week.
Griffin says they are trying to defeat a perception that this project is only beneficial for people who live along the lake.
He says the lake is dying due to increasing sediment levels in the lake, which is crippling a huge economic and tourist feature for the region.
"The golf course has been there for years, but people are not going to want to come play here if that lake turns into a marsh in front of it and is mosquito-infested. And we have Rainbow Beach campground that for a lot of years people wondered why they did the expansion, and now it is running at very close to being full all of the time because people have found that it is a great lake."
Griffin says long term, there needs to be solutions to the sediment problems on the lake, the majority of which comes from the Edwards Creek drain.
"That drain, just itself, just so people can understand the concept here, that brings in enough sediment to be seven and a half feet high, 16 feet wide, and if you want to put it in relative terms, a distance that covers from where you turn off to go to the Dauphin Lake Golf Course all the way to the corner of Main Street (in Dauphin). That is how much sediment load comes into the lake every year just from that one drain alone."
Griffin adds with Parks Canada considering shutting down Clear Lake to all boats this summer due to Zebra mussels, there needs to be a local recreation option for local boat owners.
The group hopes to be able to order the harvester by the end of the month, to have it here in time to do work on the lake this summer.
More information on the group's efforts can be found on the Friends of Dauphin Lake Facebook page.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Residents and businesses in the Swan Valley are invited to participate in the creation of a new development plan by-law for the entire region.
The plan would encompass the towns of Swan River, Minitonas, and Bowsman, as well as the RM of Mountain and Municipality of Swan Valley West.
The Swan Valley Planning District says an updated development plan will help establish a vision for the entire Swan Valley for the next 20-25 years, as well as identify key development objectives for the community and for different land uses.
A Community open house has been scheduled for January 30th from 4-7 pm at the Veterans Community Hall, where residents can drop in and share their input and ideas.
There will also be an open planning studio the following day from 4-7 pm at the Swan Lake Watershed District office, also in Swan River.
Residents are also encouraged to participate in a survey, a link to which can be found on the Town of Swan River's website, with paper copies also available at municipal offices in the Swan Valley.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A Winnipeg man has appeared in court once again in relation to a 2021 drug bust in the RM of Dauphin.
32-year-old Jory Rowe faces charges of Possession for the Purpose of trafficking and has had his matters put over again until January 23rd.
In March of that year, RCMP pulled over a vehicle about 10 km west of Ochre River on Highway 5.
The driver was arrested after refusing to provide a breath sample, and a search of the vehicle turned up a large variety of cannabis products, cash, about 195 grams of suspected cocaine, and an open bottle of liquor.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Parkland Regional Immigration Committee has been kicking the tires for a while, and this weekend, they start up their operation.
This group, a partnership of several Parkland municipalities, the chamber of commerce, as well as local businesses, is looking fast fast-track labor-based immigration in the Parkland area.
"Having them all on board and committed wasn't a challenge at all. I think this is a common goal. we all struggle with problems, we have a shortage of labor."
That's the city's economic development committee's Martijn van Luijn, who notes this project has been in the works for quite some time.
"Two years. we've been working for the last two years to figure out what our target is. what we want to do, what we're trying to do, what kind of immigrants we're trying to hire, and what skills we're looking for. and then building up partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce, the rural economic development corporation, and then we're signing an agreement with the province this Saturday"
This Saturday, as mentioned, the paperwork will be signed with the province to allow this more local group to spearhead this immigration movement, hopefully filling the vacancies seen across the job market.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Charges have been laid in relation to the weekend stabbing in Swan River that left one person dead.
Swan River RCMP have charged 29-year-old Dean Bell and 40-year-old Tyrone Guiboche, both of Swan River, with one count each of manslaughter.
Mounties were called on Saturday about a 33-year-old man suffering from stab wounds along Main Street.
The victim was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
No court date has been announced.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is getting a financial boost over the next three years courtesy of the provincial and federal governments.
They are combining to provide 450 thousand dollars over that time, with the federal funding coming from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Federal Agricultural Minister Lawrence MacAulay noted that this program is different from other mental health services available, as it is rooted in agriculture, and the counsellors are familiar with the unique stressors of managing an agri-business such as seasonality of operations, the impact of extreme climate events, global and market fluctuations and the dynamics of rural living.
The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is a non-profit organization that was launched in 2022 and addresses the mental health of farmers, farm families, and farm workers for free with access beyond crisis intervention to longer-term counseling support that helps prevent a mental health crisis.
The funding will support efforts to ensure consistent and professional service delivery and a standardized onboarding for new counsellors.
Dauphin MLA and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says the program is a pivotal resource for farmers, their families, and employees.
He notes the 450 thousand dollars is a sound investment adding that by just talking with industry they know there is a need for the importance of such an organization.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Several local projects have been named recipients of Manitoba Ag Days Gives Back Community Grants.
Ag Days General Manager Kristin Phillips says fifty thousand dollars is being put back into rural Manitoba thanks to a strong year.
"All of the proceeds from our 50/50 draw, as well as any profit that the show makes, goes back to our Ag Days Gives Back program. Last year we had a very successful 50/50 with the prize being just under 35-thousand dollars."
Among the groups receiving two thousand dollars each are Mossey River Municipality, Hoof N Holler Days, Glenella Curling Rink, Ste Rose Recreation Commission, Erickson District Recreation Association, and Neepawa and Area Fire Department.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A Dauphin man has been arrested and charged following an incident outside of Ste Rose earlier this week.
RCMP stopped to assist a man changing a tire on his vehicle at around 12:30 Monday morning along Highway 5 near the community.
The officer noticed no plates on the vehicle, and the driver was unable to produce a registration or a bill of sale for the vehicle, or a driver's licence.
There was also an open bottle of liquor in the car, which led police to arrest the driver and conduct a further search of the vehicle, which turned up several individual bags of what was believed to be meth, as well as prescription drugs, several gift cards, and Canadian cash.
A bag of suspected cocaine and multiple cell phones were also found on the suspect.
28-year-old Clint Nepinak faces two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of obstructing a peace officer, while also having three outstanding warrants, including two of failing to comply and one of failing to attend court.
He also got a ticket for open liquor.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
