MVSD Schools & Facilities Closed Wed

Due to the incoming winter storm, the Mountain View School Division announced this afternoon that all schools and division facilities will be closed on Wednesday, April 13 and that all staff may work from home.

They also said they're making the announcement prior to the storm due to the severity of the forecast so that parents can plan in advance.

MVSD will assess the situation as the storm progresses prior to making a decision on school closures and/or bus cancellations for Thursday, April 14.

Details: Contributed by Eric Fawx; Published: Apr 12, 2022 - 4:29 pm

Premiere Heather Stefanson and the Manitoba government have announced the details of their 2022 Provincial Budget.

The Budget will help prioritize the health and well-being of Manitobans and will include a total investment of 7.2 billion dollars to make the health care system in the province stronger.

The list of key investments that were introduced to help strengthen the health-care system for all Manitobans include:

$110 million to reduce pandemic diagnostic and surgical backlogs;
$9 million for additional beds to increase capacity in Manitoba’s intensive care units;
Over $100 million for the St. Boniface Hospital emergency room (ER) redevelopment, tripling the size of its ER;
$17 million for implementing year one of the five-year A Pathway to Mental Health and Community Wellness: A Roadmap for Manitoba;
Nearly $20 million for developing a new seniors strategy;
$32 million to continue to implement initiatives from the Stevenson Review and strengthen long-term care for Manitoba seniors and their families;
More than $11 million for increasing nursing enrolment in Manitoba’s post-secondary institutions;
$812 million in continued capital commitment for rural and northern health care under the five-year Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventative Services Plan; and
$630 million for ongoing COVID-19 response and other contingencies.

On top of the new funds being spent in the budget, the Province also continues to work on more of the initiatives put forth by the task force that was set up last year to help reduce the backlog of surgeries and diagnostic tests.

The budget will include over $390 Million in investments this year alone.

In the years to come, the province will also invest $812 million to build, expand and fix healthcare facilities in all regions of the province. This will include building new hospitals in Portage la Prairie and Neepawa, along with expanding facilities in Morden-Winkler, Brandon, Steinbach, Selkirk and Dauphin

For more on the Manitoba Provincial Budget head to the province’s website here.

Details: Contributed by Eric Fawx; Published: Apr 12, 2022 - 3:25 pm

The upcoming sold-out fundraising Pickerel Fish Fry scheduled for tomorrow evening has been postponed due to the inclement weather with the big winter storm that’s on its way to Manitoba.

The event is being held to raise funds for the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund with all the proceeds going to the fund.

The event will now take place on Tuesday April 19 at 6pm at the 8^th Avenue Hall in Dauphin and all original tickets will still be in effect for the new date.

Details: Contributed by Eric Fawx; Published: Apr 12, 2022 - 2:48 pm

The Parkland Chamber of Commerce held a Lunch Series event this afternoon with special guest speaker Art Alexander. The event was a success according to Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota.

The Chamber also tried out new Partnership Locations, with groups in Gilbert Plains and Grandview having their own in-person events, while joining in virtually.

We have Gilbert Plains and Grandview be a part of this so far, looking forward to bringing Ste. Rose and Winnipegosis in. Any other communities or organizations out there that want to jump on board and be a part of this experience, get in contact with the Chamber and we'll make sure that happens.

The Chamber introduced these locations so they can serve the whole Parkland better. You can get connected with the Chamber through their website here.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 12, 2022 - 2:07 pm

With the imminent winter storm warning that is expected to hit the province over the next few days CAA in Manitoba has released some information to help you stay safe during the storm.

CAA has said they are preparing for the storm by adding additional call centre associates to get the phone lines cleared up quicker when members call for roadside assistance along with adding more drivers to their system to assist anyone who may need a service call over the next few days.

They say members can prepare by downloading the CAA app in order to be able to request assistance without having to call in.

CAA has also released some tips for residents of the province if they get caught out in the storm along with how to prepare to stay safe at home during the storm.

What to do if you’re caught in the blizzard:

If you're stranded, and you feel unsafe, call 911 for assistance. Turn on your hazards and make your vehicle as visible as possible.  
If you feel safe, call CAA Manitoba for assistance or request help in the CAA app.
If you find yourself in a snowbank, don’t overexert yourself in an effort to free your vehicle. Going out into a storm puts you at tremendous risk.  
When it’s absolutely safe, check that your tailpipe is not blocked by snow and return to your vehicle and wait for help. 
While inside your vehicle, be sure to wear your seat belt.

What should be in your household emergency kit:

Your house should have an emergency kit with essentials for up to three days for all family members and pets.
Your kit should include two litres of water per person per day including small bottles, food that won’t spoil (canned food, energy bars, dried foods), a manual can opener, wind up or battery-powered flashlights and radios, extra batteries, a first aid kit, and infant formula/pet food if needed. 
Other items to consider include candles, matches, toilet paper and period products, a mobile phone charger an extra battery pack and prescription medications.
Consider buying a backup generator for power outages.

What to do if the power goes out:

Understand that emergency response times may take longer than normal.
Avoid opening doors and windows. Your home should stay warm for several hours. 
Do not cook on a barbecue indoors. 
Do not turn off a natural gas furnace – it will turn on when the power is restored. 
If the house is in danger of freezing, turn off the main water valve and run your taps to drain the water 
Unplug electrical equipment to prevent surge damage when the power comes back on, and turn off all electrical appliances, especially stoves or ovens. 
Find out the latest information about your emergency here.

Details: Contributed by Eric Fawx; Published: Apr 12, 2022 - 12:54 pm

The Dauphin City Council held its only meeting in April this evening, here are some highlights from the meeting.

There was a rezoning application put in for a lot on Buchanan Ave. that would make a Residential Single-Family lot into a Residential Multiple-Family lot. The council carried the motion to allow the rezoning to happen.

The city is planning to meet Thursday with representatives from Pine Creek and Ebb and Flow First Nations to continue to work on the Addition to Reserve Project that was announced at the end of March. There is potential for that meeting to be moved due to extreme weather.

The city put in a grant application to the Rural Stream of the 2022 Trails Manitoba Grant Program. The grat was successful and the city will receive up to $75,000 for the expansion of its trail system towards ACC and continuing along 1st Avenue SW.

You can watch tonight's full council meeting on the City of Dauphin YouTube page here.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 11, 2022 - 6:00 pm

McCreary's Manitoba Maple Syrup Festival was a huge success this weekend, with more people than they've ever had before. Festival President, Pam Little, talked about the event.

The most we've ever had is 440 people, and I think we had more this year because at 10:30 in the morning the first three horse and wagons were full, and that has never happened before.

The festival featured a variety of new and returning events like a pancake breakfast, horse and wagon rides to a working sugar bush, live music, a drive-in movie, and taffy on snow, just to name a few.

You can find pictures of everything that went on at the festival on their Facebook page here.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 12, 2022 - 6:00 am

Dauphin RCMP responded to a report of a robbery at a gas station on Main Street in Dauphin, just after midnight on Saturday morning. Four male suspects, one of which had a firearm, entered the business and threatened an employee. The suspects then fled with a large number of stolen items.

The employee chased and tackled the armed suspect, however, the other three were able to get away. One bystander called the police, while another helped the employee contain the suspect until police arrived. The employee suffered minor injuries in the process.

A 14-year-old male from Dauphin was later remanded into custody on charges including Robbery, Disguise with Intent, Point Firearm, Assault with a Weapon, and Uttering Threats. Police are still searching for the other three suspects involved.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Dauphin RCMP at 204-622-5020, Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online here.

An investigation is underway, with more arrests expected.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 11, 2022 - 3:13 pm

The Manitoba Government has made changes to its AgriRecovery Program. Manitoba Beef Producers GM Carson Callum said the changes make the program more accessible.

What this change does is makes it more accessible. With the removal of the producer share and increasing the total compensation rate under the feed assistance program of recovery, it'll be easier to get involved in the program.

There is no need for producers to reapply for the program, and the changes made are retroactive to June 1st, 2021. Producers can still apply for the program until May 13th, 2022. Find all the information you need, and apply for the program here.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 11, 2022 - 2:27 pm

The saying is 'April Showers bring May Flowers' but it appears that more than just rain could be coming to the Parkland.

A winter storm watch is in effect. Major spring blizzard poised to wallop southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan mid-week...with widespread snowfall accumulations of 30-50 cm accompanied by northerly winds gusting 70-90 km/h giving zero visibility at times in snow and blowing snow.

A Colorado low will move towards Minnesota Tuesday night bringing a heavy swath of snow from southeastern Saskatchewan through most of southern Manitoba. The snow will start early Tuesday evening near the International border and then push northward throughout the night. By Wednesday morning heavy snow will be falling in much of the area as the storm continues to push northward, and snow accompanied by strong northerly winds is expected to continue right through to early Friday morning as the low slowly pivots through Minnesota on its way into northwestern Ontario.

By Friday morning widespread snowfall accumulations of 30 to 50 cm are expected...with possible accumulations approaching 80 cm in the higher terrain of western Manitoba and the western Red River Valley.

Travel will become increasingly difficult as the day progresses Wednesday, with widespread highway closures a near certainty. By Wednesday evening even travel within communities may become impossible as the heavy snow and strong winds continue... and more of the same is expected on Thursday.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Apr 11, 2022 - 6:19 am

Ryan Murray moved to Dauphin from Brandon in July of 2020 and it didn't take him long to start serving and protecting the community. Just a month later in August, Murray approached Fire Chief Cam Abrey and expressed his interest in joining the Dauphin Fire Department.

Murray went out for a Wednesday evening practice and the rest is history. Murray says working with the department is a great opportunity to do good in the community.

“It’s a great group of guys and gals, it’s like a big family,” said Murray. “Everyone sacrifices a lot of family time to give back to the community.”

Now less than two years since he joined the DFD, Murray has won a prestigious award as Fire Chief Cam Abrey announced late last week that Ryan is the Firefighter of the Year. He was presented with his award at the department's Appreciation Night.