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Over 450 Canadians die in preventable water-related incidents every single year.

In Manitoba alone, on average, there are 22 fatal drownings every year. From 2015 to 2019, 110 people in Manitoba lost their lives due to drowning and 75 percent of fatalities were males. 10 percent of fatalities were also those aged between 0 and four. Of those between 0 and four years old, 100 percent of the fatalities were because their supervisor was absent or distracted.

These statistics were brought to light by the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba as it's National Drowning Prevention Week. While spending time in the water is an extremely enjoyable thing to do during the summer months, it's critical to take extra care.

"We always say swim with a buddy, make sure someone is always with you or you're around people," said Dr. Christopher Love, Water Smart^® & Safety Management Coordinator. "We recommend, if you have the choice, go somewhere where there is supervision because that adds a layer of protection."

While the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba is still awaiting numbers from the past few years, Love says the number one factor they see in drowning fatalities is intoxication, whether that be alcohol and or other drugs.  

"This goes without saying, but you must stay sober while on the water," said Love. "It's the best practice and it could end up saving your life."

In Manitoba, alcohol consumption is a factor in 35% of boating-related fatalities, higher than in other provinces. The consequences in Manitoba for impaired boating and impaired driving are identical. Leave the booze at home; it can lead to disastrous consequences on the water.

It's also highly recommended that you and any kids wear a life jacket. Not wearing a life jacket was a factor in 53% of boating deaths in Manitoba. Life jackets must fit properly and be in good working conditions. Buckles and zippers should be functioning and intact. Everyone should wear lifejackets while boating and anyone who cannot swim – especially young children – should wear a lifejacket while swimming. 

If, by chance, you are going on the water alone, you should let a friend know exactly where you are going and how long you may be.

"It's very important to ensure as many layers of protection as possible when you're doing any water-based activity," ended Love. "Plan ahead, it's the proper thing to do. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 17, 2023 - 10:00 am

Highway 5 is a crucial road coming into Dauphin, holding a lot of business and thoroughfare into the city.

A sizeable construction initiative looks to double the traffic capacity and increase the safety of this increasingly busy street.

Aside from twinning the highway, this construction project will add some traffic lights allowing pedestrians to cross safely, which is very much lacking at this point.

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Doyle Piwniuk is looking forward to seeing how this construction can help grow the city.

"There's a lot of people wanting to come into the city of Dauphin, right? So we want to make sure there's lots of growth in the city of Dauphin on the south side and of course, we want to make it safer with the large volume of traffic. so that's the goal. it's about safety, but also economic development."

There will also be a large effort put in by the city, as an overhaul of the drainage systems next to the roadways will also be required.

Approximately 140,000 cubic meters of soil will be excavated. In its place will be 2 large retention ponds and 885 meters of new storm sewers.

A large portion of this soil will be put to good use, as 30,000 cubic meters of soil will be used in the construction of the hill at Maamawi Park.

Overall, this project is expected to take approximately a year.

Construction of the service roads to keep the traffic flowing will start this fall, and the twinning of the high way is set to begin next spring as soon as things thaw out.

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Contributed by Michael Brossart

Published: Jul 15, 2023 - 9:56 am

Following another “final” offer that simply isn’t fair or realistic, Manitoba's General Employee Union members working for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MLL) have served strike notice, effective 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 19.

Strike action will begin with a one-day, province-wide walk-out by MGEU members working at all Public Liquor Marts.

This includes members working in the Liquor Distribution Centre, along with those in supporting business operations which includes those in information technology, purchasing, and administration.

Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba General Employees Union says this is never the situation that anyone hopes for.

"The offer clearly isn't good enough for our members, it's as simple as that," said Ross. "They have a long ways to go to catch up with inflation and the past contract where ground was lost because of Bill-28. A strike is always the last resort, but we have no choice."

This job action involves approximately 1,400 MGEU members who have been working under an expired contract since March 2022. If the one-day strike does happen, this will affect Dauphin and Swan River Liquor Marts as all employees, other than the manager are MGEU members. 

While the walk-out on July 19 is planned as of right now, it doesn't mean it will happen. Both parties will go back to the bargaining table over the weekend in hopes of a resolution.

At the latest, that resolution will need to come by Tuesday, or there will be a walk-out on Wednesday and a further strike could happen. 

"We know the Premier and her Cabinet all got 3.3 percent this year and they will be getting a 3.6 percent raise next year based on projections," ended Ross. "These Liquor Mart workers are front-line workers, they worked during the pandemic. I think they are due for a fair and reasonable raise to keep up with inflation."

The MGEU served the employer with an official strike notice on Friday morning. Following the July 19 walk-out, members will refuse all overtime. Further strike actions will be announced in the days to come if a fair deal cannot be reached.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 15, 2023 - 6:00 am

The annual Gilbert Plains - Grandview Ag Society fair and rodeo starts today in Gilbert Plains.

Gate prices are pretty cheap. For adults it costs just $10 for Friday, $15 for Saturday, and $10 for Sunday. For kids age 6-17, it only costs $7 per day. The best option is a weekend pass for $25 for adults or $15 for kids, so you can enjoy a variety of events for the whole family.

Kevin Boese, the President of the ag society, says the town is ready to go.

"Everybody I noticed, the last couple of days, is out mowing their grass and everybody's getting ready for the weekend and getting the town looking beautiful. It's always an exciting weekend for everyone in Gilbert Plains, the town is really buzzing."

First up is the parade which takes place at 3 this afternoon. Then the chucks & chariots start at 7. On Saturday they start at 3:30 and Sunday they get underway at 1. There will also be a couple of bonus chuckwagon races this year. The three fastest teams will compete in a "dash for cash" and three random teams will be chosen as part of a mystery race for some extra cash.

You may have also noticed that there will be chucks & chariots on all three days of the fair and rodeo this time around. Boese says he was chatting earlier with someone from the Manitoba Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association (MPCCA) who thinks there could be 20 to 24 chuckwagons registered for the weekend.

Rodeo events will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

There will also be lots of activities for the kids, including a bubble party following today's parade. This is something that Boese says is new for the fair & rodeo this year and has been a big hit when other towns have done it. The festivities will also include a Kids Zone during the day that will have bouncy castles, as well as a petting zoo and face painting all through the weekend.

"There's something going on for everybody, if you don't like the cattle and the horses part of it, you can go into the rink and see some beautiful old cars. There's some very nice cars coming from Ethelbert that are going to be there", said Boese.

Also at the rink will be the trade and craft show on Saturday.

Another one of the many events to take place includes the Light Horse Show, which is NAERIC (North American Equine Ranching Information Council) approved, so get ready to see some fine horses doing their thing all throughout the weekend.

To host an event like this, it requires lots of hard work from volunteers as well as community sponsorship, which there has been a lot of.

"The group of volunteers that show up every year are second to none, just a huge shoutout and thanks to all the volunteers", Boese says.

Boese added that the Parkland has stepped up big time in terms of sponsorship and that they can't thank their sponsors enough.

Overall, it's sure to be another great weekend at the Gilbert Plains - Grandview Ag Society fair and rodeo so be sure to make it part of your weekend plans.

"If you're not there this weekend, you better have a really good excuse to be doing something more important".

Also, don't forget to get in on the 50/50 fundraiser.

Details

Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Jul 14, 2023 - 7:49 am

Fort Dauphin is opening a door to the past to show off a slice of pioneer life.

Bring the family out from 11 am to 2 pm to check out demos of old methods of butter churning, bannock making, and crafting yarn dolls.

Museum assistant Kendall also informed us that there is a nationwide event also taking place to promote visiting historical sites.

"This is part of a Canada Heritage Days contest, where you can take a selfy with the correct hashtag and it could win you and the museum some money"

Posting a picture from the day with either #historicplacesday or #HPDcontest2023, you could be entered to win $1000 dollars for both yourself and the Fort Dajupbhin Museum.

Between the fresh butter and bannock, as well as the chance to support you local museum, Pioneer Day is sure to be a hit. 

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Contributed by Michael Brossart

Published: Jul 14, 2023 - 5:00 am

It's an event that is aimed to bring people together to remember and celebrate.

Ste. Madeleine Metis Days take place from Friday to Sunday 13 kilometres west of Binscarth. Opening with the Gary Lepine Band at 7 on Friday night, the three-day event will wrap up with the Michael Audette Band on Sunday afternoon from 2:30 to 4.

"It's about getting together to celebrate and remember our ancestors," said Kim Smith, organizer. "We need to keep them alive on the Ste. Madeleine land as they were kicked off in 1938. We go back every year, some of the foundations from the homes are even still up."

The weekend also includes a $5000 jackpot bingo from 11:15 to 1:30 in the main tent on Sunday and prior to that, there will be a MASS from 10 to 11. There will be a silent auction and door prizes to go along with the petting zoo for the kids, cultural activities and a lot more. There will also be a craft show and there's a jigging contest starting around 3:30 on Saturday. The Eldon Campbell Band will also perform.

For Smith, this weekend is one of the most special of the year.

"It's very important to me, this was my grandfather's dream, he brought the idea up of starting it," ended Smith. "My goal is to continue with the tradition every year.

Here is a full schedule of events for the weekend:

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 14, 2023 - 5:00 am

To provide leadership on economic immigration and settlement in Manitoba, the Manitoba government has selected members of the Advisory Council on Economic Immigration and Settlement (ACEIS).

“Our government continues to work to advance Manitoba’s economic immigration priorities, particularly addressing labour shortages, encouraging economic development and supporting Manitoba’s francophone population,” said Jon Reyes, Minister of Labour and Immigration. “I thank the members of the ACEIS for joining the council and look forward to seeing their leadership translate into opportunities and supports for Manitobans, and those seeking to make Manitoba their new home.”

The ACEIS’ role is to co-ordinate and oversee the implementation of the Manitoba government’s Immigration Advisory Council (IAC) recommendations including the development of a provincial economic immigration and settlement strategy.

Members will serve 12-month terms which have now begun and end next July in 2024. While in past years, there hasn't been much rural representation, that is not the case this year. Among the 14 members of ACEIS is Stephen Chychota.

Also serving as executive director for the Parkland Chamber of Commerce, Stephen says recruiting new people and supporting the labour market is critical.

"We are trying to be active in the role of proactive immigration and settlement for our region," said Chychota. "We have wonderful services already established here and that is what we want to support. We want to bring in more people and support the labour market here in the Parkland."

While Chychota is unsure of what doors will open with his new position, he is very excited about their first meeting on Tuesday, July 18 in Winnipeg. Chychota also knows why the Parkland region is a perfect place for new business owners and immigrants to call their home.

"You drop someone anywhere in the Parkland and they take a look around, we have such a beautiful piece of the province," added Chychota. "The landscape and the communities we have are gorgeous, it's an incredible place to live. We have great recreation and it's a great place to work as well. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity to be had right here in the Parkland."

Current goals are to attract more immigrants and business investors to Manitoba and with that goal, the goal for Chychota is to attract them to come to the Parkland, whether that be Dauphin, Swan River or to any community in the region. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 14, 2023 - 5:00 am

Wilfred 'J.J." Chartrand will be going to trial later this year.

Chartrand, who remains in custody, was charged in connection with a double stabbing in Camperville. On June 25, 2022, a fight broke out between two groups outside of a home after a woman was robbed.

The stabbing sent a 26-year-old man to the hospital in critical condition while a 21-year-old man was sent to the hospital in stable condition.

Wilfred's trial will begin on October 5, 2023. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 13, 2023 - 8:19 am

While the Gilbert Plains/Grandview Agricultural Society hosts their fair and rodeo this weekend, the Jewel of the Parkland will also be hopping.

The Roblin & District Chamber of Commerce will host their 'Summer Street Fair' on Saturday.

Lydia Steciuk is the office manager for the Chamber.

"We're going to have a great time, we have been waiting for this event," said Steciuk. "We have a ton of great entertainment, great food, and vendors that are coming."

There will also be a farmers market and other sidewalk sales to go along with several kids' activities including a bouncy castle. 

"Where do you get to take a family and spend a very little amount of money," ended Steciuk. "The entertainment is free and there's no admission. There's also a money pit booth which is very exciting. It gives you the hometown feel when everyone is just smiling and enjoying themselves."

The event will take place from 10 to 3 along Main Street and it's open to everyone. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jul 13, 2023 - 5:00 am

The hottest little party of the summer is coming up in a few weeks on Thursday, August 3rd.

That's the Parkland Chamber of Commerce Street Fair which is always enjoyed by many. Throughout the day and into the evening you can enjoy lots of live music, food, and vendors, on a closed off section of Main Street and CN Park.

Stephen Chycota, the Executive Director of the Chamber, says there are still some spots available for vendors.

"We've got lots of space on the street, and also CN Park, because we have that spot to work with as well."

If you are interested in grabbing one of those spots for vendors, you can contact the Chamber directly at 204-622-3140. You can also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Chamber's website to find the Vendor Application Form.

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Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Jul 12, 2023 - 12:25 pm