Province Invests Over $31M In Social Housing

The province is investing over $31 million in improvements for social housing units.

Families Minister Heather Stefanson says “we are committed to ensuring a safe and suitable range of housing options are available to lower-income Manitobans when they need it. This funding will support upgrades and repairs in units and properties across the province, benefiting hundreds of tenants.”

The funding will go towards projects including:

refreshing individual units or common areas;
life and safety improvements, such as new fire alarms or carbon monoxide detectors;
replacing appliances, doors or windows;
snow removal, yard work and related work;
accessibility improvements;
heating, cooling and ventilation projects; and
structural upgrades or repairs.

Manitoba is putting $31.2 million renovations and repairs in housing properties – $9.6 million more than last year’s budget.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: Jul 23, 2020 - 4:13 pm

Public health officials announced one new case of COVID today, and have also updated the plans for Phase Four of reopening.

Today’s only case is a man in his 40’s in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.

As of 9:30 Thursday morning, there are 49 active cases in Manitoba, and one individual in intensive care.

A total of 375 cases have been identified in Manitoba, with 319 recoveries, and 7 deaths.

Changes To Phase Four Reopening Plan

More than 50,000 Manitobans provided feedback on the draft plan for Phase Four — which begins on Saturday, July 25.

After receiving that feedback from the public, the province has now adapted the plan for Phase Four.

Measures moving forward on Saturday, July 25 in Phase Four include:

•maintaining current site capacity at 30 per cent for faith-based services, pow wows, but eliminating the need for sub-groups (cohorts);
•allowing stage performances and opening movie theatres to a maximum capacity of 30 per cent of the site, up to a maximum of 500 people;
•allowing casinos to open at a maximum of 30 per cent of the site’s capacity; and
•allowing retail businesses and indoor recreation sites to use non-permeable barriers when distances of two metres can not be maintained.

The province has decided to hold off on the following proposed changes at this time:

•proposed changes to indoor and outdoor gathering sizes;
•relaxing of self-isolation requirements for those travelling from eastern and southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada; and
•walk-up counter service in bars, beverage rooms, brew pubs, microbreweries and distilleries.

Public health officials will review possible adjustments on a week-by-week basis and make any additional changes based on the public health situation at the time.

To view the updated phase four plan and to review public health guidance for businesses, click here.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Jul 23, 2020 - 1:32 pm

On Saturday you can win prizes, and enjoy a MR MIKES burger for just $5, all while supporting a good cause.

MR MIKES is hosting a barbeque fundraiser Saturday, July 25^th from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., in support of Countryfest Community Cinema.

Manager of MR MIKES, Bryce Hancharyk explains that the cinema has been closed since March due to COVID-19, and needs the community's support.

“The cinema is a local group and we want to raise money to help them out. I’m an avid movie goer myself, and I just don’t want to see something like that go away in Dauphin, so we’re hosting a little charity barbeque and all the proceeds are going to the cinema.”

You’ll have a chance to enter their raffle draw to win a smoker grill, a charcoal grill prize package, and more.

Hancharyk adds that it’ll be a come-and-go type of event, and people are encouraged to stop by for burgers and to enter for prizes, but not gather in the area.

Details: Contributed by Tess Kovach; Published: Jul 23, 2020 - 1:37 pm

A temporary drive-thru testing site will be coming to Russell, according to Prairie Mountain Health.

Beginning on Friday, July 24, a drive-thru testing site located at the Russell EMS building parking lot (near the hospital) will be operating from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The testing site will close for the weekend, and reopen Monday, July 27 for the entire week, until its final day of operation on Friday, July 31.

Referrals are no longer needed to get tested, but if you have questions about your health status, you can call Health Links-Info Santé at 1-888-315-9257.

You can also access the online screening tool here.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Jul 23, 2020 - 12:19 pm

The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) is investigating the arrest of a 60-year-old man in Onanole early Wednesday morning.

The RCMP report the man had threatened to shoot a woman, and later locked himself inside of a residence, refusing to comply with police orders.

When the man eventually surrendered to police, he was taken to hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot injury.

The IIU is mandated to investigate because the injuries sustained during the arrest required admission to hospital, and involved an injury caused by the discharge of a firearm.

Witnesses with video footage or any other information to assist the investigation, are asked to contact the IIU toll-free at 1-844-667-6060.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Jul 23, 2020 - 10:42 am

The City of Dauphin is looking for your feedback on Thursday night during an open house at Credit Union Place.

An Active Transportation Strategy has been developed by the City alongside an organization called Urban Systems.

Jamie Hilland is the Project Manager with Urban Systems, whose organization has developed some options and strategy items to discuss with the general public, and solicit feedback on what barriers people are currently seeing towards walking and cycling safely.

The project team will be presenting some early results and information they’ve collected, and outline what the strategy may look like.

“At the end of the day, we’ll deliver policy and funding recommendations to help move the city move forward with providing more sustainable transportation options for local residents and tourists,” said Hilland.

You’ll have a chance to give your feedback on these draft plans on Thursday July 23, at Credit Union Place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Due to COVID-19 guidelines, there will only be 50 people allowed in at a time. The three-hour block will be divided into three separate sessions, to ensure everyone has a chance to speak with the project team.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Jul 23, 2020 - 4:12 am

There’s been an increase in speed-related serious driving offences in the province, according to Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).

In the three month period of April to June of this year, a total of 146 speed-related serious driving offences were reported in Manitoba.

That’s a 60% increase compared to the same three month period last year.

The highest speeding offence recorded in Manitoba during this three month period was 98km over the limit (178 in an 80 km zone).

An MPI representative says 1 in 5 road fatalities last year in Manitoba had speed as a contributing factor.

Details: Contributed by Matt Hamel; Published: Jul 22, 2020 - 7:17 pm

The Dauphin & District Community Foundation (DDCF) is still accepting applications for the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) program.

The deadline to apply for the funding is Monday, July 27th — which is open to charities and qualified donees that are helping our vulnerable populations affected by COVID 19.

DDCF Executive Director Kit Daley says the application process is very easy.

“We are accepting applications until July 27th. We want people to really think about projects they’re working on that are COVID-related, serving vulnerable populations, and please get your applications in,” she said.

Local groups that are interested can go to the DDCF website, and look for the Emergency Community Support Fund tab.

Daley says the applications should take less than 20 minutes.

“We’ve granted out $20,000 already, we have more money to grant out, and we really want to grant it out to organizations serving these groups,” said Daley.