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It's the time of year when Manitobans start to notice mosquitoes buzzing around, and the current warm weather we're experiencing is only adding to the issue.

While wearing bug spray and avoiding being out during dusk and dawn can help, getting ahead of the issue is the best option available. Entomologist Taz Stuart says getting rid of all standing water is the best way to avoid having mosquito issues all summer.

"A female mosquito may have laid her eggs last year, two years ago, in a depression or a low-lying ditch and it's gonna get filled up with water. With the temperatures being a little... okay obscenely above normal for this time of year, you will likely start seeing spring and summer species coming out in numbers, and the hotter it is, the quicker they will develop from egg, going to the larval stage, pupa, and then the adult stage."

Getting rid of standing water isn't always possible, but Stuart says there are other options to try and limit the number of adult mosquitoes.

"There are some domestic products, and of course, if you're dealing with agriculture you can buy commercial products. We highly recommend using BTI as a control product. It's specific for mosquitoes and biting fly larvae. So if you do have a spreader or a sprayer that you can spray that ditch at approximately anywhere from four to ten kilograms per hectare, you're reducing that problem."

Stuart says it's important to time the spraying of any control product to when they are in the larvae stage.

"You don't want to be spraying it before the mosquito larvae are there, you need to actually look for what they look like. They're called a wiggler for a reason, if you take your finger and bend it in half, when you walk up to a water body, you'll see those things moving, then you know you've got mosquito larvae in your site and you should be treating it with the BTI."

Stuart says if it looks like a comma or a tumbler it'll be a waste to spray it because it's in a non-feeding stage.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Jun 5, 2023 - 5:00 am

It was another successful Spring Campaign for the Dauphin and District Community Foundation(DDCF).

Once again, Dauphin Marketplace Mall Developer, Bob Williams, matched all donations up to $10,000, This year, Williams wanted to remember a longtime friend who recently passed away says DDCF Executive Director Kit Daley.

"He originally offered to do it last year to encourage the small donations and it was a very successful campaign. So this year he offered to do it again, and then when Ernie Hutsal passed away, Bob asked that this year's campaign be in memory of Ernie, his longtime friend."

During the Spring Campaign, there was also an initiative started by a former business owner in the mall to honour and celebrate Hutsal. Daley says they were really taken aback by all of the support.

"One of the previous business owners in the mall wanted to celebrate what would have been Ernies 74th Birthday on May 5th and arranged a table in the Mall with a Toonie prize giveaway. That was sort of Ernies go-to fundraiser. She put a lot of work into organizing it, and 13 businesses donated prizes."

Daley says they were able to raise around $2,000 on that day alone.

Williams set a goal when he agreed to match donations, but Daley says she was sure the community would exceed his expectations.

"When Bob offered the matching funds, he said he wanted us to have it completed by the end of August, and I thought this is Dauphin, We'll have this done by the end of May."

The DDCF Reached its goal on May 30th.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Jun 3, 2023 - 6:31 am

Bryan Byers moved to Dauphin just about 13 years ago and for the past 12 years, he's been taking care of those wanting to get into a brand-new or pre-owned vehicle.

Earlier this week, Bryan celebrated his 12th Anniversary at Dean Cooley GM. During his time at Dean Cooley, Bryan has been a top-selling consultant. His wife is originally from Dauphin and as Byers says, the last 12 years at Dean Cooley have been very special.

"Just getting to be involved in this community and meeting some incredible people," said Byers. "It has changed my life for the better and it's been extremely positive for me."

Among the Murray Auto Group in all, Bryan finished in the top 10 in vehicle sales in 2021 and 2022. An impressive feat to say the least, Bryan is just very pleased that he has been able to help people get their own set of wheels, whether it be new or pre-owned.

"It's always nice to get that recognition, I'm proud of it," ended Byers. "With that said, it isn't all me. I work with an incredible group and I have some amazing clients."

Bryan says one of the best things about working at Dean Cooley GM is the fact that everyone cares about each other and they want the best for each and every customer. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 3, 2023 - 6:00 am

Alexander Koski of Dauphin will be spending just more than three years behind bars.

On Thursday, Koski was sentenced to 1136 days, which equates to just more than three years and one month.

In October of 2022, Dauphin RCMP was called to a report of a break-and-enter at Parkview Lodge, where a fire was discovered, and it was deemed a case of arson. Koski was the man behind it. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 2, 2023 - 10:22 am

A local artist has been working to make the Parkland Crossing indoor playground a place that shines with more color and cultural heritage. 

With the help of the South Parkland Healthy Child Coalition, Patrick Paul is painting a massive mural in the unique Woodland Art style.

"South Parkland Healthy Child Coalition worked hard to make it happen the way I wanted to see it done for the community, and for Asnishinabe people and First Nations people. I've put certain cultural aspects in here which was really important for me and my art form. Woodland Art is based off of star stories and legends and the culture of Ojibwe people. To include all that in this building was just phenomenal for me."

Paul is proud to contribute to the renovations in the facility. He's also glad his art can work towards reconciling with the history behind Parkland Crossing.

"Because of the history of this building, I wanted to make it really important that this was a statement piece just for the children that went through the suffering of residential school traumas" 

Parkland Crossing is seeing a few other renovations aside from the mural, including a new fridge, new cabinets, and a few other improvements.

Paul says he hopes his work here will not only be reminiscent of the children of the past, but an inspiration for the children of today, and the future.

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Contributed by Michael Brossart

Published: Jun 2, 2023 - 6:00 am

The warmer weather is here and that means ticks are as well and that's bad news for everyone including your pet.

Animals are extremely susceptible to ticks and are often an easy target for a tick. Roxane Plett from the Dauphin & Ste Rose Vet Clinic says she has been noticing that ticks are even worse this year than they have been in past years.

"We absolutely do experience a lot of ticks on animals, it's a reality for pet owners and pets themselves," said Dr. Roxane Plett. "They are definitely out and about."

After that next walk or even during it, you should be checking your animal. You can never check them too much but it is recommended that you check at least once or twice per day.

If you do spot a tick on your animal it's always best to remain calm while taking the tick off.

"When you're pulling off ticks you need to grab it as close to the skin as possible and pull it off," said Plett. "Don't traumatize the tick otherwise you may actually cause them to transmit disease. Gently pull them off and I usually put them into a jar of alcohol and that kills them. After that, wash your hands thoroughly just to make sure no diseases are spread."

Plett says the biggest worry is the 'deer tick'. They are very small and you will usually see them in the brush and they transmit Lyme Disease. 

"Most commonly you should check your pet's ears, armpit area and around their head."

If you are planning on going out for a walk, you can prepare and make sure you're ahead of the game.

"We have some great products that work for up to 12 weeks that will help to prevent ticks," added Plett. "The best bet is to stop in at the clinic and we will gladly help you pick the best product for your pet, we'll get you covered."

Warm Weather:

While ticks are a definite worry, so is the hot weather for animals. Temperatures are expected to rise as hot as plus 36 on Monday and into the 30s over the weekend. That means if it's too hot for us to be outside, it's also too hot for your animal to be outside.

"If you have them outside, they need access to shade and lots of fresh water to drink," said Plett. "It's also best to avoid the heat of the day walks and if you have a little pool for them, that would be good as well."

You also should not leave your furry friend in a vehicle when it's that hot.

"Vehicles heat up so incredibly fast," said Plett. "It can cause heat exhaustion and it could kill them."

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 2, 2023 - 6:00 am

It appears the weather will warm up a bit this weekend.

Environment Canada has issued heat warning for parts of southern Manitoba including the Ste. Rose - McCreary - Alonsa - Gladstone region and Brandon - Neepawa - Carberry - Treherne.

The weather agency says a hot and humid air mass will come to Manitoba over the next few days. Daytime highs are expected to reach the low thirties and overnight temperatures will only cool down to the low twenties.

The warm weather should ease off early next week. Check the public weather alerts map to see all the heat warnings currently in place.

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Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Jun 2, 2023 - 5:45 am

After over a year of negotiations, 6,500 Health Care workers could resort to more drastic action.

Manitoba's Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) issued a strike deadline, effective June 15th at 8 AM after years of the union's requests being ignored.

Allied healthcare workers have been without a collective agreement for over 5 years, and it came to mediation 6 weeks ago after 99% of MAHCP members voted in favor of striking.

The wages of more than 6500 healthcare professionals have been frozen since 2017, and MAHCP says that in that time, the cost of living has increased by 20%.

This strike could affect a wide range of medical practitioners, from rural emergency responders to lab techs, councillours, and more than 40 specialized professions.

For our previous coverage on this ongoing issue, visit our previous article on the strike mandate vote.

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Contributed by Michael Brossart

Published: Jun 1, 2023 - 3:59 pm

Unionized Admin and Adjustors at Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation(MASC) have voted strongly in favour of a strike mandate.

MASC workers are represented by the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union(MGEU), and president Kyle Ross says while striking is the last option, it's something that might have to happen.

"We just want to bargain a fair deal, we're not seeing offers. Last year alone, inflation was over eight percent, and we're being offered less than that for the total of the four-year deal. It's just not something that's fair to our workers and fair to the people that support these farmers."

Ross says there's a lot of work that needs to be done to get to a place where it's fair for everyone. The workers have been without a deal since 2019.

Ross says updates on the MASC union's situation will be posted to the MGEU website, and he also encourages farmers to talk to their adjustors about the situation.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Jun 1, 2023 - 5:00 am

CancerCare Manitoba has received the single largest donation to a healthcare organization in the province’s history.

16 months after first finding out about the gift, Patti Smith, CancerCare Manitoba Foundation president, was on hand Wednesday as the foundation received a donation of $27 million dollars. The money comes from the Paul Albrechtsen Foundation.

Albrechtsen immigrated to Canada from Denmark in 1954 with just $50 to his name and he settled in Virden, where he established Paul’s Hauling Ltd., which at the time was a one-truck transportation operation that hauled salt water and oil for the petroleum industry. It has since grown to where it is today with branches in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. 

Smith says the donation is life-changing and it will provide those who suffer from cancer more hope moving forward.

“I saw a lot of tears on Wednesday, this is a massive gift,” said Smith. “I can hardly imagine what it must feel like to invest money in something like this that can make such a big difference immediately."

Smith also said she was overwhelmed and after keeping the secret for 16 months, she is very pleased that the big news is now public.

Of the $27 million donated, $17 million of which will be going towards the refurbishment of the research lab facilities on the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors of the CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, which will be renamed the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute. 

"The facility is more than 20 years old and standards have changed," said Smith. 

$4 million is for a suite of single-cell technology machines that will allow for different analysis of how cells are reacting and interacting with each other in a tumour. $2.5 million will go towards genomics and $3.5 million will go towards the building of the Paul Albrechtsen Centre for Hope at the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre in Brandon. 

“This money really allows us to propel cancer research forward,” offered Smith. 

The Paul Albrechtsen Foundation in the past also donated $13.4 million to the Health Sciences Centre Foundation and $7 million to the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, as well as another $8 million to the Reh-Fit Centre. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was also the recipient of $1.5 million.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Jun 1, 2023 - 5:00 am