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The federal government’s budget has plans to give money directly to municipalities.
Dauphin will see the impact of the government’s decision to increase the transfers of the municipal gas tax.
“Every municipality in Manitoba will benefit, including yours. You will receive 466 thousand dollars more in a onetime top up this year,” said Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr.
The budget also promises to extend high-speed internet to northern and rural communities.
Carr says the government is determined to close the gap. “It will be that kind of investment that really does change people’s lives. When you can instantly access the world that’s out there it just positions us to have so much more knowledge and there for so much more capability.”
The government promises that by 2026, 96 per cent of Canadians will have access to high-speed internet.
On the canola issue with China, the federal government is treating the canola issue with China as a science-based issue. Carr says Canada is pushing to solve the economically important problem, but China has yet to provide evidence to back up the claims.
“I understand the anxiety being felt by producers. We will take it day by day. we’re doing all we can to determine what the problem is or is not. We will continue to be very aggressive and working with officials at the scientific level to understand the nature of the issue. And until they producer the evidence then there’s not much we can do about solving a problem they have not yet defined.”
Chinese officials allege they detected hazardous organisms in one of Canada's largest grain producer shipments.
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People in Dauphin have wanted to do something about the increased crime.
Tammy Hossack, with the Brandon Bear Clan Patrol, says in Brandon they’ve been running since summer of 2017 and they started because of violent situations occurring in their downtown.
As a community, they thought they could help make the community safer, build relationships and help people out.
They start their patrols at the friendship centre and patrol two nights a week because they are a smaller community than Winnipeg.
In the winter they load up a vehicle with supplies and drive around Brandon giving people mitts, toiletries and food.
Bear Clan Patrol was started in Winnipeg in the ’90s and the Tina Fontaine incident reinvigorated the movement.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Therae Racette-Beaulieu was in Minnedosa court today for shooting an RCMP officer back in August.
The crown wants the court to give Racette-Beaulieu 20 years for shooting Cpl. Graeme Kingdon in the head. The defence council is arguing for 16 years.
During today's hearing, family members, neighbours, RCMP officers, and the victims gave accounts for how the incident has affected their lives.
The August 29th incident started when Racette-Beaulieu and three others stole a truck, leading to the incident where he shot Cpl. Kingdon.
In January, Racette-Beaulieu pleaded guilty to attempted murder, breaking and entering, stealing firearms, and theft of a motor vehicle.
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Managing time and stress were the big topics at the Breakfast Series this morning.
Being able to manage time will give you more control over your life.
Stephanie Jaddock, training coordinator at Workplace Education Manitoba, says you need to learn how to say no, delegate, prioritize and organize your workday, so you don’t feel like there are too many hours in a day.
To manage your stress, try setting aside a certain amount of time to collect yourself.
You can try anything from taking deep breaths for a minute to exercising for 30 or more minutes.
Jaddock also says to avoid procrastinating, multi-tasking, and to focus on a task for a blocked amount of time to ensure the best outcome.
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Farmers now don’t have to worry about being charged the carbon tax when they get fuel at the cardlock.
Sharmin Rodgerson, from the Gilbert Plains Coop, says they received news this morning that the Carbon Tax exception now included the cardlock.
“There was a lot of farmers upset. A lot of them get their fuel out of there and really trying to figure out what their options were. But that obviously is solved now, hopefully.”
Anyone who filled out their Federal Fuel Charge Exemption Certificate forms don’t have to worry about filling out another one.
“But we do need the people that only pick up at the cardlock are going to have to fill out the form, or they won‘t get the exemption.”
This exemption includes dyed diesel and regular gasoline.
Fuel can be used to do a number of things. “It includes the tillage of soil, livestock grazing or exhibiting, maintaining horses for racing, raising of poultry, fur farming, dairy farming, fruit growing, and keeping of the bees. But, of course it doesn’t include an office or an employment under a person engaged in the business of farming.”
Rodgerson says forms need to be in the computer system by April 1st to avoid paying the Carbon Tax.
The form can be found here.
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If gambling is destroying you or someone you care about, a new group in Dauphin is here to help.
“We decided that there is need for an anonymity group that deals specifically with gambling. Gambling is a problem that affects people all over the world. Its ruined families, " said an organizer.
The Parkland Gamblers Anonymous Group is planning to hold their first meeting on Tuesday, April 2nd.
“Gambling is an emotional disease, and it is a disease. It’s not just something that we can quit on our own. So through fellowship and through brother and sisterhood, we hope to be able to help people.”
With this group, those suffering won’t need to drive to Brandon or Winnipeg to seek support.
Every Tuesday, at 7:30pm, the group is planning to hold meetings at the Dauphin Friendship Centre.
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A musician and speaker, is coming to Dauphin to talk about suicide, addiction and mental health.
Cam Bennet, a teacher at the DRCSS, says Robb Nash was last here about 5 or 6 years ago and was fantastic, so when the opportunity to bring him back came up, it’s a win-win for everyone.
1725 high school students from all across the Parkland will be heading over to Credit Union Place on April 25th for the concert.
Bennet thinks the concert will be exciting for the students but will also give them something to think about.
Bennet says it’s key for students to know that they’re not alone, Nash has spoken to students across the country, and it’s okay to have public conversations about these topics with someone they can trust.
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Manitoba's largest farm organization supports a number of the initiatives presented in the recently announced federal budget.
Yesterday’s budget promised to add new money to existing investments to make high-speed internet access in rural communities a reality. President Bill Campbell says KAP has long called for this.
“It’s my understanding between $5 billion and $6 billion will be added in order to improve connectivity to over 900 communities in Canada with more than 200,000 kilometres of advanced fibre networks,” he said. “This will help farmers who are now limited in the innovative technology they can access because of poor internet service.”
Campbell says another positive in this year’s budget is support for farmers in the supply-managed sectors who were forced to give up market share under the recent new trade agreements. These sectors include dairy, poultry and eggs. The $2.15 billion announced will help them address income losses.
Campbell also noted the federal government has committed to look at the exemptions on farm fuel.
“When the carbon tax was announced, we were told there would be an exemption on farm fuel,” he said. “However, we recently we found out that only fuel delivered to the farm is exempt, but not that accessed from a cardlock system. This system allows farmers to get fuel from unmanned fuel stations, which is often more efficient.”
KAP will also continue to lobby for carbon tax exemptions on fuels used for grain drying, and heating and cooling of farm buildings, because these taxes will add very considerable amounts to farm expenses.
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Right at the start of April, women aged 18-23 will be headed to Ottawa for Daughters of the Vote.
Daughters of the Vote is a program that brings women from all over Canada to represent their community and sit in their respective MP’s seat in parliament.
Alicia Kubrakovich has been chosen to represent her home town, Dauphin, even though she’s going to school at the U of M in Winnipeg.
She’s excited to have the opportunity to go to Ottawa for the program.
She’s looking forward to meeting other indigenous women leaders, meeting the NDP, and talking in the House of Commons about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
Kubrakovich wants to have her voice heard.
Kubrakovich is the indigenous rep at the University of Manitoba and is running for co-president of the U of M Indigenous Association. She wants to use what she learns in Ottawa to teach new students at the U of M.
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The federal government is bringing in more money than forecast but is spending all that and then some, projecting a 19.8-billion-dollar deficit for the 2019-20 fiscal year.
“Today’s deficits are tomorrow’s taxes. Debts and deficits are something we should try to eliminate as much as we can or minimize,” said Robert Sopuck, MP for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa. “ The kind of spending that they’re doing will really not be effective in terms of helping citizens out.”
Canada’s finance minister says the government has to deal with a growing concern that good jobs won’t last. Sopuck thinks it has more to do with the economic headwinds what are the most concerning.
“If you look at some of the economic forecasts, Canada is sailing into some very difficult economic waters. We heard recently how the Chinese are restricting canola imports. That’s affecting our local western rural communities. So again, a prudent budget builder, so-called, would budget in a conservative manner and prepare for the worst. This budget simply didn’t do that.”
Sopuck does support some items in the budget including helping workers transition into a new economy.
“I think that the new economy is something that is really going to help us in western Canada. For example, high-speed internet allows people to work from home. But the amount of money that they are talking about is very, very small. I mean 870 million over five years, that’s simply not a lot of money to train enough people. That’s right across the country. So, it’s a small amount of money for something that I think is actually a good idea.”
The budget also proposes help for first time home buyers. ”Anything to help young people buy homes is a good thing. And again, when I look at the housing situation across Canada for example, housing is becoming clearly unaffordable for many of our young folks. So anything that can be done to help them buy houses is a good thing.”
The budget also takes the first steps toward a national pharmacare plan by creating a new Canadian Drug Agency aimed at reducing the cost of drugs.
Yesterday’s federal budget is the last one before the upcoming election in October.
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A program similar to Dauphin-At-Risk-Teen is being formed to help adults work better with agencies around town.
The adult program is called Restart, and it’s going to help those aged 18 to 29.
“The objective is to reduce recidivism, basically no longer engaging in negative behaviours. That’s where we see hopefully, if the client is involved in this, a reduction in vandalism, petty crime, truancy with school, better family relationships, it depends on what the need of the client is, but those are the essential ones.”
Lori Bicklmeier is hoping to start April 1st once the reporting requirements for Justice are confirmed.
Through planned approached clients will set goals, plan steps to reach those to refrain from further involvement in problem behaviour.
“I think it would be important to know that it’s not an overnight fix. It’s something that is ongoing, and the clients that we have in our program have multiple complex issues that can go back a long way.” Bicklmeier continues, “Our goal is to continue to support these individuals in bettering their own lives so they can be healthy contributing members to their community.”
Some clients may have been involved with the youth program. This program’s specific criteria mandates they have involvement with a policing agency, the courts, and be already on a probation order.
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