Ag Society Luncheon Sees Record Crowd

The Dauphin Agricultural Society held its Sponsorship Appreciation Luncheon Thursday.

A record number of people attended the luncheon recognizing all the Ag Society Fair sponsors.

Vice President Tere Stykalo hosted the formal part of the lunch where several door prizes were given away as well as some prestigious awards.

Doris Fletcher was recognized for her 50 years of service to the Dauphin Ag Society.

Patti Eilers and Darren Damsgaard received the Lifetime Membership Award. Eilers and Damsgaard have been part of the Ag Society for 20 years.

The ceremony also saw Julie Butterfield receive the Dauphin Ag Society Sponsorship, which she will use towards her studies at Brandon University in the fall.

Another award the Ag Society gave way saw Don Dewar winning the Ron Brook Memorial Award at Farm Outlook in March

The Dauphin Ag Society Fair starts Friday with the gates opening up at 9 am and the midway starting up at noon. Make sure you catch the parade at 10 am on Saturday and the fan favourite Demo Derby taking place Sunday night at 6 pm. For a full schedule of events, check out the Dauphin Ag Society Fair website

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Jun 27, 2019 - 4:04 pm

Minnedosa RCMP officers responded to a report of a motorcycle collision on Highway 5 near Kelwood on June 22.

It’s been determined a 58-year-old Winnipeg man was travelling north on Highway 5 when the motorcycle left the roadway and ended up in the ditch.

The lone operator was wearing a helmet and was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered life-threatening injuries.

The man succumbed to his injuries in a Winnipeg Hospital on June 24^th.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Jun 27, 2019 - 1:28 pm

With the Canada Day Long Weekend nearly upon us, the RCMP is making sure Manitobans stay safe.

Nine Manitobans have lost their lives in motor vehicle collisions in the last seven days.

"We want everyone to make sure that they're being extra cautious this weekend, far too many families have been affected by a tragedy," said Sgt. Paul Manaigre, Media Relations Officer.

The RCMP has released a to-do list when hitting the road.

· Drive sober.
· Wear a seatbelt.
· Slow down and drive to conditions.
· Be cautious and always be aware of your surroundings.
· Pay attention to the road at all times.
· Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you.
· Put your cellphone away.

"We want people to think of these things when they're driving," added Manaigre.

Another thing to keep in mind is the increased RCMP presence near Countryfest.

"It's all for highway safety, that's our main priority," concluded Manaigre. "We don't want any more tragedies."

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Jun 27, 2019 - 1:17 pm

The party is officially on at Dauphin's Countryfest.

The gates opened up yesterday at 2:00 p.m. and vehicles were lined up well onto the highway.

“It’s starting to look like a mid-sized city here, with 2,400 attendants arriving on the first day! Miles of campers that were waiting in line before the gates opened streamed through in record time thanks to our newly introduced RFID process," said Rob Waloschuk, General Manager. "We’re seeing a lot of familiar faces back on-site and new ones as well.”

Don't forget about tonight's 730 CKDM Kick-Off Party that takes place on the hilltop. Performers tonight include the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Meghan Patrick, and Streetheart.

Limited day and weekend passes are still available at Dauphin's Countryfest. For tonight's party, it's just $30. Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday day passes are $99 each. You can also head down to the gate or call 1-800-361-3700.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Jun 27, 2019 - 12:34 pm

Gympsumville RCMP are investigating a fatal single vehicle collision in the RM of Grahamdale.

The 62-year-old female driver from Winnipeg was travelling with three passengers, a 51-year-old male from Fairford, a 49-year-old female from Winnipeg and a 37-year-old male from Winnipeg.

The group was travelling from Dauphin River to Fairford when it left the road and crashed into some trees.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 37-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The other two passengers refused medical treatment at the scene.

RCMP continue to investigate.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Jun 27, 2019 - 9:28 am

Donna Davidson announced at Monday’s school board meeting, the Mountain View School Division Central Workplace Safety and Health Committee won an award.

The committee is being awarded for their work in creating a safe work environment for MVSD.

The committee is instrumental for the policies and procedures that surround safe work, they develop the elements, monitor any safety reports from the schools and make sure any situations have been taken care of.

The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba will create a video of the committee’s work and leave it as a gift for the committee and school division.

The awards ceremony is at the annual Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba safety gala on September 25^th.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Jun 27, 2019 - 5:01 am

Dauphin’s Countryfest is a party and since it’s the first one since legalization the rules are going to be a little different this year.

Cannabis is illegal in public spaces in Manitoba, meaning that smoking in the amphitheatre is not allowed.

While travelling to the site, make sure that your cannabis is in the trunk of your car or in your camper.

The Countryfest campsite is a private site, which means that the rules regarding cannabis use at campsites are up to the festival.

Corporal Julie Courchaine with the Manitoba RCMP says that cannabis should be treated the same way as alcohol in regards to the fact that it should be consumed responsibly. She added that officers will use their discretion when it comes to cannabis consumption.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Jun 27, 2019 - 5:01 am

The gates to the 30^th anniversary of Countryfest have opened.

Some people have been lined up for a while.

Walter Boryskiewich from Roblin had been in the lineup since 4 pm on Friday. Bill from Alberta lined up yesterday morning around 11. Lynda Bennie from Winnipeg got here around noon yesterday.

Jason Aldean is the Saturday night headliner but people are excited for more than just him.

Bill is looking forward to the music and fun. Bennie is looking forward to the awesome lineup of music. Robert MacDonald from Bonnieville in Alberta is excited for the Sunday lineup because he went to the first few Countryfests and is looking forward to seeing the past performers.

There’s a mix of new and experienced people for this year.

Boryskiewich has only missed two years of Countryfest. Bill comes every year. Bennie has been every year since 2004. Living in Alberta, MacDonald hasn’t been able to make it out to every Countryfest. He was at the 25^th and the last one he went to was 3 years ago.

Countryfest has an annual economic impact of 10 million dollars and contributes over 150 thousand dollars every year to volunteer community organizations.

The lineup to get into Countryfest started last week on Friday.

Details: Contributed by Isaac Wihak; Published: Jun 26, 2019 - 3:11 pm

A Facebook video has cost a Neepawa woman over $600.

The 33-year-old woman posted a video of her driving recklessly through a Neepawa neighbourhood to Facebook and Snapchat.

After numerous complaints about the video, the woman was handed a $672 ticket for careless driving.

Turns out Snapchat isn’t free after all.

Details: Contributed by Josh Sigurdson; Published: Jun 26, 2019 - 1:16 pm

Monday night was the final school board meeting of the school year.

After 4 and a half years of being the superintendent and 8 and a half years of being the assistant superintendent, it was Donna Davidson’s final one before retirement.

Davidson is planning to take some time off to spend time with her family. She also wants to keep her hand in education but doesn’t know how yet.

Davidson has a message for those in the Mountain View School Division.

“I just want to thank the community of Mountain View School Division, I want to thank the staff, I want to thank the students and the parents for allowing me this opportunity to serve them. I’ve been very fortunate that they have worked hard for the students in this community, our parents have been very supportive and of course, we have a great group of students. I know our future is bright when I attend grads and I see what’s entering our workforce, our secondary educational institutions and the citizens of tomorrow.”