Accessibility Tools

Manitoba's Premier came to Dauphin today to announce a plan of expansion for the Dauphin Regional Health Center.

In a press conference today, Premier Wab Kinew, joined by Minister Ron Kostyshyn, and Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced plans to expand the DHRC's capacity and their cancer care efforts.

The Dauphin Health Center has recently seen expansions in its cancer care ward and endoscopy units, and Kinew says more is on the way.

"In addition to the specific services that I'm talking about here, at the Dauphin Health Center, we'll be adding 9 new beds. This is going to be a significant enhancement in inpatient capacity and it's one helps the folks that need access to those beds, but it also helps the over facility to run more efficiently"

These nine new beds would also include the staffing to maintain them.

Premier Kinew also noted that more training programs for nursing, similar to the one provided through the Assiniboine Community College in Neepawa, are on the way to work toward increasing the number of rural healthcare workers.

As well, the Premier offered an insight into what's next in this plan, which could look like a bridging program through ACC that could let practical nurses upgrade to Registered nurses online.

Swan River RCMP officers are on the lookout for a vehicle that was trying to lure two young girls earlier this week.

On January 22, while the girls aged 10 and 12 were walking home from school in Benito, a suspicious vehicle drove by them and the driver motioned to them to approach the vehicle. The vehicle did not come to a stop and the girls ignored the driver and continued to walk. The vehicle then drove away.

The driver is described as a male with dark curly hair, driving in a dark-coloured SUV with an unknown Ontario license plate. Officers did patrol the area in Benito following the report; however, they were unable to locate it. 

If anyone has any information about this vehicle, please contact the Swan River RCMP at (204) 734-4686, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a secure tip online at Crime Stoppers.

The RCMP Major Crimes Unit has been called in to help investigate a homicide on the Birdtail Sioux First Nation.

Around 8;45 Tuesday night, Manitoba First Nation Police Service was called to a report of an injured male at a residence on the reserve. 

When they arrived, officers discovered the body of a 40-year-old man from the Birdtail Sioux First Nation, who was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact MFNPS at 204-568-4539, Manitoba Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com

One of the biggest nights on the Dauphin Kings schedule is rapidly approaching.

Kings' marketing manager Derrick Brucks says a number of activities are being planned for their Ukrainian night when the Kings host Steinbach this Saturday night.

"We have some Ukrainian dancers setting up in the lobby dancing at 6L15, so people can come early and grab their Ukrainian platter from Temptations.  We also have a band in place that will start early as well.  And then once you get into the arena we will have vendors in place, and we will be throwing some kielbasa out."

There will also be a kids' corner sponsored by Zirka, a perogy shoot-out between periods, and a Ukrainian dance workshop in between periods. 

Brucks adds the team will once again be wearing specially designed jerseys for that game.

"We would like to thank our jersey sponsor, Wawanesa Insurance.  They donated the jerseys and we are very grateful for that.  The jerseys look fantastic and I think we will have a lot of people bidding on them." 

Tickets for that game are just five dollars each and are available all week at the ticket office at Credit Union Place. 

Brucks encourages you to get your tickets early, as last year's Ukrainian night was sold out. 

Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation has handed out over 22-thousand dollars in funding to local groups and organizations through their Small Grants program for 2023-24.

Executive Director Amanda Novak goes over the list of recipients.

"We partnered with the Chamber of Commerce for their Street Fair and Dance, we funded the Northwest Metis Council Walk with Pride parade event, the Dauphin Rail Museum with their Classic Car Show, Regional Connections with their Tapestry event that they just had this past October, we helped fund the Fort Dauphin Museum's Christmas at the Fort event, we helped out the Parade of Lights committee, Citizens on Patrol, and the Dauphin Friendship Centre with their Food for Thought program."

Novak says there was more interest in the program this year compared to previous years.

She adds it is a great program.

"We feed money to those folks and organizations that are trying to get projects and programs going in the community that meet the needs of the community.  They do fall in line with DNRC mandates that include capacity building, stability, economic development, community connections, and well-being."  

Funding for the Small Grant Program is provided to the DNRC by the province's Municipal and Northern Relations portfolio. 

The next round of applications for this program opens on April 1st. 

Suicide prevention can happen by simply having a conversation with a person at risk.

And Prairie Mountain Health wants to equip residents with the skills to recognize when someone is contemplating suicide, and how to help them.

They are offering a Safe TALK workshop next Monday from 9 until 2 at the Dauphin HERO club on 3rd Avenue Northwest. 

SafeTALK is a five-hour training that equips people to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide. and to be better able to connect them with further help, using a simple yet effective four-step model.

Registration is $25 and you can sign up by contacting Lana at 204-638-2118, extension 1713.  

Two females from Sandy Bay First Nation were arrested after a traffic stop on Highway 50.

On Monday at about 2:15 a.m., Amaranth RCMP stopped the vehicle in Amaranth when they were seen without proper players. The officer saw individual baggies of drugs in the vehicle and upon a search, multiple baggies of crystal meth were found. A scale and other drug paraphernalia were also located.

Both females are charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. The driver, 30, was released with a court date. The passenger, 32-year-old Martina Richard, has been remanded. 

Federal courts have handed down a ruling regarding the use of the Emergencies Act to shut down the Convoy protests that had much of Ottowa at a standstill two years ago.

Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley stated that “the legal constraints on the discretion of the GIC to declare a public order emergency were not satisfied" as it doesn't meet the definition of a national emergency under the act.

As a result, the ruling was that the emergency act was "not justified" in its use.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the government respectfully disagrees with the decision and will appeal.

This ruling is the opposite of the ruling from the public inquiry done by Commissioner Paul Roleau, which found that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met the threshold to invoke the act.

Prairie Mountain Health is looking to increase the number of people capable of providing first aid to people with an emerging mental health issue or who are in a mental health crisis. 

They will be hosting a mental health first aid course on March 4th and 5th at the Veterans Community Hall in Swan River.

The course will give participants a greater recognition of mental health issues, as well as giving them skills and confidence to deal with and help someone with an emerging mental health problem.

The cost to register is $ 125, and you can sign up by contacting Lana Parker at lparker @ pmh - mb . ca or by calling her at 204-638-2118,  extension 1713.

Mounties in Ste Rose have provided an update on a New Year's Eve armed robbery on the Ebb & Flow First Nation.

Early that morning, five suspects assaulted two men and two women at a residence on Provincial Road 278, then stole a truck belonging to one of the victims. 

A 33-year-old man was transported to a hospital in Winnipeg in serious condition, while the other three were treated on scene after being bear sprayed.

27-year-old Braden Moar was arrested without incident last Tuesday, while the search continues for 19-year-old Mason Moar. 

Mounties have also identified a third suspect - 30-year-old Richard Ross of Silver Ridge, who is also known as Cole Ross. 

He faces numerous charges including aggravated assault, theft, robbery with a firearm, five counts of assault with a weapon, and numerous other criminal code offences. 

Police are also looking to identify a fourth suspect, who they describe as being indigenous in appearance with a "39" tattooed between his thumb and index finger on his left hand. 

Anyone who can identify him, or has info on the whereabouts of Mason Moar and Richard Ross is asked to call the Ste Rose detachment at 204-447-3082 or Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.   

A 15-year-old boy was discovered to have a Machete stored in his backpack at a Brandon school.

Brandon Police Services attended and assisted with the discovery and confiscation of the weapon.

The boy was later released to a guardian and will appear in court on April 16th for a charge of weapons possessions.