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Several Dauphinites have brought up their concerns on social media lately, asking why there are no reduced speed limits in school zones.
CKDM News spoke with Sharla Griffiths, the City Manager for the City of Dauphin
In 2012, the City of Dauphin met with representatives from Mountain View School Division (MVSD) to discuss any issues surrounding the safety of children outside of schools. At that time, changes were made, including parking, stop signs, and the school area itself.
Should MVSD have experienced any further issues, they were directed to approach the City of Dauphin; however, that has not happened.
CKDM News asked Sharla if the City could take action.
"I have seen some video of some very erratic driving in school zones, but I'm not sure a 30 kilometre an hour speed limit sign would change that kind of behaviour," said Griffiths. "From time to time, we do work with the RCMP. If we hear or see something like that, we will let the RCMP know about it and see if they plan on doing any extra patrols."
A recent video posted on Facebook showed a truck driving very fast past Mackenzie Middle School. When you're in and around school zones, Sharla asks that you keep in mind that children are around and that slowing down to a safe speed should always be a priority.
"It's the same message for everyone: all pedestrians are important, especially children around schools," ended Griffiths. "When you see a 50 kilometre an hour sign, it's a maximum, not a requirement. Drive to the conditions, and if there are people around, reduce your speed."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The spring Smile Cookie Week begins on Monday at Dauphin's Tim Hortons restaurant.
Last spring, Dauphin was number one in the country for cookie sales, and the Watson Art Centre hopes they can repeat that feat in the coming week.
The Watson is this year's charity of choice for proceeds from the Dauphin store, and President Cam Bennett was drumming up support over the past week.
"We have been dropping off pre-order forms, if people want to pre-order their cookies. It makes it easier on the Tim Hortons staff if they know how many they need for a day. And, I believe it speeds things up when you get there as well because you have your order, it is on the list, and they have set them aside, and it should speed up your pickup. Although it surprised me how many people I talked to who said it is fun to go there and just order, right?"
Bennett says the money will go towards a final round of renovations at the facility.
"Our number one focus is to make the stage more accessible and a little safer, and more modern. And we are also looking at replacing the seats in the balcony. Because we all know that those seats have been there a long, long time as well. They are maybe not the most comfortable, but we have researched and we have found some seats that have that vintage look and will be a little wider, a little more comfortable, and maybe offer a drink holder."
You can also pre-order cookies through a link on the Watson Art Centre website.
Smile Cookie Week runs until May 4th.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Sunrise Credit Union held their annual general meeting this week, where it reported another successful year financially.
Their audited financial statements included net income of $8.2 million and total equity of 7.11 per cent.
Loan growth was reported to be 16.5 per cent while cash deposit growth was 3.5 per cent.
Sunrise C.U. President and CEO Tim Klassen highlighted an investment of over $600,000 last year in community initiatives, through their Building Communities Grant Program, donations, sponsorships and scholarships.
He added they were also able to support many community projects through volunteer commitments by their staff.
Sunrise Credit Union has 19 branches, including local spots in Grandview, Ste. Rose, Laurier, Shoal Lake, Sandy Lake, Strathclair and Minnedosa.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The City of Dauphin is preparing for a community-wide yard sale next month.
It'll take place on Saturday, May 31, and will include homes that are interested in being a part of it.
Christian Laughland is deputy mayor.
"We were talking about how all these communities around the Parkland do a great job at hosting their own community-wide yard sales," said Laughland. "Ever since we started posting it online, it's been getting a lot of traction, which is very exciting."
You can now register, and there is no fee associated with doing so. You can do so here. You must register by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 23.
"The map is going to be in the Parkland Shopper near the end of May," ended Laughland. "There will be a full map with all of the locations."
You can also call 622-3218 to register.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
There is no shortage of things to do throughout the Parkland today.
It is the first day of the Maple Syrup festival in McCreary, which runs through to tomorrow.
Today is also the final day of the Zirka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble competition at Credit Union Place.
Other highlights include a flea market in Ebb & Flow and a community garage sale in Eddystone.
This evening, you can either take in the Dirty Catfish Brass Band at the Watson Art Centre, or the Boots, Buckles and Ballgowns gala in Gilbert Plains.
Details on all of these events can be found on the community calendar page of our website.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
No trial date has been set as of yet in the case of a shooting death from late last year in Ebb & Flow.
53-year-old Cyril St Paul was in Dauphin court on Tuesday, where he was remanded back into custody until his next scheduled court date of May 13.
He was charged with Manslaughter following the discovery of a male body in the community on December 15th.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Over 12-thousand residents in the Riding Mountain constituency cast a ballot during advanced voting last weekend.
Elections Canada is putting out a further breakdown of advanced voter numbers, after announcing earlier this week that a record 7.3 million Canadians took part in advanced voting from April 18th to 21st.
In Manitoba, 229,379 people visited advanced polls this year, smashing the total of almost 188 thousand from the 2021 vote.
Monday is election day with polls being open from 8:30 to 8:30 in Manitoba, and 7:30 to 7:30 in Saskatchewan.
CKDM News Now will have updates throughout Monday evening on the vote in the Riding Mountain constituency.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The cold winter months are in the rear-view mirror, and summer is right around the corner.
You may be thinking about hitting the road for an adventure. Whether through Riding Mountain National Park or to witness the beauty in the Jewel of the Parkland (Roblin), it's a great feeling to be on the open road with ideal conditions and sunny skies.
It's also important to practice driving safely and, most importantly, to obey the speed limit. Data from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) shows that at 30 kilometres per hour, pedestrian fatality risk is around five per cent.
That jumps to 80 per cent when driving at 65 kilometres per hour. 68 people have died and 2,220 have been injured in collisions on Manitoba roadways, with speed as the contributing factor to the crash in the last three years. There were 10,499 speed-related collisions in our province from 2022 to 2024.
Cst. Barry Kirby is with the Dauphin RCMP.
"We do tend to be out and about more in the summer when there is a lot more traffic," said Kirby. "There are times when we can't because of other factors, but we try our best to be out on the roadways as much as possible."
From 2022 to 2024, 1,326 Serious Offence Notices were issued to drivers for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 kilometres per hour.
"Sometimes when people are on the highway and it's not very busy, they want to open it up a bit and drive faster," continued Kirby. "You may think you're in control of your vehicle, but if there's a big pothole or someone else pulls out in front of you. There are just way too many risks involved with speeding."
In Dauphin, Kirby emphasizes that the RCMP's top priority is cracking down on speeders and reckless drivers.
"Traffic collisions are a leading cause of death in Manitoba and across the country, so we focus on it a lot," ended Kirby. "If people are out there and see someone speeding or driving recklessly, it's important to call us. We're always open to receiving those calls if people see something that's concerning to them on the roadways."
Enjoy all of your summer drives, but do so safely.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
It's a fundraiser in Ashern that always is very well attended, and it's back this weekend.
The Great Ashern Duck Race is Saturday at noon at the Ashern Sports Grounds. How does it work, you ask?
"It's a really fun event that we host. I think the community has a ton of fun with it," said Scott Cameron, vice president on the board of the Lakeshore Regional Wellness Commission. "When you purchase your ducks, everyone groups up at the Sports Grounds, they're dumped into the ditch, and we watch them flow down."
Score $300 if your duck takes the win, $100 for second, $50 for third, and even the slowpoke duck gets $50. Cameron says they started selling two big buckets of ducks, and as of Friday morning, has dwindled significantly, and only a few remain.
You can purchase your ducks by heading to Dodd's Siding, or head to the Lakeshore Regional Wellness Commission on Facebook. Each duck costs just $5, and the proceeds will go towards a great cause in Ashern.
Even if you live in Dauphin and can't make it to Ashern on Saturday, you can still buy a duck or two.
"A lot of people just support and buy ducks; they don't actually come down to the grounds," ended Cameron. "With that said, I know it's a big hit for the family. Families come down with rubber boots and have some fun. It takes about 10 minutes from start to finish, It's a very fun event for people to come out and be social."
The proceeds will go back to the Lakeshore Regional Wellness Commission to finish off current renovations at the Wellness Centre. A soft opening for the new centre is slated for this summer, and the renovations include a golf simulator, walking track, shuffleboard, and more.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Residents of Gilbert Plains Municipality will go to the polls on May 28th to elect one new member of council.
Two people have submitted nomination papers for the position: Aaron Klepak and Richard Kruk.
The byelection will take place from 8 am to 8 pm on May 28th at the Richardson Pioneer Community Hall.
Advance voting will take place May 14th from 8 am to 8 pm at the Gilbert Plains Municipal Office.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Our final election profile takes a look at People's Party of Canada candidate Jim Oliver.
A farmer from near the community of Riding Mountain, Oliver says the PPC offers clear and positive, Conservative-type stance on issues that the mainstream parties are not tackling.
"The big party Conservatives are really very centralist in their ideology, and I just felt inspired by (PPC leader Maxime Bernier) and his efforts over the last several years, and I felt I had an obligation to my family and my community to do my part."
Gender ideology and the environment are two big issues for Oliver.
In particular, he would like to see Canada remove themselves from international environmental treaties that he says are restricting Canadians ability to grow.
"We are taxing our citizens beyond reasonable amounts. Mark Carney has done away with the consumer carbon tax, but that relief is temporary. It is a matter of election strategy. Same with Pierre (Polievre). We have the Paris Climate accord, and we have these carbon targets that we are trying to meet over the next five years, which are unreasonable and unnecessary. They do not benefit our country or the citizens or the economy. We are just virtue signalling for some green movement that is irrelevant."
Oliver says removing ourselves from the UN-Paris climate treaty would be a positive first step for agriculture, transportation, and resource-based sectors.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
