Accessibility Tools

June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and there is no better time than now to get help if you need it. 

It's estimated that roughly 11 people die by suicide each day in Canada and that adds up to about 4,000 people losing their lives to suicide each year in the country. Statistically, men have committed suicide more often due to a mental illness with the 50-59-year-old age group topping the list. Of the 4,000, it's reported that 90% were living with a mental health problem or illness.

11.8% of people report thoughts of suicide in their lifetime while 2.5% of people report thoughts of suicide in the past year. While it is men's mental health awareness month, now is the time to reach out for help as well if you're a female and you are struggling. The big message is you're not alone.

Eleanor Snitka is the community peer support worker for Peer Connections Manitoba in Dauphin and the area.

"Mental health issues are not weaknesses," said Snitka. "When you reach out for help, it's actually related to strength. Reaching out for help can save your life."

Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in men in Canada and it's the second leading cause for children and youth between the ages of 10 and 19. 

"It can't be said enough, taking care of your mental health is so incredibly important," offered Snitka. "We are all in this together. Reaching out may not be easy, it is hard but it can be so extremely beneficial. If you are having trouble, reach out and someone is here to help you."

If you are having trouble, Eleanor says the first step is to talk to your family doctor to see what options you have. 

There are a number of closures at Riding Mountain National Park due to damages caused by flooding.

The following trails are closed until further notice:

    • Clear Lake North Shore Trail
    • Clear Lake South Shore Trail
    • Cowan Lake Trail
    • Grey Owl Trail
    • Kinosao Trail (from Kinosao Lake to the Grey Owl Trail junction)
    • Beach Ridges Trail
    • Boreal Trail
    • Bead Lakes Trail
    • Ochre River Trail
    • Grasshopper Valley Trail
    • Tilson Lake Trail
    • Bald Hill Trail
    • Reeve Ravine Trail
    • North Escarpment Trail
    • Scott Creek Trail
    • Burls and Bittersweet Trail
    • Breezy Hill Trail
    • J.E.T. Trail
    • East Deep Lake Trail

A detailed map of the trail closures can be found on the Parks Canada website.

In addition to numerous trails that have been closed, there are also a number of closures in the Lake Audy area.

This includes the Lake Audy campground, day-use area, boat launch, bison enclosure and horse corral. Lake Audy Road has also been closed — in both directions — from the intersection with Lake Audy Dam Road to the eastern crossing of Jackfish Creek.

More information on those closures can be found here.

The beef industry in Canada is rallying against a proposed regulation by Health Canada that would see a warning label placed on the front of ground beef packaging, saying it's high in saturated fat.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association says it could send the wrong message to consumers. Manitoba Beef Producers General Manager, Carson Callum, says it would really hurt the beef industry across the country by reducing the confidence of the consumer.

"A lot of other whole food ingredients are exempt," said Callum, "butter, milk, those types of things. Even full cuts of meat are exempt"

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association has set up a website, dontlabelmybeef.ca, to let people know why they're fighting these regulations.

The City of Dauphin's City Plan events wrapped up this week. The open house was held on June 8th and the open planning studio took place the day after. Martijn van Luijn, economic development manager of the City of Dauphin, felt that the events were very well attended and said they were pleased to see so many people show interest both in-person and online.

[The city is plan] is a forward-thinking plan of who we want to be and where we want to go as a city.  We had lots of good engaging conversations with people about that and when people think about it a little more, they also start thinking about things they would like to see and do it in a positive and encouraging way.

The ideas presented to the City by residents were mainly focused on safety, active living, sustainability, shopping opportunities, and transportation.

I'd like the public to know... that we listened and that we will include some of the comments into the plan.

The City worked with a consulting company to collect data during the events and is expected to present a draft plan to the City by the end of August. From that draft plan, the City would then have to develop a formal plan and present it to the community.

The next step would be to present the plan to City Council and it would be up to them to decide whether to implement it.

This year — an election year — in way, [it'll be]... up to the voters to turn these things into action items and choose which ones are the most important and what we're going to do next.

Dauphin residents still have the chance to share their ideas with the City by answering the online survey here. The survey will be open until Monday.

June of 2019, that's the last time the Lundar Agricultural Society had the opportunity to host its fair. While it's been a tough couple of years waiting for a return, that return is officially here as the Society is hosting their fair Friday and Saturday.

The event started with a pancake breakfast Friday morning from 7 to 10 and runs until when the fireworks fire up at 10:15 p.m. There is also a midway if you're looking to get on some rides and there's a wristband special from 6 to 10 Friday.

Friday's events also include the R/C Airplane Display in the Lundar Arena and the Antique Tractor Pull. 

Mike Kostyshyn is the president of the Lundar Ag Society and he says hosting the annual fair and rodeo is a long time coming.

"We're all so extremely excited about hosting this event again," said Kostyshyn. "We've been very busy setting up this week and the entire crew is so happy to be doing what they are doing."

Another pancake breakfast kicks off Saturday from 7 to 8 in the arena and a parade starting by the school grounds starts at 11:30. There's also a petting zoo, beef dinner and beer gardens. 

"We welcome everyone to Lundar, this is always a very special event and everyone is welcome," ended Kostyshyn.

The Thanks For Farming Tour started in 2020 to show support and connect with farmers across Western Canada. Since it began, it's continued to grow and has now visited 12 communities, supporting a local non-profit organization in each of them.

Jeremy Matuszewski is one of the organizers of the tour, and he said it's grown beyond what they could've hoped for. This year, the tour teamed up with Meridian to offer two scholarships for grade 12 students, one in Manitoba and the other in Saskatchewan.

They're going to get the opportunity to put in an application and submit a video talking about why farming is important to their community, and why that community is important to their farm.

Students with a rural address, or who are part of a 4-H club are able to apply for the scholarship. Application information can be found here.

The RCMP is still in the search for Lindsay Joseph Fredette.

The 36-year-old is wanted on charges including Robbery with a Firearm and Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose. On February 25, 2022, just before 6 p.m., Mounties responded to a call of an armed robbery at a business in Camperville on Highway 20. 

That's where two men wearing high-visibility jackets entered the business, threatened an employee with a firearm, then fled with cash and other items. The RCMP shortly after arrested 42-year-old Kory Flamand, of Winnipeg who was alongside Fredette during the robbery. 

There's some clothing theft going on around town.

People have been climbing into the Canadian Diabetes Association donation bins to steal clothes.

John Tomlinson picks up the donated clothes and he says that they're making a mess of the community as a whole.

"It looks bad on the City of Dauphin, it's an eye sore," said Tomlinson. "You'll see wet and dirty clothes just scattered around the bins, it doesn't look good for the community."

The clothes collected from those bins are then sold to thrift stores in order to collect money for diabetes research. Most of the thefts are happening overnight and it's believed between 1 and 4 a.m. Tomlinson says the RCMP is doing what they can; however, it is hard to place officers at the bins so late at night. 

He asks that if you see someone in action stealing clothes or making a mess, that you call the RCMP. If you would like to donate clothing but aren't comfortable doing so in the bins, you can contact John and he will arrange a time to pick them up at your home. He can be reached at 648-4145. 

The Dauphin Fire Department is once again giving you the chance to win up to $5,000 as their annual 50/50 is back. 

Tickets are just $2 each or you can get a book of 10 for $20 and all proceeds from the 50/50 sales are going towards the restoration project of the 1919 fire truck. 

A complete sell-out which has been the norm over the past several years since the department started running the 50/50 would give the lucky winner $5,000. Tickets will be available until June 30 or until they sell-out so if you're looking to get in on the draw, it's recommended that you don't wait as tickets are already selling quickly.

To grab your tickets, you can message the DFD on Facebook or get in touch with any members of the team. You can also call the station at 622-3100. 

Fire Chief Cam Abrey also wants to thank everyone for the support.

"The support we receive is absolutely amazing," said Abrey. "There's been a lucky contestant for the last few years that have gone home with $5,000 in their pocket and we're hoping that's the case once again this year."

The Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club held an open house at Northgate Trails yesterday night, which kicked off Bike Week.

According to Club President Brenda Gregory, the main goal of the open house was to get people out to see the trails, as well as initiate them into the cycling culture, by trying out a brand-new fat bike for free.

It's for every age group to enjoy and it's an all-season facility, as well, so you can come winter, spring, summer and fall. You can walk, you can hike, you can bike, you can mountain bike, you can fat bike and you can snowshoe... We do have a trail that you can cross country to, as well.

Gregory felt fantastic that people were finally able to come to visit the facility for organized events again.

Even though people visited the trails while staying within their family bubbles, there hasn't been a lot of group get-togethers. With the exception of family bubbles, simple gatherings - like people sitting at picnic tables and talking - haven't been allowed for two years and three months.

She also hopes that people consider getting around by bike, instead of by car.

The more bikes you see out there, I think people will think "why aren't I cycling to work, instead of taking my car for five minutes? I could cycle for twelve minutes and that would benefit me so much more"... You look at some of the Northern European countries who have a massive cycling culture there... You look at schoolyards and [they're] just packed with children's bicycles. We would like to get there.

There are events planned for the upcoming year, including a Manitoba Cycling Association race, which will take place on August 7th. The race will be open to everyone, including people who've never been in a race before.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, the provincial government has you covered. Climate and Parks Minister Jeff Wharton announced Thursday that you can visit provincial parks in the province and fish for free this upcoming weekend.

"Spanning more than four million hectares of land and water, Manitoba's provincial parks have something for everyone," said Wharton. "Whatever adventure piques your interest - whether it's hiking, going for a picnic, mountain biking, using an accessible trail, canoeing or beyond - you are sure to find what you're looking for in one of our incredible provincial parks."

That means vehicle permits aren't required to visit provincial parks this weekend; however if you're planning on camping, you will still need to pay. Do keep in mind that Rainbow Beach Provincial Park remains closed until at least June 16 so that isn't an option this weekend.

On June 11 and 12, anglers can fish without a licence provincewide, except in national parks where a federal fishing licence is still required. 

Anglers taking part in the free family fishing weekend are allowed to keep a conservation licence limit of fish, which includes four walleye or sauger, four northern pikes, two smallmouth bass, one lake trout, one channel catfish and two stocked trout.