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Lifesaving Society Manitoba toured the Northern and Parkland regions last week to see if their partners and affiliate agencies need more support.

Dr. Christopher Love, water smart & safety management co-ordinator for Lifesaving Society Manitoba, says that the society's Northern Water Smart Program aims to lower the number of water-related injuries and deaths.

"It's designed to provide basic swim instruction, first-aid training and boat... safety training to northern or remote communities that otherwise can't access those services, so every summer we send up instructors to northern or remote communities, First Nations, places that don't have swimming pools, and they provide those services," he adds.

According to Dr. Love, the Personal Flotation Device (PFD) Loaner Program allows community organizations to apply for access to free life jackets or PFDs, so that they could become available to people in a lending-library format.

"You come, you check out your life jacket, you use it for the day, so that you can enjoy a safe boating trip, and then once you're done, you return it to... the loaning station and it's available for someone else in the community to take... and use... again for the next trip to that's going to happen," he adds.

Furthermore, Dr. Christopher Love says that Lifesaving Society Manitoba is working to address the lifeguard shortage in the province.

"We're supporting all those agencies that are employing lifeguards, helping them set up training courses, making sure that there are instructors available, making sure more instructors are trained, or helping people source instructors because we do have a network that is spread out across the province," he adds.

Dr. Love went on to say that the next step would be to then advertise jobs and get them out to as a wide network as possible.

He also said that cold water can be especially dangerous because the shock of cold water can cause someone to inhale water and start the drowning process.

More information on cold water shock can be found at coldwaterkills.ca.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Oct 11, 2022 - 5:02 am

Farm Credit Canada released their Mid-Year 2022 Farmland Value Report this week. Manitoba saw a below-average increase between January and June of this year but was still above average in the average percent change since July of last year.

Appraiser for Manitoba Peter Alder says that farmland values in the Parkland didn't increase much in the first half of the year.

"For the mid-year review, we generally don't give out the area changes. In this case for the Parkland area, we know it's in that three to four percent increase in land value."

In the most recent Farmland Value Report which was released in the spring, The Parkland saw the largest increase in any area in Manitoba at 17.6%.

"We always have to be careful when we just look at one number, we always look over a period of a couple of years, and maybe we had a little bit of a higher increase last spring because we had to catch up in certain areas, and that resulted in some higher increases in value, but overall I would say that the average that we see, the provincial average is a good picture, and then it varies from region to region."

Alder says that in Manitoba, the Central Plain area saw the highest increases in the first six months of 2022.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Oct 10, 2022 - 6:00 am

Parks Canada wants to encourage everyone to spend the Thanksgiving long weekend in Riding Mountain National Park.

Mireille Kroeker, the park's public relations and communications officer, says that it's going to be a great weekend for hiking and biking.

"It's really going to be beautiful. We still have some leaves on the trees... The bugs [have mostly disappeared]. We don't have those crazy mosquitoes like we did all summer, so it's a great time to take those walks," she adds.

Kroeker recommends that visitors check out the Visitor Centre, which is open daily this weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to get all the details on all the trails that are open or closed.

"It's got all these cool interactive exhibits and there's a really nice fireplace that they'll probably have going, so you can check out some readings that they have there," she adds.

Mireille Kroeker says that Riding Mountain is a great place to visit when the weather is cooler because people can take really long hikes and be out in the sun for a lot longer than they would when it's 30°C.

"Normally, when it's hot like that you're going to get a lot of flies and, of course... mosquitoes... This time of year, it's going to be very calm. You're not going to have those bugs in your face, no need to spray yourself down with insect repellant... The trails are a lot drier as well... Normally in the spring, especially this spring with the really wet conditions, it can be difficult to access a lot of the trails... [Now, they] are quite dry. You might need... some really good shoes to get through them, but they will be a lot better than they were this spring. That's for sure," she adds.

As for wildlife encounters, Kroeker says that animals are still very active, even though the temperatures have dropped.

"There's still food out, which is the main reason they're still active, so even bears... It may be cooling off. There may be some frost mornings, but they are still out. They are still stocking up on food to get nice and ready for winter and they're looking for denning sites... They are still wandering the trails, so you have to be alert for that," she adds.

More information on what to do in the event of a bear encounter can be found on the Parks Canada website.

According to Kroeker, the bison enclosure and Lake Audy Campground are closed for the remainder of the year.

In addition, access to the escarpment trails on the East end of the park can only be accessed from Highway 5 as Highway 19 is closed from Lake Katherine to the Historic East Gate.

Even though Riding Mountain National Park is open year-round, local businesses are subject to their own hours of operation.

Parks Canada encourages visitors to call businesses ahead of time to ensure they are open upon their arrival.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Oct 8, 2022 - 7:00 am

Manitoba's Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson was at the Ste. Rose Veterinary Clinic yesterday to announce further details of the province's plan to address the shortage of vets in rural areas.

Minister Johnson was joined by Dr. Gillian Muir, Dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM); Dr. Deanne Wilkinson, Extension Veterinarian for Manitoba Agriculture; Tyler Fulton, the President of Manitoba Beef Producers; Jill Verwey, the Vice-President of Keystone Agricultural Producers; and Ste. Rose Mayor Robert Brunel.

Yesterday's announcement builds on the announcement the government made last week, increasing the number of subsidized seats for Manitobans at the WCVM. Manitoba currently subsidizes 15 seats at WCVM, and that number is going up to 20, starting in the 2023-24 school year. 

Minister Johnson says the new seats will be filled by students with a rural background.

"When you have a background, especially from rural Manitoba, you will be more inclined to reside, and build a practice in rural Manitoba."

He said they're also working on ways to encourage students to return to Manitoba after graduating.

"This year students, when they come back, we help subsidize their wages. So when they come and work in a clinic in Manitoba, they're more likely to lay down roots there, and when they graduate the following year, usually they migrate back to the good experience that they had at that vet clinic."

Dr. Muir says there are studies that show students are more likely to return to a familiar situation.

"We know from many studies that students who come from a rural background or live in small towns are more likely to go back to work in small towns or in rural areas. So we're hoping, or we know that that's the case, and that's why these five seats, in particular, are targeted at students with a rural background."

Students filling the new subsidized seats will be expected to have the following:

• An expressed desire to pursue veterinary practices in commercial agriculture in rural Manitoba;
• A solid academic foundation through achievement in a university-level animal science program; and
• Practical knowledge and experience in the livestock or poultry industries, gained through significant experience prior to enrolment.

Tyler Fulton, the President of Manitoba Beef Producers says it's good to see the government addressing the issue.

“We appreciate the focus on recruiting students who have a direct interest and first-hand experience in working with animals, and who have been raised in a rural environment. We thank the provincial government for its investment in training more vets.”

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Oct 8, 2022 - 6:37 am

The Fierce Female Hockey Camp has been awarded $20,000 for finishing in first place in Fusion Credit Union's Community Infusion competition.

Mike Csversko, business development manager at Fusion Credit Union, says that it was a tough decision for the judges.

"When the judges went away we expected them back in ten minutes or so, and actually it took them a lot longer... They went through three stages. There were three different rounds of scoring starting back in June and it culminated here on Tuesday night with Fierce Female Hockey ultimately scoring the highest," he adds.

Csverkso says that since it was such a tight finish, the other three finalists also received some funding, with Moonlit Canopy taking home $5,000 for their second-place finish and Modern Mini & Me and Dauphin Lake Rentals both receiving $2,500.

"Dauphin Lake Rentals did an amazing presentation and were fantastic right through the process. Moonlit Canopy [did] as well. It's a really cool lamping concept... Modern Mini & Me [is] a fantastic little designer clothing boutique that uses eco-friendly products... it's a really neat store," he adds.

According to Mike Csversko, the event was so well attended that they had to rush in extra seats at the last minute because the hall in Russell was filling up quickly.

"We were pushing up against that hundred mark, which was fantastic, so [I'm] very happy and thankful for the support that we received from Russell, but also the surrounding communities," he adds.

Csversko says that they are planning on having another Community Infusion competition next year.

More information can be found on the Fusion Credit Union Facebook page.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Oct 8, 2022 - 5:49 am

Thanksgiving is on Monday. As usual, certain businesses will be closed or will be operating with reduced hours this long weekend.

Here's a list of some of them to keep in mind:

Dauphin Market Place Mall (Modified Hours):
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Some stores will be CLOSED)

Manitoba Liquor Mart (Modified Hours):
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fusion Credit Union (Modified Hours):
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Branch office CLOSED / Only OPEN over the phone)

Walmart (Modified Hours):
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Safeway (Modified Hours):
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No Frills (Modified Hours):
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Co-op Food Store (Modified Hours):
CLOSED

Co-op Gas Bar on Main St. S. (Regular Hours):
6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Co-op Gas Bar on Mountain Rd. (Regular Hours):
6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Dauphin City Hall (Modified Hours):
CLOSED

Dauphin Recreation Services (Modified Hours):
Admin office CLOSED
Parents & tot swim/lane swim from 10:30 a.m. to  1 p.m.
Free family swim from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Oct 8, 2022 - 4:59 am

"Fire Won't Wait; Plan Your Escape."

This is the theme of National Fire Prevention Week which is on until Saturday, October 15th. Dauphin's Fire Chief, Cam Abrey, says knowing your escape route is a crucial part of fire safety.

"It's a huge component of fire prevention and public education. Because we know that today's fires burn a lot hotter than they did years ago and they spread much faster based on the products that we put in our homes", noted Abrey.

Just like how children go through escape plans and emergency procedures at school, we should be making the same plans at home, added Abrey.

Some of the things you can do at home is make sure you have working windows in your bedrooms and that you know two ways out. If a fire breaks out in the middle of the night and you can not use the door, the window(s) would be your alternate escape route. If you have bedrooms on the second floor, there are chain ladders you can buy to provide a safe way out.

"The biggest part is to make sure your smoke alarms are working so that you have that early notification", Abrey said.

This year's National Fire Prevention Week is the 100th anniversary of the initiative but the messages of fire safety are just as important as they were a century ago. In a news release from the provincial government, some more helpful tips were outlined:

• Make sure plans meet the needs of all family members including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Smoke alarms should be installed in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Smoke alarms should be interconnected, so that when one sounds, all alarms are activated.
• Know at least two ways to exit every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.
• Have an outside meeting place, located a safe distance from the home, where everyone should meet after exiting the home and have a warm place to go in cold weather.

Practise the home fire escape plan at least twice a year with everyone in the household including guests. Practise at least once during the day and at night.

For more information, visit manitoba.ca/firepreventionweek or the National Fire Protection Association's website.

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Contributed by Alec Woolston

Published: Oct 10, 2022 - 6:25 am

Sean Beaulieu was back in Dauphin Court yesterday to be sentenced for a 2021 robbery on Main Street South. Beaulieu was sentenced to time served, two years of supervised probation, a ten-year weapons probation, and a DNA order.

In April 2021, Beaulieu, who was 30 years old at the time, entered a business on Main Street South, bear-sprayed an employee, and fled on foot. The employee was able to give police a description of Beaulieu, and they found him a short distance from the position and arrested him without incident.

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Contributed by Sam Brownell

Published: Oct 7, 2022 - 10:07 am

UPDATE (Oct. 10^th, 4:58 p.m.): Government officials delivered remarks on the approval of the new Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine during a press conference earlier today.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says that the new vaccines will help protect people from developing long COVID over the winter months.

"I am concerned... From what I'm hearing from the experts, [they] are telling us... that the coming months, the coming weeks will be critical when it comes to COVID-19 infection and all the consequences this can have for people and health-care workers who are already quite tired," Minister Duclos adds.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, urges Canadians to get the new shot in order for them to be sufficiently protected from infection and severe illness when spending more time indoors over the winter months.

"Hospital trends are still elevated, although critical-care trends and death remain at a low level," Dr. Tam adds.

Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public health officer, says that he's confident there will be enough of both the Moderna vaccine and the newly-authorized Pfizer vaccine to meet the demand for fall boosters.

"If we talk about the Moderna B1 vaccine, there are 10.5 million doses in the country now... If we are talking about the new Pfizer vaccine, we're expecting next week to have delivery of doses. We have a contract for some 12.6 million doses… and between the two I think it's enough in the meantime to cover the expected demand for booster doses," Dr. Njoo adds.

Health Canada officials say that anyone who has not received a booster dose for six months should get this new shot as soon as they can and that people who have not had a shot for three months should also consider getting the shot.

They also say that Canadians who got a booster shot less than three months ago should not get the shot right away, since it will not be as effective as it would have been if they had waited.

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Health Canada has authorized Pfizer's bivalent vaccine, which specifically targets the Omicron variant as well as its BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, for use in individuals aged 12 and up.

They had previously authorized Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 booster.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Health Canada officials are scheduled to discuss the approval in detail later today.

Updated guidance on COVID-19 vaccine booster doses can be found here.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Oct 7, 2022 - 9:47 am

Christian Laughland, the current mayor of Dauphin, is aiming for a seat on Dauphin City Council as he runs in the municipal election.

Laughland, who's originally from Vancouver, B.C., has lived in Dauphin for over twelve years, currently with his wife and two-year-old son.

"Currently I'm working for the Dauphin Herald. In the past, I've worked for the Dauphin Kings and 730 CKDM, so I understand the significance of small businesses and all of the great groups we have in our community. Of course, some of which I've been involved with for a few years now," he adds.

 If elected, Laughland plans on working towards expanding the City to create jobs and better living for all.

"And better living means less crime. Recreation is another key aspect. If our youth have the opportunity to grow in the community, it increases the chances of having them stay here longer and help make Dauphin stronger," he adds.

Christian Laughland acknowledges that crime is an issue and says that working with the RCMP and the provincial and federal governments to reduce crime is really important.

"We'll likely never get rid of crime, but we can work together to significantly reduce it. Earlier this year, the City of Dauphin was chosen... to take part in a community safety and well-being plan. That was delayed, so we won't actually be getting the funding from the provincial government until the fall, after the election. So if I'm re-elected, I really want to help implement that community safety and well-being plan," he adds.

Laughland says that he thinks the community is going to see a lot of growth in the next five to ten years.

"With so much stuff going on in the south end of town with the expansion of the highway, Vermillion Growers is growing... there [are] businesses that are showing interest in the business park, which is near the Vermillion [Park] Sportsplex. I think we're on the cusp of a lot of great things to happen in the community," he adds.

A complete list of candidates running for office in the City and R.M. of Dauphin can be found here.

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Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos

Published: Oct 7, 2022 - 6:05 am