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Reports of UFO sightings are up this year across North America, particularly in Manitoba where we’re seeing a 5 year high.

This is according to ufologist and science writer Chris Rutkowski, who tells CKDM there’s been a significant increase in sightings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re also getting reports from UFO organizations across the country, and also from official government agencies such as Transport Canada. Through this, we’re able to get an idea of what people really are seeing across the country,” says Rutkowski.

A study looking at UFO reports in Canada showed sightings were down overall in 2019, however, most Prairie provinces actually reported increases in UFO reports.

“We certainly went up in Manitoba, in fact, we’re at a 5-year high in Manitoba, in terms of UFO reports."

So why have there been more UFO sightings during the COVID situation? Rutkowski thinks part of the reason is the pandemic has given people a better opportunity to enjoy the night sky.

“We think it has something to do with people spending a little more time looking up.”

Canada has around 1,000 UFO reports every year, and about 3% of those remain unsolved.

“A significant number of cases remain unidentified. Sometimes those cases are not airplanes, stars, planets, fireballs and pieces of comet — they are something else and we just simply don’t know what those are yet,” says Rutkowski.

If you see a UFO, Rutkowski says you’re in good company — about 10% of Canadians believe they’ve seen a UFO — and last year in Manitoba there were 78 UFO reports filed.

To submit a UFO report, or to read about some reports from previous years, click here.

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At least 120 Salmonella cases across Canada have been linked to onions imported by a California company.

Thomson International Inc. has now recalled all red, white, yellow and sweet yellow onions — as the Public Health Agency of Canada warns against eating or serving their onions for the time being.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says Canadians first started reporting getting sick between mid-June and mid-July — after eating red onions at home, in restaurants, and care home settings.

The Salmonella outbreak across multiple provinces has sent 17 people to hospital. 

Canadian-grown onions are not being recalled at this time.

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Tim Hortons in Dauphin is holding their annual yard sale fundraiser next week.

The fundraiser is being held on August 8th from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Tim Hortons in Dauphin in support of the Tim Hortons Foundation Camps.

Tim Hortons supervisor Ellen Sanderson explains how the sale works.

“It’s just by donation, so if you see something you like in the yard sale, you donate what you figure you can for that particular item.”

If you have items to donate to the yard sale, you can drop them off at Tim Hortons at any time.

You can also take part in their raffle draw, where cash donations earn you entries to win some great prizes. The draw will take place on Camp Day, on August 12th.

The grand prize is a Tim Hortons coffee brewer, 1st prize is a $100 gift card, 2nd prize is a $50 gift card, and 3rd prize is a Tim Hortons gift basket.

For more information, check out the post on the CKDM Facebook page.

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Two local Members of Parliament are calling on the Trudeau government to do more to support our country’s agriculture sector.

MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa, Dan Mazier, and MP for Brandon-Souris, Larry Maguire, released a joint statement criticizing the relief measures put forward by the federal government.

They say the COVID-19 assistance programs for farmers are falling short, and accuse the federal Liberals of “reannouncing” old campaign commitments, instead of offering up new funds to help producers.

Mazier says he would like to see a reform of the Business Risk Management programs, and expanded eligibility criteria for the Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA).

Both MPs say the agriculture sector has been hit hard by the pandemic, and want to see measures put in place to ensure our country's food chain remains unbroken.

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An 18-year-old man from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation has died after an ATV crash over the weekend.

Westman RCMP are investigating after the man lost control and was thrown from the vehicle near the intersection between Highway 21 and the main road at Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

He was pronounced dead while en route to hospital, and RCMP continue to investigate.

Another off-road vehicle collision over the long weekend in Manitoba sent three youths to hospital with serious injuries, following a rollover in Duff Roblin Provincial Park near Winnipeg.

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Part of the criticism directed at the federal government’s new COVID-19 tracing app, is that it’s inaccessible to older Canadians.

The free ‘COVID Alert’ app alerts users when their smartphones have been near the phone of a person who identifies they’ve tested positive for COVID-19.

However, the app requires users to have Apple or Android phones made in the past 5 years, and have a newer operating system — leading some to complain that the app doesn’t work on their phone.

One expert says a contact tracing app would need 65% to 80% of all Canadians using it to properly work, and that the current version of the app makes that impossible.

The app is available to download in all parts of Canada, but is initially being tested in Ontario.

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Public Health Officials have announced 7 more cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. 

This comes after 20 were announced on Saturday and Sunday. 

Included in the weekend's announcement was 2 cases of the coronavirus at businesses in Steinbach. 

A worker at a Smitty's in Steinbach tested positive on Saturday, but hasn't worked at the Smitty's since last week on Monday. 

The other case was to a worker at the Steinbach Credit Union. 

Today's additional cases brings the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 442. 

We'll have to wait for tomorrow's update for a more in-depth look at active case numbers, hospitalizations, and recoveries. 

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Thousands of Manitoban drivers didn’t get as much money as they deserved from MPI’s rebate cheque from the end of May.

Some customers reported lower than expected rebate cheques and when looked into, MPI came across an internal error in the collection and disposal of data.

To fix the error, $253,000 has been divided up and sent to 9600 policyholders.

The cheques were put in the mail last week.

MPI originally sent the cheques because there were fewer claims during the pandemic and they had stronger year-end financials than expected.

95-96% of MPI customers have cashed in the rebate cheques from earlier in the year.

Those that haven’t received their cheque can call 1-800-665-2410.

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Grasshopper populations have become a concern in many parts of Manitoba, after a few years of dry weather conditions that have allowed their populations to grow.

John Gavloski is an entomologist that contributes to the weekly Manitoba Crop Pest Update. He says grasshoppers can cause significant economic damage to crops.

“Levels have been building for the fourth year in a row now. Grasshoppers seem to do better when we get consecutive hot dry summers, and in many parts of in Manitoba, that’s been the case for several years now. So we are seeing the grasshopper levels build.”

There are roughly 85 species of grasshoppers in Manitoba, according to Gavloski, and 4 of those species are considered pests.

He says there are two main species to look out for: the twostriped grasshopper is the most dominant across the province, and is a bit of a generalist in its eating habits, affecting many different types of crops.

Another species Manitoba farmers are looking out for is the clearwinged grasshopper, which is known to feed on grasses. 

“If that’s the dominant species in an area, your cereals and forage grasses would be most at risk,” says Gavloski.

While grasshoppers are moving into their adult stages in most parts of the province, Gavloski says hot and humid weather conditions might help take the populations down a little bit. 

For the most up to date information on insects and all the other pests affecting crops in Manitoba, make sure to look out for the weekly Manitoba Crop Pest Update from Manitoba Agriculture.

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Public Health Officials have announced 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. 

This brings the total of lab-confirmed positive and probable cases to 435. 

As this is the long weekend, we will have to wait for Tuesday's update for the number of active cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the province. 

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Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) is giving an update on their COVID-19 testing sites, heading into the holiday weekend.

The temporary testing site in Russell, at the Russell EMS building parking lot, has been extended. The site will now be open Wednesday, August 5th and Thursday, August 6th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Holiday Weekend Hours

The designated COVID-19 testing sites in Brandon, Dauphin and Swan River will be operating with the following schedule for the August long weekend: 

  • The Brandon site (Town Centre Parkade) will be open on Saturday, August 1 from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and closed on Sunday, August 2nd.
  • Dauphin (Community Health Services Building) and Swan River (Primary Care Centre) sites will be closed Saturday, August 1and Sunday, August 2.
  • All three designated sites will be open on the holiday Monday, August 3 with regular hours of operation. 

To view the regular hours of operation of all regional testing sites, visit the PMH website.

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