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Manitoba First Nations Police have a man in custody after an armed robbery, which led to a standoff with police, happened at a gas bar on Sunday on Sandy Bay First Nation.
After fleeing the gas bar with cash and cigarettes, the suspect barricaded himself in a home nearby which was located by police.
As MFNP members contained the area, a gunshot was heard coming from the residence. The RCMP Emergency Response Team was then deployed to the scene.
As they approached the home, the suspect ran from the back of the house and was apprehended by a K9 unit after a short pursuit on foot.
23-year-old Kevin Lawrence James RICHARD of Sandy Bay First Nation faces charges of theft while armed with a weapon, intent to commit robbery while masked, carrying a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence, possessing ammunition, and resisting arrest.
He will appear in Portage provincial court to answer to the charges.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
R-C-M-P say a 21-year-old man has been charged following the stabbing of a First Nations police officer.
The officer and a suspect were both injured during an arrest outside the Waywayseecappo First Nation.
Police say at the 29-year-old officer was stabbed multiple times, fired his weapon, and one of the suspects was wounded.
The seven-year police veteran was treated in hospital and released.
Matthew Benn has been charged with attempted murder and remains in custody.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
Premier Brian Pallister is preparing for a general election even though he hasn’t officially called one yet.
In a press conference Tuesday, Pallister said that he will restrict government advertising; a move essentially puts a voluntary pre-election blackout period into effect.
This announcement comes a day after he thanked MLA’s not planning on running for re-election for their service. Pallister refused to narrow down a possible election date.
If the Premier intended on following the fixed election date of October 6th, 2020, he would be required to impose a 90-day blackout period where, by law, the province could not advertise or publish information on its activities. Pallister said the clerk of the executive council will ensure any communication coming from the government will not be biased.
Even though he has imposed the media blackout, Pallister promised he would meet with media on a near-weekly basis, adding that his ministers would be available as well.
The legally mandated blackout period does not apply if the fixed election date is ignored and the vote is held on a different day, which is what Pallister plans. The premier said the advertising restriction is a measure of fairness.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Syphilis rates are on the rise in Manitoba and the Parkland.
Dr Amy Frykoda with PMH says homosexual intercourse was a part of the rise in syphilis rates in early years but recently, it’s heterosexual transmission that’s rising.
Early on, syphilis can cause a rash on the palms of the hands and bottom of the feet, fever, muscle pain, and fatigue.
Syphilis can cause painful sores, or in progressed cases, damage to internal organs or even death.
In Manitoba, there were 800 cases of syphilis last year, while 10 years ago there were 7.
In the Prairie Mountain Health Region, syphilis rates have gone from 3 in 2014 up to 30 in 2018. Congenital syphilis, which is passed from a pregnant mother to the baby hadn’t been seen in almost 50 years when it occurred in 2015 and last year in Manitoba there were 10 cases.
Frykoda says syphilis is likely to spread if someone has multiple sex partners, uses injection drugs, if they are homeless, or involved in sex work.
Frykoda encourages people to get checked because syphilis is treatable and curable with the right antibiotics.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Manitoba has announced it’ll make the pill, Mifegymiso, available free of charge and without a prescription.
The pill, which helps prevent pregnancies from continuing, has already been available free of charge in Winnipeg and Brandon but was around 300 dollars for a two-pill treatment in other areas of the province.
So, it's been difficult to access for those in rural and northern communities.
Manitoba is the second last province to sign on to support universal access to the pill.
There isn’t a timeline for universal access in Manitoba but the provincial government will be looking to other provinces that have made Mifegymiso available.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The Manitoba Summer Fair kicks off tomorrow.
Ron Kristjansson, general manager of the provincial exhibition of Manitoba, says they have new entertainment in the line-up NorthFIRE Circus, the West Coast Lumberjacks and some musical performers, including Manitoba talent such as, The Roulette Band from Sandy Bay First Nation, and Whiskey River from Brandon, Dirt Road Pilots and Prairie Whiskey will be playing as well.
There will be a human foosball game that Kristjansson is looking forward to as well.
There’ll be stuff for the farmers such as a horse show, ag education displays, and farm animals to check out.
Kristjansson is looking forward most to the excitement of the families that come through the doors and the fair food.
If you'd like to check out everything else the Brandon Summer Fair has to offer click here.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Community Futures Parkland recently received some large funding from the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy through Western Economic Diversification Canada.
Jami Turetsky, Executive Director of Community Futures Parkland, says they were given just over 1.2 million dollars.
“So, what’s going to happen with those dollars is it will be over a four-year term. We will have inter-connected hubs. So, two facilities, one being out of Dauphin, and the other being out of Flin Flon. The program application is a partnership between Community Futures Parkland, being the lead, and Community Futures Greenstone, which is based out of Flin Flon.”
The funding will work towards closing service gaps in the entrepreneur ecosystem that are unique to rural and northern women entrepreneurs.
Turetsky says they plan to keep everyone up-to-date with their next steps.
“Right now, we’ll be looking to get some staff within these offices. We need two in Dauphin and one in Flin Flon. Then we’ll be working at securing some space within those communities that are going to fit the needs to be successful.”
It took them five weeks to complete the application for the grant.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The 2.5 per cent Manitoba Hydro rate increase went into effect on June 1st.
Bruce Owen, media relations officer for Manitoba Hydro, says the money from the rate increase won’t be going into Manitoba Hydro’s operating costs budget.
The money from the rate increase will go into a deferral account to help offset increased costs once the Keeyask Generating Station comes into service.
Owen says they can’t just use extra electricity exports to keep rates down, they have to address the debt of the Keeyask Generating Station with additional electricity export sales and rate increases.
Owen wouldn’t comment on whether rates would decrease once the debt has been paid for.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The draws for the 2019 Neepawa Farm & Leisure Lotto were made, and there are lots of lucky winners from the Parkland. The results are below:
$500 Cash Prize Winners:
Kip Storey - Triple S Seeds Ltd. - Grandview
Russel Sul - Alonsa
Edward Waczko - Alonsa
Gordon & Pat Mclaughlin - McCreary
Connie & Bruce Christopher - Russell
Terry Kurchaba - Rossburn
Jim Pollock - Neepawa
Nester Drul - Sandy Lake
Lynn & Brad Cory - Boissevain
Wilbert Barnesky - Arnes
$1000 Cash Prize Winners:
Jerry Standryk - Dauphin
Greg Shaw - Neepawa
Cheryl & Mervin McMurachy - Shoal Lake
Bruce Klassen - Brandon
Rayna Sokalski - Winnipeg
50/50 Winner of $45,755:
Florence Lowey - Laurier
$100,000 Grand Prize Winner:
Sharon Suski - Arden
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who purchased tickets for this year's lottery. The proceeds will be used for continued improvements to the Beautiful Plains Medical Clinic in Neepawa.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
The body of a 29-year-old Benito man was recovered in Madge Lake at Duck Mountain Provincial Park
Kamsack RCMP say three adults and five children went boating late Thursday afternoon at Pelican Point when the wind and waves picked up causing one of the children to be separated from the craft.
29-year-old Dallas Miller jumped in and managed to push the child back towards the boat but unfortunately, Miller didn’t resurface.
The RCMP Underwater Recovery team found his body Friday afternoon.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Manitoba has released a protocol to define how Crown-Indigenous consultations will occur during the phases of mineral development.
The protocol has been released after extensive engagement between the province, First Nations leadership, and industry representatives.
The protocol creates certainty in order to advance projects in a timely way and ensure First Nations can be actively involved in all phases of development projects within their traditional territories.
The protocol includes a process guide and matrix for Crown-Indigenous consultation. The province will encourage its use in discussions with First Nations as a way to facilitate a mutually agreed-to consultation process for all phases of the mineral development cycle, from grassroots exploration to mine development.
Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen confirmed $500,000 in funding has been set aside to support First Nations in the development and implementation of protocol agreements. The funding will enable the establishment of shared mineral management boards, with a focus on traditional land-use planning in areas with a high volume of active mineral interests and demonstrated mineral potential. It will help to enhance First Nations’ knowledge and understanding of the mining cycle, and the potential economic growth opportunities arising from exploration and development.
A key goal is ensuring First Nations can participate effectively in project-specific regulatory processes, including the review of proposed mineral dispositions, permits and licence applications.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
