Local Leaders Discuss In Ste. Rose

A State of the District meeting was held at the Ste. Rose community hall for figureheads from the area to talk about community growth.

Mayor of Ste. Rose Robert Brunel was excited to have this event in Ste. Rose, and he's looking forward to working with the surrounding towns to stay connected and thrive together.

"It's really about bringing us together and building those relationships. prior to covid, the state of the districts has been going on, so having them in Ste. Rose is nice to see that it's starting over since covid and it's bringing leaders, community members, and business people together."

Brunel addressed several key factors that affect most places in the parkland area, such as housing growth, increasing tourism attractions, and preserving the campsites and trails.

"These are some of the investments in time and energy and money that people are putting into their community so they can raise their families and make it a good place for others to raise their families and set down some roots, to make it a community where there's something for everyone."

Several important members of the community were there, including Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota, Chamber Board Member Gabe Mercier, Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak, Gilbert Plains Reeve Jim Manchur, Grandview Mayor Lyle Morran, and RM of Dauphin CAO Nicole Chychota.

This meeting highlighted the common points that all of these areas have to address and provided an ideal situation to build a better community, together.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Apr 12, 2023 - 6:00 am

Danny Schur, a resident of Ethelbert and a talented creative mind recently passed away at the age of 56 after a battle with brain cancer.

He was recently found deceased in his residence in Winnipeg. He'd been diagnosed some time ago with this ailment and was undergoing treatment for it.

Danny Schur is a composer and lyricist who writes award-winning music, lyrics, and scripts for the studio, stage, and cinema.

Well known for his compositions in "Strike", a historical musical based on the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, Danny's achievements also brought him to the big screen with the film adaptation called "Stand!" which he directed.

His work earned him a Juno award, as well as a multi-platinum CD for his contributions. His movie "Stand!" debuted in Canada as number one in the Country.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Apr 11, 2023 - 2:31 pm

The Swan River RCMP responded to a fatal snowmobile collision Friday afternoon.

Police got a report of the crash, on a groomed trail in Porcupine Provincial Forest, at around 3:40 pm. An 80-year-old male from Minitonas was traveling behind another snowmobile when he veered off the trail and collided with a cluster of trees.

The driver that was in front of the male, noticed he wasn't behind him anymore, and turned around to try and find him. He found the male a short distance away with life-threatening injuries.

The injured man was taken back to Provincial Road 365 where they met with RCMP and EMS.Medical assistance was given at the scene, however, he succumbed to his injuries.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 11, 2023 - 2:07 pm

The Manitoba government will not make Orange Shirt Day a statutory holiday this year.

Premier Heather Stefanson says consultations are ongoing and there is still not a consensus on how the day should be marked. Orange Shirt Day, also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is marked on September 30.

The federal government has made the day a statutory holiday for its workers and federally regulated workplaces, and Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have followed suit.

Orange Shirt Day was first established in 2013, as a part of an effort to promote awareness and education of the residential school system and the impact it has had on indigenous communities for over a century.

In Winnipeg, Mayor Scott Gillingham has said that he is open to making September 30 a holiday and after a survey, nearly 70 percent of Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce members favoured the idea.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Apr 11, 2023 - 12:15 pm

The snow is almost gone, and that means the focus of many across the region will be shifting to the potential of spring flooding.

Last year, late snowfalls and high south winds contributed to flooding that did substantial damage across the Parkland. The Manitoba government is still working on more than $6.4 million worth of infrastructure damage in the region.

Rainbow Beach May 31 2022 Rainbow Beach Provincial Park, May 31, 2022

This year's outlook is much better so far, with the most recent report by the Manitoba government calling for Dauphin Lake to rise slightly above its upper operating range after spring runoff, but remain below its flood stage. Dauphin Lake is currently sitting at 854.48 ft, slightly below its upper operating level of 854.8 ft.

Lake Manitoba is expected to remain within its operating range after Spring Runoff. The average lake level is currently at 811.5 ft, right in the middle of its operating range of 810.5 ft to 812.5 ft.

Lake Winnipegosis is sitting at 830.46 ft right now, which is in the middle of it's median and lower decile. After spring runoff, the lake is expected to remain near normal levels.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 11, 2023 - 10:20 am

CAA Manitoba's annual quest to find and advocate for the worst and most damaged roads in the province comes to an end soon as today is the last day to cast a vote.

Nominating a road for an abundance of potholes is usually the most common factor when people think of the worst roads in Manitoba, but there are lots more factors to consider. These can be problems like poor traffic signal timing, poor patching, constant water back-ups, a lack of sidewalks or bike paths, or congestion.

Last year, Provincial Road 307 in the Whiteshell Provincial Park area garnered the most votes for the worst road in Manitoba. Most others in the top 10 list were located in Winnipeg while 1 was in Brandon.

The goal of the campaign is to draw attention to the most derelict and unsafe roads, so that they may be repaired sooner.

You can nominate a road that you think is one of the worst in the province by clicking here.

Details: Contributed by Alec Woolston; Published: Apr 11, 2023 - 7:34 am

Riding Mountain National Park has released a road report, as the snow has started melting, affecting road conditions. Highway 19 and Rolling River Road are both affected in today's report.

The road report by the Riding Mountain National Park Duty Officer is below.

ROAD CONDITION REPORT – April 10^th, 2023

Caution is advised when traveling on Highway 19 and the Rolling River Road within Riding Mountain National Park of Canada due to poor spring driving conditions. Travel is at your own risk. Emergency services may be unavailable. You are also reminded of wildlife collision hazards along these roadways.

*** Road Condition Advisory *** Caution is advised when traveling on Highway 19 and the Rolling River Road within...
Posted by Riding Mountain National Park on Monday, April 10, 2023

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 10, 2023 - 10:46 am

The Parkland Chamber of Commerce is hosting a State of the District lunch in Ste. Rose tomorrow.

The event will feature presentations by a number of municipalities, who will be giving some information about what's happening in their areas. Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota says it's a great opportunity to find out more about what's going on.

"We like to highlight a lot of major changes that have happened or are coming up in the Parkland Region. An opportunity for the municipalities in the area to come together and shed some light on what's going on in their corners of the Parkland."

Chychota says it's also a great networking opportunity for people across the region. You can sign up for the event on parklandchamber.ca.

Details: Contributed by Sam Brownell; Published: Apr 10, 2023 - 7:14 am

The West Interlake Watershed District is hosting an open house for local residents to have their say on what should be prioritized in the North-West Interlake Watershed Management Plan.

If you live in the north-western Interlake area, come down to the Moosehorn Hall on April 11th at 6:30 pm to let your voice be heard on matters of water management in the area.

The West Interlake Watershed District manager, Kelsey Benson, looks forward to hearing how the organization can collaborate with the community.

"Overall, the intent is for protection, management, conservation, and restoration of water, land, and aquatic ecosystems through local action."

The plan will look to prepare for any issues, ranging from floods to the accessibility of drinking water.

Benson also noted that this meeting and group have no affiliation with the Lake St. Martin outlet channel.

Coffee and donuts will be available at the meeting as well.

To sign up for this event, call 204-762-5850, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Apr 10, 2023 - 6:00 am

Prairie Mountain Health has recently announced a comprehensive plan to identify and address the improvements that can be made in the regional healthcare system.

After over a year of consultation involving both staff and the public they serve, PMH has identified four crucial priorities that will be addressed in this new plan:

Positive health care experience for Manitobans with a focus on quality health services
Improved Health system capacity, performance, and accountability
An empowered, adaptable, and high-performing workforce
Strengthened fiscal sustainability and value for money

The challenge of this plan was the scale of the region that PMH covers, and Dan McGregor, Regional Lead of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer spoke with us on the importance of consulting with the public in every corner of the region.

"It's important to note that there is different needs throughout the region, so when we're coming up with a strategic plan and some of the priorities, understanding that the needs in one area of Prairie Mountain Health might not be the same as others. It must be considered in our planning process to make sure it's not a one-size-fits-all for the entire region"

McGregor also noted that one of these four priorities is more crucial to address for most healthcare services in the province.

"There's more of a focus on empowering, adaptable, and high-performance workforce, but really that's largely around retention and recruitment of staff which is clearly a main focus of ours and as much as it has been in the past, the need for retaining and recruiting of staff is of utmost importance right now"

The plan went into action on the first of April and has already begun to work towards these goals, identifying the best ways to meet the objectives laid out.

McGregor also mentioned that while the plan itself is new, it simply builds upon all the great work that Prairie Mountain Health has already been doing for the area.

For a full overview of Prairie Mountain Health's 5-year plan, Visit Prairiemountainhealth.ca, or click This Link to go right to the plan itself.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Apr 8, 2023 - 7:00 am

A series of seminars are coming to a city near you to showcase the available jobs in the healthcare industry.

Prairie Mountain Health, along with Regional Health Authorities and the Manitoba Health Care Provider Network is setting up these sessions at 7 locations in the area to highlight the careers available and provide an opportunity to enter the world of healthcare for those looking for work.

The Expos will run from 12:30 pm to 7 pm at the following locations and dates: