Highway 10 reopened through RMNP

Traffic is moving once again through parts of Riding Mountain National Park following the weekend snowstorm.

Parks Canada says Highway 10 was re-opened as of yesterday afternoon.

But they caution that some areas of the highway still have snow-covered and icy sections and that motorists should take it easy going through the park.

They added secondary roads such as Highway 19, Rolling River Road, and Lake Audy Road, remain closed at this time.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Mar 5, 2024 - 12:16 pm

City snow removal crews continue their efforts to clear Dauphin streets of the latest dumping of snow.

Beginning at midnight, crews were working on the business area, before moving on to streets and venues in the day 2 area, as well as working on streets in the day 4 area of the city.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Mar 5, 2024 - 12:12 pm

March 26th will see sentencing arguments take place in the case of a Dauphin man who was convicted in a 2022 drug bust.

41-year-old Trevor Sutherland was arrested and charged following a June 2022 traffic stop in the city.

Mounties say a search of a backpack turned up 157 grams of crystal meth, 5 grams of cocaine, cash, and other drug paraphernalia.

Details: Contributed by Jeff Henson; Published: Mar 5, 2024 - 12:08 pm

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has set April 2 as budget day this year.

It will be the first budget since the New Democrats swept to power in last October's provincial election.

Kinew has signalled some measures to expect, such as higher taxes on vaping products and $30 million for a school nutrition program.

The government also has to deal with a tight fiscal situation, as Manitoba has registered deficits in every year but two since 2009.

The NDP government says it found out the deficit for the current fiscal year is much worse than expected when they took office — recently projected at $1.6 billion.

The province is also facing the impact of losing money via income-tax cuts and a temporary suspension of the provincial fuel tax that took effect on January 1.

Details: Contributed by Darnell Duff; Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 4:13 pm

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will present the federal budget on April 16, as cost-of-living issues continue to dominate Canadian politics.

The spending plan is coming at a time when high-interest rates are putting a damper on the economy and ramping up fiscal pressure on the Liberal government.

At the same time, the political cost of inaction on housing could be high, as rents skyrocket across the country and homeownership remains out of reach for many Canadians.

Dwindling support for the governing Liberals forced the government to shift its focus to housing in the fall with a slew of new — but modest — measures aimed at increasing housing supply.

The Business Council of Canada is calling on Ottawa to "avoid introducing net new spending" to help ease inflation.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 12:58 pm

Fraud and identity theft is a growing problem in the modern era, and the RCMP is looking to raise awareness about it.

March has been labeled as Fraud Prevention Month, and the RCMP will be posting a lot of information on how to detect fraud before it gets you.

It is estimated that only 5-10% of fraud cases are reported, a startling statistic when coupled with the fact that roughly 9 million dollars were reported stolen through fraudulent means.

If you are a victim of fraud, or come across a scam, it is important to report it to your local police agency, the RCMP or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

These scams can appear in many ways, from unknown phone calls to polished sites recommending certain investments, and even questionable links in emails.

To learn about all the ways these scams can appear so you don't fall prey to them, visit Antifraudcentre.ca, or call 1 888 495 8501 for more info.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 12:52 pm

The Manitoba Government will be updating its means to asses the province's wildlife populations with some new tech.

Surveys would generally be done by government staff in helicopters, but now these surveys will use long-ranged, solar-powered drones equipped with thermal cameras.

These upgrades will allow for both easier spotting, and the ability to track multiple populations and species at the same time.

These tracking methods are not only more efficient, they cover the same area with less overhead cost when compared to the labor and fuel involved in helicopter operation.

The government said population data is important to making decisions about wildlife conservation and management, especially with cases of Chronic Wasting Diseases appearing in the province.

To find information on the latest big game survey by the province, visit The Conservation Page on the Manitoba Government Website.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 12:38 pm

The Dauphin Kinclub's Business expo has been running for over 3 decades, and it will be returning once again in April to the City of Dauphin.

"It's Been held for 33 years, and it's a huge event that brings a lot of people to Dauphin, and it provides an opportunity for businesses to make connections and connect with local people in the area."

That's Canadice Taylor, event coordinator, who's excited to have a big turnout this year a the business expo.

This expo has served as a great way to promote your business, make new connections, and increase client bases.

The event still has space for vendors, and to find the details on how to register, visit The Dauphin Kin Club Website.

This event is free for all visitors looking to learn more about the parkland's local businesses.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 9:20 am

The weather is closing down a great deal today, and this winter storm rocked the weekend.

The Parkland area received up to 50 cm of snow in areas, and high winds have pushed into substantial drifts.

Mountain View School Division, Swan River School Division, Turtle River, Rolling River, and the Frontier School Division are expected to cancel busses and potentially have online classes today due to the extreme weather.

According to Manitoba 511, nearly every major highway in the parkland is closed for travel until the snow clears

Non-essential travel is not recommended.

The Dauphin and District Handy Van will be available for in-town medical trips only today, but all trips out of town are canceled.

We'll keep you updated on any of the major closures, cancellations, and postponements throughout the day.

Details: Contributed by Michael Brossart; Published: Mar 4, 2024 - 7:47 am

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of Southern Manitoba.

Senior climatologist David Phillips says a Montana low will bring a significant amount of precipitation.

"I think in Western Manitoba, it will be mainly a snow event. I think there is some issue in the Red River valley as to whether or not there will be some rain or maybe even freezing rain as part of this as well. And we are talking about 20 to 30 cm of snow."

Phillips says this is shaping up to be one of the biggest storms to hit our province this winter.

"Certainly for western parts of the province, it is going to start clouding over on Saturday morning, and as the system comes through there will be some flurries possible on Saturday evening. But it will principally be a Sunday event - an all-day snow event."

The snow is expected to start sometime late Saturday evening and could be accompanied by winds gusting at times as high as 80 km an hour on Sunday.