NewsNow
It was Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba for 15 years.
Christa Rust says it was time for a rebrand. Recycle Manitoba was born. The executive director says Recycle Manitoba is a not-for-profit organization supporting and helping to fund household recycling.
They provide funding to municipalities and communities to help with the cost of recycling.
Recycling is crucial because it conserves natural resources, saves energy, and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills. If you put something in the bin, it slows the process because someone has to sort what should and shouldn't be there.
For instance, if you put a hose or a VHS tape in your recycling bin, that can cause the line to go down completely. That means the work is stopped. In 2025, just under 59 million kilograms were recycled.
"Obviously, we can always do better," said Rust. "That comes with understanding what should and shouldn't go in the bin. Hopefully, Recycle Manitoba makes that easier."
To find out what and what shouldn't be recycled, head here.
As of July 15, paper cups were added to the list of accepted recyclables.
Does recycling one plastic bottle make a difference, it certainly does. For instance, Dauphin's population is just more than 8,000 people. If everyone recycled one plastic bottle, that would be 8,000 bottles.
"Individual actions have a larger impact," said Rust. "We need to convince everyone that we need to recycle all of the material we can. From there, we can divert those from landfill and make them into new products."
One bottle at a time, we can all make a difference.
- Details
- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Ryan Rauliuk from Ruff's Furniture and his family hosted a post-flood Zabava on Friday, August 29, at the Gilbert Plains Country Club.
All of the proceeds from the event were earmarked for the Gilbert Plains Country Club. The Country Club closed on July 1 after the devastating flood, and it'll remain closed for the rest of the summer.
The Zabava numbers are in and wow, what a turnout. The event raised $61,750.00.
Scott McCallum is the general manager.
"Yeah, what a wonderful night," said Rauliuk. "It was a fantastic night. A lot of support. It's overwhelming with how much support we're getting."
McCallum thanks everyone who has stepped up. Recently, David Harron of Winnipeg reaped the benefits of supporting the Club.
He won the 50/50 and netted $24,747.50. David lived in Gilbert Plains from ages four to nine.
On the business side, McCallum said the support has been outstanding. Sunrise Credit Union recently donated $4,000.
Not long after the flood, Crysler Jamieson started the Parkland business challenge. Dozens of businesses jumped on board for the cause.
"Just incredible. Every time I go and pick up the mail, there's something," said McCallum. "Even the people who don't frequent the golf course that are helping out as well. I've received help from as far as Ottawa. Alberta as well. The people who have a soft spot for the Gilbert Plains Country Club are far and wide."
When it comes to getting back on the course at the GPCC, that wait will continue. As mentioned above, the course is closed for the summer.
McCallum says the course cleanup was completed about 10 days ago.
They now have begun aerating affected holes.
"The areas that were really, really bad had to be tilled up," said McCallum. "They're putting seed in the ground as we speak. We're headed in the right direction. We have to pray for a long fall and hope the grass catches. Hopefully, we'll be good to go in the fall."
The Gilbert Plains will be back, and when it is, it'll be better than ever.
- Details
- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Manitoba's Progressive Conservative Caucus is visiting Dauphin for a couple days, to hear directly from area residents about issues affecting the community.
Obby Khan, Manitoba PC Party Leader, said in-person visits and events are the best way they can find out what issues residents care about the most. Over the next couple days, several meetings are planed with key Parkland stakeholders, like the City and RM of Dauphin.
"First and foremost it's the people of Dauphin, right, so we want to talk to the people, find out what they're feeling. We hear all across the Province that it's affordability, it's economy, it's crime and safety, but especially up here, I want to hear as leader really about the floods, and how that's affected the people living here, the businesses...we're meeting with Municipal councils, we're meeting with Reeves, we're meeting with various leaders, we're meeting with lots of business groups up here, the Chambers [of Commerce] and whatnot, and lots of individual business owners. So really, this visit is about meeting the people of Dauphin, hearing from them, listening to what their concerns are, and taking them back to the Caucus," said Khan.
In recent months especially, Khan said one of the most common issues he hears about from Parkland residents is the closure of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre. That's a big part of why the PC Caucus is here in Dauphin, to hear more about how that closure is affecting residents in more ways than just being without an emergency department for a while.
Though the emergency department here in Dauphin was reopened earlier this week, there is no timeline for when other services will be returning to the hospital. Khan has been especially critical of the level of communication around the Dauphin Regional Health Centre.
"The ER Hospital's a really big one here in Dauphin, and the problem with that is, I know the current government re-announced the opening, and that's great, but what about all the other services that need to come with that, right, the MRI, the chemotherapy, the surgeries, what is the timeline for that, what's the cost going to be for that, and people are concerned, people are worried about that because this is a major hub for healthcare...what we would have done is been open and transparent with Manitobans from day one on what's actually happening, what the timelines are. People still don't know what the timelines are, and that creates real uncertainty for people...announcements of an opening of a hospital are great, but what are the real facts behind that, and that's where we're really seeing a difference between, again, the way they operate and the way we want to operate, I think that is the most important thing, because when you don't have that, you lose the trust of the people," said Khan.
Whether you have concerns about the DRHC, crime, economy, or any other problems you feel the Parkland is facing, Khan encourages you to attend the PC's public engagement event tonight, at Credit Union Place from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
"We really want to hear from people living in Dauphin and the Parkland region, right, we want to hear from you first-hand what you're experiencing, what you're going through, and what your suggestions and ideas are, you guys have the best ideas...there's a lot of issues, whether it be healthcare, whether it be crime, whether it be your job and affordability and paying the bills, these are all really serious issues that are affecting your day-to-day life, affecting my day-to-day life, and everyone in this Province and Country. We just want to hear from you," said Khan.
Throughout today and Friday, members of the PC Caucus will have meetings with various Parkland-area groups, including a planned tour of Vermillion Growers, and meetings with RM and City officials.
- Details
- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Today marks the first day of classes for students in the Mountain view, Turtle River, and Swan Valley School Divisions.
For SVSD Superintendent Rob Tomlinson, there is the excitement of welcoming back ALL students, including those that were unable to finish off the last school year in the classroom due to excessive flooding throughout the Swan Valley.
But that does not come without challenges, as Tomlinson says they have had to make changes to some of their bus routes.
"Due to the fact that we still have a lot of roads washed out. I think 35 roads in total were washed out, so of course they are not all back together. The R-M's have been doing great work, I can't believe how many have been repaired. So parents can expect some of the bus routes to be a little bit longer," said Tomlinson.
- Details
- Contributed by Jeff Henson
It's safe to say Onanole is one of Manitoba's most eye-catching towns, just south of Riding Mountain National Park, and right near Clear Lake. If that's not enough of a reason to visit, you'll have another one this weekend.
Valerie Pankratz with Riding Mountain Biosphere Region is hosting the annual At the Farm Gate Fall Harvest Market at the Onanole Rec Centre, starting at 10:00 AM.
"We start at 10 o'clock, doors open to the public then, and we go till 3 o'clock. We have 23 vendors and 30 tables, and we have a range of locally produced goods," said Pankratz.
The market started years ago when Pankratz herself was looking for a place to find local goods, made by local vendors. After a bit of organization, the market was born, and has been going strong since 2010. The only year without a market was 2020.
One big focus for Pankratz is the admission cost, or lack of one. It's completely free to attend, and Pankratz said it's to make sure everyone can attend and support local makers.
"Our goal really is to have people come to meet the farmers that are producing the goods that they want to buy or the artists as well who may be at the markets, and really just have that opportunity to meet them and talk to them, and buy their product," said Pankratz.
The annual At the Farm Gate Fall Harvest Market in Onanole gets underway at the Rec Centre at 10:00 AM on Saturday.
- Details
- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Months of work and effort.
The Steering Committee consists of members from Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal, Dauphin First United Church, Fusion Credit Union, the Parkland Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Dauphin, and South Parkland Early Childhood Association.
The play structure inside Parkland Crossing was removed in April. They've been putting it in place at the DNRC Community Centre in Dauphin since. On Thursday, the Little Neighbours Play Space will open in Dauphin.
The event starts at 11:00 a.m.
"We're looking forward to inviting the entire community to celebrate with us," said Tammy Chief, executive director for the Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation. "Our event will include the ribbon-cutting ceremony and an open house. Our residents, donors, sponsors, and elected officials are invited. I'm thrilled this will be the community's first chance to see the play space in its new location."
The new play space will include the existing structure.
But that's not it. It's a safe, accessible, inclusive, and sustainable indoor play environment for all children and families.
On Thursday at 11:00 a.m., you can check it out for the first time.
"We were able to install another slide. It's a spiral tunnel slide," said Chief. "There is a pyramid crawl, deck climb, and a mini punching bag. There is so much for kids to do in the space."
You're invited to join for what will be a historic day in Dauphin.
The Little Neighbours Play Space will be born on Thursday, September 10.
- Details
- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Dauphin Regional Health Centre's Emergency Department is now open, and starting to accept patients.
Craig Doerksen, Shared Health Executive Director for Capital Projects, said the road to where we are now hasn't been easy. The majority of discussions and work to get the emergency department open again was focused on conversations with DRHC staff and contractors, finding ways to address the staff's needs for a functioning emergency department.
"It was about pulling together the front-line staff, who knew what they needed to be able to open up an emergency department and re-open an emergency department, and then bringing our contractors and the consultants in to say, what is possible, what can we do within this timeline, and we evaluated multiple options...we've had to bring in temporary power, we've brought in additional HVAC to be able to cool and heat the space, and we brought in some additional facilities, there's trailers out the back of the facility, all to support the ongoing operation here while we're in this interim period," said Doerksen.
The City of Dauphin has also been an important collaborator on the project, especially when it comes to patient experience. Doerksen said the effective communication between the involved parties was definitely a help to avoid unnecessary slowdowns.
"That happened so frequently, the communication between the teams was awesome, communication between the City of Dauphin to make sure that they could assist us with parking, and making changes to the facility, getting our permits evaluated, helping us with signage, working with the Province and getting electrical inspections going on," said Doerksen.
Though the DRHC's Emergency Department is now open, the work is far from over. Doerksen said the immediate next steps will be to continue improving the emergency department, and eventually make it self-sufficient, not relying on external power. Once that is done, the teams will begin working to bring back other services to the facility.
"Actually our focus this last three and a half weeks has been achieving today, and there's still some continued work that we want to do in this existing facility to make the emergency department services a little better...and then we're starting to concentrate on looking at the total project timeline, looking at what it's going to take to remediate the basement level, the ground floor, and crawl space, get all of that addressed, and then begin restoring services like normal electrical power, normal ventilation, and heating," said Doerksen.
As we get closer to the winter, Doerksen said heating is a very high priority for the teams. Prairie Mountain Health and Shared Health will continue to provide updates as repairs progress.
- Details
- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Police are investigating a pair of fatal collisions in the Alonsa/Sandy Bay area.
A 53-year old man from the RM of Alonsa is dead following a single vehicle crash last Friday west of that community,
Ste Rose RCMP say it appears the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve and left the highway, before it flipped and landed in the ditch.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the other incident, a 29-year-old man died after the all-terrain vehicle he was driving collided with a pickup truck early Sunday in Sandy Bay.
Manitoba First Nations Police Service says the ATV's driver was heading south when he drove through the intersection without stopping, colliding with the rear end of an eastbound pickup truck.
The ATV driver was transported to hospital in Portage where he died from his injuries, while the pickup driver was not injured.
- Details
- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitoba's Progressive Conservative Caucus will be headed to the City of Sunshine for a couple days, getting started with meeting a few local stakeholders.
Jeff Bereza, MLA for Portage la Prairie, said the Caucus is looking forward to hearing from residents first-hand about some of the challenges the Parkland is facing, and how they can help.
"The people of the Dauphin area and that, the way they're willing to pitch in, the way they're willing to work together, and just like our PC team, that we like to do things together, it's time to spend some time in Dauphin, and listen to the people, listen to what they have to say...whether it be with their business, with healthcare, with addiction issues, whatever it may be, it's our time to listen to the public," said Bereza.
One of the key topics of conversation Bereza will be involved in is the large scale of infrastructure repairs that have been ongoing across the Parkland since early July, and the widespread damage and destruction to crops and agriculture across the region.
Bereza himself has more than 30 years of agriculture experience, before taking on the role of Portage la Prairie MLA. Part of his schedule will be a tour of Vermillion Growers, whose crop was wiped out by flooding, as a way to hear directly from just one of the region's impacted agricultural producers. Bereza said especially when it comes to agriculture, considering the Parkland's focus on the sector, it's important to hear straight from the producers.
"When we're dealing with farmers, and especially when we're dealing with crops, we need to hear from them and how important it is to get that infrastructure rebuilt there, because farmers can't charge more for the product they're selling, because that has already been established. So I think we need to work with farmers, how do we bridge these gaps, what do we need to do to help them move forward, to help them be successful," said Bereza.
Another topic that Bereza hopes to hear about is the Dauphin Regional Health Centre, and other health-related concerns in the Parkland. One of the key stakeholders Bereza hopes to speak with is Treena Slate, Prairie Mountain Health CEO, as well as Prairie Mountain Health staff.
"It sounds like she's doing a great job there, and hopefully we have the opportunity to hear from her and the folks that are working within the Dauphin health facility as well, to [ask] what more do you need," said Bereza.
Aside from stakeholder meetings, the PC Caucus will be holding a Public Reception & BBQ on Thursday, September 10th, starting a 5:30 PM at Credit Union Place. Bereza hopes many Dauphin residents will attend, to make sure their voices are heard by Manitoba's PC Caucus.
"Come an join us at the rec centre on Thursday evening, just for an informal get together. Here's your chance to talk to the whole PC Caucus here of what we can do to help make the Parkland be greater than what it is today," said Bereza.
Other meetings throughout Thursday include conversations with local City and RM officials.
- Details
- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
The Parkland Chamber of Commerce Street Fair is going ahead this year, albeit a month and a half later than normal.
The event is set for Friday, September 18th in CN Park and along 1st Avenue Northwest.
And even though there were some changes from the original lineup, Executive Director Kamryn Winters says there will still be a great variety of local entertainment.
"From Country to Jazz, to Rock. I feel there will be more rock later on in the evening. It goes from solos to duos to full bands, and anything in between with the dancers. So I feel it is going to be a really good day."
Also returning is the Dauphin Agricultural Heritage Society with a display of equipment, as well as the Kids Zone with Bouncy Castles and Face Painting.
The Dauphin Lions Club will also serve up a pancake breakfast to start the day.
- Details
- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Ernie Sirski is a familiar name to much of the RM of Dauphin, whether it's through his role as the current Reeve, or one of the many ways he's been involved in the region's agriculture.
With the upcoming Manitoba Municipal Election in October, Sirski was faced with a choice: run for a second term, or step away from the role of Reeve? He says it best.
"I have taken my papers out, I've got the required number of signatures on my nomination forms, so yes, I've decided to put my name forward for one more term...we've got a new CAO who's doing a wonderful job for us, and I think it's just imperative that we try and have some continuity, not only through the council, but through the leadership at the Reeve as well," said Sirski.
Sirski said the past few year's certainly have had their challenges, especially the past couple months. Though it looks great on a resume that Sirski was able to handle recent flooding in the role of Reeve, he said the focus shouldn't be on him.
"The thing that it's taught me is that it's not myself or the council, it's the resilience of the entire community that pulled together to make sure that we all, number one stayed safe, number two got things working in a manner that benefited the whole municipality, and number three the people that we have working in our municipality," said Sirski.
Before he first took on the role of RM of Dauphin Reeve, Sirski had no political experience whatsoever, aside from farm politics. He said that played a big part in why he even considered running in the first place, and his agriculture experiences have definitely helped him during his term.
"I really believed we need farmers on a rural council, and I still believe that, I still believe that we need active farmers that are willing to step up and lead this organization," said Sirski.
Going forward, whether he ends up in the role of Reeve for a second term or not, Sirski said he'll continue to make sure his voice is heard when it comes to standing up for agriculture in the Parkland.
- Details
- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
