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Have you ever heard of Chronic Subdural Hematoma? It's a type of brain bleed that most often happens after a small head injury. It's also more common in older people taking blood thinners. Once treatment is given to patients with CSDH, there's a pretty high recurrence rate of 28%. But thanks to groundbreaking new research from a Winnipeg team, a new treatment could almost completely solve that problem.
Meet Dr. Jai Shankar, Professor of Radiology at the University of Manitoba. His team has used a procedure called Embolization of the Middle Meningeal Artery - or EMMA for short - to treat patients after receiving treatment for CSDH.
"Patients who are having a minor head injury, and likely are on blood thinners, they're also more likely to get this, but what we do know is how it forms, and when it forms, what happens...Chronic Subdural Hematoma is brain bleed on the surface of the brain, and the covering of the brain is supplied by a tiny artery, where the Chronic Subdural Hematoma forms. So what we do is reduce the vascularity of the covering of the brain by blocking those blood vessels using glue-like substance," said Dr. Shankar.
The study saw Dr. Shankar's team run a randomized clinical trial of 186 patients at 9 different facilities across Canada. All of these patients were given the EMMA procedure after receiving surgery to treat CSDH. Dr. Shankar's team saw that the EMMA procedure reduced the brain bleed recurrence rate to 4%. That's going down from roughly 1 in 4 people, to 1 in 25.
With this treatment from our study, what we found is we could reduce the risk of this bleed coming back from 28% to only 4% when we added this new treatment to the patient," said Dr. Shankar.
At face value, even if you don't understand the specifics of the research, that's a big deal. The details of the study make it even more groundbreaking: no matter who completed the procedure at the 9 different Canadian hospitals, it went well.
"When you do a study or a treatment across multiple sites, and treatment is done by multiple operators, that tells us that no matter who does the treatment, the results will be the same...we also found that this treatment is very safe in any centre across Canada, and in any expert's hand, this treatment was very safe, so it was very effective and very safe," said Dr. Shankar.
Dr. Shankar's study was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or Jama. It's widely considered one of the top 3 medical journals in the world for peer-reviewed research and studies. That goes to show how much of an impact the team's work will have across the world.
"The acceptance in JAMA itself shows the global impact of the results of our study, not only locally in Winnipeg or Manitoba, but also across the country, and now it's going global. So it is literally having global impacts on the care of patients with Chronic Subdural Hematoma," said Dr. Shankar.
Dr. Shankar's team is currently at the Information Dissemination stage of their research, spreading the study as far as possible to get as much feedback and criticisms as possible, as a way to find how they can make their treatment even more effective. Click here to read the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Mountain View School Division has 38 regular bus routes.
They have roughly 50 drivers who safely transport students to school at the start of the day and home at the end of the day.
For the past 13 years, Ernest Karpiak has been in charge of the entire operation. As transportation supervisor, Ernest has managed all the bus drivers and all of the mechanics.
Simply put, Ernest managed anything and everything surrounding MVSD buses.
After 13 years, he is ready to move on. He purchased a business hauling bulk water. The name is Clear Source Water Wagon. The business services Dauphin and the surrounding communities.
Ernest did what he did for MVSD for 13 years because he wanted to make sure students got to school and home safely everyday.
"We always have to look at road conditions. Buses and making sure they're maintaned and safe," said Karpiak. "Education of drivers so they know how to drive and what to do. What to do in emergencies. That was my big goal. To make sure kids got to school and then home to their families at the end of the day."
Karpiak thanks every bus driver he worked with over the years. He thanks the students for being fantastic and always treating the drivers respectfully.
Ernest is officially signing off at MVSD and is doing so knowing he worked his hardest over the last 13 years ensuring students received safe and reliable transportation.
"All the pride in making sure I did my job to the best of my abilities with the conditions that were put forward," ended Karpiak. "With weather, students, parents, and every aspect of transportation."
Karpiak is now looking to what's next.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Winnipegosis RCMP are looking for a suspect who sexually assaulted a teenager earlier this month.
On June 1, between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., a teenage girl left her home after an argument. She was walking towards Pine Creek School. The suspect, who was on an off-road vehicle, told the teenage girl her father was looking for her. The suspect said he would drive her to him.
The girl got onto the off-road vehicle, and the suspect took her to the Pine Creek Lagoon, where he sexually assaulted her. He then dropped her off at a nearby location and drove away.
The suspect was wearing a black sweater, black sweatpants, and a black helmet. He was driving a smaller red-and-black quad.
If you have any information, call the Winnipegosis RCMP at 656-7003.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Two people have been charged after a man was attacked with a machete on the Sapotaweyak Cree nation.
Swan River RCMP say the incident occurred early last Friday morning, when the victim was approached by two men on an ATV.
One man chased the victimn on foot, striking him on the head with a machete, while the other tried at one point to run over the victim with the ATV.
The victim managed to escape and was eventually transported to hospital to be treated for his injuries.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
As Prairie Mountain Health continues to move forward with plans to support the Dauphin Regional Health Centre as a bariatric care site, a recent donation will further advance those plans.
The RBC Foundation and Dauphin Hospital Foundation recently supplied funds towards the purchase of two special bariatric wheelchairs for the facility.
A bariatric wheelchair is a specialized, heavy-duty mobility device with reinforced frames and wider seating to safely accommodate individuals with higher body weights.
The $10,000 donation from the RBC Foundation was used to buy one of the wheelchairs, along with providing some staff education and training for bariatric lift and care resources.
This summer,Jeanette Logan - PMH Manager of Health Services – Regional Therapy Services will be working with two students who hope to become an Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist, on developing safe work procedures on use of bariatric slings and safe client handling procedures.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Bear sightings have been on the rise in the Parkland recently: experts suggest environmental pressures like dwindling food supplies and habitat changes like wildfires are causing bears to go further for resources, sometimes into residential areas. Minnedosa recently had a bear sighting in town, like many Manitoba communities in recent months.
Riding Mountain National Park is home to a large number of Black Bears. Tim Sallows, Resource Conservation Officer with RMNP says if you're driving through and see a bear, it's alright to stop and snap a pic if it's safe to do so, but stay in your vehicle!
"Stay within the speed limits, watch both of the ditches for any animals, not just bears, there's white-tailed deer and sometimes moose and other animals in the ditch. Slow down when you approach them, and if you want to take a picture, just stop for a few seconds, take your snapshot, and move along if it's at all possible," said Sallows.
If you're on foot, the rules definitely change. Sallows said Black Bears are usually timid around people, and unless you catch them by surprise, or if they're feeding, they'll usually stay away from people. It's also very important to pay attention to your surroundings.
"It's best to go in groups, just so that you make noise as you're walking along, talk with each other, if you're alone just hum, make noise every once in a while, bear bells might help a little bit. Be aware if there's signs of new bear activity along the trail, like scat along the trail or turned up logs, things like that," said Sallows.
Of the three North American bear species - Black Bears, Brown Bears, and Polar Bears - Black Bears are definitely the most docile. Though that's not to say they're not dangerous. Since 2020, there have been 8 Black Bear attacks in Canada, with 4 of those being fatal. For the most part, if you avoid them, they'll avoid you, but it doesn't hurt to practice good bear safety.
"We only have Black Bears in Riding Mountain, but they do come in different colours, anywhere from blonde with black socks, things like that, or just jet black, cinnamon coloured ones, brown ones, they're all different colours...bears are very weary of people for the most part, unless they've been habituated to human food, but if you're out on the trail, they should usually be gone if you're making noise, they'll run away long before you see them," said Sallows.
Parks Canada estimates there could be as many as 1,000 Black Bears in Riding Mountain National Park.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
School Bus Safety Week is in October.
During the month, the Manitoba Association of School Business Officials runs a School Bus Safety Poster contest. There are two categories. One for kids in kindergarten to grades three. The other is for students in grades four to six.
A new theme is given every year. This year, the theme was "Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes". For the second time in MVSD history, a student in the division took home the crown.
Bentley Sanderson from Mackenzie Middle School won the contest in the grades four to six age group. For the win, Bentley was presented with a new bike from MVSD transportation supervisor, Ernest Karpiak.
"Really and truly, I think Bentley was shocked to be chosen as the winner," said Karpiak. "When I told him that he was chosen from the province, I think he was amazed. When I brought the bike out, it was kind of hidden, and he was in disbelief. He couldn't believe that was his new bike."
In a post, MVSD congratulated all students in the division who participated in promoting the importance of school bus safety through art. Karpiak has been the transportation supervisor for 13 years.
While School Bus Safety Week is recognized in October, Karpiak says it's an everyday thing during the school year. It's something MVSD has always stressed, bus safety.
"All the time. Bus safety is done within the school and within the buses with the drivers," ended Karpiak. "Teaching the students how to cross the roads properly. How to enter and exit the bus. We do bus evacuations so the students know what to do in the event of an accident."
After 13 years with MVSD, Ernest is moving on. He purchased a business. Stay tuned to CKDM NewsNow for more details on that in the coming days.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
After years of delays and changes to plans, Dauphin has finally started construction of a new childcare facility.
Martijn Van Luijn, Dauphin's Economic Development Manager, said it'll take a while to fully build the daycare, but progress will be seen very soon.
"The major construction of the building is going to roughly take a year. After that, we will use the summer of 2027 to do finishing ground work and exterior work, our deadline is September 2027...it's not a prefab construction, but a partial panel construction. You'll see the building go up pretty quickly, then it's going to take a longer time to do all the finishing work and the interior work," said van Luijn.
This facility has been in the works for a very long time. First announced 4 years ago, there have been several delays with different parts of the project.
"Four years ago we got the news that we were awarded this facility, and it's taken us this long to get the project online, there's two reasons for that," said van Luijn.
He said the City of Dauphin had to reach out to the Provincial Government a few times for more funding, and there was lots of conversation and collaboration with the daycare's future operator.
After a detailed selection process, the City of Dauphin chose Parkland Campus Kids, operating out of Assiniboine College's Parkland Campus, to run the new daycare once it's completed. van Luijn said he's had a lot of great conversations with Janie Inkster, the daycare's manager.
"She's very knowledgeable, and she got to have a lot of input on the location and the functionality and the interior of the building, which is great, that's why we're so happy that we included her right from the get-go, because it had to be a functional building," said van Luijn.
The new childcare facility will be near Credit Union Place, by the old Brewers ball diamond.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Dauphin and area, you've done it again.
Canadian Tire hosted a BBQ fundraiser in town on Monday, and what a day it was. The BBQ raised $800. Owner Jeff Bonnor was absolutely blown away by the support. If you purchased a hot dog, smokie or a drink, you helped play a part in the Jumpstart Program.
Canadian Tire Dauphin was also proud to match those contributions. That means in total, $1,600 was raised in support of the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. For Jeff, it was an honour to match what was raised.
"Absolutely. Just seeing everyone coming and getting a hot dog, smokie, and donating, it filled our hearts with so much joy," said Bonnor. "We felt privileged to be able to contribute to the great cause that is Jumpstart."
The Jumpstart program provides financial assistance to help children from low-income families participate in sport-focused activities.
Last year in the Parkland, 60 families were helped through the program. Five of which were assisted with individual grants. The remaining 55 were through community grants such as Regional Connections.
The funds raised will help ensure children facing financial barriers have the opportunity to participate in sport and recreation programs, where they can build confidence, develop friendships, learn valuable life skills, and experience the benefits of being part of a team.
Jeff also wants to give a special shoutout to the Dauphin HERO Club. They donated their time and provided a BBQ. Without them, this event wouldn't have been possible.
"I can't say enough great things about what the HERO Club does or the fine folks that are a part of it," added Bonnor. "Every single one of them was more than happy to donate their time. They donated the hot dog cart and got another BBQ from Irving's Catering, so shoutout to them as well. Everyone was having a great time."
Bonnor says plans for another Jumpstart fundraiser are already in the works with the HERO Club. Stay tuned for more details and another opportunity to support local kids through sport and recreation.
"And we're trying to do something with the firefighters as well," commented Bonnor. "So, hopefully, everything will come together if not the same week, on different weeks throughout the summer. Stay tuned. If not late July, it'll be early August."
Last July, Jeff became the new owner of Canadian Tire in Dauphin. He took over on July 24. He, wife Jennifer, and their two kids, Nolan and Devon, have since fully immeresed themself in the local community.
Jeff says the family loves living and working in the community.
"Not only has it flown by with how much has been going on, but the support and embrace of the community has been wonderful," he ended. "We want to say thank you to everyone in the Parkland for having us and letting us be a part of the community."
Special things are going on at Canadian Tire in Dauphin. Next time you're out and about, Jeff invites you to come check out the store.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Watson Art Centre recently released the results of their Community Survey. Overall, it looks like people of the Parkland definitely understand the Watson's importance, and they want to see it going strong.
Cam Bennet, Watson Art Centre Chairman, said they wanted to get the results before their Annual General Meeting last week to talk about them. This year's survey didn't have many respondents, but they were from all across the Parkland.
"It was about a two or three week period a couple weeks back, took us a little while to sort of get to the results, we had our AGM coming up so we wanted to have those results for our AGM, and then once the AGM was over, then we released them to the public just a few days ago...we had 37 respondents from the community, but interestingly enough, there was responses from all over the region, it wasn't just the City of Dauphin, we're finding out more and more that the Watson is a regional hub," said Bennet.
The survey shows some consistently positive ratings for the Watson: 4.06/5 for Overall Experience, 4.78/5 for Importance to Dauphin and the Surrounding Region, and 4.42/5 for Value to the Community. Additionally, 32 of 37 respondents supported municipal taxpayer support for the Watson, and 34 of 37 respondents said public support for arts and culture facilities is important.
The feedback wasn't all pats on the back. Bennet said they did receive a few criticisms and feedback points that they'll discuss in the near future, and they also got a lot of different requests for types of programming people want, like workshops and classes, and community lectures or speaker events.
Though surveys like this - where people answer if they want - always have a higher than usual level of bias, Bennet said he'd definitely support partnerships with groups like the Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation or the City of Dauphin to complete a more impartial survey of the community.
"It's a self-selected survey, so we expected people that had complements to answer. There were a few criticisms or suggestions that we'll take into a board meeting and discuss...one of the things that I think the Watson needs is more hard data, to really get an understanding of where we sit in the community, what we do well, what we can do better," said Bennet.
Bennet also wanted to thank the community for showing the Watson so much support over the years. They wouldn't be anywhere near where they are now if it wasn't for the generous community support they've received.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
