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Obsolete Brewing Company hosted their annual Puppies and Pints event on Saturday, in partnership with Must Love Dogs Rescue and Transport, to raise money for animal rescue in the Parkland.
Kevin Steinbachs, Part Owner of Obsolete Brewing Company, said the event was a huge success.
"There was people there and puppies there, and everyone seemed to have a good time. The puppies got there just at 2 o'clock and there were people there earlier looking for them, so that sounds like a good sign," said Steinbachs.
Steinbachs said he has high hopes for the proceeds of this year's event. All the event proceeds go to Must Love Dogs Rescue and Transport.
"So the first year [we raised] $10,000-ish, but it's somewhere in there, and it'll be similar this year because it's basically one batch of beer," said Steinbachs.
He was initially inspired to host the event and donate the proceeds in memory of a late best friend: Ruby the Daschund.
"Being also a veterinarian, also having a little dog named Ruby who was a little Daschund who passed away about a year and a half ago, me and my wife were looking for a kind of memorial thing for her, initially I thought I'll get a beer after her, and then I thought local dog rescue that I work with, might as well put the money towards them, so that's how it all kind of came together," said Steinbachs.
For more information about Must Love Dogs Rescue and Transport, click here to visit their Facebook page.
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A couple from the Oakburn area are this year's Manitoba Outstanding Young Farmers.
Braden and Misty Drul were crowned winners on Saturday night during the competition and awards banquet at Elkhorn Resort.
The Drul's operate a multi-generational grain and oilseed farm, and were selected over two other couples for the title.
They will now represent Manitoba in the national competition, which takes place this November in Vancouver.
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The City of Dauphin has submitted a proposal to the province to have highways 5A and 10A rerouted, in an effort to revitalize downtown and make it more pedestrian friendly.
"The idea is just to create a more walkable, pedestrian friendly area. We are a growing community and tourism is becoming a more important asset to us, and this really kind of fits with that thought process where we want to have downtown active and alive, we want people to come and visit...we want local people to be able to enjoy our downtown, and widening the sidewalks and creating a more appealing area fits with that whole philosophy," said Martijn van Luijn, Economic Development Officer for the City of Dauphin.
van Lujin said the plan to revitalize Dauphin's downtown isn't new. The plan came from their ecomonic deveopment committee 2 years ago, and they've already made good steps towards making it a safer and more walkable area.
"In economic development we kind of follow the principle of community economic development, which means community first. It's about creating liveable, safe places, and downtown revitalization really fits in that...we also see some new businesses in [downtown], we have some really home grown businesses. We have a butcher shop and a bakery, and a pet store, and a micro brewery, and a soon to open maker space, so that's when the name Craft District got coined," said van Lujin.
Economic Development's major concern with pedestrian safety in the area is the highways. Though most large local traffic avoids the area, like transport truck drivers who are familiar with the area, there is still the potential for people unfamiliar with the area to increase heavy traffic.
"We want to make it a pedestrian friendly area, and that means that we want to try to avoid as much heavy traffic as possible...it's a total picture, and we're trying to encourage heavy traffic to take a different route, and to get the local traffic that still chooses to drive there to slow down a bit," said van Lujin.
Though the province isn't guaranteed to approve the city's request, it looks bright. van Lujin said there wasn't much opposition from anyone on the provincial side.
"We talked to the minister and people in the department, and it doesn't seem like there's any opposition to it, so we're just going through the process," said van Lujin.
Businesses in the area to be revitalized (pictured above, courtesy Dauphin Economic Development) include the Watson Art Centre, Obsolete Brewing Company, and Western Bakery Dauphin.
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On March 2nd, Dauphin RCMP Officers arrested a man on Main Street South who was in breach of court-ordered curfew conditions. In a news release, they said they found a prohibited rifle after a search. Looking closer, it doesn't look like a rifle at all. The firearm is short, compact, and looks to be held together by duct tape.
It's a textbook example of what the RCMP calls a PMF, or Privately Manufactured Firearm. In an emailed statement to 730 CKDM, a representative of the RCMP's National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) said a recent increase in the number of PMFs seized is concerning.
"In recent years, the RCMP has observed an increase in the number of seized firearms that can be identified as Privately Manufactured Firearms (PMFs) based on the descriptions reported by Canadian police and public agencies to the Registrar of Firearms, in accordance with the Public Agents Firearms Regulations. For example, in 2021, Canadian police and public agencies seized 187 PMFs and, in 2025, they seized 367 PMFs," the statement read.
That's an increase of 96%, almost double the number of PMFs seized in a 4 year span. There's no doubt that recent advancements in techonology like 3D printing have made fighting the issue more difficult for the RCMP.
"PMFs can be assembled with 3D-printed parts and other unregulated components. This is of concern to law enforcement because it circumvents firearm licensing and other regulatory regulations that protect public safety," the statment read.
"The RCMP is aware of the changing technology and continues to monitor developments. Disclosing specific investigative tools or procedures could compromise ongoing and future investigations," read another part of the statement.
Though the fight against PMFs is difficult with technological advancements, the RCMP isn't without an answer. In recent years, legislation has been passed to give police agencies a better chance.
"Bill C-21, an Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), received Royal Assent on December 15, 2023. It included measures to help combat PMFs, namely requiring a firearms licence to import or transfer certain firearm parts and creating offences for the possession or distribution of blueprints and other computer data for the purpose of manufacturing or trafficking. It also updated the list of designated offences eligible for wiretap authorization under section 183 of the Criminal Code to include new firearms offences, including those related to the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of firearms," the statement read.
Manitoba is no stranger to makeshift firearms. Seizures of similar weapons have happened in the past, most recently in Spruce Plains in February. Locally, there was a similar seizure in Dauphin in June of 2023. With Bill C-21 both creating specific offences related to PMFs and expanding ways to discourage criminals from manufacturing or trafficking them, police agencies across Canada are better equipped to fight new dangers that come as a result of new tech.
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Swan River RCMP say an elderly couple in their 60s were not physically injured. despite their house being broken into while they were home.
Mounties say the incident occurred around 10:15 Wednesday night at a residence on1st Avenue South.
A man and a woman - both wearing masks - reportedly entered the home, with the female threatening to shoot the homeowners if they did not follow instructions.
A wallet and some acetaminophen were stolen before the suspects left.
A 41-year-old female suspect was arrested a short distance away and has been charged with robbery with a firearm, breaking and entering, and uttering threats.
Police continue to search for the male suspect.
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The Dauphin Ag Society presented their annual Ron Brook Memorial award during Farm Outlook this past week.
"This year's recipients for the Ron Brook Memorial Award are Ben and Linda Fox." says Chad Sahulka of the Dauphin Ag Society. "The Fox's have put countless hours into volunteering in our community, engaging the youth in the agricultural industry, and just tying all things back to the agriculture industry in their every day life."
The Ron Brook memorial award was created in 1990 to honour the long-time Dauphin Ag Society director.
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Voting begins on Monday for the Heritage Co-op's 2026 director election.
This year, an online option has been added for the more than 36,000 members using a secure digital platform.
In-person voting is also still taking place, with sessions being held at the Sandy Lake and Erickson food stores on March 24, and the Strathclair home centre on March 27.
Members can also vote at the Minnedosa administration office on weekdays during the voting period, which wraps up on the 27th.
Final results will be announced at the Heritage Co-op’s annual general meeting on April 29 at the Minnedosa Community Conference Centre.
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The Mountain View School Division has proposed changes to their wards to be in line with the Manitoba Public Schools Act.
In a release on their website, MVSD said after a review of their existing ward structure, considering population shifts, and the introduction of Bill 16, they found their current ward configuration does not meet provincial requirements.
Lori Slepicka, Secretary Treasurer, said there were 2 main reasons the School Division no longer met requirements.
"We didn't have enough voters for the number of trustees in Ward 1, and we had too many voters for the number of trustees we had in Ward 4. Along with that, Bill 16 was passed where First Nation residents can also vote in school trustee elections, so we need to add First Nations to our wards," said Slepicka.
The School Division has proposed 3 possible new setups on their website. Slepicka said each of the options has its benefits.
"The one with the 4 wards is kind of what people are currently used to, and then the 3 wards allows for more equal distribution of trustees within each ward," said Slepicka.
If you have feedback for the School Division on the proposed changes, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before March 31st with any concerns.
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Manitoba's Outstanding Young Farmer for 2026 will be recognized during a competition and subsequent awards banquet tomorrow (Saturday) at Elkhorn Resort in Riding Mountain National Park.
Anita Penner with the Manitoba Outstanding Young Farmer Program says they look for a number of qualities in their nominees.
"We look for people that have taken an initiative, that celebrate innovation, they practice sustainability, and make outstanding contributions to the agriculture sector."
Three couples will compete for the award this year - Brett and Chantel McRae of Brandon, Braden and Misty Drul of Oakburn, and Joe and Jen Friesen of Grunthal.
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The Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation is set to host a presentation titled "Structure Without Stress" on Sunday, focused around strategies for dealing with stress and burnout.
Martina Villa, Behaviour Consultant Master of Arts, said burnout is a lot more common than you'd think.
"It's like that point where your mind and body are just tired from constantly trying to push forward, and you're going through the motions but the energy isn't there anymore...everything these days moves really quickly in life, people are juggling work, family, responsibility, notifications on your phone, and constant information that we're getting, and there's very little space to pause and be grounded, and just take that time for yourself," said Villa.
She said one of the best ways for people to learn how to deal with stress and burnout and find what strategies work for them is to simply talk about it with others who feel it too.
"When people start noticing those patterns they tend to gain more choice and more autonomy over their life, and they start to recognize when stress is building up and what situations tend to trigger it, and what small shifts might help them regulate their nervous system," said Villa.
Stacy Purdey, DNRC Youth Coordinator, said she had been planning talks like this for a while, and Martina's knowledge on the topic will be a big asset.
"Last year I connected with Martina and I said to myself, here's a chance to use her expertise to share why this is happening, how this is happening, and what we can do about it with the whole community...my hope from the entire presentation and from the series is that people gain the tips and tools that they need to feel empowered and more in control of the chaos that is life," said Purdey.
The presentation is set for Sunday at 2:30, but this isn't the only one. The DNRC plans to host a series of presentations on similar topics, all related to stress and burnout. For more information about the presentation series, click here to view the DNRC Facebook page.
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