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Category: News
All money raised through Parkland memory walks stay in the Parkland, and there are more to come.

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Category: News
Dauphin won't be stopping at just one bronze statue... nor is it stopping at two.

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Category: News
The RM of Dauphin is will be installing more stop signs on some of their roads in the industrial park area.

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Category: News
With an election on the horizon, the Manitoba government has outlined a number of capital projects in Prairie Mountain Health to be completed in the next two years.

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Dauphin Man Handed Conditional Sentence

Another one of the people co-accused in a group attack on a Dauphin man has been given a conditional sentence.

24-year-old Paul Lavallee pleaded guilty to assault and forcible confinement in court yesterday and was given a six month conditional sentence followed by 18 months supervised probation and 18 months unsupervised probation.

A co-accused in the same case, Tyler Guiboche, was given a six month conditional sentence last week but pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm.

Judge Donald Slough said yesterday that assault causing bodily harm is not eligible for a conditional sentence. Lavallee's plea was amended to the two lesser charges, but the facts remain the same.

Crown attorney Jay Funke described for the court an attack on a Dauphin man that took place on March 17 of last year.

Court heard the man was attacked by multiple people, and had been cut with a knife. 

Funke told court a "true plea bargain" had been reached after the complainant in the case had become "gravely disinterested" in proceeding with the matter.

Defense lawyer Eric Irwin told court Lavallee was drunk at the time.

Judge Slough accepted the guilty pleas, saying occasionally the justice system requires compromise.

There are two other co-accused in this case.

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KAP Disagrees With Federal Grain-Rail Decision

Manitoba's largest farm lobby group disagrees with the federal governments decision to not renew the minimum weekly grain transportation volumes for the railways.

In early 2014, Ottawa introduced an Order in Council to set out the minimum volumes of grain to be moved by CN and CP rail each week, and added to it by establishing the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act last May. 
 
James Battershill, general manager with Keystone Ag Producers, says not only was KAP hoping that Ottawa was going to renew the grain transportation requirements, but make them corridor specific.
 
Under the Order in Council, CN and CP moved more than 50 million tonnes of grain last year, exceeding their requirements by 5.5 million tonnes.
 
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Where's The Beef... Inspectors?

The union representing Canada's meat inspectors says a critical shortage of inspectors is putting the safety of consumers at risk across the country.

Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture Union, says only 12 of 18 meat hygiene inspection positions are filled at processing plants in northern Alberta. The numbers are the same in the Calgary region.

He says in January, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency also instructed staff in the northern part of the province to cut general sanitation inspection work by 50 per cent.

Kingston says the federal government needs to put more money into meat safety.

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Deadline Today For Thousand Of Foreign Workers

Thousands of temporary foreign workers could be heading to airports to leave Canada today as permits expire for those who've been in the country for more than four years.

After changing the rules in 2011, the Conservative government set April 1, 2015 as the deadline for temporary foreign workers in low-skilled jobs to either become permanent residents or leave the country.

In Alberta alone, 10,000 temporary foreign workers have applied to stay in Canada.

Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland says many of his clients are having a tough time realizing they're no longer welcome after living and working here for years.

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Halifax Plane Wreckage To Be Removed Soon

The wreck of an Air Canada plane that crashed upon landing at Halifax's main airport early Sunday could be removed this week.

The Transportation Safety Board says it has finished examining the site where the Airbus from Toronto touched down well short of the runway and skidded to a stop.

All 138 people on board survived, but 25 were sent to hospital.

Meantime, a second law firm has announced it will file a class-action lawsuit over the crash on behalf of an unspecified number of people on board.

Wagners says the accident uncovers safety hazards it hopes will be addressed as a result of the legal action.

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Mitchell In Good Spirits

Legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is in intensive care in a Los Angeles-area hospital for reasons still unknown.

The singer's Twitter account and website say she was found unconscious in her home yesterday, regained consciousness in the ambulance, and was undergoing tests.

But the statement claims she was awake and ``in good spirits.''

The 71-year-old has received eight Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, and is a member of both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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Category: News

Winnipeg Sprinter Wants Death Penalty For Boston Bomber

A Winnipegger who was a block away from the finish line when the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon two years ago says she hopes Dzhokhar Tsarnaev gets the death penalty.

Julie Whelen is a veterinarian, and says she would volunteer to kill the 21-year-old college student who was convicted in the attack.

Gerry Nagy of Regina, who also participated in that marathon, says he knows Tsarnaev caused a lot of pain and heartache for people, but he doesn't believe in the death penalty.

Tsarnaev's fate will now be decided by the same jury that convicted him on multiple charges, including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction.

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Hay Trends Could Lead To Expansion In Manitoba
 
The chair of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association says there are some trends in the Canadian forage industry that could have an impact on Manitoba.
 
Doug Wray says sales in hay equipment are increasing in Western Canada, and that could lead to an expansion of hay acres in the province.
 
Wray says the CFGA may see more cross fencing in pastures in 2015 for farmers to increase productivity.
 
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Sentencing Beginning For Via Rail Terror Suspects

Two men convicted of terrorism-related charges face up to life in prison as their sentencing hearing is due to start today in a Toronto court.

Raed Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier were found guilty last month of eight of the nine charges they faced.

The case focuses on an alleged plot to derail a passenger train headed from New York to Toronto.

Esseghaier said he only wanted to be judged by the Qur'an.

For that reason, he did not take part in the trial, and says he won't participate in the sentencing hearing.

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Clean-Up Continues In Vancouver Area Oil Spill
 
Efforts resume today to clean up an oil spill in Vancouver's English Bay.

Officials say the spill involves about 3,000 litres of a thick tar-like substance that might be bunker fuel or crude oil.

They say about half the spill has been recovered.

Suspicion centres on a new freighter anchored in the bay, although the vessel's captain has issued a denial.

Transport Canada is investigating to determine where the fuel came from.

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Harper To Meet With Castro At Summit 

Prime Minister Harper is looking to speak with Cuban President Raul Castro at the Summit of the Americas, which starts today in Panama.

Castro's attendance comes as the US moves towards normal relations and drops its 50-year-old embargo against the Communist island.

Three years ago, Canada and the US were the only counties in the western hemisphere to reject a proposal to invite Cuba to the summit.

Since then, Harper apparently had a change of heart.

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Apple Watching Making Its Debut

The Apple Watch made its debut today with prices starting at $349 US.

It's the tech giant's first new product category since the iPad came out five years ago.

Analysts say it will be interesting to see how well the smartwatch will sell beyond devoted Apple fans.

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Category: News

 

Suicidal Criminal's Argument Rejected

Manitoba's highest court has rejected a man's argument that he
should be found not guilty for committing a crime because he was
suicidal at the time.

John Junior Charlette was convicted last year of several charges,
including robbery and assault.

His defence was that his actions were part of a scheme to have
police kill him.

Trial judge Justice Richard Saull said Charlette may have wanted
to die when he was shot by two Winnipeg police officers in a dark
alley after a botched robbery, but that it only occurred once he got
caught.
 
Missing And Murdered Aboriginal Women Statistic
 
R-C-M-P Commissioner Bob Paulson says 70 per cent of aboriginal
females killed in Canada, at least in the cases that have been
solved by police, died at the hands of other aboriginals.

Paulson says most female homicides, across all races, are linked
to family and spousal violence.

Perry Bellegarde, the head of the Assembly of First Nations, says
it's an important statistic to know. He says everybody involved has
to start planning strategies to end the violence.

Dawn Harvard, president of the Native Women's Association of
Canada, says she doesn't understand why Paulson released the figure.

She says there's still a need for a national inquiry into missing
and murdered aboriginal women.
 
Oil Spill Clean-Up In Vancouver
 
Officials say about 20 per cent of the bunker fuel that spilled
into Vancouver's English Bay remains to be recovered.

B-C Premier Christy Clark says the Canadian Coast Guard didn't
move fast enough to contain Wednesday's spill, which came from a
freighter that's on its first voyage.

However, Clark's allegation is rejected by the coast guard, which
says its response was ``exceptional'' and ``solid.''

Federal Industry Minister James Moore says the bill for cleaning
up the 2700L spill will be paid by the Greek company that
owns the vessel.
 
CN Train Derails Near Calgary
 
The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the derailment
of a CN train in a rural area 45 km northeast of Calgary.

Twenty cars carrying grain jumped the tracks and landed on their
sides.

No one was hurt, and there was no fire.
 
Alberta Election Promises From Prentice
 
Alberta Tory Leader Jim Prentice is promising to double the size of the
Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund over the next 10 years.

On the campaign trail yesterday, Prentice noted that previous
Tory governments lost their way with the 17-billion-dollar fund and
he wants to return it to its original purpose __ saving revenues for
future generations.

For decades the Alberta government has been skimming the
investment income earned from the fund and transferring it to
general revenues for program spending.

Under Prentice's plan, which was first announced in last month's
budget, 25 per cent of all provincial energy revenues would be saved
in the Heritage Fund starting in 2019-2020.
 
Harper Seeking Talks With Castro
 
Canadian officials say Prime Minister Harper would welcome a
face-to-face chat today with Cuban President Raul Castro.

They're among the 35 leaders attending the Summit of the Americas
in Panama City.

Government sources say it would be a chance for Harper to tell
Castro he's encouraged at the direction Cuba is taking, but is still
``deeply concerned'' about its human rights record.

Castro meets today with U-S President Barack Obama.

This is the seventh Summit of the Americas, and the first to
include Cuba.

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Category: News

Group Warning Prairie Communities About Pipeline

The Council of Canadians is warning communities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan that the proposed Energy East oil pipeline is a threat.

National chairwoman Maude Barlow told a Winnipeg audience over the weekend that the pipeline could contaminate the city's source of drinking water in Shoal Lake.

In Saskatchewan, where the council stops tonight in Regina, the lobby group says the pipeline would go right through Regina.

TransCanada has proposed a line that would cover carry about 1.1 million barrels of oil a day from Alberta's oilsands to East Coast refineries.

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Turkey Producers Advised To Step-Up Biosecurity

The head of a group that represents turkey producers in Manitoba worries that migrating birds could carry avian flu from Minnesota into the province.

Bill Uruski of Manitoba Turkey Producers says members should be concerned about H5N2 and should step up biosecurity.

Additional cases of the disease were confirmed last week in turkey flocks in Minnesota, as well as in southern Ontario.

Uruski says the cases in Minnesota are more of a concern than the case in Ontario because of the flight patterns of birds heading north.

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Ritz Says Farmers Embracing Marketing Freedom

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says last week's Supreme Court decision not to hear the appeal on the Canadian Wheat Board upholds western Canadian farmers' right to marketing freedom.

Ritz says in a statement that ``the overwhelming majority of farmers have embraced the new economic opportunities created by marketing freedom.''

Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board filed a class-action lawsuit in 2012 over legislation that removed the marketing agency's monopoly on western wheat and barley sales.

It sought leave to appeal after a lower court struck down the main parts of the class-action.

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Beaten Edmonton Man Was Wrongfully Targeted 

Police in Edmonton believe a man who was beaten in front of his family and threatened with a gun was wrongfully targeted.

Police say the suspects allegedly beat the dad and dragged him into his house on Friday night, where one of them then assaulted his wife, who was holding their toddler.

Three other children, who were roused from their beds and saw the attacks, fled out the back door.

Investigators say they believe the motive for the attack is drug-related.

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Sentencing Begins For Former Deputy Education Minister

A sentencing hearing is expected to begin today in Toronto in a child pornography case involving a man who was once deputy education minister for Ontario and Manitoba.

Sixty-three-year-old Benjamin Levin pleaded guilty to three child pornography-related charges last month.

Levin issued a statement through his lawyer saying he was ``deeply ashamed'' of his actions.

Court heard that Levin frequented a website with numerous chatrooms for sexual discussions.

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Clinton Hits The Road For Presidential Campaign

Hillary Rodham Clinton is hitting the road as she starts her 2016 US presidential campaign.

The former secretary of state announced her Democratic presidential bid via YouTube yesterday then hopped in a van and headed for Iowa where she'll appear at her first event tomorrow.

Meantime, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio is expected to launch his bid for the White House today.

But the Florida Republican everyone is waiting to hear from is former governor Jeb Bush.

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Category: News
 
Property In Sifton Fire A Total Loss
 
Dauphin Fire Chief Cam Abrey says a fire in Sifton yesterday caused a large amount of damage and is still under investigation.
 
CKDM erroneously said yesterday the fire was believed to have started in a chimney, but Abrey says there is an indication from the owners it started in the attic.
 
Abrey says they can't prove or disprove that.
 
He says the Dauphin Fire Department was dispatched to a chimney fire, but when they arrived the house was completely engulfed in flames.
 
Both Dauphin and Sifton Fire Departments fought the blaze.
 
Dauphin Chief Abrey says there were no injuries and there are no damage estimates at this time.
 
The property is a total loss.
 
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The Siren Is Back On!... For Now
 
The 10:00pm siren in Gilbert Plains is back on, at least for now.
 
A resolution was passed at last night's council meeting deeming it necessary to review the need for the 10:00pm siren, but in the meantime it will be sounding three times per day.
 
Lloyd Beckley spoke to council last night as well, expressing his concern over the siren's removal.
 
He called the siren a part of Gilbert Plains' "lifestyle, uniqueness, and heritage." 
 
Things got heated after Beckley questioned the democratic process and accused one councillor of unprofessionalism.
 
Beckley says it's nice to see the siren back on.
 
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Premier Speaks At Climate Conference

Premier Greg Selinger says Manitoba should have new emissions targets ready to announce in time for a worldwide conference on climate change scheduled this fall.

Selinger and most of Canada's premiers were at a climate change summit in Quebec City yesterday.

Selinger says the discussion mainly saw each jurisdiction discussing individual challenges and plans.

He said Manitoba, which is focused on what he calls a ``broad stewardship approach,'' will have its new emissions targets ready by the time the UN Climate Change conference gets underway at the end of November in Paris.

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Ottawa Strengthens Grain Sector

The federal government is spending $1.4 million to bolster the grain industry.

The cash is for two projects being led by the Canada Grains Council.

One is to help the industry show it is complying with global sustainability requirements and the other is to expand access to international markets.

Agriculture Canada says the grains and oilseeds sector brings in $20 billion in sales at the farm gate. 

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Ag Canada Making Crop Registration Easier

Agriculture Canada says it is going to make it easier to register crop varieties.

Minister Gerry Ritz says there will be two registration tiers - Basic and Enhanced.

He says the changes will give Canadian farmers faster access to the newest cutting-edge varieties.

The government says most major field crops grown in Canada are subject to variety registration, such as wheat, canola, pulses and forages.

The exceptions include corn, food-grade soybeans, chickpeas, fruits and vegetables, ornamental plants, and turf grasses.

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Indian PM Meets With Harper Today

The first Indian prime minister to make a bilateral visit Canada in 42 years will meet with the governor general and Prime Minister Stephen Harper this morning.

Narendra Modi was welcomed by a number of top Conservative M-Ps when he arrived in Ottawa yesterday.

He will visit with David Johnston this morning before meeting with Harper to discuss many issues, including trade, energy, security and culture.

Modi and Harper will then head to Toronto.

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Category: News

Assaulted Teen Taken Off Life Support

A 15-year-old Winnipeg girl who was seriously assaulted while in government care has been taken off life support.

Derek Nepinak, chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, says the girl's family gathered at the hospital and made the agonizing decision yesterday.

He says the family was at her bedside and has asked for privacy.

The girl was beaten and left for dead at a parkade in downtown Winnipeg on April 1st.

Police charged a 15-year-old boy -- who also was in government care -- with aggravated assault and aggravated sexual assault.

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Wheat Board Sale Success Will Take Time To Determine
 
Time will tell what yesterday's wheat board announcement will lead to, says Manitoba's agriculture minister.
 
Ron Kostyshyn spoke to CKDM yesterday about the federal government's privatization of the Canadian Wheat Board.
 
Responding to a question about the federal NDP calling the deal economic treason, Kostyshyn said it's too early to measure the efficiencies and the opportunities.
 
The federal government is selling 50.1 per cent of the Canadian Wheat Board to the newly formed G3 Global Grain Group in exchange for a $250-million investment.
 
G3 will be based in Winnipeg and the remaining 49.9 per cent will be held in trust for farmers. G3 can buy that out after seven years.
 
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Avian Flu Virus Could Be Here For A While 

Avian influenza experts warn the H5 bird flu viruses crossing North America may be around for a while.

The coming nesting season, which will see wild birds converge on breeding grounds in Northern Canada and Alaska, could further spread the virus in wild bird populations.

And that could produce a new wave of outbreaks in poultry operations when the birds fly south in the fall.

The USDA says it's not clear what route the highly pathogenic H5 viruses took to get to North America.

Twenty-nine poultry farms remain in quarantine in an effort to contain the Woodstock, Ontario outbreak, though to date the virus has only been found on one farm.

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Inmate Dies At Stony Mountain

An inmate serving time for sexual assault and sexual interference at Stony Mountain Institution north of Winnipeg has died after being found unresponsive in a living unit.

Correctional Service Canada said in a release that staff performed CPR but the inmate could not be resuscitated.

The government department says 32-year-old Dwayne Mervin Flett was nearing the end of his five-year sentence.

Cause of death has not been released.

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Hero's Welcome Given To Indian PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a hero's welcome at Toronto's Ricoh Coliseum, where thousands showed up to chant his name.

Modi was introduced by Prime Minister Harper, who said his ``impact in India and around the world has been noticed and admired by many.''

Modi told the cheering crowd that India used to be known for its scams, but now he wants it to be known for its development and skills.

Vancouver is the next and final stop on his three-day visit to Canada.

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Canadian Mayors Make Playoff Bet 

Purple prose may be the ultimate winner in a bet between Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson as the Flames meet the Canucks in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Nenshi went to Twitter to ask for ideas on what he should wager, given that he's not a big fan of salmon and Robertson doesn't like beef.

It's been decided that the losing mayor will wear the winning city's jersey and donate just over two kilograms of food to the local food bank for every goal scored.

The loser must also recite a short poem about the victor's city.

The Flames took the first game of the series, winning 2 to 1 last night.

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Category: News
 
Dastardly Brine Leak Still At Large
 
A brine leak in Credit Union Place is still in hiding.
 
Dauphin Rec Services general manager Terry Payne says the leak hasn't yet been found.
 
He says one possibility according to CIMCO is the pipes expanded when the system was turned off and the brine warmed up, closing the leak.
 
Payne tells CKDM the plan is to freeze it again on Sunday and look again Monday.
 
CIMCO has not yet responded.
 
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Service Underway For Germanwings Crash Victims

A memorial service is under way in Cologne, Germany for the 150 people who were killed in last month's horrific jetliner crash in the French Alps.

Investigators allege first officer Andreas Lubitz locked the captain out of the flight deck, then deliberately crashed the Germanwings A-320 into a mountain.

The service in Cologne's landmark cathedral will include the lighting of one candle for each of the victims.

Among those attending are relatives of the dead and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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Privacy Breach Lands Bell In Hot Water

A national class action lawsuit has been filed against Bell Canada, the country's biggest telecom company, over alleged breaches of privacy.

The suit alleges Bell subsidiaries tracked its cellphone customers' Internet use, and sold the information to advertisers.

The suit seeks $750-million in damages.

Although Bell dropped the practice, the company indicates it plans to bring it back.

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Check Those Temps Before Spring Seeding

An agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada says producers should be out checking soil temperatures as they prepare for spring seeding.

Angela Brackenreed notes canola should be seeded into 10 degrees Celsius.

However, she adds four or five degrees will be OK if warmer temperatures are in the forecast.

Brackenreed suggests taking one reading in the morning and one in the afternoon, and averaging that out over a few days.

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Herbicide Risk Reduction Measures Proposed

Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency is proposing some new risk reduction measures for the use of glyphosate.

The agency recently re-evaluated the herbicide.

It concluded products containing glyphosate do not present unacceptable risks to human health or the environment when used according to the proposed label directions.

The agency says farm workers should be kept out of fields treated with glyphosate for 12 hours after the treatment.

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Saskatchewan Strippers Forced To Cover Up

Licenced strip clubs are no longer allowed in Saskatchewan.

Although the province legalized stripping in licenced establishments last year, Premier Brad Wall announced last month he has changed his mind over concerns about sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Wall says an exception will be made for stripping-for-charity once a year.

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Category: News

NDP Wants Parliament Debate On Wheat Board Sale

The federal NDP is asking Parliament for an emergency debate
next week on the sale of the Canadian Wheat Board to foreign
companies.

On Wednesday the Harper government announced it was selling a
majority stake in the CWB to G3 Global Grains.

The company is a joint venture of the Canadian wing of the
American agribusiness firm Bunge and Saudi Agriculture and Livestock
Investment Company Canada.

Winnipeg MP Pat Martin says the debate is needed because the
government dismissed a bid that came directly from Canadian farmers.
 
Sexual Assault Conviction In Winnipeg
 
A Winnipeg man has been convicted of repeated sexual assaults
against his young stepdaughter.

The accused, who can't be named to protect the identity of the
now 16-year-old victim, learned his fate following a trial earlier
this year.

The man is to be sentenced on July 13th and remains free on bail
with conditions including having no contact with the victim or any
children under the age of 16.

He is also subject to a curfew.
 
NHL Player From Melville Arrested
 
Jarret Stoll, a centre for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, is
spending the weekend in a Las Vegas jail.

The 32-year-old native of Melville, Saskatchewan was arrested
yesterday for suspected cocaine possession.

Police say he was taken into custody at a pool complex at the
MGM Grand Hotel.

Stoll is an unrestricted free agent after spending the last seven
seasons with the Kings, where he won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.

Prior to that, he played five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers.
 
National Pet Adoption Weekend
 
Pet Valu Canada is celebrating National Pet Adoption Weekend this weekend.
 
April is Pet Appreciation Month, and Pet Valu collects money for animals and shelters that need help across Canada.
 
Tracy Johnson - business consultant with Pet Valu - says if you want to help out, just head over to Pet Valu this weekend. 
 
Johnson says here in Dauphin, Pet Valu is supporting the Parkland Humane Society and trying to raise $4000.
 
Nationally, Johnson says they're trying to raise $1.5 million this weekend and to find homes for 2000 animals.
 
Federal Budget Surplus?
 
The federal budget watchdog predicts the budget to be tabled
Tuesday afternoon by Finance Minister Joe Oliver will show a
sizeable surplus.

The parliamentary budget office says the government will post a
surplus of $3.4 billion for the fiscal year that ended on the
first of this month -- a full year ahead of schedule.

And, the office predicts a surplus next year as well.

The last six budgets tabled by the Harper government contained
deficits.
 
Canada's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rising
 
Environment Canada says the country's output of greenhouse gas,
which causes global warming, rose 1.5 per cent between 2012 and
2013.

However, it adds per-capita emissions have been declining.
The department says Alberta's emissions in 2013 were more than
Ontario and Quebec combined.

Under the Copenhagen Accord signed six years ago, Canada
committed to reduce its emissions by 17 per cent below 2005 levels
by 2020.

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Category: News

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Former Parkland MP Backs Marijuana Legalization

A former Manitoba Conservative MP has lent his name to a national campaign urging right-wing politicians to legalize pot.

Inky Mark, who represented the riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette for 17 years before resigning in 2010, is a spokesman for the Canadian Conservatives for Legal Marijuana.

The group's website lists three current Conservative MPs and several former ones, including prime ministers Joe Clark and Kim Campbell, along with quotes from them supporting the idea of legalizing marijuana.

It also points to numerous efforts in the U.S. where right-wing politicians are on side with legalizing pot.

Mark wants to run again in his old riding, but this time as an Independent.

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MVSD Capital Plan Wish List Approved
 
Some of the items on Mountain View School Division's five-year capital plan have been there a while, according to the division's secretary-treasurer.
 
MVSD's board of trustees has approved a five-year capital plan to be sent to the Public Schools Finance Board.
 
MVSD Secretary-Treasurer Bart Michaleski says almost everything on the systems replacement list has been there previously.
 
Some of the items on the five-year capital plan include four classrooms for Ecole Macneill, access facilities, roof and wall repairs, child care space, and ventilation.
 
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Pork Boss Confident In Industry

The president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods says he has a great deal of confidence in Manitoba's pork industry.

Michael McCain addressed producers and industry representatives in Winnipeg last week at Manitoba Pork's annual meeting.

McCain talked about bringing balance to the pork industry.

He says right now their facility in Brandon is short 20,000 hogs per week or a million pigs per year.

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Wheat Board Emergency Debate Request Denied

The Speaker of the House of Commons rejected a request to have an emergency debate on the pending sale of the Canadian Wheat Board.

Winnipeg NDP MP Pat Martin made his pitch following question period yesterday, but Andrew Scheer said the issue doesn't rise ``to the level for the need of an emergency debate.''

He told Scheer it is not only the right of Parliamentarians to be able to debate such a major sale, it is their duty.

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Fed Budget Comes Down Today

We find out today what goodies or grief the Harper Conservatives have in store for Canadians as Finance Minister Joe Oliver delivers a balanced budget.

A federal source tells The Canadian Press one item will see newcomers get access to federal loans to help get their professional training up to Canadian standards.

The ``foreign credential recognition loan'' program is set to be made permanent.

The pilot program dates back to the 2011 election campaign, when the Tories promised to better help internationally-trained workers find jobs in their field once they arrived in Canada.

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Reservist Misdiagnosis Not Covered By Military

A 24-year-old reservist says the Canadian military is refusing to accept responsibility for misdiagnosing her brain tumour and won't pay the tab for her continuing care.

Leading Seaman Robyn Young from Windsor, Ontario went to a military doctor complaining of headaches and double vision.

Despite presenting for four years with symptoms of a brain tumour, Young was sent for corrective eye surgery.

Civilian doctors say that surgery was unnecessary and contributes to her persistent double vision and vomiting.

A toonie-sized tumour was found and removed last June.

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Category: News
 
NDP Retains In The Pas
 
Results show the NDP have retained their legislative seat in The Pas.
 
A byelection was held yesterday to fill a spot left vacant when NDP MLA Frank Whitehead resigned last year.
 
Amanda Lathlin has been elected, according to Elections Manitoba's unofficial numbers.
 
She received 1,557 votes; Progressive Conservative Jacob Nasekapow got 817 votes and Liberal candidate Inez Vystrcil-Spence received 369.
 
Voter turnout was 22.1 per cent.
 
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Industrial Park Reserve Given New Classification
 
Dauphin's Industrial Park Reserve has been given a new classification.
 
RM Council approved the change yesterday, and the zone will now be classified as an Economic Development Reserve.
 
Reeve Dennis Forbes says there was money put aside a number of years ago for infrastructure work when the City and RM bought the industrial park area.
 
Forbes explains now that the work is done and the Reserve has been changed, that money can be used anywhere in the community to help develop economic opportunities.
 
Forbes says this is beneficial , as it gives the RM money to promote development.
 
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Local MP Hails Federal Budget...
 
Dauphin's Member of Parliament says just like in a household, when your finances are in good shape, there are many things you can do.
 
Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette MP Robert Sopuck spoke to CKDM about the federal budget unveiled yesterday.
 
Sopuck credited Canada's good financial shape for allowing the federal government to introduce initiatives aimed at saving families money.
 
Finance Minister Joe Oliver's budget projects a 1.4 billion dollar surplus this year, but the government is dipping into its contingency fund to reach that.
 
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...While Opposition Pans Oliver's Document
 
The opposition parties accuse the federal finance minister of an economic magic trick in balancing the books and delivering a budget with a 1.4-billion dollar surplus.

The NDP says Joe Oliver delivered a balanced election-year budget by draining two-billion dollars from the government's emergency, rainy-day fund.

The Liberals dismiss the document as nothing more than Conservative electioneering.

Other critics are disappointed that much of the new cash for major infrastructure and public-transit projects won't start getting doled out until 2017 or '18.

Oliver says there's good reason for the delay, noting these are ``big projects'' that aren't even shovel-ready yet.

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New Measures Proposed For Antimicrobial Use

Health Canada is proposing new measures to deal with the use of antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals.

It says the goal is to minimize the global emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance and conserve the effectiveness of available antimicrobials.

The measures include amendments to the regulations involving personal use importation of veterinary drugs and the importation of veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association says the proposed measures were developed through consultation with industry and other stakeholders.

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100 Year Anniversary Of Massive WW1 Battle

It was 100 years ago today that Canadian troops faced a horrific baptism by fire in the First World War.

Known as the Second Battle of Ypres, more than 6,700 Canadians would be killed or wounded in a massive German attack in Belgium.

The Canadian War Museum's Great War historian, Dr. Melanie Morin-Pelletier, says Canadians distinguished themselves at Ypres and set a standard for troops who would follow at places like Vimy Ridge.

It was also the first time poison gas was used by either side.

The Germans unleashed 5,700 canisters of chlorine gas in a bid to break the Allied lines.

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Category: News

Saskatchewan Community In Shock After Family Murdered

The mayor of Tisdale, Saskatchewan says residents are in shock over news a woman and her three kids were killed by a man who later took his own life in another town.

Al Jellicoe says his town of 3,200 people is a tight-knit community and the tragedy affects everyone.

The four family members were found dead in their trailer at a mobile home park.

RCMP say a man killed three children and their mother -- identified by residents as Latasha Gosling -- then drove to Prince Albert with a six-month old baby and took his own life.

The baby was unharmed.

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Policy Change Responsible For Increased STARS Calls
 
Some policy changes at the Manitoba base for the STARS air-ambulance service has lead to an increase in calls in recent months.
 
STARS says they've had over 90 flights so far in 2015 compared to just 3 from the same time frame last year.
 
Clinical operations manager Grant Therrien says a new partnership agreement with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority lead to the changes with their dispatching criteria.
 
Therrien says despite the increase in calls, there has been no financial impact because the service has a fixed cost that covers their operations.
 
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MTS Warns Of Caller-ID Scam
 
Manitoba Telecom Services is warning its customers about a believed telephone scam using Caller ID spoofing.
 
A recording on MTS' technical support number says some customers report they are getting calls that show their own number on their call display.
 
The telecommunications company says they believe the calls are from outside their network.
 
MTS is reminding its customers not to disclose any personal and financial information to anyone for any reason.
 
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Ag Group Has Mixed Reactions To Fed Budget

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has mixed feelings about this week's federal budget.

President Ron Bonnett says they like items such as the budget's investments in agricultural trade promotion, reduced EI premiums for business owners and the increase in the lifetime capital gains allowance.

He considers the lifetime capital gains increase to one million dollars an important tool for farmers to manage the tax burden associated with the transfer of farm assets.

However, Bonnett says the group is disappointed that certain barriers to intergenerational transfers were not addressed and that there was no investment in research into crop varietal development and climate change adaptation.

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Ag Canada Predicting Increased Crop Production This Year

Agriculture and AgriFood Canada is predicting total crop production in Canada will increase in the 2015-16 crop year, largely due to higher seeded area for corn and soybeans.

The department's April outlook for principal field crops forecasts a three per cent increase in spring wheat area seeded but a 33 per cent decrease in winter wheat.

It's calling for a drop in supply of nine per cent, based on lower 2015-16 production and lower carry-in stocks.

Department analysts expect average crop year producer wheat prices to be higher than 2014-15 because of lower global supply and the forecast weaker Canadian dollar.

The principal field crops outlook is forecasting a four per cent increase in soybean seeded area to a record 2.35 million hectares.

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Canadians Concerned About Arctic Security

It appears people living in countries surrounding the Arctic circle are getting more concerned about security in the region.

In five of the eight countries that form the Arctic Council, including Canada, one-third of 10,000 people surveyed by Canada's Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program feel the chance of an armed conflict in the region has increased.

A majority of respondents felt that way in the other three countries, including Russia.

Russia has been blamed for increasing tension in the Arctic Council through its actions in Ukraine and by holding northern military exercises.

Canada will hand off leadership of the Arctic Council to the US this weekend.

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Category: News
 
Date Set For Age Friendly Consultation
 
An Age-Friendly Dauphin consultation meeting is now set for May 6.
 
The event, taking place at the Dauphin Senior Centre, was originally scheduled for April 15 but a by-election in The Pas prevented the provincial government from promoting any of its initiatives.
 
Kim Armstrong, program coordinator at the senior centre, says they're hoping for an excellent cross-section of people.
 
Armstrong says Age Friendly Manitoba will assess the needs of the community to become more age friendly.
 
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Library Donations Go A Long Way
 
The director of the Parkland Regional Library says donations go a long way in their world.
 
Jean-Louis Guillas says the library has received a few thousand dollars in unsolicited donations in the last three years.
 
According to the library's 2014 annual report, the Dauphin branch was $8,235 in the black, but the regional library had a deficit of just over $37,000.
 
Guillas says the regional library has been drawing on some reserve funds in the last few years.
 
He said that doesn't affect anything at this point but it can't continue indefinitely.
 
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Harper Pumps Up Manitoba Tories

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is spending a second full day in the Manitoba capital today.

He gave a campaign-style speech to more than 300 Conservative party members in Winnipeg last night.

Harper told the crowd his government is cutting taxes, preserving programs and fighting international terrorism.

The Conservatives hold most of the federal seats in Manitoba, but a few high-profile members are not running for re-election, including Canadian Heritage Minister Shelly Glover.

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Saskatchewan Killer Had Mental Health Issues

The family of a Saskatchewan man who killed his girlfriend and her three children before taking his own life says he struggled with mental health issues.

But they say Steven O'Shaughnessy had no history of violence and they will likely never know why the senseless act occurred.

The bodies of 27-year-old Latasha Gosling, and her children Jenika, who was eight, Landen, 7, and Janayah, 4, were found early Wednesday in their mobile home in Tisdale, Sask.

RCMP have said the killer took a six-month-old baby from the trailer and drove to a home in Prince Albert, where he committed suicide but left the baby unharmed.

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New Projects For Beef Research Council

The Beef Cattle Research Council is conducting two new projects.

Studying the environmental footprint of Canadian beef production will be led by researchers at the Lethbridge Research Centre in southern Alberta.

The project will examine changes between 1980 and now in terms of amount and types of feed, land and water needed to produce one kilogram of beef.

The other project will look at the environmental, economic and social impact of the beef industry today and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

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Armenian Genocide Anniversary

Solemn ceremonies were held today in the Armenian capital of Yerevan marking the 100th anniversary of the massacre of one and-a-half million Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

Among the dignitaries on hand was French President Francois Hollande while Canada was represented by Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.

The Canadian government and many historians call it a genocide, although Turkey -- the successor to the Ottoman Empire -- flatly rejects that term.

Turkey claims the toll has been inflated, and those killed were the victims of civil war and unrest.