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For our final article of Ag Appreciation Week, We're highlighting a local voice that's been farming for nearly 50 years.

Ernie Sirski is the Reeve of the RM of Dauphin. He started his ag career in 1974 and got deeper into the political aspects of it in 1991 when he helped organize one of the largest farm rallies ever held in Canada on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature. 

Through that, he got deeply involved with a wide variety of national and provincial farm groups including Manitoba Pulse and Soy Bean Growers, Soy Canada, the provincial and national Canola Councils, and the board of United Grain Growers.

The culmination of this life experience allows Sirski to give us some keen insights into how Agriculture fuels communities. 

"You look at our local municipality and the biggest tax base is still the agricultural land that we use and we produce the product that turns into food."

Sirski notes the reciprocal support of the industry is key to keeping community shops around. 

"Things like the farm dealerships that are located in this city, we're fortunate to have 3 very good dealerships but not only that it's the small businesses on Main Street. It's the small businesses in the mall that we support. If we didn't support them, we wouldn't have them. That's the reality."

A message that Sirski sends to everyone is a message of involvement.

"I say this regularly, Get involved. Because you know what? I can't do it all, the rural municipal council can't do it all, and the staff can't do it all. But as yourself, get involved... I don't care if it's getting involved in your church, getting involved in your RM, getting involved with the Ag Society, or getting involved with your hockey club. Do something, because without that, we don't have a community."

Sirski capped off our conversation with two important reminders.

One is that if you see a producer driving farm equipment down a back road or highway, slow down and take care. Everyone deserves to get home safe at the end of the day.

And two;

"If you got time, go hug a farmer."

Thanks for joining 730 CKDM this week in our mission to send the love and appreciation that Agriculture workers deserve to them over the air and on our website.

And to the Ag workers reading this article, from everyone here at CKDM, Thank you. You're such a core aspect of our economy, our community, and life in general.

We really can't say it enough.

Thank you.

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The case of a summer armed robbery in Minitonas will return to court on December 20th

On August 2nd, Swan River RCMP said a man was held against his will in a home by five people, suffering minor injuries after he was robbed with a firearm.

Police searched the same home on August 7th, seizing quantities of crystal meth, cocaine, heroin, and MDMA, as well as drug paraphernalia, ammunition, and stolen property from the earlier robbery.

27-year-old Nikko Guiboche of Minitonas, 27-year-old Dawson Kozminski-Ursel, of Teulon, and 37-year-old Tanelle Mohr of Minitonas were all arrested as a result of the search. 

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A Winnipeg man charged in relation to a drug bust in the RM of Dauphin was back in court again this week.

32-year-old Jory Rowe is having his case heard in Winnipeg, and his matters have been pushed back to November 21st.

In March of 2021, Mounties pulled over a vehicle on Highway 5, about ten kilometres west of Ochre River.

After the driver refused to provide a breath sample, he was arrested.

A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of a large variety of cannabis products, about 195 grams of cocaine, cash, and an open bottle of liquor.

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The Old Fire Hall at the Watson Art Center will be Rocking tonight with their Open Mic Night.

Michelle Nyquist with the Watsons notes that admission is just 5 dollars, and it's a great time for local talent to strut their stuff.

"It is a fabulous opportunity for locals to perform in this grand old building, The Watson Art Center."

The Old Fire Hall is just a fraction of the building, but Nyquist says the smaller venue packs a punch.

"It's intimate, cozy. we've invested in some lights and sound and yah, things are coming along for a smaller performance venue in the old fire hall."

This event is held once a month and is hosted by Gary Procyshyn. 

Performers are asked to show up at 6:30 pm for sound checks, and the show starts at 7. A cash bar and popcorn will be available.

This Open Mic Night is a proud presentation of CKDM.

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An annual tradition is coming up in less than 10 days to light up the streets of Dauphin.

The Dauphin Christmas Parade Of Lights will be taking place on November 25th, and there's still time to register a float.

You can register your float or group by contacting Crystal at 204-647-1155 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Pam Werbiski with the parade is excited to have a great parade and to warm the viewers up with refreshments.

"As far as number of floats, we range in the just under 50 mark. we're hoping to hit that again this year, and we'll have hot chocolate stands and cookie stations along the route that are free for everyone."

The deadline to register is Tomorrow, Friday, November 17th.

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With a few days remaining in their first-ever Holiday Smile cookie campaign, the tasty treats have been a huge hit with Dauphin and area residents.

The Dauphin and District Community Foundation announced that as of this morning, 8,044 of the cookies have been sold. 

The foundation is set to receive 50 per cent of proceeds from all holiday smile cookie sales in Dauphin, with the remainder going to Tim Horton's Foundation camps.

The campaign runs until Saturday, giving you a few days to purchase a cookie and support your community at the same time.

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As we continue Ag Appreciation Week at CKDM, today we highlight a local producer who's been expanding his operation.

Adam Strang's operation is just east of Dauphin and has been a very grain-focused area for a while.

Through the help of Manitoba Egg Farmers, he's branched out into the business of Eggs.

This Provincial Organization offers avenues into the egg business through their new entrant draws which provides a wealth of money and resources to jump-start new ag producers in Manitoba.

Strang found a great deal of support from this group we he started up his laying operation in 2021.

"Manitoba Egg Farmers has been very supportive through the whole journey of getting this operation set up. whether it be putting me in contact with equipment salesmen in the industry or contractors, feed suppliers, or people at the hatcheries, they've just been very supportive."

Strang notes the biggest reason for this expansion is the farmers at MEF who give back to the world of farming through projects like this. 

"If it wasn't for Manitoba Egg Farmers and their quota draw, I definitely wouldn't started this operation."

When it comes down to how you can send some appreciation to this local operation, it's as easy as a balanced breakfast.

"The best way to support an operation like myself would just be going to the grocery store and buying eggs there because that's where my eggs will be"

Adam Strang's situation is a perfect example of how producers support each other to keep their industries flourishing, and he very much appreciates all the help that Manitoba Egg Farmers sends his way.

CKDM also sends our appreciation to MEF, Adam Strang, and all the amazing people in the agricultural sector, as we continue with Ag Appreciation Week.

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The Dauphin Kings are set for one of their most marquee games of the season.

On Friday night, they'll host the Portage Terriers and it's a big contest for a couple of reasons. Dauphin has won 13 of their 16 games this season while the Terriers have 12 wins this year and sit third in the East Division.

There is also an incredible list of raffle prizes available as the game will mark Ag Appreciation Night. Among the prizes up for grabs will be a $1000 Westjet travel voucher along with a $1000 package at Elkhorn Resort. 

Derrick Brucks is the team's marketing director.

"We're excited, we have over $10,000 in raffle prizes," said Brucks. "We're going to unveil some nice jerseys and we have some face painting for the kids. It's going to be an incredible night."

Tickets are also on sale for the game and cost just $7. You can get them from 2:30 to 5:30 on Thursday at Credit Union Place and again on Friday afternoon, the puck drops at 7:30.

"Ticket sales are going great, we're very happy with how things are going," ended Brucks. 

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The Kinsmen Aquatics Centre at the Parkland Recreation Complex is set to re-open as of today (November 16).

Earlier this week, Dauphin Rec Services said the pool would be closed for the remainder of the week and possibly longer due to an issue with the pool heating system.

However, they have now announced that a temporary fix has been done to the system that has allowed the pool temperature to return to normal levels. 

They hope the repairs will hold until a new booster pump arrives within 8 weeks. 

Swimming lessons will resume this Saturday, with previously canceled sessions also rescheduled for next Monday and Wednesday.

Anyone with questions can contact the pool desk at 204-622-3112.

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As the colder season rolls in, Dauphin residents are noticing a larger presence of some furry neighbors.

Foxes are often around, but lately, more have been seen around the city.

Todd Tarrant with Dauphin Animal Control does have some concerns as these populations keep popping up.

"With this warm weather, the foxes aren't going to den. They're trying to train their young ones how to hunt still. The biggest fear I have now that's coming to front is the animals are being fed by people in town trying to help them out until the cold weather comes, which is exactly the opposite of what you want to do."

As cute as foxes are, they're still wild animals that can be unpredictable in their interactions with humans and local pets.

It's important to make sure pets are kept on a leash in accordance with city laws.

Keeping pets on a leash, and cleaning up leftover bones and scraps can help minimize interactions between pets and wildlife, which keeps them both much safer.

Tarrant speculates that the rising population is due to a number of factors.

One is the availability of food for them in the city, either from human scraps or the equally exploding rabbit population.

He notes that in the gap of hunting and trapping that COVID-19 left, it created an abundance of food for predators like foxes and coyotes, which in turn let their populations rise as well.

Tarrant is always looking for people to call in any sightings they have of foxes or other wildlife.

If you have seen a fox around Dauphin, Tarrant urges you to call him at 204 648 3593 so he can keep tabs on wildlife and safely catch and release them to a safe environment.

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As we continue Ag Appreciation Week at CKDM we contacted the province's ag minister and Dauphin's MLA Ron Kostyshyn.

His history as an ag producer in the Dauphin area, as well as his role in the provincial government, gives him a unique perspective on the effects of agriculture on both the local scale of Dauphin, and the larger provincial picture.

"There's no better place than the Dauphin constituency, where the value of agriculture is an important component as far as economic growth. It continues to grow."

As part of his time in office, Minister Kostyshyn is looking forward to expanding the scale of the ag sector by developing more processing businesses to complement the wealth of producers we already have. 

"We live in an opportune time in our province of Manitoba to start to develop added value opportunities. we know we have a number of commodities that we are going to be focusing on so we can have secondary industries start-up in our geographic area that provides additional employment and economic spin-off to all geographic areas in the province of Manitoba"

Kostyshyn wanted to recognize a sector that's often overlooked when people think of the agricultural landscape, even though it drives both food and tourism.

"The commercial fishing industry is a key component in our geographic area as well that provides food to different marketplaces throughout the world. Freshwater Fisheries is one of the great wholesalers of finished products. We know that producers, commercial fishers in Winnipegosis and Lake Manitoba add to that economic spin-off as well"

With the massive amount of tourism that the fishing drives in the province, this sector drives a lot of industries that aren't usually thought of in the conversation of Agriculture.

At the end of the conversation, Minister Kostyshyn wanted to send his message of appreciation out to all the hard-working individuals who keep the cogs turning in the Agricultural sector.

"I want to thank everyone directly and indirectly involved in the Agriculture industry. We thank you for your hard work and the challenging times you face. Sometimes we wonder if it is all worth it, but at the end of the day it's for the love of the occupation that continues to make you do what you choose to do, and I can't say it any better thank you for all the hard work you do."

And as always, CKDM has that same level of appreciation for all of the workers of the agricultural world, and we'll continue to highlight its importance through Ag Appreciation Week! 

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