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Western Days returned to Sandy Lake last weekend and it was very well attended.
Charlene Lewandoski, a member of the Western Days Committee, says that it was probably the biggest Western Days they've had in 26 years.
"[There were] definitely more [people] than in 2019. I would say that there [were] well over 2,000 people in attendance," she adds.
Lewandoski says that the pancake breakfasts and beer gardens were packed as well.
"They served over 700 people for breakfast... at lunchtime, they served over 750 people borscht and bread... [the beer gardens were full] and come supper time, we couldn't find a spot to sit," she adds.
She then went on to say that the fireworks show was a big hit with everyone.
"A lot of people showed up and then we [did] them over the lake, so there [were] a lot of boats on the lake as well," she adds.
According to Lewandoski, there will be another Western Days next year.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
The Dauphin RCMP are looking to speak with anyone that has information regarding an armed assault that took place a couple of years ago.
They responded to an assault that occurred in the Grandview area on May 28, 2020, at around 1:30 a.m.
Their investigation has determined that a 37-year-old male from Grandview was seriously assaulted and left on the side of the road on Highway 366 near Highway 5, just outside Grandview.
Someone driving on the highway at that time found him injured and drove him to the hospital.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Dauphin RCMP at 204-622-5020, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or leave a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
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Rainbow Beach Provincial Park had been badly damaged this spring due to flooding. During that time, Manitoba Parks was forced to close the park's campground.
Kim Duncan, park district manager for Manitoba Parks in the Parkland, says that the campground and most of its campsites have since been reopened.
"We do have some areas that are still closed, but those areas are signed to inform the public that they shouldn't go there. Our campsites that are open are in good to very good condition," she adds.
As for the closed campsites, Duncan says that the main reason for them being closed is standing water and that their group sites have a fair amount of debris, like tree branches, from the flooding.
Duncan also says that many steps are taken before they can reopen a closed campsite.
"We want to make sure that... the piece of equipment we think campers will bring on site will be able to access it with no issues and that the amenities that go with that campsite, such as water, electricity, the picnic table, [and] the fire pit, are in good or excellent working order," she adds.
According to Duncan, since they don't know how all of the repairs will go just yet, there is no timeline for when closed campsites will be reopened.
Anyone who booked a campsite that's closed will be notified by email or will receive a phone call from the Manitoba Parks Reservation Service in Winnipeg. They can also be reached by phone at 1-888-482-2267.
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Riding Mountain National Park has issued a reminder on social media to those who have been stealing park signs lately.
This comes as a recent anonymous tip led park wardens to issuing fourteen charges against several people in connection to the removal and theft of signboards.
If you happen to see any activity related to the theft of signboards in the park, call Parks Canada Dispatch at 1-877-852-3100.
In emergency situations you are reminded to call 911.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
Five years ago, Tony Shewchuk's sister had cancer and he wanted to do something about it. So he started a Memorial Ride, where he, alongside anyone that wanted to join, would hit the roads of the Parkland, and they tried raising money for the hospital, doing so.
It started with 60 motorcycles and, four years later, Tony and company have raised about $10,000 for the hospital, and that total will rise this weekend as the Fifth Annual Memorial Ride is set for Saturday.
The Ride is open to anyone with a motorcycle, but that's not it. Tony has said people join with their cars and trucks, and have even joined with their bicycles in the past. Everyone is asked to gather at Tony's Auto Electric on Saturday at 10 a.m., and the Ride will then take off for the Lake of the Prairie Dam, before heading to Russell for gas.
The second stop will be at the Rossburn hotel. That's where lunch and a draw will take place. You can buy tickets for that draw for just $10. You can either buy them right now at Tony's Electric, or on the ride.
Fifty-percent of all monies raised go directly to the Dauphin Hospital, while the remainder is given back to those who bought tickets. So, if Saturday's Ride raises $4000, $2000 of that will go towards the hospital, and then there'll be 20 draws for $100. If you buy a ticket, you can have a chance to win!
"We originally started the Ride for my sister, but it has gone far beyond that now," said Shewchuk. "It's a great opportunity to get out with some new people, and go for a ride."
Even if you don't want to drive the entire route, you don't have to.
"You can drive 10 kilometres, the whole time, or anything in between, it's completely up to you," ended Shewchuk.
If you can't make it on Saturday, you can still purchase a ticket by heading to Tony's Electric. The Ride will take place rain or shine, but the good thing is, for Saturday, sunny conditions are expected.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Roblin Agricultural Society has been gearing up to host their fair and rodeo for more than two years and they will do just that starting Thursday.
The annual event was put on pause because of the pandemic; however, it is now back with the food booth opening at 6 on Thursday. There will be no charge to enter the grounds on Thursday with the King Farmer events slated to begin at 7 p.m. and the Gymkhana takes place Friday starting at 6 with a movie night on the Kelly Stage taking place Friday night at dusk.
The parade is set for Saturday morning with the Heartland Rodeo taking place from 6 to 9 on Saturday and from 2 to 5 on Sunday. A family weekend pass is just $90 while an adult weekend pass is $25.
"We've been waiting for this and we can't wait to be back," said Ellen Arnott, president. "We have a lot of great things planned for the weekend and we know people are going to love it."
There are also children's events throughout the weekend and there will be beer gardens all four days as well. You can find out more information by checking out the Roblin Fair and Rodeo on Facebook.
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The Perseids meteor shower is currently taking place and will reach its peak this week.
Scott Young, the planetarium astronomer at the Manitoba Museum, says that you should get out of the city and away from city lights and look up at the night sky to see it.
Unfortunately, there will be a full moon this year, which could make it harder to see. Therefore, Young recommends that you turn your back to the moon to get a better view.
"For us in Manitoba, the peak will be either Friday morning or Saturday morning and there's a little toss-up of when it will be," he adds.
According to Scott Young, a meteor shower is a night where we see more meteors than normal.
"A meteor is often called a falling star or a shooting star, but it's basically a little piece of cosmic space dust that is crashing into the Earth at cosmic speeds and burning up in a flash of light, so when you see a shooting star, you're basically seeing a little piece of dust burn up," he adds.
Young also says that even though that happens throughout the course of the year, there are a few times each year when we go through a big clump of dust, like a big dust bunny in space.
"On those nights, we see a whole bunch more meteors because there's a lot of more dust burning up in the atmosphere, so that's what's happening," he adds.
Scott Young's family is originally from Rorketon in the R.M. of Lakeshore and he has done a lot of observing in the Parkland region.
"I know the skies out there and they are beautiful... If I had the ability to drive out there for the weekend, that's where I'd be actually to observe the meteor shower," he adds.
Young also says that he will try to live-stream it to the Manitoba Museum Facebook page on Saturday.
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It isn't something you necessarily see, but it plays a key role in Dauphin and chances are you have heard people talk about it over the past twelve years or so.
The city's lagoon and wastewater treatment facility will be getting long-awaited upgrades thanks to significant funding recently announced by the Manitoba and federal governments to the tune of $9,100,000.
For Dauphin it could mean attracting new business, but the city's Economic Development Manager, Martijn Van Lujin, says lagoon upgrades are part of a bigger picture.
"It's not just about attracting new businesses which is extremely important, but it's also about creating the right elements in place to be able to do that. That's by creating well-being, healthy communities, safety, there's a lot of things that play a role in why a business wants to come here. What we do with our waste is part of that as well."
Van Lujin also says the lagoon will not be expanded in size but thanks to new technology, wastewater will be able to get processed a lot faster. "That will guarantee that we can use our lagoon for a very long time to come."
Dauphin has seen a lot of new development in recent years including Vermillion Growers, the Dauphin Business Park, and some work being done in the south end of the city. Soon, there will be room for more.
"It's all about getting ready... and I think it's good if we proactively project what we might see in the future, then we get ready for that. That readiness factor in economic development is extremely important - when I talk to a developer I want to be able to say that we have the capacity to work with wastewater, instead of saying 'oh we might be able to help'. Now we can say we do."
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
An investigation is underway by the RCMP after about 2000 bales were fully engulfed in flames this morning.
Just after midnight, the Gilbert Plains Fire Department responded to the blaze, just west of Gilbert Plains on Highway 5. The fire is thought to have started Wednesday night between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and early Thursday morning.
The cause of the fire is suspicious in nature. If anyone has any information, you're asked to call the Dauphin RCMP at 622-5020.
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It was rock at its finest and it marked a return that so many people were waiting for. Rockin' the Fields of Minnedosa has come and gone after the festival made a return following a two-year hiatus.
Thousands of rock fans packed Minnedosa for the festival which included the likes of Our Lady Peace, Nazareth and Honeymoon Suite, just to name a few. The three-day festival came to a close on Sunday, July 31 and people are still buzzing about the great time they had.
Kamryn Winters said it was a great return.
"It went very well this year, it was amazing to see everyone come out after two years without a festival," said Winters. "We couldn't have asked for more, it was a great weekend."
Kamryn said planning is well underway for next year's festival and that a lineup will be released in the fall. When asked what her favourite part about the festival was, she said it was seeing so many wonderful faces.
"This year was probably the biggest the festival has had in a long time when it comes to attendance," ended Winters. "People were so happy to see some of their friends that they haven't in a long time, everyone was in such a good mood. There was genuine excitement and the connection after two years was amazing."
730 CKDM's Sam Brownell, James Blake, Al Gaines, and Angus Hout also spent a day taking in the event.
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Earlier this week saw the Manitoba Conservative Caucus Retreat visit the Onanole area for the annual event. The interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, The Honourable Candice Bergen, had great things to say about the choice of location.
‘Well, it is one of the most beautiful areas in Manitoba. We all say this is a little treasure that I think if all of Canada knew about, they would be here in droves," said Bergen. "It’s just obviously a beautiful area, a wonderful place to be in the summer. But an important area. There’s a lot that’s going on in, the National Park here is important in terms of the work it does: conservation, strong environment work."
During the retreat, Bergen had this to say when asked what had been the most talked about topic.
"We’ve been doing a lot of talking about inflation and the effect that it’s having. Certainly, the price of gas, the price of food, the cost of things going up. Even has an impact when we’re talking about providing support to people who are vulnerable or in need of help," offered Bergen. "The people who need help in our province and in these communities is really going up. Whether it’s food banks or other kinds of support it’s going up and it’s putting a strain on everybody."
She also added that the government’s 30% fertilizer reduction target was the subject of meetings and discussion.
When Parliament resumes in September, Bergen said the party is excited for the announcement of their new leader on September 10th and to hold the government accountable while offering positive solutions.
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