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The body of late Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick will lie in state at Manitoba's legislative building.
Merrick, who was 62, died suddenly on Friday when she was speaking to reporters outside of Winnipeg's law courts. She collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where she passed away.
A wake, funeral and burial are being planned in her home community of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, but no dates have been set as of yet. On Saturday, Premier Wab Kinew said that Merrick's family have been permitted for her to lie in state and the province is expected to announce the date for the lying in state soon.
Cathy spent more than a decade as a band councillor at Pimicikamak First Nation and became the community's chief in 2013, the second woman to do so. She was then elected grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in October 2022 and was re-elected in July of this year. Merrick became the first woman to lead the advocacy group in its nearly 35-year history.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
A man arrested following a high speed chase last month on the Ebb & Flow First Nation has made another court appearance.
33-year-old Sean Beaulieu remains in custody until his next appearance on October 8th.
And one of three suspects in a New Year's Eve armed robbery on the reserve was also back before a judge late last week.
27-year-old Braden Moar had his matters put over until May of 2025.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
UPDATE:
Keith Racette has been arrested. The RCMP thanks the public and the media for their assistance.
The Ste. Rose RCMP are on the lookout for an individual after arresting another, who were both involved in making violent threats on a video posted online.
On August 31, at approximately 6:05 pm, Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP was made aware of a video circulating on Facebook showing a male with a firearm on his front porch looking at an RCMP officer and, with another male present, making direct threats about killing the officer while the officer was at a neighbouring residence in Ebb and Flow First Nation.
The officer was executing an arrest warrant and was unaware of the firearm and the threats being made.
After seeing the video, officers attended to the property immediately. A drone was used to ascertain who was on the property, and the individuals inside came out and threw items at the drone.
Instructions were provided by loudspeaker to come out of the residence, and five people exited.
Germaine Beaulieu, 29, was arrested and charged with Uttering Threats Against a Person, Possession of a Firearm, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, and Weapons Possession Contrary to Order. He is remanded in custody.
Keith Racette, 29, is wanted on the same charges as Beaulieu but has not yet been located. He is believed to remain in the community or could have travelled to Winnipeg.
Racette is described as 5’9” tall, 194 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. He has a large tattoo on the left side of his neck and a large birthmark on his left cheek. He is considered dangerous. If seen, do not approach. Call 911.
If you have information on Racette’s whereabouts, please call Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP at 204-447-3082, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The final numbers are in from the 7th Annual Dauphin Memorial Ride, which was held last month.
Close to 50 motorcyclists, car enthusiasts, and supporters took part in the August 17th event, which raised three thousand dollars for current and future needs of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre.
Organized by Tony's Auto Electric, and JDS Laundromat, this year's 300 km ride went through Minnedosa and Shoal Lake.
In a news release, both the Dauphin Hospital Foundation, and Dauphin Regional Health Centre, thanked the organizers, participants, and everyone that contributed to the success of this year's event.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
There has been a breach in containment at Clear Lake.
Zebra mussels have been a looming threat to the lake throughout the summer, and the curtain containing them has been compromised.
Park canada has confirmed that strong winds created waves to push the containment curtain out of place.
Investigation is underway with Parks canada and their contractor to assess the repairs.
This containment curtain was installed at the start of August as an addition to the boat ban to prevent the spread of zebra mussels.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
A 33-year-old man arrested following a police chase last December in Ebb & Flow has had a new court date set.
Cash and drugs were seized following the chase.
Edward Sutherland remains in custody until his next appearance in Brandon court on September 12th.
And a Dauphin man facing several charges, including aggravated assault and uttering threats, has had another new court date set.
40-year-old Wayne Becks was arrested by Yellowhead RCMP following an incident in November of 2022, and is slated to return to court on September 17th.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Paws for a Cause walk and run will be raising funds this month with the Parkland Humane Society.
Both adults and children can register for either a 2k or 5k walk by committing donations. Tax receipts will be offered on donations over 20 dollars, as they will be tax deductible.
Janine Daniluck is with the planning committee for this event, and she has a full day of fun planned.
"We'll have different speakers that are going to be speaking a little bit about the history of the shelter, we're going to have a 50/50 and silent auction. We're going to have a kid zone, which was a real hit last year, so there will be a lot of fun kids' activities. There's also going to be a BBQ available which is going to be co-hosted by the DRCSS culinary team."
Daniluck also has details on how you can get involved with this event and the shelter.
"There are definitely volunteer opportunities at the event for anyone that might be interested in helping, but I know the shelter is also looking for either casual volunteers or people to actually sign up for shifts. The best way to go about doing that is to contact the shelter to see what shifts might be available and to get yourself added on to that volunteer list."
Pre-registration runs until sept 19th, and pledge forms can be found online, or at the Parkland Humane Society.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick has passed away after collapsing outside of the Law Courts Building in Winnipeg on Friday.
Merrick was speaking to media about a case when she collapsed.
Merrick was elected as the first woman to lead the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in October of 2022.
The former chief of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation was re-elected to the position in July of this year.
In a statement his afternoon, Premier Wab Kinew said flags at the Manitoba Legislature have been lowered to half-mast in honour of Merrick.
He added he will miss her counsel, her drive to get things done, and most of all - her hugs.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The McCreary Heritage Advisory Committee is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and is holding a special Music at the Museum night to celebrate.
The free event was originally set for August 23rd before being postponed in the wake of the deadly murder-suicide in that community.
It will now take place this Saturday at the McCreary Heritage Museum, beginning at 7 pm.
It will feature music from Kaitlyn Griegson, as well as a 50/50 draw.
You are asked to bring a lawn chair if you are going to be attending.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Two high-profile cases in the Swan Valley were back in court this week.
New court appearances were set for 29-year-old Dean Bell and 40-year-old Tyrone Guiboche, in connection with the stabbing death of a 33-year-old man this past January.
The two Swan River men are each charged with Manslaughter and remain in custody until their next appearance on October 16th.
And a new court date has also been set for a man charged following a May incident on the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation.
An arrest was made after reports of a man wielding a weapon and threatening people on the reserve, before allegedly stealing a vehicle and possibly hitting someone on an ATV.
26-year-old Errol Leask remains in custody on multiple charges, and will make his next appearance in Swan River Court on Wednesday.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
It was an incredible weekend up on the hill and the good times are set to roll on.
Dauphin's Countryfest will return in 2025 during the Canada Day Long Weekend.
"We certainly are coming back, we're in the planning stage as we speak," said Duane McMaster, President of the Board of Directors.
If you are a member, a pre-member ticket sale will begin on Monday, September 9. Head to Countryfest to secure your tickets for next summer on Monday if you're a member.
Ahead of the 2025 event, McMaster confirmed a couple of changes will be made with one of the most significant changes being the return of the festival on Thursday. While gates opened on Thursday this year, there was no entertainment.
While McMaster does not know what the Thursday night will look like as of yet, he does say those plans are well underway.
"That was in response to our fans, we had a lot of feedback that people missed the Thursday night party," ended McMaster. "We may have to adjust our ticket prices a little bit, but we want the people to be happy. People like that extra night so we will be bringing it back."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
