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Provincial Justice Minister Matt Wiebe has spent the past couple of days in Dauphin meeting with local residents and stakeholders regarding the proposed new justice centre for our community.
On Thursday, he sat down with representatives of both the City and RM of Dauphin.
Mayor Dave Bosiak says the need for a facility like this is huge after the previous jail in Dauphin was closed a few years ago by the P-C government.
"When you lose a significant number of jobs that are well paying and professional in many regards, there is a huge impact on the community. We have experienced that and we hope that the opposite is true and that the facility is sort of the foundation to bring back a lot of good paying jobs to the community, as well as more children for the school system."
Bosiak says the city would like to see a restorative justice or training component in the new facility.
"(We hope) the facility could have training components, whether they are developing skills for potentially a work situation upon release, but also the basic life skills, the things that you need to know for when you are in general society."
Bosiak says no timelines were discussed during the gathering.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Dauphin's Countryfest has been a community staple for over 3 decades, bringing Musicians, Country fans, and revenue to our fair city.
Countryfest President Duane McMaster tells us some of the numbers behind the Big event.
"On average here, we have 6,847 out-of-town visitors come to Dauphin every year because of Countryfest, and we're talking a total economic impact of $5.8 million to our region. between what the visitors spend, and what Countryfest spends to put on the event, it's quite a large impact in our region. A lot of money comes in because of Countryfest."
McMaster is truly proud to play such a role in making it all happen.
"I've always thought it was really incredibly impressive to see what Countryfest does for our community, and I feel very honored and proud to be part of this organization because of what it has given back to the community over the years. Obviously I haven't been here the entire time, last year was 35 years Countryfest has been around, and they've been giving back since 1990."
Between investments in infrastructure like the Cinema, The Dauphin Rec center, and dozens of local organizations, Countryfest continues to craft a legacy of Community Development in Dauphin.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Water Testing has wrapped up on the Eb and Flow First Nation, after wells #6 and #7 dropped in pressure earlier in the week.
According to a notice on Ebb and Flow's social media, test results have come back as Safe to drink, with no significant evidence of bacterial contamination.
The Ebb And Flow Chief and Council thank their constituents for their patience and understanding.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Independent Investigation Unit has determined that charges will be laid against a Brandon Police officer for his conduct in a 2023 arrest.
On September 24th, 2023, officers responded to a call of attempted arson, and a suspect fled the scene. As the suspect was fleeing, an officer struck them with a police cruiser, breaking their arm.
The civilian director has determined charges should be laid against the officer. BPS Const. Myran Hamm faces one count of assault causing bodily harm and one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
As this matter is now before the courts, the IIU will not comment further.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
In the courts this week, a former Romanian Orthodox church priest charged in connection with a historical sexual assault in the Russell area made another appearance.
81-year-old Constantin Turcoane of Regina had his matters adjourned until April 23rd.
And a new court date has been set for a man arrested last May on drug-related charges in Dauphin.
32-year-old Wayne McKay appeared in Dauphin Court on Tuesday, where he had his matters adjourned to April 14.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Preparations continue for the Parkland Business Expo, set for May 3rd and 4th at the Parkland Rec Complex.
Dauphin's Countryfest has taken over management of the event, and Rod Carberry says it is a natural fit for them to do so.
"It is a great reminder to our community that Countryfest is a community-first organization. We are really good at event planning and this keeps us fine-tuned and focused throughout the year. Countryfest is a year-round project but having these projects also helps you connect with different vendors and different opportunities and different things that may be a good Countryfest fit down the line too."
Carberry says they wanted to keep the template from previous business expos, adding they did not want to shake things up too much in their first year.
He adds they are approximately 90 per cent full for the expo, adding the event will continue to have a diverse list of exhibitors.
Any business interested in taking part can get more information through Countryfest's website.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The safety group of the Skownan First Nation has raised concerns to its residents regarding dogs in the community.
In a letter issued to Skownan residents, the safety group says some dogs are being neglected and not taken care of properly, which has led to those dogs being aggressive towards people and even attacking smaller dogs.
The group fears that more attacks may happen, so they have announced plans to go around the community and determine which dogs need to be put down.
Owners are encouraged to start leashing their dogs when outside.
Those who no longer want to care for their dog are asked to contact the safety group and let them know.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Southern Chiefs Organization has asked the province's education department and Mountainview School Division to reverse a decision made earlier this week to move ahead with two contentious issues.
Earlier this week, a majority of trustees defeated a motion that if passed, would have stopped the return of God Save the King from being sung in MVSD schools.
They also moved forward with a motion to have all non-provincial and federal flags removed from schools.
In a release on their Facebook page, the SCO says the actions of a small majority of MVSD trustees go against the division's mission, which is to provide an inspiring, respectful, and safe learning environment where every student is valued, nurtured and enabled to reach their full potential.
SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels added that it is essential that First Nations students feel safe and supported within their school environments.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitoba is set to get over $219 million over four years for universal coverage for diabetes medication, contraceptives, and other medical supplies.
On Thursday, Manitoba became the first province to sign a pharmacare agreement with the federal government. Manitoba will also offer public coverage for hormone replacement therapy and the federal government will provide $48 million for access to diagnosis, screening, and medication for rare diseases.
Coverage for most of the products, which will be announced shortly, will begin in June. Manitoba already covers the cost of birth control.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Manitoba Health Officials are responding to a notable spike in HIV cases in the Swan Valley area.
According to a CBC interview with Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer more than 40 new HIV diagnoses have been reported in Swan Valley since October of last year.
Public health authorities established an "outbreak kind of response" by increasing access to testing, asking close contacts of new diagnoses to get tested, and providing treatment.
The province's top doctor acknowledged Manitoba has experienced year-over-year increases in new HIV diagnoses.
The 280 new cases in 2023 marked a 40 percent increase compared with the previous year.
Even then, Dr. Roussin notes what's happening in Swan Valley stands out.
The Main issue cited is the use of intravenous drug use, as many users will not have access to, or use clean needles.
It also creates an issue of contaminated sharps scattered across the area that could potentially infect others.
Resources are available to report on sharps found in public and have them pricked up safely.
More information can be found at the Prairie Mountain Health Website
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Potential human remains have been found at the Prairie Green Landfill.
The remains of two victims of convicted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, are believed to have been taken to the landfill in 2022. An investigation has now begun.
The families of Harris and Myran were notified and attended the site.
The province began searching the landfill in December. The search included 20,300 cubic metres of waste.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
