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Access to all provincial parks in Manitoba will be free this upcoming Labour Day long weekend.

Provincial Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt hopes Manitobans will get out and enjoy some of the over 90 provincial parks in Manitoba through this initiative.  

Even though entrance to provincial parks will be free, nightly camping fees will still apply.

To reserve a camping site, you can call 1-888-482-2267, or online at www.manitobaparks.com.  

As well, the free access does not carry over to national parks, such as Riding Mountain, where regular entrance fees will still apply.   

Campers are also reminded because the emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Winnipeg, no firewood can be transported outside the city limits.

Firewood is available for purchase from local retailers at most campgrounds.

Transportation violations can result in charges and fines of up to $1,300 for individuals or $15,000 for businesses.

A Dauphin man who is facing charges related to a serious assault from November of 2022 was back in court this past week.

40-year-old Wayne Becks faces several charges including aggravated assault and uttering threats, and was remanded back into custody until his next appearance on September 3rd. 

And one of two people arrested following a November drug and weapon bust in Dauphin also has had a new court date set.

36-year-old Chantelle Ferland is due back in court this Tuesday.

The storm that began overnight Sunday included wind speeds of more than 120 kilometres per hour in some areas and it has resulted in residents in Foxwarren waking up to heartbreak.

The storm that rattled many homes throughout the Parkland region hit the Foxwarren rink and destroyed the roof. Home to hockey stars such as Ron Low, Pat Falloon, and Mark Wotton, to name a few, the current arena was built in 1948 and has also been home to many other stars throughout the years.

In February of 2018, the rink was voted the Coldest Rink in North America on the Rink Rater app. 

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Robert Bouchard grew up playing hockey at the arena and he was in disbelief when he saw photos of the destruction online on Sunday morning. 

"It was such a sad feeling when I saw the photos, heartbreaking," said Bouchard. "I met so many incredible guys playing there and I will always remember the Foxwarren Falcons senior team." 

Danny Johnston has spent more than half of his life at the arena as did his mom and sister. He got into his truck shortly after 6:00 a.m. and drove around town, ultimately to see the arena that has meant so much to him ripped apart.

"It was gut wrenching, my heart broke," said Johnston. "That arena is everything to me as well as any other kid that grew up in this community. That’s where every kid growing up in this town spent all their free time, it was literally the only thing to do around here in the winter."

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"This one hits hard," ended Johnston. 

Sherisse Ziprick's sons Aiden and Keaton grew up playing league games and tournaments in the arena.

"The Foxwarren area is such a tight knit community and their rink is the heart of it all," said Ziprick. "It was always the best rink for sticks and pucks. Seeing kids from surrounding communities playing together was always just a great thing to watch and be a part of."

Sherisse is also optimistic that while hockey will be put on delay at the rink, there will be a time that the great game will once again be played in Foxwarren.

"There will be so many families ready and willing to help in whatever way possible to get that rink standing and operational again," ended Ziprick. "It's history will not end with this storm."

Mother Nature has put a damper on one event in the Parkland.

The Parkland Horseman's Association has announced that all of their events planned for Sunday in Ste. Rose have been cancelled due to the rain that fell in the region Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

The announcement was made Sunday morning on their Facebook page.

This was the 30th year for the Chuckwagon and Chariot races in Ste. Rose.

The Last pest report of the year came out this week, detailing the notable insects on the fields this year.

Dr John Gavloski, the entomologist for this report went through some of the details this year, noting prominent levels of flea beetles, and declining levels of cutworms.

one thing that was remarkably different this year was grasshoppers.

"They're doing a survey right now on grasshoppers. Levels seem down from where they were over the last few years even."

Dr. Gavloski expects these numbers are due to the rain from early in the season.

"Rain, when the eggs have just hatched and they're really young grasshoppers, can be really hard on them. When they hatch from the egg, they don't have fat reserves yet, and they have to feed quickly to get their fat reserves built up and if they don't have a chance to do that because it's pouring rain, you'll get quite a few of them dying off"

Stay tuned for Monday's Noon-hour edition of Agriview for the full conversation with Dr. John Gavloski.

Learning how to help youth that are experiencing a mental health crisis is the focus of a Mental Health First Aid course later this fall.

Participants in the two-day event will gain the skills and confidence needed to engage someone with an emerging mental health problem, or in a mental health crisis.

The mental health first aid clinic is set for November 26th and 27 at the Dauphin Community Health Office Boardroom.

The cost is $125 to attend and registrations are now being accepted by calling Lana Parker at 204-638-2118 extension 1713, or emailing lparker @ pmh-mb.ca

A prominent local business that shut down last year will be seeing some rejuvenation this fall.

Black's Cycle and Sport shut down after nearly 80 years of operation,  but just this week, new owners and a new mission were announced.

Alex Man & Mel Stefaniw, who you might know from their work as the Trail Tutors at Northgate Trail, will be turning the space into a new project titled Back In Black`s.

Their goal is to keep this hub of sporting goods around by creating a consignment business for used sporting goods and bike medics, repairing and maintaining bicycles brought in to them.

According to their social media, a critical part of their business will be giving back to the community, as they plan to create a legacy bursary program for youth semi-annually to help with access to special programming like camps, clinics, workshops, and training that can be very pricey for families.

At this time, Back In Black`s will accept toddler and youth outdoor gear only, including water sports gear, Winter Gear, camping supplies in good repair, and more.

Be sure to check out Back in Black`s in Dauphin to see this new community development.

Hello Everyone! We're here to introduce ourselves as operators in the new Back in Black's space - Alex Man & Mel...

Posted by Back in Black's Dauphin on Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Manitoba First Nations Police Service is urging the public, particularly residents of Sandy Bay First Nation, to be cautious of a potentially dangerous drug supply circulating in the community.

Over a 24 hour span earlier this week, officers responded to three separate incidents where individuals who consumed drugs lost consciousness.

In one case, Narcan had to be administered to save the life of one individual. 

Police caution anyone who has purchased or plans to consume illicit drugs in Sandy Bay First Nation that the substances may be unsafe, adding i
t is important for everyone to be aware of the potential risks associated with drug consumption and to seek help if needed.

MFNPS continues to work with local authorities and health professionals to address this issue and prevent further harm to the community. 

 encourage anyone with information about the source of these dangerous drugs to come forward and report it to the police at 204-843-7700 or MFNPS TIPS line anonymously at 1-833-978-0048.

An air quality advisory has been continued for most of the Parkland region and into Northern Manitoba. 

Wildfire smoke is causing very poor air quality and reduced visibility throughout the region today.

Environment Canada says during heavy smoke conditions, everyone is at risk regardless of their age or health, as the fine particles in wildfire smoke pose the main health risk.

People more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke include seniors, pregnant women, infants, and young children, people who work outdoors or are involved in strenuous outdoor exercise, and people with an existing illness or chronic health condition.

If you fall into one of these groups, you should avoid strenuous activities outdoors, or reduce or stop outdoor activities if you experience symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, chest pains, or severe cough.

You should also protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke, including closing your windows, using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system and/or a certified portable air purifier that can filter fine particles.

A group of community volunteers gathered last night to commemorate a job well done, even if it was a little late.

Dauphin's RIDE program runs every December, and usually gather for an appreciation dinner in February, but it was delayed a bit this year.

The program had some solid numbers to boast though, as they had the second highest number of volunteers ever, getting nearly 300 passengers some safe through the cold weekends in December of last year.

Program Coordinator ShoSho Shuttleworth is always planning ahead for next year, hoping to get even more volunteers or donations, and more people home safe.

"You can message us on our facebook page which is the Dauphin RIDE program, or they can contact either myself or Cory, at 638 1463. leave a message for us, and we'll get back to you... me welcome any and all donations"

This Non-profit program was started by the late John Shuttleworth over 30 years ago who was once asked how Dauphin could lower its number of impaired drivers during the holiday season.

The response, and mission going forward were simple "We pick them up, and drive them home. It doesn't matter who calls, we'll help them"

In less than 24 hours, the federal government has intervened in the Rail Lockout and will ask the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose final, binding arbitration.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said the collective bargaining process is ultimately up to the companies and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union, but the lockout is affecting all Canadians.

Both rail companies have called for arbitration in the past, but the Teamster union has rejected it at every turn, believing bargaining would be a better result.

Prime Minister Trudeau received a sharp comment from NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, saying, “Justin Trudeau has just sent a message to CN, CPKC, and all big corporations – being a bad boss pays off.”

This comes after the NDP leader made it clear that he would not support back-to-work legislation, or any interference in the bargaining process, involving Canada's two biggest railways.