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The community of Neepawa is gearing up for the construction of a new hospital.
The Manitoba Government announced Monday that a new hospital will be built on nearly 40 acres of farmland on the town's east side with preparations for construction on the property set to begin in two weeks.
Health Minister Audrey Gordon was on hand for the announcement and she had this to say.
“Our government is building a stronger healthcare system for all Manitobans including residents in Neepawa and surrounding communities in the Westman region,” said Gordon. “When complete, this investment in a new hospital will serve as a foundation for a health-care system that allows residents in this region to more easily access specialized health-care services closer to home without the need to travel to larger centres like Brandon or Winnipeg for care.”
The new facility will be located on recently rezoned land east of Lions Riverbend Campground near Provincial Trunk Highway 16. The Neepawa facility is expected to serve patients from the broader geographic area.
The new facility will be nearly four times the size of the existing Neepawa Health Centre and it will include the following
- 63 acute care inpatient beds, up from 38 at the current site; an expanded emergency department designed to best practice standards that include treatment and assessment rooms;
- a trauma room, a stretcher bay and an ambulance bay;
- and enhanced space for a number of programs, such as surgery, diagnostics and palliative care as well as various outpatient services including chemotherapy and ambulatory care services.
Brian Schoonbaert, CEO of Prairie Mountain Health was also on hand for the announcement
“Prairie Mountain Health is extremely pleased to be moving forward to replace the existing Neepawa hospital as we work with our health partners and stakeholders to meet the anticipated needs of our growing population within this part of the health region,” he said. “We are grateful that construction will soon begin and plans for additional communication with staff, community leaders and residents will take place in the very near future.”
Renal services will be established in the community for the first time at the new site, following a review of the number and frequency of patients travelling for dialysis treatment. There are currently 28 hemodialysis patients living in the catchment area who could potentially benefit from the new, eight-station unit in Neepawa.
“Kidney dialysis patients who live in or near Neepawa are used to making multiple trips per week to other communities to receive care,” said Dr. Mauro Verrelli, provincial medical specialty lead for renal health, Shared Health. “Establishing this service in Neepawa will improve their quality of life by significantly shortening commutes, allowing them to be closer to the network of family and friends they rely upon for support.”
The project is expected to be at least $127 million dollars and the projected target date for completion is in 2025.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
A 55-year-old man from Shoal Lake is dead after a two-vehicle collision on Friday.
The Shoal Lake RCMP responded to the accident on Friday at about 1:30 p.m. on Highway 42 at Road 139 West, in the RM of Yellowhead.
It's been determined that a semi-truck with trailers was travelling north on Road 139 West and he crossed Highway 42 when it was unsafe to do so and collided with a semi-truck going west on Highway 42. The driver of the semi-truck was prounounced dead on the scene and he wasn't wearing a seatbelt.
The 61-year-old in the semi-truck with trailers suffered minor injuries.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy's flu shot clinic starts Monday and will run for the next two weeks at the DCP Annex in the parking lot.
It'll be open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those aged 5 and up.
Pharmacist Barret Procyshyn says that people should get a flu shot because it not only protects them against the influenza virus but also prevents it from being spread to those around them.
"Whether that's friends or family... [who] maybe are immunocompromized or are a little bit older or are at a high risk from asthma or COPD, you really want to prevent the flu from spreading in the Parkland area and you can do your part by getting the shot," he adds.
Procyshyn went on to say that the flu shot has been proven to be very safe and that people have been getting it for decades with little to no side effects.
"Some things you can expect are a little bit of injection-site pain [and a] sore arm. Some people get a little bit of flu-like symptoms. You can't actually get the flu from the flu shot, but you can get a... headache, nausea, and [you might feel]... off for a day or less," he adds.
What should I do before going to the flu shot clinic?
Before going to the clinic, people should wear a short-sleeve shirt and have their health card. No appointments are necessary and shots will only be delivered on a walk-in basis.
Who is eligible to receive a flu shot?
Anyone staying in Manitoba is eligible to receive a free flu shot and people aged 65 and older are able to get a high-dose flu shot, which is specifically tailored for that age group. There is no injection fee.
What if I'm new to the province and don't have a Manitoba health card?
People without a Manitoba health card are still able to receive a flu shot at no cost. They can simply present their out-of-province health card, so that the flu shot can get recorded into the pharmacy's system under the out-of-province health card number.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
The City of Dauphin is launching a new campaign tonight, in an effort to cut down on crime in the city. Deputy City Manager Lisa Gaudet has been working closely with the RCMP and the City's Protective Services Committee to prepare the 9 PM Routine campaign.
There will be a post every night at 9 PM for the next 21 days on the City of Dauphin's Facebook and Instagram pages. The posts will encourage people to:
- Remove valuables from their vehicles and yards
- Lock their vehicles
- Remove keys from ATVs and farm equipment
- Lock their exterior doors
- Turn on an exterior light
- Activate their security systems.
Gaudet says the campaign is 21 days long because that's how long it takes to form a routine.
"They say it takes 21 days to create a habit, so we felt that 21 days was a good period of time for people to get into the habit of participating in this 9 PM Routine. We're hoping that the habit will extend beyond the 21 days."
The city is looking for engagement from the community, and Gaudet says they want people to comment and share the post once they've completed the suggestions.
"We are really trying to encourage as much engagement with our posts as possible, so we will be kind of keeping track of who is commenting, sharing, liking, and engaging with the posts the most, and we will have some prizes to give out at the end of the 21 days."
Gaudet says that on top of the city's posts, the RCMP will have officers patrolling and leaving reminders for people when they see something is unsecured.
"In conjunction with the social media campaign, the Dauphin RCMP will have members out patrolling the neighborhoods and leaving 9 PM Routine cards to let residents know that they were there, and if they noticed anything left unsecured."
The 9 PM Routine campaign was created in 2017 by a Sheriff's Office in Florida and has spread to police forces and municipalities across North America.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Paul Wisnoski of Eden, Manitoba, won the early bird draw for the Neepawa Farm & Leisure Lottery 2022. He will now have to choose whether he would like the $10,000 cash prize, or the $12,000 voucher to Enns Bros. Neepawa.
Like many fundraising initiatives, the money goes toward a good cause. In this case what is that good cause?
When you buy a ticket for the lottery your money goes toward continued renovations and improvements to the Beautiful Plains Medical Clinic in Neepawa.
This year those improvements include fixing the original roof, which has a leak, and building a rotunda at the south entrance. Both projects have been pending for a while because of lots of other renovations being done at the clinic first.
Lottery Chairman Mary Ellen Clark says the clinic has been renovated and expanded three times in previous years to accomodate a growing population in Neepawa; largely due to an influx of people who are employed by the Hylife facility.
The work that has been done so far has enabled the clinic to host 8 doctors.
The strong efforts of the Neepawa Farm & Leisure Lottery committee, organizers, and volunteers, to raise funds for the Beautiful Plains Medical Clinic over the years have been recognized by government and have helped Neepawa in getting a new hospital.
"The influx of the money we've been raising for the clinic has escalated to the point where we are getting a new hospital that we've needed for so many years", said Clark.
There are still plenty of chances to win prizes when the final draws are made on Sunday, November 6th. Tickets are $100 and 50/50 add-on tickets are $20, or get 5 for $50. Call 1-877-876-8555, or go to neepawalotto.com.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
The Manitoba Farm Women's Conference is back in Brandon on November 15th and 16th this year. The event starts with a Meet & Greet on the 15th at the Victoria Inn, and there's a full day of talks planned at the Dome Building on the 16th.
Cheryl Janzen from the Conference says they have some great topics that will be discussed at this year's event.
"The speakers this year are going to be talking about energy renewal, and getting back together, and safety and security on the farm. Also just being together and advocating for ag and supporting farm women and all the great things they do."
Registration for the conference is open until November 1st on the Manitoba Farm Women's Conference Website.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Thursday, October 20th will be recognized as the Canadian Royal Purple's first annual Purple Thursday.
Angie Smith, president of the Dauphin Royal Purple Lodge and the Manitoba Royal Purple Association, says that it's a campaign held on the third Thursday of October which recognizes the intersection of interpersonal violence and brain injuries.
"We are connecting all the... lodges across Canada to women's shelters. We are collecting self-care items and putting them in purple care bags and on Purple Thursday... we will be donating those bags to every shelter across Canada," she adds.
Smith went on to say that they'll be right outside the Walmart at the Dauphin Market Place Mall to collect self-care items, such as feminine hygiene products, toiletries, shampoo and toothpaste, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 15th.
Angie Smith says that the cause means a lot to her because she is a survivor of interpersonal violence.
"We are trying to draw... awareness because I think there is a lot of talk about brain injuries, which is the Canadian [Royal] Purple's main cause. We talk about sports injuries, but nobody ever talks about the intersection between brain injuries caused by interpersonal violence... I really think that we need to draw awareness and stop the violence," she adds.
According to Smith, anyone going through any kind of domestic violence can reach out to the Parkland Crisis Centre for support at 204-638-9484.
Those who are seeking information regarding brain injuries can contact the Dauphin Royal Purple Lodge by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
They can visit the Canadian Royal Purple's national website as well.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
Manitoba Health expanded eligibility for the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine to include anyone aged 12 or older and appointments can be booked starting today.
They say that adults may receive either a Moderna or a Pfizer bivalent booster dose and that children aged 12 to 17 will receive the Pfizer bivalent vaccine because it is the only one approved for that age group.
The province expects to receive the new Pfizer bivalent vaccine by the end of this week and will then ship them to clinics, pharmacies and vaccine sites across Manitoba.
They note that delivery dates may vary, so while it may be available in vaccine sites earlier, the Pfizer bivalent vaccine is expected to be at most vaccine locations by Monday, October 24th.
Appointments can be booked using the online booking tool, by calling the vaccine call centre at 1-844-626-8222 or by calling medical clinics and pharmacies directly.
The provincial government recommends making an appointment for the week of October 24th to ensure the appropriate vaccine will be in stock.
The original vaccine continues to be available as a fall booster for children aged five to 11 and individuals who do not wish to receive the bivalent vaccine.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
At the request of Minegoziibe Anishinabe (Pine Creek First Nation) community leaders, the Manitoba RCMP has opened an investigation into the ground anomalies detected beneath a church on the first nation.
A ground search was conducted by a private contractor in May, and they found a number of anomalies. In August this year, a meeting was held at Manitoba RCMP headquarters between senior RCMP officers and representatives from Pine Creek First Nation, where the RCMP was asked to investigate the anomalies.
Chief Derek Nepinak says they are working to identify and share their difficult truth.
“The Minegoziibe Anishinabe have ventured down a pathway towards identifying and sharing our difficult truth. We do this for the future well-being of our children. In this effort, we are looking at establishing relationships of respect and collaboration but ever mindful of the difficulties we have survived through.”
Manitoba RCMP Superintendent Rob Lasson says it's the RCMP's job to provide answers.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that a thorough, methodical and culturally sensitive investigation takes place. It is the RCMP’s role to collect evidence in order to provide the answers sought by the community.”
Community delegates will be working closely with the RCMP during their investigation, and a community liaison will ensure ongoing and open communication between the community and the RCMP. The full Manitoba RCMP Press Release about the meeting and investigation can be found here.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Grandview Fall Harvest Craft and Trade Show will be held at the Grandview Kinsmen Community Centre on Saturday, October 15th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Event Organizer Lisa Boughton says that there will be over 50 tables of vendors showing off their goods and services.
"We have our returning vendors, but we also have a lot of new vendors," she adds.
Boughton went on to say that they will have a lot of handmade stuff for purchase this year.
"We've got your normal Tupperware and Fifth Avenue and all the other direct sales groups, but we also have a lot of artisan work with their handmade goods, anything from sewing, to Ukrainian Easter eggs, to jewellery. We even have a honey lady coming in with a large variety of different flavours of honey," she adds.
According to Lisa Boughton, they will also be serving a lunch put on by the Grandview Drop-In Centre.
"There's going to be a lunch counter that will be serving soup and sandwiches... We also have several tables of... [baked goods] and preserves and we also have a guy coming in that is selling beef jerky and garlic sausage," she adds.
Boughton says that admission will cost $3 for most people with those 12 and under getting in for free.
"The money will be going back into the community. [In]... past years, we've donated money to the fire department to get new turnout gear, we've donated back into the hall to replace tables and add more tables... We usually decide that after the sale. It depends on how much money we make from our auction... and admission fee once expenses are taken out," she adds.
Since the last trade and craft show was held in 2019, Lisa Boughton is pleased to be able to host the event this year.
"It's just nice to know that we are getting back to normal and life is continuing on. We're more cautious, obviously, but it's just good to be out there and seeing people back in the community getting together and shopping locally and supporting their local vendors," she adds.
More information can be found on their Facebook page.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
The Kin Club of Dauphin announced Thursday that they are donating $6,674.72 to the Dauphin & District Community Foundation (DDCF).
President Nicole Gulenchin says that money came from the last draw held by the former Kinette Club.
"After the Kinette Club and the Kinsmen Club merged into the Kin Club, it was around the same time that Iona had passed away... We decided that in her memory, we would donate the leftover funds that the Kinette Club had raised at the last wine draw to the fund that was already created for her husband, who was also a Kinsmen," she adds.
Gulenchin went on to say that they renamed the fund to "The Jim & Iona Tarrant Memorial Fund" and donated the proceeds there to increase it, adding that all of the fund's proceeds go towards helping youth in the community.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
