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March is Kidney Awareness Month, and Prairie Mountain Health is encouraging everyone to learn more about protecting their kidneys, and to know the risks and warning signs of kidney disease.
A release from PMH says Manitoba has the highest incidence and prevalence of kidney disease in Canada, with as many as 1 in 10 adults in the province thought to be living with the disease, with most of them not even knowing it.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common factors leading to kidney disease among adults, with other risk factors including obesity, smoking, and having heart disease, as well as a family history of kidney disease and using drugs that are damaging to the kidneys.
Symptoms of kidney disease can include high blood pressure, anemia, weak bones, and nerve damage.
Kidneys can lose 80 per cent of their function before any symptoms are felt.
PMH encourages you to go to www.kidney.ca to take a self-screen test to see if you are at risk.
You are also encouraged to talk to your doctor about kidney disease.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The investigation continues into the circumstances of the recent death west of The Pas.
An autopsy is scheduled for this Friday for the 19-year-old man who was found dead just over a week ago.
Peter Charlette was found dead in a wooded area near Pas on February 25th, after reportedly being last seen the night before.
Peter's Mother is concerned that foul play was involved, seeking answers to why he'd be in such a remote location without his phone or jacket.
Currently, the RCMP in the Pas do not expect foul play, but they will wait until the completion of the autopsy before making any firm statements about this death.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Even though the Dauphin area has seen more snowfall this winter than normal, it has been one of the warmest winters on record in Manitoba.
Environment and Climate Change Canada Senior climatologist David Phillips says an indication of how warm it has been this winter is the number of days where we have seen temperatures frail to get above -30.
"Normally, we would have had 13 by now. This year, we have had none. In fact, the days below -20, which is kind of a cool day, we would normally see about 47 of them in a winter in Dauphin. This year, we have had 19, less than half of what you would get."
Phillips says we have been consistently mild since the start of winter.
"November was 3.5 degrees warmer than normal, December was on fire, it was almost 7.5 - 8 degrees warmer than normal. In January we did have the polar vortex, but it was still more than two degrees above normal in Western Manitoba. And February was almost five degrees warmer than normal."
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Mail service in Dauphin is starting to return to closer to normal following the weekend snowfall.
A delivery service alert for Dauphin, as well as for Brandon and Portage la Prairie has been downgraded from red to yellow, meaning carriers will make every effort to deliver today, but delays may still occur due to icy conditions, or some addresses may not be reached because of those conditions.
Canada Post is urging homeowners in the city to clear all ice from their stairs, walkways, and driveways, in order to ensure safe access for mail carriers.
A yellow service delivery alert for the remainder of Manitoba has been lifted, meaning operations in those areas have returned to normal.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Traffic is moving once again through parts of Riding Mountain National Park following the weekend snowstorm.
Parks Canada says Highway 10 was re-opened as of yesterday afternoon.
But they caution that some areas of the highway still have snow-covered and icy sections and that motorists should take it easy going through the park.
They added secondary roads such as Highway 19, Rolling River Road, and Lake Audy Road, remain closed at this time.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
City snow removal crews continue their efforts to clear Dauphin streets of the latest dumping of snow.
Beginning at midnight, crews were working on the business area, before moving on to streets and venues in the day 2 area, as well as working on streets in the day 4 area of the city.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
March 26th will see sentencing arguments take place in the case of a Dauphin man who was convicted in a 2022 drug bust.
41-year-old Trevor Sutherland was arrested and charged following a June 2022 traffic stop in the city.
Mounties say a search of a backpack turned up 157 grams of crystal meth, 5 grams of cocaine, cash, and other drug paraphernalia.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has set April 2 as budget day this year.
It will be the first budget since the New Democrats swept to power in last October's provincial election.
Kinew has signalled some measures to expect, such as higher taxes on vaping products and $30 million for a school nutrition program.
The government also has to deal with a tight fiscal situation, as Manitoba has registered deficits in every year but two since 2009.
The NDP government says it found out the deficit for the current fiscal year is much worse than expected when they took office — recently projected at $1.6 billion.
The province is also facing the impact of losing money via income-tax cuts and a temporary suspension of the provincial fuel tax that took effect on January 1.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will present the federal budget on April 16, as cost-of-living issues continue to dominate Canadian politics.
The spending plan is coming at a time when high-interest rates are putting a damper on the economy and ramping up fiscal pressure on the Liberal government.
At the same time, the political cost of inaction on housing could be high, as rents skyrocket across the country and homeownership remains out of reach for many Canadians.
Dwindling support for the governing Liberals forced the government to shift its focus to housing in the fall with a slew of new — but modest — measures aimed at increasing housing supply.
The Business Council of Canada is calling on Ottawa to "avoid introducing net new spending" to help ease inflation.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
Fraud and identity theft is a growing problem in the modern era, and the RCMP is looking to raise awareness about it.
March has been labeled as Fraud Prevention Month, and the RCMP will be posting a lot of information on how to detect fraud before it gets you.
It is estimated that only 5-10% of fraud cases are reported, a startling statistic when coupled with the fact that roughly 9 million dollars were reported stolen through fraudulent means.
If you are a victim of fraud, or come across a scam, it is important to report it to your local police agency, the RCMP or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
These scams can appear in many ways, from unknown phone calls to polished sites recommending certain investments, and even questionable links in emails.
To learn about all the ways these scams can appear so you don't fall prey to them, visit Antifraudcentre.ca, or call 1 888 495 8501 for more info.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
The Manitoba Government will be updating its means to asses the province's wildlife populations with some new tech.
Surveys would generally be done by government staff in helicopters, but now these surveys will use long-ranged, solar-powered drones equipped with thermal cameras.
These upgrades will allow for both easier spotting, and the ability to track multiple populations and species at the same time.
These tracking methods are not only more efficient, they cover the same area with less overhead cost when compared to the labor and fuel involved in helicopter operation.
The government said population data is important to making decisions about wildlife conservation and management, especially with cases of Chronic Wasting Diseases appearing in the province.
To find information on the latest big game survey by the province, visit The Conservation Page on the Manitoba Government Website.
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- Contributed by Michael Brossart
