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When it comes to putting your money where your house is, the phrase "time is money" comes to mind.

Dauphin thrives on the summer's massive events, and Countryfest President Duane McMaster knows all about the volunteer investment of time.

 

"It always amazes me that a community the size of Dauphin can pull off incredible events like Ukrainian Fest and our event as well, country fest. The number of people that show up here, and the caliber of entertainment that we manage to put on in a community of 8500 people that 200 miles away from the nearest international air port... it never ceases to amaze me."

Events like these are a cornerstone of Dauphin's Tourism Economy, and they always give back, funding local events and infrastructure.

But this only happens with the help of hundreds of local people spending their time, and money, where their house is!

The final push is on for the Holiday Smile Cookie campaign through Tim Horton's restaurants.

The special cookies are available until Sunday only at a cost of $1.50 per cookie or $18 for a box of 12. 

Dauphin franchisee Greg Crisanti says they have consistently been among the top selling locations across the country for the past few campaigns, and adds the support they receive from local residents and businesses is amazing.

"I can not again thank the community enough.  When Dauphin and the Parkland come together it is just amazing to see the support.  We have certainly put Dauphin and the Parkland on the map for Tim Horton's, and I am really excited again this year for our holiday  smile cookie."

100 per cent of proceeds from Smile Cookie sales will be split between the Dauphin Rotary Club and Tim Horton's Camp Foundation.

After Western Manitoba was battered with the first winter storm of the season, snow clearing this year has become a unique challenge.

Mayor David Bosiak notes that snow clearing in town has also changed with the new roadways on the south end of town.

"It's not just snow, the RM is having some issues as well with some of their snow clearing I've been told because the roads below aren't frozen underneath. we've had generally soft surfaces, and then about an inch of rain and snow on top of that. it just complicates moving that first snowfall around"

Keep an eye on the City's Social Media Accounts for clearing notices in case you need to move a parked vehicle.

If you are thinking about purchasing a ticket in the Russell Take a Year Off lottery, you are rapidly running out of time to do so.

Organizers say all three-packs of tickets in the lottery are now sold out, with individual ticket numbers rapidly dwindling.

They are hopeful that the lottery will be a complete sell-out before Saturday's 5 pm draw.

To purchase a ticket you can call 1-866-773-2116.

Dauphin residents are being asked to fill out a survey and provide their thoughts on a new Animal Services By-Law, that has already been given first reading by city council.

The updated bylaw will introduce key changes to promote responsible pet ownership, to elevate the standard of care for the animals in our community, and introduce innovative programs like Trap, Neuter, and Return for feral cats.

The link for the survey can be found on the city's Facebook page, with residents having until December 5th to complete it.
 
Key changes within the Animal Services By-Law will also be highlighted over the coming days on the city's social media platforms.

A new General Investigations Section unit is being created for the Swan River Valley.

Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced on Thursday that the province is providing nearly $265,000 towards the hiring of three officers for this pilot project. 

The goal for the unit will be to crack down on drug trafficking and other serious crime in the Swan Valley, while also alleviating some of the strain experienced by the RCMP in that area.

 The GIS program is a serious crimes investigative support unit that will assist with complex and multi-jurisdictional investigations while working with detachment members to identify crime trends.

The Town of Swan River, the municipalities of Swan Valley West and Minitonas-Bowsman, and the Rural Municipality of Mountain all signed a new five-year agreement to establish this GIS unit based out of Swan River.

A bit of an early Christmas gift from the federal government as a 2 month goods and service tax cut has been announced.

Between December 14th and February 15th, GST and HST will be shaved off of dozens of popular holiday items.

This list includes the following:

  • Prepared foods, including vegetable trays, pre-made meals, salads, and sandwiches.
  • Restaurant meals, whether dine-in, takeout, or delivery.
  • Snacks, including chips, candy, and granola bars.
  • Beer, wine, cider, and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages below 7 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
  • Children's clothing and footwear, car seats and diapers.
  • Children's toys, such as board games, dolls, and video game consoles.
  • Books, print newspapers, and puzzles for all ages.
  • and Christmas trees.

The prime minister also announced a new "Working Canadians Rebate," in the form of a $250 rebate who worked in 2023, making no more than $150,000

Rebates are expected to roll out in the early spring of 2025.

This week, CKDM has highlighted a lot about how local businesses build community, and one organization knows all about that.

Kit Daley with the Dauphin and District Community invests a lot of money back into the community, and their fund comes from donations, including those from Local philanthropists.

"in 2023, we awarded 23 grants totaling over $142,000 to projects which included Citizens On Patrol, the food bank, Parkland Humane Society, Henderson School and Mackenzie Middle School the Summer Games, the Handi-Van, Lorray Manor. It's such a huge range of organizations that reach out to us and if our board looks at the project, and they think it will be beneficial to the community, we are so thrilled to be able to provide support"

Keeping money where your house is can benefit many different initiatives, and shopping at local businesses is an important part of this local economic environment.

November 30th is shaping up to be a busy night in Dauphin.

Following the Festival of Lights parade that night, the Parkland Chamber of Commerce will hold its second annual Small Business Holiday party at the Watson Arts Centre.

The party begins at 6:30 with appetizers and a cash bar.

Cam Bennett with the Watson says the two groups have combined forces to bring in the Sean Taylor band as entertainment for the evening.

"They are the Manitoba Country Music Association Group of the Year, as well as Album of the Year winners.  I saw them at the MCMA's a few weeks ago and these guys are the real deal.  This is going to be a banger of a show. You do not want to miss this show it is going to be talked about."

Tickets are $45 for the entire evening, or $25 for just the concert - which begins at 8 pm. 

They are available through the Parkland Chamber's website or at the Watson Arts Centre.

One of the accused in a January stabbing death in Swan River was back in court on Wednesday.

40-year-old Tyrone Guiboche had his matters put over until November 28th.

Guiboche remains in custody, as does co-accused Dean Bell.

Both face one count each of Manslaughter, with the 29-year-old Bell slated to return to court on December 4th. 

The Manitoba Nurses Union is raising concerns about safety issues in the emergency room of the Swan Valley Health Centre.

Among the issues outlined in a release by the MNU are escalating violence in the ER, random people walking off the elevator and into random rooms or staff rooms to help themselves to items in the fridge. 

Another specific concern is that most of the hospital's security cameras are not working, which is especially troublesome when nurses have to go into the parking lot to administer harm reduction kits. They say this leaves both themselves and patients vulnerable.

Other issues include a triage system that the MNU calls unsafe, and the overhead paging system in the building being down, making it difficult to alert people in the building about hospital codes. 

MNU President Darlene Jackson says top priorities right now for the union include getting all on-site cameras working and having consistent security at the facility.

She adds they would also like to see an institutional safety officer in the emergency room.