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The City of Dauphin Mayor and Council candidates were out in full force tonight as the Parkland Chamber of Commerce held its Municipal Election Forum at the Watson Art Centre. The first half of the event featured questions being randomly assigned to the 17 council candidates.
Each candidate had the opportunity to answer two questions for one minute, and each question was answered by three candidates. The questions focused on topics like crime, and the growth of the city.
The event then moved to a Mayoral debate between David Bosiak and Kerri Riehl. The candidates went back and forth, each answering the same eight questions, with a minute for each response. The candidates then had the opportunity to ask each other two questions.
The questions had a similar focus in the second half of the event, focusing on crime and safety, as well as growth in the community. Following the debate, I asked each candidate what they wanted to be the main focus of their campaign.
Kerri Riehl says she wants to use her background in the RCMP and security business to help combat crime.
"My biggest thing that I feel I can do for the community is in regards to public safety. I don't need to hire a consultant, with 35 years of crime prevention and security experience, we can get started immediately. In 2019 I started a public wellness and advisory initiative, we've since recently got money for that, I believe it's 1.2 million over the next two years, I look forward to establishing that, and getting the data together, and moving forwards in regards to public safety. I believe we really are in a crisis and we need to do something quickly."
David Bosiak talked about building good relationships at all levels throughout the community, and how his experience will help with that.
"I'm a team builder, I've been a team builder my whole life, I've been a coach and I know what happens. I hate to use a sports analogy, but I think when you get people together, you make sure they know what they're supposed to do, you give them an environment that they can succeed, and then you just get out of their way and let them do their job. We have a tremendous staff at city hall, I will work with whatever six councilors get elected to form a team of council, and ensure that council and the administration communicate so that we can understand what our roles are, and carry on in the next four years."
Last night's entire forum and debate can be found online on the Parkland Chamber of Commerce FaceBook Page.
A full list of candidates for the City and RM of Dauphin in the October 26th election can be found here.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The federal and provincial governments announced today that they are investing an additional $300,000 to help 24 child-care facilities implement Indigenous-focused cultural programming.
Provincial Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko says that the province is committed to ensuring all children in Manitoba have access to inclusive, culturally appropriate child-care programming that reflects and celebrates the province’s diversity.
“During previous intakes, there was an overwhelming demand from child-care facilities for funding to integrate Indigenous cultural components into programming. I’m pleased this additional investment will support these 24 centres in this important work,” Minister Ewasko adds.
The province says that today’s announcement is part of ongoing work to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, specifically number 12, which calls for the development of culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Indigenous families.
Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould says that grounding early learning and child care in culture, language and traditions leads to better outcomes for Indigenous children and for their communities.
"Connection to culture builds self-esteem, confidence and resilience that can benefit a child’s health and well-being throughout their entire life," Minister Gould adds.
According to the Manitoba government, the Indigenous Programming Grant allows child-care facilities to invest in the equipment, resources and supplies needed to integrate Indigenous cultural components into programming.
The province says that the funding also supports professional development opportunities for staff to expand their knowledge of Indigenous culture and traditions, and incorporate this knowledge within curriculums.
They also say that 24 child-care facilities will each receive grants between $5,000 and $25,000, depending on the number of infant and preschool spaces offered and these facilities applied for grants during the 2020-21 Indigenous Programming Grant intake.
More information can be found on the Province of Manitoba website.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
Early Sunday morning, the Yorkton RCMP got a report of a break and enter in progress. Police immediately responded to the scene and found four individuals, three of which provided officers with false information upon arrest.
It was found that the suspects forced their way inside the residence, and when officers searched it after obtaining a search warrant, they found an illegally-modified firearm, a semi-automatic firearm with a silencer, a high-capacity magazine, and a small amount of white powder that will be identified through laboratory testing.
39-year-old Lewis Starr of Sandy Bay, Manitoba is scheduled to appear in Yorkton Court tomorrow, and has been charged with:
- One count, break and enter.
- Eight counts, possession of a weapon contrary to an order.
- One count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
- One count, obstruct peace officer.
28-year-old Austin Houle of Sandy Bay, Manitoba will appear in Yorkton Court today, and has been charged with:
- One count, break and enter
- One count, possession of a weapon contrary to an order.
- Two counts, fail to comply.
- One count, obstruct peace officer.
- One count, obstruct peace officer.
19-year-old Theashaye Richard will appear in Yorkton Court on October 31st, and has been charged with:
- One count, break and enter.
- One count, obstruct peace officer.
38-year-old Kimberley Nasee of Sandy Bay, Manitoba will appear in Yorkton Court on October 31st, and has been charged with:
- One count, break and enter.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
UPDATE: On Monday, police arrested 27-year-old Peter Flatfoot from Dauphin. The RCMP says Flatfoot was the one who fired the shotgun at the vehicle during Friday's assault.
Flatfoot had the shotgun(pictured below) on him at the time he was arrested, and he's facing multiple firearms-related charges, as well as Mischief and Resist Arrest.
The two female suspects are still on the run, and the RCMP is asking anyone with information to contact them at 204-622-5020, call Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online here.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW: Published at 10:10 a.m. on Sept 26th, 2022
The Dauphin RCMP responded to two separate assaults on Friday night. Police are still investigating both incidents, and are working to obtain arrest warrants for the suspects of the first assault.
Assaults with Weapons, Discharge Firearm
Friday evening, the RCMP responded to a report that two females had assaulted a male and female entering the Dauphin 7-eleven. During the altercation, the female victim was hit in the head with a hard object, and the male victim was cut in the hand by a knife.
The suspects left the scene on foot, and the victims left in a vehicle. The victims were then driving down an alley near 6th Avenue SW when a male acquaintance of the female suspects fired a shotgun at the victim's car, hitting the passenger side.
The victims were treated in the hospital and released, while the suspects are still on the run. The RCMP is still investigating and is in the process of getting warrants for their arrest.
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Assault
Later that same night, the RCMP responded to a report of an injured male, covered in blood at the Husky gas bar. Police responded and found the victim, who declined to give details to police, saying that he had just been jumped.
The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment, and the RCMP is investigating.
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Anyone with information regarding these incidents is being asked to contact the Dauphin RCMP at 204-622-5050, call Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online here.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Ken Tarrant is running in the municipal election to become a councillor on Dauphin City Council.
Tarrant was born and raised in Dauphin, where he spent most of his life
He believes that people should vote for him because he's at the stage of his life where he has the time to devote to the position.
"I have a lot of knowledge of the town because I've been here my whole life and so has my family," he adds.
Tarrant says that he's running for council because he would like to be a part of the decision-making and would like to see some change on council.
"They were down to four councillors for quite a while and there's a lot of things happening in town and it just seems like it's time," he adds.
Ken Tarrant plans to develop a strategy to draw in more business from potential companies looking to expand to Dauphin while supporting small businesses already operating in town if elected.
"I just believe that we have to be ready for big companies because if a big company is looking to go somewhere, we have to be prepared because all of a sudden... we're competing with other cities," he adds.
He went on to say that Dauphin's cultural diversity and facilities like Credit Union Place, the Fort Dauphin Museum, the Waston Arts Centre and the Countryfest site help the economy by attracting people to the city.
As for the crime situation, Ken Tarrant believes that community-led initiatives like the Citizens on Patrol Program could help lower crime rates.
"It kinda goes back to the citizens... They can help themselves by reporting all the crimes that happen in town... Then the RCMP have the crime stats to show... that the crime rate's going up... and that's how they determine how much they need for officers and for police patrols," he adds.
A complete list of candidates running for office in the City and R.M. of Dauphin can be found here.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
The Parkland Chamber of Commerce Municipal Election Forum for the City of Dauphin is tonight at 7 at the Watson Art Centre. The first hour of the event will give the 17 council candidates an opportunity to answer a question submitted by the public, while the second hour will feature a debate between the two mayoral candidates, Kerri Riehl and David Bosiak.
The chamber has been collecting questions from the public, to make sure they're asking the candidates questions that matter to the people of Dauphin. Chamber Executive Director Stephen Chychota says it's not too late for people to get their questions in.
"People can still submit questions up until the event, we may or may not be able to get to all of them. We do have quite a few on hand already from the public which is great, it's nice to have that response, so we will get through as many as we can in the time that we have, but by all means, send them over and if they're good questions we'll try make sure that they get incorporated into the forum."
Questions can be online here, by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or written and dropped off at the chamber office (100 Main Street South). While the forum is an in-person event, Chychota says that the Chamber will be live streaming it on their FaceBook page so people can still watch if they're unable to attend.
"The event will be streamed live on our FaceBook page, everyone has the opportunity to tune into that and watch it if they like. They can share the content too, so anybody out there, individual or community groups, or anything like that feel free to hit that share button so it can broaden that reach, and then people can watch that content live as it's happening. Since it's going to be on FaceBook it will get saved on that platform so then people can review it after the fact as well."
The Chamber will be hosting another Municipal Election Forum and Debate for the RM of Dauphin on Tuesday, October 4th. They working on organizing Election Forums for other communities across the Parkland, and we'll bring you information about those events once they've been finalized.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The City of Dauphin is advising residents that starting tomorrow, September 28th, at 8 a.m., C&B Stirling will be milling 2nd St. N.E. from 1st Ave. N.E. to 4th Ave. N.E.
They say that the street will be closed to traffic until around 6 p.m. and that repaving will be completed at later date.
Furthermore, City crews will be preparing work sites on 2nd St. N.E. from 5th Ave. N.E. to 7th Ave. N.E. for asphalt patching tomorrow afternoon.
The City is asking people to use alternate routes.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
Beginning this afternoon, City of Dauphin crews will start pavement repair work at sites along Main Street South from Whitmore Avenue to 8th Avenue South. The work's expected to be completed by end of the day Thursday.
While work is being done, there may be some temporary lane closures in effect. The city asks that people be cautious when approaching any construction areas and passing workers.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
In light of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Manitoba government announced that it will be providing more than $370,000 to support community events and programming that promote awareness of the history and legacy of residential schools and encourage meaningful discussions on past and ongoing injustices.
Premier Heather Stefanson says that she encourages all Manitobans to take time to reflect on Manitoba’s past and the path forward, and to participate in events that promote healing and relationship-building.
“Sept. 30 is an important day for reflection, learning, listening, healing and reaffirming our collective commitment to work with Indigenous leaders, Knowledge Keepers, elders, survivors and all Manitobans to advance truth and reconciliation and move forward together to build a brighter future for all,” Premier Stefanson adds.
According to Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere, the provincial government passed legislation in 2017 to recognize September 30th as Orange Shirt Day to encourage reflection and discussions about the trauma of residential schools on First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, as part of their commitment to the truth and reconciliation process.
“I am honoured to announce... that we are continuing to take purposeful action on our path to reconciliation by supporting a variety of initiatives that will support healing, learning and relationship-building,” Lagimodiere adds.
The minister says that as part of the provincial government’s observance of the day, non-essential government offices will be closed and flags at all provincial government buildings will be lowered to half-mast. In addition, the Legislative Building and the Memorial Park fountain will be lit orange and all schools will be closed.
A list of some of the events receiving government support, which includes the one being held by West Region Treaty 2 & 4 Health Services at Dauphin's CN Park, can be found here.
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- Contributed by Nicholas Iatropoulos
Jack Winters had his final court appearance yesterday before his two-week trial starts on October 17th in Dauphin. Winters is facing 15 different charges for a fatal collision in the RM of Dauphin in 2019.
Winters, who is from the RM of Dauphin, was arrested on July 17th, 2020, and charged with:
- Two counts of Impaired Operation Causing Death
- Two counts of Dangerous Operation Causing Death
- Three counts of Impaired Operation Causing Bodily Harm
- Three counts of Dangerous Operation Causing Bodily Harm
- Two counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration that is equal to or more than 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, Causing Death
- Three counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration that is equal to or more than 80 mg, Causing Bodily Harm
On August 16th, 2019 Dauphin RCMP responded to a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Provincial Road 362 and Road 147 North, about 3 kilometers north of Dauphin.
Four-year-old Quinn and six-year-old Oksana Dutchyshen were on their way home from a swimming lesson when the collision occurred. They were taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died from their injuries. Two adult females in the Dodge Ram with the children suffered serious injuries.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Dwayne Lavallee was reported missing four years ago and the RCMP continue to investigate his disappearance. He was seen last in Ebb and Flow First Nation on September 22nd, 2018. His vehicle was found abandoned on a rural road soon after. Lavallee's family and police are hoping to hear from anyone who has reached out before, or anyone who may have new information. More details from the RCMP is below:
It’s been four years since Dwayne Lavallee was reported missing and the Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP continue to investigate his disappearance. He was last seen in Ebb and Flow First Nation on September 22, 2018.
Since that time, extensive searches have been completed after his vehicle was found abandoned on a rural road located off Provincial Road 276 on September 26, 2018. RCMP investigators, RCMP Search and Rescue, RCMP Police Dog Services, the Civilian Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), the Office of the Fire Commissioner, and numerous local volunteers have been involved in the searches.
Police and Lavallee’s family continue to seek answers in relation to his disappearance and are asking anyone who may have reached out before or may have new information to contact the Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP at 204-447-2513, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
Image - RCMP
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
