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Credit Union Place will be rocking Friday night, as some of the best bull riders in the world will show off their talents at the Mazer Group PBR Dauphin.

Ben Kinkaid with Crossfire Bull Riding says they are excited to be in Dauphin and working in a great facility like Credit Union Place, adding fans will be in for an entertaining evening.

"We will have house-to-dark and spotlights and some effects going off and a lot of music.  And we have Brinson James coming, who is fresh off an appearance at his first-ever PBR world finals in Texas a few weeks ago.  He is worth the price of admission all on his own."

A total of 22 bull riders from Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, and Australia will showcase their talents against some of the toughest stock in the game.

Kinkaid is very impressed with the lineup of competitors that will be in Dauphin.

"Aaron Roy is the Canadian bull rider that has won the most money in history at the PBR level.  Dakota Buttar is the 2023 PBR Canada national champion, and Tyler Craig won the finals in Edmonton last fall.  And the list goes on.  We have Cody Coverchuk sitting number one in the standings right now.  He is on fire so far in 2024."

The night starts with the ReMax Parkland Realty pre-party at 5:45, which will include a mechanical bull as well as a penned bull for photo opportunities.

The bull riding begins at 7:30, with the night wrapping up with the Aspen Insurance Party in the Dirt.    

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Contributed by Jeff Henson

Published: May 24, 2024 - 6:00 am

An Overland Flood Announcement has gone out for many parts of southern Manitoba and the interlake regions.

These areas could receive between 40 and 70 mm of precipitation on May 24. Heavy precipitation in short duration could create high surface runoff and overland flooding.

Do not cross fast-flowing water, or any water of unknown depth, and try to avoid flooded areas

Dauphin and the surrounding area is also expecting rain, between 10-20mm on May 24th.

Everyone is recommended to have supplies ready for emergencies. This includes lights, non-perishable food, and dry clothes stored in a water-tight container.

you can get the latest updates and the best plans for prep at www.gov.mb.ca/flooding

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: May 23, 2024 - 4:34 pm

Manitoba Public Insurance is trying to reduce the amount of time people with vehicles damaged by a hail storm last week spend waiting for a damage estimate.

The Crown corporation is opening a dedicated hail estimating centre in Winnipeg.

MPI said it’s received more than 1,150 claims over the last week in response to the severe spring weather.

That’s in addition to 15,000 claims made last year, most of which followed a late August storm in Winnipeg.

The new temporary centre will open at MPI’s Physical Damage Centre on Plessis Road in Winnipeg.

Customers who have opened a hail claim, but haven’t yet had an estimating appointment scheduled, will be contacted directly by MPI to book an appointment via email or text message.

MPI is prioritizing those who’ve been waiting the longest.

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Contributed by Jeff Henson

Published: May 23, 2024 - 1:29 pm

Dauphin's Watson Arts Centre will play host to the first of about a dozen stops on a tour by Winnipeg performer James Culleton.

The singer and artist has recorded 14 albums during his career and has been performing children's music for the past five years.

Culleton says people attending Saturday's show can expect to be participants in his performance.

"I am a visual artist, so part of my show is doing portraits of people in the crowd as I am singing.  And then there is lots of 'callback' in Super Fun' where I have a sign that encourages the crowd to yell out certain words.  And a lot of the songs are about making art and making music and encouraging others to do it."

He adds parents and children will enjoy his music.

"I like songs that are a little bit like a good Simpsons episode, where there is humour for everybody.  Parents are always chuckling, and a lot of the songs that I have written have that extra layer of funny that kids get too, maybe not today but IU think the jokes are for everyone."

The family show, titled "Super Fun" is set for 2 pm on Saturday.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, while children 3 and under are free, but will still need a ticket. 

Tickets are available Thursday and Friday from noon to 5 at the Watson Arts Centre.   

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Contributed by Jeff Henson

Published: May 23, 2024 - 11:43 am

You are running out of opportunities if you are thinking about attending tomorrow night's Mazer Group PBR Dauphin event at Credit Union Place.

Lindsay Kyle with Dauphin Rec Services says their reserved seating is almost sold out.

"We have standing room tickets available online at www.tobatickets.ca, and we also have a limited number of restricted view tickets available, and you could possibly still find a single ticket in our prime seating."

"We also have two V-I-P tables left.  Each table holds 10 people.  So maybe if you have been on the fence, looked at the weather, and decided that you can make it tomorrow night, you can contact me at 204-648-5193."

The evening begins with the ReMax Parkland Realty pre-party at 5:45, with bull riding action beginning at 7:30.

The night wraps up with the Aspen Insurance Party in the Dirt following the show. 

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Contributed by Jeff Henson

Published: May 23, 2024 - 10:21 am

Manitoba Fisheries have been seeing Small-mouth bass populations creep across the province more than expected.

Brody Kitch with Manitoba Fisheries is quite concerned about this, as smallmouth bass are aggressive eaters, and could threaten native populations.

"A management issue that we're dealing with right now across the province, not just in western Manitoba, is the illegal movement of smallmouth bass. we're seeing smallmouth bass pop up into lots of lakes that weren't put in by the province. They can play a pretty big impact on our native species, specifically out stocked-trout waters that we put a lot of time, money, and effort into." 

Kitch was shocked to find that small mouth bass have been spotted as far north as Thompson.

With these sitings, Manitoba would have the farthest northern populations of these fish, which is uncommon for a species originating in middle-North America.

Kitch warns that if you're for some reason transporting these fish, there could be some consequences, both on the enviroment, and your wallet.

"You might think you're doing something right, but in the big picture it's typically quite detrimental to the fisheries and it is also illegal. theres a just under $500 fine if you're caught moving fish, so keep that in mind"

There are still limits on smallmouth bass in the province, but Kitch suggested there may eventually be some measures taken to reel in these smallmouth bass populations.

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Contributed by Michael Brossart

Published: May 23, 2024 - 6:00 am

Northgate Trails is a highlight of the Dauphin area that's visited by people from around the world, and there's a lot of work in keeping it at this global level. 

Jean-Louis Guillas with the Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club is looking to instate "Trails Thursdays", which will be a weekly meet-up at 6pm at the trails to attend to maintenance on the trails.

"Part of our campaign, and this volunteer piece, is to educate people about the work that it takes to maintain this trail. the kind of work we have to do is completely dependent on where we have the trails. it's a beautiful area, but it's also sort of vulnerable in some portions, so it means there's special care that needs to go into it"

Trails Thursdays will bring together local nature and trail enthusiasts to help with a wide variety of tasks that these trails need to be done.

This could range from grass and brush cutting, tree clearing, scouting trails for needed maintenance, and more.

Guillas notes that some people will be hired for more specialized work to help prevent erosion and build infrastructure for the Manitoba Summer Games.

Trails like "Old Chap" are quite close to a creek that runs through the trail system, and long-term run-off threatens to degrade that trail as it exists today.

The Trails require a lot of upkeep year-round too, not just during the summer months.

Guillas noted that the first snowfall of last year was nearly impossible to pack with the mechanical trail groomers that are usually used.

A call to action for snowshoers went out and saw a great group of people come out and pack down the snow manually.

If you want to support your local Trails and keep them in pristine condition for years, come out to the trailhead every Thursday at 6 pm.

You can also contact Jean-Louis, The Trail Tutors, or the Dauphin Derailleurs on Facebook for any questions you have!

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Contributed by Michael Brossart

Published: May 22, 2024 - 6:33 pm

We are just 80 days away from the Manitoba Summer Games.

Hundreds of athletes, their families, and friends will invade Dauphin and the surrounding area to be a part of the historic event.

This event will also feature dozens of Parkland athletes including the U16 Dauphin Hawks team that won a tournament in Brandon over the weekend. It's safe to say that as the countdown continues, the buzz continues to build.

"The anticipation is certainly building, we have signage going up throughout the community," said Bryan Mintenko, Games Coordinator. "It's a great time and we continue to work hard to make sure this is an event to remember."

As of right now, the organizing committee is looking for people to carry the torch as a part of the 'Torch Relay'. There are certain criteria to be considered.

CRITERIA:

1. A former 2004 Manitoba Games athlete who represented our region, from Dauphin or the surrounding area;
2. A former Manitoba Games athlete (in any year), who represented our region from Dauphin or the surrounding area; and
3. A Dauphin or surrounding area celebrity or athlete who achieved a significant level of performance.

If you would like to nominate someone from the community, you can email Bryan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The deadline for applications is May 31. 

As we continue to near the Opening Ceremonies, Mintenko says this event is all about showing off our incredible region and the beautiful facilities that will be used.

"It is incredible the amount of support and funding that we have been able to secure," said Mintenko. "This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for so many athletes and that's what makes it so special."

Volunteer:

More than 500 people have already registered to volunteer for the week-long event. With this said, Mintenko says more are still needed.

You can register to volunteer by visiting Bryan at City Hall or you can also call him at 204-250-2166 or you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

"We're still looking, we could use a few hundred more," offered Mintenko. "I'm not sure we will get to our goal of 1000, but if we can get to 800, that would be great."

Every volunteer who registers before June 1 will be put into a draw for a $1000 prize to the Elkhorn Resort and Spa, located in the beautiful Riding Mountain National Park, which is just south of Dauphin.

In some other exciting news, you can get yourself decked out thanks to the Summer Games merchandise store and you can also secure your 50/50 tickets here. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: May 23, 2024 - 11:03 am

An 18-year-old from Dauphin, a 16-year-old from Duck Bay, and a 15-year-old from Camperville are all facing a slew of charges.

On May 19 at about 3:15 a.m., the Winnipegosis RCMP conducted a traffic stop in Minegoziibe Anishinabe First Nation. During this stop, drug paraphernalia was in plain view inside the vehicle. 

When officers searched the vehicle, illicit cannabis, crack cocaine in individual baggies, a sawed-off shotgun, a handgun, ammunition, black ski masks, Canadian currency, and drug paraphernalia were all found.

As a result, Damien Moosetail, along with a 16-year-old from Duck Bay, and a 15-year-old from Camperville have been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine, Possession of Cannabis for Selling, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose, Possession of a Weapon Obtained by Crime, and several other firearms offences.

All three remain in custody. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: May 22, 2024 - 1:23 pm

The Parkland Chamber of Commerce is preparing for their final lunch and learn event of the season, which will take place next Tuesday at the Watson Arts Centre.

Executive Director Stephen Chychota thinks it will be a topic of keen interest to everyone in the business sector.

 "Everyone has payment processing, they have a cyber presence, they have digital items like their phones. So there is a slant to it that we are going to be talking about online security and the risks of that and the frauds that can potentially come."

Richard Bankert will discuss these topics, while representatives from the Digital Manitoba Initiative will also be making a presentation during this event. 

"To give us a rundown on what Manitoba businesses have they been doing over the past few years to adapt more technology into their businesses.  Where are they putting those investments and taking on new technologies or made those steps and progress.  It is kind of in that lens that technology does not drive your business, that you have to use the technology in a way that makes your business thrive." 

 You can register for this event by this Friday through the Parkland Chamber's website. 

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Contributed by Jeff Henson

Published: May 22, 2024 - 12:55 pm