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This article was published 21/12/2023 (742 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DAUPHIN

The Province of Manitoba and the City of Dauphin have come to terms on snow clearing on provincially-owned roads in the community.

Mike VanAlstyne, director of public works and operations, said the province approached the city with a lump sum offer of $50,000 to provide winter maintenance on the urban highway system after several years with no agreement in place. The streets in question include Main Street, Second Avenue Northwest and First Avenue Northeast. City council approved the deal at its Nov. 27 regular meeting.

“We felt that this was more fair than the previous offers had been, and we know that we can provide probably a better level of service than they can at the moment, just with their staff levels and some challenges they’re facing,” VanAlstyne said.

The winter maintenance will still take a team approach with plenty of communication between the city and the province, he added.

The province has offered to continue sanding and salting services for ice control, and the city will take on the ploughing.

» The Dauphin Herald

DAUPHIN

The Dauphin Fire Department has been less busy so far in 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to Fire Chief Cam Abrey.

Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, the department responded to 201 calls compared to 206 during the same period last year, Abrey told city councillors at their regular meeting on Nov. 27. It amounts to a 2.4 per cent decrease in calls.

“But any downward trend is always a good trend in emergency services,” Abrey said.

False alarms continue to account for the largest volumes of calls at 37 per cent, Abrey said, followed by motor vehicle collisions at 18 per cent.

In total, 3,628 hours were spent at calls with responses to the Rural Municipality of Dauphin, accounting for 19 per cent of those hours and city responses accounting for 80 per cent. The final one per cent of time was spent offering aid to neighbouring departments in the Riding Mountain Mutual Aid District.

» The Dauphin Herald

CARBERRY

The Carberry and Area Community Foundation held their first Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 1.

With over 100 people in attendance, the foundation sold lights for the memory tree and 336 names were read. Pastor Will Feldbusch provided words of comfort and humour, and Heather McLaren, a current foundation board member, expressed her gratitude to those who attended.

“This is very near and dear to my heart, as I have several family members on the list that was read and it made me feel like they are not forgotten in the community,” she said. “I hope everyone else in attendance got something out of it.”

Musical performances were part of the event, one by the Acadia Colony Choir, and hot chocolate and cookies were provided by Patti at the Summer Shack and Helen Sjolie and Sharon Salt brought extra cookies.

The evening continued with the second annual Carberry Farmers Market Christmas Market, with over 20 vendors at the Drop-In Centre and library. There was also entertainment by Shannon Downey and a surprise visit from Santa Claus. At the Drop-In, King Spud and McCains gave away free fries. Local businesses were also open late for the event.

» Neepawa Banner & Press

BOISSEVAIN

Around 50 band students from Boissevain School will travel o Red Deer, Alta. for a band trip in the spring of 2024, and fundraising efforts are underway.

Band instructor Colleen Hallett says the cost to send each student on the trip is just over $700, amounting to a total cost of $36,400, including six adults/chaperones.

“This is big for a band trip, but back when I was in high school band, we did a tri like this every four years, so it gives the kids a chance to have a big goal to work towards in their band careers in school,” she said. “So it’s a fun tradition that I hope to revive here.”

The students have already raised some funds by selling hot chocolate at the Go Wild for Christmas Holiday Market that was held several weeks ago, where they raised $500, as well as by selling hot chocolate and popcorn at the Boissevain tree lighting ceremony. Hallett has also been applying for grants to help with travel costs for the group.

The students and their chaperones will head to Alberta in May, travelling through Drumheller and performing in Red Deer at the music festival. After that, they’ll go to Calgary to see the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra perform. After a quick trip to Banff, the group will head home.

» Discover Westman

The Board of Directors of the North American Game Warden Museum are fundraising to expand their endowment fund to bring awareness to the profession of Canadian Conservation Officers and American Game Wardens.

The museum is located on the grounds of the International Peace Garden. Board president Sergeant Blake Patterson is a Conservation Officer in Swan River, Man., who has been in the profession for 17 years and has served in his position of board president for seven years.

Conservation officers, Conservation police, Fish & Wildlife officers, and Natural Resource officers all fall under the general turn “Game Warden,” which unites them all for the common goal of protecting natural resources.

The museum was founded by a group of game wardens in the 1980s who wanted to educate the public about what natural resource protection looks like. Many people who visit the museum are surprised by the vast array of duties that game wardens have across North America, Patterson said.

Raising awareness of the duties and dangers game wardens and conservations face every day is an important part of messaging, he added. The second important mission for the North American Game Warden Museum is to honour those who have fallen in the line of duty.

“We have memorial claims with every state and province in North America recognizing all the fallen officers listed,” Patterson said. “So, it’s a one-of-a-kind institution in North America, of where all game wardens for the whole continent are recognized at one location all by themselves.”

The International Peace Garden held their Santa Day event and the opening of its newly constructed Conservatory, which houses its cacti and succulent collection, on Dec. 9.

» Discover Westman