Recent claims that emergency departments in Dauphin and Swan River are at risk of closing due to a lack of available nurses are unfounded, says a Prairie Mountian Health spokesperson.

Concerns have been raised in the wake of efforts undertaken recently to reduce Manitoba’s reliance on private for-profit nursing agencies in the public system.

Manitoba announced earlier this month it will only work with four private agencies to fill vacant shifts at public health care facilities starting, Jan. 15, a sharp decline from the nearly 80 companies the system drew from previously.

The four companies - Elite Intellicare Staffing, Integra Health, Bayshore HealthCare and Augury Healthcare - won the right to work in Manitoba through a competitive bidding process.

Nurses and Manitoba’s official opposition sounded the alarm that shrunken pools of nursing professionals spells disaster for emergency and other departments at the Parkland’s two regional hospitals.

In a written statement, PMH indicated it has not reduced operating room or chemotherapy services at Swan River to support emergency department staffing. Additionally, PMH has not reduced the number of in-patient beds to increase nursing support in emergency departments.

“While PMH has current vacancies, the region regularly reviews and monitors its operations and continues to support safe and reliable service delivery. Recruitment efforts to fill permanent positions continue, which will reduce the need for agency staffing over time,” the statement reads.

“As part of its recruitment strategy, PMH  actively engages with agency nurses working in its facilities, educating them on the benefits of working within the public system and encouraging them to consider permanent roles within the region.

“PMH also works closely with Shared Health’s Provincial Travel Nurse Team to support service delivery where needed.”

In the case of Dauphin, the DRHC’s Special Care Unit has been closed temporarily. The four bed unit, which provides a higher level of care to patients who require closer monitoring, requires two specialized nurses per 12 hour shift.

Any patient transfers that are required as a result will be done in consultation with through the Provincial VECTRS system. The Virtual Emergency Care and Transfer Resource Service (VECTRS) is Manitoba’s centralized and co-ordinated source for clinical guidance and patient transport support.

“Prairie Mountain Health continues to work to secure the necessary staffing resources to support safe and reliable service delivery for the Dauphin SCU so operations resume as quickly as possible,” the statement continued.

“In addition, PMH has three nurses who are currently taking required specialized training to work in the Dauphin SCU. They are anticipated to have their training completed in February.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to scrap its gun buyback program after collecting only 25 firearms during its Cape Breton pilot project.

“Ottawa’s pilot project cost a lot of money, but only picked up a fraction of the guns projected,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF prairie director.

“Law enforcement experts told the government the gun confiscation won’t work and now the failed pilot project has proven the point.”

The federal government conducted a pilot project to collect firearms from licensed gun owners in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, for approximately six weeks starting in September 2025. The federal government agreed to give at least $149,760 to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to carry out the program.

The government aimed to collect 200 firearms during the pilot project. It only collected 25.

The police and other experts have publicly stated this scheme won’t make Canadians safer.

“We know that the gun buyback program is going to have, essentially, zero impact on the crime in Toronto,” said Clayton Campbell, the president of the Toronto Police Association.

The union representing RCMP members says Ottawa’s program, “diverts extremely important personnel, resources, and funding away from addressing the more immediate and growing threat of criminal use of illegal firearms.”

Budget 2025 says the government has committed $742 million to carry out the program, but the government has not been transparent on these costs to taxpayers.

The Liberal Party initially said it would cost $200 million in 2019. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said it will cost up to $756 million to compensate owners for their firearms. Other experts put the final price tag at about $6 billion.

The government has a history of ballooning costs for gun-control programs. The government initially promised the long-gun registry would cost taxpayers only $2 million. The final tab was more than $2 billion before it was scrapped. 

“The results of this pilot project show exactly why police officers, academics, licenced gun owners and everyday taxpayers knew that the gun ban was going to be a failure from the start,” Haubrich said.

“The federal government needs to own up to its failure, listen to the experts and direct resources to stop illegal gun smuggling instead of confiscating guns from licensed gun owners.”

The Bayer Crop Science Parkland Super League of Curling returned from its Christmas break with two games on Sunday.

Kyle Forsyth of Turko Fertilizer defeated Chad Sahulka of South Fork Ag. Services, 6-0, while Glenn Toews of Nutrien Ag Solutions beat Greg Todoruk of Richardson Pioneer, 5-3.

The game between Rob Fisher and Fire Line Group’s Bryan Preston was postponed and Colten Stadnyk of Gilbert Plains Co-op had the bye.

Forsyth regained sole possession of first place with a record of 7-1, while Todoruk drops to 6-2. Toews is third at 5-3, while Fisher is 4-3. Preston is 2-4, Stadnyk is 1-6 and Sahulka is 1-7.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has released its annual New Year’s Tax Changes report to highlight the major tax changes in 2026.

“The Manitoba government is making most Manitobans pay more taxes next year,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie director.

“Premier Wab Kinew’s sneaky bracket creep tax hike and property tax changes are leaving many Manitobans with higher tax bills that they can’t afford.”

Bracket creep - The government stopped indexing income tax brackets to inflation in Budget 2025. That’s a stealth tax hike called bracket creep. It means that inflation can automatically bump taxpayers into a higher tax bracket and increase their tax bill.

Bracket creep will cost taxpayers $82 million in 2025. The cost to taxpayers will increase every year due to inflation.

Education property tax - The Manitoba government replaced the 50 per cent school property tax rebate and $350 education property tax credit to a flat $1,500 tax credit for principal residences only in 2025.

About 55 per cent of Winnipeg property owners are paying higher property taxes under the new system, according to the City of Winnipeg. Education property taxes will still cost taxpayers about $206 million more this year compared to last year.

The government is increasing the rebate from $1,500 to $1,600 for 2026.

A Winnipeg family making $75,000 pays about $5,830 in provincial taxes every year. That’s more than a similar family living in Regina, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal.

“Manitobans are overtaxed and need serious relief to make life more affordable and the economy more competitive,”  Haubrich said.

“Instead of hiking taxes, Kinew should be focused on taking less out of Manitobans pockets every year, not more.”

The federal government’s income tax cut will save the average taxpayer $190 in 2026, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

The federal government is also increasing payroll taxes, the industrial carbon tax and alcohol taxes in 2026.

You can read the CTF’s New Year’s Tax Changes report online at www.taxpayer.com.

It’s been said that you cannot know where you are going without understanding where you have been.

So with a new year looming we took the opportunity to look back at some of the news, good and bad, that made headlines in the Parkland in 2025.

January

• The early part of winter saw Dauphin Public Works’ focus set squarely on snow removal.

Several citywide cleanups took place in January and the work performed by the crews was been exemplary, said Public Works and Operations director Mike VanAlstyne.

“The way our crews operate and the efficiency and the ability to clean up time and time again after these major storm events is remarkable,” he said.

“Within 72 hours we’re pretty well back to normal. I don’t think many communities could say the same, especially communities of our size.”

With the work on Main Street South completed, there was additional work to do, however, a new services agreement with the province provided compensation for the extra work.

February

• As the health region spending the most, Prairie Mountain Health was directed to reduce private agency nursing costs by 15 per cent by the end of the fiscal year.

March

• Justice Minister Matt Wiebe was joined by local MLA Ron Kostyshyn in the City to meet stakeholders regarding the Dauphin Community Justice Centre project. Both mayor David Bosiak and reeve Ernie Sirski left the meeting pleased to see the project moving forward.

April

• The Rural Municipality of Dauphin presented its financial plan.

In a press release, council stated it put together a budget it felt ensured quality service to its citizens through a modest increase of two per cent to the municipal requirements.

For the full story, read this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation released a report last week warning Manitobans about the province’s increasing debt.

“Billions of taxpayers’ dollars are being wasted on debt interest payments because the government is irresponsibly borrowing too much money,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF prairie director.

“The government needs a plan to find savings and dig Manitoba out of this financial hole.”

The CTF report details how the provincial government has increased the debt since 2016-17.

Key findings of the report include:

• Manitoba government debt has increased by 61 per cent from 2016-17 to 2025-26
• Each Manitoban’s per capita share of the provincial debt is about $24,831
• Debt interest payments have cost taxpayers almost $18 billion since 2016-17
• Debt interest payments represent about 21 per cent of provincial government tax revenues.

The government will waste $2.3 billion on debt interest payments this year. Debt interest payments cost taxpayers more money than all but the two largest government departments.

The government pays more in debt interest payments than it collects in education property taxes, the health and education tax, corporation taxes, fuel taxes and the land transfer tax combined.

“This report should be a wakeup call for the government that Manitobans can’t afford any more debt,” Haubrich said.

“Premier Wab Kinew needs to control spending and work to pay down Manitoba’s increasing debt.”

The Manitoba Debt Report can be found online at www.taxpayer.com.

The Dauphin Primary Care Outreach Clinic is one of four sites within the Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) region welcoming a new nurse practioner.

“I’ve been a nurse for 11 years; the majority of my career was in the outpatient department/ER at the Ste. Rose General Hospital,” said Jolynn Harder, who will practise at the Dauphin Primary Care Outreach Clinic.

“I started the Masters of Nursing-NP program-in 2022 through the University of Manitoba.”

Upon receiving their full designation, Nurse Practitioners work independently, are accountable to their practice and can provide many services, including:

• Completing assessments and physical exams, including pap tests and pre-natal exams.
• Diagnosing and managing common medical issues and chronic conditions.
• Prescribing medications and therapies.
• Ordering diagnostic tests like blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans and MRIs.
• Performing minor procedures like suturing, biopsies, wart and mole removal; and
• Referring to other health providers, including specialists.

Other communities welcoming new nurse practioners include Rossburn/Shoal Lake, Melita and Canupawakpa First Nation, as well as the Brandon Minor Injury and Illness Clinic.

PMH CEO Treena Slate said recruitment and retention of health-care professionals remains a top priority for the health region and the province, and growing the Grad NP program within the region continues to see great results.

“Along with our health partners and stakeholders, which include our communities, we continue to look for ways to support, recruit and retain health care staff within PMH. By having NPs provide services from base locations across our region, we can maintain the provision of primary care closer to home,” Slate said.

Having four new nurse practioners working in the region is great news for the Westman community, said Uzoma Asagwara, Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care.

“Nurse practitioners are an excellent addition to primary health services and their unique focus on patient and client-centered care makes them essential partners in creating healthier communities.” the minister said.

“We welcome these new recruits and wish them a fulfilling career in health care here in Manitoba.”

Slate added PMH is collaborating with six more NP students who are currently completing the second year of their programs and who are expected to begin working within the health region next fall.

For those looking for a nurse practitioner or family doctor, the Province has a program to help clients find new primary care providers. Visit www.manitoba.ca/familydoctorfinder or call toll-free to 1-866-690-8260, to find out more. PMH NPs work with this program when taking on new patients.

As of November 2025, the region has 31 NPs providing service within 30 PMH communities, 11 of which are First Nation communities.

The Parkland Crisis Centre and Women’s Shelter in Dauphin was among the recipients sharing $750,000 courtesy of the province’s  Criminal Property Forfeiture (CPF) Fund.

A grant of $35,000 was provided to the organization, which provides support services to women and children escaping intimate partner abuse, a 24-hour crisis line, emergency shelter, counselling, child and youth programs, support groups, referrals and advocacy.

“The Parkland Crisis Centre and Women’s Shelter is excited to announce the newly-formed partnership with Victim Services to improve service accessibility within our community,” said Kari Prawdzik, executive director of the Parkland Crisis Centre.

“The shelter is passionate about empowering individuals to break free from the cycles of violence and building healthier futures. Our organization’s goals are to assist in providing life-changing support to those affected by family, intimate partner and gender-based violence.”

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the money  provided last week is meant to support victims and surviving family members of serious crimes, including homicide, sexual assault and intimate partner violence,

“November is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and our government is strengthening its support for victims of intimate partner violence and other serious crimes throughout the province,” Wiebe said.

“Our public safety strategy commits to supporting Manitobans victimized by crime and we are able to help victims and their families rebuild their lives by redirecting the proceeds of criminal activity in Manitoba to valuable community programs.”

The Parkland Crisis Centre and Women’s Shelter and WMWC are receiving CPF victim services grants for the first time, the minister noted.

The CPF Fund distributes proceeds from the sale of seized criminal property to organizations in the province that focus on community safety.

The CPF Fund also includes a funding stream for the Manitoba Justice Victim Services branch, which offers support to all individuals under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights. Last year, the province increased the fund to $750,000 from $500,000 in previous years.

Read the full story on this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

A teen offender is facing several firearms charges after being found with a prhibited weapon.

On Nov. 10, Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP received a call with information that an 18-year-old man was observed walking around the community of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi (Crane River First Nation) with a firearm.

Officers respoinded to the residence of the man in question and arrested him without incident after locating a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition in a bag at the rear of the residence.

The investigation also determined the suspect pointed a firearm at several youths in the community.

The teen, from O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi, was charged with possession of a prohibited firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of weapon for  dangerous purposes and pointing a firearm.

The man was released with an order to appear at  a future court date.

Ste. Rose du Lac RCMP continue to investigate.

Dauphin RCMP interrupted two men in the process of  stealing copper building supplies from a house under renovation in the south end of the city, at the end of October.

In the mid morning of Oct. 23, Dauphin RCMP received a report of a break and enter in progress at a vacant residence on Third Avenue Southeast.

Officers responded immediately and noticed the back door was damaged and was a point where someone could have possibly entered the residence.

As police approached the door, movement could be heard inside.

A call out was made for the occupants to exit the residence, but they did not comply.

Officers then observed an unknown man trying to crawl out of a side window. The man was notified he was under arrest and eventually complied after repeated demands from one of the officers.

Another unknown man was then seen crawling out the bottom of the back door carrying a backpack. He was arrested without incident.

During a search of the residence, extensive damage was observed in the basement where large holes in the drywall were evident in numerous places.

Police also seized two hockey bags full of copper wire and piping.

Two men aged 36, and 47 from Dauphin, were charged with breaking and entering.

Dauphin RCMP continue to investigate.

• • •

Late last week, multiple RCMP units joined forces to arrest a prolific offender following a  chase through the woods.

On the morning of Oct. 30, Dauphin RCMP received information that a wanted man was near Keld.

RCMP officers from the Dauphin, Ste. Rose du Lac, and Roblin detachments, as well as the Manitoba West District Crime Reduction Enforcement Team (CREST) and RCMP Police Dog Services all  headed to the area to search for the man.

Following an extensive search, the suspect was observed near a gravel pit and was seen running into a wooded area.

PD Services officers Marook and Skipper, with assistance from a drone, were deployed and began tracking the suspect through difficult terrain, including thick brush and a deep river.

After approximately three hours of searching, 27-year-old Jordy Robertson was located and safely taken into custody.

Roberston, of the RM of Gilbert Plains, faces several charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, operation of a motor vehicle while prohibited, flight from a peace officer, resisting or obstructing a peace officer, three counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, mischief over $5,000, and three counts of failing to comply with a probation order.

Robertson was remanded in custody.