Following questions of ownership being resolved, the indoor playground at the former Parkland Crossing is being relocated to the heart of the city later this spring.

Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, which was gifted the structure by the Church of Christ last April, will provide a new home for the equipment in the auditorium of the DNRC Community Center on Third Avenue Northwest.

“We have quite a significant addition that we’re fund-raising for and filling out grant applications for, in addition to the original structure,” said DNRC executive director Amanda Novak, adding the organization will host an open house, Mar. 10, to share its plans and details of a fund-raising campaign.

“It’ll be quite a bit bigger. It’ll be about another 35 per cent to 40 per cent bigger than what it was at Parkland Crossing.”

Novak added DNRC is currently working with the manufacturer Orca Coast Playground Ltd. on design of the addition and the logistics of moving the existing playground.

“They have to come out and disassemble it.  Then we’ll have to transport it here and reassemble it in our facility,” she said.

The decision to move the structure to the DNRC Community Centre was an easy one for the organization, Novak said. Not only does the facility offer more space for the playground, it can still be available for low-cost rentals by families and for free play sponsorships by community organizations.

“All of that is going to continue. But we’re hoping to even build off of what was there. We’re hoping to have it open to the community for different activities and programming and stuff throughout the week,” she said, adding having the playground on site will also facilitate easier management of bookings and allow DNRC to incorporate the playground into some of its existing programming.

“We’re looking at expanding our youth employment readiness program and offering them first job type exposure, mentoring exposure, with maintenance, janitorial, administration with the booking and everything that goes with that,” Novak said.

“Sometimes it’s not easy to have those types of jobs. Not all employers want to take on that responsibility. So, if we can have the opportunity to integrate it into our own facility, we feel like would be great because that’s one of our areas of emphasis. It’s an opportunity we can give to our youth. With all the fallout from all of the different things that are going on in the world, like the pandemic, these types of opportunities are really valuable.”

The playground must be removed from its current location by May 31, and Novak said a steering committee is busy working on the logistics of that.

“It’s made up of members from Fusion Credit Union, somebody from Rotary. DNRC. We’ve got South Parkland Healthy Child Coalition representation,” she said.

“That steering committee is going to be the ones working with us and helping us get this rolling, marketed rolled out throughout the community so that we’re able to have the funds in place to get (the playground) over here by the end of May.”

Based on perception, often the reality of a situation can be very divergent among different groups.

Knowing that, Dauphin and Area Welcoming Communities Coalition co-ordinator Anna Lermolenko has set out to determine where the perceptions of the city align and differ among long-time community leaders and new immigrants.

To get to the reality of the situation, Lermolenko has organized separate discussions with the two groups to gather information.

“The purpose of these sessions is to bring different perspectives together and to better understand key community needs,” Lermolenko said, prior to the first meeting with community leaders, Feb. 18.

“I will compare the findings from both sessions to see where the perspectives of community leaders and immigrants align and where they may differ.”

The focused discussion centred on five key areas with specific questions posed in each area.

In the priority area of Inclusion of Immigrants workshop participants were asked:

• Based on your work role, what helps immigrants integrate successfully into the community;
• What barriers do you observe most often for immigrants; and
• Which immigrant groups seem to face the greatest challenges?

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

Dauphin city councillors kicked off their Feb. 2 regular meeting by adding one outstanding water account to the tax rolls.

The motion involved $141.42 outstanding at 506 Main Street South after the owner did not pay current bill and the City was unable to disconnect the service due to a malfunctioning curb stop.

Emergency plan

Council received correspondence from Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s regional emergency manager Amy Currie informing them their updated emergency plan was approved as submitted. Municipalities are required to update their plans annually under provisions of the The Emergency Measures Act. The current plan was updated by the Dauphin’s safety manager, senior administration and the Emergency Measures Organization regional emergency manager.

Infrastructure

Council received a copy of Manitoba Transportation and  Infrastructure’s 2025-26 Multi-Year Infrastructure Investment Strategy. Mayor David Bosiak noted the capital plans include numerous projects in the Dauphin area.

Daycare project

City manager Sharla Griffiths updated councillors on the Prairie Park Place Early Learning Centre project. Griffiths said the tender documents for the project have been published on MERX, a nation-wide tendering system, which provides  vendors with a low-cost, easily accessible way of reviewing and obtaining government tenders. The daycare tender will close, Mar. 2, and will be followed by a review period before the contract is awarded. Construction is expected to start this spring and be completed by the fall of 2027.

Working group

Griffiths updated councillors on the workings of the Parkland Regional Working Group, which met recently. Made up of the heads of council and heads of staff, the group is comprised of the  City of Dauphin, RM of Dauphin, Ste. Rose, Lakeshore, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, and McCreary. At the latest meeting, the topics of discussion included health care, immigration, 911 issues, tourism, regional economic development, joint training for municipal employees and elected officials and the 2026 election. The next Parkland Regional Working Group meeting is set for Mar. 20.

Human resources

Griffiths informed council the recruiting process for a new director of Public Works and Operations, as well as a new Public Works foreman is progressing. City administration also reviewed the structure of Public Works crews and decided to add a Charge Hand - Public Works as a permanent position, instead of seasonal.

Accounts approved

Councillors authorized the issuance of 39 cheques totalling $1,211,040.64 to cover outstanding accounts. Also authorized were five electronic payments totalling $25,792.50.

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

Everyone is safe following a major fire, which began Friday evening, extended into Saturday morning and destroyed the Queen Apartments at 1109 Main St. S in Dauphin.

Fire chief Cam Abrey said Dauphin Fire Department crews were just nicely finished dealing with two-vehicle accident in the southeast section of the city when the call came in regarding smoke in the apartment building.

In a news release, Abrey said firefighters worked throughout the night, eventually clearing the scene at approximately 8:30 a.m., Saturday.

“All of the occupants were able to escape the building safely, with one transported to hospital for precaution for smoke inhalation,” Abrey said.

“Firefighters were able to rescue two pets from the building to return to their owner.”

Cooler temperatures caused icing conditions and took its it toll on men and equipment, Abrey said, adding a mutual aid request was sent to Gilbert Plains Fire Department for additional manpower.

“To assist with swapping out firefighters for rehab - a chance to warm up and eat and hydrate - at around 10 p.m.,” he said.

“We are thankful for our mutual aid neighbours who stood with us throughout the night and helped with this stubborn fire.”

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

Widely regarded as the perfect bridge between the past and the future, the freshly renovated Dauphin Courthouse was celebrated during a special ceremony, last week.

While the facility has been open and operating for several months, Manitoba Justice officials, local dignitaries and members of the community gathered in the building’s lobby for an offical grand opening, Jan. 15.

“What an incredible opportunity it is to be here today to open this amazing facility, Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said,

“This is a beautiful space and one that I’ve had a chance to watch throughout the different iterations, seeing the old jail, seeing the old courthouse and seeing where it was going. Now to be here in person, what an incredible journey.”

Having heard what the facility means to the community, Wiebe added the renovations reflect the Manitoba government’s commitment to the community and to the region as a whole, through a modern, safe, accessible and technologically advanced facility

“It includes expanded courtrooms, expanded administrative space, the enhanced security features which folks know about, the upgraded video conferencing technology, which supports remote hearings,” Wiebe said, adding one of his department’s guiding strategies is ensuring access to justice is fully supported.

“All of these pieces are so important to delivering that kind of access to justice that Manitobans expect. Improvements ensure that the courthouse meets the needs of all Manitobans, whether they’re seeking justice, whether they’re providing legal support in the courtroom, or whether they’re working at any level within our system.”

The facility, he added, is also a symbol of the government’s commitment to walking the path of reconciliation, highlighted by an Eagle Feather Renewal Ceremony prior to the formal agenda led by Michael Pierre, Manitoba Justice’s executive director of Indigenous Services.

Eagle feathers were introduced into Manitoba courtrooms in 2019 as an option for Indigenous people swearing their oath prior to giving their testimony, rather than affirming of swearing on a bible.

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

Dauphin city councillors have received their marching orders for the final year of their terms.

At their regular meeting, Jan. 5, councillors approved appointments to internal committees and community boards.

Internal committees

The Audit and Finance Committee will be comprised of mayor David Bosiak and councillors Ted Rea and Christian Laughland, while the Employee Relations Committee includes Bosiak, Laughland and councillor Kathy Bellemare.

The Environmental Stewardship and Climate Adaptation Committee, as well as the Planning and Priorities Committee will involve the full council.

The Property Standards Task Force Committee will include Rea and councillor Devin Shtykalo.

The Protective Services Committee will be comprised of Bosiak, Bellemare and councillor Randy Daley.

External committees

(Governed by City)

Councillor Steve Sobering and Rea will represent the City on the Active Living and Transportation Committee, while the full council will sit on the Board of Revision.

Bosiak and Laughland will sit on the City of Dauphin Liaison with the RM of Dauphin Committee, while Laughland and Bellemare will serve on the City Beautification Committee. 

The Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee will include Bellemare and Rea, while Sobering and Shtykalo will serve on the Dauphin Business Park Committee and Rea will represent the City on the Dauphin Community Band Committee.

Bellemare will return to the Dauphin and District Allied Arts Council Liaison Committee, while Bosiak and Sobering will sit on the Dauphin Economic Development Committee.

The emergency measures committee will include Bosiak, Rea and Daley, while Rea will represent the City on the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee.

External committees

(Governed by others)

Rea will represent the City on Dauphin At Risk Teens, while Bellemare will sit on the Dauphin and Area Welcoming Communities Committee and the Dauphin and District Allied Arts Council Committee for the Watson Arts Centre.

Sobering will continue to serve on the Dauphin and District Handi-Van Committee, while Bellemare will sit on the Dauphin Public Library Committee.

Rea and Shtykalo will sit on the Dauphin Recreation Services board, while Laughland will join Shtykalo on the Dauphin Regional Airport Authority Board and Daley will remain with the Dauphin Veterinary Services Board.

Bosiak will represent the City on the Inter-Mountain Watershed District Vermillion River Sub-District Committee, while Laughland will sit with the Parkland Chamber of Commerce and Bellemare will sit on the Parkland Regional Library Committee.

Bosiak will represent the City on the Parkland Regional Municipal Working Group, the Riding Mountain Regional Liaison Committee and the Riding Mountain UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve Committee, while Bellemare and Sobering will sit on the Riverside Cemetery Board.

Citizen appointments

Shirley Genik and Mark Kohan were appointed to the Dauphin Community Band for two-year terms expiring December 2027. Lynn Smith was appointed to a one-year term on the Dauphin General Hospital Foundation expiring in December, while Mavis Wood, Regan Lemieux and Todd Pedersen were appointed to two-year terms on the Dauphin Public Library Board expiring in December 2027.

The City of Dauphin is once again on the hunt for a new director of Public Works and Operations after Bernardo Pasco tendered his resignation.

Citing family commitments as his motivation to return to the City of Winnipeg, Pasco’s last day on the job was Dec. 31, 2025.

City manager Sharla Griffiths said the search for Pasco’s replacement will begin immediately.

“We’re going to advertise and just see what comes our way. We’re going to post it today and run it probably three weeks or so,” she said, adding she has also had a conversation with a professional recruiter, although no outside party has been contracted to tlead the search at this point.

“We are looking for an engineer or a civil technician, somebody who knows their way around public works type situations, construction, contracts, surveying, all that kind of stuff.”

Griffiths said recent retirements in public works and uitilities have allowed the City to make some changes that will ease some of the workload for the new director, whoever that may be.

Pasco joined the City of Dauphin administration team last July replacing Mike VanAlstyne, who left the City to take a job with Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure.

Originally from Philippines, Pasco worked in that country as a municipal engineer for 22 years before emigrating to Canada.

He came to Dauphin from Winnipeg after working in three other Manitoba municipalities.

As the calendar turns to 2026, Dauphin mayor David Bosiak is looking ahead to the coming year with optimism, while reflecting on 2025 with satisfaction.

“I think we had a pretty good year. We had some challenges and some opportunities in the public works department,” he said, citing the resignation of Public Works and Operations director Mike VanAlstyne and the retirements of Public Works foreman Terry Genik and Utilities foreman Jeff Weselowski.

“Which gives us tremendous opportunity to bring in some new blood, young people, but also you lose almost 100 years of experience. It has an impact on the organization.”

Despite the changes, Bosiak is pleased with the connection between City hall and the public works shop, saying morale is good on both sides.

The changes in leadership have also provided an opportunity for restructuring in an effort to find efficiencies, he added.

“We’re looking at restructuring a little bit, so we can have our Public Works manager looking after the multi-million dollar projects, but not losing oversight on smaller projects because they are too busy doing the big stuff and there’s no one else to help,” Bosiak said, adding the creation of a project manager position late in the year is paying dividends in that regard.

“Justin Tokarchuk has become our new project manager and that’s worked out,  I think, really well so far in the sense that he’s latched on to all those smaller projects.”

In the past, there has been some frustration among councillors when some of the smaller projects fell by the wayside, he added.

“We often had a surplus at the end of the year, but it was not because we did great stuff. It was because we didn’t do a couple of little things that we wanted to do,” Bosiak said.

Read the full story in this week’s Dauphin Herald.

Two local emergency services organizations will once again go head to head in what has become a Christmas tradition in Dauphin.

The Dauphin RCMP Detachment and the Dauphin Fire Department are competing in the Cram the Cruiser and Pack the Pumper food drive for the sixth time.

Donations are being accepted now and the official weigh-in takes place, Dec. 16.

The friendly competition  allows the two agencies an opportunity to support the community, and each other, beyond their emergency services work, with the Dauphin and District Community Food Bank (DDCFB) being the real winner.

“It’s a great cause for the community to raise some funds and get some food donations for our local food bank,” Dauphin fire chief Cam Abrey said, adding the competition also gives the two groups of first responders an opportunity to interact outside of the high-stress emergency situations they normally encounter together.

“We have a great working relationship with the RCMP. This is just a little fun competition where it’s not that we’re responding to calls together.”

It is a sentiment shared by the Dauphin RCMP Detachment, said Const. Frank Giesbrecht, who is spearheading the effort on behalf of the RCMP.

“Anything to help our community is important and times are tough right now for everyone,” 

With a bit of the late start this year, the RCMP and the fire department will not be able to be out in the community promoting the food drive, but both sides will be at the Dauphin Kings game next Tuesday.

“We’re going to be out at the Dauphin Kings game in the parking lot on, Dec. 9. The RCMP will have a cruiser there. We’ll have a pumper there,” Abrey said.

“So we’re asking if you’re coming to the game to bring a tin for the bin.”

Giesbrecht said, knowing the fire department always attends a Kings game during the annual food drive, he thought the RCMP should get in on the action.

“We’re going to go because I know Cam always goes there. So, I pitched it to Cam, why don’t we do a head-to-head and people can choose who they donate to,” he said adding the night will add a little fun to the competition.

Those not able to contribute to the food drive that night can still get involved.

Anyone wanting to contribute to the fire department side can call the station at 204-622-3100 to arrange a pick up of donations, or they can bring food items to the fire station Monday to Friday between 8 a,m, and 5 p.m.

“We’d be glad to take your donations,” Abrey said, adding the fire department has only won the competition once in the last six years.

“We need a win. We ask that you drop off to the fire department, because we’re here for the community. And not that the RCMP isn’t, but we desperately need those bragging rights for who’s brought in the most amount of food.”

For those wanting to back the RCMP in the competition, Giesbrecht said, a cruiser will be available in the detachment parking lot throughout the collection period.

“People can drop off or they can call us and when members are free, we can come pick them up,” Giesbrecht said.

Some of the DDCFB’s most needed items include dry cereal, oatmeal, pasta, pasta sauce, canned baked beans, canned meats, canned fish, canned fruit, mac and cheese, tea, coffee, soup, crackers and canned vegetables.

Maybe not a lot of tangible work gets done at an Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) convention, but the semi-annual get together of municipal officials from around the province is a networking opportunity that is second to none, said Dauphin deputy-mayor Christian Laughland.

This year’s fall convention took place, Nov. 25 to 27, at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg.

“I think the City of Dauphin is pretty well respected at the AMM level. There’s a lot of people there that we all know, not just myself, but the staff and the other councillors that go and it’s a really good event to go and see what everybody else has got going on,” Laughland said.

And a lot of people like to hear about what Dauphin has got going on, especially at the City Caucus.”

The new recreation deal between the City and the Rural Municipality of Dauphin was a hot topic at the Cities Caucus meeting, as was the fallout from this past summer’s wildfires and the extensive infrastructure projects most communities are working on or are facing.

“It’s always good to go and hear the stories,” Laughland said.

“Thompson talked a lot about the fires they had up there. They’re also hosting the winter games, so they are really excited for that. There was a lot of wastewater conversation, which Dauphin is ahead of the game there. We’re working on ours. But places like Winkler and Steinbach are dealing with that.

“It’s unfortunate that there’s an election in a year and some of those people might not be around, but it’s still fun to go to the fall convention and talk to all those people.”

On top of the plenary sessions and keynote speakers, the convention also provides an opportunity for some face time with provincial officials.

This year the City met with Minister of Labour and Immigration Malaya Marcelino, as well as with  Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning Tracy Schmidt.

“(Marcelino)  was great to meet with,” Laughland said.

“(Schmidt) talked really highly of the Dauphin area and everything going on here. We obviously discussed the new day care, Prairie Park Place. She was really happy to help us there. The next step there is staffing, so we talked about that. And she heard about the Dauphin Kings hosting a Countryfest game this weekend and she wanted to see the jerseys. So it was a really good conversation with her, as well.”

Finally, City officials met with the deputy minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness.

“They had nothing but compliments about how Dauphin is handling the (housing) the situation especially at the highrise, and how good we’ve been to work with,” Laughland said, addling on top of the formal meetings, there were several impromptu conversations with provincials officials in the hallways  such as Agriculture Minister and Dauphin MLA Ron Kostyshyn, as well as Premier Wab Kinew, who, Laughland added reiterated the promise that physical work on the new community justice centre will get underway in 2026 in his keynote address.

“You pass these people going through the hall ways and they’ll stop for some quick conversations. Those relationships, we didn’t have that with the previous government. Those guys wouldn’t come up to us and talk to us, they would more so avoid us in the hallways,” Laughland said.

“These current ministers and MLAs, and the premier, they’ll walk out of their way when they see people from Dauphin to strike up a conversation. It’s a nice breath of fresh air.”