Dauphin’s Utility Fund is trending toward a deficit in 2024.

City manager Sharla Griffiths informered councillors of the situation at their regular meeting Nov. 18.

“One of the reasons that we’re looking at a possible deficit is that the City of Dauphin last September, so over a year ago now, applied for a rate study with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and we anticipated, we knew that it was going to take a long time. So we gave them basically a year and anticipated that we would have received approval of the increased utility rates by Oct. 1,” Griffiths said, adding they have been told the review will start soon.

“We’re well into November, so fingers crossed for January 1. But that’s the primary reason that we may be running a deficit for 2024.”

Griffiths added there was some capital work that was not completed this year which might help the situation, but on the flip side there was extra capital when they were doing the Lagoon sludging.

“So we are really kind of waiting for the numbers to come in as to where are we are,” she said.

“We’re going to evaluate at the end of November and probably there’s not a lot of room to cancel things in December, all of our projects are done. So we’ll know in a couple of weeks where we’re at.”

The City requested the water rate review as a result of inflationary pressures. While the last review included a built-in inflation factor, it only covered a set number of years.

“After that we can’t inflate the rates, so we just have to keep them stagnant,” Griffiths said,

“So there was at least one year where there, 2023 I believe, did not see an increase and neither did 2024. We were hoping that three-quarters of the way through 2024 we would see an increase and then continue on from there.”

In its application, the City was seeking an 11.7 per cent increase in 2024,  along with a 4.2 per cent in 2025 and 2.3 per cent in 2026.

When the new rates will kick in depends on when the PUB decision comes down as the City prefers not to change rates in the middle of a billing cycle.

“It would be great if we could get it started for Jan. 1, but if we can’t then it won’t be until Apr. 1,” Griffiths said.

“It’s tougher to get the kind of messaging out for people to understand that their rate changed halfway through. It’s a cleaner process when it’s at the beginning of a quarter.”

The request before the PUB is for a short term, Griffiths said, acting as a bridge with the lagoon expansion project looming. Once construction costs are firmed up and operating estimates are determined, the City will ask for another rate review to ensure the utility is a strong position to finance the project.

“We have had hugely fluctuating estimates for the project. When we applied for the grant way back in 2019 it was $13 million. During the pandemic, when we got awarded the grant, it was thought that the project could be upwards of $17 million,” Griffiths said adding the grant requirements were that any expenditures over the original $13 million had to be covered by the municipality.

“But as we’re coming out of that high inflation time, we’re finding that the costs are coming down, not quite down to $13 million, but it’s not as high as $17 million. Once we have a more solid idea of what those costs are, then we can determine if (the project will be covered) 100 per cent by water rates or if there’s some on taxation, as well.”

Two local emergency services agencies are once again competing for the benefit of the Dauphin and District Community Food Bank (DDCFB).

The Dauphin Fire Department and Dauphin RCMP detachment are preparing for the annual “Pack the Pumper” and “Cram the Cruiser” food drive, Nov. 22 to 28, with the official weigh-in taking place, Dec. 8.

This is the fifth year for the friendly competition which allows the two agencies an opportunity to support the community, and each other, beyond their emergency services work.

“It is a great community support program. People go hungry at this time of the year or any time of the year. This our fifth annual and there has been a few thousand pounds of food donated over the last four challenges that we’ve had,” Dauphin Fire Chief Cam Abrey said.

“It’s a friendly competition between the two emergency agencies. We work quite closely with them at the calls we attend and it’s actually a team builder between the two agencies, as well. Because otherwise we only see each other at calls and this allows that fun side of things to happen.”

After winning the competition for the first two years, the RCMP fell to the fire department in 2022, but bounced back last year, collecting 3,219 pounds of food, as well as $1,120 in cash donations. The local firefighters could only muster 1,125 pounds of food and $1,265 in cash donations.

Abrey said Dauphin residents can expect to see firefighters set up at several locations around town, such as in grocery store parking lots on Nov. 23.

Additionally, the doors to the fire hall will be open during the campaign for people wishing to drop off a donation and the department will go even further, Abrey said.

“If anybody can’t leave their home and would like to make a donation, we’ll drop by your home or your apartment and we’ll pick up those donations,” he said.

Community is at the heart of pretty much everything the RCMP does, said Const. Eric Leroux, who is organizing the collection on behalf the detachment, and the annual food drive fits right into that philosophy.

“With Christmas on its way, unfortunately there’s a lot of people, they don’t have the monetary resources to have a good Christmas with a good table of food, which is why, in my personal opinion, this food bank challenge is absolutely essential, is very important,” Lerroux said.

“The food bank is something very important for this community,” he added.

“Times are not as easy as they could be and sometimes (people) can make ends meet, but you know for Christmas they’re just missing that little bit. Then the food banks help.”

While they will try to get out into the community to collect donations, staffing realities means the RCMP side of the competition can not promise to set up out in the community, Leroux said, adding he has been spreading word of the challenge throughout the region.

For those wanting to support the police side of the competition, a cruiser will be available in the detachment parking lot throughout the week-long collection.

“People can come to the detachment. The truck is going to be outside, it’s going to be decorated with Christmas lights like it is every year and if you just want to drop it off there, we’ll gladly take the donations,” Leroux said.

“We won last year. We’re going to try and win again this year.”

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.

Please ensure that all donations have not reached their best before date.

The Dauphin RCMP detachment can be reached by calling 204-622-5020, while the fire hall telephone number is 204-622-3100.

Justice is one of those concepts that means different things to different people.

For some, justice lies in the black and white world of the court system, while for others, a more nuanced approach is needed to arrive at a suitable outcome when dealing with crime.

Restorative justice is the process of bringing the accused, victim and the community - represented by a community justice committee -  together to resolve a crime.

Dauphin is home to one of Manitoba’s oldest community justice committees and during this year’s Restorative Justice Week, Nov. 17 to 23, hopes to add to its membership to better focus on addressing harm caused by crime and meeting the needs of those involved.

The restorative justice process works best when the victim has an empowered voice, when the accused is truly held responsible for their actions, and when community justice committee members facilitate the process, said Michelle Funk, a restorative justice facilitator with Westman Mediation Services, which supports community justice committees - including the one in Dauphin - through training committee members.

“Hopefully, you’re getting to those risk factors of why the individual committed the crime in the first place, so hopefully they won’t do it again,” Funk said, adding victims play more of a role in the process than in a formal courtroom setting.

“The victim can have a say in the process and hopefully get some sort of healing out of it, because that doesn’t happen in the criminal justice system.”

While there are critics who say restorative justice is soft on crime, that is not the case, Funk said, likening the restorative justice process to a parent dragging their shoplifting child to apologize to a store owner.

“Because you actually had to face the person that you harmed and you had to actually see the effects and the consequences of your behaviour. And for me that always means more than hiding from it,” she said.

“You’re being held accountable for what you did.”

The restorative justice process is proven to lower recidivism rates, as well as reduce costs by avoiding expensive courtroom appearances.

There are also immeasurable benefits, through increased community safety and offenders who have an opportunity to be contributing members of society. The process also results in a marked increase in victim satisfaction, and victims receiving monetary restitution that they would not normally get through

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

Dauphin city councillors honoured the passing of Murray Sinclair, who died the morning of their Nov. 4 regular meeting.

On top of serving as Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge and a member of the Canadian Senate, Sinclair served as chair of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 2009 to 2015, and was instrumental in charting the path towards reconciliation.

Sinclair was 73.

Accounts approved

Council authorized the issuance of 39 cheques totalling $219,688.73 to cover outstanding accounts.

Grants

Council received correspondence from Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Ian Bushie informing them of two successful grant applications under the 2024-25 From the Ground Up - Safe Healthy Communities For All program.

Funding of up to $40,000 was awarded to the City to help cover the costs of its current zoning bylaw review and a grant of up to $80,000 was awarded to help cover the cost of phase 1 of renovations to the Makerspace on Second Avenue Northwest.

From the Ground Up - Safe Healthy Communities for All is a new provincial funding program, which supports the government’s commitment “to build safe, healthy communities where individuals, children, youth and families can thrive.”

Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund

Council drew attention to an Oct. 21 provincial government news release announcing funding to expand Dauphin’s CCTV system. Under the  Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund, the City received approximately $24,000 to support the installation of 15 new high resolution cameras at city-owned or city-affiliated facilities in the community.

Since its inception in 2009, the Criminal Property Forfeiture Branch has disbursed more than $30 million to promote safer communities throughout Manitoba. The program seizes and liquidates criminal assets and redirects funding to projects and initiatives designed to protect Manitobans and enhance public safety. The funds are provided to organizations across Manitoba whose important initiatives build community, prevent crime, invest in youth and support victims of crime.

Treatment equipment

Council awarded a contract for the supply of the required wastewater treatment equipment needed for the lagoon upgrade project to Nexom Inc. of Winnipeg, for $3,812,800 plus GST for the supply of the treatment equipment and $659,500 plus GST for the installation of the equipment. As part of it’s agreement with Nexom, the installation portion of the agreement will be transferred to the general contractor, who will carry Nexom as a subcontractor. As a result, the City would be invoiced directly by Nexom for the supply of the equipment, and the installation will be invoiced through the general contractor.

The City’s portion of the equipment purchase will be paid through a combination of the Water and Sewer Reserve Fund and the Gas Tax Reserve Fund. The remaining portion will be paid by funding provided from the provincial and federal governments through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

Lease extension

Council authorized a  lease extension and amendment agreement with the Province for space leased at CNR Place by Manitoba Prosecution Service  for 2,957.38 square feet of office space on the second and third floors of the building along with 280.08 square feet of storage space.

The original lease was signed in 2011 for a term of five years and extended for a further five years in 2016. In 2021 the lease was converted to month-to-month and in 2022 a three-year agreement was reached for $25.72 per square foot for office space and $5 per square foot for storage space including water, electricity, gas, maintenance, cleaning services and insurance.

The new five year agreement will see increases to $29.33 per square foot for office space, while storage rental will remain at $5 per square foot.

Watershed reps

In response to a request from the Inter-Mountain Watershed District, council appointed Mayor David Bosiak and Gerry Miller as City of Dauphin representatives on the Vermillion River Subcommittee for a one-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

Crime Stoppers

Council received an update from Manitoba Crime Stoppers, which included for continued support by way of a 25 cent per capita donation to help fund its operations. Council referred the request to its 2025 budget deliberations.

Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corp (DNRC) has launched a new initiative to support young people in the job market.

The DIVERSEcity Youth Employment Readiness Program is designed to support young people who are facing barriers or feel limited as they attempt to make their way in the workforce.

“What we’re wanting to do here is really assist youth who are ages 15 to 30 who are struggling to find meaningful employment,” said program co-ordinator Stacy Purdey.

“We want to help them gain the skills and the confidence to get into a job that is of value to them.”

Whether it’s a first-time job seeker or someone looking to level up to more meaningful employment, Purdey said there can be any number of barriers holding a person back.

The program will not only focus on job skill training, but will work with each participant to manage or remove obstacles they face as it relates to employment.

“Whether it’s that they just haven’t found the right employer, whether they’re struggling with child care, addictions, housing, social skills,” she said.

“We really want to individualize the program to those who are attending, which is why we only accept about five people for the intake. So that we can really work closely with them to overcome any of those concerns that they’re having.”

The DNRC DIVERSEcity program is set up to offer training which targets three high-demand sectors - customer service, childcare, and trades.

The 11-week sessions will offer participants valuable skills tailored to the community’s labour market needs, Purdey said.

The first session on customer service is open for registration now and gets underway, Nov. 25. It will be followed by a session on child care in early March 2025 and a session on trades in May.

To support success, participants will be provided with a living allowance based on their participation. Each 11-week session includes eight weeks of skill development and three weeks of practical experience.

“We do a lot of things as a group, but there is also opportunities for one-on-one, depending on what the needs are,” Purdy said.

The program will connect participants with local businesses and organizations, in an attempt to address the growing demand for skilled, motivated employees, Purdey said, and is an important step toward building a sustainable future for Dauphin’s workforce.

Local businesses and organizations interested in partnering to provide job experience are encouraged to contact Purdey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“We’ll reimburse businesses to employ them during their work experience. So if there’s any businesses who are interested, they should absolutely reach out, as well,” Purdy said.

“We reimburse for minimum wage, so if they pay them more that’s out of their pocket.”

Anyone interested in applying for a seat in the program is encouraged to apply now for any of the upcoming sessions. The application and more information can be found on the DNRC website at dauphinnrc.ca.

“Or they can stop by in person, as well,” Purdy said.

“We still have space available.”

Creative Common Inc. is set to begin work on its planned makerspace thanks to a recent grant from the province’s new  From the Ground Up - Safe Healthy Communities For All Program.

Up to $80,000 was awarded to the group to help with renovations to the main floor of its building on Second Avenue Northwest.

“It’s a $100,000 project to get the upstairs open, which is where the 3D printers are and the soldering stations and the classroom and a wood shop,” said Creative Common spokesperson Martijn van Luijin.

“So we are now going to be able to do all that, because we have enough to match the funds. We were a little bit short, but that’s why we were fund raising.”

van Luijin added two new bathrooms will be added to the space, while the building’s owner is planning to add a new facade and upgrade the electrical panel.

While it seems as if the project has been stalled, van Luijin said the group is ready to execute its plan in short order.

“We have already started the plan. We’re already getting contractors to come in and take a look at it and electricians,” van Luijin said.

“So we’ve been waiting for this, because we’ve been sitting on our hands. For about six months we just talked about it and now we are  hitting the go button.”

The project’s schedule will depend on how quickly tradespeople can begin, but the group is not resting on its laurels as planning is well underway to the develop the basement space with further amenities.

Plans already include a podcasting studio and a sewing lab, but there is additional space available

for other disciplines.

“We are tossing around some ideas, but we are at the beginning stages,” van Luijin said.

“We’re thinking about a VR room where you can wear virtual goggles and do programming and stuff like that, but we haven’t really talked about that very much. That’s expensive, so we’ll see.”

He added there are also code issues to consider such as egress. With just one set of stairs currently leading to the basement, a second exit will need to be incorporated.

The group is also exploring some strategic partnerships and is in discussions with the local library to increase accessibility.

“So, say you don’t have the money to get a (Creative Common) membership, but you still want to try 3D printing,” van Luijin said.

“If you have a library membership you could borrow a membership card for say three weeks and get introduced to it and get to meet other people doing it.”

The same kind of partnership is being worked out with Community Futures Parkland.

“For new entrepreneurs that want to maybe work on a prototype of something,” he said.

“But nothing is firmed up yet. We’re just all trying to figure this out.”

In the meantime van Luijin said the fund-raising will continue in an effort to make the space as special as possible.

“I have another grant program application in for some green initiatives around the building, but that hasn’t been decided yet,” he said, adding you can never have too much money.

“There’s no such thing.”

There will be some new faces, and one familiar one, around the Mountain View School Division board table following a byelection, last Wednesday.

Floyd Martens will return to the MVSD board as a trustee for Ward 1 along with newcomer Conrad Nabess, while Ward 2 will see Scott Lynxleg take the empty seat and Jarri Thompson will represent the City of Dauphin as a Ward 4 trustee.

Martens, who earned 203 of the 420 ballots cast in Ward 1, was one of three trustees to resign in June. He is looking forward to getting back to work.

“Every time there’s an election and you have people coming to the table. It’s a new board in lots of ways, so we’ll see what happens, what takes place,” Martens said, adding his initial focus will be on the budgetting process and ensuring what is happening in classrooms is benefitting students.

“Things within schools that are happening, that obviously are going to need to be the focus. For me that’s my priority.

“We need to focus on the things that are really significant. The province has been looking at a funding model and may have shared that information with the board, I don’t know. 

“Obviously we’re at budget almost now, so it needs to get in place relatively soon. My thought is where’s that at and what does that look like and what does that mean for Mountain View?”

For Lynxleg, the election was a learning experience that he is looking forward to continuing at the board table.

“My first priority was to get on the board, which is done and now it’s to attend first meetings, catch up on housekeeping of what a board member does. I’d like to hear from all board members now that we have a full board, to hear everybody’s thoughts on what we’re going to do as a board going forward. It’s time for some change, and good change, I think we need it, obviously we do,” he said, adding his goal is to bring the focus back to the children whose education should be the board’s main priority.

“My priority is the kids, all the kids. We kind of lose sight of that and I think somewhere along the road that was lost. What I’m going to be focusing on is working with the board, parents, staff, anybody that wants to contribute, and getting things focused, I guess back where they’re supposed to be.

“First of all we need safe schools and respect for everybody and inclusion and then you go from there.”

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

Dauphin city council took an opportunity to honour Brenda Gregory as they gathered for its regular meeting, Oct. 21.

Gregory is one of four inaugural winners of the City’s new Sunshine Award, but was unable to attend the Oct. 7 presentation of the awards to co-winners Jerry Joss, Clayton Swanton and Carla Wolfenden.

In presenting the award, mayor David Bosiak referred to Gregory’s commitment to the community spanning decades and continuing to this day.

“In the early ‘90s when she was on the rec commission, she was a sports mom, an activity mom involved with her kids in the community and doing a lot of great things in our community. I saw her yesterday at Northgate with the next generation, with her two grandsons, still being up there and caring a great deal,” he said, adding all of the Sunshine Awards winners are similar people in the way they contribute to the betterment of the community with no expectation of acknowledgment or reward.

“Brenda in particular has marshaled the Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club since its inception in 2017 and has been like the mother hen of the organization and has nurtured it and supported it. The only other thing I’ll say is that for the last couple of summers in particular, she’s been out on the trails in plus 35 degrees working with the green team with a leaf blower backpack or a weed eater or running kids back and forth on the trail system just making sure that we have this tremendous asset up there at Northgate.”

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

The City of Dauphin is weighing its options under a new provincial government program supporting critical infrastructure.

The Manitoba Growth, Renewal and Opportunities for Municipalities (Manitoba GRO) program kicks off with an investment of $42 million for projects which focus on community renewal, disaster mitigation, climate resiliency and recreation.

Municipalities outside of Winnipeg can apply for grant funding for up to 50 per cent of total eligible costs for capital projects under the following investment categories:

• public safety, which includes disaster prevention, flood mitigation and climate adaptation (such as drainage and flood water control), and fire stations and related capital items (such as trucks to enhance public safety);
• roads, bridges and active transportation (such as multi-use trails, airports and renewed road infrastructure);
• recreational infrastructure; and
• solid waste management and organic diversion (including garbage collection sites or recycling infrastructure).

“We are evaluating all the projects that we could apply for and then we’ll apply for two because it appears that we can only apply for two,” city manager Sharla Griffiths said, adding there is one project in the pipeline the City is seriously considering.

“There’s a new fire truck in the budget for 2025. That fire apparatus is one of the big ticket items,  just about $900,000. So if we can get a portion of that paid, that would be awesome. But we still have to evaluate all the other things that we want to consider.”

With a Nov. 15 application deadline, there is still time for the City to consider its options.

The City was awaiting word on its application to the From the Ground Up - Safe Healthy Communities For All program, formerly known as Building Sustainable Communities to make a final decision on which of its projects to promote. The province just announced the recipients of that program on Friday.

That aside, Griffiths is excited about the potential of the new program

“We are excited about this because of all of the categories that are possible,” she said, adding she is hopeful the program is not just a one-time funding opportunity and will continue in future years.

“With the new government we’re uncertain. We’re unsure if this is something that we can count on in the future, so we will try to get as much as we can.”

In announcing the program. Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Ian Bushie said the program is about making sure municipalities have the resources they need after years of being shortchanged by the previous government.

“We committed to resetting the relationship with our municipal partners and we are pleased to support strategic infrastructure projects that will support municipalities in their efforts to protect their towns and cities from potential disaster and build strategic infrastructure projects that promote growth and sustainability,” Bushie said.

The province’s commitment to co-invest in strategic infrastructure projects is an approach welcomed by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM).

“We also appreciate this renewed collaboration with the province and look forward to being actively involved in reviewing and providing feedback on applications, ensuring projects align with the interests and growth ambitions of municipalities across Manitoba,” said AMM president Kam Blight.

Funding for this program is sourced from the $73.8-million rural strategic infrastructure basket delivered under the Strategic Municipal Investment Fund.

Halfway through his mandate, Dauphin mayor David Bosiak is pleased with what has been accomplished and excited about what the next two years might hold.
That excitement is piqued even more considering the culture of co-operation and teamwork that is prevalent around the council table and throughout City Hall.
“The willingness to communicate. The willingness to share ideas. The willingness to have discussions even though we don’t have to agree on things, that we’re not having to fact check each other. We are talking about realistic things,” Bosiak said.
“I can probably speak on behalf of the entire council that we are all motivated to make Dauphin a better place. Not better by cutting things or reducing spending, but by providing beneficial and needed public good. We want to do everything possible that a city can do to make it a great place to live, a great place to own a business, a great place to want to own a business.”
While talk around Dauphin often revolves around the recreation opportunities and natural beauty that surrounds the community, a list of the city’s attributes has to include the educational opportunities, the world class health care availability and the volume of development currently under way.
But perhaps Dauphin’s strongest attribute is its people, he said, who consisently step up when called upon, such as during the recent Manitoba Summer Games.
“We have positive energy. We’ve had tremendous success with our events getting back up and running post-COVID,” he said.
“There’s an enthusiasm with the volunteers in our community that I’ve seen, which is so consistent with post 2004, the last time we hosted the summer games. I recall back in the day we were saying ‘well, we did that, what else can we do?’ And I have a sense of the same kind of energy and enthusiasm now. There’s just so many small examples of a synergy, of people willing to work together.”
With planning already underway for 2025, Bosiak is hoping city council can build on that momentum and enthusiasm to champion some new initiatives with potential to make life in Dauphin even better.

Read the full story in this week's edition of the Dauphin Herald.