Shawn Bailey
Perchaluk honoured with Community Service Medallion
A dedicated community advocate has been recognized for the effort he puts into improving the lives of others.
Jim Perchaluk received a Community Service Medallion for his work as president of the the Ukrainian Folk Arts Centre and Museum, the Selo Ukraina site, and other volunteer efforts such as the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund.
Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa MP Dan Mazier made the surprise presentation during a visit to Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival (CNUF).
“In reading and speaking with others on Jim’s contributions over the years, it is clear how selfless he was, and continues to be, in supporting his community and those around him,” Mazier said. “Jim’s contributions are genuinely bettering the lives of countless people and these contributions should not go unrecognized.”
The award truly was a surprise for Perchaluk.
“It came out of the blue,” Perchaluk said, adding you do not think about awards and recognition when you donate your time and talents. “When you volunteer you’re not looking to get anything in return. I guess I’ve been volunteering with Selo for more than 25 years and out of the blue somebody recognized that. It was quite an honour.”
The full story is in this week's Dauphin Herald!
Wood excited to be representing PCs in Dauphin race
After many years as an educator teaching about the workings of government in his social studies classes, Gord Wood is looking to get directly involved.
Wood is seeking election to the Manitoba Legislature in the Dauphin constituency as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party in the upcoming provincial election.
“I’ve had a very strong interest in the democratic system and always thought at some point I would like to be involved in running for an election,” Wood said. “So when the opportunity came up with Mr. (current MLA Brad) Michaleski retiring, I put my name forward and was able to receive the nomination in late June for the candidacy for the PC party.”
Wood has been going door-to-door throughout the constituency talking with voters to get a handle on what people are expecting from their next provincial government.
He has been having good conversations, he said, and some common themes have been emerging.
“Concerns about our health care system, concerns about affordability, concerns about crime, in the Dauphin area in particular and the entire area in general, concerns about the education system and where that’s going. So those are those are probably the major ones that have flushed out here as the campaigns or the canvases gone on,” Wood said. “Every issue affects people in different ways, we’re all dealing with different life circumstances, but it’s interesting how those themes still seem to come out for majority of our constituents.”
In all instances, the governing PCs are best equipped to deliver results, Wood added, citing the party’s record on crime, investments in health care and plans for public education.
And when it comes to representing the area within the party, Wood feels he is the proper choice for voters.
“People that know me or have worked with me or had interactions with me know that I’m going to work for them. I’m going to ask questions. I’m going to dig into where we need supports and really seek out as much knowledge as possible, connecting people with the right individuals,” Wood said. “A lot of that is the role of an MLA, trying to connect, whether it’s government to the right people or the individuals that are in need, connecting them with the right services.”
In his campaign literature, Wood commits to fighting for good jobs, more businesses and development which will create more opportunities for area residents.
The candidate also commits to fighting for agriculture which he considers the backbone of the province. Specifically, he will work to keep the School Tax Rebate for farm properties, keeping more money in the pockets of those who grow our food.
When it comes to crime, Wood will ensure front-line officers get the resources they need, while also investing in more mental health, addictions and homelessness services.
And whether it’s healing the health care system, creating good jobs, providing reliable infrastructure or keeping taxes low, Wood vows to keep the best interests of constituency resident and all Manitobans at the forefront.
“I will fight to make sure Dauphin and the surrounding communities are positioned well for the opportunities of tomorrow,” he said. “I will be out at the door for a majority of that time, contacting as many people as possible. There are a few events on my calendar but really, right now it’s about meeting individuals, connecting with them and hearing what their concerns are and addressing how the PC party can support them.”
Election 2023? Mayor hopes for improved relationship
While the promise of a new Community Centre for Justice by NDP leader Wan Kinew is encouraging, Dauphin mayor David Bosiak is hoping for more from the upcoming provincial election.
“I’m supportive of (Community Centre for Justice) from a sense of there was plans and everything done in their past mandate and they’re fulfilling a promise. So I think that, from that point of view, it’s really good for us and it’s certainly something that may help stem the tide of the loss of public service jobs in our community. There was a huge loss when the jail closed,” Bosiak said. “I want to take them at their word. From what I can gather, historically the previous NDP government was beyond just the idea and the promise phase. The city and RM had developed the property and we spent some money and did a lot of planning on getting the land available for them. And they were designed, they were all ready, they were way past just the schematic plan for this.”
Historically, for a variety of reasons, governments do not always keep their promises, Bosiak said, and while the original plans for a new jail did not come to fruition, he believes the community will do whatever it can to make the centre for justice become a reality should the NDP come to power in October.
“I think that this may be one, at least for us locally, that is of importance enough that locals won’t allow them to ignore it,” Bosiak said. “Especially with a first-term commitment that was made and considering how our existing government handled (the closure of the Dauphin Correctional Centre).”
And while the jobs the new centre would bring many needed jobs to the community, Bosiak has his sights set on something less tangible coming out of the election.
“I would like to see a renewed level of communication between the municipal government and the provincial government and a willingness to discuss issues, ideas and concerns,” Bosiak said, citing the Community Safety and Well-being plan as one instance. “It’s been over a year and a half that it was announced and we’re just now starting to have discussions with consultants. But we still are yet to have a one-on-one with a consultant for our project. We are still in the infancy stages of the overall plan for the province with the consultants and it’s just so frustrating to see that this is what needs to be done.”
A more open relationship would also help in instances such the Main Street South redevelopment project, which became hung up when tenders came in $1.5 million over what the city had borrowed through debenture.
Government rules and regulations make it difficult for the City the raise the remaining funds and the City has been attempting to get some help from the province.
“We went to the province to say ‘hey can you throw us a bone, can you maybe help us, can you maybe do something?’,” Bosiak said. “Because we had seen this in other jurisdictions around the province, the province came to help other municipalities whether it’s water treatment plants in central Manitoba or crime stuff in the North or health stuff. There doesn’t seem to be an ability to help Dauphin.”
Bosiak said the City met with Minister of Municipal Relations Andrew Smith, last week, but now, because of the election blackout, there is nothing that can be done until after the election in October.
“So we just have to hurry up and wait, which is frustrating and it just means further delay,” Bosiak said. “Whichever government gets elected I just hope that we have a heightened sense of communication and collaboration as we work forward in the next three years for us and four years for them. I’m hopeful that we have someone on the government side again and that we have someone who may be a minister. But if not, I still want to have a positive relationship with the provincial government because quite honestly, municipalities can’t do much without support from the province.”
Back to school
Prospective students interested in the mature student high school diploma program through the Centre for Adult Learning at Assiniboine Community College’s Parkland Campus, had an opportunity to gather some information during an open house, Aug. 17.
The event helped guide and inform those looking to earn their high school diploma, upgrade marks, or take additional credits.
The centre offers on-campus instruction, full-time or part-time classes, and flexible class options.
For more information, prospective students can call 204-622-2222 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
City pleased with development plan
To function efficiently, achieve growth and attract new businesses, communities cannot rely on blind luck, a proper roadmap is required.
To that end the City of Dauphin has been working hard on a new Development Plan and held a public hearing as part of the adoption process at its regular council meeting, Aug.14.
The current plan was created in 2010 and adopted in 2012, City manager Sharla Griffiths said, making it important to get the new guide in place soon.
“There’s a requirement, also, in the Planning Act for a periodic review of the development plan,” she said. “And it does state that every five years after it comes into effect, or from the date of the last review, it should be reviewed again. So we are far past when we needed to review it.”
The development plan is meant to promote the optimum economic, social, environmental and physical conditions of an area.
There's more to this story in this week's Dauphin Herald!
Lunch with benefits
Parkland Campus Kids Daycare held a fund-raising barbecue at the Dauphin Co-op Food Store, Aug. 17, in aid of its operations at the Assiniboine Community College Parkland Campus.
The facility is licensed for 28 preschoolers and 12 infants, with ACC students getting preferred access for their child-care needs.
The centre is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers a hot lunch program, as well as two healthy snacks every day.
NDP pledge new jail
A new Community Centre for Justice for Dauphin is on the list of priorities should the Manitoba New Democrats form the next provincial government.
Party leader Wab Kinew was in the city, Aug. 18, sharing his plans to develop the facility, three years after the governing Progressive Conservatives unexpectedly and abruptly closed the Dauphin Correctional Centre.
“If our team forms the next government here in Manitoba in this fall’s election, we will build a new Dauphin Justice Center. We will build a new Dauphin Justice Center to replace the Dauphin jail that the PCs closed,” Kinew said. “We’re going to be building a facility that improves safety in the community and in the region. We’re going to be building a facility that is a concrete step towards addressing the crime that is too often present in our community. But we are also going to be making an economic investment to bring good paying jobs back to Dauphin and back to families who live in the Parkland.”
The plan, Kinew said, is centred on community safety and will act as a vehicle when interventions are necessary to address people who “are on a bad path” and need to be taken off the streets.
“But from there, we need to have a facility where we can address the addictions, we can address the trauma, we can address the issues that are causing them to go down the bad path and then we can show them how to lead a better life,” he said. “Specifically, the importance of working a good job and the benefits of hard work. This is part of what we need to see in responding to the issues around safety in our community.”
The closure of the Dauphin Correctional Centre by the governing PCs not only impacted community safety, Kinew said, but was economically difficult for the community given the loss of 80 jobs.
“And even though they tried to spin it this way and that way, at the end of the day from those 80 people who lost their jobs about 60 of them moved out of Dauphin entirely and the remaining 20, they lost work. They lost those jobs entirely,” he said, adding the Dauphin Centre for Justice will right that wrong. “We would like to bring back the 80 jobs. We would like to work towards that. We’ll work with the municipal leaders, MMF, First Nations. Those new jobs might look different than they did before because we might have some of the correctional type jobs that were there previously. Now we might also have some mental health, addictions training, educational type workers, as well as the maintenance staff. So we want to bring back the 80 jobs that were lost and we’re going to work with the community to make sure that it’s the right fit to hit those goals.”
What the new centre will look like will depend on extensive consultation with stakeholders, but as a starting point, Kinew anticipates an initial investment of $40 million to develop a 60-bed facility with annual operating costs of $5 million to $7 million.
“We’re going to have to spend some time looking at the scale. We want the municipal leaders and Indigenous leaders to be on side with that, so I don’t think we can prejudge that process,” he said. “At the same time the construction phase, I would imagine, is going to take some time, as well. But we will put shovels into the ground within a first term of a Manitoba NDP government.”
Check this week's Herald for the full story!
Capital work golden
Unseasonably dry conditions have enabled City of Dauphin Public works crews to progress well into the 2023 capital plan.
“Things are going really well. Our capital projects have all been started,” director of Public Works and Operations Mike Vanalstyne said. “We’ve got the majority of our capital sidewalk work complete, water main renewals have been ongoing and road work started two or three weeks ago.”
One of the higher profile projects has been the replacement of paving stones with poured concrete on Main Street sidewalks.
The plan this year was to complete the sidewalks on the east side of Main Street from 8th Avenue South to 10th Avenue South to progress the multi-year project and things have gone flawlessly, VanAlstyne said.
“We have all the downtown left to do, too. So I’m going to hope in the next four to six years we have it all complete,” he said, adding the weather has been a real boon for the crews. “It’s been great. It has let us get a lot of work done earlier than normal.”
But that does not mean that Public Works crews will be standing around with nothing to do.
“We have got lots of other projects and maintenance work away from the capital stuff that we can get caught up on a little bit,” VanAlstyne said. “There’s always something to do.”
IMWD tour a chance for the district to promote successes
Inter-Mountain Watershed District (IMWD) has been conducting important environmental work throughout the area for many years.
And last week, IMWD staff had the opportunity to share some of its successes with their peers from around the province when the district hosted a two-day tour of the area.
IMWD’s boundaries extend from the Rural Municipality of Mountain in the north to Riding Mountain National Park in the south and from The Municipality of McCreary in the east to the Rural Municipality of Riding Mountain West.
And with the district covering a total of 12,508 square kilometres, an area larger than Prince Edward Island, there was a lot to look at, said IMWD general manager Jeff Thiele.
“We started in Ste. Rose and looked at a lot of the bridges and waterways and shale problems we’re having down there and things we’re working on down there,” Thiele said, during a stop for a presentation at the farm of Ernie and Jan Sirski, northwest of Dauphin.
Get the full story in this week's Dauphin Herald!
Main Street South project bids come in higher than expected
The tender to find a contractor to lead the redevelopment of Main Street South has closed, but higher than expected estimates have resulted in further delays to the project.
“It’s closed, but it’s not awarded officially yet. We’re working out money,” City of Dauphin director of Public Works and Operations Mike VanAlstyne said. “It came in well over budget. I don’t have any indication why right now. We were somewhat surprised by the pricing, for sure.”
Originally estimated to cost $13.5 million, the 1.7-km project covers a section of PTH 5A from Whitmore Ave., south to Triangle Road, and includes surface reconstruction with the creation of a divided highway.
The plans call to improve safety in the commercial area by having all local accesses connect to service roads, and service roads connecting to PTH 5A at upgraded intersections. Those service roads will be constructed along both the east and west sides of highway from their existing points south to Triangle Road.
As well, a new intersection allowing access to Dauphin Market Place Mall will be developed, complete with traffic signals.
Included in the project is a new drainage system design for the south end, which had been estimated to cost $8.15 million which the city will debenture through the province.
“We’re trying to work the financing out on our end here and we’re just waiting to hear back from our provincial partners. We’re waiting on the province right now to see how they can help us out,” VanAlstyne said. “We hope to have something settled in the next few weeks, I hope, and see some dirt moving by the fall.”