Firefighters from around the Parkland and beyond were treated to some specialized training this past weekend thanks to the Dauphin Fire Department and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic (WFPS).

In separate sessions over the weekend, instructors from the Winnipeg service walked 80 participants through a scientific and evidentiary based firefighting curriculum which addressed both theoretical and practical approaches to modern firefighting. It provided attendees with the knowledge and practical skills required for sound decision-making regarding strategies and tactics on an ever-evolving and dynamic fire ground, Dauphin fire chief Cam Abrey said.

A lot has changed with residential home construction in the last 30 or 40 years, he said, adding there are many more combustibles involved and flames simply do not act the same as they used to.

“We’re making our homes so much more airtight than they used to be, as well, so there’s a higher potential of flashover and backdraft as dangers to firefighters that are arriving on scene,” Abrey said. “So where a structure used to last they said 15 to 20 minutes before you had structural failure of a floor collapse or a roof collapse, we’re now looking at five minutes.”

The training offered on the weekend also included an occupational hygiene component, which provides knowledge surrounding exposure to carcinogens at fire scenes and limiting the after effects.

“We know that firefighters are 25 per cent more susceptible to developing a cancer than the general public, because of the carcinogens that we’re encountering, the asbestos and everything else that was filling up homes as we’re in there battling the fire,” Abrey said, adding while firefighters have respiratory protection and protective clothing they wear while working, that same equipment can cause problems.

“If you’re not maintaining the stuff properly those carcinogens are soaking into the turnout gear that we wear and then the next time you put it on it’s that skin-to-cloth exposure that’s happening.”

The Winnipeg service is a leader in North America when it comes to training their members on the subject and Abrey learned about the information at the national fire chiefs conference in Ottawa, last year from WFPS district chief Jack Robertson, who was one of the instructors locally this weekend.

“For him to take this initiative, not only looking at Winnipeg Fire, but wanting to expand to all departments across the province, that’s pretty significant,” Abrey said, adding it is the type of information that is just not practical to provide to firefighters getting their Level 1 and 2 certifications.

Dauphin, he said, has made an investment in two sets of gear for every firefighter and commercial washing equipment.

“It’s not a normal washing machine, it’s a very large industrial one. It’s actually an extractor that we’ve been using for a number of years,” Abrey said, adding the department has policies in place around occupational hygiene. “We tell our firefighters you come back from an incident you’re going to wash your gear.”

It is an opportunity a lot of smaller departments do not have, Abrey said, making it all that more important to open the workshop up to a wide area.

Firefighters attended not only from the local Riding Mountain Mutual Aid District, but also from departments in the West Region Tribal Council, Clearwater Training District, Swan Valley Mutual Aid District, Lake Winnipegosis Mutual Aid District, South Central Mutual Aid District and West Central Mutual Aid District.

Abrey knew there would be a good response to the invitation.

“It’s a common thing in emergency services that if you ever stop training, then you shouldn’t be in it,” he said. “Hopefully, (participants) go back to their home department and share the information that they got this weekend with everybody else to whet their appetite. And let’s get more through this training eventually.”

The City of Dauphin owns exactly one bridge and will spend money this year to make sure the structure continues to carry traffic over the Vermillion River.

An inspection of the Buckwold Bridge conducted several years ago determined repairs to the decking of the structure are required due to delamination in the concrete and chloride intrusions to the steel reinforcement in the concrete which could cause future issues through rusting.

And recently, city council awarded a contract for engineering services for the bridge rehabilitation to the Winnipeg firm of Dillon Consulting Limited.

The $111,247.80 contract includes $58,573 for the project design and tendering phases and $52,673.80 for the contract administration, inspection, and post-construction services.

City manager Sharla Griffiths said while the initial inspection of the bridge indicated work needed to be done, it did not include the full scope of the repairs.

“They will be coming out to visually inspect it in the coming weeks barring us getting any extra snow,” Griffiths said. “Then they’ll put their visual assessment into the mix with the report that we got three years ago and determine if there needs to be any more testing. Then set the design for it and tender that to actually get the work done.”

The current plan calls for a partial depth deck replacement over the entire span of the bridge at an estimated cost of around $900,000.

And while that seems like a large number, it is a fraction of what it would cost to replace the entire structure, director of Public Works and Operations Mike VanAlstyne told council at a recent meeting.

“I think a bridge of this size it would be $12, $15, $20 million probably. If we had to do the abutments and the pier replacement and removing those piers, I could see it being upwards of $30 million,” VanAlstyne said. “We thought that this would make the best, most economical sense.

“Fortunately from the inspections, our substructure, the piers and the abutments are in okay shape. We want to get on this work now to try to get another 50 years out of this bridge.”

Part of securing that future is developing a much needed maintenance plan.

“We have maintained it just like a paved surface,” he said, adding the consultant will provide rehabilitation options complete with a life cycle costs analysis and maintenance recommendations.

“This is a huge repair and we want to make sure that our bridge is kept in the best condition possible going forward.”

Pine Creek First Nation, in partnership with Ebb and Flow First Nation, hosted a naming ceremony on the lot they own between McDonald’s and the Dollar Store, Mar. 20.

Those in attendance said a prayer by the sacred fire before throwing some tobacco into the flames.

An eight-lane gas bar, to be named Anishinabe Gas Bar, will be built on the site.

A feast was served following the ceremony.

It’s warming up outside - most days. Even the calendar says its spring.

So we know that the long awaited end of winter is just around the corner.

Just as they have every year for years and years, the Russell Happy Helpers 4-H Club held their annual spring St. Patrick’s Day fundraising tea at the Park Manor on the north end of Main Street.

Along with setting up and serving during the afternoon tea, each of the 11 members of the club supplied a dessert for the afternoon as well as sold raffle tickets for gift baskets as prizes.

Get the full story in this week's Russell Banner!

RCMP have investigated a report of sextortion. Person had sent nude photos to someone they thought was real, but it was a scam. Person was told to buy gift cards or the pictures would become public. No money was lost.

Please do not send naked photos of yourself to anyone and if you for some reason decide to do this, do not include your face.

Want to know more? Check out this week’s RCMP report.

Mountain View School Division has budgeted for a small deficit for the 2023-24 school year to leave current programming intact.

The budget was passed March 21 at a special meeting of the board.

“We faced many uncertainties in the preparation and finalization of the 2023-2024 operating budget. This made the process very challenging this year and the board passed a budget with a small deficit,” said board chair Floyd Martens, who noted that additional funding in the 2022-23 school year will offset the deficit that the division is budgeting.

Find out more in this week’s Review.

A Roblin man who uses the Handivan three times a week to receive life-saving dialysis at the Russell Health Centre says the rate he’s being charged for the trips is excessive.

“Last year it cost me nearly $21,000,” said Tom Wilson, who recently met with municipal council to discuss a reduced rate. “They did reduce the rate – from $160 per trip to $125 per trip – but that’s still going to cost me $1,500 a month. And I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to afford that.

Read the rest of the story in this week’s issue.

On February 28th Owen Dawe and Jann Brooks were joined by Arlo and Jo to discuss their identities as two-spirited youth in the north. This was the first podcast that was launched under Young Voices of The North, an initiative funded through Say Yes! to Kids grant.
Since that first podcast episode, the youth involved have dropped three more episodes - Education and Career Opportunities; Newcomers; and Songs We Each Picked. The podcast variety is reflective of the young people that are invovled in the project itself. Currently actively invovled in the project are Dawe, Arlo Fenner, Namirembe Afatswo and Eniola Atoyebi. Joining the youth is Rev. Brooks, who has provided support and guidance but emphasizes that the podcast goal is to be youth led.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) is being recognized in the tourism sector by having two nominations for the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Awards this year. Jade Richards, Assistant General Manager for the Kikiwak Inn was nominated for the Outstanding Staff Person Award and OCN was nominated for the Leading the Way in Business Development Award.
Richards worked her way up to her current position at the Kikiwak Inn. All of her experiences through different positions, combined with her education proved to be a real asset.
“I started working with the Kikiwak Inn in July 2019,” said Richards. “It was actually my first job when I first started working in 2003. I started off as a busser, and then later moved up as a server. Sue Johnston was my supervisor and was a great. I learned a lot from her. I worked on and off as a server for quite a long time until I got an office job. I later went back to school for my Business Administration at UCN, went back to an office job and seen the position at the Kikiwak Inn posted, so I took a chance.

Amongst all the budget meetings, the Town of the Pas Council has also been busy managing day-to-day operations and projects for the community. At almost every meeting, a by-law is discussed and reviewed amongst council to see if there are any changes or revisions that need to be made.
“With regards to by-laws, our council is looking into a lot of them to see if there are questions that come up with regards to how they impact people in the community and if the by-law still makes sense today,” said Town of The Pas Mayor Andre Murphy. “We’ve been looking at some of the by-laws to see why they were put into place and if it’s still relevant to today.”