Ratepayers in the Mountain View School Division (MVSD) will see a slight reduction in their tax bills as the board of trustees passed a 2022-23 budget focused on the learner and the learning environment, with a special emphasis on the classroom.

While this year’s budget saw an increase of almost $1.5 million in provincial funding for the coming year, an increase of 6.3 per cent, things were a little complicated because a lot of the increase did not flow through the funding formula, MVSD secretary-treasurer Bart Michaleski said.

“They gave us the money in kind of one-time payments because of all the inflationary pressures we’re dealing with,” he said, citing contract settlement costs, insurance and fuel costs as some examples. “But suffice it to say they gave us a fair bit of money in the current year, 2021-22, almost $1.3 million, and then gave us a little over $1.2 million in additional one-time funding for 2022-23.”

As a result, MVSD’s budget is 3.8 per cent higher than last year at $45,458,887, an increase of $1,657,844.

“Our five-year average (increase) is about one per cent, so the budget itself is up quite a bit,” Michaleski said, adding local taxation remains the same at the direction of the province as some of the money received from the government was to offset any tax increases. “So the special levy will remain at the same dollar amount it has for a third year in a row now. Our mill rate will actually drop a little bit from 14.62 to 14.54 and that’s just because we had a little bit of a property assessment increase.”

Residential property within the division has seen a .9 per cent increase in total assessed values since 2021. With the drop in the mill rate residential property valued at $150,000 will see a decrease of $5.24 on this year’s tax bills. Farmland has seen a .3 per cent increase in total assessed values resulting in a $3.03 reduction per $150,000, while commercial property increased in value by .1 per cent resulting in a $7.57 tax reduction per $150,000.

In terms of expenditures, MVSD’s largest increase was in staffing as trustees focused on maintaining staffing levels.

“And, in fact, we actually had in budget, an increase of one teaching position and that was to support the business program at the (Dauphin) high school, the Applied Commerce program,” Michaleski said, adding there were other minor changes in staffing that really did not affect the budget. “Eighty per cent of our increase in budget, $1,375,000, is in staffing costs.”

The remaining $283,256 in increased expenditures for non-salary related budgets primarily included technology infrastructure, insurance, fuel and utilities costs.

The result is expenditures will outpace revenue by approximately $171,000 in 2022-23. It is only the second time in Michaleski’s career with the division that the board has approved a deficit budget.

“I’m not a big proponent of deficit budgeting, nor is the board,” Michaleski said.

Michaleski said the decision to run a deficit was made after meeting with the province where the division indicated the $1.3 million increase received for 2021-22 was more than what was needed, while the $1.2 million received for the coming year was not enough.

“The department basically said because every division is in the same boat with all these costs . . . if you needed more of that money in 2022-23 than in the current year just designate some of that (2021-22) money as surplus in your financial statements and carry it forward to next year and use it to offset your budget,” he said, adding the province is planning to have a new funding formula in place in 2023-24. “Based on how this new formula is supposed to work for us, it shouldn’t be an issue. So that’s why we agreed to do a deficit budget. Obviously, they’re going to have to manage things just to make sure that they can mitigate that deficit as much as they can next year.”

Board chair Floyd Martens said the transition that is occurring in education highlights that the majority of available resources are being prescribed to school divisions, providing budget revenue totals that are finite, including the dollars generated through local taxation.

MVSD worked hard to make the tough decisions on where those resources are best used, he added.

“The deliberations required to prepare and finalize the 2022-23 operating budget become increasingly more difficult as greater restrictions are placed on available funding. These restrictions impact how we can address what our communities want for their educational system,” Martens said. “We are confident in our budget decisions as they prioritize the needs of the learner and the classroom.”

The Dauphin Multi-Purpose Senior Centre has a new name.

As of Friday, the facility will be known as the Dauphin Active Living Centre (DALC).

DALC president Esther Fyk said administrator and program co-ordinator Kim Armstrong kept nudging the board of directors towards changing the name of the centre.

“We wanted to see if we could deal with the idea that the senior centre is just for old people. So we wanted to see if we could change that stigma a bit. So we have chosen the Dauphin Active Living Centre, which I think is more inclusive,” she said.

While the centre was geared more towards the city’s older residents, Fyk said the centre is open to people of all ages.

“This isn’t just for ‘old people’. This is an active living centre,” she said. “We would like to see more people participate in our programs, of course. And that includes some of the activities that we have, particularly on Tuesday afternoons. We have the sip and stitch on Thursday afternoons, as well.”

Fyk said the centre would be ideal for people with jobs involving shift work looking to fill some time between shifts.

“We’re really looking forward to this name change and hoping that it will open the doors to more people participating in our programs,” Fyk said.

A new sign will be installed soon, with the date for the unveiling celebration to be announced soon, as well.

With pandemic restrictions lifted, Hillman Studio dancers have returned to the stage.

Recently the dancers competed in two competitions and are preparing for their year-end recital.

Check this week's Review for much more!

There wasn’t a lot on the agenda as the Roblin & District Chamber of Commerce held its annual general meeting via Zoom March 30.

Ten people took in the AGM including the chamber’s new office manager Lydia Steciuk who has taken over the position from Wanda Jordan.

Check this week's Roblin Review for more!

Ratepayers in the Mountain View School Division (MVSD) will see a slight reduction in their tax bills as the board of trustees passed a 2022-23 budget focused on the learner and the learning environment, with a special emphasis on the classroom.

While this year’s budget saw an increase of almost $1.5 million in provincial funding for the coming year, an increase of 6.3 per cent, things were a little complicated because a lot of the increase did not flow through funding formula, MVSD secretary-treasurer Bart Michaleski said.

There's lots more details in this week's Roblin Review.

Prairie Mountain Health has announced another temporary suspension of emergency services at the Roblin Health Centre.

Until further notice, there will be no emergency services available in Roblin from Monday to Friday.

Check this week's Review for more.

The Terry Fox Foundation has released the Top 50 of 2021 in Manitoba schools list and École Opasquia School made a huge impact landing fourth out of 25 Elementary schools and 6th out of 50 elementary/secondary schools.
Back in October of the 2021, the school had set a fundraising goal of $5373 which was the equivalent of one dollar for every kilometer Terry Fox had run.

Countryfest organizers are looking forward to a “Return to the Hill.”

And as part of a promotional concert tour of the same name, Doc Walker and Don Amero, festival directors and organizers gathered at Selo Ukraina last week to unveil a new sign that will greet those attending Canada’s longest running country music, July 1 to 3.

The unveiling followed a relaunch of the festival lineup originally disclosed last October.

The all-Canadian bill for the July 1 to 3 festival features headliners Paul Brandt, Johnny Reid, Dallas Smith, Dean Brody and Terri Clark. They will be backed up by some first rate supporting acts including Gord Bamford, The Washboard Union, The Road Hammers, Madeline Merlo, Aaron Pritchett, The Reklaws, Chad Brownlee, Michelle Wright, Doc Walker, JoJo Mason, Hunter Brothers, Jess Moskaluke, Jade Eagleson, Tyler Joe Miller, David James, Don Amero, Clayton Bellamy and the Congregation, Nate Haller, Toque, Snake Oil, Tyler Del Pino, Kendra Kay, Jade Turner, Desiree Dorion, Shantaia, Boy Golden, Past the Perimeter, Bullrider, Ryan Keown, Melissa Livingstone, Kates Outlaw, Jake Yaadeland, Banned and Outlawed, Chris Mitchell, Brandi Yezina, Karissa Hoffart, School of Rock Winnipeg and DJ Johnny Rivex.

“We’ve been resting for a little while, I guess a couple years now so we decided to relaunch the whole lineup and add all the rest of the bands into it that we’re going to have and it went over very well,” Countryfest general manager Rob Waloschuk said.

The full story can be found in this week's Dauphin Herald!

The season is over for the Parkland Rangers.

The U18 squad fell in three straight games to the league-leading Brandon Wheat Kings in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League semifinals.

The Rangers got off to a great start in game two, Friday in Dauphin, opening the scoring just 27 seconds in. By the time the first period was over, Parkland held a 3-0 lead.

The Wheat Kings showed why they were the best team in the league all season, though, erasing that deficit and carrying a 4-3 lead into the third period where they added three more to skate away with a 7-3 win.

Brandon sealed the series victory with a 7-0 win, Sunday in Brandon.

Rangers coach Tyler Carefoot said in game two, his team wanted to give Brandon a taste of how they played against Yellowhead in the quarterfinals.

“And I thought in that first period we did that and more. I thought we were fast. I thought we had lots of energy. I thought we were physical. To put three up on them after one, we were pretty excited,” he said. “But at the same time, we reminded the fellas that their coach was likely peeling the paint. So we knew they were going to come out just as hungry.”

Two of Brandon’s goals in the second period came shorthanded, which Carefoot said deflated the Rangers.

“They’re just a prolific team. Any turnover is arguably a first-class scoring opportunity, so you can’t turn over the puck as much as we did in those three games,” he added.

Being swept in the semifinals, Carefoot said, does not take away what the Rangers accomplished over the course of the season.

“This is the group of kids that put pride back into the jersey. So for that, I’m very proud of them,” he said.

The Rangers came within three wins of playing for a league championship, something no one could have foreseen at the start of the season.

“As the season went on, you recognize that we do have a pretty good group here and our goal changed. We thought at one point we wanted to finish in the top four and we were very close to that,” Carefoot said, adding Parkland beat every team with the exception of the Eastman Selects. “But in saying that, we also laid a few eggs. But that’s just how seasons go. I can’t say enough about the fellas, because this is the group that make players want to be Parkland Rangers and I’m very proud of that.”

Seven players are graduating from the program. Marco Bodnarski, Matthew Munro, Cohen Smigelsky, Rylan Gibbs, Jayce Legaarden, Parker Boguski and Brenden Birch-Hayden all saw their U18 careers come to an end.

“I think all of them are going to have an opportunity to play junior. Whether they’re impact players right off the start time will tell. But I think all of them are going to be given every opportunity to play at the next level,” Carefoot said. “They’re all just great individuals. Some of them I’ve coached for a long time. (Sunday) was a little emotional. It’s the last time that I’m going to be coaching these guys and I’ve coached against the guys from Swan for many years. We were all a little emotional after the loss (Sunday), but we just reminded them that they’re the reason that young guys want to be Parkland Rangers. So for that, they’ve got to keep their heads up.”

The Dauphin Kings drew first blood in their best-of-seven quarterfinal series with the Swan Valley Stampeders, scoring a 5-1 win in game one, Saturday in Dauphin.

After taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, the Kings broke the game open with three in the second. Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley knew the Stampeders would be tough and come at the Kings hard.

“I thought our speed was really good right off the hop. We had energy. The guys were ready to play. We had a long week of practice and we had gone though just about everything,” he said.

The biggest thing for the Kings, he said, is to play with speed and play fast and they will get some opportunities.

“I thought (Jayden) Jubenvill was outstanding tonight. I thought he was one of our best guys. I thought he was really good,” Hedley said. “I thought Cherry (goalie Carson Cherepak) was great. Everybody had a good game. Our penalty killing was outstanding.”

Even as the Kings padded their lead, the game was tight checking.

“And that’s the way it’s going to be. It doesn’t matter what the points are in the regular season. They’ve got eight 20-year-olds on that team that this is their last shot at it. So you know they’re going to bring intensity. You know they’re going to be urgent. You know they’re never going to quit,” Hedley said. “If we want something, we’ve got to take it. And tonight, we did a good job of finishing and kept them off the scoresheet for a while.”

The Kings did get a little nonchalant on a power play early in the third, which resulted in a shorthanded goal for the Stampeders, but that was all the offence they could muster.

Depth scoring is an important factor in the playoffs and the Kings got that in game one. Four of Dauphin’s five goals came from the blueline with Colby Jaquet scoring twice, including an empty netter, while Nolan Wickham and Owen Wareham also scored. Garrett Hrechka was the only forward to bend the twine.

“We win 5-1 and our top line never scored. So that’s a good thing,” Hedley said.

Hedley expects much the same kind of game in game two, tonight at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s going to be very similar. The speed has got to be there. The intensity, the urgency. We’ve got to play a very good game away from the puck,” he said.

Forward Matthew Rathbone left the game in the third period after taking a high stick to the face, but he returned before the end of the game. Jubenvill also left the game late in the third as a precaution with an upper body injury.

Game three will be in Swan River on Friday, with game four, Monday in Swan River. Both games begin at 7 p.m.