The Parkland Chamber of Commerce hosted a public forum featuring eight of the 10 candidates running in the Rural Municipality of Dauphin election, as well as the two candidates running for Reeve, Tom Gibbs and Ernie Sirski.

Each of the council and reeve hopefuls had the opportunity to answer submitted questions, while Gibbs and Sirski also had the chance to ask each other a couple of questions.

Check the Dauphin Herald's Election Section this week for more on the upcoming Municipal Election.

Housing is an issue not only in the tri-community, but also all across Canada. It can be challenging for families to find affordable housing and acquire a down payment to purchase a home. The Pas Community Development Corporation (CDC) is offering a second round of their Pay Down Assistance Program for first-time homebuyers. “One of the toughest things for people is to save up enough money for a down payment on their first home,” said The Pas CDC Economic Development Coordinator Jackie Rechenmacher.

Discover The Pas OCN is a tourism partnership formed by the tri-community to establish and develop a local tourism industry that is competitive amongst the local and global markets. This partnership sees the communities of The Pas, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, and RM Kelsey investing equally each year towards the initiative to support various projects. The partnership is currently in its second year of operation and is continuing to lay the groundwork to develop a sustainable tourism economy. “Discover The Pas OCN” was created by a third party marketing firm along with the iconic logo, to create a strong memorable brand. The local tourism industry is currently under the economic development portfolios of both The Pas/RM and Opaskwayak Cree Nation as they work together to establish brand awareness, exposure, and develop the fundamentals required for a sustainable delivery.

A full slate of candidates turned out to address a large crowd of voters at the Parkland Chamber of Commerce candidates’ forum for the City of Dauphin at the Watson Arts Centre, Sept. 28.

The evening began with councillor hopefuls introducing themselves and answering questions gathered from the public on issues such as crime, small business, infrastructure, homelessness, growth, post-secondary education and more.

The second half of the evening featured mayoralty candidates David Bosiak and Kerri Riehl facing questions from the public and each other.

The forum was live streamed on the chamber’s Facebook page and is available for viewing by those who were unable to attend.

The chamber is also hosting a forum for Rural Municipality of Dauphin candidates tonight (Oct. 4) at the Aspen Lodge in the Parkland Recreation Complex.

This week’s question for Dauphin mayoralty candidates focuses on crime which has emerged as a leading issue in the campaign.

We asked, “Crime has emerged as a major issue in the upcoming municipal election. Considering the municipal government has no power to legislate criminal laws, has no influence over the courts and no real control over RCMP operations, what role do you see for the City in the fight against crime?”

Here are their answers:

David Bosiak

We all follow the news. We read the paper, listen to the radio. Every incident of violence or property loss gives us pause.

What kind of community do we live in? What kind of community do we want to be? Crime isn’t just about policing and security investments. It’s a multi-faceted problem that requires efforts from a large number of people and organizations. This includes:

• The RCMP – The local RCMP is unable to keep the full budgeted complement due to high vacancy rates and low recruitment in the force nationally. As Mayor, I would meet with the local staff sergeant to discuss staffing levels and scheduling and explore how they can best meet our needs within their reduced complement. I will advocate to D Division and to the federal government, if necessary, to ensure staffing shortages are addressed.

• The Association of Manitoba Municipalities – As mayor, I would engage with other communities that are facing similar increases in crime to ensure a collective campaign to senior levels of government to address the unmet policing needs of rural communities.

• Social service organizations – Criminal activity is often a result of poverty, drug addiction, mental health issues and inadequate social support networks including lack of appropriate or any housing. Dauphin is fortunate to have several agencies dedicated to addressing these needs. As mayor, I would ensure the City took a more active role in leading discussions between these groups, primarily by helping them identify service overlaps and gaps and, when necessary, providing additional funding and other supports to ensure services are fully available and being efficiently delivered. The City must do more than participate in discussions with these groups – it must lead.

• Other communities – Dauphin is not unique in struggling with issues of crime, poverty and homelessness. We must look elsewhere for best practices and consider whether other programs might benefit us. As mayor, I would investigate whether a Saskatchewan Community Service Officer (CSO) program – where CSOs handle less serious matters, leaving the RCMP free to focus on serious crime – would benefit us here.

• Collective action – Reducing crime is a collective activity that should involve everyone. As mayor I would facilitate this collective action by supporting the newly-formed Citizens on Patrol program and working to implement a Neighbourhood Watch program. I would reach out to the Bear Clan and explore the possibility of partnership with them, as well.

• Individual Action – As mayor I would follow the lead of other Manitoba communities which send out daily email and telephone notices reminding citizens to “lock things up” before heading off to bed. I would encourage council to promote neighbourhood and block party events which would allow neighbours an opportunity to get to know each other and lead to a greater sense of personal and neighbourhood security.

• Investment in infrastructure – As mayor I would encourage the City to actively facilitate the development of affordable housing projects in Dauphin and would continue support to existing projects at Parkland Crossing, The Dauphin Friendship Centre and Under One Roof.

There are many opportunities that are within the power of city council and each and every citizen to contribute to making Dauphin a healthy, functioning community that do not require criminal law legislation or police officers or judges. The criminal law is only part of the solution - the rest is up to us. Living in a community means dealing with some level of crime. We can focus on crime and crisis solely or we can put effort into building a community that is healthy and functional for all. We should be moving forward finding solutions, not stoking fears. Vote for me on Oct. 26 and I will make sure the City is doing everything within its power to move toward a brighter future for everyone.

Kerri Riehl

The city is the key player in the fight against crime within Dauphin. City council decides on the number of police officers for the area.

According to the city of Dauphin website we currently have one staff sergeant, three corporals and 18 constables. The area covers 8,000 square kilometres, and borders RMNP, Dauphin Lake to the East, Duck Mountain Provincial Park to the NW and all the towns within that area.

In 2019 council decided to pay for an additional RCMP member to work with four other members in the region as a member of the Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team who focus on intelligence-based investigations such as drugs and property crime. $3.2 million is spent on protective services. Council’s number one responsibility to the citizens of Dauphin is financial accountability and therefore it is essential this money is utilized properly.

Council has a Protective Services Committee who meets quarterly with the RCMP. They work with them to determine policing priorities. As the deputy mayor I participated in an audit with the RCMP to evaluate the services they supplied to our community.

In 2019 I attended the AGM for the Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention. Afterward, I asked the city to become a member of the organization which we did. They provide national practices, mentorship and support from community safety specialists and peer practitioners, as well as monthly workshops and training.

Membership benefits give us access to a large network of professionals, programs, prevention initiatives, community safety plans, resources, and the tools to tackle the issues of crime within our own community.

Our issues are the same issues other communities are facing across Canada, we are not unique to the challenges of today. The positive side of this, is that the solutions are also readily available to us from across Canada, we do not need to “reinvent the wheel.”

In 2019 I put forth an initiative to establish a community wellness advisory committee. This committee was recently established in 2022 and Dauphin received $1.2 million in funding from the provincial government to assist with the implementation of this safety plan over two years. This is a critical component. This group will be tasked with the compilation of data and the development of a safety plan which will then enable council to apply for funding and advocate to other levels of government. This funding can create crime prevention and harm reduction initiatives. Such initiatives could include a sobering center, a restorative justice center, community safety officers, etc.

The citizens on patrol group met on Sept. 22 There was a guest speaker in attendance. Richard Ives from the Dauphin Co-op is spearheading this initiative. He advises that he has 12 volunteers for the program so far.

I love Dauphin. We live in a wonderful community, and I am grateful to be home. I also see concerns that need to be addressed, ignoring, or denying them won’t make them disappear.

There is a lot of passion and willingness within our community to address crime and the risk factors associated with it such as addiction, mental health, poverty, and homelessness. I am a realist. I accept a situation as it is and deal with it accordingly by tackling the issues head on. Difficult conversations are required, and action plans are necessary to address the issues. With 35 years of experience in the police and security industry I have the vision for a safer Dauphin.

City council, your elected officials are the key component to addressing crime in Dauphin and it is possible.

Your vote matters.

The Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre held its Truth and Reconciliation day walk on Friday (Sept. 30) where it saw a very large crowd of supporters. The ECFC also had a day long fire going during the walk and into the evening.

Dauphin City Hall has some improved curb appeal thanks to the installation of new flag poles which, for the first time, allows the city to fly the flags of the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Treaty 2 Territory Government.

The flags were raised at a special ceremony last week which, Dauphin mayor Christian Laughland said, is an example of the municipality’s desire to operate in partnership with Indigenous governments in the area.

Referring to a proclamation passed by city council at its regular meeting, Sept. 26, Laughland said, “the City of Dauphin and its employees will be observing the national date of Truth and Reconciliation previously known as the orange shirt day to provide time to reflect on the legacy of residential school system and its impact on Indigenous communities and will be flying its flags at half mast.”

For Francis Chartrand of the Northwest Métis Council, the flying of the MMF flag is a continuation of the support city council has shown as her organization increases its footprint in the community.

It speaks to the co-operation between communities and shows a willingness to work together.

“Thank you very much for everything you did for the last four years and we hope to see you around the table in the future,” Chartrand said, drawing attention to the support shown by former mayors Eric Irwin and Allen Dowhan. “I want to do a shout out to them and thank them for everything we did together.”

Representing the Government of Treaty 2 Territory, Scott Lynxleg said flying the flags is an indication of how the relationship between the City and Indigenous groups has improved in the 17 years he has lived in the community.

And he believes it will continue to improve in the future.

“If you have respect for yourself and for others. We are all the same,” Lynxleg said.

It took a while, but the Dauphin Kings have found their scoring touch.

After scoring just 12 goals in their first six games, the Kings nearly doubled that total in a weekend split with the Winnipeg Blues.

Following a 4-1 loss to the Neepawa Titans, Sept. 27 in Neepawa, the Kings dropped a 7-5 decision to the Blues, Friday in Dauphin.

The Kings held a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals from Matthew Gough and Dauphin native Rylan Gibbs.

Kai Elkie pulled Winnipeg to within a goal 1:11 into the second period, then took advantage of a five-minute power play when Kings forward Carter Zalischuk was assessed a major penalty for boarding, scoring four times on the man advantage, with Jack Kaiser scoring twice and Luke Janus and Garett Zasitko bending the twine.

Zasitko would add another later in the frame to take a 6-2 lead, before Tyson Pauze and Jovan Malay scored before the period break to cut into the lead.

The teams traded goals in the third with Winnipeg’s Ryland Kuczek and Dauphin’s Alex Senf finding the back of the net.

Brock Moroz made 33 saves in the win, while Keaton Woolsey had 25 saves in taking the loss.

The two teams met for a rematch, Sunday in Winnipeg, with the Kings skating away with a 6-4 victory.

Jayden Harris for the King and Zasitko for the Blues tallied in the first period.

The Kings broke the game open with three in the second off the sticks of Gough, Mason Smith and Gibbs.

Kuczek and Pearce Gare pulled Winnipeg to within a goal, but Thomas Stewart put the Kings up by two with just under eight minutes remaining.

Matthew McLeod again made it a one-goal game with 49 seconds left in regulation, but Senf sealed the Dauphin victory just 14 seconds later.

Cole Sheffield earned his first win of the season after stopping 17 shots. River Leslie-Toogood made 29 saves in a losing cause.

The Kings will look to keep the momentum going when they face the Steinbach Pistons in a home-and-home this weekend, beginning, Friday in Dauphin at 7:30 p.m.

The rematch goes, Sunday in Steinbach at 2:30 p.m.

It looks like the Province is reluctant to have a discussion with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) and Sapotaweyak Cree Nation (SCN) with regards to their request to cancel non-Indigenous moose hunting in the MKO region. SCN Chief Genaille feels that people making decisions in Winnipeg have no idea of how it impacts First Nations communities and people living in the north.
“Without the sustainability of consultations with First Nations people living around the area, and just relying on the input of government officials that live in the City of Winnipeg, they’re not paying attention to the people they’re impacting with the decisions they are making, said SCN Chief Nelson Genaille. “We need proper consultation in this matter and for the Province to listen to the actual land stewards, because when First Nations people go on the land, we see what’s happening.