Last Friday (Oct. 7) the local East Indian community gathered at the Veteran’s Community Hall to celebrate Navratri, which translates to nine nights. It is a major festival held in honour of the divine feminine that occurs over nine days during September/October. It often ends with a huge celebration on the 10th day with food, dancing and prayer. 

The Dauphin Kings split a home-and-home series with the Steinbach Pistons over the weekend.

The weekend began with the Kings handing the Pistons their first loss of the season, a 5-3 setback at Credit Union Place. Steinbach got their revenge with an 8-1 win on home ice, Sunday afternoon.

After the Pistons took the lead midway through the first period on Friday, the Kings pulled even late in the frame and then took the lead with three in the second.

Steinbach outscored the Kings 2-1 in the third, but it was too little, too late.

Cole Sheffield was outstanding in goal for Dauphin making 49 saves.

On Sunday, the Pistons built a 3-0 lead after the first period and increased it to 6-1 after 40 minutes.

The Kings were outstanding on the penalty kill, Friday, according to head coach and general manager Doug Hedley, after they killed off five of six Steinbach power plays.

“Sheffield was the best penalty killer. When you do that, you’re going to have success,” he said. “And we took advantage of mistakes. But our speed tonight, we skated with them all the time. In fact, we had odd man rushes where we capitalized on mistakes on a couple of two-on-ones and some nice goals.”

Hedley has talked before about how the Kings would have to rely on scoring by committee and that was evident, Friday night. Dauphin scored five goals, but Mason Smith was the only player to register more than one point with two assists.

“I think the line of Gibby (Rylan Gibbs) and (Connor) Picard and (Jackson) Gudz were good. They ate up some minutes for us and Gibby got a big goal. The kid is playing well. He’s earning the trust, that’s for sure,” Hedley said.

After struggling early in the season with 12 goals in the first six games, Dauphin’s offence has hit its stride with 16 in the last three games.

“It’s good to see. We’re getting opportunities. We were getting opportunities before, we just weren’t capitalizing,” Hedley said. “But I think right now, our D zone is getting to a point where we’re really protecting it. We’re pushing battles to corners, we’re winning battles and getting pucks out of our zone.”

A win against the top team in the East Division, which came into the contest undefeated will be huge for the team’s confidence.

“The dressing room is really happy right now. We’ll have a quick skate (Saturday), go back into Steinbach and hopefully, we can play a disciplined game there and keep it tight,” Hedley said.

Kings court:

Forward Blake Boudreau is currently out day-to-day with a knee injury. Forward Carter Zalischuk was handed a two-game suspension for his boarding major against the Winnipeg Blues, Sept. 30.

With polling day just two weeks away, mayoralty candidates take a look at sustainability.

We asked the question, “Over the last number of years the City has undertaken development with eye towards environmental sustainability. Is this a focus you would like to see continue and what initiatives have you included in your platform to proceed down that path?”

Here are their responses.

Kerri Riehl

The current options and opportunities are limitless when it comes to environmental sustainability. We are fortunate to live in a time where sustainable development and environmental stewardship are being fostered by every level of government. Elaborate plans, and research is not required.

Endless grants and funding opportunities are laid out for us. We need to capitalize on these opportunities. There are many grants and incentives available through Efficiency Manitoba, (provincial), the Green Municipal Fund under the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (federal), the federal government and Manitoba Hydro.

The key is changing mindsets and getting “buy in” from the community including council. To me, public engagement means sharing a vision, sharing what the city of Dauphin is currently doing and engaging knowledge. Communication, and sharing of information is key. We have incredibly knowledgeable people in our community on numerous subjects, but we must be willing to invite them to participate.

I am fortunate to have the ear of a power engineer, a niece who is an environmental engineer currently working for the City of Regina, and her husband who is a petroleum engineer working for the Province of Saskatchewan. They are incredible information resources. Visionaries, with endless possibilities who just recently revamped my compositing system.

Competency in the role and job is key. The city draft plan states that in March of 2020 they finalized a community and energy emissions plan. Plans are a great starting point and a snapshot of existing infrastructure, but they require competent action with measurable goals and sufficient competent resources for implementation.

While working for two international diamond mines, technology from Israel, South Africa and Australia was incredible. Virtual meetings were held daily.

In 2018 when I was elected to council, paper agendas were still being utilized and there was no IT position. I suggested an online upload version of agendas. In 2020 Justin Tokarchuk was hired as Information and Communications Technology manager. With his knowledge and competency, he has made incredible strides in bringing the City of Dauphin into the technology era within two years.

The visions are there. They need to be accessed, actioned, and completed. FCM Green Municipal Fund currently has an energy grant for transitioning ice rinks and swimming pools to net zero. Our systems currently are at end of life and require replacing. We could significantly lower our operating costs. The federal government has a $27 billion grant available for electric vehicle transit buses until 2025. We could have a transit bus at no cost. Biomass energy opportunities in this area are available for our agricultural partners. Not only would it be environmentally sustainable, but it would also provide incredible economic development opportunities.

I currently have an off-grid property utilizing biomass heating, solar, compositing, and has net zero impact. At home, food security is key for me growing my own vegetables, microgreens, composting, and I am now experimenting with hydroponic vegetable growth throughout the winter months. I am committed to environmental sustainability.

Stewardship is a key role of council. Council is “responsible for the supervision and care of the municipality’s resources. This means making sure that infrastructure, money, and staff are used properly and effectively. This also means planning strategically for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Only council as a whole can make decisions for the municipality.”

People must understand that the mayor has no additional perceived authority or power over any other member of council. The mayor has one vote. Every council member has one vote. Everyone is to have an equal voice. There are to be no meetings held outside the council chambers excluding other members. There is to be public debate. It is not what “I” can achieve, it’s what we can achieve together through research, knowledge, discussion, and the willingness for progressive change. Seeking individual solutions is not effective. You won’t hear me say “I will,” “I can”, or “as mayor I will,” because it’s not one individual who makes the difference, it’s the entire council.

The possibilities for environmental sustainability are endless and very exciting. We simply need to make it a priority.

David Bosiak

I would like to broaden the definition of sustainability in my response to include more than the environment – and start by saying yes. The City of Dauphin must forge ahead and embrace all forms of sustainability, as it is a key component to building a safe, healthy community.

I wrote a book in 2014 titled If You Don’t Look After Your Body, Where are You Going to Live that focussed on caring for yourself so you would be better able to care for others. In a broader context, we must do the same with our community, we must care for it so it remains a healthy and vibrant place for ourselves and our children and grandchildren.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities recently produced a report that outlines the role of municipalities in building a greener economy. The report states, “Green economy initiatives can improve a community’s quality of life, foster economic development and drive competitiveness, while creating jobs and enhancing the skills of the local workforce. . . Making municipal operations more energy efficient can produce substantial cost savings, freeing resources for other municipal objectives.”

Former Mayor Eric Irwin strongly believed in sustainability and was instrumental in establishing a pilot project in Dauphin that created a Community Energy Advocate position, the first of its kind in Manitoba. Mayor Al Dowhan also supported the program, and many innovative environmental initiatives occurred under the direction of Steve Sobering, our Community Energy Advocate.

You might recall the various LED lighting projects in Dauphin that brightened our streets, most commercial and all municipal buildings - including the CUP, solar panels at the City shop and #1 Lift Station, our active transportation plan, lagoon upgrades, a recycling and diversion centre at the waste management site, green bins . . . these are all helping us be more sustainable. But we must continue to innovate, to do more.

Selkirk recently hired an Energy Advocate and now leads Manitoba in sustainable energy initiatives. Their city has received considerable funding from the provincial and federal governments because of their actions related to environmental sustainability.

If elected I would immediately urge council to re-establish an energy advocate position, fund it appropriately and initiate innovative projects sitting on the shelves at City Hall and in the minds of our citizens.

That will lead to cost savings and a more sustainable future for all of us.

If elected I will also advocate for a greenhouse gas emission monitoring program that will help us become more efficient in our energy use and help us plan for the future. I will investigate the options of replacing our diesel garbage truck with an electric model, that will reduce both emissions and operating costs, and do the same for the pick-up trucks used by the public works and recreation departments.

However, sustainability is more than environmental. The availability of recreational and cultural facilities is paramount to community sustainability, and if elected I will ensure adequate funding is provided to Dauphin Recreation Services, the Dauphin Public Library, the Watson Arts Centre, Northgate Trail System and museums in our community. I will encourage council to continue its support of the Maamawi Park development at the former DMCC grounds and ensure Vermillion Park and its trails and pathways are always accessible and available for citizens.

I will encourage council to support health and education services and programs offered through the Dauphin Friendship Centre, Parkland Crossing, Regional Connections, Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation and other not-for-profit agencies. These partners are doing tremendous work in helping make Dauphin a great place to live, work and play.

The purposes of a municipality are to foster economic, social and environmental well-being and Dauphin can continue to do that by embracing and encouraging partnerships and productive supportive relationships.

I have a track record of working with others and getting people to get along. Working together to enhance our community sustainability will be a top priority at City Hall if I’m elected on Oct. 26. Forward. Together.

Check the Dauphin Herald's Election Section this week for more on the upcoming Municipal Election ---> VIEW HERE!

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.