The City of Dauphin is well into the process of setting its 2024 financial plan, but it is still too early to say what that might look like in the end.

Mayor David Bosiak said there are many factors to consider. With major infrastructure projects such as the Main Street South reconstruction and the Buckwold Bridge rehabilitation underway and the lagoon expansion on tap, there are a lot of moving pieces to consider. Add to that continuously increasing costs, new union agreements and more upcoming negotiations, and it becomes quite a juggling act.

“When we talk about the overall process, we are looking for every possible opportunity to either reduce costs without reducing service,” Bosiak said.

On the positive, the City has an extremely good relationship with the new provincial government, having had several meetings with the premier and cabinet ministers with more coming up.

“There’s a window of opportunity there, possibly. We’re sort of reading the tea leaves about the positive relationship that the current provincial government has with the federal government and the, I would say, tremendously positive relationship that our municipal government has with our provincial government. The support we’ve received from our MLA and the premier himself and other ministers, I think, is all positive for us as a community.”

This budget provides an opportunity for the current council to begin putting its mark on the future of the community as its previous focus was more managing and completing initiatives put in place by the previous council.

“Now as a new council we have a three-year window to present our projects and have them included in budget discussions so that we can move on some of those that seem realistic or reasonable or fit with what we want to do as a municipality,” Bosiak said, adding just last week the City was advised by the province that it’s new Plan Dauphin was approved.

“So we will now, as a council, look very strategically at the items that the last council and our current council included in that, those things that were important to us as a community moving forward. And I would suspect that we will have some movement on some of those initiatives.”

Any movement, Bosiak stressed, will take place responsibly, with the benefit to the community weighed against the cost.

And while the news has been filled with reports of increases in the mill rates of other urban centres around the province, Bosiak said that will not necessarily be the case in Dauphin.

“One thing I will tell you is that this council has basically stated we will not hold taxes if that means a reduction in services to our residents,” Bosiak said. “We all appreciate that inflation is still running at over three per cent, that there are still some supply chain and other issues from post COVID still affecting supply and distribution of materials and other things. We’ve seen that in the projects that we’ve tendered in this last year, they’ve all come in higher than budgeted. So we understand that and as we go through this process we will certainly inform the public on where we’re at. But I can’t say that a tax increase is off the table and I can’t say right now how big it might be if there is one.”

Bosiak added Dauphin residents can rest assured that everyone involved in the budgetting process will do what is best for the community.

“We really trust our administration and I get the sense that administration really trusts our council and I doubt that we’ll be suggesting any kind of crazy projects that are going to significantly increase taxes,” he said. “We’re getting tremendously good advice from our administration on what is possible. We, like everyone else has, have challenges with costs and we’ll do the best we can to handle them. I trust the council and I trust the administration that they will do the right thing.”

The community of Dauphin is mourning the loss of one of its biggest supporters following the death of Myles Haverluck, Feb. 9.

Known primarily as an intelligent and successful businessman, the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy founder nurtured what has become a legacy of consistency and reliability through a customer-first philosophy.

Armed only with a vision of creating “something special,” Haverluck opened his business in 1979, employing only himself and one support person.

“The first couple or three years it was a bit of a grind. Dauphin already had several well-established and respected pharmacists, or druggists as we were called back then, and I think back in those days there was even more loyalty than there certainly is today,” Haverluck said looking back at the early years at the time of DCP’s 40th anniversary in 2019. “I think it was a little scary back then, but we just kept plugging away, doing what we were doing, and we grew slowly. We didn’t try to be really big, really fast. When I first started, it was just myself and one other lady that worked with me. Eventually we hired additional staff members, and we just kind of went along like the turtle, slow and steady.”

But it was not all about business for Haverluck, who took pride in supporting community events and projects, both through his business and personally.

If you attended any community events in the past, throughout the Parkland, chances are that Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy played a role in its success.

“I have always believed that you should, and you need to support your community. And everybody is going to do it at different levels,” Haverluck said of his desire to give something back to the community. “The bottom line is community is important to us. We want to see things succeed and we want to support it.”

Propping up that philosophy, Haverluck, personally and through his business, supported numerous community events such as the Dauphin Kings Hockey Club, the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cashpiel, Countryfest, the MS Bike Tour, Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival, Jesus Manifest and the Myles

Haverluck Clinic Pharmacy Classic Golf Tournament. Youth groups, sports teams, church groups, service groups, music festivals and community special events have also benefitted from that generous community spirit.

Development of community facilities such as the Parkland Recreation Complex and sponsorship of its walking track, as well as Dauphin Countryfest Community Theatre were also a priority for Haverluck.

And Haverluck’s approach earned him and the business numerous accolades throughout the years such as, but not limited to, the 1997 Dauphin and District Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award, the 1998 Chamber of Commerce Community Appreciation Award for Outstanding Community Service, a 1999 Recognition Award from the Province of Manitoba for outstanding contributions to seniors of Manitoba and the 2005 Whitehall Robins’ Bowl of Hygeia Award, in recognition of time and personal sacrifice devoted to the welfare of the community.

Currently, there is a petition going around Roblin calling on the provincial government to do something about the number of elk in the area, the damage they are causing and the potential risk they pose in spreading TB.

Pine Creek First Nation harvester Phillip Chartrand feels there is a solution that could work for multiple parties and not cost tax payer dollars.

Read all about it in this week’s issue.

About 8 p.m. on January 29, the Roblin RCMP detachment received a report of a vehicle in the ditch. Members attended and the driver tried to hide his identity and was obviously intoxicated.

He was arrested, blew one sample into the instrument, then refused after that. He was remanded into custody. If convicted, this will be his 14th impaired conviction.

More in this week’s RCMP report

We’ve somehow made it normal to allow kids to use smart devices and have access to social media, and now it’s catching up to us.

The Manitoba RCMP Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit has seen a drastic increase in the number of investigations involving youth and social media. The apps youth are using remain the same, but they are starting to use them at alarmingly younger ages.

Check out the rest of the story in this week’s Review.

There’s some unsettling talk about the possibility of Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League restructuring and eliminating some teams that they feel aren’t meeting the competitive standard of the league.

A competition committee was formed to determine the viability of league and made some recommendations for improvements.

Find out more in this week’s Review.

University College of the North (UCN) is hosting its annual Linkages Conference this month, but this time in a new location. This will be the first time UCN’s Linkages Conference will be held in Thompson.
“Linkages Thompson is going to be held this year on February 13 and 14,” said UCN Communications and Events Coordinator Jackie Rechenmacher. “This is the first year for Thompson to have Linkages, and we look forward to hosting the event in both communities in the future.
“The theme of the conference is around skill and development of the trades in the north. UCN and the Mining Association of Manitoba have partnered for the Linkages Thompson conference as there is a strong emphasis in the northern mining economy and the skilled workers that we will need to sustain it.” This year’s line-up of keynote speakers is im pressive and ranges from television celebrities, former sports stars and Indigenous leadership. “Mike Holmes, the television personality and professional contractor, will be presenting on engaging youth in the trades and the importance of trades in any economy,” said Rechenmacher. “We also have Ken Coates, who is a historian focused on Canadian north and Aboriginal rights and Indigenous claims, as well as a leading thinker on the Canadian future. “Our third keynote is JR LaRose, who is CFL Grey Cup Champion and is a member of the One Arrow First Nation. He shares his experiences of facing adversity, resilience, and how he has persevered through the struggles both he and his family has faced. “The Linkages Conferences focus on how reconciliation and reconcili-action are worked into many different industries and sectors across the board,” said Rechenmacher. “The pro gram will have sessions from sector leaders who are Indigenous and will be speaking about how Indigenous communities deal with industry, specifically the mining industry. Additionally, a presentation from Dr. Ramona Neckoway, Vice President of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation at UCN will be providing a presentation on Northern Manitoba Reconciliation, what is in the process and what is coming up next.” Although Linkages will be held in Thompson this year, the overall for mat will be similar to the conferences held in the past. “Conference attendees can expect a similar for mat as the Linkages conferences in The Pas,” said Rechenmacher. “There will be many opportunities to network, learn, and ask questions from leaders in various fields.

Sixteen-year-old Emily Heape has overcome incredible odds and was granted a dream come true through the Dream Factory. Just before Christmas, Heape went on her dream trip to Australia to experience all kinds of adventures with her family.
“We started our journey to Australia on Dec 17, flying to Vancouver after spending the weekend in Winnipeg,” said Heape. “What felt like a billion hours later, we arrived at my aunt and uncle’s house in Noosa, Australia. We extended our stay as a family holiday and in total, we were in Australia for 17 days.
“My thoughts and first impressions of Australia when we first arrived were darn it’s hot here! If I’m not dead by the time we leave, I’ll be a raisin. It was really warm, but beautiful and so different from Canada.” Heape did a lot of sightseeing while in Australia and witnesses some breathtaking views. She also made sure to check out all the animals and sea creatures she could. “While we were in Australia, we did lots of fun things,” said Heape. “We went up this huge 230 metre tower called Q1 at the Gold Coast. From there, we got to see a 360 degree view of the beach, ocean and the city of Bris bane all at once. Then we went to the Australia Zoo, which was my favourite, and we got to see all of the different amazing animals. We visited some markets and mom loved all the different vendors. “We also went to Rainbow Beach, went swimming in the ocean and to the Great Barrier Reef, which was amazing. All of the different fish and creatures you could see, it was incredible. To get out to the reef, we had to take this huge boat that kind of reminded me of a ferry. “While we were at the Great Barrier Reef, we tried snorkelling, but I did n’t like it very much,” said Heape. “There was this glass-bottom boat that my dad and I went on, and you could see everything. It was so cool. Later, while my mom and brother were still snorkeling, my dad and I went in the submersible. That was even better than the glass bottom boat. You could see a lot more in the submersible than in the glass bottom boat. I think that was one of my favourite things we did the whole trip. There was this one fish that they named Wally, since he was al ways around. “Also, we took a glass-bottomed sky rail ride up a mountain at the world's oldest tropical rainforest while in Cairns and visited a 100-year-old town called Kuranda.” Each adventure Heape went on was left a lasting impression and she was really engaged at the zoo, where she saw lots of different animals for the very first time, up close and personal. “My favourite activity in Australia was the submersible,” said Heape. “This was my favourite activity because it was like a whole different world under the water that I had never seen before. It was a whole experience in itself. I enjoyed seeing all of the cool and different sea creatures. “All of the different animals that we got to see were one of my favourite parts of the trip. My aunt and uncle had quite a few different animals in their yard. They have wild turkeys they named Walter and Winne, as well as kookaburras, and wild cockatoos among others. They have lots of different kinds of bugs and spiders. My mom and brother got to see a praying mantis. There was this huge beetle at the B&B that was the size of a palm. “There were lots of different kinds of birds when we went to the zoo,” said Heape. “We went to a bird show and we got to see so many types of birds there. At the zoo, we saw a Komodo dragon, tortoises, and lots of different types of lizards and snakes. We went to a crocodile show, which was pretty cool to see, we saw a cassowary, which sort of looks like a fancy ostrich native to Australia. “We went and saw the koalas, which to be honest were sort of boring, but very cute. One day we went to a koala sanctuary, which I enjoyed much more as we got to pet a koala and see it up close. We got to see some sleep ing dingoes and a binturong, which looks like a bear and a cat combined. We got to see lots of wallabies and lazy kangaroos, as well we got to see some elephants, which made me very happy. We also went and saw a tiger and a giraffe.” This trip to Australia will always be one Heape and her family will cherish forever. Not everything went as smoothly as planned, but the memories made will last a lifetime. “I went swimming in the ocean for the first time when we went to Rainbow Beach,” said Heape. “Unfortunately, one of the medications that I take causes my face to react to the sun and it gets sore and itchy, so swimming in the salt water didn’t make my face feel very good. “I think I’ll remember everything since this trip was my dream trip and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Finally visiting my aunt and uncle and having them show us where they live, with all the different places and things that are unique to Australia is something we’ll always remember.

The state of the Skippy L rests in the hands of who officially owns it, which has now come into question. With the derelict state of the designated heritage site being beyond repair, the Town of The Pas and Heritage Society must first find the owner before the de-designation process can begin.
“Right now, the town is stilling trying to determine ownership of the Skippy L,” said Town of The Pas Assistant CAO Jenn Early. “I’m working with the Heritage Society, but they don’t seem to have any information either. We have no proof that the Town of The Pas owns the Skippy L or anything proving that it was the town that designated it a heritage item.” A relative of Tom Lamb expressed some interest early on, but that has since been abandoned. “In October of 2023, The Heritage Society ad vised that the great-grand son of Tom Lamb, Fraser Fisher, reached out to them and he was inquiring about restoring the boat,” said Early. “The Heritage society put him in touch with me. I received one e mail from him and pro vided him with the status of the boat and the Condition Assessment report the town had done on the Skippy L. I never heard back from him. I have sent him three more e mails since then with no reply. “It is necessary to find relatives of the original owner as the Heritage Society is requesting this be fore they will de-designate the heritage status. With out the de-designation the town cannot legally demolish the boat, as we cannot prove we are the owners of it. “The Skippy L is be yond repair,” said Early. “If the owner would have used the designation status before it got in this state, there would have been funding through the heritage society to fix it up. Unfortunately, we don’t know who the owner is and can’t get this process going”. The current condition of the Skippy L poses some concerns in terms of safety for the community. It has been boarded up to prevent people from entering in. “With the state the Skippy L is in right now, it is a huge liability,” said Early. “I’m still working with the Heritage Society, and they are now looking at what the next step will be in order for the town to de-designate it and demolish it.” If anyone knows who may be associated or has knowledge of who has ownership of the Skippy L, please contact the town office.

The Town of The Pas, like many rural and northern Manitoba communities, is struggling with having adequate numbers of police officers stationed in the community. The cost of policing is rising, as is the cost of everything else, but there are just not enough police officers on hand to deal with the various issues around community safety and crime.
The Town of The Pas has budgeted for the creation of a Community Safety Officer Program. Currently, there is an ad out to hire a Community Safety Manager to spearhead the project.
“The Community Safety Officer (CSO) Program is still in the works, but the hope is to have a Community Safety Manager in place by the end of February 2024, to help role this program out,” said Town of The Pas Assistant CAO Jenn Early. “The plan is that the safety officers will be out and about the community, getting to know people and businesses. They will have a Peace Officer Status. “There will be two CSOs and a manager hired. They will do patrols in vehicles, bikes and walking. The CSOs and Community Safety Man ager will be working closely with the RCMP. We are hoping to have them work shift work and on weekends. The Com munity Safety Manager will be in constant contact with the local RCMP and our CSOs will work closely with the RCMP. If the RCMP need assistance they will contact the CSO’s and the vice versa. “We are working on a LOU with the local detachment to ensure we are on the same page,” said Early. “The CSO program is to help the RCMP so they can deal with more pressing matters; it’s not so the RCMP have less to do. The CSO’s will deal with individuals intoxicated in the downtown area, provide them rides home or to the homeless shelter or the RCMP detachment, if they do not have any other place to go and are a danger to them selves or others. They will also issue parking tickets; assist the RCMP with traffic control for parades; stay with individuals who are at the hospital under the MHA; provide basic community safety such as patrols and presence around town and eventually issue fines for by-law infractions. “Before they deal with enforcing our by-laws, we want them to get the com munity safety side of things started first.” Applicant for the CSO positions will have to meet certain qualifying criteria before they apply and then there is mandatory training to complete before they can act in the capacity they are hired for. “Since the CSOs will have access to cells at the RCMP detachment, they will also have to success fully pass and maintain Criminal Records Check and Vulnerable Sector Checks, enhanced security clearance required by MB Justice and Child Abuse Registry Check,” said Early. “There is a four-week training program through Brandon City Police that the CSO candidates will have to complete. This Level 1 Training is a requirement in accordance with the Manitoba’s Police Services Act (PSA). The Manitoba Safety Officer Induction Training is the minimum training requirement for issuance of a peace officer appointment for safety officers. “The officer course will provide training including, arrests and detention; understanding the system flow of laid charges; Indigenous awareness and community diversity; the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; court testimony; the Criminal Code; criminal investigation; Duty to Act and Duty of Care; elements of a crime; exhibit handling; interviewing; an introduction to law; Manitoba’s Intoxicated Persons Detention Act; legislation around governing peace officers; Manitoba’s Mental Health Act including authorities, forms, etc; Child and Family Services including missing persons matters; note taking and report writing; provincial acts, statutes, and municipal bylaws; radio procedures; restorative justice; search and seizure, along with the authority to search vehicles, persons and dwellings; tactical communications; traffic enforcement training; use of force and officer safety; and Victims’ Services and Social Services Level II Training,” said Early. “They will also have to meet the following requirements that are in accordance with Manitoba’s Police Services Act, such as the minimum physical requirements, vision and hearing requirements.” The cost of policing is beyond any municipality’s control, but the Town of The Pas realizes they need more supports to keep the community safe. The Town of the Pas’ 2024 budget is $308,000 for the CSO program and $3,714,000 for the RCMP policing. There is still more funding needed for this particular project. “We have an agreement already signed be tween the Province, the Town of the Pas and the RCMP,” said Early. “We have a committee of council formed with three members of Council, the CAO, myself, along with the local RCMP Staff Sergeant and Sergeant. We have started advertising for the Community Safety Manager and will be re viewing resumes the second week of February. There is a job description completed for the CSOs, but won’t start advertising until the manager is hired. “There are a few com ponents we are still working on such as the LOU with the local detachment, a vehicle for the CSOs and we’re still looking for funding, as this program is not funding by the Province. We’re working with the communities of Thompson and Ste. Anne, as they are the only two municipalities in Manitoba that currently have the CSO program up and running. We’re in the process of developing policies and procedures for this pro gram, and hoping that once the manager is hired, this person can take this on. “We are hoping to have tow CSOs in place by the end of March be ginning of April, and then hopefully there will be Level 1 Training avail able,” said Early. “We would like to see the pro gram in operation by May. It won’t be fully operational for some time as there will be lots of training and learning curves. We want the community safety aspect side of things figured out before we have them start by-law enforcement.”