These are uniquely challenging times when it comes to agricultural markets, says Mike Jubinville.

Jubinville, a senior market analyst with MarketsFarms, provided some of his insight to those attending Dauphin Agricultural Society’s Farm Outlook 2023, Mar. 9.

Cheaper choices, the weather and the needs of China as it emerges from it’s “draconian” COVID restrictions are just a few of the things producers will have to keep in mind when marketing their crops this year, he said.

“I do find it’s a really unusual time right now where central bank policy around the world is creating a scenario of high inflation and we’re combating it with rising interest rates and other economic influences,” Jubinville said. “But this has all happened at the same time where actually the supply of our grains and oil seeds are relatively tight.”

We should also expect to see a lower Canadian dollar value in the coming year as we head into a recession of unknown depth or duration, he said.

Still influencing markets, he added, is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“Obviously this conflict with Russia is ongoing and it continues to grind along and I suspect it probably gets worse before it gets better,” Jubinville said. “This is creating an anxiety in the world for food users globally recognizing how significant this Black Sea region, which is responsible for 30 per cent of all the wheat exports in the world transversing through Black Sea, is and there is an anxiety of securing food supply.”

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The Manitoba government presented its financial plan for 2023, leaning heavily on a strong economy to deliver $1.8 billion in affordability and tax measures along with an investment of $2 billion in vital programs and services.

“The theme of this budget was historic help and that’s really what the government is delivering here this time,” Dauphin MLA Brad Michaleski said following the presentation of Budget 2023 in the Legislature, last week. “I think it’s timely support. I think the government has done a lot of work towards helping Manitobans during and through some tough times and I think this budget is needed support at a time that’s important.”

Michaleski said people in the constituency and across the province are experiencing a lot of uncertainty surrounding the emergence from the COVID pandemic and the high inflation rates, which are disrupting their daily lives.

“So the government, I think, is absolutely correct in applying the dollars and the focus of spending right now on tax relief. And we haven’t lost sight of the fact that we’re getting Manitoba open for business. A lot of the tax savings all contribute towards that environment,” Michaleski said. “I agree completely what the direction the premier and the government are going on this budget.”

Budget 2023 includes the largest personal income tax reduction in Manitoba history. Changes to the Provincial Basic Personal Amount will ensure that Manitobans do not pay a cent of income tax on the first $15,000 they earn in 2023. This measure alone will save the average two-income family over $1,000 and will remove 47,400 low-income Manitobans from the tax rolls. Changes to tax bracket thresholds in 2024 will provide even greater savings for Manitobans.

It is a budget that Premier Heather Stefanson said will leave more than $5,500 in the pockets of the average family by 2024, while delivering across-the-board funding increases in all 19 government departments.

“In the last year, the Manitoba economy emerged faster and stronger than anyone could have anticipated with more Manitobans working than ever before,’’ Stefanson said. “Budget 2023 reinvests every cent of new revenue to help Manitobans and our most vital services - all accomplished while keeping the province on track to eliminate the deficit.”

Critics of the document have questioned why tax relief measures are delayed until 2024. It is a position which Michaleski says fails to take in the whole picture.

“I don’t know if there’s a delay. It’s been sort of timely all the way along. We’ve been applying tax relief for a number of years. Something like the basic personal exemption, we made adjustments to that a number of years ago,” he said. “This latest one was a huge improvement to the pace. Personal exemption of $15,000, again that allows people to keep their money before the tax man comes after them. We consistently have been doing that. Tax relief on agricultural and residential property tax, we’re continuing on with those reductions. We’ve consistently been applying that and I wouldn’t say we’ve delayed anything too much.”

The budget also attempts to help heal the health-care system, with the largest-ever investment of $7.9 billion, an increase of $668 million. It is hoped that money will help shorten wait times and rebuild the front lines. Budget 2023 also initiates a $1.2-billion multi-year capital campaign that will add capacity to nine facilities including in rural hospitals, St. Boniface Hospital, Grace Hospital, CancerCare Manitoba and Health Sciences Centre.

“Budget 2023 is making significant investments to heal health care in our province to help people get the care they need, when and where it’s needed,” Finance Minister Cliff Cullen said in presenting the financial plan. “We’re making foundational investments to reduce diagnostic and surgical backlogs, hire more health professionals and support health infrastructure needs, but we’re also expanding coverage for diabetes insulin pumps and glucose monitors, and creating a new hearing aid program for Manitobans.”

The budget also provides an investment of more than $100 million to address the challenges of violent crime and homelessness across Manitoba.

“We all want to feel safe in our homes, on our streets and in our communities,’’ Cullen said. “Budget 2023 addresses the root causes of crime, with significant investments in homelessness, shelters and housing, addictions beds and enhanced services for mental health. There is also more for front-line police officers to fight violent crime.”

Budget 2023 reflects that a growing Manitoba starts with stronger communities and supports for affordable, quality services close to home.

Manitoba schools will benefit from historic funding - the largest increase in a quarter century - bringing funding for Kindergarten to Grade 12 schools to $1.7 billion, up $100 million from last year. The Manitoba government is also well on its way to creating 23,000 affordable child-care spaces and will invest $76 million this year to introduce affordable child care three years ahead of plans in other provinces.

Budget 2023 will provide more help than ever before for Manitobans with disabilities as funding increases to $640 million and contains an investment of $217 million in total municipal operating funding - $47 million more than last year. Millions more are earmarked for wastewater treatment, transit and other capital projects.

Cullen said Manitoba expects to have 114,000 new job openings over the next five years. Three in five of these jobs will require some form of university training. To meet this challenge the province will invest $65 million more into post-secondary institutions and cap university tuition increases at 2.75 per cent.

This year’s budget assists small business growth and supports the creation of new made-in-Manitoba jobs by increasing investments in loans and guarantees by $27 million to incent private-sector investment in enterprises that can demonstrate significant, sustainable growth and job creation. It also includes $15 million for the Community Economic Development Fund and $20 million to support economic development and investment attraction.

Recognizing the need for new investment opportunities Budget 2023 doubles the funds dedicated to venture capital to $100 million and eliminates payroll taxes for an additional 150 employers. The payroll tax rate will be reduced for the first time in 25 years in 2024, if the economy continues to perform as it has this year.

“I think it leans into the approach that this government has had and it’s a whole of Manitoba look,” Michaleski said. “So when we say there’s increases to education or health care, it’s a whole of Manitoba. That’s something that this government has done from day one and they continue to do that.”

After freezing municipal operating grants for seven years, the Manitoba government has announced an increase in the annual basket funding it provides municipalities to help fund their operations.

And while the exact impact of the 28 per cent increase for the City of Dauphin remains to be seen, it is enough to change the conversations elected officials are having around the 2023 financial plan, mayor David Bosiak said, adding he expects the figure to be around $170,000 or $180,000.

“We were forewarned in some of our earliest meetings this year that inflation in particular, but other things were really going to impact our ability to come up with a budget so this is good news absolutely. As we were looking at this year’s budget, very preliminarily so far, costs are up and so we have to find ways to deal with that. So this announcement will certainly help,” Bosiak said. “The unfortunate part is that it probably just makes up for the lack of funding in the last six or seven years, if you calculate cost of living, even averaging at two per cent a year. It’s a nice chunk of change, but it would have been nice to have that in years previous, as well. But I’m not going to scowl and say, ‘bad Province.’ I’m very happy that they made that decision and it’ll be good for us.”

All municipalities will receive a minimum 24 per cent increase in 2023 to address inflationary impacts. With this increase of up to $47 million, the 2023 municipal operating grant will grow to $217 million from $170 million.

It is still early in the city budgetting process, Bosiak said. The capital budget has been thoroughly examined, he added and is all but set.

“It’s the operating budget that we’re still in the process of working on and I know that there were some hard decisions that were going to need to have be made if we weren’t going to consider increasing taxes,” he said. “I can’t speak for the rest of council, but it’s been very clear to us that a tax raise is likely. But now I don’t know if it’s going to be or not, or how much it will be, based on this particular announcement.”

Council is holding a planning session in early March to plot a strategy for the next four years, which will absolutely have budget implications, Bosiak said, adding he is looking forward to the process. There are other things impacting the budget which are out of council’s control such as utilities, fuel and salaries.

“But there’s some very variable costs on some of the projects we’d like to do,” Bosiak said. “And that’s where I’m hopeful that the increases in our fixed costs related to fuel and heating and those other things, that we will have some room to have some very thoughtful discussion on the things that we want to put in this year. And everything’s going to be validated, so it’s based on what the rest of council and administration believe we have to do as a city going forward.”

And the added money from the province will help the new mayor and council to makes ends meet and, hopefully, move forward on some of their plans.

“If we’re really short a lot of money, it’s not the stuff that you have to pay for that goes first, it’s all those good things that need to be trimmed,” Bosiak said, adding he is hopeful the extra dollars will help offset cost increases in areas such as fuel, snow clearing and upcoming negotiations with employee unions.

“Council, the three incumbents, the three new councillors and myself, are now going to be looking forward and saying, ‘okay, so now the province has increased its funding, maybe getting us back to a bit of an even keel, what are those things that we think are truly important for our community?’ And they will likely be in the discussion longer now than if it was a situation where we’re short, we have to raise taxes, we have to cut programs or services and we’re still looking at a deficit. So it’s going to make the decisions maybe a little bit easier, but this isn’t like winning the lottery.”

The temperatures were cool but the skies were bright as large crowds gathered at Fort Dauphin Museum to celebrate Louis Riel Day, Monday.

Sponsored by the Northwest Metis Council, the day featured all sorts of fun such as dog sled rides, an opportunity to try out fat bikes and snowshoes courtesy of Northgate Trails, roasting bannock over an open fire, tug-of-war, hotdogs and hot chocolate and much more.

All of the museum buildings were also open for everyone to enjoy.

Owners of electric vehicles (EV) now have another option for charging their rides thanks to Dean Cooley GM.

Referred to as a quick charger, the smart DC 50 kilowatt charger is on the FLO network and should provide about an 80 per cent charge in 20 to 30 minutes depending on the battery and the type of vehicle.

The local dealership installed the charger on its lot as part of its preparations to get started in the EV business.

“This year we’ll start to receive Silverados and Sierras, Blazers and Equinoxes,” said Dean Cooley, the principle dealer of Dean Cooley GM. “We’re just a few months away from really being able to sell a good variety of EVs.”

Cooley said the dealerships customers have been make inquiries about EVs and he does have around a dozen reservations for the vehicles when they start arriving.

“We refer to them as reservations versus sales, because at this point, I haven’t told you exactly what it’s going to cost you and I think you’d probably like to drive it before you actually pay for it,” he said.

Cooley added, however, EVs will not be the complete focus of the business.

“I think it will be a part of what we do. We don’t believe it’s going to be all what we do, but we do believe it’ll be a big part of what we do,” he said, adding EVs still have some limitations. “If you said to me, ‘hey I’m an outdoorsy guy. I’m heading to Flin Flon three times a year to go fishing or I’m hauling a 30-foot fifth wheel camper,’ I mean there’s just scenarios that this isn’t going to work.”

When it comes to running around town, heading back and forth to work and make day trips outside the area, EVs will offer an economical alternative to gas powered vehicles.

“There’s scenarios where it’s going to be perfect,” he said.

As part of its preparations for the EVs the dealership has trained its technicians on the vehicles and invested in some equipment such as a forklift for moving batteries, an oversized hoist to accommodate the weight of the vehicles, additional charges in the mechanical department and some special tooling to perform repairs.

“We are set to go,” Cooley said.

As the 125th anniversary of incorporation, 2023 is a special year for the residents of the city Dauphin and Dauphin mayor David Bosiak is hoping to bring several community organizations together to plan a special celebration.

Incorporated as a village in 1898, a town in 1901 and a city in 1998, the history of the community is worth celebrating.

“It’s a big deal for us, 125 years,” Bosiak said. “We (the City of Dauphin) want to work with, and have already started to reach out to a couple of the groups - Fort Dauphin Museum, the train station museum and the arts center - to really fulfill the plans that some of them have already come up with in terms of celebrating our 125th. So there’s some really neat ideas that have been percolating and we will get that going soon.”

The collaborative effort aligns with Bosiak’s message of everyone pulling in the same direction for the common good.

“I really think that getting these organizations to work a little bit more closely together will be really good for them and good for us, as well, as a community,” he said. “The real positive thing is all of the groups that we’ve engaged with have a willingness to have these discussions."

"These groups are all functioning effectively, have great volunteer engagement and are really meeting a lot of the outcomes that they’ve sort of posted or projected for themselves. And that’s just good for all of us, so we’re really working on that kind of a philosophy of what’s good for one is likely good for all.”

Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club is using a recent windfall from the federal government to improve the visitor experience at Northgate Trails.

The group recently received $212,000 from Prairie Economic Development.

“It was a form of economic development for rural communities. That’s probably why we got it,” Derailleurs president Brenda Gregory said.

This latest round of money will be used to make four of the river crossings on the trail more permanent. As well, lighting has been installed in the timber frame shelter at the trailhead and a fieldstone fireplace will be constructed in that structure in the near future. Finally, a sea can the group purchased to secure its equipment will be given a facelift to make it fit more seamlessly into the environment of the facility.

The Derailleurs applied for the grant last June but did not receive notice their application was successful until after Christmas. With the money needing to be spent before the end of March, timelines were tight. However, the government did provide the group a lifeline, Gregory said.

“Even though we were given very little notice about the approval, they did consider bills that we had paid retroactive to the awarding of the grant,” Gregory said, adding there was no shortage of places to spend the money. “We’ve always got plans. You dream and you hope that you’re going to be able to execute. But we don’t know, because, at this point in time, we don’t have a steady revenue source.”

Despite that, the group has been extremely successful at building a world class facility in a short time frame, mostly through grants.

“It’s a board initiative. It is really a team effort,” Gregory said, adding when one person finds a grant and runs it past the rest of the board for input and advice before finalizing the application. One board member in particular has been instrumental in securing substantial dollars for the group.

“Mel Stefaniw has obtained two large grants for us equivalent to over half a million dollars. So we’re very grateful for her.”

Gregory added the group has benefitted greatly through support from the community at large by way of volunteer labour and contractors willing to perform work at minimal cost.

“In that regard we’ve been very lucky. The stars have completely aligned for us,” she said.

With the infrastructure they now have in place, the Derailleurs are starting to shift their focus towards programming.

“That’s one area where we haven’t really focused, most of all because we couldn’t. We weren’t allowed to have people gather, even in the outdoors in the initial stages of COVID,” Gregory said, adding the group has welcomed new board members David Bosiak and J.L. Guillas and has contracted

Decipher Wilderness Experiences to provide programming.

“So there will be more of a focus on programs, particularly with children and youth,” Gregory said. “We have things we want to do, targeted at Indigenous youth, as well. So lots of things that are cooking.”

The Heritage Day Fair is making its return to Dauphin Market Place Mall, Feb. 17 and 18.

Organizing committee member, Don White said it nice to be back after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And with 13 organizations participating to celebrate the history of the Parkland, there will be plenty to see, White added.

For example, those attending the free event can expect to see Manitoba’s winning entry into the 1967 Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant, the Pierre Radisson, courtesy of Fort Dauphin Museum. All aspects of the area’s history will be highlighted, White added, noting the Negrych Homestead and the history of the Dauphin Fire Department are popular topics among fairgoers.

The displays will be set up in the former Ardene’s location, which has allowed organizers to run the fair over two days.

“It’s two days so we can lock the door and everything’s secure,” White said, adding the move to two days was a positive one as it was a lot of work for the exhibitors to pack up their displays and head to the mall for a one-day event.

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