Loewen Blvd Improvements Delayed

A major upgrade of Loewen Boulevard, east of Steinbach, will not start until next year. Roger Bouvier, Chief Administrative Officer for the RM of La Broquerie, says it's a joint project with the RM of Ste. Anne and the Manitoba Government. He says they had hoped to start this fall but it's getting too late in the year. The plan is now to start after spring thaw.

Bouvier explains they will rebuild the three miles of road from Hirschfeld Road to Kokomo Road. He notes previous upgrades have not held up.

"There's been some work done on the road but not to any standard where we could look at long term solutions. So what we are doing now is to have it ready for future development such as sealcoat or asphalt. It'll be to our standards so it will be ready for a long term finish on this road."

Bouvier says the upgrades will cost about a quarter of a million dollars per mile. Phase one next year involves the mile from Kokomo Road to Borland Road. The other two miles will be done in future years.

"By finishing this road properly, I would think it would take a lot of traffic off of Highway #52 because a lot of people would use this road if it was in better condition. It's also very costly for us to maintain. We have to grade it a minimum of once a week, in the summer - twice a week, so it's very time-consuming, very costly for us to maintain it. A long term solution is what we need on this road."

MCC Offers Another Way To Mark Remembrance Day

Peace Buttons offered by MCC

The Mennonite Central Committee is offering a peace packet to teachers and churches that offers another way to commemorate Remembrance Day. Steve Plenert is the Peace Program Coordinator for MCC Manitoba. He says it includes things like suggestions for an assembly, basic information about the First World War and information about alternatives to war.

"To look at Remembrance Day as a time of peace building, looking not only on the violent sacrifices that soldiers made but acknowledging the tremendous toll that that violence takes on nations, on civilians and indeed, on soldiers and exploring alternatives, based in Scripture, that people can opt for."

Plenert says history has proven that war has not been successful in ending war and he feels it's time that people give peace a chance.

"The ongoing attempts to, for instance, bomb radicals into submission have not worked. The situations in Afghanistan and in Iraq and in Lybia all point to how the military responses have not provided durable solutions."

He notes, people can't be naive in thinking a basket full of flowers would be an adequate response to the current challenge of the Islamic State. But he suggests these people in the Islamic State have become radicalized because they have been attacked so violently by foreign powers. And, Plenert says that cycle of violence, back and forth, seems unending. He believes it's time to try another way, noting a commitment to non-violence and peace has not been adequately tried.

He says the peace packet takes another look at World War I.

"It's 100 years since that war, sometimes called the Great War, sometimes called the War To End All Wars. Some have said, 'Oh, that war was inevitable' or that the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand precipitated all the events of the war. Well, people were preparing for war instead of preparing for peace. There were choices made at every step along the way that led towards that conflict. And, sure, some of those choices were hard to step back from but there are always, always other choices that could be made. War is not inevitable. We're not fatalistic in our understanding of how the world works. People can make their choices and we can choose to be people of peace."

HSD Students Embrace Halloween

A pair of students ready to save the world.

Students from across Hanover School Division dressed for school in costumes on Halloween, making school a spooky place to be on Friday.

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Is Your Car Ready For Winter?

Darren Krentz checking-off the inspection list while Tim Fast gets it all done.

The dropping temperatures means your vehicle may need a little extra TLC.

Service Adviser from Fairway Ford in Steinbach Darren Krentz says it's good to be prepared for the winter season by having a full inspection preformed on your vehicle. Krentz explains a full inspection includes a lube, oil and filter change, check battery strength, make sure the block heater works, check the anti-freeze level, thorough brake inspection, measure brake components, check steering components and top up all o f the fluids.

“Make sure that you're vehicle is prepared for winter by making sure your anti-freeze level is good, your block heater cord works, your battery has proper strength. Those are probably the most important things.”

Krentz notes other than being careful in deep snow, a set of winter tires are a good idea to stay safe on the winter roads. He adds there is a new program through MPI to help finance the cost of winter tires.

And don't forget to plug in your vehicle, Krentz says when your vehicle sits outside, especially overnight or during the day while at work to plug it in. He adds letting the vehicle run before putting it into gear is a great idea.

“It's always best anytime your car is cold to actually give it the proper time to warm up. Let it warm up, five to ten minutes would be preferred, but five minutes definitely for sure would be a great idea if you could let your vehicle run. Especially if it's been parked outside overnight all night and it's ice cold.”

Krentz adds most new vehicles are fuel-injected and don't require gas-line anti-freeze anymore as there's not as big of a problem with gas freezing or gelling in the lines. He notes diesel fuel has a component added to the fuel so it doesn't gel in the lines and it's called 'winter diesel'.

Welcome To Movember

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The month of November is looking kinda hairy as men grow moustaches in support of men's health research, also known as Movember.

The LumberZone boys after Oct. 31st shave and Nicole Dubois from Vivid Hair The LumberZone President Joel Hartung feels it's important for men to talk and know about men's physical and mental health issues. Hartung says during October sports players wear pink in support of women's health and growing a moustache is a way men can do that for men's health in November.

“Many guys are brought up not having learned how to show their emotions or talk about anything, we're just supposed to be tough guys and I think this is really cool that guys are being taught to share when they're struggling and to get through issues that maybe their life has provided. Use the help of your friends and your buddies or doctors to get through it and move on with life.”

Greg Reimer from Steinbach's Flooring Canada says growing a moustache is a great way to support men's physical and mental health by both growing a moustache and giving Steinbach's Flooring boys at the end of Movember last year. financially. For Reimer Movember is a little more personal as he watched a close family member experience prostate cancer and says it's emotional and will definitely affect you.

“It's an emotional part of seeing your family member going through something like this. Being able to relate to it, being able to want to give to it and seeing how it does affect people. If you spend a day in a cancer ward in the hospital you're pretty quickly going to see what goes on in people's lives and what people are struggling with. The reality is there more-so and the feeling to want to give towards (men's health research) becoming a bigger factor in your life.”

Reimer's family member is currently in remission.

Reimer and Hartung explain there are also ways to donate to men's health research at movember.com.

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Cavity Prevention During Halloween

Halloween Treats

During Halloween children are collecting candy, but what does that mean for their dental health?

Steinbach Toddlers to Teens Paediatric Dentist Dr. Mel McManus says he feels it's impractical to not let children eat any candy, however to keep 'everything in moderation' in mind. Dr. McManus notes to have fun at Halloween but remember cavity prevention and make sure those practices are still being applied.

“Just make sure after the treats are done that night and each subsequent night, good brushing and flossing is happening. Some of the treats are very sticky and have the ability to stick around for very long periods of time which the bacteria or 'bugs' in your mouth love. So you got to get rid of that food source for the bacteria. So, good flossing, good brushing and then you have very little to worry about with Halloween.”

Dr. Mel McManus Dr. McManus explains children under the age of four are not able to brush their teeth properly by themselves and require an parent. Then between the ages of four and seven the child can brush their own teeth, but parents should still be touching-up spots afterwards and helping to floss.

There are different kinds of candies and Dr. McManus says some are less harmful to your teeth than others due to the duration at which they are consumed. Dr. McManus explains candies like chocolate melt quickly and are easily washed off teeth by the saliva however toffy and caramels can stick to the teeth for long periods of time and hard candies can get crushed into the grooves of molars or in between the teeth.

Dr. McManus notes just like it's better to drink a sugary drink in one sitting instead of sipping it throughout the day, it's also better to eat candy at one time versus eating smaller pieces at different times throughout the day.

“If you're constantly grabbing at a candy, constantly throughout the day the acidity of your mouth is very low, you have a very acidic mouth. Therefore, you're going to get more cavities because the acids dissolve away teeth (which forms cavities). So if you do have candy, maybe once a day so that your mouth isn't constantly in an acidic environment.”

Dr. McManus reinforces brushing and flossing to remove sugar from all tooth surfaces and prevent cavities from developing adding an individual can be excellent at brushing but if they're not flossing the spaces in between the teeth there are areas being missed. He says children and adults alike should visit their dentist every six months for a check-up because if cavities do develop they're easier to restore when caught in the early stages.

Government In-fighting Casts Doubt On Fall Sitting Of Legislature

Brian Pallister

In-fighting among the governing N-D-P threatens to wipe out the fall sitting of the Manitoba legislature.

Five government cabinet ministers said earlier this week that Premier Greg Selinger should consider resigning in the wake of weak opinion polls for the N-D-P government. The situation has cast some uncertainty as to whether M-L-As will be recalled.

Government house leader Andrew Swan was asked repeatedly whether the government will hold a fall sitting, which normally starts in mid-November. Swan was non-committal on the issue.

Manitoba Tory leader Brian Pallister says the Selinger government has lost its focus and has become dysfunctional.

"The N-D-P are debating all the wrong things," said Pallister. "They're fighting about a poll. They're fighting about their best chances of hanging on to their jobs, but they're not debating the issues that matter most to Manitobans, like taxes that are excessively high, and paying the most and getting the least for the services they value. This is what Manitobans want us to debate."

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Jennifer Howard says she and the other ministers are not resigning and will meet with the premier again to discuss their concerns.

Justice Minister Andrew Swan and Jobs Minister Theresa Oswald echoed that sentiment, and say their group has agreed not to publicly discuss the matter until they meet with Selinger.

Pallister says all the infighting within the N-D-P is taking up the valuable time and energy of the government which could be better spent debating some very important issues in the legislature.

"We have the worst education results in Canada and we have the longest waits for health care in Canada and we've got a government that put up bill boards for $500,000 telling Manitobans that we've got steady growth and good jobs, when we're ninth," said Pallister. "I mean come on, let's get to work and let's get back respecting the people of our province."

Trick-Or-Treat!

Today is Halloween. As children prepare to go trick-or-treating, local weather enthusiast Scott Kehler says they will want to bundle up.

"It looks like we'll see nice sunny skies to start off the trick-or-treating," says Kehler. "And unfortunately that means temperatures will drop off pretty quick."

Kehler says expect the temperature to be just below the freezing mark by mid-evening and it will be breezy. He says however there is no precipitation in the forecast.

Mary Peters co-manages the clothing department at the MCC store in Steinbach. She says year round they will have boxes of Halloween costumes in storage at the store. Then shortly before October 31st they unpack those boxes. This year the contents took up six racks, with hats and masks spilling on to tables. Most of that sold out already more than a week ago.

If you are looking for some family friendly entertainment this evening, a couple of businesses have you covered. Adam Neustaedter with Century 21 Gold Key Realty says they will once again be handing out free hotdogs and pop from 5-8pm.

"We're hoping lots of people come down in costumes or not in costumes but just to have a good time with us, maybe before they take the kids out trick-or-treating," adds Neustaedter.

He says they've been doing this for years now and adds staff get into the spirit too by dressing up.

"The whole preface of the thing is to just have as much fun as possible," says Neustaedter. "Be a good community event for people to come and have some fun."

Another option again this year is to swing by Clearspring Centre where stores will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Mall Manager Bob Frey says the fun happens between 6-9pm, with a costume contest at 7pm. He notes they've been doing this since 1981.

"It's one of those things that's become iconic, we can't just decide not to do it," he says.

Frey notes they have a big advantage over urban malls in Winnipeg where it is much more difficult to pull off an event like this.

"People come from all over our market on Friday night to participate in this thing," he says. "It's a great spectacle and the mall is just jam packed."

Parents Advised To Be Patient With Time Change This Weekend

Marian Ginter

Warning to new parents: time change can be a big challenge for young children. Marian Ginter is a Family Outreach Worker at the Steinbach Family Resource Centre. She says, with the change to Central Standard Time Saturday night, parents can expect some disruption.

"Whether it's jumping forward with time or falling back, it can disrupt a little one's life for sure."

We will turn the clocks back one hour Saturday night. But Ginter says parents should not expect their children to sleep until their normal time Sunday morning just because the clocks have been changed. She has some advice to parents to help their children adjust.

"It's very important to make sure that you have routine in your life, regardless, at any time, but routine is key when it comes to time change. When we're falling back, as we are, it's really good to just give your children the time to adjust. It takes more than just a day or a couple of days. Having them go to bed a couple of minutes later every day will help them to adjust."

And Ginter says be prepared to need a little extra patience.

"If you think you're going to be sleeping in in the morning, you probably won't for the first couple of days."

Hanover Taxes Due Friday

If you own land in the Rural Municipality of Hanover, your taxes are due this week.

Manager of Finance and Administration Don Dowle says the 2014 deadline is October 31st at 4pm.

"Doors will be closed at 4pm so everyone needs to have their payment in by that time," he says.

The total levy for Hanover is $15,895,000. Dowle says almost exactly sixty per cent of that goes either to Hanover School Division or the provincial education support levy.

For those who miss the deadline, the penalty is 1.25% for each month the outstanding balance is in place. Dowle says the penalty is applied the first day of the following month.

"Doesn't matter if you're late one day or twenty days, it's 1.25 per cent of the outstanding balance," he says.

Dowle says most years about 92% of the levy will be collected before the deadline.

St. Pierre Council Ready To Go

Standing: Mayor Mona Fallis, CAO Janine Wiebe, Councillor Luc Nadeau Seated: Councillors Paul Gauthier, Brian Martel, Raymond Maynard

St. Pierre Village Council held its inaugural Tuesday. New Mayor Mona Fallis says there was a good feeling in the room as council is excited about its priorities for the coming four years.

"We do have a very motivated group. Our council is interested in making our community the best, a destination. People want to move to St. Pierre because of the quality of life that's offered to them. We're going to work towards improving the recreation, the cultural groups and all the festivals we have in town which really add to the quality of life we have in the community."

Fallis has appointed Luc Nadeau as Deputy Mayor noting he is the longest serving councillor, currently in his 16th year. She adds most councillors have experience but there is also new blood.

"I have one new councillor, Paul Gauthier. He's very interested and ready to get going and learn all the files that we are working on so that's very encouraging. We have a relatively young council but we're all energetic and really enthused about contributing to our community."

Good Results In Grain Corn Harvest

A good chunk of the grain corn harvest has been completed here in southeastern Manitoba. Producers are saying so far, so good. Lorne Loeppky of Niverville tells us they are two-thirds finished.

"The quality is excellent. There are maybe a few (bushel) weight issues in certain varieties but the quality looks real good and the bushels are tremendous considering the summer we had."

Marc Hutlet of Marc Hutlet Seeds in Ste. Anne says he is hearing about pretty good yields from clients and industry people.

"Lots of 100-120 (bushels per acre) and some fields, that managed to not get too much water pressure, 140-150 and a few guys hit over 165 on some exceptional fields."

Hutlet adds anything planted prior to May 20th has good yields and decent test weights. He says later corn will be a little lighter but still manageable. Hutlet estimates the grain corn harvest in the southeast is about 50% complete.

Loeppky says they need another week or two of nice weather to finish up. He notes, despite how things looked three months ago, this will end up being a good year for farmers.

"I think everybody was thinking doom and gloom and it`s turned out to be a fairly decent year."

Falk Lobbying His Own Government On Behalf Of SCU

Steinbach Credit Union has joined its counterparts across the country in lobbying the federal government for a Capital Growth Tax Credit. Provencher MP and Steinbach Credit Union board member Ted Falk says the tax credit would replace a credit that was removed in the 2013 budget. He says the loss of that credit has cost Canada's credit unions $700 million. Falk adds credit unions simply want a level playing field with the banks.

"The banks get to go to the marketplace and raise money through stock offerings and different instruments like that whereas the credit union relies on raising capital through members deposits. That's the only way the credit union system gets money is from members' depositing money into the credit union. That tax credit was there to kind of offset the advantage that the banks have. That was taken away in 2013 so they (credit unions) have come back to Parliamentarians and asked them to consider a Capital Growth Tax Credit which would, in essence, replace the former tax credit."

Falk says he doesn't feel at all awkward lobbying his own government on this matter.

"I would say some of the other parties are doing stronger lobbying of the government on this issue than the Conservative MPs are so, in my particular case, I'm just trying to create awareness with the Minister of State for Finance and the Finance Department that this is a move that would be positive for the Government to consider, implementing this tax credit. I think it's one that they are looking at seriously."

New Ste Anne Council Holds First Meeting

Ste Anne Mayor Richard Pelletier

The newly elected Town of Ste Anne Council held an Organizational Meeting Tuesday.

The mayor and councillors are all brand new, as none of the incumbents were elected. Despite the overhaul, Mayor Richard Pelletier says the meeting went quite well.

"To bring all of us up to speed there were really good questions from all of us," he describes. "It felt like it was a meeting that was happened before, and we worked together. I think we're going to do very well, there's no doubt with a team that strong. We're going to have fun in the next four years, and bring good change for the town."

Council was informed of all of the ongoing projects in the community and the previous council's vision, and Pelletier notes they were doing very good work and he is excited to continue to work on the existing and new projects over the next four years. Yvan St Vincent was selected for the role of Deputy Mayor at the meeting, and Pelletier believes it was a good choice.

"It could have been almost any one of the councillors, actually," he says. "They are very strong, well educated, well informed and experienced. We have a few councillors who have previous experience with the town. Yvan I think is a good choice, there's no doubt. His level of education and responsibilities he has will make him a strong asset for us."

Pelletier adds the Organizational Meeting didn't feel like the first meeting of an entirely new council, but rather like they already had a year of meetings under their belt. No date has been set as of yet for the first Town Council meeting.

Council Officially Takes Office In La Broquerie

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After a close reeve race the newly elected council in the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie has officially taken office.

Chief Administrative Officer Roget Bouvier explains the swearing-in ceremony Tuesday evening is a requirement under the Municipal Act before those elected can take office and officially become members of council.

Bouvier notes the council had their inaugural meeting Wednesday morning to go over policies and by-laws of the municipality.

“With a new council it's their duty and responsibility now to make sure that that's the documents they want to deal with for the next four years. So they have to review what was the existing policy and make it their own policy, if they want to make changes to that.”

Reeve Lewis Weiss adds he's finding out what his job all entails and is excited even though he sees a learning curve ahead. Weiss says he wants to treat the ratepayers with honesty and dignity as well as the other members of council. His plans are to try and lower the amount of tax people pay in the RM.

“Thank you to all the voters and I look forward to working with them all in the next four years.”

Back Row from left: Counsillors Darrell Unger, Cameron Peters, Alvin Derksen, Ivan Normandeau, Kenneth Tellaire and Wilfred Chabot. Front Row from left: CAO Roger Bouvier and Reeve Lewis Weiss

Ebola Threat Very Low In Manitoba

Even though health officials say the threat of Ebola in Manitoba is very, very low that isn't stopping Regional Health Authorities from taking precautions just in case. That, according to Dr. Shelley Buchan, Medical Officer of Health for Southern Health-Santé Sud.

Dr. Buchan (right inset) says Ebola is a severe viral disease, with an outbreak currently occurring in several countries in Africa, particularly Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. She notes the virus does not spread easily between people as you need to be in contact with someone currently sick and close contact with bodily secretions. Dr. Buchan says it is not similar to influenza, which spreads easily between people. Dr. Buchan says there are currently no cases in Canada, there has never been a case in Manitoba and the risk here is very low.

"But everyone is on alert because of the potential for where somebody could be in those countries and traveling and returning or providing a volunteer or very specialized service in the public health response to the outbreak and returning home," she cautions.

Dr. Buchan says anyone who has travelled to one of those three countries and develops a fever within twenty-one days of having been there, should get it checked out. But she asks people to call ahead before visiting a doctor or Emergency Room.

"That allows us then to coordinate the services and be as efficient as possible for you," she says.

Dr. Buchan notes the sooner you seek medical attention, the better the outcome.

She adds Southern Health-Santé Sud is working with Manitoba Health to prepare itself. The system in place would see the RHA look after identification and triage and then transporting the patient to Winnipeg. According to Dr. Buchan, Winnipeg has a very specific unit set aside for the investigation and treatment of Ebola.

Meanwhile, in speaking with a local travel agency and Eastman Immigrant Services, it appears travel between Steinbach and West Africa is very rare.

Selinger Says He Will Stay Put

Premier Greg Selinger says he is not going anywhere. He made the comments yesterday after several members of the NDP caucus suggested he should think about his future. Those caucus members note Selinger's faltering popularity and the negative reactions of Manitobans to the increase in the Provincial Sales Tax as reasons he should think about stepping aside. Selinger responded that he wants to continue to work for Manitobans.

"There have been some folks that recommended I take a serious look at my future role and some of them are Cabinet Ministers. I've had a conversation with those folks today and I've said that we have to focus our energy on the priorities of Manitobans, that's where we need to be putting our efforts as Cabinet Ministers and as Caucus members."

Selinger also defended the decision to increase the PST.

"We had a challenging choice to make. We were confronted by the Flood of the Century in 2011 and then again this year we've seen even more challenges with respect to floods and we had to make some choices to invest in those kinds of infrastructure."

Conservative Opposition Leader Brian Pallister says he's not surprised that Selinger continues to pass the buck.

"This is something that we already knew, that this was a Government that would blame everyone else for its problems. They blamed the Federal Government, they blamed flooding, they blamed Gary Filmon, last year they blamed Manitobans, saying they weren't paying enough in taxes and now they're blaming each other."

Pallister adds this demonstrates the NDP has a team that can't be trusted while he has a Caucus of people who can be trusted.

Parents Of Missing Teen Say He Has Died

The parents of a missing teenager from Winkler say their son has been found dead. Travis Sukkau went missing last Thursday after he went to Pembina Valley Provincial Park. RCMP say they found a body at the park Monday but have not released the identity. An autopsy is scheduled today.

Mystery Revealed At Woodlawn Elementary

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The 25 year mystery at Woodlawn Elementary School in Steinbach has been revealed.

The time capsule which was sealed in 1989 was opened during a staff and students-only assembly Tuesday afternoon, although there were special guests such as former principal John Bestvater. Bestvater was Principal of Woodlawn Elementary School in 1989 and says he remembers the time capsule being sealed and the opening ceremony brought back many good memories of his time in the school.

“I couldn't remember all of the things that had been put in,” notes Bestvater. “People just put them in and we didn't really sort them out, what could go and what couldn't go. But I like the interview on the tape, the cassette tape, sometime I'm going to borrow that if I find a machine to run it.”

From left: Vice-Principal Colin Campell, Current Principal Shelley Amos, Past Principal John Bestvater and students with capsule items. Current Principal Shelley Amos adds it was a lot of fun as well as exciting, yet she was overwhelmed by how many memories had been stored in the capsule.

“I haven't even processed yet the types of items we've brought out of there,” says Amos shortely after the capsule had been opened Tuesday afternoon. “Of course there's a VHS tape from a spring musical and a cassette tape with an audio interview from two former principals, so we'll want to get our hands and ears on that and see what that's all about.”

Amos adds it created a lot of excitement with the students as well. There was a video presentation before the opening of the capsule which highlighted the 50th anniversary. Amos notes 25 years or 50 years can be a hard concept for a young student but hopes it helped them to understand how old the school is.

Former student Wendy Bergen says she was in grade four and ten years old when the capsule was sealed. Bergen notes she remembers the idea of a time capsule, although not what she actually placed inside. She adds she learned what the capsule meant but at ten didn't have a firm grasp on the concept of 25 years in the future.

Amos explains the school will be putting together another time capsule which they will seal for another 25 years and hopes it will be opened at the Woodlawn Elementary's 75th anniversary celebration. Bergen says there are a few things she can see being put into this capsule.

“Obviously some form of technology. We've come an awful long way and where we'll be at in 25 years that way. But also something very significant the schools been working on and I really appreciate is they're working really hard on character development and the whole concept of bucket filling. So something to do with that I think because it's a huge part of the school, how people treat each other with love and respect. It's very important.”

There was a community event held in the evening on Tuesday for all community members who wanted to come and see the items taken from the capsule as well as to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school.

Bergen feels there's a lot of promise, hope and joy that comes from something like a time capsule and feels it's important to continue making history a part of life.

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Springfield Says No Issues With Water

Springfield is outlined in purple

A group of concerned citizens in the RM of Springfield has convinced the Provincial Ombudsman to investigate concerns about drinking water. At issue are the impact of gravel pits near the source of the water and whether the water treatment plant at Oakbank has sufficient capacity to meet demand.

Greg Elson, Director of Water and Waste for the municipality, says residents should not be concerned about the actions of the concerned citizens group. He notes the municipality has been working with the province to do regular testing for turbidity, or murkiness, at its wells near the gravel pits.

"There is turbidity in every ground water supply at some level. Ours is very minimal. We've been doing the testing for about a year-and-a-half. We have no targets to meet from the province. They've asked us to do the testing. We submit the records to them monthly and I think what they're looking for is variations, highs and lows. We've asked them several times, is there any indication (of a problem) and they have not indicated that there is any indication."

Shawn Tosh, Director of Engineering for Springfield, says they have also been working on a long term back-up plan for their wells.

"We want to ensure a safe, potable drinking water supply for the people of the communities and council has been very proactive at putting money forward to look at an alternative source that would be a back-up source, should there ever be a potential of contamination within the system. So, we are moving forward in a direction of providing back-ups and secondary sources for both the communities of Oakbank and Dugald."

As for the water treatment plant at Oakbank, Tosh says it has enough capacity.

"We have adequate capacity for the existing community. We have done studies for future upgrades which we'll be bringing forward in the coming years to be able to satisfy future developments."

Streets Could Turn Slick Overnight

(Wet streets Tuesday afternoon could turn to slick streets overnight)

A mix of rain and snow has fallen on much of southern Manitoba Tuesday.

Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada says that could make for some tricky driving conditions overnight.

"A lot of the stuff that's falling is melting," notes Hasell. "But the overnight temperatures are in the minus three, minus four range which means that things could freeze again, which could lead to really difficult road conditions by the time we get to (Wednesday) morning."

Hasell says if there is snow on the ground by morning, it should melt quickly with Wednesday's high of four degrees. Environment Canada is calling for double digit highs again by Saturday. However, she notes another system is coming through which could make for a wet weekend.

Encouraging Students To Read

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Kleefeld School celebrated Manitoba School Library Day Monday evening.

Author and Photographer Dennis Fast is an award-winning photographer who has spent time around Churchill taking pictures of wildlife and leading Polar Bear Photo Safari's. Fast was a guest at the event and read his book 'Princess' to a group of students and their parents. Librarian Sandee Pauls notes the Kleefeld School started participating in the event in 2004. When asked about reading in a technology-based culture, Fast says reading is still important.

"Because when I was a kid and in school we didn't have a libraries and I ordered books from the extension library at the University. I read pretty much a book a day. That's why when I see a library like this at Kleefeld School which is much, much bigger than what I was lucky to have. Kids have no reason not read, except for all the distractions these days."

Pauls adds there are always readers and for the children that like video games there are graphic novels.

Fast also announced the release of his new book 'Touch The Arctic' which is a landscape and wildlife book about the north. He says compared to his first polar bear book, the writing in 'Touch The Arctic' is more down to earth story telling and he feels the photography is far superior. Fast's first polar bear book became a Canadian best-seller with over 5000 copies sold.

Author and Photographer Dennis Fast holding his new book 'Touch The Arctic'

All Hands on Deck for Annual AMM Convention

AMM President Doug Dobrowolski

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities is hoping for a surge in numbers at its annual convention in November. President Doug Dobrowolski says the Association would like to see the new officials elected this past week in attendance. "We have seminars for the newly elected to get them familiar with the municipal world." He adds however, there is the hope outgoing members of council will also make an appearance, especially those in newly amalgamated municipalities. "The new council isn't officially sworn in till January 1 so they do not have voting privileges, so we're hoping the old councillors will come because they still carry the vote." Dobrowolski notes right now it is unknown how many delegates will show up, but the annual gathering usually draws between 1,000 and 1,200.

Meanwhile, he says there are about fifty-three resolutions being brought to the floor for voting this year. "But we have a number of bylaw changes that our association has to do because of amalgamation that we will be bringing forward as well." We asked Dobrowolski if amalgamation was having any other impacts on A.M.M., such as it's governance model. "We're going to be looking at the structure as we go forward. We have been, for the last couple of years, looking at how we might transition our board." He says this will likely come up at the association's strategic planning meeting in January.

Overall, Dobrowolski explains infrastructure remains the number one topic of discussion among municipalities and how councils will pay for the all the work that needs to happen. "Our communities and our province is growing, which is great to see, but the demands are there for amenities and all these things in our communities and the money has to come from somewhere." While communities are thankful for the programs made available by the province and federal government, Dobrowolski says it's just not enough to meet the requirements that are out there.

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Lawn Tractor Stolen

(Photo provided by RCMP)

RCMP say a riding lawn mower has been stolen from the Diamond Aces Flying Club in Steinbach. It's described as a Case Cub Cadet, beige in colour. It was stolen some time between this past Friday and Monday.

If you have any information in regards to the above you are asked to contact the Steinbach RCMP Detachment at (204) 326-4452 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.manitobacrimestoppers.com or text “TIPMAN” plus your message to Crimes (274637).

New De Salaberry Reeve Ready To Get To Work

Marc Marion

There is a new Reeve in the RM of De Salaberry. Marc Marion of St. Malo was elected last week to succeed Ron Musick who had stepped down. Marion says he has been a De Salaberry councillor for three terms and looks forward to the leadership role. He adds there are a few things voters pointed out to him as he campaigned for election.

"Make sure the roads are well maintained, drainage is always an issue in a rural municipality, infrastructure projects and make sure that those go ahead so that our communities can continue to develop."

Marion adds he will do his best to lead council to meet those objectives. He believes the new council will be effective.

"Council is going to be excellent. I've got some experience, I've got some people with some new ideas coming on, so I'm anxious to get things rolling out."

Another Saturday Grad For SRSS

Luke McAllister receiving the Governor Generals and J.J. Peters Awards (Photo from June 2014)

Steinbach Regional Secondary School's Saturday graduation in June 2014 will see a repeat in June 2015.

Superintendent Randy Dueck explains not long after the 2014 graduation the Winnipeg Convention Centre came to the SRSS and asked they consider another Saturday graduation and in return would make sure it was financially affordable.

“And then the SRSS checked with the community and there were very positive comments form parents and students. Very, very positive comments,” notes Dueck. “And as a result SRSS came to the board and requested that the board make the grad for Saturday again this year.”

Dueck says the board approved another Saturday graduation date for the upcoming June 27, 2015 graduation. However he notes this is again a one-time decision and any future graduation dates will be reviewed at that time.

One Vehicle Rollover South of Blumenort

Emergency crews were called to Highway 12 about one mile south of Blumenort.

Constable Jonathan Evans says the vehicle was coming around the corner and lost control of the vehicle causing it to flip.

Evans notes it appears to have been caused by distracted driving.

He adds injuries appear minor however the lone occupant was transported to hospital for precautionary measures.

Owner Of Compound Bow Asked To Come Forward

Steinbach RCMP are looking for the owner of a stolen compound bow. They say it was recovered as part of a recent investigation in Steinbach.

The bow was taken from a vehicle October 17th or 18th. The owner is asked to contact Steinbach RCMP to claim the bow.

Mystery To Be Unveiled At Woodlawn Elementary

Principal of Woodlawn School Shelley Amos

Sealed in 1989, the Woodlawn Elementary School's time capsule is being opened.

Principal Shelley Amos explains the capsule was sealed 25 years ago and written on it says 'do not open until 2014.' Amos says they're all very interested and curious to find out what was sealed away.

During a staff and students only assembly on Tuesday the time capsule will be opened and one-by-one the items will be talked about with the students. Then in the evening from 5-7 in conjunction with the celebration of their 50th anniversary all the items from the capsule will be on display for the public.

“There's cake and coffee served and there will be a formal presentation at 6:00 in the gym with some speakers. We have a trustee, superintendent, former principal, former teacher and current teachers as well with a power-point planned to show the history of our school.”

Amos hopes many community members are able to come to the evening event to help celebrate the school's anniversary.

New Piney Reeve Ready To Lead

Wayne Anderson

The new Reeve of Piney is excited to get down to work. Wayne Anderson of Sprague defeated incumbent Duane Boutang in the election last Wednesday. Anderson says he has always been interested in politics and, now that he's semi-retired, he has the time to get involved.

Boutang says one of his priorities is that council becomes more connected to residents.

"I will try to, perhaps, get the taxpayers more involved in the things that council is doing, trying to let them know what's going on before we do the work and pass the resolutions and get their input into the things we do."

Anderson says one of the key challenges facing the RM is to attract more businesses and residents.

"Our RM is a very large RM and it has an aging population. We're losing our taxpayers. People would like to see some things happen here like tourism, get things moving and get more people moving into the area."

Anderson adds the other big thing is to get proper cell phone and internet service in Piney which will help attract more people and businesses.

Construction At Rest Haven

(David Driedger overlooks handling units being upgraded)

Construction crews have set up shop at Rest Haven in Steinbach.

David Driedger is Chief Executive Officer for HavenGroup. He says crews are undertaking a heating, ventilating, air conditioning (HVAC) upgrade on the thirty year old building.

"It's time to replace the air handling units to have more efficient systems," explains Driedger. "To have systems that will allow us to have better temperature control, better air exchanges for the type of environment we have and also just to maintain better humidity levels."

Driedger says the way the system is set up today, the building's air handlers on the flat portion of the roof are exposed to the elements. The units will be enclosed in order to better protect the equipment and look more aesthetically pleasing.

The project will cost nearly $1.5 million, funded entirely by government. Work has already started and Driedger notes it should wrap around March.

Driedger says they had recognized issues over the last number of years and had made numerous requests to government before finally receiving the funding. He notes once complete, residents and staff should notice temperature controls to be more reflective of what they should be.

Thinking Of Flying South For The Winter?

As temperatures drop heading into winter, some Manitobans fly south.

Manager of Canada One Travel in Steinbach Mary Jane Hiebert says typically people in Manitoba take warm winter vacations from December to April to give themselves a break from the cold.

Hiebert suggests people do homework on different get-away vacation spots, ask questions and book when you find the right product for the right price. However she adds it's always best to book early to avoid disappointment of something not being available anymore.

As for the popular hot spot locations, Hiebert explains anything direct is always popular.

“Mexico is still popular, the Dominican. What's new out of Winnipeg this year is Ixtapa, Mexico because I think it's been about 20 years since we've been able to go there direct out of Winnipeg.”

She adds Jamaica and Cuba are also popular noting Cuba is in close proximity to Florida and tends to have the same weather patterns so a guaranteed heat is not always going to be the case however it's still a great destination.

When asked about Europe vacations Hiebert says Europe is fantastic but people tend to take those trips between April and November when the weather is warmer since their climate more closely resembles Canada's.

On a separate note, Hiebert says Canada One Travel purchased Holiday Travel during the summer so they are now operating under a new name. She adds although different signage, the staff and location are still the same. Hiebert notes it's going great and she's enjoying the change.

Pallister Wants To Pull The Plug On Bipole III

Opposition leader Brian Pallister is calling on the NDP to put the best interests of Manitobans ahead of ideology and stop all construction on the Bipole III transmission line until a full financial needs assessment is done.

"The Bipole West line, or 'Waste Line' as I like to call it, is actually an unfortunate example of an NDP boondoggle," explained Pallister. "It is the biggest boondoggle in Manitoba. Just three years ago the Premier of Manitoba urged my predecessor to get his numbers right, and said the cost of the project would be $1.1billion, and that Manitobans wouldn't put a penny toward it. Both of these statements were dramatic misrepresentations of the reality. We now know the estimated cost has risen to $4.6billion, and that Manitobans are in fact paying millions of dollars in hydro rates, because of this NDP waste."

He stated that wasteful spending is threatening essential front line services that Manitobans depend upon. Pallister added one of the Provinces largest point of attraction was our hydro rates, and our ability to attract has been lowered because of rampant government spending and tax hikes.

"Under this administration, seventeen times so far, several times in the last three years, and in large part is in due to the wasteful spending that the Government has pushed politically on to Manitoba Hydro. Not to mention those additional costs that will be incurred by Manitobans along this Bipole route. Families, individuals, first nations communities, farm families, are all forced to endure the construction in their territory, of a line of questionable benefit to them and to all Manitobans. This is not appropriate."

He would like to see residents to stand up and tell the NDP, as they've been telling them, to pull the plug on the Bipole III Project. He explained by doing this it could save Manitoba rate payers billions of dollars, now and in the future.

CancerCare Hub Working Well In Steinbach

The CancerCare Hub is located within Bethesda Hospital's CancerCare unit.

Since opening six weeks ago, the CancerCare Hub based out of Bethesda Hospital in Steinbach has been working very well.

The Hub adds enhanced services to Bethesda's CancerCare unit, and Medical Lead for the Hub Dr Curtis Krahn explains what it does.

"This is really the lead up before you're actually diagnosed with cancer," Krahn says. "This is going from first suspicion to when you get first treatment, that's the piece we've added in. Basically cancer navigation is the additional part to the cancer hub."

While the Bethesda CancerCare unit has been great with helping those diagnosed with cancer, Krahn says they weren't always great at getting people into the system. Now, that has changed.

"I've seen a lot of benefits already," he notes. "What we've seen so far is that first of all we've had a connection with people we previously would have only nebulously known were in the system and coming down the pipes. Now we have access to them right from the get-go, right from first suspicion. Now we're getting to work with them earlier."

The hub brings two new staff members into the CancerCare equation, one who helps patients dealing with the stress and anxiety of the situation, and the other who will help guide patients along and improve timelines.

"Patients very often are not sure what happens next, what their role is, and if they should be doing something," Krahn describes. "So what the cancer navigation team is going to do is literally that, they are going to help navigate people. It's sort of the equivalent of having someone with a GPS and a map in front of them showing them where to go when they aren't quite sure where they need to go. Those people are additional to what we've had in CancerCare in the past."

The Steinbach CancerCare Hub was the last of 13 to open in rural Manitoba. It was part of a provincial initiative, and was in development for over one year before it was opened.

City Council Allows Steinbach House To Be Moved

Heritage house at 311 Reimer that will be moved

Steinbach city council has made an exception to its policy on moving houses. The owners of a home at 311 Reimer Avenue asked council for a Conditional Use permit to move their home to 488 Hanover Street. Councillor Jac Siemens moved approval saying this is an exceptional case.

"The city has a policy of not allowing used homes to be moved within, or into, Steinbach. I appreciate that and I think that is still the correct By-Law to have in place. But this is a little bit of a unique situation. This home is of a Reimer family that has been one of the original Reimer families in Steinbach. This home is well built, it's been well maintained over the years by the Jackson family and I believe they deserve this opportunity."

Councillor John Fehr seconded the motion.

"I'm kind of thankful to see that character home remain in the city. It's been very well take care of so I think that the new location will fit very well for this home."

City council was unanimous in approving the motion on the condition that old water and sewer lines at the Hanover Street address be upgraded to meet the current building code.

House at 488 Hanover to be cleared away to make way for heritage home

Solar Eclipse

Photo by Adi Loewen

There was a partial solar eclipse Thursday afternoon between 4:00 and 5:00 as the moon passed between the earth and the sun.

A.D Penner Park Going Animal?

An elephant and a camel have turned up at A.D. Penner Park in Steinbach. Russ Dyck, head of Parks and Recreation, says the animals, made of concrete, are part of a new play structure that will replace the old tire structure.

"There'll be a small climbing wall with some foot holds and hand holds attached to those structures. There will be a few more pieces going in this week, some swings and a climber and a couple of other small pieces. Then, next year, we'll be putting in another structure with some slides on it and so forth."

Dyck says the concrete elephant and camel were manufactured by Barkman Concrete in Steinbach.

Quarry Oaks Designer Pays A Visit

(Harold Rempel, Les Furber, Wilf Peters, Robin Henderson)

The designer for Quarry Oaks says the golf course today is what he envisioned twenty-two years ago.

Les Furber paid a visit to the course this week. He says when he first set out to design the course, the property looked very rugged. It had a lot of disturbed land from all of the mining operations.

"We wanted that look for the links style look which became very intriguing and inspiring and we were able to create some very unique holes because of the landscape we were given to work with," he recalls.

Furber says in twenty-two years the course has not undergone any design changes. And he makes it very clear he was not there this week to redesign it, only offer suggestions from a maintenance perspective.

"We're just talking about how we enhance what we already have going forward and make it more fun, more playable for all calibre of golfers," he says. "It's more about restoration of the original design and rejuvenation so that we can get our share of the market back to play Quarry Oaks."

Furber says for him to visit the course every three to four years as he does now is not often enough. He has pledged to be more involved with the new owners who, according to Furber have a passion for bringing Quarry Oaks back to its former glory.

"I think the maintenance crew is doing an incredible job," he says. "I'm super thrilled with the condition of the greens after twenty-two years, they're still a very pure stand of bent grass."

Furber says maintenance tips he's suggested include levelling some surfaces on tee boxes, redoing bunkers and relocating cart paths.

He calls Quarry Oaks a solid course and beautifully distinct in our western Canada landscape.

Head Professional Robin Henderson says it was great to have Furber visit the course to help put together a long term plan. He notes too often courses will change designers several times over the years and the end result is a poor product. Henderson says he could sense Furber was pleased with what he saw.

Bookworms Help Fund Chrysalis Room At Bethesda

The Chair of the Bethesda Auxiliary says she's thrilled by the results from their Fall Book Faire.

Phyllis Toews says they raised about $10,200 which is their second highest total ever for the Fall Faire.

"I think people are just reading again, they're realizing the quality of the books we're getting are very good," notes Toews, when asked why this month's Faire was so successful. "It's hard to tell because we hear the eReader's taking over but people in this area still like the hard copies."

According to Toews, the fall sale is considerably smaller than the annual spring sale. She notes they offer many more books in spring and this year raised nearly $17,000. The combined amount this year from the two sales is around $27,000 and Toews notes that will go towards the $30,000 construction project of a Chrysalis Room.

"Chrysalis is the stage in a butterfly's life where it is encased in a hard shell and then it opens up, it's being prepared for the next stage of life," she says.

The Chrysalis Room will be for family and staff of patients in palliative care. She notes it can be a place of solitude for families or a meeting room.

"We're very, very proud to be a part of this," says Toews.

"We have the letter of intent that we are promising the money, it will be out very soon and then they can start," she says.

Art Bergmann is back as Reeve of Ste. Anne

Art Bergmann is delighted to resume his duties as Ste. Anne Reeve after a close electoral race Wednesday night. Bergmann ended up with 587 votes, while challenger, Rolland Sarrasin came in with 554 votes.

Bergmann is glad to be working with incumbent councillors as well as welcomes a new councillor to the previously vacant Ward four seat.

“We have been a municipality that has focused on good management, on running good surpluses, on providing services that the people need and that's not going to change. There are some infrastructure issues that will have to be addressed, our lagoon will have to have an upgrade, which is on the books for this winter. Also finding better recycling and waste management solutions.”

Sarrasin wishes all the councillors well on their projects for the next four years and hopes that residents will be happy with their work.

Bergmann concludes with gratitude at the good voter turn out. “To the residents of the RM of Ste. Anne, for those of you who have come out to vote, you've done the right thing. And for those of you that have put your trust in me, I want to tell you that you haven't put that in a poor place, I take that very, very seriously. Thank You.”

"We're Not Going To Be Intimidated"

Provencher MP Ted Falk (circled) in photo from Conservative MP Nina Grewal shows doors of Reading Room barricaded with furniture from inside

Provencher Member of Parliament Ted Falk says his government will not be intimidated by Wednesday's acts of violence. Falk is referring to the soldier being gunned down in Ottawa and the shootings on Parliament Hill.

"Our intent very much, and we're very unified on this that we're not going to be intimidated by these acts of violence and terrorism against Canada," says Falk. "We've decided as a Caucus that we're not going to allow that to intimidate us and so (Thursday) morning our intent is to open the House at 10am as usual."

Falk notes Thursday will be business as usual, though with more of a somber mood. And he says there will be protocol that will need to change.

"Our Parliament in Canada has for the very first time in its existence been violated and violated to an extent that there will be changes in security protocol," he says. "The security people did an excellent job (Wednesday) in subduing the threat. But I'm sure there will be changes coming in the near future."

Falk was in the Reading Room at the time of the shooting and moments later MP's started piling furniture against the door, preventing the perpetrator from getting inside. Falk notes there are a number of former police officers that are part of their Caucus. He adds it was very interesting to see the instincts of these former officers, who knew the proper protocol when under attack.

"There was a certain degree of angst in the room there," he says. "Because nobody was certain at that point what it was, to what extent the threat was, how many individuals were involved, how many perpetrators there were, was it a single incident or was this a very coordinated attack."

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Pedestrian Accident on Highway 12

Emergency crews were called to the intersection of Highway 12 and Park Road at 12:14AM Thursday morning.

Constable James Zambon explains a car was travelling south-bound on Highway 12 when he hit a pedestrian at low speed crossing east-bound on Park Road.

Zambon says the pedestrian's injuries are unknown and is being transported to hospital for precautionary measures.

Toews Victorious

(Stan Toews receives congratulatory hug from wife Mary)

Residents of Hanover have re-elected Stan Toews to a third term as Reeve. Toews picked up 1497 votes compared to challenger Clif Bakx who received 771.

"I feel a sigh of relief," says Toews. "All this hard work, it paid off. Still anxious moments in the end."

Toews received more votes than Bakx in 8 of 9 polling stations as well as in advance polls. The only polling station he received fewer votes was in Grunthal, where Bakx took 272 compared to 215 by Toews.

"I take it that people were satisfied with the job I was doing and I'd like to thank them for the confidence they put into me to lead them for another four years," adds Toews.

The Reeve says he had confidence heading into Wednesday based on what he was hearing on the campaign trail.

"I got a good feeling when I went door to door and a lot of people kept encouraging me and told me they would vote for me," he says.

Meanwhile, there were elections in two of the six wards. Gord Meneer took Ward 5 with 215 votes, compared to Neil Warkentin with 173 and Len Friesen with 91. In Ward 6, incumbent Henry Funk was victorious with 347 votes over challenger Doug Wiens who had 148 votes.

Voter turnout in Hanover was just under 37%.

Rounding out council are incumbents Bob Brandt, Bernie Stahn, Pete Hiebert and Dylan Barkman.

Toews says he expects the new council will continue to operate status quo.

"They will work well together," he says. "They see projects and they go after them as a group instead of trying to go off in different directions."

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Collision At Ste. Anne

There was a two vehicle collision Wednesday night on Highway #12 at the south end of Ste. Anne.

Fire Chief Ken Dayment says the accident happened shortly after 7 p.m., right at the corner of Highway #12 and PR 210.

"One car was coming from the east and the other car was heading north and clipped her and they both spun around. No one was hurt and no one was taken to hospital. We're very lucky on this one."