Latest news with #Dauphin
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Parts of Manitoba under tornado watch
A scenic shot of the lake in Riding Mountain National Park. (Source: Bradley Abells) A low pressure system could brew severe thunderstorms and potential tornado activity in parts of Manitoba. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a tornado watch for areas in the southwest, including Dauphin, Russell, Riding Mountain National Park, Roblin and Minnedosa. According to the weather agency, the system coming from Saskatchewan is set to track through southwest Manitoba by early Thursday night, bringing a chance of severe thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes. Manitoba tornado watch A map on Environment and Climate Change Canada's website shows regions in Manitoba under severe thunderstorm and tornado watches. Large hail up to six centimetres, wind gusts up to 110 km/h, and heavy rain are also likely. 'This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Be prepared for severe weather. Take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches,' the weather alert said. In the event of the tornado, the weather agency advises going indoors to a room on the lowest floor, staying away from outside walls and windows, like a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet, leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers or other temporary or free-standing shelters, and move to a strong building if you can. As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from falling debris. Much of the southwest is also under a severe thunderstorm watch, with similar conditions expected, including large hail, strong winds and heavy rain.
CBC
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Cancelling God Save the King anthem for schools violated the law, Manitoba trustee says in court action
A western Manitoba school trustee is taking court action against his fellow trustees, claiming they violated the Public Schools Act by halting a plan to bring God Save the King back into the classrooms of Mountain View School Division. Paul Coffey filed an application on June 2 with the Court of King's Bench for a hearing on the matter, now set for June 23 in Dauphin. His application names trustees Scott Lynxleg, Gabe Mercier, Floyd Martens, Conrad Nabess, John Taylor, and Jarri Thompson as respondents. Coffey accuses them of acting outside the scope of their legal authority, breaching their duties, undermining the board's legitimacy and exposing it to legal and reputational risk. Coffey wants authorization to apply to another judge for a declaration the other trustees violated the act, and to have their decision overturned. CBC News has reached out to the respondents. In an emailed response, Lynxleg said, "We have been advised to make no comment until court proceedings are completed." In mid-January, Jason Gryba, the chair of the Dauphin-based division's board, issued a directive that the royal anthem must be included in morning announcements at division schools, along with O Canada and land acknowledgements. The move was based on the Patriotic Observances Regulation, a little-used rule in Manitoba legislation that says O Canada must be played at the start of the school day, while God Save the King should be played at the end of the day or the end of opening exercises. The practice has not been enforced for decades, and the Manitoba School Boards Association has said it was unaware of any other boards that maintain the tradition. In a 6-3 vote on Jan. 27, the board voted to stay the plan, and see whether it is legally required and supported by area residents. Gryba and Coffee voted against, while trustee Kerri Wieler abstained. The six trustees named as respondents voted in favour. The anthem is considered a musical salute to the British monarch. Indigenous groups have spoken out against colonization at the hands of the monarchy. Jarri Thompson, a First Nations trustee, put forward a motion to halt the move. It was seconded by Lynxleg, another First Nations trustee. In his application, Coffey states the Patriotic Observances Regulation is still a requirement and "the law is not optional." Under the Public Schools Act, trustees are legally bound to uphold all legislation and their oaths. No legal authority permits a school board to stay a provincial regulation — any changes to legislation must follow lawful procedures, not unilateral resolutions, the application states. The trustees were warned about that "at least 11 times" before the vote, yet breached their duties anyway, the application alleges. Because of that, the public and courts cannot have confidence that future decisions by the board will comply with the law, it claims. The board — which oversees 16 schools with a $50-million budget, 3,100 students and 700 staff — must adhere to the law in order to preserve confidence in its legitimacy and accountability, the application states. Discord on the board Coffey, in his application, called the vote part of "a broader pattern of governance failures and jurisdictional overreach" by some trustees. Discord among board members last year ultimately prompted the government of Manitoba to appoint a third-party panel to oversee operations. That, in turn, led Gryba and Wieler to accuse province of intimidation. In April 2024, Coffey gave a presentation at a board meeting where he said the residential school system began as a good thing. He also questioned the level of abuse at the schools and said the term "white privilege" is "racist." In June of last year, Gryba, Taylor, Wieler and Coffey also voted to fire the division's superintendent, which led to three trustees quitting days later. And in September, the board defied the provincially appointed panel by holding a meeting with just four trustees, fewer than the required quorum. The tumult on the board has been attributed to new trustees butting heads with the old guard. Lynxleg, one of the trustees elected in October to fill the vacancies, has said he would like to see the province eradicate the Patriotic Observances Regulation altogether. The province appears to agree. In March, the NDP government introduced a bill in the legislature to formally eliminate the requirement, but it has yet to be debated, after the Opposition Progressive Conservatives used their right under House rules to hold the bill back at the end of the legislature's spring sitting. The bill would also end a requirement that the Lord's Prayer be recited. Mandatory prayer in schools was struck down by the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench in 1992 but the rule has not been formally removed. It would also require all school boards to have policies respecting land and treaty acknowledgements — something most already have in place.
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
‘We will never forget': two years since deadly bus crash in Manitoba
The scene of a collision between a bus and semi-truck near Carberry, Man., on June 16, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck) Two years after the deadly bus crash near Carberry, Man., the City of Dauphin says that it 'will never forget' the incident. On June 15, 2023, a bus carrying a group of seniors from the Dauphin area to a casino crashed into a semi-truck, killing 17 people. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the City of Dauphin said that the crash 'deeply affected our community and took the lives of so many cherished members of our community. 'On this solemn anniversary, the mayor, council, and staff of the City of Dauphin pause to remember those we lost and to honour the families, friends, and loved ones who continue to carry their memory forward.' The statement says the community has shown 'strength and resilience … in the face of unimaginable grief.' In June 2024, Manitoba RCMP and Crown prosecutors announced they would not lay charges against the bus driver involved in the crash.
Global News
7 days ago
- Global News
Police find meth, cash during arrest of wanted Dauphin man: RCMP
A Dauphin man who was arrested on an outstanding warrant is in hot water after Manitoba RCMP say they found meth and a large quantity of cash after taking him into custody Thursday. Dauphin RCMP officers were on patrol around 4 p.m. when they spotted a wanted man on 1st Avenue Northeast and arrested him without incident. A search of the suspect led to the discovery of the contraband, police say. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A 34-year-old man now faces a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. Mounties continue to investigate.
CBC
11-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Some northern Manitoba wildfire evacuees still struggling to get financial help from Red Cross
People from some northern Manitoba communities say wildfire evacuees are having a hard time getting expected financial help from the Canadian Red Cross, and in some cases are being told they need to travel to Winnipeg to verify their identity. That includes those from the small northern community of Sherridon, where Deputy Mayor Sheryl Matheson said none of the roughly 60 evacuees now staying in the southwestern city of Dauphin have gotten any money. Matheson said evacuees who have been able to get through to the Red Cross by phone have been advised to travel to Winnipeg to verify their identity at a Red Cross location, told they aren't from a wildfire-affected community or assured they'll get a call back that never comes. "It is heartbreaking," Matheson said Tuesday, adding many people from the community don't have phones. "You're … [calling] on their behalf and you're getting roadblocks." As well, "a lot of our people came by a bus — they didn't have their own personal transport. And at this point, you know, the people that did come [by vehicle] probably do not have money for fuel to travel to Winnipeg and back," said Matheson. The evacuees in Dauphin are at least being given three meals a day, co-ordinated by outreach programs in the city, but if not for that, "I'm not sure how anyone would be eating right now," she said. The province said last week wildfire evacuees are eligible for a daily stipend if they're a permanent resident of Manitoba, have a primary residence in a community under a mandatory evacuation order issued on or after May 23, and are registered as an evacuee with the Red Cross. The financial benefit — $34 daily for each person age 13 or older and $27 for those 12 and under — is being distributed through the Red Cross and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, the province said. A provincial spokesperson told CBC News last Thursday evacuees would start receiving the first payment via e-transfer or a prepaid card within three to five days, which would cover up to the first two weeks' worth of support, and future payments will be based on the duration of the evacuation orders. Communication challenges But Matheson, who also serves as president of the advocacy group Northern Association of Community Councils, said she's been hearing concerns about the support from people in other northern communities too. "It's so frustrating. I don't have answers for them. And as a leader, the last thing you want is not to have answers for your community." Matheson said while she was told the Red Cross would try to do virtual identification of evacuees so they could avoid more travel, when some tried that option Tuesday, "either they hung up on us, or they said that there was technical problems, or we just couldn't get help." Another issue that's come up has been with First Nations elders whose first language is Cree, and have sometimes struggled to communicate with the organization on the phone, she said. "We have been here 17, 18 days and have yet to see anyone from Red Cross," Matheson said, adding she's spent hours on the phone with the organization and with community members, the latter sometimes into the "wee hours of the morning." "I think that they have to remember these are real people, these are human beings … and they need help now." A Red Cross spokesperson said the response to Manitoba wildfires is "large and complex," with the organization handling financial assistance for evacuess from non-First Nations communities. Evacuees from First Nations communities should contact Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak for information if needed, spokesperson Heather Hogan said in an email. In some cases, if the Red Cross can't verify a person's identity with information provided during the registration process, they may be asked for an in-person meeting, but "additional options will be provided by the Red Cross" for those who can't travel to a reception centre, Hogan's email said. It also said the Red Cross is currently only offering support in English, but is "working closely with the community to determine how to best support those who speak other languages." Lori Forbes, the municipal emergency co-ordinator for the northern rural municipality of Kelsey, said Tuesday she's heard about evacuees from her community also facing challenges accessing support. The municipality is feeding roughly 130 people a day in The Pas, more than 520 kilometres north of Winnipeg. "I know the Red Cross is working hard to try and get that support out to folks, but it's very expensive to be evacuated, be in hotels, being at friends' and family's house that are continually buying groceries for, in some cases, 20, 25 people," Forbes said. "We're happy to be able to help, but … Red Cross needs to get up here and support the folks that are up here," she said. "Telling them to go down to Winnipeg when they're here — you need to look at a map and see how far that is." Forbes said while some evacuees from her area have been able to get financial support through the Red Cross, it all depends on their circumstances — like if they're able to accept money transfers through their bank or email, which isn't the case for everyone. "Some people don't even have a telephone. I've been using my phone to get them registered," she said. "I mean, we don't have as many [evacuees] as Winnipeg and even Dauphin or maybe even Swan River, but we do have folks that need support. Doesn't matter how many there are there — they're here."
