The water came quickly, receded almost as fast, and left in its wake a path of destruction, which included a long list of provincial infrastructure, municipal assets and private property.
Across the Parkland people woke up on Canada Day to swollen rivers and creeks, overland flooding and flooded basements, courtesy of a storm cell, which dropped from 120 millimetres to more than 150 millimetres of rain across the region.
Dauphin city manager Sharla Griffiths said leading up to Canada Day, municipal officials began monitoring the situation Sunday night and into Monday before problems started arising Tuesday morning.
“Tuesday morning, I started getting calls from our utility guys saying, ‘Hey, things are all functioning, but we just can’t keep up, the lift station pumps can’t keep up, and there’s water in the streets.’ So we started monitoring,” Griffiths said, adding throughout the day, Tuesday, there was water at some intersections, but things were still manageable.
It was not until the early morning hours of Wednesday that the seriousness of the situation became evident, when the Vermillion River spilled over its banks between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
“I saw the first email come through with some photos at 2 a.m. and it said things are happening in Dauphin,” Griffiths said, adding throughout the timeline officials were holding discussions about the situation and developing a plan of action.
All in all, Griffiths is pleased with the efforts of municipal staff in the face of unprecedented challenges presented by the flood.
“We had people boots on the ground checking things out, doing what we could and when the sun came up on the morning of the first we were inundated with water,” she said.
“Our staff, everybody rolled up their sleeves, pitched in, and did what they needed to do. Mayor and council have been super supportive and there right beside us.
“So the organization functioned as it should in this type of situation.”
Among the damage caused by that water was extensive flooding in the basement of Dauphin Regional Health Centre, which knocked out power and forced an evacuation of the facility, which saw 54 patients transferred to other hospitals across the province
In a virtual press conference Thursday, Prairie Mountain Health CEO Treena Slate said every effort to provide some level of care locally is being made, while the extent of the damage to the facility is determined and repairs are made.
“We are providing a triage clinic based out of Dauphin and we do have the mobile clinic set up. We’ve also set up a more, sort of, permanent structure within the Dauphin Regional Health Center community health services building, which is adjacent to the hospital, where patients can be quickly assessed if they’re not sure if their concern is emergent. They would be transported to the nearest appropriate emergency department from there, or treated for minor injuries and illnesses there,” Slate said, adding employees throughout the system have stepped up to ensure some continuity of care.
“The physicians from the Dauphin clinic are providing that service and they are also providing support to the Ste. Rose Emergency Department, as well.”
While people are already asking when the hospital will reopen, Slate said it is far to early to tell. The priority is to pump water from the basement, restore power and HVAC and then assess the damage.
“We are in conversations with our incident command structure provincially, already thinking about reopening. That’s definitely front of mind. We need to start planning accordingly,” Slate said, adding operations at both Dauphin personal care homes were uninterrupted by the flooding.
“Given the significance of the flooding and the challenges of pumping out the water, and in view of the ongoing flooding situation, it’s challenging to give a timeline at this time.
“We are having our insurer engage with a restoration company to assess the damage and we’ll have a better idea in the coming days of the timeline on that.”
As damages at the DRHC and across the region become more apparent, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, who was in town Thursday to assess the situation, wants life in the Parkland to get back to normal as quickly as possible.
To that end Kinew announced a $5 million cash advance program through disaster financial assistance to expedite repairs.
“The idea behind this $5 million is we know on the provincial side there’s a ton of roads and bridges that are going to need to be repaired. So the need at the municipal side is going to be there, as well,” Kinew said.
“We don’t want any resource or financial question to get in the way of getting people back to normal. So that’s why we want to work together collaboratively.”
In the city, while there is extensive damage to personal property, municipal assets seem to have weathered the storm quite well, mayor David Bosiak said.
“Our northeast end of town was most severely impacted, because it’s the lowest end of our community. So we still have some basement flooding in some areas and sewer backups (Thursday). But our reports this morning were that most of them have been cleaned out. It’s just a matter now of remediating and cleaning some seepage in a few areas of the community,” Bosiak said.
“Right now we basically believe that we have everything under our own control. We’ve asked for a very modest amount from the province as cash coverage, before we get into the disaster financial assistance stage of things, but I think we’re okay,”
It is a different story in the Rural Municipality of Dauphin. With more then 500 miles of roads, it will take some time to get a handle on the situation, reeve Ernie Sirski said.
Initial reports are that there are more than 200 wash outs, but Sirski expects that number to increase significantly.
“We don’t know the extent of damages yet. I mean, we’ve got people that are landlocked, people that cannot get out of their houses right now. So we have to make sure that, first of all, they’re safe. We’re doing whatever we can to make sure that people can get access, make sure that they’re safe,” Sirski said.
“We've been told that we can access $500,000 from the province as of today to help with fixing up our roads and we thank the province for their contribution.”
As repairs begin, Kinew added consideration will be given to the effects of climate change, which has increased the number and frequency of severe storms.
“Part of what we’re telling our municipal partners, we’re telling all Manitobans is that as we go into the disaster financial assistance stage, we want to build resilient infrastructure. So, it’s not just about building back the same thing that we had before. Now that we’ve seen what can happen with a changing climate, we need to build infrastructure that’s going to meet that need,” he said.
“We have got to be resilient as people. We also have to make sure that our infrastructure is resilient, too, and as we roll out this DFA program, we want the municipal partners to know that it’s not just about restoring what was there. It’s about building roads and culverts and other pieces of infrastructure, so that we can handle an event like this in the future. God forbid, but we’ve got to prepare.”
As the cleanup continues, people are encouraged to check municipal websites and social media for information about available resources,
When it comes to health care, updates can be found on the PMH website at prairiemountainhealth.ca, or across their social media platforms.
“We strongly encourage people to call 911 as they normally should in the event of any situation or if they’re not sure about their medical circumstance,” Slate said.
“We have physicians and nurses who can do a primary assessment and we would rely on our EMS partners to transfer patients to the nearest and most appropriate emergency department. based on the patient’s care needs.”
For non-urgent matters, Dauphin and area residents are encouraged to call Health Links toll-free at 1-888-315-9257.

George Panko can not help but be impressed with the community’s connection to agriculture and how that connection manifests itself into the incredible support received by the Dauphin Agricultural Society (DAS) at its annual fair and exhibition.
The DAS president reflected on that support as the 2026 fair wound down around him this past weekend.
“Our core is the agriculture part of it and it’s just nice to see all the participation. Everybody comes to Dauphin this weekend and it’s great,” Panko said.
“It’s the excitement of bringing agriculture back to the community and and then tying in with the midway. That’s always fun when the midway is full, the lights are flashing and the music is going and there’s lots of cotton candy and everything else. It’s been a huge success.”
While that success was evident in the crowds which flocked to the gates on all four days of the event, Panko’s measure of success extends beyond the number of tickets sold.
“Our Friday, for being the last day of school and considering the weather was kind of hit or miss, our gates were strong. Saturday is always our big day and then Sunday is a little smaller day, but people come out and all the activities are here,” Panko said.
“So the attendance is great and we appreciate the community and the communities around us coming to our fair, but our participation in all the events has increased year after year. The 4-H show on Thursday night was a huge success. Over 50 kids, over 70 animals. The light horse show had over 75 entries over the last three days. We have 21 chuckwagons here and 16 chariots. They’re putting on a heck of a show. It has just been great.”
That success was also not guaranteed with the weather forecast looking threatening leading up to the event. Panko said he stopped checking weather maps early in the week before he drove himeself crazy.
“What’s going to happen is going to happen,” he said.
“There’s nothing you can do about it.”
In the end, Mother Nature co-operated for the most part, as a brief downpour Friday afternoon, which delayed chuckwagon races for less than an hour and sent midway patrons scrambling for a few minutes shelter inside Credit Union Place arena. Rain predicted for Saturday did not materialize and Sunday, although cool and overcast, remained relatively dry.
Panko was pleased the weather co-operated with all of the organizers and volunteers, who work tirelessly to make the fair and exhibition happen each year.
“Our committee, they work hard all year long to put this all together. Our board of directors, we meet once a month to make the plans. Hats off to them because they’re volunteers. They’re in the community. They don’t have to be there and they come out every month and they come out at fair time. It’s just amazing,” he said.
“And the volunteers that come out and help and also the businesses that give us sponsorship. Without them we we wouldn’t be able to put the fair on. Without their support, we wouldn't have fairs.”
Not being ones to rest on their laurels, Panko said the team is diving right back into planning for 2027.
“Come Sunday night, we look at where we had the highs and lows and if we need to fill a gap somewhere or something like that. We’re working on it basically year round,” Panko said, adding new people with new ideas are always welcome to join the fold.
“We’re always looking for different ideas, different changes. If there’s people out there that have any ideas, they’re more than welcome to come and join a meeting.”

The City of Dauphin has taken steps to address a perceived downtown pigeon problem.
At its regular meeting, June 8, council was informed administration, acting on an initiative approved as part of the 2026 financial plan, has entered into an agreement with Orkin Canada to oversee a pigeon population management program in the city.
Control efforts will begin with targeted trapping and removal activities, deputy city manager Lisa Gaudet told councillors, followed by the installation of rooftop feeding stations, which dispense OvoControl pellets, which contain birth control measures to address the growing population of the urban birds.
“The feeding stations will dispense OB control pellets designed to gradually reduce pigeon reproduction rates through a humane, non-lethal population management approach,” Gaudet said.
OvoControl has proven to be useful for managing pigeon flocks in larger areas without having to resort to poisons and their associated risks.
Pigeons represent a source of common infections, including, salmonella, and a range of e. coli, some of which can represent a serious health risk to people and animals, making it pivotal to manage pigeon population growth.

Quite often one of the main drivers of social events is drinking, and those who cannot, or do not want to consume alcohol can find themselves on the outside looking in.
Val McInnes of Bloom ’n Bean in Dauphin is looking to change that through her recently opened Sobr Market franchise at her Main Street storefront.
The business offers spirit replacements, such as rum, whiskey, vodka and tequila, along with white, red, rose and sparkling wines, premixed cocktails and bubbly wine alternatives.
Top quality products are sourced from around the world, she said, all with zero alcohol at a price point comparable to the liquor store.
“They are designed with a flavour profile that gives you the feeling of that alcoholic beverage that you might not want to have anymore or can’t have anymore,” McInnes said.
“The companies work really, really hard on flavour profiles.
“People can’t tell the difference when you mix it with whatever your mixed beverage is.”
And she has had plenty of customer feedback reinforcing the quality of the product since she began testing the market.
One customer, she said, sampled a whiskey, purchased a bottle, then came back a week later and picked up two more bottles.
“He said, ‘this is the best whiskey I’ve had’,” McInnes said.
And while one of the main target markets is those who do not or cannot drink alcohol, McInnes said Sobr Market products are also an option for anyone wanting the experience of an adult beverage without the complications that are possible with the consumption of alcohol.
“I’ve got guys that come in and grab an IPA and go icefishing because then they don’t have to worry about driving their sleds. They don’t have to worry about driving their trucks coming off the ice,” she said, adding she also offers a tasting bar so customers can try any of her products.
“You can come and try them at any time. We’ll give you a shot because we want people to like what they’re buying before they purchase it.”
On top of in-store purchases, McInnes has set up tasting booths at community events and is looking at wholesaling opportunities. She will be hitting the road visiting restaurants, golf courses, and other businesses educating them on the options available for their customers who might not feel included in those spaces.
“They go to the bar, there’s not a lot for them to have. They go to restaurants, there’s not a lot for them to have if they don’t want to have a Pepsi or a Sprite,” she said, adding the process satisfies the teacher in her.
“I get to explain things to people and educate them on options, which I don’t think people realize that they have.”
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries has reported a decrease in the volume of alcohol consumed in recent years opening the door for the products offered by Sobr Market. McInnes added she herself was ignorant of the demand and she has, in fact, changed her perspective on her own consumption.
“I enjoyed having a drink, but I didn’t enjoy having the drink because of the alcohol. I enjoyed having the drink because of the flavours,” she said, adding there are more people than she realized who share that view.
“The thing I’m hearing the most from people is just that inclusivity of still being able to be a part of that community without the pressures of having to drink.”
And that is driving McInnes’s excitement to provide an alternative for others, which might fill their wellness plans or their health requirements, but doesn’t alienate them from the culture that has been created around the consumption of alcohol.
“The demographic is exploding exponentially. I’m excited,” McInnes said.
“I think it’s a really cool niche market that the company was really excited for us to look at in Dauphin.”
McInnes invites anyone interested to stop in and find out more about what exactly is available.
“I don’t have the space to carry everything that (Sobr Market) carries, but I can sure grab some of the top line products,” McInnes said, adding she is trying to add something new with every restocking order and will do her best to accommodate special requests.
“I’m very proud of the product lines and there is something for everybody. It may take us a little while to find it, but we can find it.”

The City of Dauphin is hoping operational changes at the residential recycling drop off location on First Avenue Southeast will improve conditions at the facility.
From now on, the depot will accept only cardboard.
“This is in response to ongoing misuse, contamination, and illegal dumping that were making the site increasingly difficult and costly to maintain,” City deputy manager Lisa Gaudet said.
“The residential recycling depot was originally intended as a convenient option for residents to drop off recyclable materials, but over time, staff have observed increasing contamination of recycling bins and significant misuse of the site. So materials that didn’t belong at the recycling depot were regularly being left at the location, including household garbage, broken toilets, appliances, and other discarded items.”
Staff, she said, were spending valuable time cleaning up the site and the depot was quickly becoming an eyesore.
“The condition of the site was becoming a concern,” Gaudet said.
“The site, it’s in a fairly visible location. It doesn’t reflect well in the city to have a depot with garbage strewn about.”
The operational changes are meant to preserve the service and monitoring will take place to see if simplifying the operation reduces the contamination.
Cardboard needs to be flattened before being placed in the bins and all other recyclable materials need to be placed in the residential curbside recycling bins for collection.
“We know that there’s still a risk of non-recyclable items being discarded there, but this will allow us to evaluate whether a more focused service can be maintained successfully,” Gaudet said.
“Our goal is to maintain a recycling option for residents, but that requires the facility to be used as it’s intended.”

Dauphin fire chief Cam Abrey was pleased to report a positive staffing situation for the Dauphin Fire Department as part of his report on the department’s operations for the first quarter of 2026 to Dauphin city council at its regular meeting, May 25.
“For the first time since 2019, we’re currently at a full number of roster membership on the department,” Abrey said, adding there are currently 42 department members.
“In looking at our members, we have five with firefighting level one, 14 that have completed their level two, six in the process of completing their firefighting level before July 1 of this year. Then, the recent recruiting efforts have bolstered our membership where we’ll hopefully have 17 individuals start their formalized training for firefighting level one this September. Those individuals are on the department right now and taking part in training, just not for level one.”
The full roster takes some pressure off of veteran department members, who, at times have difficulty trying to balance their personal lives, careers, and commitment to the fire department, Abrey added, pointing to a trend which has seen a steady increase in calls between 2005 and 2025.
In terms of operations over the first three month of 2026, Abrey said the department had 60 emergency responses, a 23 per cent increase over the same time period in 2025.
False alarms continue to be ranked as the highest in call volume, at 37 per cent, followed by motor vehicle accidents at 25 per cent, kitchen fires at 10 per cent, EMS lift assists at 10 per cent, and structure fires at eight per cent.
“One thing to note . . . we had three structure fires, one quite large. All of those as a result of cooking fires and all properties were insured by the owners, but they had renters in them and in two of the three they had no tenants insurance,” Abrey said.
“It is something we encourage through the fire department, that all tenants get tenants insurance. We also encourage property owners to ensure that their tenants have contents insurance, so that they’re looked after, as well.”
Other call categories include vehicle fires, which accounted for three per cent of calls, outdoor fires at two per cent, carbon monoxide alarms at two per cent, and a catchall “other” category, which accounted for three per cent of department responses.
Training continues to be a major focus for the department, Abrey said, adding three members recently completed their firefighting level on practical exams ahead of written exams they will write later this month. In addition, four local firefighters will travel to Brandon in the coming days for written and practical exams for hazardous material awareness and operation certification.
In early April several members travelled to Roblin for ice rescue training on Goose Lake.
“That’s the first time in a number of years that we’ve been able to host the ice rescue training in this area,” Abrey said, adding Goose Lake is also the perfect location for surface water rescue training, which is set to take place later this summer.
April also saw a farm accident rescue seminar hosted locally on behalf of the mutual aid district, which included several local firefighters, as well as two from Pine River, one from Roblin and four from Swan River.
A school bus rescue seminar was also set for this past weekend, Abrey added.
“This assists students with the knowledge and practical skills required with mass casualty motor vehicle incidents,” Abrey said.
“We typically host this program once every two years and again we have several members that are enrolled in the training and we’ll be working alongside others from Robin and Swan River fire departments.”
A new district training plan is in the works to being in September and carry through to June 2027.
“We typically get together with the 11 fire departments in the district, decide what courses are needed and then make our submission to the Emergency Services College,” Abrey said, adding the college puts out calls to instructors in an effort to solidify dates.
“Once we have dates finalized, then our students can begin their variety of specialized training opportunities.”
Finally, Abrey provided council with an update on the fire station assessment, which took place recently
The final report from Sputnik Architecture indicated, “the fire station is structurally serviceable, but exhibits aging infrastructure, localized moisture damage, and functional inefficiencies. With targeted roof and envelope rehabilitation, improved mechanical integration, and space reorganization, the facility can continue to operate safely until full replacement or major retrofit.”
The report also included Class C estimates for a proposed addition which ranged from $5,689,640 to $6,541,121.
Fully realizing there is not enough funding available for the entire project, Abrey has met with Project and Development manager Justin Tokarchuk to prepare estimates for priority roof revitalization, electrical upgrades and HVAC improvements.
“We are hoping to have estimates on some of that work ready for the 2027 budget, and we’ll, obviously, be exploring some potential provincial and federal grant programs to assist with those project costs.”

People making their way between the north gate of Riding Mountain National Park and the City of Dauphin will now be travelling on the Lt.-Col. William G. Barker VC Highway.
The Manitoba government officially renamed the section of PTH 10 at a special gathering Friday at the Dauphin airport, which also bears the name of the locally-born World War One ace.
Local historian Al Gray, along with Hugh Arklie, a Winnipeg-based fan of Barker’s accomplishments, spearheaded the push to have the highway renamed as a further tribute to Dauphin’s most famous son. Along with the airport and the highway, the local air cadet squadron and a Kindergarten to Grade 5 school are named after Barker, as is a United Kingdom’s 7th Poseidon Marine Patrol aircraft stationed at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland.
“We started with the process of Whitmore and Main to the north gate of Riding Mountain. It is 10 miles. We could have gone a little further maybe, but I learned a long time ago not to be greedy,” Gray said.
“I’m so honoured that through the efforts of Hugh and I, through the courtesy of Ron and staff that we’re here today. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Representing the provincial government at the ceremony Agriculture Minister and Dauphin MLA Ron Kostyshyn highlighted the significance of the tribute for the community.
“This recognition helps honour his legacy and ensures future generations understand the important role he played in both Canadian history and our local heritage,” said Kostyshyn.
“These signs will serve as a lasting tribute to Lt.-Col. Barker’s remarkable legacy and connection to our region for years to come.”
The renaming initiative received strong public support, as well, from both the City and Rural Municipality of Dauphin.
“The people of Dauphin care deeply about the city’s history,” mayor David Bosiak said.
“It is truly appropriate that the major highway leading into the city from the south bears the name of one of our finest heroes.”
Barker is widely recognized as one of Canada’s most decorated war heroes. During the First World War, Barker was credited with 50 aerial victories and is the most decorated military member in Commonwealth history, receiving the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order with bar and the Military Cross with two bars.
Born on a farm near Dauphin, he enlisted in the Canadian Mounted Rifles in late 1914, later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He later earned a reputation as a daring pilot on the Western and Italian fronts.

Dauphin city councillors gathered for a special meeting, May 19, to lend their support to a proposed housing development.
The Willow Lake Properties proposal involves the construction of a 45-unit apartment building adjacent to Riverside Road as phase one of a larger, $11 million development, which will include affordable rental units to help address local housing needs.
At the meeting, council approved an incentive package to aid in the development and provided a letter demonstrating the need for housing in the community as the developers seek Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation support for the project.
“The request came from the developer. They’re trying to make their budget work so that this project can actually go ahead. For them to make the numbers work and for this project to go ahead, they were looking at the City of Dauphin to provide them with an incentive package,” Dauphin Economic Development manager Martijn van Luijn said, adding the City has provided incentives for all major developments in the community over the past several years.
“For this much needed development to go ahead the developers requested that we provide the water and sewer install from the nearest access point.”
The estimated cost of making the water and sewer connections to the development from the intersection of Riverside Road and Main Street South is estimated at $460,000.
But that number represents service for more than just the Willow Lake Properties project. With 60 acres of land behind the project also awaiting development, the City is also ensuring it is prepared to service that land when it is developed.
“I’ve been working with council to be proactive when it comes to development,” van Luijn said.
“We need the housing, there’s no doubt about it. If that means that we need to invest up front and that entices others to develop, that might sound as us taking a risk, but I think it’s a calculated risk. It’s something that you need to do as a municipality to be able to get people to come and develop.”
And development is badly needed, van Luijn said, adding he tried to stress that in the letter to CMHC.
“CMHC was not convinced that Dauphin needed additional housing, which is mindboggling,” he said, adding CMHC was probably relying on high level statistical data, which shows the depopulation in the Parkland as a whole.
“I provided as much data as possible in this letter, for example, a recent growth in the immigrant population and the fact that city hall gets daily phone calls from people looking for a place to live,” van Luijn said, adding Manitoba Health numbers show a population growth and he encouraged CMHC to research that.
With the new community justice centre and the new day care facility coming down the pipe, the need is only going to grow, van Luijn added.
“I put this whole package together in the hope that the developer can convince the financier to become a partner in his project.
“We’re just trying to support this as much as we can and at the same time, trying to think ahead and get ready for the future.”
Agreeing to the incentive package in principle, council will consider the $460,000 in funding as part of its 2027 budget deliberations.

Everything is set for a celebration of learning at Dauphin’s annual graduation powwow, May 21, at Selo Ukraina.
Niigaani Miikana - The Road Forward - Graduation Powwow is about celebrating all people no matter where they are in their life’s journey, said Carole Shankaruk, co-ordinator of Indigenous Education at Mountain View School Division.
“It’s not just focussed solely on Grade 12s and postsecondary students, it’s focussed on all of us on our life journey in transitional moments,” she said.
“This year our focus is around this concept of the road forward. So we’ll start with the Head Start students that are coming into our Kindergartens and then our Kindergarteners coming into Grade 1. Then we’ll focus on our elementary students coming into the Mackenzie middle years, then our Grade 8s coming into the high school and then our high school and post-secondary coming into the workforce.”
Organized in conjunction with Assiniboine College, Dauphin Friendship Centre and Dauphin’s Countryfest, Shankaruk said the goal was to organize a community event and everything is coming together beyond her expectations.
Artisans and other vendors, food trucks, entertainer and community organizations, such as Prairie Mountain Health, Kids Help Phone, MMF, Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth and Service Canada are all confirmed.
“We reached out and the community is really responding. We have almost 2,000 people registered to date. We also know that there will be lots of people who attend who aren’t registering, so we know that number is going to be higher,” Shankaruk said,
“So, it's going to be an amazing community event.”
On top of the powwow dancing and drum groups, there will also be cultural workshops, crafting activities and entertainment.
“It’s fluid. Let’s say a teacher has a class of Grade 2s and they’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. They can take some quiet time in the hall where they could do some beading work or they could make their own personal talking stick. Or we have storytelling going on there,” Shankaruk said.
“People don’t have to sign up. They can just come and go as it works in their schedule.”
The day gets underway at 9 a.m. and runs to 3 p.m., with a traditional feast planned for lunch.
Transportation will also be provided for those who need it. Pickups are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Dauphin Friendship Centre and 9:45 a.m. at Dauphin Marketplace Mall.
Shankaruk hopes people make an effort to attend as the time is right to celebrate community.
“Coming out of the pandemic, there’s been lots of challenges for people and our youth. We know that a lot of people are struggling with mental health,” she said.
“As a community we need to we need to come together and this is a perfect time and event.
“It totally is about being together.”

With just a couple of months until the 2026 edition of Dauphin’s Countryfest, organizers have launched a new promotion to put more people in the stands.
The Two Step and Stay program is offering a free campsite in the Fisher regular campground for anyone purchasing two general admission weekend passes for the regular price of $738 plus fees and taxes.
The promotion, Countryfest president Duane McMaster said, is about topping up an already fantastic crowd.
“Ticket sales have been good. We’ve sold more than twice as many as we did last year, the most sales we’ve had post covid. So things are moving along, but we still have tickets to sell,” McMaster said.
“Right now we’re looking at maybe 7,500 to 8,000 people there each day and we’re still selling tickets. I’d like to see it full again.”
Given the resources put into the lineup, this year the board opted to offer only weekend passes over single day admission. At this point, that is still the plan, McMaster said.
“We always want people to come for the weekend, right. We don’t want it to be about one day. We want people to come and enjoy the event for the entire weekend,” he said, adding the board will meet later this month to re-evaluate the situation.
“We don’t want to, but if it becomes a necessity, we will. But we want to have a weekend event, we’ve always wanted that.”
With everyone talking about Saturday headliner Jelly Roll, one of the hottest acts in music right now, people are forgetting about the entertainment available throughout the rest of the weekend, McMaster said.
“Everybody's really excited about Jelly Roll, but we have good entertainment on every night, Nate Smith, Tyler Hubbard. We have Brett Kissel, Blackhawk, we’ve got a lot of really good names,” McMaster said.
“We want people to come see the whole event. We don’t want it to just be a Jelly Roll concert with camping.”
While competition for entertainment dollars is tight, McMaster believes Countryfest rises above other options in not only quality of entertainment, but also in convenience and overall experience.
“The thing about Countryfest is you can pull in there on Thursday and park and you don’t have to move again until Monday. You can stay there and enjoy the entire weekend. There’s food vendors there, you’ve got your camping, you’ve got showers, you’ve got ice. Everything you need is there,” he said.
“We’ve got an incredible lineup. We have, in my opinion, the best site for an outdoor event, an outdoor music event, in Western Canada for sure, and probably in Canada overall. There’s not a bad seat in the house. We’re on the edge of a national park. It’s just beautiful, and we’ve got everything you need.”
McMaster said the volunteer board works hard to create an event worthy of people spending their hard earned money on and he believes they have achieved that goal.
“We have great value for money in my opinion. I know it’s not just the price of the ticket, but we figured it out. I think it was last year that the price of a weekend pass worked out to $6 a band. I don’t know if that’s the same this year, but it will be pretty close to that,” he said.
“I think we’ve got a great lineup. I think we’ve got a great venue. We just need people to come out and support us and keep us around. We do an awful lot of good in the community. We bring a lot of business and a lot of economic impact to Dauphin. That’s something that we need to keep supporting here.”
For those wanting to get in on the Two Step and Stay promotion, tickets are available on Ticketmaster.