While the excess moisture the Dauphin area has received this spring and early summer has been a nuisance for many, for agricultural producers the impact has been far more significant.

As a result, the Rural Municipality of Dauphin council passed a resolution at its July 9 regular meeting declaring a state of agricultural disaster.

“Just look outside. With the moisture that we’ve had starting prior to Apr. 1, the fact that producers couldn’t finish seeding, the fact that we’re losing crop every day, the fact that there’s a whole bunch of people under undue stress that is caused by all this, we had to make a decision,” Reeve Ernie Sirski said.

“That was the decision we made.”

Sirski said the councils of Mossey River and Gilbert Plains have passed similar resolutions.

 “We’re hoping that in conjunction with our sister municipalities . . . we could put some pressure on the provincial and federal governments, saying ‘look, there is a problem here. Let’s try and come to some sort of understanding that we need to do something’,” he said, adding what that “something” is as yet undetermined.

“What’s the something? First of all acknowledging the fact that there is an issue, that’s the first thing. The second one is, is there something that we can do within the existing programs, whether it be AgriInsurance, AgriInvest or AgriStability, to try and help the producers that are affected. The third one is an ad hoc program that government has done in the past to try and alleviate and help the producers that are affected.”

And it is not simply agricultural producers that are impacted, Sirski said, adding municipalities are seeing their budgets take a hit on roads, bridges, culverts and other drainage infrastructure.

“This whole thing goes beyond the producers themselves, the farmers. It goes into what we’ve had to spend as municipalities to try and make sure that people can get to where they’re going,” he said.

In the Dauphin area, total rainfall, according to the Hydrological Forecast Center, is officially recorded as 223 millimetres between  Apr. 1 and July 1, approximately 137 per cent of normal. Those numbers do not tell the whole story.

“We had significant snowfalls in March, which people seem to forget about and significant amounts of precipitation,” he said, adding it   added up to a late start to the crop year.

“We started the crop and our soil moisture content here locally was full and then we had all this precipitation.”

While it is hard to quantify the extent of the problem across the region, Sirski said it is reasonable to expect that many other producers are experiencing the crop year similar to his operation.

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

The City of Dauphin is taking a new approach to dealing with its four-legged residents and visitors.

That new approach is evident in the move away from the previous “Animal Control” program to an “Animal Service” approach with more of a proactive focus on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.

“That includes rewriting the animal control bylaw, which is underway currently to include more progressive wording and more proactive guidelines for promoting responsible pet ownership,” said deputy city manager Lisa Gaudet, who is spearheading the project.

That shift began recently with city council  awarding a contract for a new Animal Services officer to David McInnes of Barkland Pet Resort, replacing Todd Tarrant, who served as the city’s Animal Control officer on an open ended contract since 2006.

As part of the contract, McInnes is offering space for a new city animal retention centre, solving a problem the city has had since the pound at Dauphin Veterinary Clinic closed in January.

“It’s been very difficult, because we do have a problem in the community with an overpopulation of dogs and cats running at large and we had no place to put them,” Gaudet said.

Under an agreement with the City, the clinic operated as the city pound since 1999. Recently the level of work required by clinic staff to satisfy pound requirements increased.

“Every cat or dog that was brought into the pound had to be cared for on the weekend, so they had to have staff coming in to feed the animals and to let them out because there was no runs attached to the kennels,” Gaudet said, adding people dropping off stray animals at the clinic was also becoming a problem.

“It was a huge strain on the vet clinic staff and they decided it just wasn’t sustainable.”

The proposal from Barkland solves that problem, Gaudet added.

“It’s not just one Animal Services officer, it’s a team. They have two certified dog behaviorists on staff and they have an excellent team of people who are going to be able to provide 24/7 animal services for the city.” she said.

Also new this year is a Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP).

Based on a voucher system with the two local veterinary clinics the program is open to everyone who requires financial assistance with spay or neuter.

The City will cover 50 per cent of costs to a maximum of $175 for female dogs, $125 for male dogs, $125 for female cats and $75 for male cats to a maximum of $10,000 per year. 

Applicants must show proof of Dauphin residence and provide proof of a current rabies vaccination and a pet license.

To build on that, Gaudet hopes to introduce a Trap Neuter Release program in the near future.

Read more in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

Some Dauphin residents may be receivng a knock on their door as Manitoba Forestry and Peatlands Branch staff complete surveys for Dutch Elm Disease and elm firewood, as well as monitoring for invasive forest pests.

Provincial inspectors will be driving or walking around the community to look for Dutch Elm Disease infected trees and elm firewood with bark attached. Elm firewood spreads Dutch Elm Disease and is illegal to store.

But it is not just Dutch Elm Disease that is being targetted.

“I think they are looking for Emerald Ash Borer and apparently it’s not here yet, thankfully,” deputy city manager Lisa Gaudet said.

“But they do monitor for that. They’re keeping a close eye on Emerald Ash Borer.”

Inspectors will be wearing high visibility vests and government issued identification.

They will be surveying both private and public property and may not approach every resident or house before entering onto properties to conduct inspections.

Inspectors will knock on doors prior to taking branch samples, marking Dutch Elm Disease infected trees, or marking elm firewood for removal under the Dutch Elm Disease Management Program and The Forest Health Protection Act.

Gaudet said the surveys are part of a city and provincial partnership to combat urban forest threats.

“They identify the trees and they provide a list for the rapid removals later this summer. We usually remove about 18 to 20 trees via rapid removal,” she said.

“Then in the fall they give me the full list of Dutch Elm Disease trees that need to be removed. I release an RFP (request for proposals) in the fall and contract someone to remove them in January and February each year.”

Dauphin residents are advised inspectors may be working in the evenings and on weekends.

Dauphin city council held a special meeting, June 27, to approve the 2023 audited financial statement.

In the opinion of auditors Meyers Norris Penny, the City’s consolidated financial statements, “present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the City as at December 31, 2023, and the results of its consolidated operations remeasurement gains and or losses, changes in net financial assets, cash flows and supporting schedules for the year then ended in accordance with the Canadian Public Sector Accounting Standards.

“I’d like to acknowledge both Scott Carr and the folks in our finance department that did a tremendous amount of work, considering some backend glitches in how the system worked for this year. And also just a thank you to Meyers Norris Penney for sort of stepping in the breach and helping Scott and the folks here at the city to get this in on time,” mayor David Bosiak said, adding changes to the taxation system around education levies added a wrinkle this year and made timelines tight for city staff to provide the audited books to the province.

“Just to re-emphasize the notion that we have a clean audit with no adjustments, that speaks volumes of the tremendous work that our administration does here at city hall to keep council in line and operating under good financial practices. So again, congrats to those folks.”

The special meeting also provided council an opportunity to take care of some other pending business.

Council authorized the purchase of a new heavy duty utility truck accounted for in the 2024 financial plan after a request for proposals closed, June 21.

Two proposals were received from local dealers with council choosing to purchase a 2024 Dodge Ram 3500 at a cost of $72,570 plus applicable taxes. Council had originally budgetted $80,000 for the purchase.

While gathered, councillors also gave second and third readings to, signed and sealed Bylaw 04/2024, appointing Robert Dodds as a special constable for the City of Dauphin, allowing the community’s new bylaw enforcement officer to begin his duties.

Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School honoured the 139 students making up its Class of 2024 at a convocation Saturday.

But before they went their separate ways to begin life after high school, valedictorian Maddison Garton gave her classmates one last test.

After introducing herself to those gathered in the school gymnasium - telling them teacher Andrew Coombs is her best friend, she has a pretty cool stepmom, her favourite colour is blue, and she believes classmate Kendel Marie Gibbs is the funniest person alive - Garton asked graduates to name the top five wealthiest people they know, the last five winners of the Stanley Cup and the last six  decades of world series winners.

“How did you do?,” she asked, following up with a quote from Peanuts creator Charles Schultz.

“The point is that none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. There are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their field. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.”

Garton followed up those questions to her classmates with some easier queries, providing her own answers along the way.

Read more in this week’s Dauphin Herald

Fire Chief Cam Abrey provided Dauphin city councillors with an update on his department’s activities in the first quarter of 2024 as part of the city’s regular meeting, June 10.

In the first four months of the current year, the local fire department responded to 65 calls compared to 84 in 2023.

And with May added in, the department is sitting at 85 emergency responses in 2024, compared to 99 in the same time frame of the previous year.

False alarms continue to make up the bulk of the department’s responses, followed by kitchen fires and motor vehicle collisions.

“Some of our false alarms that were identified are either due to humidity or construction dust. In the past we’ve had some malicious false alarms, but there haven’t been too many of those this year,” Abrey said.

“We are trying to identify where those alarms are coming from and trying to come up with some sort of preincident education for everybody, so that we can cut down on those calls.”

Abrey also ran down the department’s training activities and gave an update on the construction of the new pumper truck that was ordered in 2023. The hope is the truck will be delivered in early 2025.

Read more in this week’s Dauphin Herald

Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning Nello Altomare appointed an oversight panel as part of an ongoing governance review of Mountain View School Division (MVSD).

A release on the MVSD website indicated the three-person panel comprised of Manitoba Métis Federation vice-president Frances Chartrand, Brandon School Division trustee Jim Murray and Manitoba Teachers’ Society staff officer Andrea Zaroda, will “assist in navigating recent board and staff turnover, strengthening governance practices, and community relations. They will also ensure that MVSD progresses on key priorities, such as diversity, inclusion and reconciliation.”

The move came following a June 10 regular meeting of MVSD trustees, which drew a room full of area residents looking for more information on the firing of superintendent/CEO Stephen Jaddock and the subsequent resignation of three trustees. Those present went home following the meeting without the answers they were seeking.

Prior to the start of the meeting, board chair Gabe Mercier laid out some rules for those in attendance to follow. Mainly, Mercier indicated anyone not on the agenda as a delegation was not allowed to speak during the meeting.

“Listen respectfully without interruption. That means no laughing, no clapping, no talking or any forms of interruptions,” Mercier said.

“Listen actively to understand the other person’s point of view. As chair, I’m going to enforce these rules strictly.”

With no delegations on the agenda, the board continued with its regular business. With the exception of a motion accepting the resignations of trustees Leifa Misko, Floyd Martens and Scott McCallum, that business did not included any information pertaining to the issues on the minds of those in the gallery. That prompted MVSD parent Jarri Thompson to break the rules laid out at the beginning of the meeting.

“This meeting is almost over and as a parent in the division I am definitely going to have my say,” Thompson said from her chair in the gallery.

“I’m deeply concerned by the actions of the board conduct and you have consistently violated Mountain View School Division board policies. Whether you like it or not topics such as truth and reconciliation and 2SLGBTQ+ are protected by federal and provincial legislations, legislations that you all would have signed to uphold had you done your homework before today instead of going back to find out what your policies are.”

Read more in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

The expansion of Dauphin’s sewage lagoon officially got underway with the awarding of a contract for engineering services at a special meeting of city council, May 6.

Stantec Consulting Ltd. was awarded the contract for engineering services for the project at a cost of $1,114,136.96.

The project was advertised through a request for proposals on Mar. 6, and by the time it closed on Apr. 11, five proposals from engineering firms including JR Cousin Consultants Ltd., MPE, a division of Englobe, Dillon Consulting Ltd., WSP Canada Inc. and Stantec Consulting Ltd.

While Stantec’s bid was not the lowest it was by far the most comprehensive, Public Works and Operations director Mike VanAlstyne said.

VanAlstyne said Stantec approached the project with innovative ideas, while ensuring the City’s needs would be met. They took the time to visit the site during the tendering period, he said, and met with city workers to understand what challenges are currently facing the wastewater treatment infrastructure.

“They’re a one-stop shop. They’re a large engineering corporation that has vast experience in wastewater treatment facilities and water treatment,” VanAlstyne said, adding the firm is based out of Winnipeg.

“They just checked all the boxes.”

The first step for Stantec will be to take the lagoon study completed eight years ago and make sure the design for the expansion is still relevant today.

“They will be taking the design or the study that was completed in 2016 and they’ll be modernizing it and updating it based on current population projections and effluent loads,” VanAlstyne said.

“They’ll adjust for the next 20 years and design for a 20-year life what the upgrades need to look like.”

That being said, VanAlstyne does not expect there will be many changes to the plans.

“I expect the system to be the same. I think there’s been modernizations to some stuff, even though it was only eight years ago, to some of the treatment technologies,” he said.

“And our consultant has some very good ideas about some efficiencies, as well, that we could see. So we’ll see how it goes through the design phase.”

That design phase is expected to begin in the coming days after which Stantec will develop the tender documents and provide consulting services during the construction phase.

“Essentially it’s a 2-1/2 year project for them,” VanAlstyne said, adding the construction tender will be issued next March and construction is slated to begin in the summer of 2025 and the project will take anywhere from 14 months to 16 months to complete.

The City of Dauphin’s 2024 financial plan presented at a public hearing May 6, included a capital plan which will transform the community into a beehive of activity this year.

Road work planned for 2024 calls for the reconstruction of 10th Avenue Southwest from First Street Southwest to Second Street Southwest at a cost of $182,000, as well as Seventh Avenue Southwest from Main Street South to First Street Southwest at a cost $211,000.

Get all the numbers and details in this week's Dauphin Herald!

Dauphin’s annual spring cleanup campaign is set to begin next week and it will be the last time city residents see Public Works crews collecting yard waste from back alleys in the spring.

Mike VanAlstyne, director of Public Works and Operations said a decision was made to discontinue the spring collection with an eye to improving operations in other areas.

“We’re looking at the cost of doing the work and the amount of time it takes, which can be better spent getting a start on a lot of the other maintenance work that we’ve just been unable to get done in the last couple years,” VanAlstyne said. “Spring cleanup wastes about three weeks of favourable weather that we could be doing other meaningful tasks with the manpower and equipment. So it’s just a good opportunity now as the green bin program should be at full usage for anyone wanting to use by the end of this summer.”

VanAlstyne said with the difficulties the City has had in securing seasonal staff, having five employees and several pieces of equipment tied up for three weeks each spring puts the department under the gun to complete maintenance work such as crack sealing in the fall.

“It’s a situation that we can’t get anything else started until the middle of June, essentially, which isn’t acceptable from a maintenance standpoint on critical infrastructure,” he said. “Spring cleanup uses at least five employees at a time that they could be busy doing something else.”

Fall cleanup campaigns, he added, will continue as usual.

The final Spring Cleanup Campaign gets underway, May 13, in the Day 1 area on the garbage schedule.

During one pass through the city, crews will collect accumulated garden waste, grass clippings and leaves, as well as shrubs and tree branches less than six inches in diameter at a maximum length of eight feet.

These items will only be collected if they are free of household waste, hazardous waste and recyclable materials and are in a clearly identifiable pile or packaged in biodegradable bags or boxes.

The spring clean up campaign will occur in the back lanes, so place the items near your back lane for pick-up. Those residences that do not have a back lane, place your items on the boulevard near the curb.

Large equipment will be used, so it is important to place the items close to the lane or curb to avoid property damage.