Firefighters from around the Parkland and beyond were treated to some specialized training this past weekend thanks to the Dauphin Fire Department and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic (WFPS).

In separate sessions over the weekend, instructors from the Winnipeg service walked 80 participants through a scientific and evidentiary based firefighting curriculum which addressed both theoretical and practical approaches to modern firefighting. It provided attendees with the knowledge and practical skills required for sound decision-making regarding strategies and tactics on an ever-evolving and dynamic fire ground, Dauphin fire chief Cam Abrey said.

A lot has changed with residential home construction in the last 30 or 40 years, he said, adding there are many more combustibles involved and flames simply do not act the same as they used to.

“We’re making our homes so much more airtight than they used to be, as well, so there’s a higher potential of flashover and backdraft as dangers to firefighters that are arriving on scene,” Abrey said. “So where a structure used to last they said 15 to 20 minutes before you had structural failure of a floor collapse or a roof collapse, we’re now looking at five minutes.”

The training offered on the weekend also included an occupational hygiene component, which provides knowledge surrounding exposure to carcinogens at fire scenes and limiting the after effects.

“We know that firefighters are 25 per cent more susceptible to developing a cancer than the general public, because of the carcinogens that we’re encountering, the asbestos and everything else that was filling up homes as we’re in there battling the fire,” Abrey said, adding while firefighters have respiratory protection and protective clothing they wear while working, that same equipment can cause problems.

“If you’re not maintaining the stuff properly those carcinogens are soaking into the turnout gear that we wear and then the next time you put it on it’s that skin-to-cloth exposure that’s happening.”

The Winnipeg service is a leader in North America when it comes to training their members on the subject and Abrey learned about the information at the national fire chiefs conference in Ottawa, last year from WFPS district chief Jack Robertson, who was one of the instructors locally this weekend.

“For him to take this initiative, not only looking at Winnipeg Fire, but wanting to expand to all departments across the province, that’s pretty significant,” Abrey said, adding it is the type of information that is just not practical to provide to firefighters getting their Level 1 and 2 certifications.

Dauphin, he said, has made an investment in two sets of gear for every firefighter and commercial washing equipment.

“It’s not a normal washing machine, it’s a very large industrial one. It’s actually an extractor that we’ve been using for a number of years,” Abrey said, adding the department has policies in place around occupational hygiene. “We tell our firefighters you come back from an incident you’re going to wash your gear.”

It is an opportunity a lot of smaller departments do not have, Abrey said, making it all that more important to open the workshop up to a wide area.

Firefighters attended not only from the local Riding Mountain Mutual Aid District, but also from departments in the West Region Tribal Council, Clearwater Training District, Swan Valley Mutual Aid District, Lake Winnipegosis Mutual Aid District, South Central Mutual Aid District and West Central Mutual Aid District.

Abrey knew there would be a good response to the invitation.

“It’s a common thing in emergency services that if you ever stop training, then you shouldn’t be in it,” he said. “Hopefully, (participants) go back to their home department and share the information that they got this weekend with everybody else to whet their appetite. And let’s get more through this training eventually.”

The City of Dauphin owns exactly one bridge and will spend money this year to make sure the structure continues to carry traffic over the Vermillion River.

An inspection of the Buckwold Bridge conducted several years ago determined repairs to the decking of the structure are required due to delamination in the concrete and chloride intrusions to the steel reinforcement in the concrete which could cause future issues through rusting.

And recently, city council awarded a contract for engineering services for the bridge rehabilitation to the Winnipeg firm of Dillon Consulting Limited.

The $111,247.80 contract includes $58,573 for the project design and tendering phases and $52,673.80 for the contract administration, inspection, and post-construction services.

City manager Sharla Griffiths said while the initial inspection of the bridge indicated work needed to be done, it did not include the full scope of the repairs.

“They will be coming out to visually inspect it in the coming weeks barring us getting any extra snow,” Griffiths said. “Then they’ll put their visual assessment into the mix with the report that we got three years ago and determine if there needs to be any more testing. Then set the design for it and tender that to actually get the work done.”

The current plan calls for a partial depth deck replacement over the entire span of the bridge at an estimated cost of around $900,000.

And while that seems like a large number, it is a fraction of what it would cost to replace the entire structure, director of Public Works and Operations Mike VanAlstyne told council at a recent meeting.

“I think a bridge of this size it would be $12, $15, $20 million probably. If we had to do the abutments and the pier replacement and removing those piers, I could see it being upwards of $30 million,” VanAlstyne said. “We thought that this would make the best, most economical sense.

“Fortunately from the inspections, our substructure, the piers and the abutments are in okay shape. We want to get on this work now to try to get another 50 years out of this bridge.”

Part of securing that future is developing a much needed maintenance plan.

“We have maintained it just like a paved surface,” he said, adding the consultant will provide rehabilitation options complete with a life cycle costs analysis and maintenance recommendations.

“This is a huge repair and we want to make sure that our bridge is kept in the best condition possible going forward.”

After 15 years of public service, eight of which were spent as a Rural Municipality of Dauphin councillor and seven as the MLA for Dauphin, Brad Michaleski is hanging up his suit jacket and putting on some running shoes.

“I’m going to definitely chase some grandkids around a little bit more,” Michaleski said, following his decision to not run in this fall’s Manitoba general election. “My wife and I made some long-term plans many years ago and we sort of took a detour with my political part of our lives. This was not an easy decision, but it’s the best decision for me and my family at this time. Now, it’s time to take a step back and spend some much-needed quality time with my family.”

Michaleski said it has been an honour to serve the area in Manitoba Legislature, adding being a part of government has provided him a tremendous perspective on “how things work.”

Premier Heather Stefanson, Michaleski said, has made tremendous progress since being elected the leader of the party and becoming premier of Manitoba in 2021.

“She does not always get the credit she deserves, yet every day she gets up and continues making life better for Manitobans,” he said, adding he is confident Manitobans will see that and elect a third consecutive Progressive Conservative government this fall.

And while he is calling it quits, there are many aspects of working within government that Michaleski will miss.

While the negative side of politics and governance are what people see most in the media, Michaleski said the vast majority of his time under the dome in Winnipeg has been spent dealing with constructive people who are trying to help out. There will be days, he said when he will wish he was still involved.

The future of the Parkland is bright, Michaleski said, and he is honoured to have had an opportunity to help shape that future.

“It is an honour I will forever cherish. I love this city and the entire Parkland region. I’m looking forward to just finishing off strongly with our government,” Michaleski said. “I have enjoyed myself with this role. I never imagined that I would have had this life experience, whether it was municipal government or provincial, and it has been an absolute highlight. My reasons for retiring from public life are personal, but I know that it is the right time.”

If you take one good thing and combine it with another good thing, there is decent chance that what results will be greater than the sum of its parts.

That is what the Dauphin Rotary Club hopes happens when it brings together two of its most popular events in the Rotary Book Sale and the Rotary Wine Tasting.

Organizer J.L. Guillas said there has been a lot of interest in the wine tasting being resurrected post-COVID and with the book sale being an extremely popular event in the community, the plans came together almost organically.

“With a busy schedule in the spring . . . we have lots of events and we thought okay how can we save on volunteer time,” Guillas said. “Then the idea came to double up the two events. Frankly just about everybody we tell it to, that we’re doubling it up, thinks it’s a great idea.”

The idea made even more sense given the fact plans were already in place to move the book sale to the Ukrainian Orthodox Hall, Guillas added.

“It’s going to be fun. That room is so big and I’ve kind of layed it out that we’re going to have the wine tasting around the outside and we’ll leave big alleys for people to walk and visit,” he said.

The book sale runs April 20 to 22 with sales from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, before reopening from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the wine tasting. The event will return to the book sale only on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Check out this week's Total Market Coverage Dauphin Herald for more info on the event!

Nicole Yunker has always fed off the input from family, friends and acquaintances to keep her focused and motivated in her musical endeavours.

And now the local songstress is offering up her first original song inspired by the support she received while she was processing the death of her father, Mel Armstrong last spring, following a battle with brain cancer.

“It was summer time, he had passed away in April. And people were really kind and saying ‘Nicole we’re looking forward to hearing more music. I was overwhelmed with grief and so the song just came to me,” Yunker said. “It’s the first song I’ve ever written and it became a really positive process for me to think about celebrating my dad, and also the gratitude for our relationship. It really turned the grief around for me to think about all the positive things instead of the loss.”

The single “A Father’s Love” drops, Mar. 31, and honours the special relationship Yunker had with father, who was her greatest advocate and cheerleader.

“My dad was really like my manager. Even though his health was deteriorating, I had to send him all my rehearsal recordings, my notes from my lessons and I knew if my dad was alive he would be saying ‘just get singing, move on’,” she said, stressing again how the support of the community has had such a positive impact on her music.

Check out the full story in this week's Total Market Coverage Dauphin Herald!

When it comes to cattle, it is reasonable to expect that one in every 105,000 births will result in triplets.

Now those births might end with one or more of the calves dead, so having three healthy offspring cuts the odds in half or by two thirds.

Now consider two sets of healthy triplets from the same cow in three years and the numbers get difficult to calculate.

Yet that is exactly what has happened for Winnipegosis area producers Barry and Sandy Sliworsky, who have a cow which gave birth to her second set of triplets in two years this spring.

It is good genetics to have in your herd, but genetics is a funny game, Barry said.

“The first set was two girls and a boy and this time it’s the same way around. So unfortunately when it’s like that we couldn’t keep any as heifers because they’re not fertile,” he said. “If they were all female it would be okay. But in cattle, when you have twins with a boy and a girl, there’s only a 10 per cent or less chance that the female will be fertile. They’re called freemartins. They have no uterus or ovaries.”

That does not mean that the Sliworskys have missed out on the genetics entirely as last year, between the two sets of triplets, the cow gave birth to a single heifer which they kept in their herd.

And at eight years old there is a chance the cow will produce more fertile heifers for the Sliworskys, who sometimes keep cows up to 14 or 15 years of age.

“I would doubt that she’s going to make it that long just because she’s a raised 12 calves in seven years. So already she has raised as many calves as most cows ever raise in their life,” Sliworsky said. “But we’ll keep her around.”

Sliworsky is already drafting one of this year’s triplets onto another cow to give the mother a bit of a break.

“So she probably won’t have to raise all three anyways,” he said.

The energy she saves from not having to raise triplets will give the Sliworskys one or two more shots at retaining some of her genetics.

“I hope she doesn’t have triplets again because it might kill her. It’s hard for her to carry them. And then both times, they were born a bit early, like I think nine days this time and last time it was 11 days,” he said, adding it is recipe for problems. “So when they’re born early like that the placenta is not really mature. So it doesn’t release and then it’s it causes them to get very ill. She’s been on antibiotics right since the day after she had them and she still is infected, so that doesn’t help. But she’s moving around and eating and everything so, hopefully, she’ll be all right.”

Luckily for the animal, Sliworsky is a veterinarian. He intervened in each of the triplets births at the right time.

“Both times we thought there’d be something, some type of an issue, just because of how large her abdomen was and she was getting weaker and weaker,” he said. “So both times, as soon as there is any sign of labour, I fished them out. Otherwise if you leave a cow like that you’ll probably end up with three dead ones. They’re just too weak to push or go into a normal labour.”

Not everyone involved with the agricultural industry grows crops, raises animals, provides inputs or purchases ag commodities.

Sometimes their relationship to the industry is more peripheral, Dauphin Agricultural Society  (DAS) director Tere Stykalo said in presenting the Ron Brook Memorial Award to the Dauphin Fire Department at Farm Outlook 2023, Mar. 9.

“They certainly have a very low profile at most times, but they certainly do and will help you unconditionally, no matter what goes on. They could, at times, perhaps even save your life,” he said. “It is a great pleasure, and I think it’s long overdue that we recognize the Dauphin Fire Department.

Congratulations on receiving the Ron Brook Memorial Award.” Established in 1901, the Dauphin Fire Department formed a partnership with the DAS in 1978 to provide emergency services related to the Dauphin Agricultural Society Fair and Exhibition, specifically the popular demolition derby.

Referring to DFD minutes, fire chief Cam Abrey said it was DAS director Tony Kutcher who first approached the department about assistance with the derby. “We don’t know if it went back further than that, but we know that we’ve had a long-standing relationship with our ratepayers in the municipality, as well,” Abrey said. “So thank you very much and please stay safe.” Here DAS president Teren Stykalo, left, and director Tere Stykalo, right, present the award to Abrey, Mar. 9.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get the full story in this week's Total Market Coverage Dauphin Herald!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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