As summer gets closer to the end and crops come in, plant life is abundant for wildlife, and this deer is living life to the fullest with nature’s buffet in front of her, unbothered by passing traffic.

The Parkland Humane Society (PHS) is in dire need of volunteers.

According to PHS office administrator Jenn Langlois, the shelter has been inundated with an influx of cats and dogs.

“There’s lots of dogs coming in from the pound. The same with cats coming in from the pound. And we are up to 20 dogs in the shelter and only a few are in foster. So we are also short of fosters,” she said. “And we have only one summer student hired and then my fulltime position. I’m supposed to be on office, but I’m also taking care of the dogs a lot.”

Langlois added there are currently 10 to 15 people who are on the schedule to come in and care for the animals at the shelter.

“Lots of times we’re running with only one person here. We’re lucky if we get two. So we are desperately in need of more volunteers to care for all of these influx of animals that are coming though,” she said.

Every day, Langlois said, they receive calls about pregnant cats or cats with kittens.

“And we just don’t have places to put them We are full here. Our fosters are full. We also get lots of calls for dogs, again lots when they get pregnant and need a place to go and we just don’t have that room,” she said.

At times, animals will be sent to other shelters, but those other shelters are also full and are unable to accommodate any more animals.

“We are definitely over the maximum right now for the dogs and the cats. And when we’ve only got one or two people per shift you can’t devote all of your attention, you’ve got to get everybody fed and watered. And by the time you get even that (far), then your shift is done and you haven’t had play time or walking time,” Langlois said. “These animals need more than what they’re getting.”

Of the 20 dogs, eight are housed inside the shelter itself, while the rest are housed in the kennels, sometimes with two or three per kennels.

And there are between 20 and 30 cats, as well, with a long waiting list for cats to come in.

“So no sooner that we get some out, more are coming in,” Langlois said.

Another problem facing PHS is no one is currently adopting animals.

“We’re at a standstill for adoptions. So therefore, no other can even come in. Lots of people are surrendering or they’re in the pound. They’re just not going anywhere,” Langlois said.

Anyone interested in volunteering or fostering can call the shelter at 204-638-6966, or visit the organization’s website at parklandhumanesociety.com and fill out the foster or volunteer form, which can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or dropped off at the shelter.

Those interested in fostering will receive everything they may need to care for a dog or cat.

“For fostering, you don’t need anything. We give you everything you possibly need. Leash, collar, bowls, litter, litter boxes. There is absolutely no cost to a foster to take a dog or a cat,” Langlois said. “We just like that you’re able to bring the dog or a cat if they need to be seen or if they have vet appointments.”

Langlois added they also look for fosters who are able to care for animals that may need medical attention.

“It could be simply giving a pill, that they’re comfortable with doing that,” she said.

Shelter shifts are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week year round.

“We need somebody here all the time,” Langlois said.

Unseasonably dry conditions have enabled City of Dauphin Public works crews to progress well into the 2023 capital plan.

“Things are going really well. Our capital projects have all been started,” director of Public Works and Operations Mike Vanalstyne said. “We’ve got the majority of our capital sidewalk work complete, water main renewals have been ongoing and road work started two or three weeks ago.”

One of the higher profile projects has been the replacement of paving stones with poured concrete on Main Street sidewalks.

The plan this year was to complete the sidewalks on the east side of Main Street from 8th Avenue South to 10th Avenue South to progress the multi-year project and things have gone flawlessly, VanAlstyne said.

“We have all the downtown left to do, too. So I’m going to hope in the next four to six years we have it all complete,” he said, adding the weather has been a real boon for the crews. “It’s been great. It has let us get a lot of work done earlier than normal.”

But that does not mean that Public Works crews will be standing around with nothing to do.

“We have got lots of other projects and maintenance work away from the capital stuff that we can get caught up on a little bit,” VanAlstyne said. “There’s always something to do.”

Inter-Mountain Watershed District (IMWD) has been conducting important environmental work throughout the area for many years.

And last week, IMWD staff had the opportunity to share some of its successes with their peers from around the province when the district hosted a two-day tour of the area.

IMWD’s boundaries extend from the Rural Municipality of Mountain in the north to Riding Mountain National Park in the south and from The Municipality of McCreary in the east to the Rural Municipality of Riding Mountain West.

And with the district covering a total of 12,508 square kilometres, an area larger than Prince Edward Island, there was a lot to look at, said IMWD general manager Jeff Thiele.

“We started in Ste. Rose and looked at a lot of the bridges and waterways and shale problems we’re having down there and things we’re working on down there,” Thiele said, during a stop for a presentation at the farm of Ernie and Jan Sirski, northwest of Dauphin.

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

The tender to find a contractor to lead the redevelopment of Main Street South has closed, but higher than expected estimates have resulted in further delays to the project.

“It’s closed, but it’s not awarded officially yet. We’re working out money,” City of Dauphin director of Public Works and Operations Mike VanAlstyne said. “It came in well over budget. I don’t have any indication why right now. We were somewhat surprised by the pricing, for sure.”

Originally estimated to cost $13.5 million, the 1.7-km project covers a section of PTH 5A from Whitmore Ave., south to Triangle Road, and includes surface reconstruction with the creation of a divided highway.

The plans call to improve safety in the commercial area by having all local accesses connect to service roads, and service roads connecting to PTH 5A at upgraded intersections. Those service roads will be constructed along both the east and west sides of highway from their existing points south to Triangle Road.

As well, a new intersection allowing access to Dauphin Market Place Mall will be developed, complete with traffic signals.

Included in the project is a new drainage system design for the south end, which had been estimated to cost $8.15 million which the city will debenture through the province.

“We’re trying to work the financing out on our end here and we’re just waiting to hear back from our provincial partners. We’re waiting on the province right now to see how they can help us out,” VanAlstyne said. “We hope to have something settled in the next few weeks, I hope, and see some dirt moving by the fall.”

All the effort put in to the fair and rodeo by members of the Roblin Agricultural Society and its volunteers has paid off.

From the exhibit hall and the King Farmer competition to the rodeos and the Roblin’s Got Talent contest, the weekend show was another successful one.

“It was good,” said ag society president Ellen Arnott with a chuckle.

Read all about it in this week’s Review.

Report of a person walking around naked in their yard.

Person was spoken to, who said they would wear a towel or a fern leaf until they can make the yard more private.

Check out what kept police busy over the past two weeks in this week's RCMP report.

A move to jump on the Star Search/Canada’s Got Talent/
American Idol band wagon was a great one for the Roblin Agriculture Society.

“I heard a lot of positive comments about the event. People really enjoyed it,” noted ag society president Ellen Arnott. “We weren’t even sure if it was going to go because we only had one person registered on Monday. But in the end we had eight competitors and two junior competitors so everything worked out.”

Find out who won in this week’s issue.

The RCMP Musical Ride is celebrating its 150th Anniversary this year and has been touring across Canada to celebrate. A former resident from The Pas and RCMP member, Constable Katherine Hansen, is a part of the RCMP Musical Ride and on this commemorative anniversary tour.
“I was born and raised in The Pas,” said Constable Katherine Hansen. “I lived in The Pas up until I turned 30 years old and went into the RCMP. I worked on The Pas Fire Department and The Pas EMS, with the focus on going into nursing, when I then decided to join the RCMP instead. I was accepted into training in 2009, and always wanted to be a police officer. I knew a lot of the police officers in The Pas and decided it was the best fit for me.
“I worked for the RCMP sine 2009 to 2019, then I joined the RCMP Musical Ride. I was stationed in Alberta in the communities of Fort McMurray and Viking, before I went into the training for the RCMP Musical Ride. I’ve been with the RCMP Musical Ride ever since.”

Experiencing a new country and culture is a life changing experience that everyone should embark on at some point in their lives. Recently The Pas Helping Hands 4-H have had a visitor from Japan come and experience live in the north. An exchange student, as part of a 4-H program, has been in The Pas for a couple of weeks, taking in all the sights and wonders of both the area and the province as well.
“This is the 36th year the Manitoba 4-H Council has partnered with the York Benimaru Foundation in Japan to host exchange students,” said The Pas Helping Hands 4-H Leader Cheryl Antonio. “Each year, 20 students travel from Japan to the USA for two weeks to learn English. This year, they were in Seattle, Washington, at the university.
“Then they come to Manitoba and spend two weeks with a 4-H host family. There are many wonderful sponsors for the program. Families are encouraged to welcome the students into their homes as one of their own, include them in the chores, encourage them to follow the same rules as their own children, and to also engage them with the ways of everyday life. Of course, we also love to show them the highlights of our province and hometowns.”