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The Ashern Fire Department is planning to stage a mock accident on Monday.

It will be at 1:00 p.m. at Centennial Hall. A pre-crashed vehicle will be on the scene with three people inside, two of whom are a part of the local drama club.

The driver will be impaired and will be arrested by the RCMP, and two people will need to be extricated by the Fire Department. 

One of the passengers getting extracted will not survive the crash. 

"It is to bring awareness to impaired driving. Whether it be drugs or alcohol," said Ken Falk, Ashern's Fire Chief. "It is for the high school students, but there will obviously be others watching as well. It's all about awareness."

Following the mock accident, Ken and other emergency personnel will go to the high school to talk about the dangers of driving under the influence. The students are aware of the mock accident and know it's set up.

Falk still believes it will have a serious effect on the students.

"You know, just to actually see that," added Falk. "When we go there, we want to reiterate there's nothing real about this. With that said, these are the consequences that can happen if you make poor choices and get behind the wheel under the influence."

In 2024 in Manitoba, 15 people died, and 118 were injured in impaired driving collisions. In 2024, more than 2,100 Manitoban drivers committed an impaired driving offence. 

Manitoba Public Insurance is seeing an increase in weed consumption before Manitobans get behind the wheel. A recent survey showed 24 percent of Manitoba drivers admitted to using cannabis before getting behind the wheel.

During a 2025 campaign by Winnipeg Police called "Don't Drive High", 97 drivers tested positive for cannabis. 207 were tested, equating to nearly 50 percent.

For Ken, who has responded to impaired driving collisions, the message is simple. Think before you do.

"Make good choices. There is a ton of education out there. We see the ADs on TV about impaired driving," ended Falk. "Our message is make good choices." 

Monday's event is open to the public. 

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: May 8, 2026 - 2:00 pm

There is bad behaviour behind the wheel....... And then there is this.

Around 8 pm on April 24th, RCMP pulled over the driver of a Ford Escape on the Perimeter Highway, after it was clocked going 177 km in a 100 km/hr zone.

His reason for the high speed..... he wanted to "open it up to see what it could do."

A roadside breath sample was collected, which showed a blood alcohol concentration between .50 and .79.  

The 38-year-old driver received fines of $1,058 for the excessive speed, along with a three day vehicle impoundment, and an immediate roadside prohibition, which carried a further $400 fine and a three day license suspension. 

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Contributed by Jeff Henson

Published: May 9, 2026 - 7:00 am

It's official: Dauphin Tim Hortons led the country in smile cookie sales during last week's campaign. The total raised? More than $59,000 for the Countryfest Community Cinema. 

Greg Crisanti, Owner of the Dauphin Tim Hortons, said it's absolutely stunning. 

"For a store our size, our community is truly remarkable. We can't put it to words, starting Sunday evening, the ovens do not stop the whole 7 days, 24 hours a day they're running, it's incredible the amount of cookies, how many were ordered," said Crisanti. 

This year's chosen recipient of the smile cookie funds is the Countryfest Community Cinema. Why? After listening to the community, Crisanti said there were overwhelming calls to support the Cinema with the campaign. Recently, donations from numerous Parkland businesses and organizations have been going to the Cinema, a testament to how important it is for the Parkland. 

"Over $59,000 we were able to raise for the Countryfest Community Cinema here in Dauphin, and we're so thrilled and so thankful for our amazing community, our volunteers, community partners that made this happen so we could bring the trophy back to Dauphin," said Crisanti.

This isn't the first time Dauphin Tim Hortons has been first nationwide in sales, and it definitely won't be the last. And last year's campaign saw the store place second. It's just another thing that goes to show how much Dauphin cares about the community. 

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Contributed by Ian Gillingham

Published: May 8, 2026 - 11:36 am

If you've checked your mail lately, you've more than likely seen a yellow envelope from Statistics Canada. 2026 Census invitations have been sent out to the majority of Canadian households. 

Puja Challenger is the Regional Director for the Census in Western Canada. She said by far the easiest way to get your census information back to StatCan is to complete the form online. She said for herself, it took less than 7 minutes. 

"The best way to not have to deal with people coming to your property is to complete the census online or through our census help desk...it's quick, it's secure, and can be done at any time, at the convenience of Canadians," said Challenger. 

Challenger's role covers all of western Canada, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. She knows better than anyone that rural Canada presents several unique challenges to data collection. StatCan has a lot of different measures in place to find solutions to these unique challenges. 

"Often houses are spread out, some considered seasonal, and hard to see dwellings, some roads aren't clearly marked or numbered, not always accessible all year round, limited mail delivery in some areas, not every household receives regular mail, and in some areas there are issues with connectivity...so in many rural areas, our collection strategy does include having census employees hand-deliver invitation letters door-to-door for the census, we also prioritize local recruitment and hiring, appreciating that those living in the communities or nearby know the area," said Challenger. 

Aside from it being the law, why fill out your census information? Challenger said a big reason for rural Canadians to fill out the form is to make sure they're propertly represented, at all levels of government. Even though the census is run by StatCan, a large number of companies and businesses use census data to see where they should be. 

"It allows for informed decision making and planning in areas that are important to all local communities, like healthcare services, employment programs, community programs, emergency services...the data is used by all levels of government and Canadian businesses, and various non-government organizations as well, whether it's determining whether a business is going to start up in a certain location, and what is most needed by the community," said Challenger. 

According to Statistics Canada, under the Statistics Act, all Canadian households are required to complete a Census of Population questionnaire, and all agricultural operators are required to complete a Census of Agriculture questionnaire. If you refuse to complete the census, you can be fined up to $1,000. 

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Contributed by Ian Gillingham

Published: May 8, 2026 - 9:00 am

A 73-year-old Dauphin woman is facing a costly lesson after being caught flying down the highway near Portage la Prairie.

RCMP say the driver was clocked on Wednesday at 163 kilometres an hour in a 100 zone near Road 42 West. Police say it took nearly five kilometres to catch up before pulling her over.

The woman allegedly told officers she never noticed the lights and sirens — and didn’t realize how fast she was going.

She now faces $1,547 in fines and could also lose her licence following a Highway Traffic Act review.

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: May 8, 2026 - 8:20 am

If there's one thing Stacey Penner knows about Henderson Elementary School in Dauphin, it's how generous they are.

From the students to the staff to parents, and everything in between. About six years ago, Henderson received funds raised through the Smile Cookie campaign at Tim Hortons in Dauphin. 

"And so, we always like to support the campaign and give back," said Penner. 

And give back is exactly what Henderson Elementary School did last week. They've been selling Smile Cookies at the school for years, but they went above and beyond this year.

"It's not always convenient for our families to go to Tim Hortons," added Penner. "We didn't put a limit on how many cookies could be purchased by our Henderson families; we opened it up large this year."

At the spring's Smile Cookie campaign, which ended over the weekend, the numbers are in at Henderson. Over $900 was raised.

Those funds will be donated to the Countryfest Community Cinema. Penner says the students love watching movies at the CCC in Dauphin, and we're happy to be raising money for a great cause.

"So when you explain what the cause of the smile cookie is going to, it gets the student body and families really excited to support such a good and worthy cause," continued Penner. "There was a smile cookie buzz in the building. The first reason everyone loves a good smile cookie. Secondly, the students understand where their contributions are going. They want to help."

Penner said she's thrilled to be a part of the Henderson family. She is also proud of the students for taking part.

Giving back is a wonderful thing to do. It sets the bar for lifelong learning. If you can give back to your community, it's an important skill.

"It's really fun to work into math and ELA. I know my grade five students, we ended up calculating and counting the money schoolwide on our own," ended Penner. "Figuring out how many cookies were sold and how many more were needed to be sold to reach our goal. You can really incorporate it through the subject areas as well."

Henderson Elementary School hit it out of the park with sales of smile cookies last week, and students and staff are already looking forward to their next chance to give back. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: May 8, 2026 - 5:00 am

The province of Manitoba has declared a public health emergency related to HIV.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the province's chief provincial public health officer, said Manitoba is facing some of the highest rates of the disease in Canada.

"In 2025, there were 328 new cases reported," said Roussin. "If we compare that to 2021, we saw 142 cases that year."

Prairie Mountain Health and the Northern Health regions have some of the highest rates. The largest number of cases is diagnosed in Winnipeg. 

"We know that Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by this," added Roussin. "That relates back to all of the factors that come from the ongoing effect of colonization."

In 2024, Manitoba reported 19.5 cases per 100,000 people, over three-and-a-half times the national rate of 5.5 per 100,000 people. More than 50 percent of HIV cases in Manitoba are female. That's far above the Canadian average of 32 percent. 

There was one perinatal case in 2024 and another in 2025, where infants were born with an HIV infection. Prior to 2024, the last case of perinatal transmission was in 2021. Most newly diagnosed females are under 40 years old, which increases the risk of more perinatal cases.

"We want to emphasize here that HIV is preventable and treatable," added Roussin. "We have effective tools available for prevention, such as condoms and harm reduction services. We have medications for both pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis covered for eligible Manitobans."

HIV spreads through activities like unprotected sex or sharing needles. It is not spread through coughing or sneezing, by touching someone with HIV, or from contact with surfaces like toilet seats, countertops, or sinks.

Early diagnosis saves lives. Symptoms of HIV vary, with many experiencing flu-like symptoms two to four weeks after infection. Early symptoms include fever, rash, sore throat, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. 

The only way to be sure know if you are infected is to get tested. Rapid tests, lab tests, and at-home test kits are all available options.

"When an individual living with HIV takes their medication regularly, the level of the virus in their blood becomes undetectable, eventually, even with our very advanced testing," added Roussin. "With this, people living with HIV live long and very fulfilling lives."

When the level of the virus in an individual's blood becomes undetectable, they're unable to share the virus with others.

"We know the term 'undetectable means untransmissible," commented Roussin.  

Since 2023, the Manitoba government has invested an additional $8 million annually to remove barriers and support increased access to care for HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, including:

• providing pre-exposure prophylaxis, post-exposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy for free through the Manitoba Enhanced Pharmacare Program (MEPP);
• expanding Indigenous-led and community-based services that improve access to HIV prevention and intervention;
• adding communicable disease technicians to all health regions to support STBBI follow-up; and
• advancing the Program to Access Treatment for HIV and Support (PATHS).

Roussin added that the goal of the province is to reduce new infections and improve access to care for those living with HIV, along with addressing the conditions that are driving transmission rates in Manitoba.

"So this emergency is not about creating fear," ended Roussin. "It's about acknowledging the reality that individuals and communities are facing right now and addressing that with a level of urgency."

Studies show that around 25 percent of people with HIV are unaware, do not have symptoms, and may continue to spread the infection without knowing. 

For more information about HIV, head here. 

Details

Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: May 7, 2026 - 9:00 pm

The province has put out their first Fire Bulletin of the year, highlighting changes outlined in the 2025 Wildfire Interim After Action Report to help the province's fire control for this year. 

Important notes from the report include a $1.2 million upgrade to the Manitoba Wildfire Service's weather information and fire mapping systems, creating a new initial attack and fire base near Thompson, and a $1.1 million investment in aerial firefighting services. 

Also of note, the province is adding 19 new seasonal positions, which includes 3 new initial attack crews, and converting 15 short-term emergency management staff to permanent positions. The province is also continuing to train and recruit community-based wildland firefighters, especially in First Nations. 

The bulletin says spring is a very critical time for wildfire prevention. The province has a list of prevention tips in the latest Fire Bulletin. 

• Do not burn if it is windy, as wind can make fires worse and blow embers and ash.
• Know and follow burn restrictions, which prohibit open fires from April 1 to Nov. 15 annually, except under a burning permit or in approved enclosed fire pits, such as grated campfire pits in provincial campsites.
• Never leave an outdoor fire unattended and always fully extinguish fires by drowning ashes and embers with water before leaving. This includes safely disposing of ashes from wood stoves, burn barrels and campfires.
• Practice FireSmart principles during spring cleanup. Prune tree branches on properties to two metres above ground, remove combustible debris such as dried leaves, needles and branches, and keep lawns shorter than 10 centimetres. For more information, visit www.firesmartcanada.ca.
• ATV riders should stay on developed trails and regularly check for debris in areas around the engine and exhaust system, disposing of any materials safely.
• Prevent sparks by checking and maintaining all equipment, including vehicle tires, trailers and off-road vehicles, and any other equipment traveling along roadways. Also check safety chains on trailers and make sure they are well off the ground before driving.
• Be prepared to extinguish small fires safely by making sure to always carry a fire extinguisher, axe and shovel when travelling in backcountry.
• Hunters should ensure any firearm discharge residue is fully extinguished to prevent wildfires.
• Do not fly drones near wildfires, as they can interfere with emergency aircraft operations. Water bombers and helicopters cannot operate safely if drones or other aircraft are in the area, which can delay response put firefighters on the ground at risk without air support.
• Practice FireSmart waste management as responsible management of garbage dumps helps reduce wildfire risk. Poorly managed waste sites can easily ignite and spread fire, especially during dry conditions.

Click here to view the province's first Fire Bulletin of the year. 

Details

Contributed by Ian Gillingham

Published: May 7, 2026 - 5:00 pm

Rockin' the Fields of Minnedosa day passes are set to go on sale Friday, May 8th at 10:00 AM. 

Kamryn Winters, Marketing Coordinator, said with the addition of day passes, Rockin' the Fields definitely has something for everyone this year. 

"It depends what kind of concert goer you are, if you're somebody that wants to experience the whole festival itself, definitely weekend pass and camping would make more sense for you, but for somebody that wants to go in for the day, take in the vendors and the experience for the day, and then get home at a reasonable hour, then the day pass is for you," said Winters. 

This year's lineup is definitely Rockin', featuring big classic rock names like Cheap Trick and Collective Soul, and heavier bands like Quiet Riot and Helix. Also featured are some cover bands, like Last Kiss as a Kiss tribute band, and The 12/21 with a Simple Plan tribute set. 

Winters said though day passes will be available, the Rockin' the Fields experience as a festival is one you can't miss. 

"My mind always goes to, this is a weekend. It's a weekend experience, it's a weekend pass, but I think [Rockin' the Fields] having different kind of themed days will help a lot for people that are just interested in coming for the day," said Winters. 

Rockin' the Fields of Minnedosa 2026 is set for July 31st through August 2nd.

Details

Contributed by Ian Gillingham

Published: May 7, 2026 - 2:00 pm

The Alert Ready system took over every TV, radio, and compatible moble phone in Manitoba yesterday to broadcast a test of their system. Good news: it worked like a charm. 

Kurt Eby is the Director of Regulatory Government and Affiliate Relations with Pelmorex. They're the company that runs and manages the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System, which is the tech responsible for taking over every broadcast during alerts. He said tests like the one on Wednesday in Manitoba are one of the many ways they make sure they're always ready. 

"Public tests have a number of objectives and purposes...at the starting end, the emergency management officials like the ones in Manitoba, it gives them an opportunity to login and issue a live test, that's important in particular if they haven't done one in a while, depending on what type of situations may have been happening in the province...it tests our system, and then it tests the technology of all the distributors on the other end just to make sure that what they have in place to distribute the alerts to the proper geographic areas is working, and everything like that," said Eby. 

The benefits don't just lie with Pelmorex and governments who would need to issue alerts. Eby said one of the most important groups that benefits is the general public. He said it's gotten to the point where they get more messages and complaints if people don't receive the alert. 

"It lets people become familiar or maintain familiarity with what the alert looks like and sounds like, and we know it's very jarring, intentionally so," said Eby. 

Behind the scenes, the tests look a lot different than you'd expect. Eby said it relies on a lot of phone calls, and put an even bigger emphasis on good communciation. 

"We open a phone bridge with out counterparts for every test, and we're on to make sure that [the alert] is getting out, they'll say we got it, we got it, we got it, and it's gone, it's gone, it's gone, and so just to do that all live," said Eby. 

The National Alert Ready System usually holds live public tests like this twice a year, once in May and once in November. 

Details

Contributed by Ian Gillingham

Published: May 7, 2026 - 10:00 am