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The province's recently released 2026 budget has many proposed changes to affect families everywhere in Manitoba, especially when it comes to tax credits.
Tere Stylako of MNP Accounting said this year's budget looks well distributed.
"I think they're trying to really spread out their funds to places where they feel are very important, things like the Renters Affordability Tax, and retail sales tax on different food items at the grocery store..." said Stykalo.
The Renters Affordability Tax Credit is being increased by $50 annually, up to $675, and an increase of $100 annually for the Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit, up to $1,700, being reduced for homes with a value higher than $1 million, and eliminated for homes with a higher value than $1.5 million.
The most important and talked-about part of the budget was the province's decision to remove Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on all food from grocery stores in Manitoba. Stykalo said it may not be much each trip to the grocery store, but it will certainly add up.
"When you think about what is in a shopping basket that represents the PST that Manitobans spend money on on a regular basis, maybe it's up to 20% of their groceries on a visit to the grocery store. So what's that going to translate to? Maybe $100 a year in savings, prices will go up or down, but hopefully it's not in relation to just the tax relief that the government's going to provide," said Stykalo.
Though $100 may not sound like much, the province's removal on PST on food from grocery stores, as well as changes to Renters and Homeowners Affordability Tax Credits, helps save money for the Manitobans that need it most.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
In the House of Commons yesterday, Riding Mountain MP Dan Mazier introduced Bill C-272: An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (supervised drug consumption sites) for it's first reading.
Mazier said the Liberal government's handling of drugs in Canada has been a failure.
"The whole intention of the bill is to remove drug consumption and drugs away from children...we could've moved towards shutting these sites right down, we could've been a little bit more aggressive, but I think we're at a place where we know the failed drug experiment, this is not working. Drug consumption sites, we're seeing mayhem and terrible things happening around these sites, they're like drug magnets for crime, everything else that's going around, and this is no place for a child," said Mazier.
Bill C-272 proposes changes to the Controlled Drugs and Substances act, specifically to forbid any sort of supervised consumption site from operating within 500 metres of any elementary schools, secondary schools, daycares, or playgrounds. Specifics of Bill C-272's first reading can be found here.
As the Shadow Minister for Health, Mazier said Health Minister Marjorie Michel's handling of Canada's drug crisis has not been good.
"She's refused to shut down these sites. She's aware of them, that these sites are around children, but yet she refuses to shut them down. I gave her the roadmap, so hopefully she can take advantage of it...in Winnipeg there's been the Point Douglas consumption site, that mobile site, this act would eliminate those kind of sites being operated around children. Right now that site, the way it operates, there is no allocation for how far they are away from schools, daycares, or playgrounds, and there is no allocation for age," said Mazier.
Mazier said Bill C-272 was made with the results of a recent peer-reviewed study in mind, detailing the results of the closure of the Red Deer Overdose Prevention Site in comparison to the Lethbridge Overdose Prevention Site, which remained open. Mazier said that after the Red Deer site was closed, treatment and recovery numbers in the area went up. The full study can be found here.
"This is an opportunity, we as Conservatives, we're the only part actually standing up and saying treatment and recovery is the way to go in these sites, with this new data, it will definitely go a long way in changing all governments and all communities' approaches at how we treat addiction," said Mazier.
Though there aren't any supervised consumption sites within the Riding Mountain federal riding, Mazier said this bill helps lay the ground work for if there ever is one.
"Yes they could happen, but if the Liberals have a change of heart, we could stop these sites, at least next to kids...all I'm asking is for those kind of sites to be not operating around children, and I don't know who would want them to be operating around children, but I'd be open to that discussion because I don't think they should be personally, and we're the only party that's actually standing up for children and families," said Mazier.
Mazier has long been a critic of supervised consumption sites, and as the Shadow Minister of Health, hopes he can keep children away from these sites.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
The province's recently released March Flood Outlook says the risk of spring flooding is low to moderate for most Manitoba rivers, but doesn't mention the risk of overland flooding.
An emailed statment from a provincial spokesperson says though there isn't any immediate risk, that could change depending on the weather.
"Even though overland flooding can occur at any given location regardless of the ground saturation conditions, currently, there is no imminent threat of overland flooding in Parkland region. However, the risk could change as temperatures rise and the calendar moves into April, particularly if melt or rainfall happens quickly," read the statement.
The provincial spokesperson also noted that the Parkland region usually sees higher snow accumulation heading into spring, and if snow melts faster than usual, it can lead to rapid runoff and localized overland flooding. They also noted heavy rainfall can also increase the risk of overland flooding.
Although there is no way to completely mitigate risks, there are several things you can do to lessen them.
"Residents can reduce risk by clearing snow and debris from drains, ditches and culverts on their property where it is safe to do so, ensuring sump pumps are functioning properly and directing water away from foundations and by staying informed through local emergency notifications and flood forecasts," read the statement.
The province's March Flood Outlook says spring flood risk remains largely dependent on weather conditions from now through the melt period.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak has announced that he will not be seeking re-election this fall during the next Municipal elections.
He says he is sticking to his original plan of serving one term in municipal office.
Bosiak says one of the highlights of his time in office is the working relationship that he developed with the other members of city council.
"I probably could not have hand picked six people to be as competent and considerate as council members. We have had a tremendous run over these past three-and-a-half years, which went by really quick. I think the co-operation and the willingness to discuss, and honestly not to agree on things, but after discussion, coming up with consensus where we are all on the same page."
Bosiak also paid tribute to city staff, saying he was impressed with the quality of work they do on a daily basis.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The province's 2026 budget, released on Tuesday, includes mention of Dauphin's Northgate Trails getting $1.5 million for the expansion of the trail system to Riding Mountain National Park, in an effort to "position the Parkland region as a mountain biking destination".
Clayton Swanton, President and Chair of Northgate Trails, said the announcement is definitely a breath of fresh air.
"Being able to move forward with the vision that we've had since day 1, I think this the announcement that will get us there, so yeah there was a lot of excitement just to know that it now gives us the opportunity to expand the trail network into Riding Mountain National Park...we've been talking with the Park probably since before we built Northgate, there's been lots of communication between members of the Dauphin community and Riding Mountain National Park about the trails, in the last couple of years those have really escalated," said Swanson.
Swanton also said the announcement gives Northgate hope that Dauphin might see those dollars from the budget being used sooner than you'd think.
"We're hopeful that with this announcement it will really elevate the timeline, it's possible by this fall that there's some of this money being spent on trail expansion," said Swanson.
Swanton wasn't only amazed by the amount of the investment. He said the fact that Northgate was even included in the budget is a good message to recration not just in the Parkland but in all of Manitoba.
"It sends a strong message to everybody that these things can be prioritized, because they're not just extras, they're not just fluff, there's real world dollars and cents that can be spent off for economic drivers out of projects like this," said Swanson.
Swanton also said Northgate is planning community outreach in the near future, possibly in May. For more information about Northgate Trails, click here to visit their website.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
A 29-year-old female from Dauphin has been charged with attempted murder.
On Tuesday, just after 11 PM, Dauphin RCMP responded to a pedestrian who had been intentionally hit multiple times by a vehicle.
It happened in the 100-block of Main Street.
The female driver, who knew the male victim, clipped him with her vehicle, then hit him again when he got up and tried to run away.
The female then got out of her vehicle and assaulted him as he lay on the ground.
A bystander attempted to stop the attack, but was then assaulted.
The victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect fled the scene but was located and arrested hours later.
She faces 10 charges, including attempted murder, assault with a weapon, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm, to name a few.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Swan River RCMP arrested two women after a pair of seperate shoplifting incidents in the community.
The first happened around 12:30 Monday afternoon at a business on Main Street.
After a search of the area, a 38-year-old woman was arrested and charged with theft under $5,000.
20 minutes later, a report came in of someone shoplifting from a grocery store in the community.
After checking out surveillance video, police arrested a 36-year-old woman later that afternoon and charged her with shoplifting.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Dauphin RCMP have arrested a 29-year-old man and charged him with an indecent act.
On Wednesday at 5:25, officers received a report that a man was exposing himself to others and committing an indecent act while inside a bathroom at a local recreation facility.
He was located in a back lane near the building and arrested.
Jonathan Parenteau faces charges of an indecent act, mischief under $5,000, and failure to comply with his probation.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
On Tuesday after the province's 2026 budget was released, CKDM NewsNow was able to attend a virtual press meeting with Finance Minister Adrien Sala to discuss rural focuses of the budget. After speaking with Minister Sala, the key takeaway was that the budget sounds good on paper, but doesn't do enough for farmers and producers across the province.
Of course, some of the agriculture-related announcements in the budget are great, like a freeze on crown land leases for a third year in a row. The budget says Manitoba's crown land lease rates are the lowest in western Canada, at $3.66 per animal unit month.
"For farmers and producers, we're saving you money yet again with a freeze on crown land leases for the third year in a row," said Minister Sala in his budget announcement.
The continued freeze on crown land leases is a good thing, according to Don Tarrant, General Manager of Reit-Syd Equipment. He said previous raises in crown land leases were a big blow to farmers, but the freeze helps them out a bit.
"Number of years ago [the government] attempted to raise it up significantly, and it was just bringing the producers to their knees with costs...another freeze is definitely necessary right now for producers. A lot of them, they're enjoying higher cattle prices, but they also have a lot of ground to make up," said Tarrant.
Crown land lease freezes aside, Minister Sala also announced the budget will include investments towards business risk management programming; a total of $143.7 million in the budget, which includes $45.6 million in income stabilization for AgriStability, $71.8 million in contributions to AgriInsurance premiums, and several increases to loan limits.
Increases to agriculture focused loan limits in this year's budget include an increase in the loan amount for the Young Farmer Rebate by $25,000, up to $400,000, with a maximum individual lifetime limit increase of $2,500, up to $42,500, a direct loan limit increase of $1.5 million, up to $6.25 million, and a $200,000 increase to the stock loan limit, up to $1.6 million.
During the post-announcment press meeting with Minister Sala, a big focus was how the provincial government plans to offset both unstable and uncertain crop prices, and rapidly increasing input costs for farming.
"I think one thing we've done as a government that's ensuring that we continue to provide help to producers is continuing the 50% school tax rebate for farm properties, and the farmland school tax rebate as well...we've identified a number of those important AgriStability and AgriInsurance investments we're making to support our farmers through this period of uncertainty," said Minister Sala.
It seem the general consensus on whether or not the government is doing enough when it comes to supporting farmers with this budget is a resounding no from the people it affects the most, and that when it comes to supporting agriculture, the budget's investments are a drop in the bucket.
"We're seeing the last number of months, or more than a year now with crop prices and input price increases, they've always come down to lending more money to farmers, I don't think that helps, but they really do need possibly some tax reductions on fuel or some kind of reductions on crop inputs...they need to find maybe perhaps another avenue to support farmers, whether it's a rebate, or again a tax rebate on fuel," said Don Tarrant of Reit-Syd Equipment.
"The property tax credit, although is very welcome, it certainly isn't going to offset the 30 or 40 percent increase to fuel costs, and certainly isn't going to offset the energy offset to fertilizer expenses, when you're looking at increased inputs from last fall to now just on nitrogen, phosphate, potash, it's tremendous," said Tere Stykalo of MNP Accounting.
Last year's budget had a total of $140.8 million in business risk management programming investments. This year's total is just $2.9 million more, an increase of barely over 2%.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Mossey River Municipality says they were unable to locate a secondary watermain break today, and their water system will be off for another 24 hour period, as per their Facebook page.
The release says the water plant is currently operational at reduced capacity, but will shortly be redirected to only provide limited water to the Winnipegosis & District Health Centre.
If any residents require drinking water, you can stop by the Municipal Office before 4:30 PM to pick up cases of water, and there will be both untreated well water or free drinking water available at the Nordheim Mennonite Church from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Untreated well water is still subject to the boil water advisory.
If you're affected by the water issues in Winnipegosis and Mossey River Municipality, monitor their Facebook page.
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- Contributed by Ian Gillingham
Dauphin's Municipal leaders are reacting favourably to Tuesday's provincial budget.
The highlight item for the Dauphin area was funding towards the construction of a new Justice centre.
Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak says that will be a huge benefit for the city.
"We were pleasantly surprised by the total size of the project. The budget indicated that it will cost $142 million, with $7 million of that being spent in this fiscal year, probably in the faall for site prep work. So that is huge. That is a start of a 2 - 3 year construction project."
Bosiak also noted increases to the Municipal Operating and Urban Policing grants, which are both going up by two percent., as well as a $12.5 million increase for social housing supports in Manitoba.
Meanwhile, R-M of Dauphin Reeve Ernie Sirski was happy to see Northgate Trails receive $1.5 million towards the expansion of their trail system into Riding Mountain National Park.
"Northgate Trails have become a nattinal institution. People are coming from all over Canada to ride those Northgate trails. This is going to be great for the group who have put all of that work and effort into making that place such the success that it is."
Sirski was also happy to see a funding commitment of $10 million towards the Port of Churchill.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
