The budget was again front and center at this week's town council meeting.

Mayor Andre Murphy spoke about work being done as the mill rate will increase by 3 percent while the town's mill rate will only increase by 2 percent, lessening the impact on taxpayers.

The town and council will also meet with the finance minister tomorrow regarding the challenges the north faces and how an escalation to the sustainable provincial grant funding can help.

There will be a budget hearing on April 17th ahead of the regular town council meeting, where the proposed financial plan for 2024 will be presented.

The next town council meeting will take place on March 11th.

It's Pink Shirt Day, and everyone is encouraged to wear a pink shirt in support of anti-bullying.

1 in 5 children is affected by bullying.

Pink Shirt Day aims to support those affected by bullying by wearing a pink shirt and letting others know it won't be tolerated.

Wearing a pink shirt is more than just a statement; it's a commitment to creating a safer place for children to grow and thrive.

It was initially started in 2007 by two high school students in Nova Scotia who wore pink shirts to school in support of a student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt.

Since then, the day has become a nationwide movement, with people across Canada wearing pink shirts to support the cause.

Schools across the community will be participating, encouraging everyone to join in to raise awareness about bullying and promote kindness, compassion, and inclusivity.

the 48th Northern Juried Art Show is creeping up from March 22nd to the 24th, but the setup for the event will be time-consuming for the volunteers that will begin on March 15th.

There is still a need for volunteers to help with the show.

The entry deadline to place pieces is March 8th. 

Adult entries cost 25 dollars, but youth entries for the ages 9 to 17 are free.

Entire forms can be found at Northern juried art show dot ca.

The Moffat Family Fund is once again applications.

These funds have helped projects with the Little Dreamer’s Daycare, the Life Skills program, the girl empowerment program at the Scott Bateman Middle School, video and streaming equipment at the MBCI, playground equipment and more.

To disburse these funds fairly and equitably, a call for proposals is being made through the Kelsey Rec and Wellness Center. 

Applicants must be for charitable, non-profit organizations and can be picked up at the front desk of the Wellness Center.

The deadline for applications is Friday, March 8th.

Safety Service Manitoba will host a free ATV and snowmobile presentation on Monday, March 4th.

They will also be touring the schools and making presentations for the youth.

Riders must know how to take proper precautions and prepare in the event of an emergency.

The goal is to teach novice riders of all ages how to be better prepared.

The 2-hour presentation will cover topics such as age requirements, proper riding gear, laws and guidelines, pre-ride checklists, survival and first aid and more.

Seasoned, experienced, and certified trainers will run the session.

The open presentation will occur on March 4th at 6:30 pm in the A&W meeting room.

Presentations are free, and there is still time to register for events at local schools by going to safetyservicesmanitoba.ca.

The RCMP Musical Ride will be coming to The Pas on July 31st.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Musical Ride is a performance by a mass group of RCMP members on horseback.

The Ride involves a choreographed cavalry drill set to music and has been performed since 1876.

The Musical Ride displays the riding skills of the RCMP as well as the heritage and traditions of the Force.

It's performed by an entire troop of 32 riders, horses, and the member in charge.

The performance consists of various intricate figures and drills set to music, including the famous Dome formation.

The Musical Ride is a Canadian icon often performed at national events, such as Canada Day celebrations and royal visits.

A lot was going on at last week’s council meeting as the team worked to finalize the budget for 2024.

Funding for the RCMP, highway work, and various infrastructure were tabled.

Some other things discussed at last week’s meeting included healthcare challenges and shortfalls within the community as well as taxation tools that are lacking in the province but are available elsewhere.

The next council meeting is coming up on February 26th, and there will be a special meeting regarding the budget beforehand.

The budget meeting will be at 5 pm, and the regular council meeting is at 6 pm.

The 77th annual Northern Manitoba Trappers Festival wrapped up over the weekend, and a big thanks goes out to all the volunteers who made the event possible.

All the fur queen contestants worked diligently raising funds for the event, and when it was all done, Lynelle Bon was crowned this year’s fur queen, Nicole Ducharme-Chief won 1st princess, and Brook Scott was the 2nd princess.

In the king trapper contest, Chris Perchaluck was once again awarded the trophy, and Kristen Burns took the prize for the women’s event.

Laine Connors is this year’s junior queen trapper, and Colin Perchaluck is the junior king trapper.

For a complete event and contest winners list, visit the Northern Manitoba Trappers Festival Facebook page.

The Northern Health Foundation's Great raffle of 2024 is wrapping up shortly, and there is only a week left to get tickets and contribute to the cause.

Ticket sales run until February 27th, with the grand prize drawing happening on the 28th.

The current pot is sitting at over 1000 dollars and growing.

Last year, over 6000 dollars was raised from the raffle, half of which was awarded as the grand prize.

Impacts from the foundation can be seen across the north; recently, funds went towards the Northern Lights Manor in Flin Flon to open a mini-mart for residents; it gives seniors a chance to play games to win tickets that can then be used in the mini-mart.

Funds from the health foundation should be directed to facilities in the northern health region.

Donate or find tickets for the raffle at northernhealthfoundation.com

The Pas and OCN Chamber of Commerce hosted last week's annual general meeting.

A new president, Dan Quesnel, was elected at the meeting and will act as president for the coming year.

Quesnel said that the chamber is working on finalizing details of the trade show, and plans should be

completed by April.

The chamber is actively looking for new members; the group works to develop and educate the economic, civic, cultural and social welfare of all citizens. 

Today marks the start of the Northern Manitoba Trapper's Festival in The Pas Manitoba, and there will be many activities to participate in.

The only significant change to this year's event will be the lack of the dog sled races.

The races had to be cancelled due to a lack of snowfall required for the track.

Opening ceremonies will occur at 12:15 at the fort set up along the Saskatchewan River in Devon Park.

Volunteers have been busy preparing the Ice shack using traditional and new methods to cut and prep the ice straight from the river.

 The torchlight parade and Fur queen pageants are set to take place this evening, and contestants are readying for the king, queen, and junior king and queen competitions set to start tomorrow.

With the Northern Manitoba Trappers festival just a day away, over 200 volunteers have been busy getting ready.

The youth board has been busy for months planning and preparing for the event; they host a variety of activities and volunteer at events during the week.

One of the most significant events the youth board is involved in is the family fun day on Saturday afternoon.

The event is free to attend.

The Youth Board will also host the scavenger hunt on Friday afternoon; registration will happen from 11:45 to 1 pm at the event HQ, and the scavenger hunt will occur from 1 to 3 pm.

The Northern Manitoba Trappers Festival kicks off this week, and the town is buzzing with events.

The festival starts on Wednesday, but games and activities are underway.

One change the committee says has worked well over the last few years is the addition of the event headquarters on top of the Trappers Festival Headquarters.

Jen Cook, Festival Director, shares details about the festival headquarters.

"We have our usual festival event HQ, that's where you buy all our merchandise, where you pick up your event tickets, pageant, teen fashion show, things like that.  Pub Crawl registration will (also) be there.

"So one thing that is not at event HQ is Festival HQ, which is located in The Pas Regional Library's Annex again."

The event HQ will be located at the Wescana towards the back in the Rendevous Room.

That will be the central location to register for events like the King and Queen Trapper Contest and others.

Festival booklets are now available at Opasquia Times, Wescana Inn, Michaels, Paperwork's Plus and Super Thrifty. 

Diabetes is a huge concern across Canada, especially in the indigenous population.

Indiginous people are three to five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-indiginous people.

The Beatrice Wilson Health Center is partnering with primary health in The Pas to host a beginner resistance band class to address this locally.

The class will run on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 3 pm starting on February 26th and running to the end of March.

There is a one-time registration fee of 5 dollars to provide the Bands, and to get involved, you can contact primary health at 204-623-9650.

To date, the Rotary Club has raised over 2.1 billion dollars to help eradicate Polio; despite the efforts, Polio remains an issue in third-world countries.

Polio is highly infectious and transmitted through contaminated food and water or direct contact with an infected individual.

February is the month that Rotary uses to advocate for the eradication of Polio.

Dom McKay with the Rotary Club of The Pas Shares more.

"Polio is still common in Afghanistan and Pakistan, so there's still work to do.  Sadly, the thing about that is the cost to vaccinate a kid is three dollars, but still the issue remains.

"Again, please donate.  If you wish to donate, go to the Rotary site and at the top-right corner, there's a donate button."

There are also donation jars set up at the grub box. Polio has the potential to devastate someone’s life, but it is preventable with vaccination.

The disease is rare thanks to widespread vaccination efforts, although there are areas where it is endemic.

A round dance will be happening this weekend honouring residential school survivors and missing children.

The event goes down at the OCN Veterans Hall with the pipe ceremony at 4 pm on Saturday.

There will be an open invitation for singers and the first 30 to register will get an honorarium.

Following a pipe ceremony and speeches a feast will take place with the round dance to follow and prizes to be awarded after.

For more information on the event contact Cree Nation Tribal Health at (204) 627-1500.

The 2024 Northern Arts and Food workshop is coming quickly, and for those looking for travel assistance, the deadline to apply is February 12th.

Big names are on the list for guest speakers at this year’s event, including former Governor General of Canada Michaelle Jean.

The Workshop is for content creators and food makers that look to expand and grow in the north.

The event will welcome those from across the north to share ideas and goals, create a network, and provide insight into arts and culture in the north with the goal of further development.

The UCN in The Pas will play host to the event that will run from March 24th to the 27th, but all northerners are encouraged to get involved.

The Beatrice Wilson Health Center is hosting a men's support group tomorrow night.

The goal is to break the chain of intergenerational trauma by showing support, respect, humanity, courage, truth, wisdom, and honesty.

In small groups, individuals are encouraged to talk to one another in healthy and supportive ways about challenges they may face.

Support groups can help Men achieve personal growth, help with mental health, and lead to success and happiness.

The BWHC will host the group weekly on Wednesday nights, and the group will gather for the first time tomorrow from 7 to 9 pm at the health center.

The group embraces elder teachings and will host a traditional smudge before and after the event.

Anyone interested in attending can call 204-627-7410.

Its burn prevention week; the goal of this week is to raise awareness about the importance of burn prevention and to educate people on how to prevent burns from happening in the first place.

Burn injuries can be excruciating and can leave permanent scars, so it's essential to take precautions to avoid them.

Scald injuries can happen at any age, with children, older adults, and those with disabilities most at risk.

The Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner is hosting a contest for students from grades 5 to 8 to submit art pieces representing fire and burn prevention.

Winning entries will receive a 200-dollar cash prize, and the artwork will also be posted online at the office of the fire commissioner's website.

Burn prevention, Fire safety, and smoke alarm tips can all be found at Fire Comm dot gov dot mb.

By taking the time to learn about burn prevention, you can help avoid unnecessary injuries.

MKO’s Liason unit will be in the OCN from February 27th to the 29th, hosting the 8th annual healing gathering for families of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and survivors of sexual-based violence.

The liaison unit was first established in 2017 to support families and communities affected by the MMIWG movement; it has since grown to incorporate the needs of even more women struggling with gender-based violence.

The main focus of the groups is advocacy, building partnerships and relationships, and preventing and providing awareness for all forms of violence against women.

The group also focuses on healing, reclaiming the spirit, and empowerment.

Registration for the event will wrap up on February 7th and can be done online or by calling 431-334-8910.

The Pas will host this year's Northern Juried Art Show, and there’s still lots of time to register pieces for the event.

Elma Dean, one of this year's jurors, discusses the show's roots in The Pas.

"It began in 1976 by a group of artists right here in The Pas who decided to create a show that included all of Northern Manitoba.

"The history tells us that it went to each different community: Flin Flon, Lynn Lake, Snow Lake, Gillam, Churchill - it's been everywhere."

There are adult and youth categories to take part in.

Some categories include Oil, acrylic, watercolour, drawing and printmaking, digital art and photography, and 3d art, including stained glass and pottery.

Anyone living north of 53 can submit pieces.

The event runs from March 21st to the 23rd at the UCN in The Pas, and the deadline to submit art is March 8th.

Artists interested in registering can go to northernjuriedartshow.ca.