A presentation and public hearing was held on Wednesday evening at The Town of The Pas Municipal Building for the communities 2019 Financial Plan.

The hearing outlined this year’s financial plan with a slideshow presentation and residents had a chance to ask questions or voice their concerns. No one in attendance had any major concerns.

The presentation outlined how tax dollars will be allocated as well as future capital projects. One of the items outlined in the presentation was the policing costs for the community and they’re expected to increase by $7,843.

The financial plan was expected to go through its second and third readings at a special meeting last night and town council voted in favour of the plan unanimously.  

The presentation outlining the details of the financial plan can be found at town of the pas dot ca.

If you have any questions call 204-627-1107.

Out of more than 600 applications 12 elementary schools in Canada have been awarded grants of up to $10,000 each from Best Buy and Ecole Opasquia School is one of them.

The funding is for tech based curriculums through Best Buys school tech grant program that will give students access to the latest in computer and digital technology.

The goal of the program is to increase the exposure that students have to technology so they can develop 21^st century skills.

School Principal Cam Nagle says they are very happy to receive this grant as it will help students to stay up to date with modern technology.

The School plans to buy new tablets and chrome books for the students to use.

The Construction Safety Association of Manitoba will be conducting safety courses at the Kikiwak Inn on June 10^th.

The Construction Safety Association of Manitoba is a non profit organization that supports the building and construction industry in the province and the courses will help to strengthen safety in the construction industry.

The Courses being offered are Safety and Skills for Supervisors, Hazard Recognition and Control, and Safety Representative and Committee Training.

If you would like more information on these courses or if you would like to sign up, visit constructionsafety.ca

The deadline to register is June 7^th at 12PM.

During question period recently MP Niki Ashton brought up the repercussions that climate change has had on Northern Manitoba communities. 

The Federal Government made an announcement that 28 million dollars would go towards rebuilding an airport in Thompson that is sinking due to permafrost.

Ashton added that 18 communities depend on ice roads as their lifelines but these are disappearing fast.

As an MP for our region Ashton will continue to fight for Action on climate change and support for communities that have been affected.

Tomson Highway is the proud son of legendary caribou hunter and world championship dogsled racer, Joe Highway, and artist-in-her-own-right (as bead-worker and quilt-maker extraordinaire), Pelagie Highway. A full-blood Cree, he is a registered member of the Barren Lands First Nation, the village for which is called Brochet (pronounced "Bro-shay") and which village is located in northern Manitoba where it meets Saskatchewan and what is now called Nunavut. Today, he writes novels, plays, and music for a living. Having studied music and English literature at the Universities of Manitoba (Winnipeg) and Western Ontario (London), as well as in England, he earned both his Bachelor of Music Honours (Piano Performance major, 1975) and the equivalent of a Bachelor of Arts (English major, 1976), both from "Western."
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Subsequently, for seven years, he immersed himself in the field of Native social work, working with children (and parents) from broken families, with inmates in prisons, with cultural-educational programmes of one kind or another, with other Native social workers and activists, with Native visual artists, writers, healers, Elders, politicians, women, 2-Spirits, etc. For all this, he worked on reserves and in urban centres across Ontario and, later on, Canada, though he was based almost always at head offices in Toronto. Then he turned 30 and decided it was time to put all this extraordinary artistic training and this extraordinary Native social work experience together – he started writing music, plays, and, later, novels.

After many years working in the Toronto theatre industry (and after many plays all of which he both wrote and produced himself), he achieved national (and international) recognition in 1986 with his sixth play, the multi-award-winning (and since cult-status/legendary) "THE REZ SISTERS." This was followed in 1989 by its companion play, the even more successful "DRY LIPS OUGHTA MOVE TO KAPUSKASING," which not only was nominated for and won numerous awards but was the first Canadian play in the history of Canadian theatre ever to receive a full production and extended run at Toronto's legendary Royal Alexandra Theatre (1990). In fact, these two plays continue to be produced and/or studied at theatres and universities around the world, including theatres in such centres as New York City (Off-Broadway), Tokyo (in Japanese), Edinburgh, Scotland (the Edinburgh Festival), etc. As well, both have the distinction of being published in anthologies beside works written by such figures of world dramatic literature as Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Williams, Harold Pinter, and Bertold Brecht. Other plays/shows of many that he has written both before and after the above-named two are, "THE SAGE, THE DANCER, AND THE FOOL," "ARIA," "NEW SONG…NEW DANCE," "ANNIE AND THE OLD ONE," "A RIDICULOUS SPECTACLE IN ONE ACT," "THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES OF MARY JANE MOSQUITO" (a one-woman cabaret/musical for young audiences), "A TRICKSTER TALE," and "ROSE" (also a musical, though this one for audiences of all ages, features many characters, is, like "DRY LIPS…," a companion piece to the afore-mentioned "THE REZ SISTERS," and is, in fact, the third instalment in a planned seven-play cycle all based on the same set of characters, themes, and settings). Most recent (though not part of what he calls "The Rez Cycle") is his tragi-comic allegory, "ERNESTINE SHUSWAP GETS HER TROUT" which had its world premiere at the Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops, B.C., 24 January, 2004 and has since played several other Canadian and American cities.

From 1986 to 1992, he was Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts, Toronto's only (at the time) professional Native theatre company and (also at the time) virtually Canada's only such organization, out of which, over the years, have emerged not only some of Canada's most accomplished and celebrated Native theatre and film artists but, as well, other professional Native theatre companies. In fact, in large part as a result of the work done at that company in that city at that time (not only by Mr. Highway but by innumerable other good, kind, generous, dedicated, and tireless folk, both Native and non-native), Canada, and Toronto in particular, now boasts the world's most active and richest (in the cultural sense) Aboriginal theatre industry. We, that is to say, invented, from scratch, together, the term (and the concept), "Native show biz!" Even more important, however, is the fact that this groundwork gave birth to a nation-wide Native literary movement, a movement which, to this day, continues to play a fundamental role in the advancement of Aboriginal literacy and education right across the country. In part as a result of the production of a "national literature" that did not exist before those years, Native enrolment in Canada's universities, just in the past decade-and-a-half alone, has sky-rocketed. In fact, it is becoming an increasingly normal feature of Canadian life to see talented young Native people earning Ph.D.'s in numbers unprecedented when as recently as ten years ago, such accomplishments were practically unheard of, when as recently as thirty years ago, very few Natives, in the north especially, stayed in school long enough even to earn their high school diploma.

In 1998, he published his first novel, "KISS OF THE FUR QUEEN," which, like his plays, was nominated for several awards and, moreover, spent several weeks on Canadian bestseller lists. To this day, in fact, it continues to be absorbed into university curricula in many countries the whole world over, from Spain to Brazil, from Poland to New Zealand.

He has, as well, to his credit three children's books, all published by HarperCollins Canada, in order: "CARIBOU SONG" (2001), "DRAGON FLY KITES" (2002), and "FOX ON THE ICE" (2003). All are written bilingually in Cree (his mother tongue).and English and are beautifully illustrated by Alberta-born, Toronto-based visual artist, Brian Deines (rhymes with "pines"). And, again, all three were short-listed for various prizes.

Among the many awards he has won are the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play and Best Production (three wins, five nominations), the Governor General's Literary Award for Drama (two nominations), the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award (two wins), the Toronto Arts Award (for outstanding contributions made over the years to the City of Toronto cultural industries, as winner, not as nominee), the Wang Harbourfront International Festival of Authors Award, the Silver Ticket Award (from the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, for outstanding contributions made over the years to the Toronto theatre industry), the National Aboriginal Achievement Award (2001), the Order of Canada (1994), and others too embarrassingly numerous to list. In fact, at one point in his life, his trophy case collapsed from the terrible weight and killed three people.

He holds ten honorary doctorates, these from Carleton University (Ottawa), Thornloe University (Sudbury), Brandon University, the University of Winnipeg, the University of Western Ontario (London), the University of Windsor, Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario), Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ontario), l'Universite de Montreal, and the University of Toronto. In addition, he holds two "equivalents" of such honours: from The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and The National Theatre School in Montreal.

He has been Writer-in-Residence at the Universities of Toronto, Concordia (Montreal), British Columbia (Vancouver), and Simon Fraser University (at its Kamloops campus), among many others. As well, he has taught Aboriginal Mythology at the University of Toronto (University College), at which institution he holds the post of "Adjunct Professor" (meaning that he teaches there if and when he happens to be "in town," a period of time that averages out to perhaps one month a year). Most recently, for the fall terms of both 2006 and 2007, he held the post of "Stanley Knowles Distinguished Visiting Professor" at Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba.

He has criss-crossed North America, Europe, and the world with his readings, lectures, performances (at the piano), and teaching engagements at universities, colleges, schools, theatres, nightclubs, concert halls, bookstores, art galleries, and other institutions. In fact, as a world traveller (his hobby – born a nomad, always a nomad), he has, to date, circumnavigated the globe three times. And been to 55 countries (and counting…).

Several film and television documentaries on both his work and his background have been produced for the international market over the years, most notable among them being, "Adrienne Clarkson Presents," "Life and Times" (respectively 1991 and 1997, both for the CBC), and, most recently, "Tomson Highway Gets His Trout" (2003, Getaway Films Inc.).

He speaks fluent Cree (his mother tongue), French, and English, though his Spanish is fast catching up. As well, having been trained by extraordinary teachers as a classical musician, he plays the piano "fluently." In fact, he enjoys, as often as he can, combining his many lectures and readings around the world with performances at the piano, both solo and with singer/musician friends and colleagues (when available), mostly all with songs that he himself has written (both music and lyrics) over the years for his own shows, his own cabarets, his own "musicals." Many of these songs, in fact, are written with Cree lyrics -- Cree jazz? Cree cabaret? Cree Kurt Weill? Come and see them! Last, on the subject of language, his work, to date, has been translated into eleven languages.

He was born the 11th of 12 children on the 6th of December, 1951 in a snow bank. That is to say, he was born in a tent pitched in a snow bank (in one awful hurry!) on an island in a lake in the remotest reaches of northwestern Manitoba where it meets the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and what, since 1999, has been called Nunavut. His caribou-hunting family traversing the tundra, as always in those days, by dogsled, this lake – called Maria (pronounced "Ma-rye-ah") – is situated some 200 kilometres north of the Indian reserve (Barren Lands) to which he belongs, the village for which is called Brochet ("Bro-shay"). He grew up NOT on the reserve, however, but rather in the spectacularly beautiful natural landscape that is Canada's sub-Arctic, an un-peopled region of hundreds of lakes, endless forests of spruce and pine, and great herds of caribou. Today (as for the past eleven years), he divides his year equally between, in summer, a cottage on a lake in the heart of Ojibway (and French) Ontario just south of Sudbury (from whence hails his partner of 29 years) and, in winter, Gatineau Québec. At both of these locales -- i.e. Canada and France -- he is currently hard at work on his second and, as yet, untitled novel.

He thanks anyone and everyone for what, so far, has been an extraordinary "journey," a magic carpet ride of the very first order.

The ongoing problem with people living on the streets here in The Pas was brought up at Monday night’s committee of the whole meeting.

Vagrants have been a major problem in the community for a long time causing mischief in and around businesses in the downtown area, getting intoxicated in public and even getting into fights.

These issues have discouraged some people from opening businesses downtown.

To solve this problem, Mayor Herb Jacques says he would like to put together a small committee of concerned community organizations to see if they can come up with a solution.

The next step is to touch base with community groups and get them on board.

The Pas Fire Department had a busy weekend fighting the massive blaze at The Pas landfill.  

The page for the fire came in around quarter to 11 on Saturday night and the fire was spotted by someone at the hospital and upon arrival the fire was discovered to be burning in the house hold garbage section of the landfill.

The main fire was brought under control relatively quickly but it took fire crews about 27 hours to extinguish the fire fully.

It’s is not clear exactly how the fire started.

The Moose Lake RCMP received a report of a stolen school bus early Sunday morning.

The report came in just after midnight about 40 minutes after the incident took place.

Detachments in the surrounding area were contacted and told to keep an eye out for the stolen school bus.

The Pas RCMP found the bus and tried to make the driver pull over.

The bus driver drove back to Moose Lake and the suspects later got out and tried to flee on foot.

One youth was arrested near the scene and it was later discovered that there were 6 suspects in total 4 of them under the age of 12.

Two 14 year old males from Moose Lake have many charges pending including, mischief, flight from a peace officer, theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of property obtained by crime.

An MS walk was held in The Pas this past Sunday. The walk began at the Royal Canadian legion and as of news time almost $3,000 was raised of the $13,277 goal.

Multiple sclerosis commonly known as MS is a disease that affects many people around the world and Canada has one of the highest rates of the condition.

This week is victims and survivors of crime week and Aurora House here in The Pas is hosting an event to commemorate the week.

A vigil will be held outside the town office at 6PM on May 30^th. Aurora House has been using social media to increase awareness on these issues and they are preparing a brochure that will highlight the impacts and resources.

Individuals affected by crime may not always acknowledge their victimization but still experience the emotional and psychological damage and the intent of aurora house is to make people aware of these impacts and to encourage them to seek the support they need.

The theme for this year’s Victims and Survivors of crime week is “The Power of collaboration.

The swearing in ceremony for the Honorable Judge Theresa McDonald was scheduled to be held in courtroom B of The Pas Courthouse last Friday.

McDonald was first appointed as a provincial court judge on October 10^th of last year and she brings a lot of experience to the role. 

She has helped to establish Aurora House here in The Pas and has worked for Manitoba Legal Aid since 1984.

More details have come in regarding Wednesday night’s fire in the Big Eddy area.

The fire was reported to have been located near Pike Lake and Moose Park and a call reporting the fire was received around 9 o’clock in the evening.

Gordie Lathlin, The Fire Chief for the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Fire Department says that the fire wouldn’t have spread because of the bodies of water in the surrounding area.

He added that since there was no risk of the fire spreading and because he didn’t want to put his fire crew in unnecessary danger they didn’t attempt to put the fire out and they allowed the fire to burn out on its own.

Lathlin believes that the fire may have been deliberately set.

A presentation and community meeting was conducted at the Kikiwak inn on Wednesday Night by The Manitoba First Nations Police Service.

One of the main items brought up was the recruitment process for those interested in joining the force and they hope to have Opaskwayak Cree Nation members on board.

An announcement was made that Manitoba First Nations Police Service would provide policing for Opaskwayak Cree Nation after much research and consideration. 

OCN vice Chief Jennifer Flett says that the force has a better understanding of indigenous culture and allowing this force to provide policing gives the community and their members a change to practice their sovereignty.

The Transfer of services from the RCMP to Manitoba First Nations Police Service is expected to be official on April 1^st of 2020.

You can learn more about the police force at mfnp.ca

The Kelsey School Division Board approved a motion to transfer the Kelsey Learning Centre to The Pas Campus of the University College of the North.

UCN President and Vice Chancellor Doug Lauvstad says they are excited about the many possibilities that the move brings such as providing clearer pathways for adult learning students to realize their goals of pursuing post secondary education and training.

The move is expected to be completed by September.

The Pas Health Complex Foundations annual radio pledge show aired on 102.9 CJAR last Thursday and Friday.

A total of $37,305 was raised and it will go towards offsetting costs for new beds purchased for St Paul’s Personal Care Home.

The Pas Health Complex Foundation works to provide services and equipment for The Pas health complex facilities.

A meeting will be held tonight at the Kikiwak Inn to discuss the transition of policing services from the RCMP to Manitoba First Nations Police on Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

The meeting begins at 6PM.

An MS walk will be held here in The Pas this Sunday. MS is a disease that affects many people around the world and Canada has one of the highest rates of the illness.

The Registration for the walk will be at the Royal Canadian Legion branch 19 at 10AM and the walk begins at 11.

The fundraising goal is $13,277

Homework assignments. Work projects.   Illness.  Money troubles.

With each one of these comes stress.

Most of us have stress in our lives.  But not all stress is bad.

Eustress, also known as positive stress, can actually provide mental health and physical health benefits.

However, if you’re experiencing negative stress - or distress - and need help in dealing with it, the CMHA is available to help you.  Call them at 623-1028.

The Tri Community is inviting you to take part in a community clean up on May 25th from noon until 4PM. Participants are asked to meet at the Agricultural Grounds at noon to pick up supplies and a barbecue will be held at 4.

You can also register your block for the cleanest street in the tri community for a chance to win an award.

For more information or to sign up call tpcrc.ed@hotmail.com or Breanna.Jackson-Stoltz@ocnhealth.com

Pimicikamak Cree Nation musician Ernest Monias also known as the Elvis of the North is being honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Indigenous Music Awards.

The awards ceremony will be held tonight at Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg and Monias will be performing one of his most popular songs.

Manitoba has invested $754,000 for new body scanning technology for keeping drugs and contraband items out of Manitoba jails and they are now fully operational at correctional centres in Winnipeg, Brandon, and here in The Pas.

Justice Minster Cliff Cullen says illicit drugs and other contrabands present a significant risk to inmates and staff and this technology will keep contrabands out of the hands of inmates and act as a deterrent for those who plan to smuggle dangerous substances into these facilities.

The devices use very low x-ray doses to scan through the body to produce a skeletal image that can reveal foreign objects.Prior procedures to locate contraband items involved placing inmates suspected of having ingested or inserted such items in cells with no plumbing called dry cells and less than 10 percent of dry cell cases resulted in contraband recovery.

In 2017 and 2018 the province used almost 11,000 hours of staff time for dry cells at a cost of over $450,000. Minister Cullen says investing in this new technology is expected to generate savings of around $740,000 in three years.

Around 20 scanners are currently in use in three provinces and Saskatchewan recently purchased four scanners.

The War Amps are mailing out key tags to residence across Manitoba this month as a part of their 2019 Key Tag campaign.

The Key Tag Service was launched after the Second World War as way for war amputee vets to earn competitive wages, as well as providing a service to Canadians that would raise funds for the Association.

Each key tag has a confidentially coded number, so if you lose your keys, the finder can call the toll-free number on the back tag or place them in any mailbox, and The War Amps will return them to you, free of charge.

Kelsey School Division Chair Vaughn Wadelius spoke to arctic radio news about a possible solution to the ongoing drainage issues with Wadelius Drive near the school.

In consultation with The Town of The Pas, the school division has decided to try graveling and plowing the road so that the water runs down the curbs away from the school.

They are also developing information for some engineering consultants in Winnipeg in hopes of coming up with a permanent solution.

If these plans don’t work a portion of the road will have to be closed while still allowing access to the Winton pool and the back of MBCI.

Jim Lorden form Carpenters Clearwater Lodge spoke to Arctic Radio recently about zebra mussels. Zebra mussels have spread to bodies of water in Manitoba and are causing havoc.

Lake Winnipeg is so infested people can’t walk on Victoria Beach without cutting their feet on their shells and Victoria Beach Golf Courses water intake has been blocked by the mussels preventing them from watering their lawns.

Zebra Mussels have infested Cedar Lake South of The Pas and the Saskatchewan River is part of Cedar Lakes watershed. If the mussels plug up The Pas’ water lines it will cost millions to try and save. Clearwater Lake is not infested with zebra mussels as of now but in order to prevent the spreading to Clearwater lake and other bodies of water measures are being taken.

People heading north can have their watercrafts disinfected at The Prospector Disinfection Station which is capable of killing zebra mussel larva and zebra mussels from water related equipment.

The station is located near the turn off to Clearwater Lake on Highway 10. Disinfection of watercrafts is required by law before you go from one affected zone to another water shed.

Twin Motors will be having the Cars for Paws Auto Show and barbecue on June 8^th.

The event is a fundraiser for The Pas and Area Animal shelter. The goal is to raise ten thousand dollars.

The show will run from 10AM until 2PM at the Twin Motors parking lot.

If you would like to enter your car in the show call 204-620-2374

The winners of the Smart Cities Challenge were announced yesterday at a

ceremony in Ottawa.

The Pas, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, and The RM of Kelsey entered the challenge in the10 million dollar prize category but lost to Nunavut Communities and The City of Guelph and Wellington County.

The challenge is a federal competition put on by Infrastructure Canada and it involves communities submitting a challenge statement on how they will use smart cities technology in their community.

According to the tri communities challenge statement the community would utilize LED Smart Farm Technology to support local food growth, promote food security, and create a smart phone distribution system.

The RM of Kelsey is having a hearing for this year’s budget at their municipal office.

The hearing will give residents of the RM a chance to gain some insight on the budget or raise their concerns.

The hearing begins at 6PM

The RM of Kelsey is having a hearing for this year’s budget at their municipal office.

The hearing will give residents of the RM a chance to gain some insight on the budget or raise their concerns.

The hearing begins at 6PM

Leonard Gluska, The elected president of the inter-provincial group Gateway Keewatin Corridor was present at the 2019 Chamber of Commerce Tradeshow and he spoke to Arctic Radio.

One of the biggest goals of the group is to upgrade Highway 283 and Highway 55 also known as the Tote Road between The Pas and Nipiwin.

The Tote Road is currently unpaved and was originally designed in the 1950s to haul supplies to camps and needs to be upgraded for safety reasons.

Gluska says the Federal Government and the province of Saskatchewan will put in 12.5 million dollars each towards the highways upgrades.

Gluska believes that the Manitoba government will make contributions as well.

The goal is to have this highway protect completed by 2021.

The Opaskwayak Cree Nation Jordan’s Principle team and the Beatrice Wilson Health Centre held a Bear Witness Day Walk on OCN on May 10^th.

The day was in honour of Jordan River Anderson who passed away at the age of five never having lived in is family home. He had to live in the hospital because the government was unable to decide who should pay for the services and equipment needed in order to go home to Norway House.

The overall turnout of the walk was good this year and Jordan’s Principle Services Coordinator Carie McIntosh would like to thank everyone that helped to organize the event and everyone that took part in the walk.

Canada Road Safety Week begins today and runs until the 20^th.

The annual awareness campaign focuses on behaviors that put drivers, passengers and other road users at risk such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.

A statement from Manitoba Public Insurance says road safety is the responsibility of all Manitobans and that one vehicle fatality is too many.

Pedestrians account for nearly 50 percent of this year’s road fatalities.

The Pas MLA Amanda Lathlin spoke to Arctic Radio to talk about an open house that she held on May 2^nd at The Sam Waller Museums rotary room. The open house went really well and guests were served a nice dinner.

They discussed the possibility of an early provincial election and the changes to the Manitoba electoral boundaries specifically The Pas Kameesak the new title for our constituency.

Our Constituency lost Norway House and Cross Lake Which moved to the Flin Flon constituency but we gained Easterville and Grand Rapids making the constituency much bigger.

They also discussed mental health and addictions services in Northern Manitoba. According to Lathlin there is a report called “Improving Access and Coordination of Mental Health and Addictions Services. It’s a provincial strategy for all Manitobans but there is some concern about when it will be implemented.

The 43^rd Northern Juried Art Show ran in Thompson from May 6^th until the 12^th.

There were two local winners at this year’s show. James Dean won second place in the painting category and Amelia Cooper won third place in the youth category.

The show was open to artists living north of 53 here in Manitoba along with Creighton and Denare Beach Saskatchewan.

Officials from The town of Snow Lake and Hudbay minerals gathered in the community last week to sign a grant in Lieu agreement that will see a sizable increase in funding to the communities operating budget and a new component that will contribute to the town’s capital requirements.

Mayor Peter Roberts stated in a news release that the capital money is something that is going to be there every year of the five year agreement and nothing but good things will happen as a result.

With the capital funds it will be easier to lever money for further infrastructure projects through agreements with the provincial and federal governments.

The Town of The Pas is inviting residents to take part in a hearing for the 2019 budget. This will give the public an opportunity to voice their support or oppositions to the budget or to ask questions.

The budget is expected to be completed on May 24^th and the public hearing will be held on at the municipal office on May 29^th at 6PM.

Afterwards, a special meeting will be held for the first reading of by law 4593 to impose and levy property taxes for The Town of The Pas for the fiscal year.

The bylaw will go through its second and third readings on Thursday May 30th.

Corrections: An earlier version of this story said that bylaw 4593 would go through its second and third readings next Thursday, when in fact the second and third readings are expected to occur on Thursday may 30^th.

Mchappy Day was held at McDonalds Restaurants on Wednesday across Canada and a dollar from every Big Mac, Happy meal, and hot beverage sold went towards Ronald McDonald House Charities.

A total of $1674 dollars was raised here in The Pas.

Ronald Mcdonald House Charities Manitoba provides places for rural Manitobans’ to stay while their children receive medical treatment away from home.

34 families from The Pas and area utilized Ronald McDonald Houses’ in Winnipeg last year.

Local MP Niki Aston is calling for more health care in our communities. According to her most recent MP report far too many people have had to leave their community to receive the most basic medical services.

One of the best initiatives in recent years was made by the previous NDP Provincial Government to move dialysis onto reserves like Berens River allowing people to stay in their community to receive this medical treatment but unfortunately now the community no longer has the machines needed for the treatment.

The report said the provincial government quote ripped out machines from Berens River and she called on the Federal Minister during Question Period to act to save these services. 

She concluded by saying that it’s time to expand community based medical services and she will continue to speak out on behalf of Bernes River and communities throughout our region on this issue.

Canada Safety Council’s National Summer Safety Week ran from May 1^st until the 7^th but summer safety doesn’t end there.

While our weather is on the cooler side right now, summers can be sunny and hot.

The theme for the week was “Heat Stroke is No Joke.”

Before heat stroke sets in, someone who has been overexposed to the heat may show signs of heat exhaustion.  They include nausea, headache, extreme thirst, dizziness and high body temperature.

A priority on hot days is to stay hydrated, wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing and shield your head from the sun.  

Photo: https://canadasafetycouncil.org/

There is so much to see at the chamber of commerce annual trade show and sale.

The event kicks off tonight at the Roy H. Johnston arena and you can expect to see a wide variety of new and returning booths.

With silent auctions, 50-50’s and tons of popcorn and candy, there’s always a little something waiting for everyone at the Trade Show and Sale.

The show will be running at the Roy H. Johnston arena starting at 5 tonight running till 9, tomorrow from Noon till 9, and Saturday from 10 am till 4 pm.

Paulette Aamot, the local Citizens on Patrol Coordinator spoke to Arctic Radio to give an update on what they have been doing and what they have planned.

In two weeks they will be conducting a speed watch for the community.

They will be monitoring the speed of motorists and they will set up a speed watch signal to let motorists know what the speed limit is and how fast they are going. People that choose to go over the speed limit will be reported.

They will also be conducting a seatbelt and cell phone survey. 60 percent of Passenger deaths in traffic accidents in rural Manitoba involved not wearing  seatbelts and 10 percent of these deaths involved distracted driving and the goal is to try to prevent these from happening.

Members have also been selling 50/50 raffle tickets and the draw for 1000 dollars will be done at the trade show.

One of the main objects of Citizens on Patrol is to keep the community and the streets safe.

The monthly mayor reports for April have been released. The Town of The Pas had 165 Disturbances of The Peace, 128 Mischief cases, 191 prisoners held, 26 assaults, and a handful of other offences.

The RM of Kelsey had 39 provincial traffic violations, 10 cases of mischief, and 10 disturbances of the peace.

Cormorant had four offences altogether one missing person, one disturbance of the peace, one provincial statue, and one case of theft.

A statement was made on social media regarding an incident that occurred on OCN on May 6^th.

The RCMP from The Pas and OCN responded to a report of a man with a machete and what appeared to be a firearm. Joe A Ross School was put on lockdown as a precaution during the incident and the police later found and arrested the man.

Around 80 pieces of artwork have been entered in this year’s Northern Juried Art Show in Thompson.

They include paintings,  photographs, mixed media, fibre art and sculptures by artists from Thompson, The Pas, Flin Flon and Creighton.

Jurors began the judging yesterday to determine which pieces will win the cash prizes for first, second and third place..

The public will be able to view the submissions in the C.A. Nesbitt Arena on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There’s no charge to view the artwork.   

The Pas Friendship Centre is reminding members to renew their memberships. To renew your membership simply go to The Pas Friendship Centre at 81 Edwards Avenue fill out a membership form and pay a fee of two dollars.

If you are not a member but would like to join the Friendship centre you are welcomed to sign up.

Memberships Forms and payment must be completed by 4 in the afternoon on May 17^th.

For more information call 204-627-7500.

A number of Manitobans have been recognized by the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba for coming to the aid of people, many of whom they didn’t even know.

The awards were presented last week at the Annual Rescue and Honour Awards service at Government House.

Among those honoured with the Rescue Commendation Award were 3 young girls from Grand Rapids.

Jaylynn Chartier, Phoenix Chartier and Eden Rose Walker were playing near the Saskatchewan River last July when they saw a 5-year-old girl floating face down in the water.

They managed to get her out of the water and while one girl went for help, the other two performed CPR, having learned it from watching a movie.

The girl survived and made a full recovery.  

Applications are now being accepted for the 2019 Canada Post Awards for Indigenous Students.

If you are a member of the First Nations, Metis, or Inuit community that has been out of school for one year or more and have returned to the educational system and have been back at school for at least a year you can apply.

The awards recognize the hard work and determination of Indigenous peoples.

If you are interested in applying you must submit an essay telling your story of your efforts to get an education at it must be submitted by August 31^st of this year and you could receive a cash prize of $2,000.

For more information or to apply visit aboriginalstudents.ca

Tidy up Tuesdays will be starting soon in The Pas.

The goal of Tidy up Tuesdays is to keep the downtown area of The Pas clean.

Assistant CAO Jenn Early says that the town is encouraging business owners in the downtown area to take ten minutes every Tuesday from May 21^st until September 3^rd at 10 am to go outside and clean up around their businesses. 

Tidy up Tuesday kits will be available at the town office containing things like gloves, garbage bags, and a box for sharp items.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Tidy Up Tuesdays call Early at 204-627-1108.

Mayor Herb Jacques has declared the month of May as Multiple Scleroses Awareness month for the Town of The Pas.

MS is a neurological disease and Canada has the highest rate of MS in the world with an estimated 100,000 Canadians affected. Approximately 3,500 of these affected Canadians live here in Manitoba.

There is no known cure for MS but researchers are continuing to learn more about the disease and how it can be prevented.

Amanda Lathlin will be hosting an open house tonight at The Sam Waller museums Rotary Room.

The open house is an opportunity to speak with your local MLA and talk about ongoing issues and ask questions.

Everyone is welcome to attend and a meal will be served. The open house runs from 5:30 until 7:30.

An issue sheet was brought up at Monday night’s committee of The whole meeting regarding the possible closure of three walkways here in The Pas.

According to the issue sheet Councillors Bill Ward, Carrie Atkinson and Mayor Herb Jacques met with six residents of The Pas to work out alternative solutions.

The group came up with some ideas for these walkways including the possibility of installing cameras, additional lighting, and steel fencing over existing fences.

The issue sheet can be found at townofthepas.ca

A public hearing was held on Monday night for the proposed amendment of Bylaw 4592.  The intent of the bylaw amendment is to amend the 100 foot undisturbed native vegetation area required for lands located adjacent to Clearwater Lake.

If the bylaw amendment is approved residents will have a 75 foot set back from the high water mark allowing people to build closer to the water.

Those that attending the hearing were in favour of the proposed bylaw amendment and many were owners of property near Clearwater Lake that were eager to start building.

The bylaw amendment is scheduled to go through its second and third readings at the next council meeting on May 13^th.

Additional information on this bylaw amendment can be found at

townofthepas.ca

Vaughn Wadeluis the chair of the Kelsey School Division Board spoke to Arctic Radio recently about their regular board meeting on Monday night. One of the biggest ongoing issues is the drainage problems with Wadeluis Drive and they are trying to come up with a solution to solve this problem.

Wadeluis says they are in the process of communicating with civil engineers from Winnipeg to work out a plan that will address various aspects of the problem permanently.

One of the short term solutions is re gravelling and grading the road so that water will flow off the roadway, and the other short term solution is to close a portion of the road while still allowing access to the Winton pool entrance and the back of MBCI.

Wadelius added that they are also training their early year’s workers to do a full assessment of their kindergarten students this fall to determine the kinds of supports that the kindergarten students will need in the next school year.