Victoria Lathlin spoke to Arctic Radio about a community vote for the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Comprehensive community plan.

The vote is scheduled to be held on February 29^th at the Veterans Hall at two in the afternoon and it will give community members a chance to vote on proposed projects that they think the community needs.

Some of the projects listed in the comprehensive community plan that people can vote on include the idea of opening a bowling alley and other recreational options, building a museum, and building apartments.

Past leaders and ancestors had comprehensive community plans in the past so that future generations would have a good community to live in and the goal of this plan is to make the community better for the future generations.

The community vote will be held at the Veterans Hall on February 29^th at 2PM You can email lathlin at victorialathlin@opaskwayak.ca for more information.

The Swan River RCMP received a report of a snowmobile collision on Wednesday afternoon.

The report came in around 3:45 of a snowmobile collision involving a semi trailer on a logging road in Duck Mountain Provincial Park.

Two snowmobiles were going north on the logging road when one of the snowmobilers collided with the semi which was travelling south and the 16 year old driver of the snowmobile was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The other snowmobiler and the 32 year old semi driver escaped injury and alcohol does not appear to be a factor.

The investigation is ongoing.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation held a community vote last night regarding the purchase of Pete’s Potatoes and the community members in attendance voted in favour of the purchase with 54 votes.

The purchase consists of 273 acres of land and some buildings and the land will be used for the development of houses.

A man from The Pas is now $250,000 Richer. Lucky winner Daniel Cudmore was given a Big Spin Lottery Ticket for Christmas where he won the $10,000 prize and a chance to spin a prize wheel. He won the $250,000 by spinning the wheel.

Arctic Radio reached out to Cudmore and he said that winning the jackpot was an amazing feeling and he now plans to use his money for a trip to Las Vegas.

Niki Ashton’s latest MP report is calling for urgent federal action for Northern Healthcare.

Island Lake communities are approaching the combined population of Thompson but do not have a hospital and face inadequate healthcare services every day and Ashton feels this should not happen in a developed country like Canada.

Ashton believes a public inquiry in the healthcare system for the region could bring attention to this issue and help to determine solutions.

Taneesha Greaves, a worker based in Northern Manitoba is one of three volunteers that received the Hero of Everyday Life Award by Sodexo Canada’s Stop Hunger Foundation, in recognition of commitment and leadership in local actions to combat hunger. The award included a $2,000 grant for a charity.

As Sodexos retail manager at Keeyask Camp Greaves led food drives, summer camp activities, and sandwich making to feed children.

Greaves acknowledged that the whole team at Keeyask and their hearts and hard work made it all possible. She donated her grant to Canadian Feed the Children.

Sodexo has been providing food and facility management services in Canada for over 40 years.

Manitoba Public Insurance Issued a statement that in January a large number of collisions occurred and many of these accidents were due to drivers not driving to the conditions of the roads.

MPI wants to remind motorists that they need to make adjustments this time of year to avoid accidents by keeping windshields clear, driving according to conditions, keeping a safe distance between other vehicles and to give yourself extra time to get to your destination.

It is important to have advanced knowledge of the road conditions before you head out. You can check road and weather conditions by calling 511.

You are also reminded to exercise caution on bridges and overpasses as these structures can freeze easily from a lack of ground insulation.

Despite the high number of collisions January 2020’s collision count is still lower than Januarys 3 year average.

Communications Coordinator Twyla Storey reports the Northern Health Region is looking for input from northern residents about the possibility of offering extended hours at Primary Care Clinics so those are hours outside of the current clinic hours at all of their Primary Care Clinics in the region. 

She explains Primary Care Clinics are where you go to see your Physician or Nurse Practitioner.  She says the survey is going to remain until January 30^th and then after that time results will be compiled and they’ll take that information to look at what residents would like to see as far as extended ours are concerned.

To complete the survey go to their website www.northernhealthregion.com, their Facebook page Northern Health Region or paper copies are available at the The Pas clinics

Opaskwayak Cree Nation is having a community vote this evening at the Kikiwak Inn.

Members will be voting on land acquisition to purchase 273 acres of land and buildings.

The vote will be held at the Kikiwak Inn Bignell room at 6PM.

During the committee of the whole meeting on Monday night town council discussed the possibility of having a speed reader board here in town.

Councillors showed their support for the idea during the meeting and Councillor Chad Zolinski believes that it will encourage drivers to obey the speed limits.

The towns engineering department and the RCMP met and they came up with three locations in town where the speed reader boards could be placed.

The possible locations for the board include Highway 10 where the speed limit changes from 50 to 80 kilometres, Gordon Avenue near Opasquia School, and the 3^rd Street court office between the 70 kilometre and 50 kilometre signs.

The resolution to accept the offer from MPI is expected to be brought up at the next council meeting on February 10^th.

The RCMP has arrested and charged three people connected to a stolen vehicle investigation.

In the early morning hours of January 26^th the RCMP in Headingley received a report of a vehicle stuck in the snow near a driveway in The RM of Cartier.

Upon arrival it was discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen and three suspicious people associated with the vehicle were reported to be in the area.

The police later tracked down and arrested the three suspects.

One of the suspects is Amy Constant aged 25 of The Pas and some of her charges include flight from police, breaking and entering, and two counts of possession of property obtained by crime.

The other two suspects were from Winnipeg and face similar charges

The RCMP continues to investigate.

Manitoba Lieutenant Governor Janice Filmon has sent out a notice that nominations are still being accepted for her Make a Difference Community Awards.  These are presented annually to six deserving individuals from across the province. 

The award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit of volunteerism and have made a lasting and meaningful contribution to the community.  As well the Lieutenant Governor’s Vice Regal Volunteer Award will be presented to one overall winner who best represents these qualities of volunteerism. 

To nominate an outstanding volunteer go to volunteermanitoba.ca/awards  Nominations must be received by Friday.

The leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party was up in the north recently to learn more about how certain services are delivered in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

Dougald Lamont says one of the ways NCN has innovated the services they provide is that the community has combined healthcare and child-family services as a single department.

NCN has outreach programs that reduce the number of children in care and to reduce the number of children with fetal alcohol syndrome.

While in NCN, he also discussed issues the community is concerned about when it comes to Indigenous communities running their own CFS programs.

A body has been recovered from the remains of a fire in Thompson after police say “brave and selfless community members” rushed towards the burning home within the first few minutes to help people in danger.

Thompson RCMP say that they responded to multiple reports early Friday on Centennial Drive East about a home that was burning in the community and that people might still be inside.

Officers assisted neighbours pull an 89-year-old woman to safety from a first-floor window, and a 61-year-old man was able to escape the home by jumping from a window.

A 21-year-old man who lived in the home was able to flee through the flames, and police say he remains in hospital in critical condition.

A 20-year-old woman remained unaccounted for, and police say a female's body whose identity has not yet been confirmed was found in the home on Saturday.

Four RCMP officers were treated for smoke inhalation sustained during their attempts to rescue the residents.

The Town of The Pas will be having their Council and Committee of the Whole meetings tonight.

One of the items on the agenda for the committee of the whole meeting is the possibility of having a speed reader board in the community.

Speed reader boards measure the speed of vehicles to encourage drivers to obey speed limits and according to an issue sheet from the town Manitoba Public Insurance has offered one of these boards for The Pas.

The town is now required to provide MPI with at least two locations where these boards could be placed.

When our MP Niki Ashton announced in her latest report that Canada needs a National Transportation Vision, Arctic Radio reached out to the office of Federal Liberal Minister of Transport and they responded by saying that the country has a National Transportation Strategy called Transportation 2030

.

Part of strategy ensures that Canadians have safe and reliable and efficient transportation and the plan is based on safer and green and innovative transportation.

Bill C-49 which received royal assent in 2018 will provide a safer and efficient freight rail system that will facilitate trade and economic growth.

In regards to air transportation in Canada Niki Ashton stated she wants the Minister of Transport to defend the rights of airline passengers while upholding the Passengers Bill of Rights adding the bill should be improved rather than allow powerful airline companies to further undermine the rights of passengers.

Kelsey School Division chairperson Vaughn Wadelius spoke to Arctic Radio about the Kelsey School Divisions Public Budget meeting held on Wednesday night.

He says that participants were shown a PowerPoint presentation about the budget and they were given questionnaires to provide their feedback on how they would like the school division to prioritize programs and building improvements.

The next step is the development of the 2020-2021 preliminary budget and the board must approve the final version by March the 9^th for presentation to the province.

If you were unable to attend the meeting the PowerPoint presentation will be made available on the Kelsey School Division Website and questionnaires can be picked up at the School Division office and the responses must be returned by the end of the month.

Local MP Niki Ashton says she will continue to advocate for improved transportation in the country.

In her MP report, Ashton stated that despite our vast distances, there are many deficiencies in our transportation systems, including inadequate investment, insufficient regulations, a lack of competition, and a reliance on privatized profit driven infrastructure.

She adds that climate change adds to the challenges of transportation, especially in the north.

Ashton explains that means residents have limited choices and high costs, especially for the 21 communities which don’t have access to all weather roads.

She goes on to say that Canada needs a national transportation vision that recognises the need for public investment, greater competition, and improved regulations.

The Manitoba School Boards Association president Alan Campbell conducted a presentation last night at the Kelsey School Divisions Public Budget meeting.

He discussed the K to 12 education Review Report and one of the focuses of that report was the role of school boards and the possibility that public school boards in Manitoba could be amalgamated or eliminated.

Campbell knowledge’s that community voices are important to ensure that students in the north have the same opportunities as everyone else in the province which is why is important to maintain locally elected school boards.

You can learn more about the MSBA and how they provide assistance to local school boards on their website mbschoolboards.ca

Riley Manych is still planning to go to Australia to assist with putting out the countries wildfires.

Randy Manych says they are still receiving donations and he expects his son will have a game plan for his journey in the next week.

If Riley Manych doesn’t reach his fund raising goals his time in Australia will be limited.

If you would like to make a donation in person you can give money donations to Randy Manych at the fire hall or at Shear Essentials.

Ducks Unlimited will be having another wing night fundraiser at The Pas Billiards on February 1^st.

Doors open at 6:30. Tickets are 30 dollars each and a ticket includes a pound of wings, an alcoholic beverage, veggies and dip, free pool, and a ticket for a door prize.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 204-620-7446 or 204-620-1858 or at The Pas Billiards during business hours.

Fire Chief Randy Manych spoke to Arctic Radio to provide an update on the house fire on Campbell Drive on Monday night.

They received the page around 10:05 and the house on fire was not occupied and had been abandoned for some time.

It was reported that someone witnessed another person enter the building before the fire started.

Manych says that the cause fire is likely to have been accidental.

More details have come in regarding last week’s shooting in Flin Flon. Two people have been charged.

24 year old David Ross of Flin Flon and 24 year old Nicolas Gunville of Denare Beach have been charged with attempted murder with a firearm, discharge of a firearm with intent, and four counts of failing to comply.

Ross was also charged with possessing a firearm while prohibited.

The RCMP is not looking for any more suspects and the investigation is ongoing.

The Lions Journey for Sight is a snowmobile ride that left Flin Flon last Wednesday finishing in Brandon Saturday.  It’s held to raise money for the Lions Eye Bank of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. 

Committee Chair Brad Henderson says the Journey went well.  He says it was rather cold the first couple of days and as they got further south towards Brandon it did warm up a little bit. He adds there were no serious breakdowns and they ended up with roughly 20 sleds they pretty well stated with in Flin Flon.

Henderson says so far around 34 thousand dollars has been turned in with money still to come from pledges made to the riders.  When all the money came in last year the Journey had raised 77 thousand dollars for the Lions Eye Bank.

Students graduating high school this year and students already enrolled or registered at a post secondary institution are reminded that February 1^st is the deadline to submit an application for a Kin Canada Bursary.

Students that have won Kin Canada Bursaries in the past are not eligible and students from Margaret Barbour Collegiate, Oscar Lathlin Collegiate, the Kelsey Learning Centre and UCN are invited to apply.

Visit Kin Canada dot ca to find an application form.

Emergency Crews responded to a house fire on Campbell Drive last night.

People were advised to avoid the area while the crews worked to put out the fire.

There is still no word right now on what caused the fire or how long it took to put it out.

Every year thousands of Canadians receive a new smartphone for the holidays and their used ones ends up collecting dust on shelves even though they may still be very new. 

The CNIB Foundation is asking you to donate them to people with sight loss through their Phone it Forward program. 

The program takes modern gently used smartphones, refurbishes them and outfits them with accessible apps and puts them into the hands of people who are blind as well as providing training on how to use their refurbished phone. 

These phones make it possible for blind and partially sighted users to do all kinds of things that may have seemed impossible before from travelling safely using GPS to shopping independently or taking the proper dosage of medicine.

To donate your smartphone, make a financial donation or learn more visit phoneitforward.ca.

Last week, a Budget 2020 consultation session was held at the Kikiwak Inn. According to a summary the consultation meeting was productive with a lot of discussion and an opportunity for audience members to ask questions with 27 community members in attendance.

The community members raised questions about Northern Economic development, expansion of health care services as well as localized concerns including funding for infrastructure.

Alex Tyrell the leader of The Green Party of Quebec who is running for leadership for the Green Party of Canada spoke to Arctic Radio, where he talked about some of his visions for a greener future for Canada.

Tyrell wants to solve the housing and drinking water crisis in Canada on First Nation’s communities and he would like to link all of the major cities in Canada with high speed rail.

The goal is to start building high speed rail for big cities and then to build a branch for Northern Manitoba and other areas as the railway develops.

Tyrell is planning to visit Northern Manitoba this summer before the Greens choose a new leader in October.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief Christian Sinclair spoke to Arctic Radio to give an update on the community.

One of the things Sinclair brought up was their recent strategic planning session and according to Sinclair the purpose of the session was to revamp the way OCN is governed.

They reduced the number of boards and committees within OCN and expanded the board participation for members both on and off reserve. OCN Chief and council will also be engaging their Junior Chief and Council on the boards along with community elders and they will also be selecting people that have experience to sit on various boards.

Sinclair also took time to talk about OCN’s financial situation and with the number of projects and the amount of money flowing through OCN’s economy this year the community is expected to make 135 to 155 million dollars which will be a major economic impact for everyone.

The monthly mayor reports for the month of December are in. The Town of The Pas had 126 disturbances of the peace, 117 reports of Mischief, 108 prisoners held and 70 index checks.

Some of the The RM of Kelsey’s offenses included 21 provincial traffic violations, 14 mischief cases, and 10 breaches of the peace.

The Community of Cormorant had 4 provincial statutes, 3 cases of mischief, 2 assaults, 2 case of theft, 2 mental health act cases, one case of uttering threats, and one breach of the peace.

Parliament is set to resume on January 27th and our MP Niki Ashton spoke to Arctic Radio about the many problems in our region that she wants to address to the Federal government including the housing crisis.

Ashton acknowledged that communities have pursued local solutions like building new houses and First Nations Communities have put forward housing proposals but their ability to get these projects off the ground is hard because of a lack of resources.  

Ashton stands firm that there is no reason that a country as wealthy as Canada can’t find solutions for housing.

Ashton says the crisis has had a devastating effect on people’s health and well being.

Churchill Keewatinook Aski Member of Parliament Niki Ashton says Campaign 2000’s most recent report reveals the Liberal government's refusal to act on measures like pharmacare and a national childcare program has left over one million children still living in poverty across the country. 

Ashton states successive Liberal and Conservative governments have ignored northern, Inuit, First Nation and Metis communities who are now living with the results as two-thirds of kids in our riding are living in poverty and this cannot go on.

She adds until we have leaders willing to do things differently, we’ll continue to see the same results and it’s our kids who will pay for it.

Ashton says New Democrats welcome Campaign 2000’s recommendations to address these inequalities and lift children and families out of poverty once and for all­.

Among the recommended policy and program changes Campaign 2000 calls for increasing the Canada Child Benefit, implementing Pharmacare, establishing a National Childcare Program, and expanding employment insurance to help those who really need it.

Our MP Niki Ashton spoke to Arctic Radio about how Transportation needs improvement in Northern Manitoba.

Ashton says that Canada has a lot to learn from other Northern Countries when it comes to improving transportation.

Ashton pointed out that the Federal Government resolved the issue with the Churchill Rail line but that wasn’t until Northern Residents fought tooth and nail to make the Federal Government act and added that other Northern Countries such as Russia sees Northern Transportation as something that is worthwhile investing in even though Russia lacks the amount of wealth that Canada has.

Ashton believes that Federal Leadership is needed when it comes to having good transportation infrastructure. She hopes that the Federal Government will continue to work on building all weather roads and to improve air travel.

The Kelsey School Division Chair Vaughn Wadelius spoke to Arctic Radio News about what happened at their board meeting on Monday evening.

During the meeting a group of students from Margaret Barbour Collegiate conducted a presentation about a project called the three percent solution.

The group’s project involves replacing paper towel dispensers in the school with low emission hand dryers and the school board supports their idea.

The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation is looking for applications for funding to meet the needs of homeless people in rural Manitoba.

The funding may be used for capital and non capital projects that target homelessness.  

Any organization can apply but priority will be given to indigenous organizations. Not everyone that applies will receive funding only those that are chosen.

The deadline to submit applications is February 12^th at 4:30PM and additional information can be found at brandonhomelessness.weebly.com

You can also call Blaine Foley at 204-729-2490 ext 106

Our Local MP Niki Ashton stopped by The Pas in preparation for the next session of parliament set to open on January 27th.

She spoke to Arctic Radio to talk about her visit and said it was a chance for her to connect with the community about issues in the region including the housing crisis, health care and the need for good jobs.

Ashton will also be pressuring the Federal Government to improve transportation in our region as well.

Ashton is very grateful to be a voice for our North and invites anyone to contact her office to discuss issues in our region that need to be addressed.

Local Fire Fighter Riley Manych is planning to go to Australia to help fight the massive wildfires across the country.

Maynch has worked as a structural firefighter with The Pas Fire Department for the past three years and has worked as a Wildland Firefighter for the past two seasons.

Randy Manych says he is very proud of his son for putting his life on hold to help with the wildfire efforts in Australia and The Pas Fire Department will be helping him to get there.

A Go Fund Me page was set up to support Riley Manych’s efforts and so far they have raised over 2000 dollars of the 30,000 dollar goal.

The Lions Journey for Sight starts in Flin Flon Tomorrow morning. The Journey is an annual fundraiser for the Lions Eye Bank of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. 

Snowmobiles from across the province will start at about 10 o’clock off to Cranberry Portage for dinner and day one will conclude in The Pas.

After The Pas they will go to Overflowing River for dinner and day two will take them to Swan River where they will split with half the group going on highway 83 toward Russell, Roblin, Birtle and the rest will go to Dauphin to spend the night then they all get dinner in Neepawa and head off to Brandon for the conclusion on Saturday.

The Journey for Sight raised 77 thousand dollars for the Lions Eye Bank last year.

The Manitoba Host Committee is reminding Manitobans that the nomination deadline for Honour 150 is January 31^st.

The Honour 150 program is looking for nominations of Manitobans who give back to the community and enrich the places in which we live, work, play, and come together in unity.

More Information can be found at manitoba150.com

Hometown Green Team grant applications are available for organizations to hire youth for jobs this summer. 

Green Team grants allow communities to hire youth aged 15 to 29 to work on community projects between May 1^st and August 31^st. 

Eligible recipients include non-profit organizations. Priority is given to child and youth recreation and volunteer projects as well as projects that hire Indigenous youth, visible minority youth and youth with disabilities and projects located in northern Manitoba. 

Non-profit organizations received 100 percent of wage costs and 250 dollars per position for support costs.  Municipal governments receive 50 percent of wage costs and 125 dollars per position for support costs on a cost shared basis.

The deadline for applications is January 22^nd. For more information on Green Team applications visit www.manitoba.ca/greenteam.

Members of SaskPower held a consultation meeting with members of Opaskwayak Cree Nation at the Kikiwak Inn regarding the planned upgrading of their transmission line that partially runs through OCN traditional territory.

Any infrastructure project on traditional land can have an impact on indigenous peoples and their way of life.

Infrastructure projects can impact hunting, trapping, medicine gathering, and burial sites and many people attending the meeting brought up these factors as concerns.

These factors will determine whether OCN will approve the project or not and Sinclair is hoping to have another meeting with Saskpower at a later date.

The Pas Kinsmen has announced their partnership with the group #newpark623 to raise money for a new skate park for The Pas.

The Kinsmen are committed to raising $25,000 by 2021. In order to reach the goal the Kinsmen invite you to take part in their fundraisers, socials and raffles.

Be sure to follow The Pas Kinsmen and the #newpark623 on Facebook.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief Christian Sinclair spoke to Arctic Radio to give an update on how the community is doing.

The investments the community made in the cannabis industry is paying off. The plan to use the money the community has made for projects including the construction of an office building at the Otineka Mall.

There are plans to build an Elders Youth Centre to provide elders with an opportunity to work more closely with the community’s youth. The proposal for the centre was sent to the Federal Government and it was approved late last year

The community is also in the process of transitioning from the RCMP to the Manitoba First Nations Police Service.

The Kelsey School Division will be having their public budget meeting on January 22^nd and Alan Campbell the president of the Manitoba School Boards Association will be speaking at the meeting to discuss the importance of local school boards.  

The meeting will beheld at the Scott Bateman Middle School Library.

In a release to employees Hudbay confirmed their plans to shut down or place on care and maintenance most Flin Flon operations in 2022. 

The Triple Seven Mine, zinc plant and oxygen plant will cease operations as of April 2022 citing lower zinc and copper prices with exploration spending around Flin Flon ending this year.  Their mill and tailings facilities will be placed on care and maintenance.

Hudbay plans to focus their exploration plans around the Snow Lake region.  They also confirmed plans to restart the gold mill at the New Britannia site in Snow Lake with refurbishment taking place this year and in 2021.

At the City Council meeting Tuesday night Mayor Cal Huntley says the news is disappointing but not unexpected and they will continue to work to minimize the impact on our community.

On January 8, 2020, at approximately 9:00 pm, Flin Flon RCMP responded to a robbery at a business on Main Street in Flin Flon.

A male suspect holding a knife, entered the business and approached the employee. The employee told the male to leave the store multiple times, and the suspect left empty-handed. No injuries were reported.

The suspect is described as 5’10”, 190 lbs, wearing a black jacket with “family forever” written on the back, camouflage pants and white and black shoes. 

If you recognize the suspect, please call Flin Flon RCMP at 204-687-1423, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

The 2020 Northern Manitoba Skills Challenge will be held here in The Pas on February 25^th in the evening and all day on February 26^th.

High School Students will take part in 15 challenges in fields such as cooking, electrical, and graphic design at places like UCN, Margaret Barbour Collegiate, Oscar Lathlin Collegiate, and Mary Duncan School.

This will provide them with an oppertunity to showcase their talents.

Registration packages will be sent out to the schools in the next couple of weeks and if you want more information you can call McConnell Hore at 204-623-3485.

Our MP Niki Ashton’s most recent MP report stated that this past year was an eventful year in Canada politically and 2020 can lead to real change.

She says that with a minority government there is a real opportunity to make a commitment for real change that Canadians want and need.

Ashton firmly believes that real change is needed on housing, health, education, and economic opportunities for our north.

She hopes to make 2020 a productive new year by bringing real change to our region and to Canada and she wishes everyone a happy new year.

The Manitoba RCMP wants to remind motorists to ensure they have emergency kits in their vehicles in case something happens on the road during the winter months.

They recommend having an emergency hit with non perishable food, water, a candle with matches, a first aid kit, warm clothes and blankets, jumper cables, a shovel, an ice scrapper, and flares or reflectors.

Tara Manych the Education Director of the Kelsey Learning Centre spoke to Arctic Radio to talk about how things are going at the centre.

She says that since the centre moved to The Pas UCN Campus, students have had the opportunity to see what post secondary programs are available locally.

The Second semester will be starting soon and adults 19 and older can sign up. You must have photo ID and $100 when you register at the Kelsey Learning Centre located at room 264 A on the second floor of The Pas UCN Campus.

The second semester begins on February 4^th with Orientation to begin at 10AM.

Call 204-627-8562 for more information

This year’s Northern Skilled Trades and Technology Showcase and young woman’s conference will take place in April at the UCN The Pas Campus.

The events will give Grade 8 students an opportunity to learn about the skilled trades industry.

The Young Woman’s Conference will be held on April 22^nd and the Northern Skilled Trades and Technology Show case will be held on 23^rd.

 The event will also give students a chance to meet UCN students and learn about the courses they are taking to give them an idea of what they would like to pursue after high school.

Registration forms will be sent out sometime in March and if you want more information call Pruder at 204-677-4124.

If you would like more information call Pruder at 204-677-4124

Residents of The Pas are reminded that parking is not allowed on certain streets in the community during the winter months from 2AM until 6AM as they are designated as snow routes.

Towing will be enforced on the snow routes from now until April 1^st during the set hours.

The snow routes are:

First Street - Fischer Avenue to Cook Avenue

Second Street West - Larose Avenue to Lathlin Avenue

Third Street West - Larose Avenue to Lathlin Avenue

Fischer Avenue- First Street West to Fifth Street West

Cathedral Avenue - Cudmore Cresent to McDonald Street

With this month being Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba wants people to share their experience and stories on how the disease impacted their life.

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, and is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills that can severely impact the way a person can live their life.

The organization’s CEO, Wendy Schettler, says that many people have preconceived notions about that disease, and while it can take a toll on families who have a member with Alzheimer’s, many people with the disease can still lead fulfilling lives.

Schettler wants people to think about what dementia means to them and how they can support people with the disease to live well and be a part of the community.

The Beatrice Wilson Health Centre is having Walking Wednesdays once again from January 8^th until February 12^th.

The goal is to give people an opportunity to get some physical activity and participants have chance to win some prizes.

If you’re interested call Shawn Yaremko 204-627-7410

Operation Red Nose had a successful run this holiday season providing safe rides home for people in an effort to prevent impaired driving.

Operation Red Nose The Pas provided a total of 330 rides with 133 volunteers and they raised a total of $5,277.65

Operation Red Nose also operated in other Manitoba Communities and they provided 4,443 safe rides across the province.

The RCMP in Pukatawagan responded to a report of a stabbing on Saturday morning.

Upon arrival, the officers located a deceased 23 year old male at the residence.

A 30 year old man from The Pas was arrested and charged with second degree murder.

He was remanded into custody and is set to appear in The Pas Provincial Court today.

A 21 year old woman was also arrested and remains in custody the investigation is ongoing.

Residents of The Pas and Area will have an opportunity to provide suggestions for the upcoming provincial budget at a pre budget consultation meeting scheduled to be held next Monday.

The meeting will take place at the Kikiwak Inn from 11:30AM until 1PM and people attending are invited to give ideas on how the money can be spent and how it can be saved.

If you can’t make the meeting you can complete a survey online at engagemb.ca to provide your feedback.

The Kelsey School Division is looking for your input regarding prioritizing programs and school building improvements for the next school year.

If you wish to provide input you are invited to take part in public budget consultation meeting on January 22^nd at the Scott Bateman Middle School library.

The meeting will begin at 7PM.

The first baby born in The Pas in 2020 is a boy named Caleb Cyril LaLiberte.

He was born at 2:49 in the morning on January First weighing 7 pounds and 15 ounces to proud parents mother Danielle Rosenberger of Flin Flon and Phillip LaLiberte of Snow Lake.

The holiday season can be a busy time for fire fighters but this was not the case for The Pas Fire Department this year.

Fire Chief Randy Manych spoke to Arctic Radio and said they received two calls one was a minor incident and the other was a false alarm.

The Pas Fire Department hasn’t had any major incidents during the holiday Season in the past few years but there is often a lot more activity during the holiday season that involves fire hazards such as campfires and cooking.

Manych would like to thank everyone in the community for being safe during the holidays and allowing the Fire Crews to celebrate with their families.

Finance Minister Scott Fielding has announced the Manitoba Government is ringing in the new year with tax relief for Manitobans. He says the 2020 Tax Rollback Guarantee will save Manitobans an average of 2,020 dollars over the next four years.

Measures will include eliminating the sales tax on home insurance, personal services such as haircuts and on professional personal income tax return preparation as well as phasing out education property taxes once the budget is balanced. 

In 2020 by indexing the basic personal amount and personal income tax brackets the province estimates another 33 hundred Manitobans will be removed from the tax roll and sales tax will be eliminated from the preparation of wills, health care directives and powers of attorney. 

To assist businesses the province is committed to reducing interest rates on provincial tax debts from the current prime plus six percent decreasing by one percent over the next three years to prime plus three percent in January 2022.

The National Screen Institute is looking to bring more programs for story tellers to develop their skills in the north.

This comes after the success of the New Northern Voices program that was introduced earlier this year at the UCN campus in The Pas.

Ursula Lawson, the Programs and Development Manager with NSI, says the institute has been working to bring media and filmmaking programs in the north for the past few years, and building that relationship with UCN was motivation behind getting additional funding and launching the course.