At 10:25 Wednesday morning the RCMP located the body of a deceased male in the wooded area behind McIsaac School.

They now report the autopsy has been completed and the death appears to be non-suspicious in nature.  They add no criminality is suspected at this time however they have to wait for the toxicology report to determine if any alcohol or drugs were possible factors.

They note the investigation is ongoing at this time.  It is being conducted by the Flin Flon RCMP and The Pas Forensic Identification Services.

The Pas Community Renewal Corporations Annual Santa Claus Parade will take place on December the 13^th.

The theme for this year is a Superhero Christmas and the registration for the parade is now open.

Registration forms can be found at The Pas Community Renewal Corporations Facebook Page and the deadline to register a float is December 12^thby 4:30 PM

For more details call 204-623-4269.

Our local MP Niki Ashton has been named the NDP’s Critic for Public Ownership and Transport and Deputy Critic for Woman and Gender Equality.

Ashton says Northerners have been seeing services they rely on cut and privatized and she is proud to lead the charge in defending what should belong to people, adding that transportation is a major challenge for our region and the Federal Government needs to be part of the solution.

Ashton will call on the Minister of Transport to act on key priorities for our north.

With the news that British Columbia passed a bill that would implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Arctic Radio News Reached out to the Provincial Government to find out if the province would implement the same legislation  

According to a statement provided by a Provincial Spokesperson

The Province of Manitoba remains committed to collaborating with indigenous peoples to advance shared interests and promote reconciliation but the statement did not make it clear whether or not Manitoba will pass a law that would implement the UN declaration the same way British Columbia did.

The Declaration states that First Nations have a right to self determination as well as informed consent with projects on their lands.

At 10:25AM this yesterday Flin Flon RCMP received a report of an unresponsive male in a wooded area behind McIsaac School on Princess Boulevard.  Officers went to the area and located the body of a deceased male.

Flin Flon RCMP along with The Pas Forensic Identification Services continue to investigate.

Our Local MP Niki Ashton spoke with Arctic Radio News and stated that its a priority for her to speak out on behalf of our region and address the critical issues that we continue to face once parliament resumes.

Ashton says that healthcare, housing, and the need to protect and create good jobs are three important areas that she plans to bring attention to.

In order to solve ongoing issues such as boil water advisories and the housing crisis in Northern communities Ashton believes that sustained federal investment for infrastructure, water treatment plants, and housing is what’s needed to solve these problems.

Despite the NDP’s losing seats in this year’s election Ashton is confident that the NDPs can still put pressure on Justin Trudeau and the Federal Liberals to show that they are addressing these issues that Northern communities face.

Ashton believes that a lot more can be accomplished now that the Liberals hold a minority Government.

Recreational Cannabis has been legal in Canada for a whole year, and David Kogan the founder of a website called 420way.ca spoke to Arctic Radio News to talk about his website and how it will benefit cannabis users as well as how to use cannabis in a safe manner.

Special kits filled with devices and accessories are available on the website for everything you need for a positive experience once you decide how you would like to consume legal cannabis.

Kogan also wants to focus on responsible cannabis use as well. All of the kits available are lockable and smell proof so that children and pets can’t get to it.

He would also like tell first time users to start with a low dose and increase it very slowly to give your body a chance to catch up with the feelings of cannabis effects.

This rule is especially important when using edibles since edibles take longer for the effects to kick in.

Kogan says If you overdose on edibles and start to feel uncomfortable the best thing to do is stay calm, take deep breaths, and stay relaxed.

Although it’s a very uncomfortable it will pass, it’s also worthwhile to seek medical advice if you are unsure of your condition.

Photo from 420way.ca

Last Night, The Selkirk RCMP responded to a collision involving a pedestrian on Highway 9.

The investigation has determined that an SUV driver heading south noticed a pedestrian in dark clouting standing in the middle of the highway; the driver tried to avoid a collision with the pedestrian but was unsuccessful.

A second vehicle travelling north was unable to stop in time and also collided with the pedestrian.

Both drivers stopped at the scene and called 911 and the pedestrian was sent to the hospital where he succumb to his injuries.

The victim was identified as a 22 year old man from Opaskwayak Cree Nation and alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors in the collision.

The investigation is ongoing.

OCN Public Works and the Maintenance Technicians for Timberland will be repairing a water break that will require the power to be shut off at Timberland on Thursday, November 28, 2019.

The water & Hydro will be shut off for the whole of Timberland anywhere from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m.

Please make sure you store enough water for your use for the day, and remember to shut off your hot water tank breakers to prevent the elements from burning out.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the water shut off, please call Derek Partridge at 620-0758.

We thank you for your cooperation and we apologize for any inconveniences.

Vaughn Wadelius the Chair of the Kelsey School Division spoke to Arctic Radio News about the engineering report addressing the ongoing drainage issues and the poor condition of Wadelius Drive.

The board received the first draft of the engineers report recently and it was discussed at their board meeting earlier this week. The final report should be received very soon and the board plans to meet with the town once the report is finalized.

One of the draw backs to repairing the road is that the department of education has put a freeze on capital projects until after the education review comes out next year, This would also prohibit the School Division from raising funds independently for such projects.

Santa Claus came to Northland Ford this past Sunday for a special sensory friendly visit.

Melanie Young a volunteer with the Autism Society of Manitoba has been organizing these special Santa visits for quite some time because similar events are held in Winnipeg and she felt that it would be nice to have a sensory friendly visit from Santa locally so that children that have autism or other sensory related disorders don’t feel overwhelmed.

In order to create a sensory friendly setting no music was played, they had limited bright lights, and Santa spoke in a quiet voice.

Young would like to thank Cheryl Antonio for taking photos during the visit and Amanda Lathlin and her son Quinn for helping out.

She would also like to thank Northland Ford for providing the space for the visit, The Pas Public Library for providing a chair for Santa, and the Autism Society of Manitoba for their sponsorship.

Habitat for Humanity Manitoba is a non profit organization committed to building low cost houses for low income families and they would like to know if anyone in The Town of the Pas is interested in starting a local chapter.

If you are interesting in working with Habitat for Humanity to work towards starting a chapter for The Pas you can call 204-235-2187 or email skrahn@habitat.mb.ca

You can also visit their website for more details habitat.mb.ca

The local results of Operation Christmas Child are in.

363 boxes were collected including boxes from Flin Flon and Snow Lake which were sent to The Pas to be shipped.

Local Organizer Pat Tonn would like to thank everyone for filling boxes for children in need in other parts of the world.

Operation Christmas Child is a project that ensures that children in third world countries receive a gift this holiday season.

During the OCN Blizzards Beat the Winter Blues Beer Tasting on Thursday night, The Fort Garry Brewing Company Presented The Pas Families Building a Better Community with a Cheque of $7750.

All proceeds were raised from the sales of the Clearwater Lager beer and the
funding will be put towards a new skate park for The Pas.

Davide Novo the The Pas Families BBC president says it is great to receive this
funding.

The Idea to raise funds for the park with beer sales was brought to the
attention of The Fort Garry Brewing company by Jerome Conaty from Funky Threadz and Alan Gibb of the Wescana Inn a few months ago.

Evans Premachuk, a long time business person, and his daughter Lynn Braun met with Opasquia Trails board members to discuss the boardwalk and become one of the project’s first funders.

The chairperson for the board, Heather Perchaluk, says Premachuk has been a long time supporter of community projects, and the board is happy that he sees the importance of the boardwalk.

An initial planning and design meeting was held in September with further consultation to continue, and a full design plan will be released once it’s completed.

The press release adds that the trail will not impact or be near any residential development along Ralls Island.

It has been reported that a threat was made online recently against Scott Bateman Middle School saying that they were going to shoot up the school.

Principal Kelly Wadelius told Arctic Radio that the information regarding the threat was brought to his attention during the parent teacher night on Wednesday by the RCMP.

It was agreed that the school would be in lockdown on Thursday meaning that the school doors would be locked and students had the option of staying home that day without being marked absent.

A 12 year old boy from The Pas was arrested yesterday in connection to this incident and is facing charges of uttering threats.

Our MP Niki Ashton was officially sworn in to the 43^rd Parliament for the Churchill Keewatinook Aski riding this week.

Ashton’s report stated that one of the most important things about being sworn in is that she will continue to have the honour of representing our region and she will continue to fight to end the housing crisis, to improve health care infrastructure and education, and economic development and jobs for our region.

The Northern Manitoba Snowmobile Summit held last year, lead to the development of the Northern Manitoba Snowmobile Tourism Project, a project with a goal of bringing snowmobile tourism to Northern Manitoba.

The president of Snow Lakes Chamber of Commerce stated in a news release that this is a good project for Snow lake and Northern Manitoba because the community will be opened up for winter tourism

Alan McLauchlan the Northern Manitoba Tourism Consultant for Travel Manitoba says he is really excited for the project and the impact it will have on tourism in our region. He went on to say that snowmobile tourism is a multimillion dollar business and the north has lots of trails to connect our communities.

Once the project is completed snowmobilers will be able to ride from the west side of the province to Gilliam on groomed trails which will benefit lodges and other businesses.

McLachlan acknowledges the local snowmobile clubs and Snoman who have been instrumental in moving the project forward.

The Churchill Region Economic Development Fund Management Committee will meet in Churchill Tomorrow to assess the latest applications to the fund and review the progress of existing projects.

The 7.3 million dollar fund was provided by the Government of Canada as a response to the economic instability facing Churchill and the surrounding region following the closure of the Port of Churchill and reduced rail service.

Much of the funding has been used for things like transportation, short term employment creation, infrastructure, food security, and tourism

The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation Region has been awarded with $634,000 and applications are still being accepted from non profit and for profit groups for projects that will support Churchill region communities to diversify their economies.

Residents of The Pas and Area are reminded that this week is national collection week for Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child is a program that provides children in third world countries with a Christmas present to ensure they have a happy holiday season with the help of community members throughout Canada.

Shoe boxes can be dropped off anytime this week at the Grub Box and The Pas Regional Library during business hours. If you would like to fill a shoe box you can pick up boxes at these locations as well.

Donations can also be dropped off at The Pas Alliance Church on Saturday and Sunday only.

The deadline to drop off donations is November 24^th.

Members from Look North were present at Tuesday Night’s Committee of Whole Meeting at The Pas Municipal Building.

Look North is an economic development strategy focused on growing Northern Manitoba economically.

Oswald Sawh from the Communities Economic Development Fund the lead entity for the delivery of Look North spoke at the meeting and The Pas Mayor and Council to talk about the program and how they would like to work with mayor and council to deliver the program.

Jim Scott, an Economic Development Advisor for Look North told Arctic Radio News that they are interested in listening to ideas from residents on how to build the community economically.

He added that if you have an idea for a small business or another idea for growing the local economy they can help you to develop your idea.

If you have an idea you can call Jim at 204-620-0271 or Shannon at 204-620-0233

Additional information on Look North can be found at cedf.mb.ca

A Strategic Planning Session held on Opaskwayak Cree Nation wrapped up yesterday.

The session took place at the Kikiwak Inn over the course of two days and according to OCN Chief Christian Sinclair the session was held because the community is moving towards an administration system that will create efficiencies and an effective government to better serve the needs of the communities’ members and allow them to develop a long term strategic plan.

Sinclair added that the strategic plan is an envision exercise of where they want to be as a community in the future knowing that they are growing and fostering.  

The session was attended by OCN directors and managers and representatives from outside agencies including Indigenous Services Canada.

Videos of the session can be found at the Opaskwayak Ininew Facebook Page.

The Rotary Club of The Pas has received a total of $68,150 from the Provincial Government to go towards lighting for the outdoor rink behind the Roy H Johnston Arena.

The club shared the announcement on their Facebook page yesterday.

The provincial government is providing more than 6 million dollars towards 203 municipal projects in the province including this one.

Local Rotary member Jordon Krost spoke to Arctic Radio and said it was very exciting to hear that the club was able to get the funding and he encourages everyone to take advantage of the rink once it’s flooded and ready to be used.

The monthly mayor reports for October are in. The Pas had 137 disturbances of The Peace, 102 prisoners held, 110 mischief cases and a handful of other offenses.

The RM of Kelsey had mostly provincial traffic violations 41 in total and Cormorant had two mischief cases, one case of theft, and one assault.

There will be a special sensory friendly visit with Santa Claus at Northland Ford on November 24^th from 1 until 3 PM.

This special Santa visit will benefit children that have autism or other sensory related disorders. 

There will be reduced noise, no flashing lights and no waiting in line. A photographer will be there to take photos as well.

You are required to sign up ahead of time and you can register by calling 204-623-3187 or email mel@northlandford.mb.ca

The event is sponsored by Autism Society Manitoba and Northland Ford.

RCMP officers in Norway House seized a gun and drugs during a traffic stop last Friday.

At around 3:30 in the afternoon the officers conducted a traffic stop and a search of one of the vehicles occupants resulted in the seizure of a 25 calibre pistol, cocaine, and cash.

26 year old Josh Mink was charged with possession of a prohibited firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The RCMP continues to investigate.

Four University College of the North Students will be accepting donations of winter clothing and non perishable food items for the Oscars Place Homeless Shelter at the Otineka Mall on November 20^th from 10 AM until 2PM.

There will also be a bake sale and a 50 50 draw.

The UCN students are enrolled in the schools Office Assistant program and they were assigned to come up with a fundraiser and this is what the four students chose to do.

If you are not able to donate on November 20^th call 204-809-3752 to arrange to have your donations picked up.

The Pas Community Renewal Corporation has announced the date for their Annual General Meeting.

The meeting will be held at 1559 Gordon Avenue on November 28th at 5:30 in the evening.

The meeting will give residents of The Pas an opportunity to learn what the group has done this year.

This year, the TPCRC has been involved with The Pas Friendship Centre, the Annual Street Festival, and Holiday activities.

The meeting will be held at 5:30 in the evening at 1559 Gordon Avenue.

The Sam Waller Museum has a new traveling art exhibit called, “Displacement Karen Cornelius and Peter Tittenberger”.

The exhibit features the artwork of Cornelius and Tittenberger who both dealt with displacement in their lives and the artwork tells their stories.

Cornelius was a refugee from Congo and Tittenberger was from a family who had to flee due to war.

Katherine Patterson, the museum’s curator and archivist says Tittenberger’s art work is really interesting to look at adding you could look at a piece of work for 10 minutes and not see everything, and she is really impressed with Cornelius’s print making as well.

This exhibit will be on display until November 24^th.

If You Are 15 to 25 the Manitoba Government Wants Your Advice.

 The provincial Government is now accepting applications for a special Youth Advisory Council that will allow young Manitobans the opportunity to offer their insight and perspective on the issue of climate change.

The Council will work closely with the Expert Advisory Committee which makes recommendations directly to the Minister of Conservation and Climate.  They will select up to nine youth members to serve a one year term starting this month. 

Applicants must be between 15 and 25 years of age on November 10^th, represent the diversity of Manitoba, be knowledgeable about issues related to the Manitoba Climate and Green Plan, demonstrate a proven interest in environmental issues and community engagement and be able to engage in respectful open discussion and be tolerant of conflicting viewpoints.

For information and to fill out an application form visit their website www.manitoba.ca/climateandgreenplan/yac.html. The deadline is Sunday.

An open house was held at The Kelsey Recreation and Wellness Centre on Tuesday night for The Kelsey Planning Districts Development Plan.

One of the goals of this development plan is to help with growth and change, and to ensure that the Tri Area keeps growing as a service centre for Northern Manitoba.

The open house gave people the opportunity to learn about the plan and to ask any questions or bring up concerns that they had.

A community open house was for this project was also held back in the spring and people were asked what the planning district should focus on and over 50 percent of respondents wanted the Planning District to focus on improving the image of the downtown area and streetscaping. 

The RCMP in Moose Lake have made several arrests in relation to the homicide investigation of a 37 year old male in  the community.

On November 3rd, the police arrested and cahrged 26 year old Brendan Mercredi Spence with second degree murder.

On Novmber 4th the police arrested and charged 37 year old Clayton Mercredi of Moose Lake and Errol Mink from Easterville with second degree murder.

The suspects were remanded into custody and will be appearing in court in The Pas tommorow.

The RCMP continue to investigate.

Future Skills Centre held an event at the UCN campus here in The Pas on Monday afternoon called The Manitoba Regional Founding.

The goal of the event was to listen to the residents of The Pas and area to learn about what skills people in the area have and their employment challenges.

Future Skills Centre Representative Heather McIntosh says they had a great turn out with a variety of different stakeholders to talk about challenges related to employment.

One of the biggest challenges brought up was finding people to fill vacant jobs in the region and to encourage them to stay in the area.

Future Skills Centre is committed to preparing Canadian workers for employment.

The Manitoba Association of Woman’s Shelters made a statement about the murder of 3 year old Hunter Straight Smith.

According to their statement, he was murdered to cause pain to his mother in retaliation for her standing up to her ex boyfriend and this tragedy occurred during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Each year shelters assist thousands of woman, men, and children in Manitoba and domestic violence is still happening at an alarming rate.

The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba has launched their new public education campaign to get adult Manitobans thinking about limit setting strategies when cannabis edibles become available for purchase next month.

Unlike smoking or vaping, cannabis edibles take up to two hours for people to feel the effects which may lead to over consumption which is why it’s important to start with a small amount and then wait.

Adults that choose to use cannabis are reminded to keep it away from children and pets, choose low THC when picking out edibles and other products, and avoid mixing cannabis with alcohol.

The LGCA would also like to point out that just because cannabis is legal, doesn’t mean you have to try it.

To learn more about the campaign visit knowmylimits.ca

With the news that the Community of Cormorant has at least 40 homes without fresh drinking water, Bear Clan Patrol The Pas announced that they would be delivering bottled water to the community.

The Bear Clan Patrol posted on Facebook that were are accepting donations of bottled water and cash donations and they are now asking people to stop making  donations until further notice.

Residents of Cormorant have been without clean drinking water after their pump house was destroyed by a fire.

The Kelsey Planning District Development Plan Open House will be held tonight at The Kelsey recreation and Wellness Centre at the Arena Multipurpose Room from 6PM until 8:30.

This will give residents of The Pas and area an opportunity to learn about the Development Plan Update Project, the Draft Development Plan, and to speak out about the changes the people would like to see in The Pas and the RM of Kelsey.

The RCMP has reported that a stabbing occurred in The Pas on Messett Drive Last Week.

On the evening of October 30th the police responded to a report of a stabbing and an 18 year old male and 19 year old male were found with stab wounds.

Their injuries were not life threatening and they were sent to the hospital, no names have been released and the investigation is ongoing.

A nomination meeting for one OCN land authority member was held last week at the Kikiwak Inn.

According to the nomination report the candidates are John Paul Martin, Dale Knutson, Cynthia Young, and Joan Niquanicappo.

The election will be held on December 4^th at the Otineka Mall from 9AM until 8 PM

Members of the Bear Clan Patrol went out on Halloween night to ensure that everyone was safe while trick or treating and Linda Michelle the local Bear Clan Patrol founder said the patrol went very well.

They didn’t witness any crime committed and the RCMP and The Pas Fire Department patrolled the streets as well.

Michelle would like to thank everyone that took part in the patrol and thanks the RCMP for handing out treats.

Northland Fords “We Scare Hunger” Food Drive was a big success. Many donations of non perishable food items were received from community groups and families for the food banks and school breakfast programs.

Northland Ford also managed to receive more donations at their Zombie Walk held last Wednesday.

Future Skills Centre will be having a special event at the UCN campus in The Pas on Monday from noon until 2:45.

The organization is committed to preparing Canadian workers for employment by teaching necessary skills and the event is part of their regional sounding tour.

Future Skills Centre workers will be listening to residents of The Pas and area to learn about what skills people have and to learn about their employment challenges and opportunities.

Future Skills Centre has also funded a project in The Pas where they train indigenous youth about information technology.