Last week, The Town of the Pas had a public hearing for the 2022 Financial Plan.

Those not able to attend the hearing can find more information and a presentation on the budget on townofthepas.ca and you are invited to voice concerns or ask questions during citizens period at the next council meeting.

One of the budget highlights is the increase in policing costs for the RCMP

The Town of The Pas has announced that two public hearings will be held in June.

The first will be held on June 13^th regarding a variation application for a property on Second Street west, and the other will be held on June 27^th regarding some infrastructure that the Manitoba Metis federation wants to build in the community.

These hearings were brought up at last week’s council meeting and you can find more information on the towns website townofthepas.ca

The Manitoba First Nations COVID 19 Pandemic Response Coordination Team is asking members of first nations communities to submit their positive rapid COVID 19 test results.

Sharing results will help the coordination team to track the spread of the illness and to inform the indigenous led pandemic response to COVID 19

You can share your tests results by calling 1-833-639-2068 The results will be kept confidential and you can find more information at fnhssm.com

Northern Health Region Developer Russell Thorne spoke to Arctic Radio about the Get Better Together program held last month.

The Pas music and Fine Arts Festival recently held their annual general meeting and they are in need of volunteers to help them run the event next spring.

If you would like to volunteer you can email thepasartsfestival@gmail.com

You can also check out The Pas Music and Fine Arts Festival on Facebook.

The Pas RCMP responded to a report of a stabbing at The Pas Correctional Centre on Wednesday evening.

A 34 year old inmate was stabbed multiple times and was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries.

The investigation is ongoing.

Next month is pride month and the chairs of Tri Community Pride spoke to Arctic Radio about some of the plans they have for the campaign including a pride parade set to be held on June 11th 

This Sunday at 11AM The Town of The Pas will be having an in person five kilometre MS walk fundraiser starting at the Royal Canadian Legion.

Walk coordinator Lorna Lee Breemersh tells us the importance of these MS walks.

A documentary about Opaskwayak Cree Nation member and star lore expert Wilfred Buck will be made locally and film maker Lisa Jackson spoke to Arctic Radio about the project.

Margaret Barbour Collegiate held their 5^th annual jazz night at the MBCI gymnasium last Thursday evening.

This was the first time the school was able to have their jazz night since the pandemic put the event on hold, and they had an excellent turnout.

130 tickets were sold and the concert received a lot of great feedback.

Band Director, Heather Gibson said it was nice for the students to play in front of an audience once again.

The concert featured the MBCI senior jazz band and other small combos.

The Opaskwayak Cree Nation Community master plan was presented to community members at the Kikiwak Inn’s Bignell Room last week.

The presentation showed what the community could look like 20 years from now showing plans for parks, housing, infrastructure, and education opportunities for the future.

You can find out more about the master plan and watch the presentation in its entirety on the Opaskwayak Comms Facebook page.

A toy, snack, and clothing drive is being held at the Opaskwayak Health Authority Otineka Mall location for the Highway family that lost their home and belongings in a house fire.

Donations can be dropped off at the OHA mall location and they are in need of clothing for children aged 2 to 7

The monthly crime stats for the month of April have been finalized. The Town of The Pas had mostly disturbance of the peace cases a total of 139.

The RM of Kelsey once again had mainly provincial traffic violations a total of 79 and the community of Cormorant had one theft reported, one breach of the peace, and one case of mischief.

For the first time in a couple years Margaret Barbour Collegiate is having their Jazz night tomorrow night at 7 at the MBCI gymnasium featuring the senior jazz band.

Heather Gibson the band director spoke to Arctic Radio to talk about the concert and here she talks about some of the pieces that will be played.

Public Health Nurse and immunization coordinator for the Northern health region Charlene Martin spoke to arctic radio about the preschool wellness fair being held in The Pas at the primary health care centre.

(The Pas/Thompson, MB) – University College of the North’s (UCN) information technology (IT) project received additional funding from Future Skills Centre to continue operation through the 2022-2023 academic year. Future Skills Centre is investing $1.09 million to expand and modify this project following an earlier investment of $996,300. The program aims to lessen the digital and economic divide for Indigenous women in the North.

UCN launched the first-of-its-kind IT training for women in Northern Manitoba in September 2021. The Information Technology Readiness North (InTeRN) program is a research-based pilot project that works to address gaps and barriers preventing northern women from entering IT jobs.

“The Future Skills Centre is committed to accelerating innovative practices in skills development in order to help the squeeze many industries are feeling across Canada,” said Pedro Barata, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre. “These project partners have demonstrated a drive to test, learn and find promising approaches that will help workers, employers and industries adapt and thrive in the economy of the future.”

More than 20 Indigenous women have been involved in introductory IT entry level training with seven of those proceeding into the full-time Information Technology Readiness North (InTeRN) program at UCN.

“It was amazing to watch the transformation of the women in the program. They started as casual technology users and are leaving with skills like understanding and working with circuit boards in a computer,” said Tara Manych, Innovation Consultant. “The support for each other in the all-female group shows there is a place for women in this male dominated field.”

The ‘Sweetgrass” (decolonization and culturally appropriate control of the IT training) component of InTeRN has proven critical to keeping the students engaged. Students balanced full-time education challenges with maintaining important family and community obligations through a pandemic.

More than simply testing whether the students can be successful in an IT program, InTeRN has demonstrated success in creating a learning community where the students are responsible for their learning, their classroom, and each other. These experiences of the initial InTeRN program have demonstrated the potential for work-integrated-learning-centric programming to engage and retain northern learners. The additional FSC funding will enable UCN to expand this model of education and training into other work-force sectors.

University College of the North provides learning opportunities to northern communities while respecting diverse Indigenous and northern values.

An RCMP officer was involved in a collision here in The Pas over the weekend.

At around 4:30 on Saturday morning the officer was transporting a prisoner in a fully marked cruiser when he collided with a pole in the parking lot of a business on Fischer Avenue.

The officer provided first aid to the prisoner before emergency services arrived and the prisoner was taken to the hospital with non life threatening injuries and has since been released from medical care.

The officer also sustained injuries and was treated in hospital and has since been released.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing.

The Northern Health Region is inviting clients to fill out a client experience survey.

This survey is being conducted to allow clients to share their experience with the Northern Health Region so the organization can make decisions on how to improve their services.

The survey can be found on northernhealthregion.com or you can find a link on the Northern Health Regions Facebook page.

The Northern Health Region has announced that Doctor Richard Kostyk will be resigning from his medical practice in The Pas on June 30^th.

Patients of Dr. Kostyk are asked to contact their primary care provider to make a new referral.

According to a statement from the Northern Health Region Dr. Kostyk served The Pas, Flin Flon, and Snow Lake as an internist for almost 23 years and also took the time to take on other leadership roles such as chief of staff for The Pas.

The Northern Health Region commended Dr. Kostyk for his services and they wish him well in his future endeavors.

The Gateway Keewatin Corridor Group has formed a special committee to advocate the Manitoba Government for capital upgrades to Highway 283 west of The Pas.

Gateway Keewatin Corridor Inc. has spent the past number of years working on a inter provincial trade corridor between The Pas Manitoba and Nipawin Saskatchewan.  

This corridor will benefit both provinces through increased economic activity, greater access to customers and economic savings for businesses as well as public safety.

“It is encouraging to see the grassroot initiative to advocate for this highway to become part of the vision for a connected western Canada Highway system, similar to Highway 1 in the south”, said Leonard Gluska, President of the Gateway Keewatin group. “Our advocacy is nearly finished in Saskatchewan and our focus is on Manitoba.”

Completion of the highway upgrades will have increased provincial economic benefits for The Pas and region and the Port of Churchill. This highway route is also an important regional link to the grain belt in Saskatchewan, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Edmonton and northern parts of the western provinces. The corridor will also attract investment along its route and provide significant economic development prospects.

“The improvements to highway 283 will allow for heavier loads to be transported along the corridor including grain, raw wood and wood chips coming to The Pas. This will have an economic benefit in the millions of dollars for our region and new jobs”, said Alan McLauchlan- committee lead. “Not only forestry will benefit, but mining, tourism, agriculture, and other regional industries”.

“This route is part of our northern heritage that involves trade, commerce and connecting with our relatives and friends”, says Gluska. “There are large amounts of commodities waiting to be moved safely and seamlessly at industrial primary weights year-round.”

Committee members represent various stakeholders from the region and include agriculture, forestry, business, mining and local government.

The committee hopes to meet with the Manitoba Government in the fall of this year.

The Town of The Pas announced that they will be having their spring cleanup campaign from May 24^th until the 26^th. 

This will give residents an opportunity to get rid of unwanted yard waste.

People are reminded that yard waste should be protected from wind and animals and to put the waste in disposable containers preferably paper material.

More information and a list of rules for the campaign is available on town of the pas community updates facebook page.

The RM of Kelsey approved their 2022 financial plan.

A public hearing was held for the budget on Tuesday evening and there was no opposition from the public. 

Due to a lack of opposition the budget was given its second and third reading shortly after the hearing.

“The flooding in Peguis First Nation is devastating and unprecedented. For the fifth time in 16 years, families are again being forced to evacuate their homes because successive Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to put in place the preventative infrastructure to protect them. Water levels have reached unprecedented levels during this flood.
 
Peguis was forcibly relocated to a flood plain by Canada and has been clear about the long term investments necessary to safeguard their community. Peguis is now also being impacted by climate change and the federal government is not stepping up.
 
It is clear Canada needs a climate change adaption strategy that invests in infrastructure to protect communities already impacted by climate change. New Democrats have a plan to amend the mandate of the Canada Infrastructure Bank to deliver the climate resistant infrastructure that communities desperately need.
 
In many Northern and Indigenous communities, people are forced to live in fear of extreme climate events including devastating flooding. The Liberals agree there is a climate crisis taking place, but they’re choosing not to prioritize investing in preventative infrastructure where it’s needed. Instead, they invested in a flawed Canada Infrastructure Bank that relies on public-private partnerships that help increase corporate profits and ignore the needs of people living in isolated communities who are most at risk from climate emergencies.
 
The NDP knows people in Indigenous communities are the hardest hit by climate change. That’s why I’ve proposed legislation in bill C-245  to give priority to infrastructure projects in Northern and Indigenous communities that will help to mitigate or adapt to climate change. We need a federal government to support Indigenous and Northern communities like Peguis in the fight against climate change now.”

Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba’s Senior manager of regional services Liz McLeod spoke to Arctic Radio about the IG Wealth Management walk for Alzheimer’s set to be held on May 28^th.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation singer Rhonda Head has released a new single that is different from her usual classical pieces.

Her new single called “Rain Dance” is an electro pop song that has made the top 20 of the indigenous music countdown charts.

Head stated in a news release that its a song that we can all dance too now that we are able to get together once again.

The song was written by Winnipeg based musician Jeff Monkman.

Enya Barbeau from the Sam Waller Museum spoke to Arctic Radio about some art workshops they have planned, and a new temporary art exhibit they now have on display.

Sharain Jones the director of The Sam Waller Museum spoke to Arctic Radio about a new tool that will allow people to explore the history of The Pas in an interesting new way, using the On This Spot App. Here she tells us what people will find on the app.

The Manitoba Government announced yesterday that $1.6 million dollars will be going towards 12 community projects through the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund.

According to a news release The Pas Community Development Corporation will be getting $22,500 worth of this funding.

Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Scott Fielding says the provincial government is committed to attracting new investment in Manitoba’s mining sector and increasing indigenous participation in mineral development activities.

The Pas Municipal election will be held on October 26^th of this year and the registration for candidates for the office of head of council is open from now until September 20^th.

To obtain a registration form or for more information call Jenn Early at 204-627-1108

The registration for office of Councillor Candidates opens on June 30^th.

Our MP Niki Ashton has being calling on the federal government to take action on the 231 calls to justice for missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls.

When asked how the liberal government will tackle this ongoing issue, Chrystia Freeland the deputy prime minister and minister of finance responded by saying that we must work every day to end violence against indigenous woman, girls, and LGBTQ plus people and wants to assure that this year’s budget includes significant contributions to this work.

Ashton addressed this issue in the House of Commons last Thursday The National day of Action and Awareness for missing and murdered indigenous woman girls and two spirits.

Yesterday was the National Day of Action and Awareness for Missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls and two spirits and the acting grand chief of the assembly of Manitoba chiefs issued a statement to commemorate the day.

Acting Grand Chief Cornell Mclean stated that all first nations in Manitoba continue to be affected by the loss of a loved one and we need to work to ensure that future generations can live with greater security.

He concluded by saying the it has been three years since the release of the final report of the missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls national inquiry and that we must implement the 231 calls to justice in order to protect indigenous woman and girls and two spirits.

Betsy Kennedy the chair of the Assembly of Manitoba chiefs woman’s council and the chief of War Lake First Nation says they are continuing to call on the Government of Canada to meaningfully involve First Nations in Manitoba to implement the outstanding recommendations of the report of the missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls national inquiry as they identify better ways to protect indigenous woman girls and two spirits.

Adding that all first nations’ women and future generations deserve to live life protected from fear, violence, or being taken.

On April 12th, the PC government released their budget for 2022/2023. Budgets are about priorities, and this budget demonstrates that the priorities of the Stefanson government do not align with the priorities of Manitobans and especially not with the needs of Northerners in The Pas-Kameesak.

This budget was the Premier’s chance to prove that she’s different from Brian Pallister. This was her opportunity to chart a new course forward and invest in healthcare. But instead of setting a deadline to end the surgery backlog, end patient transfers and increase staffing on the frontlines she chose to repeat Pallister’s mistakes – and it’s Manitobans who will pay the price.

This budget’s increase to healthcare spending does not keep pace with inflation, which means that it is a de facto cut to hospitals, ERs and front-line workers. This government should be increasing healthcare spending in order to meaningfully address the dire state of healthcare in our province. This PC government has also refused to settle contracts for tens of thousands of health care aides, froze funds for EMS and ambulances in rural and Northern Manitoba, and froze the doctor recruitment fund. This is wrong.

Recently, I was honoured to second a bill brought forward by my colleague Bernadette Smith, the MLA for Point Douglas. Bill 234 proclaims the Sunday before Mother's Day of every year as Drug-Related Death Bereavement Day. This is a day to acknowledge the harm caused by addiction and grieve those who have lost their lives to drugs. This day will raise public awareness about addiction, help families grieve and reduce the stigma surrounding addiction so that greater action is taken. We will also continue to push this government to increase funding and access to the treatment services that are so desperately needed in Manitoba. The most recent data from the chief medical examiner's office shows there were 407 drug-related deaths in Manitoba in 2021 — more than double the average several years ago.

I also recently seconded a resolution brought forward by my colleague Tom Lindsey, the MLA for Flin Flon, which called on the PC government to resolve issues afflicting Northern Manitoba. Northerners are subject to situations that are acceptable nowhere else in the province specifically regarding healthcare and infrastructure, and this government’s cuts to healthcare and infrastructure in the north have worsened these situations and put thousands at risk.

As always, if you have any issue or question, please get in touch with my office by emailing Amanda.lathlin@yourmanitoba.ca or calling 1-204-623-2034.

The Moose Hide Campaign Day will be held next Thursday, and will be a virtual event.

The day is to encourage all Canadians to help end violence against women and children.

The event will include speeches from the organization’s co-founders and former senator Murray Sinclair, workshops focused on the themes of reconciliation and healthy relationships, as well as a one-day fast.

To learn more about the Moose Hide Campaign, visit moosehidecampaign.ca

May 5th is the National Day of Awareness and Action for Missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls and two spirits. Community members Holly Lajambe and Renee Kastrukoff spoke to Arctic Radio about the importance of this date.

The Town of The Pas announced that they will now be having their public budget hearing on May 24^th at six in the evening at council chambers.

This will give residents an opportunity to ask questions or voice their concerns about the plan.

Copies of the plan will be available on townofthepas.ca on May 20^th or you can pick one up one on request at 81 Edwards Avenue during business hours.

If you have any questions or concerns you can email info@townofthepas.ca

University College of the North is operating a near-net-zero energy greenhouse on The Pas campus.

The construction of the greenhouse began in 2020 in partnership with the Composites Innovations Centre with the primary purpose of strengthening food sovereignty, community health and student learning opportunities within northern communities.

The near-net-zero facility uses Biofibre blocks as the main heat reservoir. The blocks absorb light energy and heat the building with minimal energy input. The Biofibre blocks are built based on a Canadian design and are made from Canadian sourced hemp. The blocks are designed to capitalize on heat retention and allows year-round production.

The greenhouse helps to study exploration of growing produce north of the 53rd parallel. If successful, this type of greenhouse building will be tested further north. Project participants hope to address food sovereignty in northern Manitoba communities.

This Thursday is National Indigenous Diabetes Awareness Day, a day to inform and provide education on diabetes in the indigenous population.

According to the assembly of first nations website type 2 diabetes is three to five times more prevalent in first nations then the general population.

The Beatrice Wilson Health Centre will be having a special event for National Indigenous Diabetes Awareness Day on Thursday at their Otineka Mall Location from 11AM until 2PM to provide information about the disease and there will also be games and a lunch giveaway

For more information you can contact Shawn at 204-627-7410 or you can visit nada.ca

Last week the province of Manitoba announced that they will be investing more than one million dollars to support the community safety and well being planning project to develop local CSWB plans and implement local safety priorities.

12 Manitoba communities will benefit from this funding and The Town of The Pas is one of them.

Justice minister Kelvin Goertzen says, community safety and well being planning will support a collaborative approach to addressing local priority risks to safety and will begin by establishing programs and strategies in four planning areas, social development, prevention, risk intervention, and incident response.