NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) called out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his lack of action in resolving the labour dispute with PSAC civil service workers. As the Prime Minister visits New York City to meet with bankers and Hollywood actors, workers are waiting for a fair deal.

While the Prime Minister is schmoozing with billionaires, bankers and taking selfies with Hollywood actors, 155,000 civil servant workers are on day 10 of their strike,” said Gazan. “In Winnipeg, 9000 workers are in the streets waiting on this Prime Minister to deliver a fair wage to keep up with inflation. The Prime Minister’s lack of action is disrespectful.

Earlier this week, Gazan also called out the Prime Minister for turning his back on women in the civil service. He left the country in the middle of the largest Canadian strike. Gazan says workers deserve respect and to be heard by this government.
 
“Most public service workers on strike are women. Some of them try to raise their families on $40,000 a year,” said Gazan. “They deserve respect and a fair wage. The Prime Minister needs to get to the table and negotiate a fair deal for workers.”

RCMP in the Pas is investigating following a robbery that took place on April 25^th at approximately 9:55 pm.

The robbery occurred at a location on Fischer Avenue when the male suspect entered the business carrying a knife proceeded to threaten an employee and then fled on foot with stolen cash.

No one was injured.

!UPDATE!

Shortly after this information was shared, the suspect turned himself in. The RCMP would like to thank the public and the media for their assistance.

This Sunday the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 19 will host a volunteer banquet.

The event will be public to all legion volunteers and will be a show of appreciation for those that have contributed to Remembrance Day, the Poppy campaign, bingo’s, meat draws, the canteen, BBQs, Auxiliary teas, Chase the Ace and other events.

The invite is for all volunteers whether you’re a branch member, auxiliary member or neither.

The banquet will take place from 3 to 8 pm and a meal will be served.

For those interested in volunteering or becoming a branch member you can contact the local legion branch at 623 6723.

Tidy up Tuesdays is coming back to the pas this spring.

The town-initiated program will provide bags and gloves to individuals willing to take part.

Here Town of the Pas Mayor Andre Murphy talks about public access to the landfill as part of the program.

Funding for the northern Warhammer event, the trade show, an MMF Hockey Camp, the skate park, the Norman Wolves, and the female minor hockey jamboree where discussed at this week’s council meeting.

Mayor Andre Murphy said that delegation of funding is important to create an appropriate budget.

Here Mayor Murphy outlines details about the upcoming budget presentation

Minutes from by-weekly council meetings can be found at the townofthepas.ca

RCMP is advising the community of a dangerous drug circulating in the area. The drug is believed to be in a crystal-like powder form, purple in colour, and may contain Fentanyl.

Over the weekend six males were reported to have overdosed on Fisher Avenue in The Pas over the weekend.

5 of the males were treated and released while a 31-year-old male was transported to Brandon where he remains in critical condition.

On April 23 an officer at the Thompson general hospital was approached by a nurse that turned over 7 vials containing an unknown crystal-like powder, a field test indicated there was the presence of opioids

Officers believe the drugs found in Thompson may be the same substance that led to the overdoses in The Pas.

The Pas RCMP is asking anyone with information to call 204-627-6204 or secure tips online at

www.manitobacrimestoppers.com. The Investigation continues.

Tomorrow more than 500 nurses from across the province will come together in Brandon for the Manitoba Nurses Union 48^th Annual General Meeting. This is the first in-person AGM for MNU since 2019, as the 2020 one was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 and 2022 AGMs were held virtually.

This AGM will take place at the Keystone Centre in Brandon on April 25 and 26, 2023. The events below are open to the media. This includes remarks by MNU President Darlene Jackson, which will focus on protecting our public health care system and the nursing crisis.  

more details can be found through Brandi Johnson, the Senior Manager of Communications and External Relations Manitoba Nurses Union 
204-226-9803
bjohnson@manitobanurses.ca

Please accept our apologies, the event is a member-ONLY event, and therefore we will not have any spectators.

On April 22, 2023, at approximately 8:45 pm, RCMP received a report of four unresponsive males at an establishment located on Fischer Avenue in The Pas.

Information received was that these individuals had ingested drugs, possibly ecstasy, believed to be laced with an opioid.

Officers attended and assisted EMS with the administration of naloxone in an effort to revive the four males.

Three of the four males, ages 46, 37, and 33, were revived and transported to a hospital where they were treated and later released.

The fourth male, 31, was transported to the hospital and later flown to Brandon where he remains in critical condition.

Several hours later, RCMP received an additional report of two other overdoses at the same location. These two males were taken to the hospital where they were treated and released.

RCMP is advising the community of a dangerous illicit drug circulating in the area.

The drug is believed to be in a crystal-like powder form, purple in colour, and may contain fentanyl.

The Pas RCMP is asking anyone with information to call 204-627-6204, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tips online at

www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Investigation continues.

Manitoban NDP MPs Niki Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski) released the following statement in support of PSAC workers on strike for a fair deal:

The NDP stands in solidarity with striking workers and their demands for respect. This is the largest strike against a single employer in Canadian history, and almost 9,000 Manitobans have joined the picket lines. Manitobans have a long and proud history of standing with workers and we urge our Liberal and Conservative counterparts to do what’s right and support CRA and Treasury Board employees who have been working for two years without a deal.
 
Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have a record of violating workers' rights. This government has twice imposed back-to-work legislation on workers demanding a fair deal. We urge the Liberal government to come to the table and respect PSAC workers' reasonable demands.

The Alzheimer Society of Manitoba is looking for leaders from right across the province to join their team including someone to represent the North.

Ray Bisson, who is the chairman of the board talks about the things they will be looking for from the person they find to represent this region: “  To have somebody from the North would be just a wonderful thing because we are under-represented in the Northern communities and to have somebody be able to give us an insight of how things are going in the North and providing us with insight would be good. What we are looking for as a board are diversity and gender balance, so somebody who is connected in some way to dementia could provide some valuable information.”

Anybody from Manitoba with a range of experience and backgrounds can apply to alzmb@alzheimer.mb.ca

The University College of the North has officially launched its computers for schools program located in The Pas in partnership with their Information Technology Readiness North program.

The program was funded by the Future Skills Center which has helped fund more than 240 projects nationwide.

The goal is to support education, skills development, and environmental responsibility by providing adorable tech.

UCN students recently tested and refurbished 30 computers which are being donated to the Kelsey School Division and the Opaskwayak Educational Authority.

The INTERN program also has a goal of leading indigenous women into the IT workforce that gives them a chance to learn, maintain, and utilize skills while also providing real-world experience.

You can learn more about UCN programs at UCN.ca

The Pas Animal Shelter has been busy heading into spring.

From May first, to the seventh, they will be the recipient of funds from Tim Horton’s smile cookie campaign for The Pas and surrounding areas.

The Shelter is also organizing the royal princess ball later in May.   

They are still looking for sponsors and donations, and are always looking for volunteers to help.

More details can be found on The Pas animal shelter’s Facebook page.

On April 13^th decision results were made public in the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Vs. Clair Cook, Judy Head, Rhonda Head, Diane Pelly and Bradly Young.

On January 20^th of last year, Chief Ballantyne and OCN Council took their existing election board to court to have them removed 3 days before they were to hear complaints against the chief.

Justice Favel dismissed OCN’s Application for a judicial review and stated that OCN Violated the elections code, ethics code and procedures policy in passing the band council resolution instating the new elections board.

Favel stated that the chief and council failed to act in OCN members’ best interests and in a manner inconsistent with their oath of office.

As a result of Justice Favel’s decision that the original election board stays, and as long as Chief Ballantyne has complaints registered with the election board he must not vote in any motion to terminate or replace them.

Full decision results can be found by contacting the OCN Election Board.

The circus is coming to town on Saturday, May 5^th at the Roy H Johnston Arena.

The Cirque Luz Dalia is a 1 and a half hour long show that features Lucero Mendez and a hair-hanging act, Jordan Franco’s high-speed juggling, Abdessamad Soulimat is a Moroccan acrobat that does precision hand balancing.

The Rodriguez Gaucho Dancers from Argentina, as well as others.

Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at CirqueLuzDalia.com and range from 15 dollars up to 200 for a ringside VIP experience.

Kindergarten registration will be happening this week at both the Ecole Opasquia and the Kelsey Schools.

Registration for English and French immersion programs at the Ecole Opasquia will take place tomorrow night at the school from 6  to 7 pm.

Registration for the program at the Kelsey school happens Wednesday night from 6 to 7 pm.

Parents of eligible children are asked to bring their Child's medical card, birth certificate, passport, or baptismal certificate.

The open house events will give parents and children a chance to see the classrooms, meet the teachers, and learn more about the program.

You can call the Kelsey school at 623-7421 or the Ecole Opasquia at 623-3459 to learn more.

98.3 million dollars has been earmarked for the upgrade to provincial road 283, known as the tote road.

A public meeting regarding this will be held this coming Wednesday at the Legion from 10 am to 4 pm.

These details came from The Pas Mayor Andre Murphy following this week’s council meeting.

Annually the town collects approximately 13.7 million dollars in taxation.

Murphy says that it’s important to know just how much the town is spending and where the money goes to accurately gauge the town’s budget.

To hear the full interview with Murphy go to the pas today

April 19 is National Canadian Film Day and premiering at the Royal Canadian Legion is Steven Bignell’s and Stuart Matheson’s Film The Tomahawk.

Written and directed by Bignell and produced by Matheson, The Film was shot in The Pas and OCN last year and follows an experienced Cree Scout during the Second World War who finds a lost German boy, they put their differences aside and try to make their way home.

The film was developed through NSI New Northern Voices – a training program delivered by the National Screen Institute to build workforce capacity in northern Manitoba.

Bignell was mentored by Oscar-nominated director Sturla Gunnarsson, who will attend the event, tickets are free and will have a Q&A followed by the short film

More details can be found here

Town residents are warned to be careful now that the melting snow has revealed some dangerous items.

Things that are showing up in the community include needles, drug paraphernalia, and other sharp items.

If you have come across anything like these, you can contact The Pas and OCN Bear Clan Patrol as they will be out in the community removing dangerous items.

For more information on how to properly remove these items yourself, visit the Bear Clan Patrol Facebook page.

At approximately 12:10 this morning The Pas RCMP received a report of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 10 south of The Pas approximately two kilometres north of the Highway 60 junction.

The investigation has determined that a southbound semi-trailer driven by a 59-year-old man from Truro, NS, crossed over into the northbound lane and collided with a northbound semi-trailer driven by a 22-year-old man from Assiniboia, SK.

The 59-year-old male driver was pronounced deceased on scene and the 22-year-old male was transported to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The Pas RCMP, along with a Forensic Collision Reconstructionist, continue to investigate.

The Week of April 11 to 15 is National Medical Laboratory Week; medical lab professionals perform millions of lab tests every year to provide critical information on Canada's health.

They’ve provided almost 60 million COVID tests since March 2020 and spent countless hours drawing blood for donations and research.

Medical Lab Technologists (MLT's) perform a variety of duties from blood matching to running tests that could potentially lead to cancer, diabetes and other disease diagnoses.

Canadian Landmarks will have indigo LED lights in honour of the Lab Workers, land Marks in Manitoba include Esplande Riel Bridge, The Winnipeg City Sign and The Brandon Regional Health Centre.

More information can be found here 

Just after 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, RCMP received a report of a body having been found outside a business on Lakeshore Drive in Snow Lake. 

Officers located the body of a 44-year-old man from Thompson lying in the snow.  They report the cause of death has yet to be determined but it is believed he had been outside for a period of time when the temperature had dropped to a low of minus 24 degrees.

Snow Lake RCMP along with the office of the Chief Medical Examiner continues to investigate.

This a reminder for all Pimicikamak Cree Nation band members residing in the pas and OCN that an upcoming general election will be happening on Friday, April 21^st.

Advanced polling will be happening in the community on Friday, April 14^th and at the Kikiwak Inn.

On Election Day polling will take place in Wabowden, Thicket Portage, Pikiwitoni, the band hall in Cross Lake, and the MKO offices in Thompson.

Polls open at 11 am and close at 7 pm Election Day.

A general meeting for the Clearwater lake outdoor club will be happening Monday night starting at 7:30

There is currently a need for board members and volunteers.

On the table for this Monday's meeting will be a need for contractors to continue and complete the renovation of the chalet.

The event is public and will be happening at the Clearwater Lake outdoor club house  

As Canada is co-hosting the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup along with Mexico and the United States, northern Manitoba’s MP says now is the time for the federal government to invest in youth soccer opportunities in northern and Indigenous communities.

In a press conference, Churchill - Keewatinook Aski MP Niki Ashton explains soccer is the fastest-growing sport in the world and it’s a big part of many Indigenous and northern communities.

Despite this, she says communities are struggling to provide our youth with the same opportunities as those living in major cities, such as infrastructure, equipment, and other resources.

Ashton, along with athletes, coaches, and local soccer organizations from Thompson, Flin Flon, and Opaskwayak Cree Nation, called on the federal Liberals and FIFA to work with our communities to improve access to the sport.

They report an increase of 21 percent in calls for service in the northern district in February to 4633 compared to 5609 in February last year. 

That includes an increase from 705 to 727 in common police activities with crimes against property up from 994 to 1140, crimes against persons down from 706 to 703 and drug enforcement up from 28 to 43.

In traffic statistics fatal motor vehicle collisions in the north district in February were up two from zero in February last year and serious motor vehicle collisions were the same as last February at two.

Across the whole province traffic enforcement tickets issued were up 62 percent from 1734 to 2812.

Manitoba parks opened up bookings yesterday for available spots on the grounds during the summer.

Cabins, Yurts, and group areas started booking yesterday.

Tomorrow bookings will open for spots in northern and western provincial park campgrounds.

Next Tuesday spots will open in Birds Hill and Winnipeg Beach provincial parks.

On Wednesday the 12^th, spots will open for Caddy Lake, Falcon Beach, Falcon Lakeshore, and West Hawk provincial grounds.

On the 13^th spots open for Beresford Lake, Bird Lake, Black Lake, Tulabi Falls, Shoe Lake, Betula Lake, Big Whiteshell, Brereton Lake, Nutimik Lake, Opapiskaw, and White Lake.

All remaining provincial campgrounds will open to registration on Friday the 14^th.

For information on registration or to book a spot go to ManitobaParks.ca

Since 1928, The Lido Theatre has provided the community with film entertainment and live plays.

The nearly 100 year old theatre went under renovations in early 2020, but due to the ongoing pandemic, the theatre has been closed since.

The future of the theatre still remains uncertain but serious further investment will be needed in order to make the theatre functional.

Guided tours for the theatre have started along with a Go Fund Me with the goal of raising fifty thousand dollars.

The Go Fund Me link can be found here

RCMP in Manitoba say an 18-year-old woman from Pimicikamak Cree Nation who went missing in the community last week has been found dead, and they say they believe she was outside for a period of time.

Police say the woman was last seen on March 21st and was reported missing a few days later on Friday morning.

Officers began searching, but just after noon that day, police say they got a report of a body being found near the lake in the community.

It was confirmed to be the missing 18-year-old.

Police say they're still investigating, and that there will be an autopsy.

The Town of The Pas had their latest meeting on  Monday, March 27^th.

Public safety became a topic for Monday’s meeting.  Mayor Andre Murphy shares details.

The next budget meeting is this Friday at noon and is open to the public.

The next town meeting will be held on April tenth.

The full interview with Murphy can be found on The Pas Today.