The Otineka Mall is hosting a concert this Saturday afternoon, and there is a call going out for more local talent.

The Country Cousins will be performing as the main act, and the show will take place from 1 to 5 pm with pop-up performances coming from anyone that would like to promote their music.

To volunteer a performance you are asked to contact Ahab Constant at 204 623 0415.

The family friendly concert will happen in the food court inside the mall.

Effective starting tomorrow, June 1st, the town’s public works will head into summer hours.

It’s noted that this will affect garbage hours meaning pickup will take place from 7 am -3:30 pm.

This is approximately 1 hour earlier; they do ask that you take necessary precautions to avoid any disruptions in pick-up.

It’s also noted that this will not affect landfill hours running from 11 am to 8 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Summer hours will run until September 5^th.

A 17-year-old male was reported missing from the community of Easterville, approximately 200 kilometres southeast of The Pas, on Thursday, May 25^th.

Chemawawin RCMP got the report at 4:30 pm that the youth had been missing since the evening of the 23^rd.

Frank Oteskan was last seen on Sesame Street, and police and family members are concerned for his well-being.

Oteskan is described as being 5 foot tall weighing 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing all-black clothes.

If you have any information regarding Frank Oteskan’s whereabouts you are asked to contact RCMP or leave a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com

Terry Fox's legacy continues to inspire students across Canada to persevere.

This year the Kelsey School division received a letter congratulating them for both elementary schools placing within the top 50 for funds raised.

nearly 200,000 dollars was raised in support of the foundation across the province this year.

The Ecole Opasquia School raised nearly 9,000 dollars and was ranked 4th in the province for overall funds raised.

The Kelsey Community School Helped bring in over 3,500 dollars placing 22nd in the province.

The Pas Health complex foundation is acknowledging the community for support during the year and with the annual pledge show held.

On the first day of the event, 7,210 dollars was raised, and on the second day, 10,755 dollars was brought in.

That along with other donations made totalled 18,615 dollars, which will be used to purchase dialysis equipment and beds locally.

Last-minute donations are being excepted at Cook and Cooke Insurance.

Following this week’s budgetary hearing, mayor of The Pas Andre Murphy spoke about the increase in the mil rate at about .559.

A 277 thousand dollar increase in municipal funding, and also mentioned a 3 million dollar increase with the town’s assessment.

Murphy said "A meeting about rates for utilities, water, and waste water rates to cover the debenture on the lagoon and plans for that meeting will be coming in the future."

Minutes from town council meetings are available online at townof thepas.ca

May is Multiple Sclerosis awareness month, and coming this weekend the MS society will be hosting walks across the country.

Locally the royal Canadian legion will be hosting the event.

The gathering will start at 10 am this Saturday with speeches and information being shared.

The walk will follow opening ceremonies at 11am, and there will be a light meal provided.

Canada has one of the highest rates of MS with an estimated 90 thousand Canadians living with the disease.

On average 12 Canadians are diagnosed with the disease every day.

Learn more about MS at MSCanada.ca.

The TPCRC is hosting tidy-up Tuesdays along with the town of The Pas.

During the 6-week program town beautification is the goal and they will be on the lookout for community members getting out and contributing.

They are asking that you take time to sweep sidewalks, pick up litter, tidy back lanes and parking lots and help contribute to making the town a cleaner place.

Winners for this week’s Tidy up Tuesday will be announced soon.

Baby Sitting courses are being offered by The Pas Friend Ship Centre for anyone aged 12 to 15.

The Course will run Sunday, June 4^th at 81 Edwards Avenue from 8:30 to 4:30 with lunch provided.

The cost will be 35 dollars, students will be trained by Canadian Red Cross Instructor Yessica Luce

More details can be found on The Pas Friendship Centers Facebook Page.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Manitoba government to cut the provincial gas tax as Manitobans fuel up for road trips during the Victoria Day long weekend.

“Manitobans pay some of the highest gas prices in the country and gas taxes are a big part of that cost,” said Gage Haubrich, Prairie Director of the CTF. “Cutting the gas tax would save a Manitoban driver $14 every single time they fill up their pickup truck.”

The Manitoba government’s gas tax adds 14 cents to the price you pay at the pump.

The federal government’s carbon tax also adds 14 cents to the pump price.

The governments of Alberta, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador all recently cut gas taxes. Drivers in Alberta will be saving up to $440 this year. In Ontario, a family will see about $195 in savings. And in Newfoundland and Labrador, the average two-car family can expect $475 in savings.

“The Manitoba government needs to cut the gas tax to offset the cost of the federal carbon tax,” Haubrich said. “Other provinces have done it and drivers in those provinces are seeing savings that Manitobans are missing out on.”

Tourism Company Discover The Pas OCN has teamed up with the communities economic development fund to install visitor kiosks to provide the tourist with valuable information.

One is located at the Kikiwak Inn and the other one is in the tourism hub at the Kelsey Recreation and Wellness Centre.

More details can be found at DiscoverThePas.ca

The Pas Health Foundations Annual Pledge show at 1029 CJAR kicks off today.

They ask that you make a donation in support of the health complex locally knowing that all money stays in town.

This is for equipment that isn’t funded by Manitoba Health or other agencies.

Last year the money raised was used to purchase new bassinets for the maternity ward.

This year there is a goal to purchase new dialysis equipment and other items the complex may need.

The pledge show will be running from 8 am to 10 am today and tomorrow, and to make a donation you can call 623-1240 during the event.

In preparation for the construction of the new OCN Gas Bar, a major portion of road f 9 the road between the Kikiwak Inn and the Otineka Mall parking lot) will be closed as of Thursday May 18, 2023.

Road F will be closed from the resolution drive access but is still open off of PTH #10

Vehicle traffic will still be able to access the Kikiwak Inn, mall and gas station from the #10 Access, but there will be no through traffic to the residential area.

The Closure of Road F and the installation of temporary safety fencing will be put in place, and construction will be completed by May 2024

More information can be found by contacting OCN Shell manager Marcel Chief at 204-623-4995.

Nearly 100 exhibitors including businesses, Crafters, non-profits, Traders, and much more will be on display at the 26 annual Vision Quest Trade Show and conference this week.

Vision Quest has a goal to promote indigenous business owners and entrepreneurs.

The event will be happening at the RBC Conference Center in Winnipeg.

It’s a partnership between 5 indigenous community future corporations in Manitoba.

And gives indigenous business owners and entrepreneurs a chance to network and develop business start-ups and engage the youth.

This year’s keynote speakers include Grey Cup champion J R LaRose, and Olympian Waneek Horn-Miller.

Full details about Vision Quest can be found at vqconfrence.com

They report a decrease of 4 percent in calls for service in the north district in March from 6399 to 6113 compared to March last year. 

That includes a decrease from 944 to 851 for common police activities with crimes against property down from 1249 to 1184, crimes against property down from 1249 to 1184, crimes against person down from 992 to 881 and drug enforcement down from 54 to 52.

In traffic statistics fatal motor vehicle collisions in the north district in March were the same as in March of last year with one and serious motor vehicle collisions were two up from one in March last year.

Across the whole province traffic enforcement tickets issued went up 41 percent from 2239 in March last year to 3153 this year.

In light of recent crime, OCN Chief and council are reminding the public of their Community safety initiative.

The initiative was first enacted nearly 20 years ago by former Chief Frank Whitehead.

This includes a coordination plan with policing to ensure that enforcement of policies, By-laws, and band council resolutions are followed.

The initiative was originally signed due to a large crime rate including assault, vandalism, theft, drug abuse, home invasion, and others.

With violence on the rise in the community, the chief and council are urging the public to call 911 immediately when seeing suspicious activity.

OCN Chief and council are also in the process of hiring security to patrol the community and there is a plan to place security cameras in and around the OCN in the future.

MLA for the Pas, Amanda Lathin recently introduced a bill into legislation that would allow parents that have had to deal with a miscarriage time to grieve.

Bill 210 states that the loss of a pregnancy is extremely hard for prospective parents and currently Manitobans experiencing a miscarriage or stillbirth need to cut into sick leave, lose pay, or potentially lost jobs due to missed work.

On April 13^th this bill passed its second reading.

This would give mothers experiencing miscarriage before 20 weeks an opportunity to apply for federal employment insurance and maternity benefits.

However, the Manitoba PC government has introduced a bill that would make this leave unpaid if passed.

Full Report Below

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Parents who have experienced miscarriages know that time off afterwards is important for the grieving process. That is why I introduced Bill 210: The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act (Leave for Miscarriage or Stillbirth) in the legislature, as it would legislate paid leave from work for families who have recently experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Losses of pregnancies are incredibly hard for prospective parents and can have an impact equivalent to losing any other family member.

Why then have we not provided the same leave for the loss of a pregnancy as any other form of bereavement leave? Currently, Manitobans who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth have to cut into their sick leave, lose part of their paycheck, or risk their jobs just to take time off to heal.

This forces many parents to have to choose between properly grieving their loss or putting food on the table.

It is an impossible choice for many and can lead to longer-term trauma if parents aren’t given the appropriate time to grieve and heal from their experience.

Everyone grieves differently, and it should not be up to employers to decide whether their employees deserve time off to grieve.

This bill was created out of demands from community members to have their experiences and trauma recognized, and their calls to help others going through that same trauma.

Currently in Manitoba, if a woman experiences a miscarriage, she can apply for Federal employment insurance, or maternity benefits if the pregnancy ends after 20 weeks, however, this excludes all mothers who have experienced a miscarriage before the arbitrary time of 20 weeks and excludes all non-childbearing parents.

And there is still no full-wage replacement available for mothers in Manitoba and no paid leave for their partners.

On April 13^th my bill passed second reading in the legislature and is one step closer to offering this time to families who are going through this difficult time.

Now it’s up to the PCs to call the bill to committee and commit to passing it into law. However, they’ve instead introduced a bill that would make this leave unpaid. Grieving parents shouldn’t have to worry about whether they will be able to pay their bills if they take time off following the loss of a pregnancy, yet this bill forces them to take unpaid time off. That’s the wrong approach.

We have an opportunity to show progressive leadership here in Manitoba by recognizing the grief that so many families face and giving them time to heal without suffering financial hardship. We only have a few weeks left in this legislative session, but I will continue to push for paid leave.

I look forward to continuing to fight for northern families and always look forward to hearing from community members. If you have questions or concerns that you would like to speak to me about, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

You can reach my office by email at amanda.lathlin@yourmanitoba.ca or by phone at 1(204) 623-2034. Kinanaskomitin.

At 11:50 am, on May 13, 2023, The Pas RCMP received a report that a 24-year-old female had been abducted by an unknown male on Highway 10 near The Pas.

Officers immediately responded and police roadblocks were put in place in the area. The Saskatchewan RCMP also set up roadblocks due to the proximity of the abduction to the provincial boundary.

Through the investigation, officers were able to determine the name of the suspect and a description of his vehicle; a grey Honda Civic. The investigation also produced a possible location of where he may be bringing the abducted female.

At 1:10pm, officers arrived at a cabin associated to the suspect in the Red Deer River area, approximately 135km south of The Pas. Officers located the grey Honda Civic at the cabin and saw the abducted female inside at the window. Officers entered and she was quickly and safely removed from the area.

The 34-year-old suspect was arrested at the cabin and is facing a number of charges including Kidnapping.

His name will be released when all the charges are formally laid.

“At this time, it does appear that this was a random kidnapping. RCMP officers in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan worked rapidly to advance the investigation and did everything they could to get the victim to safety. She is being provided with all of the required support following this terrible event,”

said Staff Sergeant Jonathan Greer of the Manitoba RCMP’s North District.

The 10^th annual Cree immersion bingo will be happening this Monday.

Here Pricilla Constant explains how it will work, in Cree.

The Goal of the Cree immersion program is to promote the language and cultural benefits.

The Immersion program is Cree language development for Nursery to grade 6 students and is open to the public.

The Kelsey Learning Centre is forming the Parent Pathway for Education Foundation, this helps adults over the age of 18 if there a new parents and want to improve their parenting skills and education while earning high school credits.

The Mornings will be used for new mothers while the afternoon will be for new fathers.

The Learning Centre Also provides college prep programs for people looking to go back to post-secondary education.

The Learning Centre is located in Room 264 at University College of The North, more details can be found on The Pas Today

Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s Emergency Measures Organization is notifying Manitobans that the National Public Alerting System, Alert Ready, is scheduled to issue an emergency alert test message on multiple communication channels this afternoon at 1:55 p.m.

They report testing all components is an important and necessary part of any public alerting system. It provides an opportunity to validate and improve the end-to-end performance and reliability of the system to ensure it operates as it is intended on TV, radio and compatible wireless devices.

Test alerts also educate the public on what an emergency alert will look and sound like in the event of a life-threatening situation.

The test alert will be distributed on TV, radio and compatible wireless devices. However, not all Manitobans will receive the test alert on their mobile devices. This may occur for various reasons, including device compatibility, connection to an LTE network, cell tower coverage, and device software and settings.

For more information about the upcoming test alert visit www.alertready.ca.

Today is McHappy Day, where all McDonalds worldwide will donate ten percent of all menu items sales to Ronald McDonald House Charities, to provide families with a place to live for an extended period for their children’s medical treatment.

The First Ronald McDonald House in Canada was built in 1981 in Toronto, and now has over 33 national-wide houses and helped over twenty thousand families.

Last year Ronald Macdonald House of Manitoba helped 884 families with a place to stay.

Volunteers throughout the town will be helping out today including members of CJAR

Learn more by going to rmhcmanitoba.org

Emergency Response Team officers, who were brought in to assist with the search for the escaped inmates, were conducting patrols in The Pas earlier this morning and located Kelly Castel near Halcrow Avenue. Castel fled on foot and additional police units including Police Dog Services, Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Unit (drone) and The Pas detachment members immediately responded to the area.

A police dog led officers to Castel who was hiding a short distance away. He was arrested and is now in custody.

Another escaped prisoner from The Pas Correctional Centre Xander Tardiff was arrested yesterday.

A few northern Manitoba First Nations are among the recipients of federal dollars for emergency shelters and transitional housing for Indigenous communities.

Ottawa says it’s investing 103 million dollars for the construction and ongoing operational support of at least 178 new shelter transitional units across the country.

Cross Lake First Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation are among the 21 communities getting funding for their respective projects.

A federal government press release says the projects will be Indigenous-led and will offer access to support programming to help survivors of family and gender-based violence access culturally appropriate services.

Smile Cookie Week has wrapped up and our local Tim Horton’s raised over 18,000 dollars in support of The Pas and area animal shelter.

Of all the stores across the province, Tim Horton’s in The Pas places fifth for overall cookie sales.

Funds raised will go towards renovations to dog kennels, fixing the cat area, and replacing a broken furnace.

The animal shelter’s next fundraising event will be the royal princess ball coming up on Saturday, May 27^th.

Update - 

One Of the Escaped Inmates Has Been Arrested.

Manitoba RCMP reports one of the inmates who escaped from The Pas Correctional Centre has been arrested. 

They report Xander Tardiff has been located and arrested without incident and is now in police custody. 

The RCMP continues to search for Kelly Castel and anyone with information is asked to contact The Pas RCMP at 204-627-6200.

Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan RCMP Dangerous Person Alert has been cancelled in relation to the escaped inmates in Manitoba.  Saskatchewan residents are still asked to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to police.  They advise in an emergency always call 911.

Manitoba RCMP is searching for two escaped inmates from the Correctional Centre in The Pas who are considered dangerous and a risk to the public.

The Mounties were notified that three inmates had escaped from the institution shortly before 7 last night.

A search involving additional police resources, including police dog services, resulted in the apprehension of one of the inmates, who was returned to custody.

RCMP are still searching for the remaining inmates, who have been identified as 19-year-old Xander William Tardiff and 21-year-old Kelly John Castel, both of them police say have a history of violence.

Alert Ready messages have been issued for residents of The Pas, Flin Flon and surrounding areas in Manitoba, and Saskatchewan RCMP has issued a Sask Alert message to residents in Creighton and nearby areas.

Residents are being told to lock all doors and windows and to immediately report anything suspicious to the RCMP.

This week, May 8 to 14, the Manitoba Nurses Union marks National Nursing Week across the country. A week dedicated to honouring all the nurses have done over the year

Two years ago, Premier Heather Stefanson inspired MNU’s Save the Cake campaign, where we asked employers to, instead of a slice of sweetness, dole out a little respect, a serving of work/life balance, and a dollop of recruitment.

Sadly, nurses are still waiting on those demands

In a recent interview, The Minister of Health Audrey Gordon referred to herself as the “Minister of the Art of the Possible.” MNU’s 2022 campaign mirrored the Minister of the Art of the Possible with her couch crusade.

Since Minister Gordon has been in her current role, she has inspired us to take a deep dive into all that’s possible.

Media Contact:
Brandi Johnson
204-226-9803
bjohnson@manitobanurses.ca

Volunteers are needed to help support seniors in the community

The Community Fall Prevention Exercise class running weekly at the Rec and wellness center gives seniors information on how to prevent falls.

Here Russell Thorne, Community Health Developer with the Northern Health region tells us about the program.

Volunteers must be in good physical condition and willing to go through a criminal record check which will be provided for free for incoming supporters.

The program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 3 pm.

Contact Thorne at the NRHA in the Pas for more information on the program or to volunteer.

The Manitoba government has proclaimed this month as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. 

The aim is to promote motorcycle safety and remind motorists that safe driving and riding practices should be exercised and to always be on alert and share the roads with motorcyclists.

Transportation Minister Doyle Piwniuk states all road users have the right to travel safely on our roadways. 

The President of the Coalition of Manitoba Motorcycle Groups Carolyn Peters adds it is not only important that motorists watch for motorcycles but as well that motorcyclists be reminded of their responsibilities to maintain that safety bubble around them by being visible, maintaining safe traffic separations and riding at speeds appropriate for the unpredictable spring road conditions.

It’s the national day for awareness and action for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

A gathering will be happening at the metis hall this evening from 5 to 8 pm.

There will be light refreshments and everyone is encouraged to wear ribbon skirts and shirts to show support.

This will be followed by a candle-lit vigil in Kinsmen Park starting at 9:30.

The event will give friends and family members a chance to remember loved ones, and they are planning on unveiling a special project in support of MMIWG in the community.

If you go to the KB Memorial Facebook page you can receive updates and newsletters about local MMIWG events running.

Parents of children who are entering kindergarten in September can book an appointment for immunization shots at The Primary Health Care Centre.

Immunization shots will run every Thursday for the month of May, and all those receiving kindergarten immunizations are eligible to enter a draw for prizes.

Call 204-623-9650 to book your appointment.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation Arts Council will be hosting an arts and crafts meeting tomorrow afternoon in the Constant room at the Kikiwak.

The meeting is open to everyone starting at noon.

On the agenda are Arts Council terms of reference and council executive nominations.

Any OCN Member that is interested in being nominated should attend.

On Monday, NPD Critic for National Revenue Niki Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski) called on the Liberal government to negotiate a fair deal for workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) still waiting for fair wages and working conditions.

"35,000 CRA workers are still on strike fighting for a fair deal. The government is showing its true colours, seemingly blaming everyone but themselves who let this fester for almost two years," said Ashton. "With the tax deadline having just passed, the government made the asinine decision to not extend it, putting Canadians at risk of penalties.

"Instead of going with the obvious solution, which is to offer CRA workers a fair deal, the government has decided to hold Canadians hostage due to its own incompetence. When will the Liberals deliver a fair deal to CRA workers?" 

New Democrats will continue to stand up for workers and pressure the Liberals to stop delaying a fair agreement for workers.

Chief Angela Levasseur of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation issued a statement from the Safer Highway 6 Citizen’s Action Group to Doyle Piwniuk (Pinook) the Manitoba Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

It indicated the group firmly supports the goal of creating a safer Highway 6 to reduce accidents and deaths.

The group requested the Minister to outline and implement a five-year program based on their members’ recommendations and the iRap standards that were presented last year and submit these plans to the signatories by June first.

iRap is an organization that grades highway conditions and upgrades them to standard conditions.

Sweden has reduced highway accidents by 70% by adding the 2+1 lane system, which is one of the upgrades the highway group requested.

More information can be found by contacting Linda Markus at 204 – 679 – 1020.

The full Statement can be found by clicking HERE

No law is ever perfect but Bill C-21 is a game-changer for Canada and should be implemented as soon as possible.

The law responds to most of the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission and the demands of the Coalition for Gun Control (CGC), which, with more than 200 supporting organizations, has fought for stronger firearm laws for more than thirty years.  

Today’s announcement by Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, about new measures to Bill C-21 includes a technical definition of assault-style semi-automatic firearms and tough new import controls and perhaps most importantly it ensures the freeze on the import, sale and transfer of handguns which will stem the proliferation of firearms that serve no purpose in the hands of civilians.

Bill C-21 strengthens screening protocols for all gun owners and the new measures address legitimate concerns about Indigenous peoples hunting rights. 

We especially want to applaud the NDP and Bloc Québécois for working hard with the Liberals to find a path forward. 

The safety of Canadians and gun control should not be a partisan issue. It is a public safety issue. Given the strong consensus in Parliament, we hope the Senate will review the Bill expeditiously. 

We look forward to working together to quickly address the remaining loopholes around military-style, semi-automatic assault weapons.

Most importantly, we look forward to the allocation of resources and accountability frameworks needed to ensure the law is implemented effectively. 

The Coalition for Gun Control has led national efforts to reduce gun violence for more than 30 years and is supported by more than 200 organizations.

It was afforded to stand at the Mass Casualty Commission and has defended Canada's gun laws in several landmark court cases. The CGC will continue to advocate for and support improved gun control policies to prevent gun violence.

The annual Tim Horton’s smile cookie campaign returns this week.

This is the first time the campaign has run in the spring.

For a dollar fifty plus tax patrons can purchase a cookie with 100 percent of proceeds going towards the pas and area animal shelter.

Over 600 local charities across Canada have been handpicked by restaurant owners and operators to contribute to.

Cookies will be available till May 7^th and pre-orders will be delivered throughout the week by animal shelter volunteers.

On Tuesday, ahead of Red Dress Day, NDP Critic for Women and Gender Equality Leah Gazan will introduce a motion calling on the Liberal government to declare the ongoing genocide of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S) a Canada-wide emergency. From 2016 to 2021, 247 Indigenous women were identified as the victims of homicide, and despite promising to act, the rate of homicide against Indigenous women has not decreased since the Liberals came to power.

“We are witnessing a crisis of unrelenting violence against our women, girls and two-spirit people,” said Gazan. “Just three days ago, the remains of an eight-year-old girl were found in Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis and my heart goes out to her family. We are not disposable — our lives are precious, and we deserve justice. It’s time for immediate action from this government, including declaring a Canada-wide emergency and putting in place a Red Dress Alert, to save lives.”

In her motion, Gazan is also calling for urgent, significant investments including in the creation of a Red Dress alert system. This would help alert the public when an Indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit person goes missing. As a result of pressure from family members, advocates and Gazan, the need for a Red Dress Alert was acknowledged in Budget 2023 - but the Liberals failed to provide funding and a timeline for its creation. Gazan says it is critical to implement this alert without delay.

Gazan added that the Liberals must also reverse their planned cut of $150 million to women’s shelters and invest in building more transitional homes and shelters for victims of gender-based violence.

“We are asking the government to take action now to end this ongoing genocide,” said Sandra DeLaronde, from the MMIWG2S Implementation Committee. “From stealing our identities to stealing our rights to stealing our lives, it is time to take progressive, sustainable action to protect Indigenous women, girls and our two-spirit relatives. Families and survivors have carried the burden of change for generations and now it is time for the government to act. It’s time to commit to saving our sacred lives.” 

The motion will be introduced immediately following the question period Tuesday afternoon. The full text is available here:

That, given that:
(i) On October 27, 2022, the House unanimously recognized that what happened in residential schools was genocide,
(ii) decades of insufficient action from all levels of government have failed to address the effects of this genocide, including the crisis of violence against Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people with the urgency it deserves,
(iii) families in Winnipeg and throughout the country continue to experience the tragic loss of a loved one to this crisis,
 
the House calls on the government to:
(a)declare the continued loss of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people a Canada-wide emergency; and
(b)provide immediate and substantial investment, including in a Red Dress Alert System, to help alert the public when an Indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit person goes missing.

The town-initiated community cleanup program will kick off today running from now until May 13^th.

This means the town has waived the tipping fee for residential garbage.

This will NOT include dumping from commercial, construction, or demolition projects.

Recycling will not be accepted and items must be sorted.

Gloves and bags will be provided at the town offices.

The Dump will be open from 9 am to 6 pm excluding the lunch hour, and regular summer hours will be starting on May 16^th.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to explain why it’s giving the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s members a $2,500 lump sum payment, which would cover the entire eight working days' worth of lost salary for striking employees. 

“The lost salary for eight days of striking is up to $2,300 for PSAC bureaucrats and just by coincidence the government is giving these bureaucrats a $2,500 lump sum payment,” said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the CTF. “The government needs to explain why it’s giving PSAC bureaucrats a lump sum payment that neatly covers the cost for eight days of striking.”

Today, the federal government announced it reached a tentative agreement with PSAC.  The wage increase totals “12.6 percent compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021-2024 … as well as a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment,” according to PSAC.

“The majority of full-time [PSAC] employees in the PA, TC, SV, and EB groups earn between $50,000 and $75,000,” according to the government. Eight days’ worth of salary for a striking PSAC employee receiving $75,000 is an estimated $2,300. That means the $2,500 lump sum payment will cover the entire eight days that PSAC employees were on strike. 

The lump sum payment will cost taxpayers $300 million for PSAC’s 120,000 employees. 

“Taxpayers should never have to pay for bureaucrats to go on strike,” Terrazzano said. “It sure looks like PSAC’s strike cost taxpayers $300 million.”

Northland Ford is gearing up for a big 30th-anniversary event that will happen this weekend.

There will be live entertainment set up at the dealership starting at 1 pm that will include free food, drink, and live music.

Nelson Little along with Manitoba Country Music Associations Emerging Artist of the Year, and Troy Flamand, the MCMA’s Guitarist of the Year in 2021 will be headlining the event.

Keith Jaeger and Your Mother from Another Brother will be performing as the opening act, and everyone is asked to bring folding chairs as there will be no seating on site.