Local News Archives for 2020-07

Over One Thousand People Have Recovered From COVID-19 in Saskatchewan with Six New Cases in Manitoba.

Saskatchewan Health reported today 14 new cases of COVID-19.  One each were reported in the North and Saskatoon regions and six each in the Central and South regions.  That brings the provincial total to 1319 cases with 293 considered active, 1008 people have recovered and 15 are in hospital. They add of the 14 reported today nine are from multiple communal living settings across the province.

             

Manitoba Public Health reported this afternoon six new cases of COVID-19 in the province.  Two of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, three in the Interlake-Eastern Health Region and one in the Winnipeg region.  That brings the provincial total of reported cases to 415, 70 cases are active, 337 individuals have recovered and six are in hospital with five in intensive care.

 

 

Plans are in Place for Students to Return to Classes in Manitoba.

Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen has announced most students in Manitoba will be back in classes September 8th with new guidelines.  He says in the K to 8 grade levels this will mean full time five days a week school and for high school it is their goal to achieve a five day a week school schedule if those schools can arrange schedules in such a way to ensure that health protocols related to physical distancing and cohorting can be achieved.

             

Some of the guidelines include students will not be required to wear masks but schools must ensure students are two meters apart as much as possible, sports and gym classes can continue with physical distancing, lunch and recess breaks are to be staggered to minimize congestion, in many cases teachers will move across classrooms instead of students and buses will be running at reduced capacity with parents asked to transport their children to school if they can.  The complete report can be found online at www.engagemb.ca.

 

Travelers Should Continue to be COVID-19 Aware.

With the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Manitoba people have taken to social media to raise concerns.  Some believe the travel restrictions were lifted too early which may have led to an increase in cases. Retired public health worker Jo Beyers wants people to understand when people visit Manitoba or other regions exempt from the 14 day isolation order they may be exposed to the virus which knows no boundaries so we shouldn’t let our guard down.  She explains Dr. Theresa Tam recommends we should all be keeping public health measures in place to help keep our COVID risk down.  She says Tam actually has this really interesting acronym that she recommends we all follow, PACE where P stands for physical distancing so to be two meters apart, A standing for avoid touching common surfaces and objects, C is to clean our hands often and E is to have an extra layer on our face with a non-medical mask or at least a cloth face covering.

             

It is also recommended when people do travel out of province they should self monitor for COVID-19 symptoms upon arriving home and should self isolate and get tested on the first sign of symptoms.

Another COVID-19 Relate Death has Been Reported in Saskatchewan With Only Two New Cases in Manitoba.

Saskatchewan Health reports a person from the South region who tested positive for COVID-19 has died.  This person was in the 90 to 99 year age range. They reported today 38 new cases of COVID-19 with 14 in the Central Region, 12 in the North, 6 in the South, 5 in Saskatoon and 1 in the Far North region.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 1306, 304 are considered active, 984 people have recovered, 14 are in hospital and there have been 18 deaths. 

 

             

             

Meanwhile Manitoba reported two new cases both in the Prairie Mountain health region.  The total number of reported cases is 409, 76 cases are considered active, 325 individuals have recovered and six are in hospital with four in intensive care.

 

 

The Leaf Rapids Health Centre is temporarily closed from now until August 10th.

The Northern Health Region has announced the facility closed on Tuesday citing potential flooding and staffing issues as the main reasons for the suspension.

 

Any patients needing emergency care will be transported to either Lynn Lake or Thompson.

 

 Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey says he was not informed of the closure despite Leaf Rapids being in his constituency. He says local officials confirm the high water level has been addressed.

 

Lindsey adds he talked to the NRHA about contingency plans should multiple patients need emergency care as the community only has one ambulance.  He explains he asked about putting a second ambulance there just in case but he was told they kind of looked at that and it wasn’t really what they were going to do so he asked is the runway at Leaf Rapids usable and was told he didn’t know so they’ve done an emergency plan and they have no idea if they can land a Lifeflight there so he asked the local administration and the runway is usable during the day but it doesn’t have any lights so it’s not usable at night so it just makes absolutely no sense to shut this facility down in the middle of a pandemic.

 

The Northern Health Region says it has contingency plans put in place which are being implemented.

Manitoba is Offering More Support for Frontline Workers.

Premier Brian Pallister has announced the province is issuing payments to over 78 thousand Manitobans as part of a 120 million dollar federal provincial Risk Recognition Program.  He said eligible recipients will be notified by email with a direct deposit in their bank account this week.  He explained the deposit will amount to 1377 dollars and if you do the math you would note that takes into account a ten percent withhold of tax since the payment is taxable income under federal rules.  He added payments will be going to more than 44 thousand workers in retail and lodging, 27 thousand workers in health care and approximately 9 thousand workers in social services and again they say thank you to all those workers.

             

The province based eligibility criteria on recommendations it received during extensive consultations with business and union representatives.

The Leaf Rapids Health Centre will be closed for the next two weeks.

The Northern Health Region says the reason for the suspension is due to staffing issues at the facility and high-water issues in the area and the facility will reopen August 10th.

If any emergencies come up during this time period, patients would be taken to either Lynn Lake or Thompson.

Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey says as Leaf Rapids is a part of his constituency he spoke to the community’s administration regarding concerns of flooding. He says they’re all very confident they’ve got everything in place to protect the water plant, that there should be no issues with it flooding the place, super sand bags, they’ve got more there that they can place if needed, they’ve got pumps on loan from conservation, Manitoba Infrastructure has been up there and done stuff, they’ve had fire crews sand bagging some other places that were thought to be in danger and the flood forecast keeps going down for the Churchill River water level.

A spokesperson for the NRHA says they understand the apprehension the closure may be causing, and the health authority’s goal is to meet the health needs of patients served by the Leaf Rapids Health Centre during this closure.

Be Sure to Follow COVID-19 Guidelines this Long Weekend With Another Jump in Saskatchewan Numbers.

Saskatchewan Health advised with the long weekend coming up there may be social or peer pressure to attend events that you feel pose an unacceptable amount of risk to you and your family. They state decisions not to attend are your own and are not cause for ridicule or shame as family and friends should understand and respect measures that people are taking to stay healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19.  They reported today 50 new cases bringing the provincial total to 1268 with 44 in the North, 3 in the South, 2 in Regina and 1 in the Central region. 44 of these cases are from one communal living setting.  Of the total 322 cases are active, 929 have recovered and 15 are in hospital.

            

  Meanwhile Manitoba Public Health announced today three new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the province.  Two of the new cases are in the Interlake Eastern health region and one in the Winnipeg health region.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 407.  A case that was identified on July 25th from the Winnipeg region is being removed from the case totals after investigation determined the man had recovered from a previous infection from another province.  Of the total74 cases are active, 325 individuals have recovered and six are in hospital with four in intensive care.

 

You Can Support Young Entrepreneurs This Afternoon.

Community Futures Greenstone has been holding their Biz Kidz program this summer with a limited number of kids to accommodate social distancing.  Executive Director Becky Cianflone says the kids will be holding their Biz Kidz Market this afternoon from 1 to 4 set up in the parking lot of the old Co-op store and they’ll be selling the products that they have developed over the last few weeks.  She notes they’ve got recipes in a jar, if you like some baked goodies they’ve got that already to go for you, they’ve got fire starters, hair accessories and just a number of fun things for people to check out.

             

The Biz Kidz program offers youth a chance to learn about entrepreneurship.

 

Shoppers Got Out to Support Local Businesses.

Community Futures Greenstone sponsored the Big Spend in Flin Flon, Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage this past Friday and Saturday.  It encouraged people to support local businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  People shopped and posted pictures of their purchases.  Executive Director Becky Cianflone says it went well.  She explains it was a national initiative that they sort of jumped on in the last couple of weeks and they were able to throw together a quick promotion to get on board with it and she thinks they had some great results.  She says they had a wide variety of entries and it seems that people visited a number of local businesses and really enjoyed posting photos of their purchases with the hashtag.

             

Shoppers who posted were entered into a draw for a one thousand dollars prize package of gift certificates and products from local businesses. The winner of the prize was Darlene Babcock.

Another Death Related to COVID-19 Has Been Reported in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Public Health officials advised today an eighth death related to COVID-19 has been reported in Manitoba.  It is a man in his 70s from the Southern Health Region. It’s a new case reported today and the individual was not hospitalized.

             

They also reported five new cases of the virus have been identified bringing the total number of reported cases to 405.  Two new cases are in the Interlake Eastern Region and one each in the Southern, Winnipeg and Prairie Mountain Health Regions.  78 cases are active, 319 individuals have recovered and three are in hospital two of which are in intensive care.

             

             

Saskatchewan Health reported a person from the South region in the 70 to 79 age group who tested positive for COVID-19 has died bringing total deaths to 17.  Nine new cases were reported bringing the total to 1218 with three new cases in the south, two each in Saskatoon and the North and one each in the Central and Regina regions. 294 cases are considered active, 907 people have recovered and 13 are in hospital.          

 

A Drowning Victim Was Located Yesterday Afternoon in Kisseynew Lake.

At approximately 6:45 Sunday evening Cranberry Portage RCMP responded to a report of a missing swimmer on Kisseynew Lake about 30 kilometers from Sherridon.  Earlier in the afternoon a 42 year old man originally from Sherridon was at the lake with a family member when he jumped off the Kisseynew bridge but did not resurface.  The family member searched the water but did not find him.  Due to the remoteness of the area and no cell coverage RCMP were not called until later that day.  They conducted a search and search efforts continued yesterday with the body of the man recovered in the water near the bridge around 2:30 pm.

             

RCMP continue their investigation.

 

Seniors Are Being Warned About Scams.

The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan wants to educate seniors on how to protect themselves from financial scams and frauds.  Securities Director Dean Murrison warns financial abuse affects many seniors in Canada but they can protect their money by understanding the warning signs of financial fraud and by being cautious when speaking to people on the phone they don’t know. 

             

Preventative tips include if you receive prize offers without engaging or enrolling with the business offering the prize do not reply to them, if someone emails, texts or calls asking for personal or banking information do not provide the information, if a stranger sends you a cheque do not accept it as it may bounce after you deposit it and if you receive an email with an attachment from people you do not know don’t open or download the attachments.

             

For more information go to their website www.fcaa.gov.sk.ca.

 

A Company Working in the Snow Lake Region Has a New President.

Far Resources has announced the appointment of John Gammack to the role of President and CEO of the Company effective immediately.  He takes over from Toby Mayo who will be moving to the position of Vice-President of Technology Development.  They note Gammack is a long term supporter of Far and brings extensive experience working with both public and private companies including oil and gas, mining and technology.

Far Resources is a Canadian battery and technology metal exploration and development company with lithium exploration projects in Canada and the United States.  Far is advancing its Zoro Lithium Project located 20 kilometers east of Snow Lake.  They report Zoro covers numerous known lithium pegmatite dykes and hosts the Company’s 1.1 million tonne resource plus an additional fifty targets.

The Total Number of COVID-19 Cases Reported in Saskatchewan Has Topped 12 Hundred.

Saskatchewan Health reported 31 new cases of COVID-19 today.  They reported 37 on Saturday and 42 on Sunday bringing the total of reported cases to 1209.  Of the reported cases 307 are considered active, 886 people have recovered and 14 are in hospital. The total for the three days in the South Region is 44, Central 41, Saskatoon 19 and North Region 5.  They advise with the recent surge in cases in these regions of Saskatchewan we cannot become complacent and they are urging people to keep following public health measures.

Active Cases of COVID-19 Hit 74 in Manitoba Over the Weekend.

Manitoba Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the latest COVID-19 numbers this afternoon.  He reported sixteen new cases have been identified since Saturday in health regions in the southern part of the province.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 400 with 74 active and 319 have recovered.

             

Meanwhile Health Minister Cameron Friesen reminds Manitobans that when their phase four plan came into effect over the weekend parts of the original plan were not implemented. He says right now they have not proceeded to increase indoor and outdoor gathering sizes, they have not removed the 14 day isolation requirement for travelers returning from eastern Canada and they have not allowed resumption of counter service in bars, beverage rooms, brew pubs, micro breweries and distillaries.

             

Friesen adds public health officials continue to review possible adjustments on a week by week basis.

Plans Are Being Developed for a Deposit West of Flin Flon to Become a Producing Mine.

In a recent interview with C-Suite at The Open Foran Mining President Patrick Soares outlined plans for the copper zinc deposit at McIlvenna Bay 65 kilometers west of Flin Flon on the Hanson Lake Road.  He reports they’ve added value by taking what was originally a zinc massive sulphide deposit, they infill drilled it, realized it had a copper component with precious metals as well mixed in with it. He says they took on an engineering study, they just did a PEA which is sort of an early snapshot that showed them it was economic and they then went to a pre-feasibility study which they just delivered in March and what they found was that even at currents base metal prices for copper and zinc when these prices are at ten year lows this project still was a viable project and it still warranted going ahead and going to production.

             

Soares adds Flin Flon has relied on mining for the past 100 years, they’re really supporting this project and Foran is working with stakeholders in the area to keep abreast of what they’re doing and pushing forward to getting into production.

Traffic and Summer Students Were Highlighted at the Creighton Council Meeting.

Creighton Town Council met last week for their regular meeting where it was reported they had received correspondence from Vincent Cable Director of Education for Creighton Community School.  The letter was a request to make First Avenue a one way street from Main to First Street East.  This would allow for a safer way for drop offs and pickups in the right lane as the left lane would be used for through traffic.  Council carried the motion.

             

Recreation and Culture Services Alderman Colleen Stallard commented on the fantastic job the summer students are doing around the community.

 

Frequent Bear Sightings Have Been Part of This Summer.

A Wildlife Biologist with Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development Janine Wilmot says black bears are the most common type of bear you’ll see in the province. She notes there is an abundant population in Manitoba estimated to be around 25 to 35 thousand.

 

So far this summer has seen a higher number of black bear incidents reported to the province than usual and Wilmot explains the province doesn’t know for sure why this is the case. She says they think that several different factors are coming into play probably the most important of which is the late spring that occurred in many parts of the province and that just sort of pushed back the time frame of when all the vegetation was greening up to make that food available to black bears so of course when they aren’t able to access their natural food sources they tend to go roaming and looking for other sources of food and their noses get them into trouble when they find human based food sources.

 

Wilmot adds it’s important to secure any attractants for bears such as food, garbage, and bird feeders.

 

Officials Continue to Look Into the Increasing Number of COVID-19 Cases in Manitoba While 27 were Reported in Saskatchewan.

          

 Public Health Officials reported today nine new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba.  Five new cases are in the Southern Health Region, two in the Interlake Eastern Region and one each in the Winnipeg and Prairie Mountain Health Regions.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 384.  Two individuals are in intensive care, 58 cases are active and 319 individuals have recovered.

 

            

  Meanwhile Saskatchewan Health reported 27 new cases of COVID-19 today.  The new cases are located in the South Region with 24 and the Central, North and Regina regions with one each.  That brings the total to 1.099reported cases. 235 are considered active, 848 people have recovered and fourteen are in hospital.

 

Homes, Vehicles and Electricity Are Included in the June Fire Report.

At their meeting Tuesday night Flin Flon City Council received the Fire Chiefs report of eight incidents in June.  They were called to two homes.  On June 4th they quickly put out a fire in a home on Ross Street and on the 7th smoke filling a building on Green Street was traced to a faulty heat tape line.  On the 7th they attended an accident on Highway 10 South where a semi truck had rear ended a truck and extricated people from the vehicles, on the 16th two vehicles were involved in an accident at 3rd Avenue and Ross Street where they removed a door and post to allow EMS to remove patients and on the 12th put out a fire in the engine compartment of a truck at Highway 10 and 10A.  On the 7th they assisted when wind had blown a trampoline into power lines on Hillcrest and on the 28th when electrical shorts and sparks were coming from the poles in a parking lot on Aspen Grove. On the 3rd they assisted EMS at a call.

             

The report noted total fire loss for the month of June is estimated at 60 thousand dollars.

 

This is National Drowning Prevention Week.

Lifesaving Society Manitoba is raising awareness this week to make sure people are making smart decisions before they go out in the water.

 

Water Smart Coordinator Doctor Christopher Love says the long-term average for Manitoba when it comes to drowning deaths is between 21 to 22, but in 2016 and 2017 it’s spiked to 31 and 25 deaths respectively.

 

Love also touched on how Manitoba has the highest child drowning deaths compared to the rest of Canada noting unfortunately for the past 15 years now we have been statistically speaking the child drowning capital of Canada for children under age five and that hasn’t changed.  He says when you look at the national death rate due to drowning for that age group of zero to four it’s usually 1.0 or 1.1 per 100 thousand population and in Manitoba we have consistently been hitting 3.3,3.4 or 3.5 deaths per hundred thousand population in that age group and being triple the national average is not something for us to be proud of or celebrating.

 

Love says those cases are preventable with active adult supervision.

 

The Number of COVID-19 Cases in Saskatchewan Continues to Climb with an Additional Death.

Saskatchewan Health reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 today.  The new cases include 23 in the South, 11 in the Central, 3 in the North, 3 in the Far North and 2 in the Saskatoon Regions.  One person from the North who tested positive had died indentified as a person in the 60 to 69 age range. Of the 42 cases reported today 17 are from colonies in the southwest and west central regions where there are existing cases.

             

That brings the total of reported cases to 1,072 with 218 considered active, 838 people have recovered, 13 people are in hospital and there have been 16 deaths related to COVID-19.

Manitoba is Moving Forward With Parts of The Phase Four Plan.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen reported more than 50 thousand Manitobans have provided feedback on the draft phase four plan.  Based on that feedback they will be moving forward Saturday with limited implementation.  They will maintain current site capacity at 30 percent for faith based services and powwows but eliminating the need for sub groups, allowing stage performances and opening movie theatres to maximum capacity of 30 percent of the site up to a maximum of 500 people, allowing casinos to open at a maximum of 30 percent of the sites capacity and proceeding with changes to visits to personal care homes and long term care settings.

             

Proposed changes deferred include changes to indoor and outdoor gathering sizes and relaxing self isolation requirements for those travelling from eastern and southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada which was the main concern of respondents.

             

Friesen notes public health officials will review adjustments on a week to week basis. The complete plan can be found at www.manitoba.ca/covid19.

             

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported only one new case today in the Interlake Eastern Health Region.

 

There Are Plans For Murals in Flin Flon.

At their meeting Tuesday night Flin Flon City Council received a letter from Danielle Yungworth organizer of a new Mural Festival.  She asked Council for city support for their annual event promoting local art and culture, improving the curb appeal of buildings and structures, boosting community pride and morale, enhancing our public spaces and tourist attractions, developing the skills of local artists and creating cultural connections within the community.  She said the Festival would be an annual event with mural painting occurring each year in August with a weekend event to celebrate.  Each year building or structure owners can apply for their location to be painted and artists can submit themselves with the committee choosing from both categories.  Mayor Cal Huntley said they support the idea of the Festival and the letter was received as information.

             

Yungworth noted Mike Spencer of NorVa and his mentoring program already plan to paint two murals in town this summer so they will act as support for this project.

Saskatchewan Government Funding Has Been Approved for Projects in Our Area.

Saskatchewan Government Relations Minister Lori Carr has announced the green light for new projects under their MEEP or Municipal Economic Enhancement Program.  Three projects in this area will receive funding under the new announcement.  The Northern Village of Denare Beach will receive just under 117 thousand dollars for roof insulation at the Community Hall, the Town of Creighton just over 205 thousand for paving and the City of Flin Flon Boundary Area just over 29 thousand dollars for the South Hudson playground update.

             

The 150 million dollar MEEP 2020 was announced in May as a key component of the government’s 7.5 billion dollar two year capital plan to build a strong province and stimulate its economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The deadline for applications from municipalities has been extended to July 31st and all MEEP 2020 funds must be used by municipalities by March 31st, 2022.

 

The Manitoba government announced earlier this week that more COVID 19 restrictions could be lifted.

Doctor Sarah Lesperance from the Northern Health Region says even if these restrictions are lifted people have the option of staying home if they don’t feel safe going out. She says the risk of COVID 19 in our region still remains low.  She explains because the risk is considered low at present it is okay for people to move about their communities as long as they take steps to stay COVID safe. She notes some people do also choose to wear non-medical masks when they’re in public and although it’s not currently mandated it can help to protect others around you especially when you make sure that masks are used properly and they’re paired up with good hand hygiene.

Lesperance adds it’s important you not allow this pandemic to get in the way of going to scheduled appointments and that you continue to seek medical care when you need it.

COVID-19 Cases Continue to be Found in Manitoba While Saskatchewan Reports its Largest Single Day Jump.

Saskatchewan Health reported 60 new cases of COVID-19 today.  50 new cases are in the South, 4 in Saskatoon, 3 in the Central region, 2 in the Far North and one in the North. 48 of the cases are from colonies in the southwest and west central regions. 43 of those are located in a single communal living setting in the RM of Lawtonia.  The provincial total now stands at 1,030 reported cases, 190 are considered active, 825 people have recovered and 13 are in hospital.

           

Meanwhile Public Health officials reported today eight new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba.  Three cases are in the Southern Health Region, two each in the Interlake Eastern Health Region and the Prairie Mountain Health Region and one in the Winnipeg Health Region who they identify as a female between the ages of one and nine..  They again note recent case counts are reflective of an outbreak in several Hutterite colonies as well as travel related cases.  That brings the total number of reported cases in the province to 374, 49 cases are active, 318 individuals have recovered and one individual is in intensive care.

Zebra Mussels Should Be a Concern for Communities Across Manitoba.

Representatives of Citizens for Protecting Our Northern Waterways made a presentation to Flin Flon City Council last night.  Certified Wildlife Biologist Chris Smith explained they are a group of citizens and business volunteers working to prevent the spread of zebra mussels in our area.  He noted the impact of zebra mussels is concerning having consequences to aquatic ecosystems, tourism and municipal infrastructure resulting in great cost to the municipality as once they are established in a waterway they cannot be eradicated.  They can be transported to lakes and other waterways by boats and other watercraft that have been in waters affected but spread can be prevented by cleaning, draining and drying your watercraft and equipment. Smith stated there is a need for enhanced awareness by the general public, strong government led programs and more inspection stations.  He asked council to prepare a resolution to go to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities to lobby government for more support which Mayor Cal Huntley said Council would do adding it will definitely get support by local governments across the province.  More information can be found on their website www.zebramusselprevention.com.

 

A Successful Fishing Derby Wrapped Up Monday.

The Denare Beach Walleye Fishing Derby ran from July 13th to 20th on Amisk Lake.  Recreation Director Mel Durette announced the top five winners with 500 dollars going for the largest fish caught which was Shawn Fraser with a 29 and a quarter inch walleye, second place was Josh Weigers with a 28 and a quarter inch walleye, third is Lindsay Morin with a 28 inch walleye, fourth is Hollie Olivier with a 28 inch walleye and fifth place is Josh Weigers again with another 28 inch walleye.

             

Durette notes they reached their limit of one hundred entries in the fishing derby.

COVID-19 Numbers Have Again Increased in One Manitoba Region as well as In Saskatchewan.

Public Health officials reported today 12 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba.  Seven of the cases are in the Interlake-Eastern Region, two each in the Winnipeg Health Region and the Prairie Mountain Health Region and one in the Southern Health Region.  That brings the provincial total to 366 cases reported, 41 of the cases are active, 318 individuals have recovered and one individual is in intensive care.

             

They note the high case counts are reflective of an outbreak of cases in several Hutterite colonies and some international travel related cases.  Investigations into the cases are ongoing and information will be provided as needed to inform people of any public health risks.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan Health reported today eight new cases with two each in the Far North and Central Region, one in Saskatoon and three in the South Region.  The provincial total is 970 reported cases, 12 are in hospital, 142 cases are considered active and 813 people have recovered.

 

Manitoba is Preparing to Move Forward With Phase Four of Restoring Safe Services With Your Input.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says they are looking for input on Phase Four proposals listing a few of the proposals that affect gatherings including increasing indoor gatherings from 50 to 75 and increasing outdoor gatherings from 100 to 250.  He also mentioned resuming live theatrical performances and movie theatres with a maximum group size of 50 percent of the sites capacity up to 500 people and physical distancing measures in place and adjusting restrictions and capacity numbers for faith based gatherings, powwows and cultural and spiritual events to 50 percent of the site or 500 people whichever is less.

             

You can find details and provide feedback on the Phase Four proposals by going to www.engagemb.ca and based on that they hope to move forward with the plan as early as this Saturday

 

The Creighton Connection is Back Three Days a Week.

           

Following a break due to COVID-19 the Creighton Connection bus Service between Creighton and Prince Albert started again yesterday.  The service has increased to three days a week leaving the Creighton Recreation office at 10 am Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays arriving in Prince Albert at 2 pm where you can connect to Saskatoon. Passengers are also accepted to and from Caribou Creek Lodge and Northern Lights Lodge along the Hanson Lake Road.  They advise masks are mandatory while riding the bus.

             

You can find more information on the Creighton Connection Facebook page, online at www.townofcreighton.ca or call the Town Office at 306-688-8253.

 

Football May Only Be One of the Attractions Coming to Manitoba.

Manitoba Premier Brain Pallister has announced the launch of an eight million dollar Restart Manitoba Event Attraction Strategy.  The event strategy aims to maximize the potential of Winnipeg and rural destinations to host large scale meetings and events.  Pallister committed 2.5 million dollars from that fund should Winnipeg be selected as the CFL hub city this fall. He noted they will be welcoming CFL teams along with staff, League officials and media to the capital city for an extended period of time and they’ll be staying at our hotels, dining from our restaurants and contracting local businesses for transportation and other means all creating jobs.  He says direct return on their 2.5 million involvement will be almost double that and that’s just to the coffers in the province but the real return will be in economic impact at over 45 million estimated dollars in total business sales and that’s a positive impact on over 600 jobs in the province.

             

Pallister noted the CFL teams and anyone associated with the hub city will be expected to follow all protocols as reviewed by Public Health at all times.

 

Saskatchewan COVID-19 Case Numbers Went Up Over the Weekend.

Saskatchewan Health reported 19 new cases today, five on Sunday and six on Saturday.  That brings the provincial total to 962 reported cases.  Eight of today’s reported cases are in the Central Region, five in the South, five in Saskatoon and one in the North.  Four cases reported on July 11th as positive have been updated to negative and have been removed from the total cases.  Of the total 145 are considered active, 802 people have recovered and ten are in hospital.

             

They note since mid-June, there has been an increase in cases in the southwest and west-central parts of Saskatchewan, both on colonies and in the broader community.  Public health investigation is ongoing to determine transmission chains and to identify contacts.  While most of the recent new cases have been in these regions the risk of COVID-19 transmission continues to exist in every part of the province so everyone must continue to take precautions and follow public health measures.

 

COVID-19 Case Number Are Climbing in Manitoba.

         

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported today 18 new Cases of COVID-19 were identified over the weekend.  He says the new cases include eleven in the Interlake Eastern Health Region, three in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, three in Winnipeg Health Region and one case in the Southern Health Region.  He adds of the recent cases ten are from Hutterite Colonies, two are travel related, one is transport related, three are close contacts to a positive case and two are not linked to travel or a known case at this time.

              That brings the total number of reported cases in the province to 354.  One individual is in intensive care the first since June 6th, 29 cases are active and 318 individuals have recovered.

A Former Flon Flon Man is Being Recognized as a Knight From Misericordia.

The June Misericorrdia Alumni Newsletter pays tribute to Sir Ronald De Witt who was a graduate of the 1970 class of Misericordia School of Nursing in Winnipeg. The article notes De Witt grew up in Flin Flon and had always intended to become a history teacher but when he worked one summer as an orderly in the Flin Flon hospital a nun suggested he become a nurse.  Sir Ronald was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2002 for his meritorious service to nursing and health care in the United Kingdom. He has received many honors in his career because of the contributions he has made.  He holds an honorary doctorate and an honorary professorship from two universities and has led several important changes in health care in New Zealand and the United Kingdom that have improved access to and the quality of care that patients receive.  He retired from active service in 2007 but continues to work as a consultant, a mentor to nurses and health care managers and works with several charitable organizations from his home in Hove England.

 

Panhandlers Have Been Discussed in The Pas as Well as Flin Flon.

At the last Flin Flon City Council meeting a presentation was made regarding panhandling in Flin Flon.  As we reported earlier Mayor Cal Huntley advised the presenter panhandling is illegal in Flin Flon and people seeing it should contact the RCMP.  Last week The Pas Mayor and Council discussed a proposed bylaw brought forward by Councillor Larry Forster that would have made it illegal to giver panhandlers money and violators would be fined.  CAO Jenn Early reports their Town Council decided not to move forward with the proposed bylaw. She explains the majority of Council thought there was good intention and it was a good idea but they have no way to enforce it as they have no Bylaw Enforcement Officer and at the end of the day they can’t tell people what they can and can’t do with their money and that was the consensus of the majority of Council.

             

Forster proposed the bylaw for The Pas because he felt that panhandlers were using money given to them to feed addictions rather than spending it on necessities.

 

An Outbreak of COVID-19 is Being Investigated In Manitoba While 8 Cases are Are Reported in Saskatchewan.

Public Health officials advised this afternoon five new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba.  All the cases are on a Hutterite colony in the Interlake-Eastern Health Region.  The investigation is ongoing and any additional information will be provided as needed.  That brings the total number of cases reported in Manitoba to 336, 11 cases are active, 318 individuals have recovered and no individuals are in hospital.

 

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported 13 new cases one each in the Far North, North and South regions, 2 in Regina and 8 in the Central region.  That brings the total to 936 reported cases, 128 are considered active, 793 have recovered and 12 are in hospital.  Three cases were removed from recovered status and reactivated which happens when an individual has relapsed or developed additional symptoms.

 

The Big Spend is Taking Place in Our Communities.

Community Futures Greenstone is sponsoring the Big Spend in Flin Flon, Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage.  Executive Director Becky Cianflone says you are encouraged to support local businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on shopping Friday and Saturday July 24th and 25th.  She explains if anybody makes a purchase at a local business on July 24th or 25th they can post a photo with their purchase or of their purchase using the hashtag #thebigspend or the hashtag #thebigspendflinflon or Snow Lake or Cranberry Portage depending on where they are from as they really want to boost up our whole region and all the businesses.

             

Cianflone adds you will be entered to win a one thousand dollar prize package with a variety of goodies purchased from local businesses.

It Was a Record Year for Traffic Safety in Saskatchewan.

An important milestone was achieved in SGI’s mandate to improve traffic safety throughout the province.  The Minister responsible for SGI Joe Hargrave reports in 2019 there were historic lows in the number of deaths and injuries on Saskatchewan roads and the number of people killed as a result of impaired driving was 61 percent lower than the average over the previous decade.  He says while the people of Saskatchewan deserve much of the credit SGI’s work alongside partners in government, law enforcement and community organizations has made a significant contribution toward changing driving habits and improving safety on their roads.

Another Spike in COVID-19 Cases Has Been Reported in Southern Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health reported today 42 new cases of COVID-19.  31 of the new cases are in the South, six are in the Central Region, four are in the Saskatoon region and one is in the North.  That brings the provincial total to 923, 114 cases are considered active, 794 people have recovered and 11 people are in hospital.

             

They warn there are a growing number of COVID-19 positive cases and rising levels of transmission within communities and communal living venues in southwest and west central Saskatchewan.  While some cases have links to communal settings it is crucial to note that there are also several other unrelated cases in this geographical area.  This overall increased level of COVID-19 activity means there is an increased risk of transmission to the public.

The Chief Public Health Officer is Concerned About Crowded Places.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the latest COVID-19 numbers this afternoon.  He reported one new case which is a man in his 30s in the Southern Health Region.  That brings the total number to 331, six cases are active, 318 individuals have recovered and none are in hospital.  Roussin says they continue to see cases from crowded venues.  He explains during a pandemic we see this virus all around us, we can’t expect zero cases but what we can expect when we see cases we don’t have numerous contacts to those cases and that’s the whole purpose behind staying home when you’re ill, frequent hand hygiene and avoiding these crowded enclose spaces.

             

He adds it is also important to remember to maintain physical distancing at the beach with six feet from others outside a family group and 12 feet separation between each group’s towels and blankets to allow for foot traffic to and from the water.

Businesses Can Continue to Use Provincial Job Support Programs.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has announced an expansion of the Back to Work Wage Subsidy. He explains the new enhanced program will reimburse up to five thousand dollars each for up to ten new workers to a maximum of 50 thousand dollars per business and he emphasizes this is also going to be a program that non-profit organizations and charities will be able to apply to if they wish. He adds Manitoba businesses that have already benefited from summer wage subsidies will be eligible for this new program as well and this program will also be extended for any new hires to the end of October.

             

Pallister also announced the extension of the Manitoba Gap Protection Program deadline for applications to August 31st from July 31st. Businesses that are eligible for federal support can also apply for an immediate six thousand dollars under this program.  Details are available on their website www.manitoba.ca/covid19.

 

 

Outside Contractors Should Self Isolate if They Come North.

Member of Parliament Niki Ashton addressed her concerns to one of Vale Canada’s executives regarding the company potentially bringing in outside contractors who wouldn’t be required to self-isolate for two weeks.

 

In a letter to Mark Travers, Ashton writes Northern Manitoba has so far avoided COVID-19 outbreaks, and attributes our low numbers to strict lockdowns and travel restrictions.

 

She explains as the region prepares for a potential second wave of the virus, bringing in outside contractors would be counter-intuitive.

 

Ashton says if COVID-19 were to spread in Thompson, it would have disastrous effects on all of us.

 

She goes on to implore Travers to reconsider this plan.  

 

 

Manitoba Continues With Five Active Cases of COVID-19 While Saskatchewan Has Five New Cases.

After reporting five new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday Manitoba was back to reporting no new cases today.  The five new cases had followed 13 days with no new cases.  The total number of cases reported stands at 330, no individuals are in hospital, five cases are active and 318 individuals have recovered.  505 tests were conducted on Tuesday bringing the total number of test performed since early February to just over 72,300.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reports five new cases bringing the total to 881 cases.  Three of the new cases are in the Central Region, one in the Saskatoon Region and one in the South Region. 75 cases are considered active, 791 people have recovered and eight are in hospital.  To date just under 76,700 tests have been performed.

The Federal Government Must Not Penalize Canadians Returning to Work.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has called on the federal government to change the Canada Emergency Response Benefit so it doesn’t penalize Canadians wanting to return to work.  He explains the current CERB rules disqualify all workers who earn more than a thousand dollars a month. He notes in other words if you earn a thousand dollars a month then you’re eligible for two thousand additional dollars which means you have a total gross income of three thousand dollars, but if you earn an additional dollar you lose two thousand dollars so what it means is that someone who is approaching getting that thousand dollars is going to be discouraged from getting one thousand and one so for this reason this program needs to be redesigned to make sure people are not penalized for working.

             

Pallister has written all premiers urging them to encourage the federal government to make changes to the CERB and encourage Canadians to transition back to their jobs with the support of the expanded Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

The Northern Health Region says They Are Using This period of Calm to Prepare for the Second Wave of COVID-19 in The Fall.

Doctor Natalie Casaclang is one of the Northern Health Regions Medical Officers of Health. She says the north has had a consistently high testing rate compared to the rest of the province and as of July 6th they have done a little over five thousand tests.

 

That comprises about seven per cent of tests done in Manitoba.

 

Casaclang explains the health authority is using this time to prepare for a second wave of the virus in the fall. She says we know that flu season or respiratory illness season is coming and their symptoms are generally similar to COVID response and its hard to tell who has what if they have symptoms and Dr. Brent Roussin talked recently about how we’re going to treat this upcoming influenza season as COVID season until proven otherwise.  She notes there’s lots of planning especially with community partners on how to scale up quickly our capacity if needed.

 

Casaclang adds the Northern Health Region currently has a three weeks supply of personal protective equipment on hand, which they are closely monitoring.

 

Close to 800 People Have Recovered From COVID-19 in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health reported five new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon. Three of the cases are in the Central Region, one in the Saskatoon Region and one in the Regina Region.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 876.  76 are considered active, 785 people have recovered and six are in hospital.  339 of the reported cases are in the Far North.

             

Starting today COVID-19 testing is available to anyone in Saskatchewan who requests it regardless of whether they have symptoms or not.  A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine at 811. 

Five New Cases of COVID-19 Have Been Reported in Manitoba.

After 13 days with no new cases Public Health officials report five new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba.  The cases are in the Winnipeg, Southern and Interlake-Eastern Health Regions. One of the individuals was a passenger on WestJet flight 261 from Winnipeg to Calgary on June 27th and WestJet flight 526 from Calgary to Winnipeg on July 2nd.  Public Health assess the risk as low but people on those flights should self monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and if they develop symptoms self isolate and visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19 to use the online screening tool or call Health Links.

             

That brings the total number of reported cases in Manitoba to 330, there are five active cases, 318 individuals have recovered and no individuals are in hospital.

             

The Manitoba government has also announced they have extended the province wide state of emergency for a period of thirty days to continue to protect the health and safety of all Manitobans and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Be Bear Aware This Summer.

With the summer season upon us the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment has joined other jurisdictions in reminding residents to be bear aware.  Saskatchewan has a healthy black bear population and bears have been known to wander through communities and campgrounds.  They note bears are ruled by their stomachs and are intelligent animals and if they cannot find food they will leave the area.

             

They encourage everyone to remove bear attractions in their area.  Store garbage in a secure building or buy a bear resistant container and only put the bin out on the morning of collection, avoid leaving pet food available to wildlife, only use bird feeders in the winter when bears are hibernating and natural bird food is limited and properly clean and store barbeque grills after each use.

             

They advise if a bear is a nuisance in your area contact your Ministry of Environment office, Conservation Office or the RCMP.  Additional information on bear safety can be found at www.saskatchewan.ca.

Manitoba Businesses Still Have Some Issues With Re-opening.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says that while Phase Three of the province’s reopening plan has generally been going well so far it hasn’t been without its challenges.

The Federation’s Director for the Prairies Jonathan Alward says one of the biggest things the province needs to focus on is helping small businesses cover the costs related to the compliance of COVID-19 guidelines. He explains for some businesses that’s PPE first and there’ll be hand sanitizer and dispensers, it could be signage, physical partitions which are all huge costs right now and a lot of businesses remain very cash strapped or have significant cash flow problems and he thinks it’s also going to confidence in staff and confidence in customers to come back in, support the business, shop locally and really that’s one of the biggest challenges right now facing businesses in there’s still people apprehensive to come back and shop.

Independent businesses regardless of membership status who may be struggling right now can call the CFIB’s Business Help Line toll-free at 1-888-234-2232.

 

COVID-19 Has Spread in Southwest and West Central Saskatchewan.

 31 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Saskatchewan today.  These were in addition to 23 cases reported Sunday and 2 Saturday.  That brings to total number of COVID-19 cases reported to 871.  Previously reported infections reported in the Southwest now stretch farther and there is growing evidence of spread throughout the Southwest and West Central areas. The Ministry of Health and Saskatchewan Health Authority are working together with the Hutterian Safety Council to address the situation.  Saskatchewan residents in these communities and across the province are strongly encouraged to follow the necessary public health measures and personal safety precautions. 90 cases in the province are considered active and 766 people have recovered.

 

Manitoba Reports Only One Active Case of Covid-19 and the Testing Centre in Flin Flon Has Moved.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin released the latest COVID-19 Numbers this afternoon. He reported no new cases so the total number of reported cases remains at 325, there is one active case, 317 individuals have recovered and no individuals are in hospital.  He says we must continue to be cautious.  He explains as we’ve been able to re-open our economy increasing indoor and outdoor group sizes we’ve seen more and more repots of larger gathering of people not adhering to physical distancing.  He warns we’ve been through a challenging time and as we loosen things up it’s the tendency to try to revert back to normal but we certainly are not back to normal at this point as the virus is not done with us and if we don’t remain vigilant we’ll be seeing increasing case so we need to adhere to the principals that got us here.

             

Public Health advises the testing site in Flin Flon has been moved to the General Hospital.  You’re asked to enter by the main entrance to the hospital where there is signage posted.

Rockcliff Has Discovered More Nickel at a Northern Manitoba Property.

Rockcliff Metals Corporation will start their summer drill program on their Tower Property in about two weeks.  President Alistair Ross says the property 126 kilometers south of Wabowden in the Flin Flon Snow Lake Greenstone Belt that neighbors the Thompson Nickel Belt hosts the recently discovered Nickel Platinum Group Elements Prospect.  He explains what’s also exciting about it is that the assays for the OPG, Other Platinum Group elements along with ruthenium, osmium, iridium etcetera, have raised the nickel equivalent from about 3.8 percent to a shade over 5 percent which is very significant and is important to them because it shows what they hit was a very high tenet PGE nickel deposit.

             

Ross adds further success would raise the importance of the Tower property in selecting their first mine project in the Preliminary Economic Assessment currently underway.

 

The Saskatchewan Government is Encouraging Investment in the Mining Sector.

In 2019-20 the Government of Saskatchewan Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive increased mining investment in the province by supporting 37 new exploratory drill holes.  They report this generated approximately two million dollars in expenditures by exploration companies.  A total of five companies exploring for gold, zinc, copper and silver completed drill programs under the incentive each receiving 50 thousand dollars in funding for a total of 250 thousand dollars.

             

Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre noted the incentive program has enhanced the competitiveness of Saskatchewan’s northern mining prospects.  In 2019 exploration expenditures in the province were 264 million dollars and the Saskatchewan mining sector generated 7.4 billion dollars in sales.

 

 

Manitoba Members of ParliamentWantTommy Prince on the Five Dollar Bill.b

Manitoba MPs have been calling for a man considered Canada’s most decorated Indigenous war veteran Tommy Prince to be featured on the new five dollar bill.  Prince received eleven war medals serving in World War Two and the Korean War but dealt with racism and poverty and died homeless.  Member of Parliament Niki Ashton says it’s really important that there is someone Indigenous on something that is a clear reflection of what matters to our country.  She adds this is a moment in time where in the spirit of reconciliation and the spirit of justice we take a look at the symbols who are the faces of our country and who we’re honoring and there’s been real pressure to change the symbols that we elevate nationally and to stop honoring people with deeply racist histories.

             

You can learn more about Tommy Prince by visiting www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.

 

 

Manitoba has a Tenth Day With No COVID-19 Cases Reported With Two New Cases in Saskatchewan.

Public Health Officials reported no new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Manitoba today.  The total number of reported cases remains at 325, no individuals are in hospital, four cases are active, 314 individuals have recovered and just over 69 thousand laboratory tests have been performed since early February.            

        

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reports two new cases bringing the provincial total to 815.  The new cases are in the Central region.  43 cases are considered active, 757 people have recovered and four people are in hospital. Residents are reminded not to let their guard down when it comes to following public health measures and personal safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Safety precautions to prevent COVID-19 include physical distancing, proper hygiene practices and complying with provincial health orders to limit the size of gatherings.

Talented Musicians are Coming to Our Street Corners.

The Flin Flon Arts Council presents Street Corner Concerts from 1 to 4 tomorrow afternoon.  Arts Administrator Kari Rutherford says it’s a rotational music event so musicians will start out at different locations around the community and rotate after 20 minute sets. She explains they have the dynamic duo Mark Kolt and Jennifer McLean, the talented Small Spaces with Kevin Allen and Megan Reimer, they also have Debbie Tripp coming up from Swan River, James Page who is a Chinese flutist coming from Winnipeg as well as herself.

             

You can catch these performers tomorrow afternoon from 1 to 4 at the former Elks Hall location at the corner of Bracken and Green Streets, Rotary Park, Pioneer Square, the Zoo and Steventon Playground with social distancing rules in effect.

Remember to Wear Your Lifejacket While Out on the Water.

That message comes from Lifesaving Society Manitoba during their Hooked on Lifejackets campaign. Water Smart Coordinator Doctor Christopher Love says it’s especially important to talk about in Manitoba, as most people who die during a boating accident are not wearing a lifejacket.  He explains we unfortunately push above our weight in terms of comparison to the national average when we’re talking about boating deaths.  He notes nationally approximately 80 percent of all boating fatalities are not wearing a lifejacket and here in Manitoba in the period they have stats for it was 86 percent that the boating fatalities were not wearing a lifejacket and that’s an extremely significant number whether you’re looking just at Manitoba or nationally.  He says if we’re talking at the national level that could eliminate over a hundred deaths annually if people simply picked up their lifejacket, put it on and wore it the entire time they were in the boat.

Love adds about 50 per cent of all boats sold in Canada are purchased with fishing as the main use of the boat and part of the reason why boating deaths involve a significant number of fishers is that those who fish don’t consider themselves boaters, so they don’t make boating safety top of mind when they’re out on the water.

Only Four Cases of COVID-19 are Considered Active in Manitoba. While Saskatchewan Reports Five New Cases.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the latest COVID-19 numbers this afternoon. He reports there are no new cases, the total number of cases remains at 325, there are no individuals in hospital, 314 individuals are listed as recovered and there are four active cases.

             

Roussin reminds you to keep the numbers low by continuing to stick to the safe practices that are in place and importantly access reliable information which can be done on their website www.manitoba.ca/covid19.  He noted they continue to look at ways to loosen current restrictions.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reports five new cases of COVID-19 bringing the provincial total to 813 cases.  48 cases are considered active, 750 people have recovered and five are in hospital.  The Saskatchewan Health Authority is alerting individuals travelling to and from and living in Prince Albert and area of an increase in COVID-19 illnesses in the community so visitation will be restricted at Victoria Hospital and long term care homes.

You Have Seven Days to Catch the Biggest Walleye.

The Denare Beach Walleye Fishing Derby gets underway Monday running until the 20th.  Recreation Director Mel Durette explains fishing takes place on Amisk Lake and its catch and release, take a picture and send it, the entry fee is ten dollars and you can register at the Village Office.  She notes the biggest fish daily will be posted on their web page so if it’s a 27 inch then you know not to post another 27 inch fish.  She adds there’ll be an official measuring tape that you can pick up on the 13th from 9 to 5 and you’ll be good to go for seven days.

             

First prize for the biggest fish in the derby is 500 dollars, second 100 dollars and a Mustang lifejacket and third a Mustang lifejacket and a rod and reel.  Winners will be posted on July 21st.

 

The Library Had a Busy Year Last Year.

At their meeting Tuesday night City Council received the Flin Flon Public Library annual report for 2019.  Total circulation for last year was over 23 thousand, they had 164 new memberships for a total of 4420 members, held five events with 563 attending, had over 30 thousand visitors and almost 95 thousand website visits.  Total revenue was 232,625 dollars with expenditures of 237,608 dollars for a loss of just under 5 thousand dollars.  There was praise for the Library staff for their work in November in moving 30 thousand books and shelves when the flooring was replaced and during the recent COVID-19 closing reorganizing books, programs and social media upgrades.

             

Council also approved municipal funding for Flinty’s Boardwalk Committee of 3080 dollars to replace all the old style bulbs with LEDs along the pathway through the park to enhance the safety and appearance of the park during hours of darkness.

Saskatchewans Annual Summer Free Fishing Weekend is Coming Up.

On Saturday and Sunday residents and visitors can fish in any of Saskatchewan’s public open waters open to fishing with no licence required.  Environment Minister Dustin Duncan says in Saskatchewan you can stay close to home while enjoying some of the best freshwater fishing in the world.

             

You are reminded during free fishing weekend all other fishing regulations remain in effect.  As well anglers must respect current public health orders and guidance to prevent further spread of COVID-19.  Travel restrictions may be in effect for some areas so check your destination before leaving home.  Free fishing weekend does not apply in national parks and anyone planning on taking fish out of the province must purchase a licence.

             

More information about fishing in Saskatchewan including the 2020 Anglers Guide and updates about angling during the pandemic can be found online at www.saskatchewan.ca/fishing.

             

Active Cases of COVID-19 Continue to Drop in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Public Health officials report no new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Manitoba for a ninth day today. That leaves the total number of reported cases at 325 but the number of active cases has again dropped from eleven Tuesday to only six today.  312 individuals have recovered and no individuals are in hospital.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported today two new cases of COVID-19 with one in the Saskatoon region and one in the North.  That brings the provincial total of reported cases to 808, 47 are considered active down from 54 Tuesday, a total of 746 people have recovered and three are in hospital. 

 

Summer Camp is Coming to Your Home Starting Next Week.

Due to the COVID-19 situation Simon House Bible Camp has suspended all on site programs for the summer.  Camp Director Darrell Janzen says they have developed a program so kids can still connect with each other and staff from their homes.  He explains they are excited to be able to at least present something for campers this year even though they can’t meet traditionally at the camp so they have their eCamp which is an online camp.  He says it’s a very flexible program where kids will be able to log in and there’ll be some videos they can watch, some live interaction time with staff and other kids kind of a virtual cabin time and some different activities and it’s all done from your home, it’s done on a very flexible schedule that suits you and the best part is it’s absolutely free.

             

The first camp takes place next Monday to Saturday for ages 8 to 10 with camps for other age groups up to 17 on following weeks. For information and to register for the eCamps visit www.simonhouse.ca.

 

Panhandling is Against the Law in Flin Flon and Should be Reported.

Elizabeth Wooley addressed Flin Flon City Council last night about the increase in panhandling on Main Street.  She noted how the panhandlers step in front of people insisting they hand over money.  She said she has contacted the police asking Council if they have a bylaw in respect to panhandling.

             

Mayor Cal Huntley replied what you have done is correct in contacting the RCMP because they are breaking the law in panhandling.  He said the RCMP patrol Main Street on a regular basis but cannot be on the street all the time so contacting them every time it happens is the right thing to do as that way they have an indication of how many incidents take place and can take appropriate action.

             

Council approved a memorandum of agreement with Dinosaur Valley Studios for repairs and restoration of the Flinty Statue.  Work has now started on the project. And Mayor Cal Huntley reported he has  heard a lot of praise for the Trout Festival parade  and congratulated the Committee on its success.

 

There is Another COVID-19 Related Death in Saskatchewan While the Number of Active Cases Continues to Drop in Manitoba.

Saskatchewan Health reports a 15th COVID-19 related death this one an individual in their 20s in the North region.  One new case was reported today bringing the provincial total to 806, 54 are considered active, 737 people have recovered and four are in hospital.  Starting today there are expanded visitation guidelines related to patients, outpatients, clients and residents in Saskatchewan Health Authority facilities, long term care homes and affiliated organizations, personal care homes and Ministry of Social Services Group Homes.           

 

             

Meanwhile for a seventh day Manitoba Public Health officials reported today no new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the province.  The total number of reported cases remains at 325 but the number of active cases has dropped to eleven from fourteen reported Monday and 16 last Friday. No individuals are in hospital and 307 individuals have recovered.

             

The province continues to invite feedback on proposed personal care home visitation shelters.  You can take the survey online at www.engagemb.ca/visitation-shelters.

 

Summer in the Parks Continues Into Its Second Month.

Summer in the Parks began June 9th for children 5 to 10 years old and four year olds turning 5 this year.  Assistant Supervisor Nevada Shirran says the camp has been going well with programs underway for July.  She explains they’ve been having a lot of good crafts and good weather for the beach and stuff like that and the kids seem to be enjoying it.  She notes some of their July plans include Under the Sea Week and they also have Disney Week, Art Week and an Animal Week where they’ll be doing differt beach days and then crafts that match the theme of each week.

               

Shirran adds most of the upcoming weeks still have spots available so to register you can go to Flin Flon City Hall at 90 dollars a week and 20 dollars for limited daily spots.  For information call the Rec Office at 204-681-7542 or Haylee at 306-514-1860.

 

Computers are Coming North.

Tech Manitoba is expanding its refurbished computer give away and basic training program.  It is supporting rural schools, immigration services, community centers and First Nations communities across Manitoba through its DigitALL Program.  Four palettes of donated desk top computers refurbished by Computers for Schools  have been loaded on a Gardewine truck and will be delivered free to families in need across the province including Flin Flon, Thompson and the Marcel Colomb First Nation. These computers are being delivered to people who have already applied and been approved for the program.  If you know someone in need of a computer you can still apply for a future delivery by going to www.techmanitoba.ca/digitall.

             

Tech Manitoba states in today’s world a working computer is essential to help newcomers, indigenous communities and those in need access information, conduct job searches and home school their children during this pandemic.  Recipients will also receive a keyboard, monitor, mouse and a pre-loaded video on computer basics.

No New Cases of COVID-19 Were Reported in Manitoba with Nine in Saskatchewan.

       

With no new cases of COVID-19 reported over the weekend and none today Manitoba has gone six days without a positive test.  Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr Brent Roussin announced the latest COVID-19 numbers this afternoon.  He reports the number of cases remains at 325, there are no individuals hospitalized, 304 residents are listed as recovered and there are 14 active cases.

             

Roussin adds even with numbers remaining to be good we need to continue to be vigilant including social distancing when outdoors to keep our numbers low as we still expect COVID-19 to be around for a while.

             

With numbers remaining low Health Authorities in the province are starting to restore home care services such as meal preparation and helping clients get dressed.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported nine new cases with two reported on Saturday, four on Sunday and three today with three of the new cases in the Far North region.  That brings the provincial total reported to 805, 59 are considered active, 732 have recovered and four are in hospital. As part of the Re-open Saskatchewan plan, the VLT network resumed operation today.  At the same time the commission paid to sites will temporarily increase from 15 per cent to 25 per cent until Jan. 3.

 

A Summer of Fun Events Has Been Planned.

The City of Flin Flon is starting a series of Summer Fun Days tomorrow.  Organizer Kelcey Anderson says it runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 3:30 at Rotary Park for ages ten and over.  She explains they have broken it down so each day is going to be something different.  She says coming up on Tuesday they have their giant games day with some giant Angry Birds they’ve made, giant bowling, Jenga, things like that and they’re also going to have Arts and Crafts Days, a day where they’re tie dying, a day where they’re painting some rocks, they’re having some water fight days so they’ve got a whole bunch of different days planned.

             

You can pick up a summer pass at City Hall for 60 dollars or drop ins can just show up at Rotary Park and pay the five dollar drop in fee.  Complete details on what is planned and information for parents can be found on the City of Flin Flon website and Facebook page where their calendar is posted.

The Foals Have Their Names With One Coming From Northern Manitoba.

The RCMP have released the names and winners of their Name the Foal Contest.  Youth ages 14 years and younger were invited to submit their best names for foals born this year starting with the letter S and 53 hundred entries were received from across the country with one winner in each province.

             

The winner for Manitoba was Hayven from Thompson submitting the name Star.  Two of the names submitted have special significance commemorating lives lost in the April 2020 Nova Scotia tragedy with Scotia and SHeidi named in memory of RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson.  Other names were Spring, Sosi, Scout, Steele, Scarlet and Sarge.

             

Winners receive a 2020 Musical Ride horseshoe, a picture of the horse they named and a certificate signed by the RCMP Commissioner.

 

National Fishing Week began on Saturday and runs through to this Sunday.

The week is celebrated in the first full week of July every year and is meant to encourage Canadians to renew their love of the sport or try it for the first time.

 

A spokesperson for the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation Mike Melnik explains the whole idea is to promote the fact that we have it so good in this country in that we have so many lakes, rivers, streams and oceans that surround us that we need to get out and enjoy that heritage activity because the more people who fish will result in more people who take care of the fishery as well and that’s very important for the future.

 

Melnik encourages fishers of all levels to check out the catchfishing dot com website for handy tips and guidelines for fishing.

 

A New Case of COVID19 was Reported in Saskatchewan and None in Manitoba.

Saskatchewan reported one new case of COVID-19 today.  The new case is in the Far North and brings the provincial total to 796 cases with 335 of the cases from the Far North. 71 cases are considered active, 711 people have recovered and four are in hospital.  Just under 68 thousand tests for COVID-19 have been performed in Saskatchewan.

            

Meanwhile Manitoba reported no new cases today holding the total number of cases at 325.  16 cases are reported as active, 302 individuals have recovered and no individuals are in hospital.  65 thousand tests for COVID-19 have been performed in Manitoba since early February.

 

Manitoba Has Plans to Catch Up on Delayed Surgeries.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen says due to COVID-19 it has been a difficult time for people who required elective surgeries.  He explains throughout this period surgeries did continue but surgeons were given directions to delay cases that could safely wait 90 days while surgeries that were deemed to not be able to wait for that period of time continued.  He says approximately seven thousand elective surgeries, procedures and activities were cancelled across the province due to COVID-19.

             

Friesen announced with the risk of COVID-19 low they are issuing a request for proposals to complete elective surgeries that were postponed.  He notes the proposals which can be submitted by both public and private facilities must present details on how the applicant will be able to address priority surgical and diagnostic areas by creating additional capacity in the system. Services must be able to be delivered beginning August 1st.

 

Member of Parliament Niki Ashton has Called for Federal Assistance for Northern Manitoba.

Ashton points out record rainfall and extreme weather have had a negative effect on communities and the infrastructure they depend on across Northern Manitoba.  She notes the north has had record rainfall and that’s meant that highways like provincial road 280 have washed out, highway 391 has been deeply damaged and other roads including the one to Sherridon have been affected with people left stranded and communities are struggling.  She also noted the provincial governments hiring freeze for civil servants, the cut backs to maintenance of our highways and the neglect of our infrastructure needs have contributed to this situation. She adds the federal government must be part of the solution to invest and restore critical infrastructure now.

 

Another COVID-19 Related Death has Been Reported in Saskatchewan With no New Cases in Manitoba.

Saskatchewan Health reports a resident of the Far North who tested positive for COVID-19 has died.  The individual was in their 70s and that brings the total number of deaths in the province to 14.  As of today there are 795 total cases in the province with four new cases on Wednesday and six new cases reported today.  Seven of the new cases are in the Far North, two in the north and one in the Saskatoon region.  Of the total 80 are considered active, 701 people have recovered and six are in hospital.

 

             

Meanwhile in Manitoba no new cases of COVID-19 were reported so the total number of cases remains at 325.  No individuals are in hospital, 16 cases are active and 302 individuals have recovered while the number of deaths in the province remains at seven.

The High School in Cranberry Portage has Suffered Extensive Damage.

Cranberry Portage RCMP are investigating a break in at the local high school.  Just after 3:30 Monday morning they were called to the high school in the community for a disturbance.  When officers arrived they found 105 windows had been broken and entry had been made into the computer lab where 42 computers were destroyed.  The damage is estimated to be 200 thousand dollars.

             

On Tuesday a 27 year old man from the community was arrested and will be facing charges of breaking and entering, mischief over five thousand dollars and possessing break in instruments,

           

The RCMP continue to investigate.   

Just Over Two Weeks of Fishing Resulted in Some Big Prizes While The Parade Attracted a Lot of Attention.

The Flin Flon Trout Festival Fishing Derby ran from June 12th to 28th.  The top five winners in the Walleye Derby were Jayden Ouellet with a 31 and a half inch fish receiving 15 hundred dollars, Donna Borsa 31 and one eighth inches receiving one thousand dollars, Sheldon Wiebe 30 and three quarters receiving 750 dollars, Al Roschuk fourth receiving 500 dollars and Jayden Oulett fifth receiving 250 dollars.

             

In the Youth Category Maddox Dominey won with a 30 inch fish receiving 250 dollars cash and a 250 dollar gift card while Marik Dominey finished second with a 29 and five eighths inches receiving 150 dollars cash and a 150 dollar gift card and third went to Josie Wiens receiving 100 dollars cash and a 100 dollar gift card.

             

The Trout Festival parade had around a dozen interesting floats along with fire trucks from Flin Flon, Hudbay, Creighton and Denare Beach Fire Departments celebrating the Festival’s 70th anniversary as well as our graduates and essential workers.  The top three floats in the non-commercial category were Ham Sandwich Class of Narnia, second the NorVa Center and third Norman Community Services and in commercial Phamasave followed by McKeen’s Trucking.  The winner of the 700 dollar Share in the North draw was Alex Suchoplas.

 

 

Upgrades are Coming to the Hospital Fire Alarm System.

Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen has announced funding for health care facilities.  He announced over 380 million dollars in capital projects across the province to ensure Manitobans have safe reliable care at health care facilities for years to come.

             

Among the projects are upgrades to the fire alarm system at the Flin Flon General Hospital.  He says the government is committed to ensuring health care facilities are in line with revised Manitoba Fire Code requirements.

             

Friesen also announced eHealth initiatives for the province that will include upgrading the provincial electronic health record system eChart Manitoba.

 

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