Local News Archives for 2020-08

The Number of Active Cases of COVID-19 In Saskatchewan Continues to Drop.

Saskatchewan Health reported this afternoon four new cases of COVID-19 with 12 more recoveries. That brings the total number of reported cases to 1619 with one new case each in the Saskatoon, Central East, South West and South Central zones.  34 cases are considered active, 1561 people have recovered, three are in hospital with two in intensive care.  Five of the active cases are reported to be in communal living settings and as the number is low it will no longer be reported separately unless the number rises above 20.

             

Saskatchewan reported four new cases Saturday and none on Sunday.

Travel Will Again Be Restricted Into Northern Manitoba.

Manitoba Public Health reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and 35 on Sunday.  The largest numbers are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region with 43 and Winnipeg Health Region with 36 new cases.  Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced this afternoon 23 new cases which brings the total number of lab confirmed cases to 1214.  There were two new cases in Interlake Eastern health, 13 in Prairie Mountain Health, 6 in Southern Health and 7 in Winnipeg Health regions. He noted 11 current hospitalizations with one in intensive care, 469 active cases and 731 recovered.

             

Roussin also announced with the increased number of cases in southern Manitoba public health will be re-implementing travel restrictions to northern Manitoba and remote communities effective Thursday.  There are exceptions for work, healthcare and other matters. As well Manitobans are asked to respect any restrictions that First Nations communities have in place. Details will be posted at www.manitoba.ca/covid-19.

 

More Support is Available for Women in Business.

The Hub in Flin Flon continues to offer programs to support women entrepreneurs. The Hub’s Krista Lemcke says they are offering the Dive into Digital Program which is their version of a COVID-19 response program to help women entrepreneurs get online with their businesses. She explains it’s mainly focused at folks that have already existing businesses maybe a brick and mortar or are working from home, maybe they’re makers of things and want to just get online or increase their online presence so they can go anywhere from beginners all the way to folks that maybe just want to ramp up the amount of advertising that they’re doing.  She adds they can also help with packaging, branding, photos and things like that, kind of a one stop shop.

             

For more on this program and others offered at The Hub you can call Krista at 204-687-6967, email Krista@thehubs.ca or drop in to their office in the former Co-op store location at 31 Main Street.

 

 

You Have an Opportunity to Learn Conversational Cree at Home.

University College of the North is offering virtual classes on conversational Cree September 15th to 19th that have sparked a lot of interest.  The College’s Diane Pelly says you can learn the basics of the Cree language specifically in the Swampy Cree dialect and you’ll also learn about numbers and conversation.  She says what makes it fun is it’s very participatory for the students so they’re going to learn through games and contests, they’ll be given some assignments and also conversing with each other throughout the fifteen hour course.  She adds they’ll also go through some refresher basic Cree and there’s going to be some discussion on the weather, they’ll talk about dates and also the time as often those are topics that come up in the day to day conversation.

             

Pelly adds there has been a huge response to the first two sessions from across the province and as far away as Alberta so they may add a third session.  The cost is 103 dollars plus GST and you can register by September 11th or get more information by calling 204-620-1705 or email dpelly@ucn.ca.

 

Rockcliff is Moving Forward in Northern Manitoba.

Rockcliff Minerals President Allistair Ross announced their summer drill program earlier this month.  He said it is aimed at growing the current Tower copper resource and examining the nickel-PGE at the Tower South anomaly.  He explains what they’re up to is proving that these types of deposits which are narrow veined steeply dipping ore bodies can be mined in the fashion with the hub and spoke strategy where you develop one mine deplete it rather rapidly with another mine coming on behind it so at this time they’ve got eight of these deposits that they believe have the potential to do that and feed them through a central mill so clearly the transport issue they need to manage is of ore to a mill and if they can find the right cost for the mine, the transport and the mill it assures a very good robust business plan which they believe they’re about to do.

             

The Tower deposit is located in the Flin Flon Snow Lake Greenstone Belt about 126 kilometers south of Wabowden on Highway Six.

Close Contacts Are Responsible for Some of the New Cases of COVID-19.

Manitoba Public Health Officials reported this afternoon 32 new cases of the virus have been identified in the province. 18 of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain health region, seven in the Winnipeg health region, six in the Southern health region and one in the Interlake Eastern Health Authority. Preliminary investigations show that 14 of the cases announced are close contacts of previously announced cases.  The provincial total now stands at 1,096 lab confirmed cases, 418 are active, 664 individuals have recovered and five are in hospital with one in intensive care.

             

Saskatchewan Health reports two new cases with one in the Far North West and one in the Saskatoon zone.  There are 1611 reported cases, 44 are considered active and 1543 people have recovered. 20 of the active cases are in communal living settings.

             

They remind you COVID-19 transmissions in your community may increase as we move in the fall to indoor spaces and as school restarts. Remember to wash your hands frequently, maintain physical distancing, abide by masking policies and stay home if you are sick.

 

School Supplies Will Be Easier to Find.

 The Flin Flon Recycling Centre has been offering free reusable school supplies for pick up at their Centre.  Administrator Deb Odegaard says they’ll be more accessible tomorrow. She explains it seems that the Recycling Centre is a little inaccessible to people so they’re taking the school supplies to Pioneer Square tomorrow from 12:30 to 2:30 and people can come there and help themselves and if the weather doesn’t co-operate they will be at the Library.

            

  If you have any questions on this event, would like to make an appointment to pick up school supplies today or on recycling in general you can call the Recycling Centre at 204-687-6169.

 

Creighton has Received Some Early Funding Support.

Earlier this week Creighton Town Council met to discuss the latest community business. It was reported the federal government would be delivering funding through the gas tax fund. This year the funding has been accelerated to help communities recover from COVID-19 as quickly as possible as well as to assist in their role to safely restart the economy.  The first of two installments for Creighton has been received in the amount of 42,155 dollars with the second installment equal to the first to be received in the spring.

             

Council approved a motion from earlier this year requested by Vincent Cable Director of Education for Creighton Community School regarding making First Avenue a one way street from Main Street to First Street East.

             

Council also received a thank you photo for their generosity and grad banners from the Class of 2020.

 

This is National Drug Drop Off Month.

To reduce the risk of substance abuse at home Drug Free Kids Canada and London Drugs are educating Canadians on how they can safely dispose of their pills.

 

Pharmacist Danny Lee explained the dos and don’ts when it comes to getting rid of your unused and expired medication.  He says with any medication whether it be prescriptions or over the counter medication they definitely want to keep it out of the landfill and also out of our water system so we don’t want to flush it down the toilet or throw them in the garbage.  He says the safest way is to bring it back to the pharmacy and have the pharmacy dispose of it safely adding the pharmacy sends it away and it gets incinerated so it won’t affect the landfill or the water.

 

Lee says this is especially important during the pandemic, as young people are at risk of abusing medication as a way to cope with the impact COVID-19 is having on their lives.

COVID-19 New Case Numbers Continue to Be Low as a School Plan is Release in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health reported this afternoon five new cases of COVID-19.  There were three in the North West and two in the Saskatoon zone.  That brings the reported total to 1609 cases, 58 are considered active, 1527 people have recovered and three are in hospital with two in intensive care.

             

Meanwhile following the release of school specific plans by Saskatchewan’s 27 School Divisions the Ministry of Education in Collaboration with public health officials has released parent information packages for distribution by the Divisions to parents prior to the September 8th school year.  The packages contain general background on the Safe School Plan and guidance on how to prepare for a safe return to school as well as detailed fact sheets on COVID-19 testing options.

Manitoba Has Seen an Additional Death Related to COVID-19.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported this afternoon 22 new cases of COVID-19 all in health regions in the south.  He says the death was a woman in her 90s from the Southern Health Region associated with the outbreak at the Bethesda Place in Steinbach.

             

He also reported a new public health order is effective tomorrow following some incidents.  It will require Manitobans to self isolate for 14 days if they have been determined to be an active case of COVID-19 or if they have been exposed to COVID-19 and identified as a close contact.  He says all individuals this order applies to will be contacted by Public Health and then must go to their residence or an approved self isolation location for 14 days or as long as dictated by Public Health.

             

He notes there are exceptions for things like urgent health care and failure to comply could result in a fine of 486 dollars.

             

The total of confirmed cases in Manitoba is now 1064 with 407 active and 643 recovered.      

Back to School Plans Have Been Outlined.

The Flin Flon School Board met Tuesday.  Superintendent Tammy Ballantyne reported the reopening plan for the new year has been shared to their website and Facebook page.  The School Administrators continue working hard on this year’s plans which will be shared online very soon.  The lunch program next month will be up and running with students dining in their classrooms with no outside break afterwards and no access to a microwave. Parents are encouraged to have their children have lunch at home when possible.  If parents have concerns contact your child’s Administrator or the Division office.  If you plan on home schooling this year inform the Division.  All extracurricular activities will be paused for September and revisited in October. For those eligible for bus service students in grades four through twelve are required to wear a mask and sanitize hands before boarding the bus Students will have assigned seats and must sit in those seats only. If you have not heard from the Division regarding bus service contact the Division office and inform them if your child requires a seat.

 

Businesses are Receiving Expanded Support From the Province.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has announced the extension of the Back to Work Program to support more businesses in bringing back their employees. He explains this program reimburses fifty percent of wages on new hires or laid off rehires up to five thousand dollars per employee and this will help private sector businesses and not for profit charities bring back former staff or hire new staff.  He notes this change increases the maximum level of financial support available to employers from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand dollars.

             

The application deadline is October 1st and Pallister encourages business owners, potential employers in both the private sector and non-profit roles to visit the Restart Manitoba website for detailed information.

The Leader of the Manitoba NDP Wants the Government to Ensure Schools are prepared for in-class learning.

Wab Kinew says the New democrats would like to see the PCs invest more in schools  such as renting or building more spaces for classrooms, capping the maximum number of students at 15 and having more buses on the road so students can get to and from school safely.

 

Kinew explains access to technology is another aspect the government should be giving more attention to especially in the north. He notes there’s a real divisional divide in our province and in some cases it exists because of poverty, maybe people cannot access a device or not enough devices because maybe there’s only a laptop with five kids and that means not every child can get an online class at the same time when they need to.  He adds geography is also an issue in the lack of investments in reaching rural and northern communities with broadband and with cell phone coverage which also contributes and northern Manitoba is worse than anywhere else in the province.

 

Kinew goes on to say that the government can act through the school divisions to ensure every student has access to technology should remote learning resume this upcoming school year.

 

Higher COVID-19 Numbers in Manitoba are Related to Targeted Testing in Known Clusters While There Was Another Death in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba Public Health Officials this afternoon identified 25 new cases of COVID-19 in the province.  Nine are in the Winnipeg, eight in the Prairie Mountain, seven in the Southern and one in the Interlake Eastern Health Regions.  One of the new cases in Southern Health is linked to the Bethesda Place personal care home outbreak which has reached eight cases.  The provincial total of lab confirmed cases is now 1,043 with 408 active, 622 individuals have recovered and eight are in hospital with one in intensive care.

 

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan Health reported a 25th death today related to COVID-19. This person was in the South West zone and in the 50 to 59 age range.  They reported three new cases bringing the provincial total to 1604 with 60 cases considered active, 1520 people have recovered and three are in hospital with two in intensive care.

Hubay Has Expanded Its Holdings Near Snow Lake.

Rockcliff Metals Corporation has announced Hudbay Minerals has exercised its buy back right to acquire an additional two percent ownership interest in their Talbot Project near Snow Lake.  Hudbay now owns 51 percent of the Project and Rockcliff 49 percent and Hudbay will now become the operator of the Project.  Hudbay acquired the two percent ownership interest with a cash payment of just under 726 thousand dollars.

            

 Rockcliff President Allistair Ross says Hudbays decision further validates Talbot’s potential value.  He explains clearly the fact they want Rockcliff back in their portfolio means that when the project does get developed the way that the option agreement folding into a joint venture agreement in due course is they would co-share their funding of the study on it and when it gets to a production decision stage and goes into potential construction Hudbay actually carries the full capital cost of the development for the mine and Rockcliff would end up with a retained 35 percent interest of the mine going forward from there.

             

Ross adds the work performed by Rockcliff over the past six years to advance their understanding of the Talbot Deposit has demonstrated the significant potential of it becoming a producing mine.

 

The Northern Health Region's CEO says the patient who is confirmed to have COVID-19 over the weekend is recovering successfully in self-isolation.

Helga Bryant says additional public health nurses were in the Gillam/Fox Lake Cree Nation District communities as of Monday morning and are conducting extensive contact tracing and daily monitoring.

 

Bryant states northern residents have been extremely diligent in keeping COVID-19 out of the north which she says is evident by the region’s low numbers since the start of the pandemic.

 

She goes on to say we must still focus on the fundamentals to keep COVID-19 at bay, such as frequent hand washing, physical distancing, staying home when sick, and avoiding close contact with anyone that is experiencing symptoms.

 

Another Death Related to COVID-19 Was Reported in Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan

Manitoba Public Health Officials report the 13th death was a woman in her 90s from the Steinbach health district in the Southern Health Region.  This is a previously announced case connected to a known outbreak at Bethesda Place.

             

Officials reported this afternoon 25 new cases have been identified bringing the total number of lab confirmed cases in Manitoba to 1018.  Ten of these cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, nine in the Southern Health Region and six in the Winnipeg Health Region. There are now 399 active cases, 606 individuals have recovered and seven are in hospital with one in intensive care.

                                                                                                                                                                        

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported another person with COVID-19 has died which is a person in the Central West zone in the 70 to 79 age range.  But they had no new cases to report today and one case was found to be an out of province resident and has been removed from the province’s count bringing the total to 1601 reported cases.  88 are considered active, 1490 people have recovered and four are in hospital with three in intensive care.

All Groups and Organizations Can Hold Registration in One Place.

Flin Flon Parks and Recreation is again holding an event called Registration Under One Roof September 9th and 10th.  Recreation Director Caitlin Bailey says people interested in registering for upcoming events will be able to do so in one place.  She explains we know with COVID things will be a little bit different so they have set up the possibility of hosting two different nights that they’re able to put the groups and keep their numbers down so it will be September 9th and 10th.  She adds they’re looking for organizations or groups in town that would like to share their information with the public and perhaps hold registration in person.

             

Any groups or organizations interested can email cbailey@flinflon.ca with your organization name, contact person and the number of tables and chairs needed. Under One Roof will run from 5 to 8 pm Wednesday, September 9th and Thursday September 10thth in the Flin Flon Community Hall.

Increased Funding is Available for Manitoba School Divisions.

Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen has announced a 100 million dollar Safe Schools Fund to keep teachers and students safe when they return to school September 8th.  He says the fund includes 48 million dollars saved while schools were closed in the spring.  He notes 4.7 million masks have already been sent to school divisions.  In addition he adds they know there will be more costs when it comes to transportation, getting our students to school, they also know there are going to be increased sanitation costs whether it’s on the buses or in the schools and both these costs will also be eligible and there’ll be higher degrees of absences both when it comes to students but also when it comes to teachers so there will be human resource issues and challenges within the school system so this fund will be available for those as well.

             

Goertzen adds all school divisions are able to access the funds with details to be sent out in the coming days.

A Former Denare Beach Man Has Died in a Shellbrook Hospital.

Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Unit North has identified a young man who was brought to the Shellbrook Hospital four days ago.  He is 20 year old Wesley Custer originally from Denare Beach but residing recently in the Prince Albert Montreal Lake area.  His death is now being investigated as a homicide.

             

The Crimes Unit is asking for assistance in identifying where Wesley was what he did, who he was with and what he said during the days leading up to his death.  They also continue to be interested in receiving reports of suspicious activity around the Shellbrook Hospital in order to identify who brought him to the hospital last Friday night.

 

New Cases of COVID-19 are Again Low in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health reported this afternoon three new cases of COVID-19.  That’s after reporting two on Saturday and three on Sunday.  All three of the new cases are in the North West with one each in North Central, Regina and South West and 2 in Saskatoon over the weekend.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 1602.  One case deemed to be an out of province resident has been removed from the list.

             

Of the total 98 cases are considered active, 1482 people have recovered and five are in hospital with four in intensive care in Saskatoon.  60 of the 98 active cases are reported to be in communal living settings.

 

 

Record Numbers of New COVID-19 Cases are Being Reported in Manitoba.

Manitoba Public Health reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and 96 on Sunday.  That includes one in the Northern Health Region in the Gillam area as a result of travel from the Prairie Mountain Health Region.  The majority of new cases reported are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region and are the result of increased testing of known clusters in communal living communities.

             

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported this afternoon an additional 49 new cases that includes a correction from Sunday when they initially reported 72 new cases.  He explained with the 25 cases being identified today and 24 cases that were connected to Sunday brings the total number of lab confirmed cases in Manitoba to 993.  He noted there was a correction made to Sunday’s numbers and this makes today’s case count 25 and Sunday’s count 96.

             

Roussin also announced effective September 1st anyone visiting a health care facility in the province must wear a non-medical mask.

 

A University Student From Flin Flon is Looking For People Who Were Involved in the Green Project.

The Green Project involved volunteers from the community spreading limestone throughout the barren areas of Flin Flon and Creighton in order to stimulate revegitation.  Jayde Clendenning is in her fourth year in the Environmental Science Program at Brandon University and has chosen the Green Project for her Advanced Research Topic.  She was involved in spreading limestone with her classmates when in school here.  She would now like to interview people who were part of the Green Project that ran from 2000to 2016. She explains she’s looking for anyone who was involved with helping spread the crushed limestone and that could be anyone with the Flin Flon or Creighton School Divisions, the Junior Bombers, the Army Cadets, the adult volunteers, UCN electrical students, the Rec Department, Summer in The Parks and also there were a few youth and church groups that also had volunteers.

               

If you have information to share you can contact her by texting or calling 204-271-3994.

 

Applications are Open for the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund.

 Manitoba Chambers of Commerce President Chuck Davidson has announced the launch of the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund.  The fund is intended to jump start mineral and economic development in the province with a specific focus on Northern Manitoba.

             

The province provided the Manitoba Chambers with 20 million dollars to establish the fund last October with an additional annual infusion of up to six percent of revenues to be provided under the Mining Tax Act. Under the agreement communities and businesses including Indigenous groups, municipalities and the not for profit sector are eligible for funding.  Financial assistance from the fund could include one-time grants for activities that help advance new mining opportunities and outreach to First Nations for collaborative resource development.

             

Northern reps on the five member board include Richard Trudeau representing Hudbay Minerals and the Mining Association of Manitoba and Colleen Smook representing the City of Thompson and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities.

             

 

              To view the MMDF application process, click here.

 

 

COVID-19 Numbers Continue to Go Up in Four Southern Manitoba Health Regions While Saskatchewan New Numbers Remain Low.

Manitoba Public Health Officials reported this afternoon 34 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified.  Five of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, 19 in the Southern, nine in the Winnipeg and one in the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority.  Preliminary investigations indicate the majority of new cases in Southern Health are linked to a known cluster. The total number of lab confirmed cases in the province is now at 830, 265 cases are active, 553 individuals have recovered and five are in hospital with one in intensive care.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported six new cases with 2 each in the North West and South West zones and one each in the North East and Saskatoon zones.  That brings the total number of cases reported to 1595, 134 are considered active, 1439 people have recovered, five are in hospital with four in intensive care in Saskatoon. They report 85 of the active cases are in communal living settings.

 

Eleven Weeks of Fun Summer Activities for Kids Wraps Up Today.

Summer in the Parks which started June 9th for kids ages 5 to 10 years old comes to a close this afternoon.  Assistant Supervisor Nevada Shirran says it was a really good summer noting they had a lot of different crafts that happened and they did many beach trips which are always fun and lots of the kids they had were full summer kids so they were there from the very first week until the end and she thinks they all enjoyed it.

             

Shirran adds they had around ten full summer kids and every week they had different drop in kids so in total each week they had about twenty kids.  Summer in the Parks is sponsored every summer by Flin Flon Parks and Recreation.

You Can Shop at Pioneer Square Tomorrow.

The Flin Flon Arts Council is holding a Pint Sized Market at Pioneer Square on Main Street from 11 to 3 tomorrow.  The Council’s Danielle Yungwirth says they have six vendors with a variety of items including handmade rugs, bath products, some natural health products, Highland Honey is going to be there, Chris Helpin with tartar sauces, hot sauce and all of his goodies like spice blends and stuff and then the Pride Committee is going to be there as well and they’re going to have some merchandise and info about some of their final events for Pride Week.  She notes it should be a great day and they’re going to have little tents out so they’ll be covered so come rain or shine and check out what the community has to offer.

             

Yungwirth adds COVID-19 regulations are in effect, hand sanitizer will be provided, masks are encouraged and there will be a marked entrance and exit along with one way markers.

 

Saskatchewan Again Reports Low Numbers of New COVID-19 Cases.

Saskatchewan Health reported today four new cases of COVID-19. The new cases are located in Saskatoon with one and the South Central zone with three.  That brings the total number of cases reported to 1590, 149 are considered active, 1419 people have recovered and five are in hospital with four in intensive care in Saskatoon. They add investigations have found that 99 of the 149 active cases are in communal living settings.

             

The most up to date information on the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan can be found at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

 

 

Climbing COVID-19 Numbers Have Led to Additional Restrictions in a Southern Manitoba Region.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon. 17 are in the Prairie Mountain, 10 in the Southern and six in the Winnipeg Health Regions.  He announced more restrictions for one region.  He explained they continue to see increasing number in the Brandon region and they are seeing increasing community based transmission as well and hearing many reports of large gatherings in parks and family gatherings as well as religious gatherings.  He says due to the increased number of cases as well as the significant reports of increased gatherings the Prairie Mountain health region is being elevated to the restricted level of orange in their pandemic response system immediately.

             

That includes limiting group sizes to ten.  The total number of lab confirmed cases in Manitoba now stands at 796 with 247 active and 537 have recovered.

Consultation is Needed in Park Upgrades.

A delegation attended the Flin Flon City Council meeting Tuesday night.  They asked for clarification on changes taking place at Pops Park on Tweedsmuir Street.  Mayor Cal Huntley explained the need and design for the fence being put in place at the park.  The delegation said when work started there was a misunderstanding as to what was being done and suggested when changes are being made to parks there should be a process of consultation with immediate park area residents.

             

Council also received the Fire Chiefs report for July indicating six incidents during the month.  There were two calls to assist EMS, clean up of oil leaking from a car on South Hudson, a kitchen fire in an apartment on Main Street that was quickly put out, a false alarm to a reported accident on Tweedsmuir and assistance at a two vehicle collision at an intersection of Big Island and Highway 291.  Total fire loss in the month was five thousand dollars.  The fire department also conducted a fire training scenario in Channing.  A single story house with detached garage was ignited and used for fire ground management as well as fire control training.

Manitoba is Making More Information on COVID-19 Available While Ordering Some Students to Wear Masks.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has announced the launch of the Restart Manitoba Pandemic Response System.  He says this system will provide Manitobans with clear, detailed and localized information about the risks, the responses and the recommended actions we can all take to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  He notes this online tool is the first of its kind in Canada adding the Restart Manitoba Pandemic Response System provides an overall picture of the situation throughout the province while also providing specific, targeted measures that may be put in place by region, by community, by sector, by sight and this system will be regularly updated so this information is always timely.

             

For more information on the system visit www.manitoba.ca/restartMB.

             

Pallister also announced following public input there will be mandatory use of masks in schools for grades 4 to 12 students and staff where physical distancing is not possible.

 

 

Manitoba Reports a 12th Death Related to COVID-19 While Saskatchewan Continues With Low New Cases.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 in the province this afternoon.  The death was a man in his 60s from the Grey health district in the Southern health region.  The man was in intensive care.  Lab confirmed cases in Manitoba now total 763, 223 are active, 528 individuals have recovered and six are in hospital. 13 of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain health region mostly related to contacts to known cases with one each in the Southern and Winnipeg health regions.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported four new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon.  There were two cases each in the North West and South West zones.  That brings the total cases to 1586, 154 are considered active, 1410 people have recovered, seven people are in hospital with four in intensive care. 104 of the active cases are in communal living settings.

 

Two Art Oriented Projects are Moving Forward.

At their meeting last night Flin Flon City Council approved a municipal funding application to the developing Pineroot Mural Festival in the amount of three thousand dollars.  The project will see murals painted on buildings and structures around the community to make them more appealing for people to visit and enhance the skills of our local artists and promote their art work.

             

The Flin Flon Arts Council advised Council they have received a five thousand dollar grant from the Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation to be used to complete some projects along Main Street in partnership with the Main Street Revitalization Committee.  They include back lit window paintings and birch bark bitings, self watering planters along empty lot walkways as well as cigarette butt receptacles at the entrance to the walkways.

             

The City has just received information from the provincial government on the requirements they must meet to hold a byelection following COVID-19 protocols to fill an empty seat on Council.  They will meet to discuss the requirements, set a date and then make an announcement.

 

Travellers to Manitoba Should Continue to Self Isolate.

A concerned Manitoban has started a petition to urge the provincial government to reinstate the mandatory 14-day self-isolation order for travelers entering and re entering the province.

 

The woman who started the petition Candace Arnold stated when the travel restrictions were put in place we had almost no active cases before experiencing an increase in new cases in the province that were all said to be travel related.

 

Arnold says she firmly believes if we have travel restrictions we will feel safer with fewer cases.  She explains non-essential travel should not be a priority over our citizen’s health.  She adds it is hard not to see loved ones but why would you want to risk travelling to a different province, contracting the virus during your travel and going immediately to see your loved ones and passing that virus on to them so it only makes sense to protect those you love most to isolate for two weeks if travelling to see them.

 

The hope is to get at least 5, 000 signatures on the change dot org petition and get the attention of politicians.

 

Manitoba Reports Two Additional Deaths Related to COVID-19 While New Case Numbers Remain Low in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba Public Health Officials reported this afternoon a 10th and 11th death related to COVID-19 both in the Southern Health Region.  One is a man in his 80s from Hanover health district and the other a man in his 90s from the Niverville area health district. They were previously announced cases connected to know clusters and they were in hospital.

             

They reported 17 new cases of the virus and one case was removed from the list so the total number of lab confirmed cases is 748.  11 of the new cases were in the Winnipeg Health region with six in three other health regions in the south.  235 cases are active, 502 individuals have recovered and eight are in hospital. District numbers can be found at www.manitoba.ca/covid19.

             

Saskatchewan Health reported today one new case of COVID-19 located in the Saskatoon zone.  That brings the total reported to 1582, 157 cases are considered active, 1403 people have recovered and eight are in hospital.  They point out investigations completed so far have found 107 of the 157 active cases are in communal living settings.

 

You Can Help the Environment While Preparing to go Back to School.

The Flin Flon Recycling Centre is giving away reusable school supplies again this year.  Administrator Deb Odegaard says it will be by appointment only at the Recycling Centre.  She explains the school supplies give away is different this year in that they are unable to use the Library so people can make appointments to come and see them at the Recycling Centre and pick up their school supplies.  She notes it’s running between August 17th and 28th, hours are from 9 to3 but Saturday the 22nd hours are 10 to 2 and there will be no appointments on the 23rd which is a Sunday.

            

Appointments can be made by calling Naomi at the Centre at 204-687-6169.  If you have school supplies you no longer need you can drop them off at the Recycling Centre during those times as well.

 

The Tourism Industry is Encouraging Manitobans to Visit Manitoba.

Travel Manitoba Consultant Al McLauchlan says the tourism industry has been strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He explains you have to consider that the tourism industry is based on a tourism model where 90 percent of your customers are coming from the United States so now you’re looking at a customer base that was lost for at least the spring fishing and it looks like all fall time because the border is not going to open again for a while.  He notes tourism business declined in some cases 60 to 90 percent in some businesses which is huge.

             

McLauchlan adds Businesses, Travel Manitoba and the Province have worked towards marketing tourism within the province by encouraging people to visit parts of Manitoba they have never been to before.  He says Manitobans have been visiting local resorts in places like Snow Lake and he encourages people to continue to get out and enjoy the province.

Saskatchewan Reported Two Deaths Related to COVID-19 Over the Weekend.

Saskatchewan Health announced 40 new cases of COVID-19 over Saturday and Sunday and two deaths.  One was in the South Central zone and the other in the North Central zone both people in the 80 to 89 age group bringing the death total to 22.  This afternoon they reported only one new case in the South West zone.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 1581, 172 are considered active, 1387 people have recovered, eight are in hospital with four in intensive care.  They note investigations so far indicate 113 of 172 active cases are in communal living settings.

             

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe also announced the return to school in the province  will be delayed to September 8th to allow teachers and staff more time to get training in the new protocols, properly reconfigure classrooms and where possible hold virtual meetings with parents.

 

There was a Death Related to COVID-19 Reported in Manitoba Over the Weekend.

Manitoba reported 56 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend along with one death.  This was a man in his 80s from the City of Portage La Prairie health district bringing the total deaths in the province to nine.

             

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the latest COVID-19 numbers this afternoon.  He reported 38 new cases have been identified, four other cases have been removed from the list so this brings the total number of lab confirmed and probable positive cases to 731, there are 11 current hospitalizations including three individuals in intensive care, 232 active cases and 490 individuals are listed as recovered.

             

Roussin noted one case is in a personal care home in Steinbach adding many of the other new cases reported are linked to know clusters.  You can get the District breakdowns at www.manitoba.ca/covid19.

A Flag Raising and March Highlighted the Start of Pride Week.

The Flin Flon Pride Committee is holding their fourth annual Pride Event this week.  It began Friday evening with a flag raising at City Hall where Co-Executive Director Justin Drummelsmith explained pride is accepting who you are and being proud of what you stand for.  He added to him pride is who I am and I’m proud of it, having the courage to be authentic, to live your truth even if you’re scared.  Pride is that time of year where we show the whole world that we are worthy of respect, we’re worthy of recognition, we’re worthy of every single right and freedom that every other human being is allowed to enjoy.  He noted we should never be afraid of ourselves. Pride is the time when we show the world how valuable we are, how needed we are and how different and gloomy the world would be without us.

             

The weekend also included a Pride Paddle, Dance Party, Pride in the Park and a CFAR Dance Party wrapping up with the Drag Kween Mermaid Contest this coming Saturday.  The Best Decorated Store was Dembo’s Kickit.

You Can Keep Better Track of Where COVID-19 Cases are Occurring.

The Manitoba government will now be reporting COVID-19 cases based on smaller health districts to help Manitobans with more local information.  The province will update case numbers and other information based on 68 health districts instead of five regional health authorities.  Health districts often include several communities and municipalities and follow regional health authority boundaries.  There are 15 districts under our Northern Regional Health Authority.

             

Health Minister Cameron Friesen says this additional information allows Manitobans to stay informed at a more local level.  To learn more about the new reporting system based on health districts visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19.

 

Reaction to COVID-19 Will Vary in the Future.

Some COVID 19 restrictions are being lifted.  Retired public health worker Jo Beyers explains what we can expect the new normal to look like in the foreseeable future as the pandemic continues.

She thinks what we will see is local and regional public health responses depending on how many active cases and what kind of spread is happening within our communities so what might be happening in Halifax isn’t going to be the same as to what you might see in Flin Flon and so forth so she thinks we’re going to see different public health responses to lock down versus opening up the economies and travel and so forth depending on what the spread and the active case situation is like in our respective communities.

Beyers adds the lockdown put in place early on helped health care systems to prepare and adapt to the current situation.

A lot of these health care systems have increased their capacity and staffing and received more protective equipment.

There has also been an increase in the public health laboratory ability to test and contact trace.

Numbers of New Cases of COVID-19 Jumped in Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr Brent Roussin reported this afternoon 40 new cases of COVID-19 in the province.  25 of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 5 in the Southern Health region and 10 in the Winnipeg region. Preliminary investigations are ongoing but indicate the majority of Prairie Mountain cases continue to be linked to previously announced cases in Brandon with early indications of community transmission.  That brings the total of reported cases to 643, 246 cases are active, 389 individuals have recovered and nine are in hospital. Roussin notes it’s clear some people are not social distancing, avoiding large indoor crowds or staying home when sick.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported this afternoon 30 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the total reported to 1541, 174 are considered active, 1374 people have recovered and ten are in hospital.  The new cases include 23 in the South West, 6 in the South Central and one in the North Central region.  All of the new cases and 108 of the active cases are in communal living settings.

RCMP are Investigating a Death in Cranberry Portage.

At around 8:15 last Friday night RCMP responded to an assault on McLean Street in Cranberry Portage.  Officers and emergency personnel located an injured man who was taken to hospital. The 62 year old man from Cranberry Portage succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

             

A 41 year old man from Sherridon was arrested on Wednesday and charged with manslaughter.  He was remanded into custody and will appear in The Pas Provincial Court on Monday.

             

Cranberry Portage RCMP, Major Crimes Services and Forensic Identification Services continue to investigate.

 

You Can Register Your Children for a Summer Bible School Sunday.

The Flin Flon Pentecostal Church is holding a free vacation bible school afternoons next week.  The Church’s Denise Roy says this year’s theme is Concrete and Cranes  She explains Devoted Ministries is a team that has been coming up from Brandon Manitoba and they’ll be teaching on how to build on the love of Jesus and the children will enjoy a week of fun with the team with crafts, songs, games, snacks so it should be a good time all around.

             

The free vacation bible school will run from 1 to 3:30 Monday to Friday next week.  A kickoff and early registration take place Sunday evening at 6:30 at the Pentecostal Church at 180 Green Street while enjoying Chili and a bun.  If you can’t make it Sunday you can register at the start Monday afternoon.

 

Plans are Developing For Back to School.

With classes scheduled to start on September 8th the Flin Flon School Board met Tuesday to discuss the upcoming school year. Board Chair Murray Skeavington opened the meeting by welcoming everybody back and advising parents to keep up to date with what’s happening regarding education in Manitoba by visiting the Division website and their Facebook page.  If parents are planning to home school their child they are asked to contact the child’s school or the Division office.

               

Superintendent Tammy Ballantyne reported the Division is busy refining this year’s plans and updates will be available soon.  The lunch programs are being looked at carefully as to make it work for those in need and parents will be contacted regarding bus service as seating will be limited.

             

In closing the schools have been cleaned and are ready for students and staff with a big thanks to the Division’s custodial and maintenance staff for their hard work over the summer.

Hudbay Continues Exploration to Expand a Deposit in the Snow Lake Region.

In their second quarter 2020 update Hudbay reported on their recent 1901 discovery near Snow Lake.  President Peter Kukielski says drilling has continued to define the extent and geometry of the deposit which is located between the former Chisel North Mine and the Lalor Mine.  He explains the 2020 drill program was successful in defining an initial inferred resource estimate for the gold zone of 500 thousand tonnes at 6.8 grams per tonne gold.  Total gold resources have significantly increased with 122 thousand ounces in measured and indicated and 137 thousand ounces in inferred compared to a total of 58 thousand ounces previously which continues to demonstrate the gold potential of the Snow Lake camp.
             

Kukielski adds the company is engaged in engineering activities to develop a viable mine plan for the 1901 deposit expecting to complete a feasibility study in the first half of 2021.

 

COVID-19 Cases Made a Bit of a Jump in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health reported this afternoon 27 new cases of COVID-19.  18 of these cases are in the South West region, 4 in South Central, 3 in Saskatoon and 2 in Regina regions.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 1511, 166 are considered active, 1325 people have recovered and ten are in hospital with five in intensive care.

             

The Saskatchewan Health notes they continue to work closely with Hutterite communities where there has been a significant decline in active cases however aggressive testing and contract tracing continues to find new cases in some communities so these efforts are ongoing.  22 of the27 new cases and 95 of 166 active cases are in communal living settings.

 

New School Protocols Have Been Released as COVID-19 Numbers go up in Manitoba.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the latest COVID-19 numbers this afternoon.  He reported 25 new cases and this brings the total number of lab confirmed positive and probable cases to 603.  There are seven current hospitalizations including three in intensive care, 218 active cases and 377 individuals are listed as recovered.

             

Roussin also spoke on new public health recommendations for back to school.  They now strongly recommend students in grades 5 to 12, school staff and others in school wear a non-medical mask in common areas and where physical distancing is not possible as well on school buses with masks provided by the province.  School Divisions will post their individual plans next week linked to the Manitoba Education website following public health orders which are now listed at www.manitoba.ca/restoringsafeservices.

 

Hudbay Second Quarter Results Were Boosted by Strong Manitoba Operations.

Hudbay has released its second quarter 2020 financial results. They report a net loss of 51.9 million dollars compared to a net loss of 76.1 million in the first quarter.  They note the increase in earnings quarter over quarter was primarily due to higher sales volumes in Manitoba offset by the temporary suspension of Constancia mine operations in Peru.

             

President Peter Kukielski stated their Manitoba operations continue to impress with record gold production this quarter and a significant increase in revenue over the first quarter. He explained the enhanced precious metals was driven by higher gold and silver grades at Lalor as a result of prioritizing resources within the higher value portion of the base metal lenses.  Development in the gold rich lenses 25 and 27 advanced ahead of schedule and production from these areas is expected ahead of the New Britannia mill restart as Lalor transitions to a gold mine.  The Triple Seven Mine in Flin Flon saw higher gold grades during the second quarter which were expected and consistent with the mine plan including the mining of higher grade copper stopes during the quarter.

             

Kukielski added the New Britannia gold mill refurbishment activities continue on budget in Snow Lake and on schedule to increase Lalor’s annual gold production to over 150 thousand ounces by 2022.

High Dose Influenza Vaccine Will Now Be Available to Seniors Living North of 53.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen has announced the Manitoba government is doubling its order of high dose influenza vaccine.  He says this is to address anticipated demand and expanding the criteria for who can receive it free of charge.  This vaccine is an immunization formula for people 65 years and older.

             

He reports starting this fall the high dose influenza vaccine will be available to seniors living north of the 53rd parallel, living on a First Nation or in remote communities, residents of supportive and assisted living housing, those receiving home care services while on a waiting list for admission to a long term care facility and those who are newly incarcerated in Manitoba.

             

Starting August 17th pharmacies, physicians and other providers can start placing their influenza vaccine orders with the vaccine expected to start arriving in late September.

 

COVID-19 Number Have Climbed in the Winnipeg Region While Saskatchewan Continues With Low New Cases.

Public Health officials reported this afternoon sixteen new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. 10 of the new cases are in the Winnipeg region, four in the Prairie Mountain region and one each in the Southern and  Interlake Eastern Health Regions.  Of the new cases preliminary investigations indicate the majority of the Winnipeg regional cases are related to travel and close contacts while the majority of Prairie Mountain health cases are linked to previously announced cases in Brandon.  The provincial total now stands at 578, 202 cases are active, 368 individuals have recovered and five are in hospital with three in intensive care.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan reported five new cases this afternoon. Four are in the Regina zone and one in the North Central zone.  That brings the provincial total to 1484 cases, 150 are considered active, 1314 people have recovered, ten are in hospital with five in intensive care.

 

Pride Week Gets Underway Friday.

Pride Week is being celebrated in Flin Flon for a fourth year.  The Committees Executive Director Jordana Oulette says it will kick off with the flag raising at City Hall Friday at 5 o’clock and then that evening at 7 for the first time they’re trying out a Pride Paddle at Bakers Narrows.  She adds Saturday from 1 to 4 they have Pride in the Park this year at Rotary Park, Saturday evening at 8 they’re taking over CFAR for a call in dedication request show, Sunday is going to be their Pride March which this year is on foot only with no vehicles starting at CFAR at 1 o’clock marching to the Tourist Bureau and during Pride Week Monday, Wednesday and Friday there’ll be bedtime stories with Bijoux streamed live on their Facebook page starting at 7 pm.

             

Pride Week wraps up with the Drag Queen Mermaid Pageant to be live streamed from the Victoria Inn at 8 o’clock Saturday the 22nd with five contestants involved.  Complete details on the week can be found on the Flin Flon Pride Facebook page.

 

Between July 23 and August 2 Flin Flon RCMP responded to four armed robberies that occurred in the community.

Around 5 am July 23 RCMP were  advised a man was assaulted, sprayed with bear spray, and his bag was stolen on Hill Street. Two male suspects had fled on foot.  

 

On July 25 around 8:20 pm officers were dispatched to a robbery with a machete near a walking path on North Avenue where a 22-year-old man was robbed by four suspects. Officers arrested two females, ages 16 and 20, and a 23-year-old man in the area. 

 

 Around 10 pm July 26 officers were advised that a 16-year-old male was robbed and assaulted at a local high school.  The suspects, a male and female, fled the area.

 

On August 2 at approximately 7:15 pm, RCMP responded to an armed robbery at a business on Green Street.  A male with a shirt wrapped around his face, entered the business, threatened the employee with a machete and demanded cigarettes and then fled on foot.

On August 7 at approximately 9:30 am RCMP arrested a 17-year-old male who faces numerous robbery, assault and weapons charges related to all four robberies.

A 23 year old Flin Flon man, a 20 year old Denare Beach man, a 16 year old Flin Flon female and an 18 year old Flin Flon man also face a variety of charges related to the robberies.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan are Reporting New Cases of COVID-19.

          

 Public Health officials identified four new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba this afternoon. Three of the cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region and one in the Winnipeg region. That brings the total number of reported cases in the province to 562.  Of the total many are linked to known clusters in Brandon or are close contacts of previously announced cases.  194 of the cases are considered active, 360 individuals have recovered and five are in hospital with three in intensive care.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan Health reported this afternoon 29 new cases of COVID-19.  17 cases are in the Saskatoon zone, four each in Regina and the South West, three in South Central and 1 in the North West zone.  That brings the total of reported cases to 1479.  165 cases are considered active, 1294 have recovered, eleven are in hospital with five in intensive care.

 

A Group of Students Can Take Part in a Free Virtual Camp.

In partnership with New Media Manitoba the Communities Economic Development Fund is facilitating a Virtual Game Development Camp next week. CEO Oswald Sawh says it’s for students in grades seven to nine and will cover game development, programming, planning the game, creating the game and debugging and sharing the game.  He explains what they’ve found is game development is a highly multi-disciplinary practice by nature making it perfect for students to learn and they just find it will be a great way for them to know a little bit more about the media industry as a whole.  He adds for grades 3, 4 and 5 it might be a bit too advance for them and for the kids in grades 10, 11 and 12 it may be not advanced enough so the sweet spot is for grades 7 to 9.

             

The Virtual Camp runs from 1 to 2 next Monday to Friday with questions from 2 to 3 and all students need is an internet connection and an up to date browser.  To register contact Shannon Goulet at 204-627-8139 or email sgoulet@cedf.mb.ca.

Youth Have a Month Left to Become Part of an Advisory Committee.

Canadian residents between the ages of 13 to 21 can apply to become part of the RCMP National Youth Advisory Committee.  This is an online opportunity for youth to interact with participants from all over the country and discuss important issues they face in their respective communities.  They share their thoughts about youth crime and victimization topics and help shape RCMP youth programs and initiatives.  Committee members can receive reference letters and volunteer hours.

             

The deadline to apply is September 11th by visiting the RCMP website.

             

The Saskatchewan RCMP recently announced the formation of their provincial Youth Advisory Committee.

 

The Climb in COVID-19 Cases in Saskatchewan Has Slowed.

Saskatchewan Health reported over the weekend 39 new cases of COVID-19.  Most of the cases are in the Regina and other southern health regions. This afternoon they reported only five new cases bringing the total reported cases to 1450. The new cases are in Regina with three and Saskatoon and the South Central zone with one each.

             

Of the total 165 cases are considered active, 1265 people have recovered, 13 are in hospital with five in intensive care, 20 related deaths have been reported and just over 113 thousand COVID-19 tests have been performed.

 

Manitoba Has Hit a High Number of Active COVID-19 Cases.

Manitoba Public Health reported over the weekend 51 new cases of COVID-19.  Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 16 new cases this afternoon.  He noted this brings our total number of confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba to 558.  He added data also shows that we have six current hospitalizations including three individuals in intensive care, 196 active cases, 354 individuals have recovered and the number of deaths remains at 8.  He also confirmed the number of cases connected to a business in Brandon is 22.

             

Roussin says many of the cases continue to be linked to known clusters in the Brandon and Southern Health Region.  He noted contact tracing continues and the Company referred to is going beyond public health recommendations.

 

A Youth Group will Celebrate the Community on Saturday.

Paint From The Same Brush is an art workshop for kids.  It’s hosted by Nivi Ranjit coordinated by Vanessa Campbell in partnership with the Flin Flon Friendship Centre. The Centre’s Youth Coordinator Loretta McDermott explains it will take place Saturday from 2 to 4 at the Rotary Wheel with members of their Community Youth Resource Centre giving them an opportunity to embrace their culture through art.  She says this event will start with an opening prayer and smudge with their Elder Celina Bone as well as the Silver Evening Star Singers which is a girls drum group based outside of the Friendship Centre drumming to start the event in a good way.  She says in the last half an hour of the event all the youth will collaborate and create one big piece where they’ll show what the community means to them and Silver Evening Star Singers will close the event with the Friendship Song.

             

McDermott adds all COVID-19 safety measures will in place.

Manitobans Should Continue to be COVID Aware.

Premier Brian Pallister says Manitobans have done well so far following COVID-19 guidelines.  He says they are launching a public awareness campaign this week so people get the message to keep at it so they can continue restarting the economy. He explains the successes we have had in terms of economic restart is entirely due to our willingness to follow the fundamentals that our public health officials have repeated ad infinitum to us and we need to follow those fundamentals because health security is necessary for economic recovery.  He adds these two things are intertwined, they are not separate from one another.

             

Pallister also announced they are extending the GAP Protection program application deadline to the end of October.  Businesses that are ineligible for federal support can apply for an immediate six thousand dollars under this program.

 

 

The new school year will be starting for most students in September but there has been some concerns around sending kids back to school with an ongoing pandemic.

Medical Officer of Health Natalie Casaclang from the Northern Health Region says schools are doing a lot of planning and preparation to prevent COVID 19 from coming into the schools including staff screening, hand washing, and physical distancing. She advised it would be important to find out what your school’s specific plan is as each school will be developing their own plan and knowing that plan and adhering to that plan as much as possible would be an important step in protecting their children and second it will be important as well to have conservations with their children as their kids themselves may have their own fears and their own questions.

She adds wearing a mask should not take the place of physical distancing and hand washing. Parents who want their children to wear masks at school are encouraged to have them practice at home first so they can get a feel for wearing one.

It’s also important that children refrain from sharing food and drinks with their classmates to prevent the spread of germs and to stay home if they have symptoms of COVID 19.

An Additional Death Related to COVID-19 Has Been Reported in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon. One more person had died which is a person in the South West region in the 60 to 69 age range.  Of the new cases one was in the North West, 3 in Saskatoon,  2 each in Central East and  Regina, 3 in the South West and 12 in the South Central Zone,  19 are people living in a communal living setting with the increase resulting from aggressive contact tracing and increased testing.

             

The total number of reported cases is now 1409, 168 are considered active, 1221 people have recovered, 13 are in hospital and deaths now stand at 20.

The Number of COVID-19 Cases Continues to Climb in Southern Manitoba.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the latest COVID-19 numbers this afternoon.  He reported 17 new cases have been identified which brings the total number of lab confirmed positive and probable positive cases to 491, they have nine current hospitalizations including three individuals in intensive care, 132 active cases and 351 individuals have been listed as recovered.  He confirmed they have eight cases of COVID-19 that are connected to a business in Brandon and all cases appear to have contracted the virus outside of the workplace and their close contacts are identified in the community not in the workplace.

             

Without identifying the business Roussin added the cases are currently self-isolating, contact tracing is well underway, the company has gone beyond public health recommendations and there has been a deep cleaning of the facility.

Creighton School Division Has Released Its Back to School Plan.

Saskatchewan School Divisions were required to develop detailed plans that meet provincial guidelines and the eight components for a safe return to school as laid out in the provinces Safe Schools Plan.

             

The Creighton plan notes all students are required to participate but if a family chooses not to have children attend school appropriate content and learning opportunities will be provided to the family.

             

The plan includes proper hygiene, illness care, limiting physical contact, school day structure, transportation, entering and exiting school, lunch breaks, support for students and a lot more.

             

A complete copy of the 21 page Creighton School Division plan can be found online at www.creightonschooldivision.com.

 

A Date For a Postponed Byelection Will Be Set Next Week.

Flin Flon City Council has received word that the COVID-19 restrictions preventing byelections were lifted on August 1st.  They now have to recall the byelection for a vacant Council position postponed in the spring.  A planning meeting will be held next week to set the date for receiving nominations and the date of the byelection.

             

At their meeting Tuesday night two traffic concerns from Channing were referred to Administration.  One asked for a stop sign at the corner of Green Street and Channing Drive as some people yield properly at that corner while others don’t resulting in close calls with many vehicles as well as being a danger to people who walk that road to Channing.  The other requested speed signs going both ways on the winding and lakeside road of Freedman Street/Desjardins Lane that connects Channing Drive to Flin Flon Highway due to the high volume of vehicles and pedestrians using that road.

             

And Mayor Cal Huntley advised boaters to use caution on the many lakes in our area. He says he has noticed a big increase in the number of boats, some travelling at high speeds. 

 

The Leaf Rapids Health Centre reopened this past Tuesday, after the Northern Health Region initially said it wouldn't resume services until Monday.

A spokesperson for the NRHA says the reopening was the result of the joint efforts of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, Ongomiizwin  Health Services, and the Northern Health Region.

 

The health authority says their goal was to avoid closure if at all possible, and services are being provided by staff from Region, and are bolstered by the team from OHS consisting of a physician, two registered nurses, and an occupational therapist.

 

The NRHA goes on to explain the team from OHS is working in partnership with them to meet the primary health needs of citizens served by the Leaf Rapids Health Centre.

 

They will be working at the clinic until Sunday, and after that the NRHA staff will resume the services in Leaf Rapids on Monday.

 

Saskatchewan has Another Death Related to COVID-19.

Saskatchewan Health reported this afternoon 11 new cases of COVID-19.  They also report one more person has died being a person from Regina in their 70s.

             

The total number of reported cases in Saskatchewan now stands at 1387.  Nine of the new cases are in the South Central Region, and one each in Saskatoon and South West zones. Of the total 204 cases are considered active, 1164 people have recovered, 13 are in hospital with six in intensive care and the total deaths stands at 19.

An Increase in COVID-19 Cases Has Been Reported in Brandon.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported the latest provincial COVID-19 numbers this afternoon noting they have 30 new cases to report which brings the total lab confirmed positives to 474.  He says of those 30 cases 18 are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region and all 18 of those are connected to a cluster that is going on in Brandon at this time, 11 of those cases are in the Southern Health Region and 7 of those to date have been linked to known cases and there’s one case in the WRHA.

             

Roussin says the cases reported in the Brandon cluster started in a travel related case.

             

He adds 118 cases in the province are active, 348 individuals have recovered and 10 are in hospital with five in intensive care.

 

A Request for Funding and Zebra Mussels were Again Part of a Council Meeting.

At their meeting Tuesday night Flin Flon City Council received a request for Municipal funding to support the planned Pineroot Mural Festival of between three and five thousand dollars.  As Danielle Yungwirth reported to Council in a letter at their last meeting the murals would help enhance our public spaces and make them more appealing for people to visit while promoting the skills of our local artists.

             

Council has forwarded a resolution to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities as requested at their last meeting by Citizens for Protecting our Northern Waterways. They asked Council for the resolution asking the AMM to lobby government to raise awareness of Zebra Mussels and the damage they can cause to our waterways and water supplies.  Council’s resolution asks the AMM to lobby the federal and provincial governments to increase financial resources to effectively implement the Aquatic Invasive Species Legislation to prevent the spread of Zebra Mussels through public awareness, an expanded government prevention program, increased enforcement and coordination between government departments and agencies.

There are Severe Penalties for Impaired Boating.

Despite impaired boating being illegal in Canada Lifesaving Society Manitoba and MADD Winnipeg say a number of boating fatalities involve alcohol or other substances.

 

Lifesaving Society Manitoba’s Doctor Christopher Love says there are concerns about impaired boating in Manitoba.  He explains they see depending on the exact age groups and depending on the exact year anywhere between 40 and 70 percent of all drowning incidents involve intoxication and that intoxication primarily is alcohol but there are some cases with other intoxicating substances whether its prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, illegal substances, cannabis etcetera but those all count as very very small factors in comparison to the alcohol consumption factor.

 

Love explains the penalties impaired boaters face when caught are the same as impaired drivers.

 

Depending on the exact circumstances that could mean losing your license, getting your boat impounded, getting fined, going to court or even jail.

 

There Was a Small Increase in COVID-19 Cases in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Manitoba Public Health officials reported today two new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the province.  Both cases are in the Winnipeg health region a women in her 20s and a man in his 30s.  That brings the total number of reported cases to 444.  94 cases are active, 342 individuals have recovered and nine people are in hospital with five in intensive care.  An additional 990 laboratory tests were completed Tuesday bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to just under 95 thousand.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan Health reported today eight new cases of COVID-19.  Three cases are in the North East region, 2 each in Regina and Saskatoon and one in the Central West region.  That brings the total of reported cases to 1376.  225 are considered active, 1133 people have recovered and 15 people are in hospital with eight in intensive care.

 

Local Upgrade Projects Will Be Going Ahead.

At their meeting last night Flin Flon City Council approved an agreement with the Saskatchewan government Municipal Economic Enhancement Program to include the Centoba Ball Diamond Upgrade Project.  The Program will provide just over 29 thousand dollars of the cost of the project planned to start next spring including repair and or replacement of chain link fencing on three ball diamonds, installation of a drainage system, repair outfields and replace infield shale due to flooding of the diamonds at an estimated cost of 260 thousand dollars.  The project would run from May of next year to September of 2022.

             

Council awarded the contract for the Community Hall Flooring and Door Replacement Project to Flin Flon Construction at just over 34 thousand dollars and Flin Flon Flooring for flooring materials at just over 28 thousand.  They also awarded the tender for the Campground Playground and Kitchenette project at the Flin Flon Tourist Park to Paul’s Construction at just under 62 thousand dollars.

 

A Group of Kids Will be Busy in Cranberry Portage.

Community Futures Greenstone is holding their Biz Kidz program in Cranberry Portage this week.  Executive Director Becky Cianflone explains this week they are running a shorter version of the Biz Kidz Camp in Cranberry Portage and they had a good turnout of students there and they always have the community excited to support them.  She says they’re going to be doing a lot of the Biz Camp curriculum and activities and then on Thursday afternoon they will also be doing a mini market to sell their products at the Cranberry Portage Legion.

             

The mini market will run from 1 to 3 tomorrow afternoon.

New COVID-19 Maps Have Been Launched in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health reported nine new cases of COVID-19 today after reporting 40 over the three day long weekend.  Over the weekend 9 cases were reported in the north, 6 in Central, 16 in the South, 4 in the Regina and 5 in the Saskatoon regions. New maps have been launched to give more detailed information on the location of cases across Saskatchewan so of the nine cases reported today there’s one each in the North West, North Central and South West regions, 2 in Saskatoon and 4 in Regina region.

             

The provincial total of reported cases is now 1368, 253 are considered active, 1,097 people have recovered and fourteen are in hospital.

 

Travel and Known Contacts Resulted in an Increase in COVID-19 Cases in Manitoba.

Manitoba Chief Nursing Officer Lanette Siragusa announced two new cases today.  That brings the overall number for the long weekend to 27 cases so the grand total since they began is 442 cases and 93 are considered active. She adds over the weekend of those 27 cases 12 were identified in the Southern Health Region, 10 in Prairie Mountain Health Region, 3 in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and 2 were from Interlake Easter Health Authority.

             

Siragusa says the majority of new cases are either travel related or known contacts within a household.

Summer in the Parks Continues into its Final Month.

Summer in the Parks began June 9th for children 5 to 10 year olds and four year olds turning 5 this year.  Supervisor Haylee Werbicki says the camp has been going well as they head into their final three weeks. She says they have a music week, a food week and their final week of camp is holiday week so they’ll have a couple of beach days and they’ll try to be outside as much as possible with the great weather we’ve been having. She adds they do still have spots available for weeks ten and eleven but for this week they are full but parents can text her to see if there are days available as some kids don’t show up sometimes so they do have drop in days.

             

Werbicki’s contact number is 306-514-1860.

Young People Can Assist the RCMP in Saskatchewan.

              

 Last year the Saskatchewan RCMP circulated a youth survey to detachments across the province and received 3,750 responses from youth ages 12-17. The youth identified issues affecting them and 70 percent of comments related to interests in having positive interactions with the RCMP. In response to this feedback the Saskatchewan RCMP is launching a Youth Advisory Committee.                                  

         

  It’s for Youth ages 12-17 who are interested in working with the RCMP to address crime and victim issues identified by youth such as drugs, bullying, alcohol, vaping and poor driving and promote awareness events such as Pink Shirt Day, National Addictions Awareness Week. Youth Advisory Committee members are expected to volunteer a minimum of 6 hours a month for one school year and participate in weekly meetings, monthly virtual meetings and an annual camp with youth and mentors. Afterwards youth members will receive a volunteer certificate that can be used for employment and post-secondary applications.

        

To request an application form youth are asked to email their request and submit their completed application to the F Division Community Services Mailbox. That link can be found attached to this story at www.flinflononline.com.

 

RCMP.FCommunityServices-FServicescommunautaires.GRC@rcmp.gc.ca

 

 

 

 

As more Manitobans take up biking this summer, it's important for cyclists to be prepared and know the rules of the road.

The Community Relations Manager with CAA Heather Mack highlights some stats in regards to cycling injuries and deaths in the province. She says according to MPI there’s about four cycling fatalities in Manitoba on average each year and about 143 injuries but she would suggest those numbers are actually probably a little lower than reality only because so many of these collisions happen where there’s no vehicle damage so there wouldn’t really be the same kind of reports so on average that’s what we could experience in Manitoba.  She adds that’s pretty typical for our population and geography so we’re roughly on par with Saskatchewan.

 

Mack says while it’s great that more people are biking since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Manitoba in mid-March, it’s important to brush up on the rules of the road and to know what your role is on the road.

 

Mack says it’s important to remember to wear a helmet whiling biking, ride with traffic, wearing visible clothing, and using hand signals.

 

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