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May 2016

Celebrating 20 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Woodridge Resident Charged with Impaired In the afternoon of April 5 at 5:30 pm during peak traffic, Steinbach RCMP observed a vehicle being operated on Main Street in an unsafe manner. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle and the adult male driver, a 57-year-old resident of Woodridge was arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle. The driver provided breath samples at nearly twice the legal limit and was charged for impaired operation of a motor vehicle and driving over .08mg% and will appear in Steinbach Provincial Court in May.

Pat Porter Active Living Centre offers programs, activities, services and volunteer opportunities, striving to promote healthy and active living for older adults of the southeast region. We invite you to come and pay us a visit and consider participating in some of our programs. For more information drop by the Centre, Monday to Friday 9 am - 4 pm, call 204-320-4600 or online patporteralc.com. Membership is $25 per year due by January 15 for those 55 years of age and older. Benefits include reduced program rates, a voice in business meetings, voting rights and eligibility to serve on the board or committees. Up and Coming Events and Monthly Programs: Special Event: Mothers’ Day Tea – On Monday, May 9, 2 pm join us for an afternoon in celebration of Mom. Dainties, coffee and tea will be served along with a chance to share stories with other Mom’s. Everyone welcome, price - $2 per person. Register for the Tea at the Centre or 204320-4600. Seminars: Mature Driver – On Thursday, May 19 at the Centre from10 am – 3 pm, register at the Centre by Thursday, May 12. Presented by Safety Services Manitoba. This one-day workshop is a great way to stay safe. In car assessments to follow. This assessment will NOT affect your license in any way, it is informational only! New - Kemp Hearing Clinic: Every Monday at the Centre clinic room. Call 1-204-487-8000, ext #1 to book your appointment. Old Time Country Dances with Live Band: Small Town Limits on Friday April 1 at 8 pm - 12 am and Nitewinds on Friday, April 29 at 8 pm - 12 am. Tickets available at the centre. Advanced tickets are $11 for members, $13 for non-members and $16 at the door. Lunch served at 10 pm. Save yourself a few dollars and purchase your tickets in advance. If you can’t make it into the Centre, we accept Visa and MasterCard over the phone and will have your tickets for you at the door. May Potluck: On Thursday, May 12. If you know that, you would like to attend please call ahead and let us know what you would like to bring. Call 204-320-4600. As always needed are: salads, casseroles, desserts and buns. Cost is $6. We will be ordering from Chicken Chef for our Potluck. Computer Lab: Need help with your computer skills? Call the centre and make an appointment. Labs are 1 hour long and available every Wednesday morning from 9 am – Noon. Please call the centre at 204320-4600. Foot Care: On the first Tuesday, first Wednesday and third Tuesday of the month from 9 am - 2 pm. Run by a professional foot care nurse. Cost $30. Bring your own towel. Contact the centre to book an appointment. Beltone Hearing: On the third Friday of the month. Contact 1-800-6612653 for appointment. Monday 9 am - 12 pm Pickleball 12 - 4:30 pm Drop in Pool 1 - 4 pm Pickleball 1 - 4:30 pm Model Trains 1 pm Canasta 7 pm Tai Chi 7 - 9 pm Drop in Pool Tuesday 9 am - 12 pm Pickleball 9:30 am – 3 pm Circle of Friends 12 – 4:30 pm Drop in Pool 1:30 - 4 pm Floor Shuffle 7 - 9 pm Pickleball Wednesday 10 - 11:30 am Tai Chi 12 - 4:30 pm Drop in Pool 1 - 4 pm Cribbage 7 - 10 pm Old Time Band Practice 7 - 10 pm Drop in Pool Thursday 9 am - 12 pm Pickleball 12 - 4:30 pm Drop in Pool 1 - 4 pm Whist 6 - 9 pm Drop in Pool Friday 9 am - 12 pm Pickleball 9:30 am - 3 pm Circle of Friends 12 - 4:30 pm Drop in Pool 1 - 4 pm Pickleball Noon meals are available Monday through Friday. Cost $6. Contact 204-320-4605 by 9 am to reserve your meal for that day. Purchase your meal ticket at the receptionist desk before noon. Monthly menus available at the office or in the newsletter. Bring a friend. Volunteer Opportunities include perogy making, decorating and setting tables, birthday party hosts, food preparation and serving, clean up, greeters and receptionists.

Dawson Trail Dispatch

Ritchot Recognised for Protecting Chimney Swifts By Marianne Curtis On April 5, the RM of Ritchot was named “Swift Champions” by the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative for their ongoing support towards the support and protection of the endangered bird. The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative is a program dedicated to the study and protection of the bird, whose population has been declining over the years as chimneys disappear in modern buildings. The community of St. Adolphe is considered the Chimney Swift Nest Capital in Manitoba. According to Tim Poole, outreach coordinator for the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative (MCSI) the municipality has been long-standing supporters of the organization, thanks to their ownership of the Club Amical in St Adolphe. “This relationship goes all the way back to the very earliest days of MCSI. Since those days, the RM has always been especially helpful, providing access to buildings and committing to retaining precious breeding habitat on their land,” Poole explained. “They have also worked with MCSI to re-point both chimneys on the Club Amical and given access to buildings.” Barb Stewart, who accompanied Poole to the award presentation, reflected on the first Chimney Swift monitoring season back in 2007. “The then mayor [Bob

Ritchot Mayor Jackie Hunt accepts a plaque of recognition from Barb Stewart (left) and Tim Poole (right) with the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative at a recent council meeting.

Stefaniuk] was leaving the RM building with a councillor following an evening council meeting. The mayor, on seeing two strange looking people sitting in the Club Amical parking lot, staring at the chimney top, exclaimed ‘who are those drunk people?’ The councillor responded, ‘that’s Barb and Rob Stewart’,” Stewart recalled. In 2008, the RM of Ritchot supported the construction of the Ferry Site Tower, and in 2010, the municipality facilitated the relocation of the artificial tower from the municipal ferry site to the Church grounds. Then in 2015, council purchased the former Brodeur Brothers site where one of the five nest sites in St. Adolphe is located.

Creative Traffic Tactic Catches Distracted Cell Phone Users

High Water Warning for Whiteshell

On April 14, members of “D” Division Traffic Services conducted a Distracted Driving initiative in Steinbach and Surrounding areas. Between the hours of 9 am and 2 pm on the 14, 20 persons were charged with Distracted Driving, specifically using a cellular phone, contrary to the Highway Traffic Act. In Steinbach, RCMP tested out a new tactic to get the message across to drivers. One officer held a sign with “I’m homeless” at an intersection while another officer took note of the vehicles and drivers who did not notice the homeless man because they were on their cell phones. Steinbach Detachment and “D” Division Traffic Services are working together to keep our streets and citizens safer. In Manitoba, distracted drivers receive five demerits, which increase the cost of vehicle insurance and a $200 fine.

The province is warning cottagers about rising waters and possible flooding in southeast Manitoba. Levels on West Hawk Lake, Falcon Lake and other watersheds in the Whiteshell area are on the rise due to recent rain and melting snow and ice. Levels on Falcon Lake have surpassed the upper limits of what is considered normal for this time of year. Low-lying lots may be vulnerable to flooding, the province said in a statement. Water levels on West Hawk Lake aren’t quite as high, but continue to rise.