RIVERS
BANNER September 8, 2017
ersary v i n Celebrating our 109th An
Gazette-Reporter
Serving the Rivers, Rapid City and Oak River areas for 108 years
Volume 110, Issue 10
89¢ + tax
Water restriction finally lifted A
By Sheila Runions Banner Staff
fter more than two years of boil water orders in Rivers, the good news has been received that the new water treatment plant has been approved, so public places and residents in Rivers no longer need to boil water. On April 20, 2015 the provincial government placed a boil water advisory on the town. Similar advisories were previously issued, but were always
quickly resolved when water samples met new standards. It was the April 20, 2015 restriction that became permanent, because too many failed samples had been received in too short of time period. The province then mandated the advisory would remain until a new water plant, capable of meeting the stricter regulations, was operational. Information from the original advisory states the restriction would remain because of “the
absence of water treatment equipment that is specifically designed to reduce the risks of microbiological contamination. The estimated completion date for the new water plant is summer 2017. The advisory will remain in effect until the new water treatment plant is commissioned to the satisfaction of the Office of Drinking Water and Manitoba Health. You will be notified when the advisory has been rescinded.”
And so, on Friday, Sept. 1, nearly 2.5 years later, that same office sent Riverdale Municipality a letter advising that the boil water was lifted. Minnedosa’s Dr. Amy Frykoda is the medical officer of health for Prairie Mountain Health. Drinking Water Officer Christine Gerardy contacted her on that date to inform her “Rivers water system has met all conditions for rescinding the precaution-
ary boil water advisory and that bacteriological testing results meet regulatory standards. Please ensure all water users are notified that normal water usage can be resumed.” R i ver d a le Mu n ic ipa l it y placed this information on their web site and on their Facebook page Friday afternoon. Rivers Banner plans a follow-up story on the construction of the new plant.
Rash of break-ins/thefts solved B By Sheila Runions Banner Staff
ruce Klassen, the chief of Rivers Police Service (RPS), confirms Rivers was among several Westman communities hit by a recent string of vandalism, theft and break and enters. While no one can be named until charges are laid, RPS — in consultation with other services throughout the area — have identified suspects. The safety and security of residents here will return to the level previously experienced and that which is now expected, thanks to having a law enforcement presence living and working in the community. “A group that consisted of a suspect from Saskatoon and two others from the Brandon area were hitting all the rural communities — Souris, Alexander, Carberry, Rapid City, Rivers and Wheatland,” says Klassen. “A joint effort involving RPS, Brandon Police Service and RCMP lead to the arrest of three suspects. This matter is still under investigation and charges will be forthcoming.” The first call to his detachment was received at 7:23 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23; three
other calls followed at 7:50, 8:20 and 8:27 a.m. The first two came from homeowners in the 600 block of Sixth Avenue, the second two from people in the 700 block of Fourth Avenue. All four reported their vehicles (seven in total) being broken into (some parked in garages) and theft of two GPS systems, an iPad Air, camera, wallet and one truck was removed from the property. The camera was recovered in one of the four break-ins, and returned to the rightful owner. The wallet, containing banking cards, was taken to Brandon where the cards were used multiple times. By 8:32 a.m. RPS seized a used cigarette, left inside one of the vans which had be broken into, for DNA evidence. At 8:50 a.m. RPS found the stolen truck, left in Rivers on the east side of Dominion Street, between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. Several statements were taken by Rivers police officers, as were pictures to photograph the evidence. By 10:25 a.m. RPS obtained surveillance video from a gas station in Brandon where one of the stolen credit cards
was used; at 10:37 a.m. RPS spoke to another Brandon gas station to secure more surveillance video. At 10:49 a.m. RPS searched the areas where vehicles were gone through, to look for more evidence and potential breakins at neighbouring residences. During the course of this action, RPS spoke to another resident in the 600 block of Sixth Avenue to inform them “police had reason to believe their vehicles had been gone through the previous night. Complainant No. 5 reported nothing stolen, but police recovered CDs in a sleeve that were not [owned by] Complainant No. 5.” At 11:06 a.m. RPS talked to a victim in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue where two more vehicles had been entered and a third GPS unit stolen. At 11:49 someone in the 900 block of Fourth Avenue reported $1015 in change stolen from their vehicle. At 12:08 p.m. A Wheatland resident contacted RPS to report two stolen GPS systems and a purse. “Complainant No. 8 advised he was not the only one it hap-
pened to in Wheatland. Police advised Complainant No. 8 to contact RCMP; RPS made note to add [this call] to the current investigation for possible connection.” Because of the video surveillance records, police were able to identify two suspects at 2:25 p.m. One was a slim caucasian male, blonde hair, early 20s; the second a slim Aboriginal female, dark hair, early 20s. At 3:16 p.m. RPS accepted a ninth call from someone in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue . “Complainant No. 9 advised police someone had been in his garage overnight and broke his back fence gate; nothing was stolen.” At 3:29 RPS officers returned the stolen CDs to the rightful owner, someone on the 800 block of Fifth Avenue. It was then that police learned this vehicle was also gone through the night previous; the owner “was unaware she was a victim of property crime until RPS notified her.” At 4:30 p.m. RPS used its Facebook page to post images of the suspects; as a result of the
posting RPS was able to identify both suspects and they learned of a third suspect linked to the Rivers theft, “due to being in possession of a stolen banking card,” says Klassen. In total, three suspects are linked to these criminal activities, one male and one female from Brandon as well as one male from Saskatoon, and all have been arrested. Two of them have been remanded at Brandon Correctional Centre. Charges pending to be laid include multiple thefts under $5,000, one theft of a motor vehicle, three charges of fraud and three charges of possession of property obtained by a crime. RPS continues to work with Brandon and RCMP members in connection with several active investigations. Klassen concludes by saying, “RPS is still investigating and anyone with any information regarding being a victim of property crime should notify police immediately. A reminder to the public: lock it, hide it, keep it. Prevent being a victim of property crime. All vehicles were believed to be unlocked.”