The budget for the School District of Mystery Lake has been set at just over $44,000,000 for the 2017-2018 calendar year.

The school board will be receiving just under $35,000,000 from the province and almost $8,500,000 from property tax.

Over 75% of the budget, around $33,225,000, will be spent on teachers’ salaries.

School board Secretary-Treasurer Kelly Knott, who presented the budget late last week at the school district office, said that school board spending is up 0.64% and that balancing the budget with a surplus is not an option.

She said that the school board expects a surplus of just over $850,000, or 1.9% of the budget.

The surplus is kept as emergency funding for the school board should it be required.

The maximum surplus allowed by the province is 4% of the yearly budget.

Knott said that enrolment is up by 68 students and that the school district is receiving funding from the province for 2925 students, when in fact they have over 3100.

Knott added that enrolment is up and that the resources at the school district’s disposal aren’t sufficient.

She also added that the school district has a stable staffing situation, and are possibly looking at a staffing increase for student support staff.

The budget must be submitted to the province by the end of March.

The School District of Mystery Lake’s next school board meeting is taking place tomorrow night.

As refugees continue to cross the border near Emerson and get transported to Winnipeg, The Salvation Army is continuing their efforts to support them.

Major Rob Kerr, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army, spoke to 102.9 CHTM and said that they were contacted by Welcome Place and asked to help.

The Salvation Army opened up beds for those who needed it.

Kerr said that if the Army hadn't provided the beds, the refugees would be out on the streets of Winnipeg, as they are unsponsored immigrants and do not qualify currently for government assistance and can't get jobs.

Major Kerr added at the best way people can help is by making financial donations, as the refugees aren't sponsored.

Because of that, they don't currently qualify for government assistance and cannot get a job.

If anyone wants to make a donation, you can do so by calling 204-975-1033

A Thompson man was awarded with a prize recently after winning the Entrepreneurship Manitoba Start-up category in the "Just Watch Me" video contest.

Donald Glenn's business success story video, highlighting Shorty's Upcycling Studio, features how he repurposes materials in to one-of-a-kind household objects, such as mirrors, coffee tables and beverage dispensers.

Thompson MLA Kelly Bindle, as well as city councilor Penny Byer, were on hand for the event to present awards from the provincial and municipal governments.

The "Just Watch Me" video contest celebrates the success of entrepreneurs with disabilities or health concerns.

The category Glenn won in is sponsored by Entrepreneurship Manitoba and is for a Manitoba business that started less than a year ago.

A student at R.D. Parker has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis.

The Northern Health Region said in an emailed statement that there is only one confirmed case at the school.

The health region will be in the school conducting a contact investigation to assess any possible spread of the disease.

The NHR says they have been working closely with school administration and that a letter has been given to staff and students at RDPC with information about the disease and explaining the investigation that public health staff will be giving.

Staff from the health region will be at the school tonight at six to host an education session on TB.

According to a recent report, the number of mumps cases in the province has doubled and the outbreak is expected to continue for months.

Mumps is spread by direct contact with the saliva of an infected person such as coughing, sneezing, sharing drinks, or kissing.

The virus causes fever, headaches, muscle aches and swollen glands, often next to the jaw line in your cheek.

Most people who contract the disease will recover after one to two weeks.  

Doctor Michael Isaac, the Medical Health Officer with the Northern Health Region, says that all health regions in the province have had cases of the mumps, including five confirmed cases here in Thompson since the start of 2017.

Doctor Isaac said that the best way to prevent mumps is immunization.

He added that other preventative actions that you can take include covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, as well as not sharing personal items.

For more information on the disease, head to http://gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/diseases/mumps.html

The Manitoba Historical Society is accepting nominations for the Lieutenant Governor's Award.

The Society's Gordon Goldsborough says nominations are open to anyone.

He explained the award is intended primarily for people who have done service in promotion and preservation of Manitoba history.  

That includes activities such as writing books, various art projects or being involved with a museum.

Nomination forms and more information are available online at www.mhs.mb.ca

The deadline for nominations is February 28th.

More than 200 schools in Manitoba and Nunavut will be taking part in the first Red Cross Pink Day of 2017, which takes place on Tuesday February 22^nd.

All elementary schools in Thompson are taking part in the event, which highlight the importance of bullying prevention and respectfulness.

Schools will be marking the day mainly with assemblies, and everyone is encouraged to wear pink clothing.

Provincially, the day will be highlighted by the third annual Canadian Red Cross Pink Day Film Festival, which will showcase videos made by students in Manitoba and Nunavut. The festival is being held in Winnipeg at the Park Theatre.

The provincial event starts at 10:30am on Tuesday, and can be live-streamed online at http://bit.ly/2knlw52.

The Canadian Red Cross has been the lead organization for Pink Day in the province since 2012 and recently helped bring two Winnipeg Blue Bombers to Thompson to present anti-bullying campaigns.

Everyone is encouraged to wear pink on the 22^nd, whether you're a student or not, to raise awareness.

If you want to purchase an official Canadian Red Cross Pink Day shirt, you can do so online at www.redcross.ca/PinkMB_NU.  

The second Pink Day of 2017 will take place on April 12^th.

Louise Hodder and Jessie Horodecki, local volunteers with the Red Cross, spoke at Wednesday’s Chamber of Commerce meeting about the two primary services the organization offers.

Personal Disaster Assistance covers small scale disasters such as house fires and provides emergency assistance for up to 72 hours.   This covers such items as food, clothing and shelter.   The Fire Department or family members activate the PDA by contacting the Red Cross.

The second service is the Emergency Response Team or E-R-T which is activated when a whole community is affected.   Some communities which had the Red Cross help out last year were War Lake and Shamattawa when they faced water shortages.  Long Plain, Dakota Tipi and Waywayseecapo First Nations all experienced tornados and received help from the Red Cross.  A fire at Shamattawa and power outage at York Factory also brought in E-R-Ts from the Red Cross. 

So far in 2017, the Red Cross has responded to two disasters in our northern region.  The first was a sewer backup at a seniors residence at OCN and the second was an apartment fire in The Pas. 

Horodecki and Hodder also addressed the desperate need for volunteers in our area.  Here we have a breakdown of the numbers of volunteers in Manitoba.

“Currently in Canada the Red Cross has more than 25-thousand volunteers.  Manitoba has the lowest number of volunteers.  Winnipeg has just over 200 and we have 9.  Brandon has 14.  They just put a team together in Dauphin.  But for us in Thompson - our 9 volunteers -    we take care of Thompson and all the surrounding communities.”

Volunteers can be called upon to help with emergencies and disasters in our area, around the province and even across Canada.   To apply go to red cross.ca. 

A 15 year old has been taken into custody by Thompson RCMP following a stabbing in the city.

Police were responding to a call near the Southwood Plaza Wednesday night when the teen was arrested. 

A 16 year old youth was treated for injuries.

The 15 year old has been charged and will remain in RCMP custody until his court date."

No names will be released as both are under aged. 

No other information is available at this time.

Thompson City Council met on Monday night and one of the topics addressed was the recent changes from the provincial government with regards to health care funding.

The province announced an investment of over $500,000 towards four projects in Thompson, specifically at the Thompson General Hospital.

The projects being funded are:

• Assessing the scope of work needed to address mould in the hospital's crawlspace
• Repairing and upgrading existing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems in the hospital
• Installing a dedicated year-round air-conditioning system for the lab at the hospital and upgrading existing heating, lighting and ventilation
• Upgrading the operating room theatre surgical lighting, upgrading security for the seclusion rooms and upgrading the water booster in the hospital

Thompson city councilor Penny Byer said that while she's glad the money is coming to Thompson, it's not going to the right place.

Byer said that the root of the issue is a leaky roof, and that money is going to keep being spent doing these spot repairs until they fix the overlying problem.

Deputy Mayor Valentino spoke after Councilor Byer, and said that Thompsonites should be focused on the money that is coming to Thompson, rather than the loss of the Consultation Clinic and other projects that were cut.

She said that it's easy to focus on the negatives, but that the projects being funded are good for the city, and that the chemo ward is going to continue being funded and is nearing completion.

This morning, Statistics Canada started releasing the information gathered from the 2016 census.

This was the first 'data dump' by StatsCan following last May's national census.

The information, which focused on population, revealed that Thompson showed an increase of 555, or 4.5%, from 2011 to 2016.

Thompson city manager Gary Ceppetelli spoke to 102.9 CHTM and said that he was relieved by the numbers.

Ceppetelli said that the increase should mean additional funding for the city's budget.

He also added that he thinks the growth is sustainable, as Thompson is diversifying the economy in town.

Snow Lake and Churchill were two other northern regions that recorded population increases.

Despite the increase in Thompson , Churchill and Snow Lake, Stats Canada says that communities in northern Manitoba reported some of the largest population loses between 2011 and 2016.

The census concluded that the total population in Manitoba is up over 70,000 people to 1,278,365 from 2011.

Sandra Ross-Hitch and Murray Kissick have been appointed as the co-chairs for the 2018 Manitoba Winter Games host society.

Both have been heavily involved in many different aspects of Thompson and both were involved in the winter games when were last here in 1994. Ross-Hitch currently serves as the president of the Thompson Rotary Club, and was on the torch relay committee leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Kissick has been involved in minor hockey, the Thompson Golf Club and the school district of Mystery Lake.

Mayor Dennis Fenske said that the co-chairs were selected for their continuing record of excellence in serving our community as leaders and organizers. He also added that they are confident that Ross-Hitch and Kissick will bring out the best in us as we move forward with the games.

Thompson was awarded the games after the town of Virden had to withdraw as a host due to lack of volunteer commitment.

The games are set to take place a little over a year from now and will include events such as archery and hockey among others.

If you are looking to get involved with the 2018 Manitoba Power Smart Winter Games or just to get more information, you can send an email to mbwgthompson18@hotmail.com

Operation Red Nose has released their final donation totals for the 2016 season in Thompson.

The program runs during the holiday season to make sure everyone (and their vehicles) can get home safely by providing a ride home for anyone who has either consumed alcohol or doesn’t feel fit to drive. The program here is coordinated by the City of Thompson.

The program is free, but donations are encouraged. All money collected in Thompson goes towards various youth programs in the area.

Below is a full list of where the 2016 donations are going:

• Pee-wee A King Miner hockey: $4000.00
• Born to Dance Committee: $2600.00
• Thompson Area Scouts: $2500.00
• Society for Manitobans with Disabilities: $1900.00
• Albert’s Fund: $500.00
• Troy Anand Fund: $500.00

Monday night, Canadian Kraft Paper Industries from The Pas will be holding a public information meeting here in Thompson in the Mary Fenske boardroom at the VRCC.

The meeting will start at 7:00pm and everyone is encouraged to attend.

Area planner Mike Paddock of Canadian Kraft Paper says they’ll discuss their forest harvest and renewal plans for the next two years starting as of June 1^st. Discussions will include topics such as timber harvesting, forest renewal, road construction and road decommissioning.

They will also be updating the public on new initiatives that are being undertaken by the company.

Canadian Kraft Paper says that they hope people who have questions or information to share will come out and voice them at the meeting.

Canadian Kraft Paper Industries bought the Tolko paper mill in The Pas last November. Tolko had announced the closure of the mill in August, citing the inability to operate the company at a profit.

The Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life officially kicks off in Thompson tomorrow.

The kick-off event, which will be taking place at the Quality Inn and Suites between 12:00 and 2:00, will be an opportunity for people to meet the members of the Relay board and ask them questions.

Coral Bennett, the chair of the registration committee, told CHTM that if you can't make it out to the event, you can give her a call at (204) 679-2072 and she will be more than happy to pass on any information you require.

Bennett also said that Thompson has been more than generous in the past, with over $1,000,000 being raised through the Relay over the past 14 years going towards cancer research.

She also added that it's an important cause and every dollar counts, as every three minutes one Canadian is told they have cancer.

For more information on Relay for Life, head to www.cancer.ca/relay

Thompson MLA Kelly Bindle was the guest speaker at the Thompson Chamber of Commerce meeting today, which took place at the Meridian Hotel.

Two of the big things Bindle talked about were the state of health care in the province and the new carbon tax coming soon to the country.

As far as health care goes, the provincial government says that spending is the issue, not revenue, when it comes to health care.

Bindle said that the health care costs are too heavy at the top, like a water tower.

He added that two task forces working on the system. One is working on wait time reduction and the other on medical procedures. Their recommendations are due by June.

When speaking about the carbon tax, Bindle said that if the Province doesn’t have its own strategy to implement the tax by the end of the year, the federal government will implement one for them.

He also added that agriculture will be the hardest hit industry in the province and that most people will feel the tax at the pumps. He also added that that price of energy shouldn’t go up too much since Manitoba Hydro uses hydro to generate electricity rather than fossil fuels.

Monday was the first reading of the Municipal By-Law Enforcement Act Enabling by-law at Thompson City Council.

If passed during the second and third readings, parking tickets would become a strictly municipal matter.

Currently, tickets for parking by-law infractions can be argued in court.

Under the new system currently on the table, if you want to fight a parking ticket you would have to go to city hall and request the ticket be reviewed by a screening officer. The screening officer will be a new position at City Hall. John Maskerine, the City of Thompson Fire and Public Safety Director, said that in other Manitoba cities, like Winnipeg, they have hired retired police officers or upstanding citizens to fill the role.

If you want to dispute the screening officers’ decision, you will have to pay a $25.00 fee and submit a written request to have the ticket reviewed by a provincially-appointed adjudicator. The adjudicator’s decision is final and cannot be reviewed or overturned.

If the ticket is brought to the adjudicator and they rule that the ticket is valid, the fine must be paid immediately and the $25.00 goes to the city. If the adjudicator forgives the ticket, the $25.00 is reimbursed.

The municipal by-law enforcement act first came about in the Legislature back in 2013, in an attempt to provide an alternate approach for processing and resolving minor by-law (specifically parking) infractions.

At council on Monday, Maskerine said that the legislation is good for everyone involved and will free up the courts. He also added that Winnipeg has been using this new system since 2014, and has only had three cases go before an adjudicator.

The first reading was passed by all members of Council, with the exception of Councillor Penny Byer, who joined the meeting via telephone. Byer opposed the by-law out of protest as she feels the Province is dumping the costs from the provincial government to the municipal level.

The second (and possibly third) readings of the by-law are scheduled for the next Thompson City Council meeting on February 13^th.