More than 19.5 million Canadians cast their ballots in Monday’s federal election, that’s over 68% of eligible voters. That was higher than the last federal vote, but did not beat the record of 79.4% set in March 1958 – that was when the Conservatives under John Diefenbaker won a huge majority.
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In Manitoba, voter turnout in the south was high and low in the north. Brandon-Souris saw 65.1% voter turnout – Churchill was the lowest at 37.5%. The highest turnouts were in Winnipeg West and South – both at 74.3%.
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Two men were arrested by Dauphin RCMP in separate incidents early Tuesday morning. A 38-year-old man faces charges in connection with a break-in where he allegedly threatened a woman and injured a dog. He was also charged with assaulting an officer and trashing the back of a police cruiser. Earlier, a 28-year-old man was arrested in connection with a reported home invasion.
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Newly released data from Stats-Canada shows the rural crime rate in Manitoba is higher and more severe than urban areas. In 2023, police-reported crime in rural areas was 65% higher than urban areas, while crime severity
was 41% higher. Numbers were even higher in the north.
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The local Youth in Philanthropy program marked its 20th anniversary on Tuesday at Elton Collegiate in Forrest just north of Brandon. They presented $36,500 in grants – triple last year’s total. The program, which introduces high school students to community development, is funded by the Brandon Area Community Foundation and the United Way.
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A ground-breaking ceremony was held yesterday at the site of the new Spirit Sands Medical Clinic in Glenboro. It’ll replace the current clinic that was built in the 1950’s in the basement of the Glenboro Health Centre. The $1.4-million needed to start construction was all raised locally.
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The Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation has filed a lawsuit claiming it owns Turtle Mountain Provincial Park south of Boissevain. They’re asking for the land, compensation, and proceeds from the land to be transferred from Canada and Manitoba. The federal government has previously disputed this claim.
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Today is the last day to file your taxes, which is especially important to avoid late penalties and interest on amounts owing. Late tax filers could see a 5% penalty on their balance owing – and an additional 1% for each full month that they delay filing after the due date, to a maximum of 12 months.
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Telus is now the most complained-about telecom service provider in Canada. The country’s telecom complaints watchdog handled almost 12,000 of them – up 12% from a year ago. Most of the complaints were about wireless and internet services. Rogers had held the title for two years.
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The cost of raising kids is higher than ever. Stats-Canada says the average is nearing $300,000 – and that’s only up until 17 years old; post-secondary education is not included. Inflation, housing, and the cost of living are all in play, but there’s also societal pressure on parents to give their children every advantage, so they end up paying for ‘extras’ like music and dance classes – and enrolling them in year-round sports.
