Last week’s list put PR 239 into Faulkner and Steep Rock as the worst of the worst in Manitoba and it took an early lead in the voting, according to CAA officials.

Faulkner is a tiny burg with only a few residents, while Steep Rock has become a popular summer resort area with PR 239 well travelled by cottagers.

RM of Grahamdale leaders say they’re not surprised to hear that road is the worst of the worst.

This highway wasn’t built to withstand the heavy truck traffic hauling lime from Graymont mine in the area and it’s riddled with cracks and ruts and potholes, said RM of Grahamdale Councillor Tom Johnson.

“It’s in very, very poor shape. It really needs to be redone,” he said.

“It’s really unsafe for smaller cars, especially when they hit these dips.”

Clifford Halaburda, the reeve for Grahamdale said they’ve talked to the province about the road’s condition. “It’s in the five-year plan,” he said.

But until work gets started to fix it, his council wants precautionary actions taken.

“What I would like to see right now is that they should reduce the speed on it,” he said. “Some of those holes are pretty bad. The speed should be reduced or someone is going to get hurt.”

There has been extensive cottage development in the area around Steep Rock and seasonal traffic regularly travels this road.

Residents living near Brookdale, Anola and Pine Creek First Nation have similar complaints and concerns about rough roads.

PR 353 to Brookdale near Brandon and Dugald Road into Anola ranked second and third among worst roads in CAA Manitoba’s sixth annual worst roads campaign.

Sections of crumbling Highway 20 near Ochre which is also the main route in and out of Pine Creek First Nation, also earned a worst road ranking.

PR 307 at Oakbank, PR 450 at Goodlands, Mountain Avenue in Neepawa and PR 280 to Gillam also earned worst road rankings among nominated rural highways.

This year saw a record number of roads around the province being nominated for what’s now known as a ‘race to disgrace,’ CAA officials said.

Just over 8,400 votes were cast for 712 roads around the province, demonstrating the campaign to recognize roads that need improvements continues to grow.

“Worst Roads has achieved another personal best – or should I say worst? – as Manitobans voted on a historic number of roads,” said Mike Mager, president of CAA Manitoba.

“Clearly, many of us believe the routes on our commute are the roughest roads around and deserve to be recognized as an area of concern.”

Carman and Minnedosa’s Main streets also received the dubious distinctions in 2017.

This is a second year for Carman. Last year two sections of provincial Hwy. 13 intersecting the town vaulted the community’s Main Street to the top of CAA’s list.

As per the objectives of the CAA campaign, the results of the survey are always presented to Manitoba government’s minister of infrastructure.

Sections of Carman’s Main Street are now slated for major upgrades to begin later this year.

The post North Interlake highway wins ‘race to disgrace’ appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Two sections of Provincial Hwy. 13 intersecting his town — dubbed Main Street South and Main Street North — made the top 10 of CAA’s fifth annual worst roads campaign last week.

“The whole road is a mess,” said Mitchell. “It’s to the point where we honestly feel it’s a danger. If you watch vehicles going down those roads, especially the trucks, they’re moving around on the road trying to miss the potholes.”

CAA holds the yearly campaign each spring to call attention to the poor state of Manitoba’s roads, asking citizens to nominate and vote for roads with the most potholes and crumbling pavement and other hazardous conditions.

More than 660 roads were nominated in Manitoba, and for the first time in the campaign’s history, highways in Carman, Brookdale, Goodlands, Boissevain and Gillam bumped long-standing Winnipeg streets from the list, according to the CAA. It was a tight race between the top two rural roads, with Manitoba 353 at Brookdale running a close second.

More than 8,800 votes were cast during the four-week campaign.

“This has been a record year for Worst Roads, and the campaign clearly illustrates that Manitobans believe streets all over the province need some TLC: tender loving construction,” Mike Mager, president and CEO of CAA Manitoba said in a news release.

Mitchell said it’s frustrating for local leaders because all town council can do is keep setting funds aside in its own budget as its share of the repairs for whenever the province gets around to it.

The campaign is an annual opportunity for citizens to raise the alarm about road conditions but this year’s CAA event is well timed just ahead of a provincial election. This year’s CAA’s worst road declarations send a strong signal to the province just how bad roads have become in many rural areas, Mitchell said. At the end of the Worst Roads campaign, reports of roads voted on are distributed to government leaders for review.

The post Rural roads worst in CAA’s 2016 voting appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

But Manitobans regularly travel in winter without giving the slightest thought to how uncomfortable they’d quickly become if they became stranded in their cars. A survey of 300 Manitobans conducted by Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) finds just over half aren’t properly prepared or equipped to handle a winter emergency.

Fifty-two per cent said they did not have an emergency kit in their car and many said they only had an extra pair of mittens or a tuque, or perhaps a blanket stashed away, said Angèle Young, CAA Manitoba’s public and government affairs specialist.

That’s a start. But you need more than that to stay safe and warm while you wait for help, says Young.

“We always say you should have three kinds of things in your car, those to keep you warm, those to make you visible, and tools that can help you repair the car if necessary.”

Items for survival include food, water, blankets and a basic first aid kit.

Extra clothing and blankets are so necessary because you can’t assume you’ll just keep your car running to stay warm, said Young.

Food items should be non-perishable high-protein foods such as energy bars, and try to have things stashed away that you won’t eat at some other time.

Items for visibility are the flares, reflectors or banners that can be put out to help you be found. Many times CAA personnel have gone looking for stranded motorists and can’t find them in reduced visibility, said Young.

“You need something to be visible,” she said. “A lot of times people will call and say, ‘I’m stuck on this highway between this and this,’ but we can’t find you.”

A flashlight is one item you never want to be without. You never know when you may need one. “A lot of people might know how to change a tire, for example, but if you don’t have light, how are you going to be able to see to do it?” she said.

Having a shovel, kitty litter or traction mats are highly recommended for digging out of snow, while tools for minor repairs will come in handy even if you don’t know how to use them.

“If you get a Good Samaritan who’ll stop and help you, they may know,” she said. “It’s just good to have them in your car just in case.”

All these things enable drivers and their passengers to remain safely in the vehicle for an extended time until help arrives, says Young.

The worst thing to do is get into a situation where you think you need to go looking for help. Leaving your car in sub-zero temperatures or low-visibility conditions is extremely dangerous, yet every year people die in rural areas when their vehicle becomes disabled in the winter and they’ve unsuccessfully tried to walk to safety.

All this advice for weathering out a roadside emergency is just that much more important for rural drivers, said Young. It will likely take longer for CAA roadside assistance to come — or your cellphone won’t work — and you may have to wait that much longer for another driver to come along and offer help.

“You can never know how long it’s going to be,” she said. “It could be 10 or 15 minutes, or even an hour before someone comes along and sees that you’re stranded.

“You should be able to stay in your car for at least a few hours and not be in a compromising situation.”

It’s especially important that women are sufficiently prepared to remain safely inside their vehicles so as to avoid accepting help from someone they don’t know or can’t trust, she adds.

Young said CAA is alerting Manitobans’ attention to the need for preparedness for winter driving this month because we’ve let winter arrive without becoming aware of the significant risks cold weather poses let alone get prepared for it.

“We see a lot of people not even plugging their cars in right now,” she said. “It’s a mindset. It takes a bit of a reminder that you need to get ready for the ‘what ifs’ in life.”

The reminder also comes just as many will be setting out dressed in clothing for Christmas partying that won’t keep them warm if forced to sit out a spell on the roadside.

“A lot of people are in their holiday clothes, like party dresses or guys in dress shirts and shoes,” she said. “They’re not really dressed for the occasion.”

The occasion of a roadside emergency, that is.

For more information, visit caamanitoba.com.

The post Half of Manitobans not prepared for winter driving emergencies appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Manitoba members can now seek roadside assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week when their bike chain breaks or a tire tube pops. Bike Assist is a new benefit that allows CAA members to use any of their four annually allotted service calls to receive roadside assistance if their bike breaks down.

“Whether you’re an avid cyclist who commutes to work to save money on gas, or a casual biker who runs into trouble on the trail, CAA now has all of your wheels covered,” Mike Mager, president and CEO of CAA Manitoba. – Staff

New competition:Australian

wheat exports are set to face stiffer competition as Pakistan, which resumed exports after three years, pours grain from its new crop into the market and offers competitive prices to millers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Overseas shipments by Australia – the grain’s fourth-largest exporter – have already suffered from the country’s strengthening currency, while a return of Black Sea cargoes, after last year’s drought, promises to worsen the situation. Black Sea wheat will hit markets in September. Choice words:The National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling for Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner to correct recent comments she made about the CWB’s single desk. On May 4, Hoeppner told CBC, “I can tell you, in my riding, a lot of farmers, all they’re asking for is the choice. They don’t want to end the monopoly.” “This statement could only be made by someone who clearly does not understand how the CWB works. The fact is, you can’t have both,” said NFU Region Five Co-ordinate Ian Robson. – NFU release Done deal:Fertilizer maker and farm products retailer Agrium Inc. has completed the sale of the majority of the commodity management businesses of Australia’s AWB to Cargill Inc. for $677 million.

Agrium last year acquired AWB for A$1.24 billion with an eye on the company’s prized Landmark farm retail outlets. In December, Agrium said it would sell AWB’s commodity management arm to Cargill, the U.S. agribusiness and trading giant. Agrium said its receipts include the repayment of $363 million of working capital funding Agrium has provided to the business.

Correcting past wrongs:

The South African government will reopen a claims process that compensates black families who were removed from their land under white rule nearly a century ago. The program has compensated people or families, usually with a cash sum, who were forcibly driven from their land under the 1913 Natives’ Land Act, which set aside the vast majority of arable land for whites.

Most of the 80,000 claims have been settled but a government spokesman said new ones would now be considered, including for people whose ancestors were uprooted before 1913. Into the pit for this

Snowhite:Farmers who still have Canada Prairie Spring White varieties Snowhite 475 and 476 in their bins must deliver them by July 31 if they want to eligible for the top two grades. After that, they will only be eligible for feed grades. The varieties were deregistered April 28.

However, to help producers who may still have these varieties in storage, the Canadian Grain Commission decided to extend the period of eligibility until the end of the current crop year. – CGC release

If there’s a postal strike:

Regular delivery of theCo-operator may be affected by a labour disruption by members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, who will be in a position to strike May 24. However, the full issue will continue to be available on our website in a digital edition. If you would like notification of when a digital edition is available, visit the signup box at www.agcanada.com and provide us with your email address. As soon as each week’s issue is available, we will send you an email with a link to the digital edition. – Staff

Increase requested:

The CWB has sent a recommendation to the federal government for additional increases to the 2010-11 initial payments for wheat. If approved by government, this recommendation would further increase the payment for the base grade of wheat (1 CWRS 12.5) by approximately $27 per tonne, with a range of increases for other grades. Timing of payments cannot be confirmed until government approval is received, according to a process set out by the CWB Act. – Staff

The post In Brief… – for May. 19, 2011 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“Flood forecasts already predict a flood of at least 2009 levels,” said Liz Peters, CAA Manitoba public and government affairs manager.

“The province has purchased more flood-fighting equipment and the City of Winnipeg has announced a program to subsidize the cost of sump pumps and backwater valves, so homeowners should follow that lead and begin preparations too.”

Peters said while homeowners can’t always prevent flood waters from reaching their homes, what they can do is ensure their insurance is up to date and accurate. Homeowners should schedule an insurance checkup with their broker as soon as possible because often during natural disasters, such as floods, new or upgraded policies can be restricted.

“Everyone should make it a priority to ensure their policies are accurate, current and provide all the coverage they need,” Peters said. “Make sure recent renovations and additions are reflected in your coverage. If you plan to install a sump pump or backwater valve, you also need to report that to your broker.”

Peters said in addition to installing a backwater valve or sump pump, there are also many steps homeowners can take to help flood-proof their homes.

The post Update Insurance Before The Flood appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

CAA’s Traffic Safety Culture survey has found 35 per cent of those questioned admitted to driving after they had been drinking “at least once” in the past year.

Twenty per cent say they have driven in the last 12 months when they believed they were at or over the legal limit. Of the 20 per cent: six per cent said they did it “just once” and 14 per cent answered “rarely” when they thought they were close to or over the legal limit.

This in spite of the fact that 98 per cent of Manitobans say it is socially unacceptable for a driver to get behind the wheel when they have had too much to drink.

“With everything we know and have seen about what can happen when you drink and drive, people are still taking chances,” said Liz Peters, CAA Manitoba public and government affairs manager. “People tell us they know it’s unacceptable to drink and drive, but these poll results tell us their actions contradict what people believe to be acceptable.”

Peters said the holiday season is barely underway, so CAA is urging everyone to make smart decisions.

“Plan ahead for a designated driver, call a cab, take public transit or call CAA and use our ‘Drive You Home’ Service. Whatever you do, don’t drink and drive.”

The CAA study surveyed 2,000 Canadians, of those 400 were from Manitoba.

The post CAA Survey Takes A Sober Look At Drinking And Driving appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Legislation requires motorists travelling on the same side as a stopped emergency vehicle are required to slow down or wait until it’s safe to pass. On twinned roads, drivers must move into the passing lane. Hunger drive: Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has launched the sixth annual Drive Away Hunger program to reduce hunger. FCC Drive Away Hunger tours will take place the week of Oct. 12 in Alberta, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Regina. FCC is also collecting food and cash donations in every field office across Canada from September 14 to October 16. One hundred per cent of donations go to Canadian food banks. For more information about the tours or to make a cash donation, the public can visit www.fccdriveawayhunger.ca.Scrapping the tax: Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said Sept. 10 the government would scrap export taxes on corn and wheat for small-scale growers, but the measure is unlikely to satisfy farmers’ demands. Farmers in the country, a leading global grains exporter, have been locked in dispute with Fernandez’s government for more than a year over export levies on grains. The measure would cost the state 50 per cent of expected $7 billion in revenue from export levies.

The post In Brief… – for Sep. 17, 2009 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.