The Swan River Dairy Queen held their annual Miracle Treat Day, where if a person buys a blizzard, they bring health and hope to local children.

The Opasquia Trails Board hosted a very important guest to check out their recent developments on the Grace Lake Boardwalk and Boreal Trail. The executive director for Trails Manitoba was given a tour on July 17, and talked about the trail system in the area and what the organization can do to help promote it.
“Trails Manitoba is a provincial nonprofit charitable organization that serves as an umbrella group for recreational trail groups, with a focus on non-motorized trail activities,” said Trails Manitoba Executive Director Tim Coffin. “Our mission is to support and promote the development and use of recreational trails throughout Manitoba to enhance the overall well-being of our communities.

The Pas RCMP search for missing 78-year-old female
On August 3, 2024, at approximately 2:30 pm, The Pas RCMP received a report of a missing 78-year-old female.
Laura Skelly was last seen on July 31, 2024 at approximately 9:20 am, leaving a residence on Campbell Street in The Pas.
The RCMP are concerned for her safety.
Laura was last seen leaving the residence in a 2019, black Jeep Compass, Manitoba license plate EXM 911. It is unknown where she may be headed.
The RCMP are asking anyone with information to call The Pas detachment at 204-627-6204, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

The Province of Manitoba has committed $2.11 million to repair damage done to the Gilbert Plains Country Club (GPCC) as a result of flooding this past spring.

Dauphin MLA and Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said it was an unfortunate circumstance that resulted in the flooding after a nearby dam was clogged creating ice jams, which lead to flooding in the area.

It was consultations with Premier Wab Kinew and different governmental departments that led to the provincial government to provide funding for repairs.

“With the importance of the Manitoba Summer Games happening in this geographic area and the golf course being considered as the golf course to be chosen, the government stepped up,” Kostyshyn said.

“This is a contribution that we feel will help move this forward and take the financial pressure off the golf course committee.”

Kostyshyn noted the ice jam is something that happens on an annual basis.

“I think it’s just a matter of communicating and paying attention to the importance of the immediate removal of the ice jams that tend to build up in that area. Definitely that will be an ongoing communication with the municipality and the golf course,” he said.

The dam, Kostyshyn said, was built a number of years ago.

“It’s a weir dam that really holds water back so they can use the river water as a means of irrigation on the golf course. So it’s a man-made dam, but usually what happens is the icebergs would flow over the dam. But this year, unfortunately, the icebergs started to accumulate and it accumulated to the point where it built a fairly high dam and then it create a back flood that created the problems that happened,” he said.

Kostyshyn said the government will continue to help out in any way it can given the importance of the golf course to the local tourism industry.

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

Recently part of the Swan River Personal Care Home (SRPCH) walls got a whole new facelift that reveals a breathtaking view for the residents who live there. Valley artist Melanie Bird has painted a mural for the residents at SRPCH and their visitors to enjoy.
“A family of one of the residents reached out to me to see if I would be interested in doing a mural at the SRPCH,” said Bird. “This family knew me well and knew that I was an artist. They had also seen some of the mural work that my sister had been doing in care homes in Winnipeg and wondered if that was something that I could do as well.
“Once they knew I was interested they got the approval from the SRPCH to proceed.”
The scene painted on the mural had to be something that resonated with the Valley and the residents. It was decided that painting a farm scene would be best suited and draw out the best engagement amongst the residents.
“It was collectively agreed between the family that approached me, the residents, board and staff, that the painting should reflect the scenes of the Valley, as well as be something that the residents would connect to,” said Bird. “Something that would conjure up fond memories for them.
“From there we determined that a farm scene, which included several farm animals, that was set in a valley would be perfect. I did a couple of small mock-ups for them to choose from and with a couple of tweaks and additions, I was ready to get started.”
It didn’t take too long for Bird to finish the mural once she started. She even took extra measures to make sure the mural was well protected and could be enjoyed well into the future.
“It took me about seven days to paint,” said Bird. “Once the paint cured for a few days I did a few layers of a protective coating just to make sure the painting would be something the residents, staff and visitors could enjoy for many years to come.”
The feedback Bird has received about the mural at the SRPCH has been good. The residents enjoyed the process of watching her create it and have been engaged with it ever since.
“So far all the responses have been very positive,” said Bird. “The residents seemed to really enjoy seeing the animals begin to emerge as I was painting, I think that was what they connected with the most. People also commented on how much they liked the vibrant colours of the painting as well.
“It was such a joy to see the residents light up when they would see the painting as it progressed. It was also fun to hear their comments and suggestions along the way. I couldn’t possibly paint all of the things they suggested but it was neat to know that they were connecting with what I was doing and it seemed to be something that they truly enjoyed.
“A few of the residents would sit on their walkers or wheelchairs and watch what I was doing for hours, sometimes even fall asleep as they watched,” said Bird. “One of the favourite things that residents liked to comment on was what colour I was going to paint that tractor. Some thought it should be green and others thought red, in the end, I chose red simply because it stood out better against the green background, but it gave me a good chuckle listening to their opinions on the matter.
“It was also a pleasure to see some familiar faces from the community and connect with people who were once actively involved here in the valley and were now residents at the PCH.”

The annual Garden Walk took place on Monday (July 22), raising money for the Swan River Ladies Golf Club. This year’s walk showcased seven local yards divided between Swan River and the Benito area, featuring man-made lakes, hillside flower beds, lush mixed floral/vegetable garden boxes and beds, and more.

For 59 years Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival has been a beacon of culture, celebrated among those of Ukrainian descent and shared with anyone wanting to experience the colourful, rich traditions of music, dance and food.

And everything is in place to continue the celebration this August long weekend at the Selo Ukraina site at the foot of Riding Mountain National Park, south of Dauphin, said CNUF president Kayla Gillis.

“We’re really looking forward to festival weekend. The ticket sales have been amazing and we are so grateful that patrons keep coming back year after year and they always bring somebody new with them,” Gillis said, adding she is eagerly anticipating a new twist this year that she is sure will delight the crowd.

“Our Saturday night grandstand, we’re doing something we’ve never done before. We’re bringing in a projection screen for a backdrop and Rusulka is coming to perform their show Voda. They are going to be using backdrop projection to be able to help tell the story line of the dance. So we will be utilizing a later grandstand on Saturday evening just so with the darkness, the projector will work better.”

Gillis is pleased that CNUF remains such a strong attraction at a time when other festivals are struggling to attract crowds. In fact, she said advance ticket sales are up about 15 per cent over the last two years.

“I do think it has a lot to do with the community and the surrounding communities that still want to support this cultural festival. I think a lot of it is just that connection that we have to Ukraine,” she said.

“And having a lot of the newcomers (Ukrainian immigrants fleeing the war in their homeland), as well. I do believe that is a factor.”

But even with a 59-year history there are many people who have never attended CNUF.

Come once and you will be hooked, Gillis said.

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

Melissa
Martin
Winnipeg Free Press
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press on July 13, 2024. It is as originally published and reproduced with permission. This is part two of a two part series.
In the months after the close call in the Kharkiv region, Luka’s injuries healed and he returned to the front. He got a medal from the Ukrainian military. Austin, who had saved his life, did not, which the guys teased him about sometimes. Austin hated that, they laugh.
“He didn’t stand out and shout about himself,” Craig says. “He never had an ego about it.”
And Luka, who felt a debt he both wanted to repay — “Croatians are like, ‘I don’t want to owe you money, I don’t want to owe you a favour,’” he says — and dreaded ever having to, made a point of joining any mission Austin went on, just in case.
On May 24, 2023, one year to the day since Austin saved his life, Luka called his friend.

“The first thing (Austin) said when he picked up was, ‘I was about to call you also today,’” Luka says. “I was like, ‘why? You saved my ass, you’re not owing me any calls.’”
At that time, Austin was not with the legion. He’d left Ukraine in the fall of 2022, travelling back to Canada to rest. (Unlike Ukrainian soldiers, foreign fighters were able to break their contracts with the military and leave at any time, though Ukraine recently passed a law requiring them to serve at least six months before they quit.) His family held a feast to welcome him back, where an Opaskwayak band councillor gave a speech about how proud they were of his service, and pledged an even bigger feast the next time he came home.

The threat of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) such as zebra mussels is still very much a real threat to northern waterways in Manitoba. Riding Mountain National Park’s Clear Lake has unfortunately been exposed to zebra mussels and have had to take drastic measures of not allowing any watercraft on that lake, so they can try to determine and control the spread.
“The decision by the federal government to ban all public watercraft in Clear Lake this year was a bold move but was important to allow park staff to undertake further testing to confirm the presence or absence of zebra mussels in the lake,” said Citizens Protecting Our Northern Waterways (CPONW) President Chris Smith. “Of note, this additional recent testing confirmed the presence of adult zebra mussels at the boat launch area at Clear Lake that will result in further actions.

The Town of The Pas recently filled the position of a Human Resources Administrator to help with the management of staff and dealing with HR issues. Mubarak Adewumi worked in Human Resources in his home country and furthered his education in that field at Assiniboine Community College (ACC).
“I am a Nigerian national, hailing from Oyo State,” said Town of The Pas HR Administrator Mubarak Adewumi. “I have a strong affinity for culture, music, and football, and in my spare time, enjoy spending time with my nephews and nieces.
“I earned my first degree in education, and most recently, I completed a postgraduate diploma program in human resources management from Assiniboine Community College in Brandon.