Town of The Pas Council held their regularly scheduled council meeting on July 22, at 6 p.m. in council chambers.
Town of The Pas Council received a letter of resignation from Councillor Ward, which Mayor Murphy presented to council.
“Councillor Ward has been a valid member of our community and still is,” said Mayor Andre Murphy. “He’s focused his time and efforts on the betterment of The Pas as a councillor for the last six years or so. Councillor Ward has shown dedication, wisdom, and a genuine commitment to serving the people in our community and the general area as well. He’s always been willing to share his experiences and provided valuable advice that had an impact on our community.
“Despite Councillor Ward facing some personal challenges for the last while, he’s been committed to fulfilling his duties and was dedicated to our community as a councillor and a community. On behalf of the community and the Town of The Pas Council, I would like to thank Councillor Ward for all his service and dedication to the north.”

Della McKay (left) and Jenna McKay (right) took part in the Chamber of Commerce Parade on July 26, which marks the opening of the Northwest Round Up and Exhibition, as part of McKay’s Real Estate and Auction float...

At this year’s Roblin and District Community Foundation’s (RDCF) annual BBQ fundraiser held July 10 a the Bield Community Centre, another great community member was honoured for their contributions.

The event was held in memory of Jim Mitchell, who was not only an RDCF board member but also a man who gave greatly to the community in various ways.

Read more in this week’s Review.

With the zoning requirements now satisfied, work can progress on the development of a new child care facility in Dauphin.

At its regular meeting, July 15, Dauphin city council approved a conditional use application to allow for a 120 space child care facility on Dauphin Recreation Services land at the corner of  Sixth Avenue Southeast and Third Street Southeast.

Dauphin Economic Development manager Martijn van Luijn, who is spearheading the project for the city, said the design process is about two-thirds complete.

“We’re going to get ready for a Class B estimate. That means that the design is finalized, nothing will change, we’re meeting all the regulatory requirements, but now it’s about what nuts and bolts go where. All about the technical details, so that they can go out and tender this,” van Luijn said, adding an online call for suggestions for a facility name garnered about 45 entries and he will consult with the facility operator to decide.

Parkland Campus Kids was selected as the day care operator early in the process and van Luijn said the established child care organization has been instrumental in the design process.

“They’ve played an intergral role to decide which bench is going to go where and which toilet is needed and all that kind of stuff,” he said.

“So it’s been very neat to have them as part of that.”

Once those smaller design details have been finalized, the tender is expected to be issued sometime this fall.

“It’s all about the bid process and how quickly you can find a contractor to build it,” van Luijn said.

While that process unfolds, van Luijn hopes that site preparation can begin this fall to try and keep the project as close to the Mar. 31, 2025, deadline as possible.

“We’ve had some delays and we’re probably going to have to extend that deadline, but we have some flexibility there so we’re not worried about that. We would have loved to been ahead more at this point, but I guess with all the pressures in the industry and not having people available, it’s at a stand still at this point,” he said, adding people should expect to see some activity at the site before the snow flies.

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 will be part one of a two part series.

KHARKIV, Ukraine — Luka huddled in the foxhole as the growl of Russian tanks crept closer, their steel tracks chewing at the grassy fields of eastern Ukraine. For over two hours, the 33-year-old Croatian and his fellow fighters with Ukraine’s International Legion had been hunted by the drones that prowled the skies around Ternova, a tiny village just five kilometres from the Russian border. Now they were pinned, with no escape.
Tank shells ripped through the lip of the trench. Shrapnel pierced Luka’s right arm and then his leg. He fumbled to tighten two tourniquets, but couldn’t get a strong twist. Beside him, Michael O’Neill, a 47-year-old Australian they called Taz, lay dead. Luka radioed for help but the rest of his company, he thought, was still far away.

Pick up a copy or subscribe online to get the July 24th edition of the Opasquia Times to read more about a local hero.

Last month, one of The Pas Fire Department’s (TPFD) was recognized by the Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs and presented with a 35-year Fire Service Award. Captain Keven Iles, has been serving and helping the community for longer than that.
“I’m on my 42nd year with TPFD,” said TPFD Captain Iles. “In 1982, a good friend, Ken Gurba, asked if I would like to join the fire department. I was already doing ambulance work with him. In those days you had to be voted in by the whole department.
“It was a natural progression of helping the persons of the community to help the whole community as a whole. As with the ambulance, there was a camaraderie that was unique and there was a lot to learn.

Tim Hortons Camp Day was last Wednesday (July 17) with a host of activities ranging from a bouncy castle, face painting, tic-tac-toe game and tug of war...

It wasn’t his best finish at the Calgary Stampede but it wasn’t his worst by far.

Shell Valley’s own Orin Larsen had to settle for fourth place overall among the 30 competitors in Bareback at the world’s largest outdoor rodeo.

Read all about it in this week’s issue.

An important and traditional Indigenous ceremony was held again in the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Opaskwayak Sundance was from July 4 to 7 and brought forth many to celebrate Indigenous culture and healing. For Cheryl Antonio and some others, this was a first-time experience at Sundance, and it was a remarkable one.
Antonio knew a bit about Sundance ceremonies but never attended one until this year.
“Growing up as a Metis and Ukrainian person, I had very little knowledge of First Nation ceremony,” said Antonio. “Yet, at 10 years old, a book I picked up stands out in my mind, as it was about the Sundance. The story has stuck with me over the years and when I heard about a local event, I was very interested.

When a place of work brings its employees together and they form a bond similar to family, it becomes a remarkable thing to be a part of. The Pas Fire Department (TPFD) has established this kind of bond with its members and has now rallied together to help a fellow firefighter during his time of need. Xander Wadelius is currently in a fight against cancer, and his fellow firefighters want to make sure he knows that he is not alone in this battle.
“TPFD is a family, and we support each other in our challenges,” said TPFD Firefighter Karen Gallagher. “Sometimes that looks like lending each other a hand with dump runs and home renovations and other times we show our support for much bigger challenges, such as the fight for another member’s health and well-being.