The Star and Times held a question-and-answer session with the two town mayoral candidates: Ainslie White and Lance Jacobson.
Q1. What qualifications and experience do you feel you have to be mayor of the town?
White: The role of mayor is for an individual who can lead while creating a positive culture both within administration and council, where decisions are made as a group with everyone’s best interest at heart. The last 16 years of my professional life provided me with extensive training and experience through leadership, associated training, leading meetings, presenting to large organizations, opportunities to liaise with governing bodies, and legislation interpretation. My professional experience has prepared me to lead our council and staff as mayor of our town. I would use my experience to encourage council to gather information, consult subject matter experts, and include those directly involved in the outcomes, while making educated decisions for the betterment of our town and Valley.
Jacobson: First, my knowledge of the true responsibilities of the mayor’s office. I have learned policies and regulations, and the procedures required to build and enforce them. I understand municipal finance documents, a key requirement for managing municipal funds and operations. Through my experience in governance from councillor to Mayor, I realize the importance of prioritizing professional representation. I possess the ability to lead the town in defining its strategic vision and acting on long-term development and infrastructure needs. Additionally, remaining professional during times of crisis and relying on my past experiences keeps me well-prepared.
I am accustomed to working closely with the public. A commitment to good communication helps me in negotiations and in bridging gaps between different community organizations and fellow council members.
Q2. What are your top three priorities or focuses in town and why do you consider them priorities?
White: Safety – Safety is at the top of the list. As the General Investigation Section (GIS) unit continues to advance with arrests and enforcement, I feel strongly that we need to keep that momentum. I remember when there were picnic tables out front of businesses where folks could have a cup of coffee or sit on a public bench. Many of these have been removed with the intent to protect worker and public safety. I want to restore the general feeling of safety in our town where residents can leave the grocery store without fear, and store owners don’t feel they need to lock their doors during hours of operation.
Healthcare - Access to healthcare in Swan River affects everyone in the Valley regardless of age or specific location. With continued collaboration with valley communities, this must remain a priority. Our hospital has maternity ward equipment; however, we currently don’t provide maternity services. This is a priority to me as a mother, and it is directly involved in our economic development and the growth of our town. We need our ambulances fully staffed and all care home beds to be available for use. Our precious aging community cannot stay in the valley without consistent access to healthcare.
Senior Support – Approximately half of our valley residents are a part of the senior community, yet we have not prioritized their support services to enable these folks/ourselves to stay and age here at home in the valley. We need to collectively fund Service to Seniors, provide support for operating costs, and regulate costs for transportation within and outside of Swan River for access to services. I want to work with Service to Seniors and the Age Friendly Committee to access available funding, ease the financial burden currently being experienced, and increase time/resource support with volunteers.
Jacobson: Public Safety – To continue the hard work and collaborative efforts that resulted in our local RCMP detachment receiving a General Investigative Section (GIS). I vow to stay on this front by continuing to lobby other levels of government to ensure permanent funding for the GIS in Swan River. Furthermore, I will continue to lobby for bail reform at the provincial and federal levels to stop the proverbial revolving door.
Economic Development and Medical Services – I will focus on retaining and attracting businesses to Swan River by providing further incentives for them to thrive within our limits. A priority is to continue to review and adjust our incentive planning, focusing on a vibrant Main St. to ensure storefronts are revitalized and inviting. Regarding healthcare, the province has proven that Swan River is a regional hub. Having successfully secured a CT scanner, I will now focus my time on ensuring Swan River becomes a regional stroke center.
Partnerships – First, I believe communication among local levels of government is vital in rural Manitoba. No matter how difficult, I will continue striving to ensure our council fosters strong relationships through mutual understanding and agreements on topics like shared services, a rural water agreement, and recreation. Second, regarding partnerships with stakeholders on large capital projects, I know firsthand we cannot do everything alone. I will pursue grant opportunities and collaborate with federal, provincial, and local levels of government, along with First Nations and the Manitoba Metis Federation, to build the consensus and communication needed to achieve our community goals.
Q3. What level of knowledge and experience do you have about governance, budgeting and infrastructure?
White: Governance is defined as “…the system of rules, practices, processes, and structures by which a country, corporation, organization, or project is directed, controlled, and administered”. I have years of experience directly involved in the establishment, implementation and training of processes within large organizations and small businesses of the aforementioned.
Intertwined within the governance is budgeting. Basically, how can we continue to improve and achieve outcomes with the funding available? This is completed in conjunction with professional accountants & making good decisions with the money we have. Regarding infrastructure, we have a large window of opportunity within the town. I have much experience developing and implementing preventative maintenance and management programs for infrastructure in corporate and municipal capacities. Low-hanging fruit for improvement in this area includes establishing a full list of town assets, defining their specific preventative maintenance programs/schedules, and implementing effective systems to ensure the town protects our assets in a proactive manner, rather than reactively.
Jacobson: I have a strong foundation in good governance, having served on council for 16 years—eight as a councillor and eight as mayor—as well as spending the last four years as a board member of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. The strongest quality I bring to the table is a commitment to transparent communication and public accountability. I promise to maintain professional conduct at council meetings while always respecting the public voice.
Municipal budgets are complex and take time to dissect. I have consistently encouraged councillors to prioritize the short- and long-term financial health of the town. I welcome challenges and debates to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent as efficiently as possible. I also believe in strategic planning, a responsible process where projects are approved based on merit, community input, and financial feasibility. This experience ensures we can maintain existing assets while delivering the new services our taxpayers deserve.
Q4. How would you implement partnerships and demonstrate a good working relationship with RM Swan Valley West and other municipalities in the Valley?
White: I am committed to working in partnership with all municipalities and communities in the valley. I do not have any historical relationship barriers built with communities to tear down, whereas I am in a position only to build relationships. This includes building relationships with the leaders and councils in our valley to increase our reach with provincial and federal leaders. Presenting requests as a united valley will strengthen our lobbying efforts and associated outcomes.
Jacobson: I believe in a strong Swan River Valley; the success of our rural areas only makes the town stronger, and vice versa. While relations have proved difficult in recent years, I will continue leading our council’s efforts to enhance partnerships with all our municipal neighbours. While it takes two to tango, I can promise that I will always be eagerly waiting on the dance floor.
My approach remains consistent with how I have always entered negotiations: willing to listen and meeting colleagues with respect, while fiercely representing the taxpayers of Swan River.
Q5. What ideas would you bring to the council table to look at attracting new business and building economic development in Swan River?
White: I suggest that council review by-laws and procedures that are outdated or misaligned with our current needs. Identify what the barriers are for developers and investors through discussion and direct involvement of developers and investors. Council needs to understand why some investors are looking to build outside of Swan River and how we can bridge those gaps. Our local Chamber of Commerce needs to be reignited with businesses on the board, involved in decision-making for promotion, programs and growth. Council needs to look further than only business expansion and include the expansion of housing complexes for all levels of income. I want to encourage the council to work with developers and streamline applications and approvals so developers want to build and invest here.
Jacobson: I believe in the need for an economic development officer, and not just for the town; I would support this position to be inclusive of the entire Swan River Valley. I would be very open to partnering with other municipalities for the opportunity to sell the Swan River Valley.
To achieve this, the work behind the scenes demands a great deal of time. From grant writing, local incentives to business retention, federal and provincial advertising, and industry-specific marketing.
Maintaining a high standard is essential, as good business attracts good business. To properly sell Swan River, we must be realistic and professional in developing our town, particularly within a competitive rural market.
Q6. How do you propose to help Swan River with the issues surrounding homelessness, addiction and crime? And which local agencies would you like to see council work with to achieve goals?
White: In many cases, a lack of housing is the underlying root cause of crime and addiction. While building relationships with ministers, I want to collaborate with communities in the valley and apply pressure using bylaws to hold Manitoba Housing & Homelessness accountable for the dozens of homes in our community that are in a derelict condition. The province must take responsibility for the condition and livability of the homes they have provided in the town, which are no longer inhabitable and boarded up. I would like to encourage council to work with our already embedded organizations such as Teen Challenge and the Canadian Mental Health Association. Organizations such as those have many connections and resources available, as well as experience with what has worked and what hasn’t. We need to reach out to other municipalities that have successfully made improvements in these areas and gather information to continue moving forward in Swan River.
Jacobson: Regarding homelessness and addiction, this is a complex issue spanning multiple layers. We must acknowledge the difficult reality that some individuals choose this lifestyle, while focusing support services on those willing to accept help. I propose lobbying for supports ranging from housing to addiction and crime intervention to directly assist those ready for change. This is a far-reaching issue; therefore, I believe this initiative should be led and funded by the province and organizations outside of Municipal Government.
On the crime front, we will continue lobbying the provincial and federal governments to secure the GIS program permanently for the Swan Valley RCMP detachment. Regardless of personal situations, everyone has the right to feel safe in our community, period.
Q7. What lessons can be learned from the flooding that took place this summer and how could council be more emergency-prepared for the future?
White: In my experience, from a professional health and safety standpoint, the town should continue with the land survey and professional consultation currently underway, along with the provincial assessment. As the assessment hasn’t yet been completed, my opinion of high-level lessons learned includes, but isn’t limited to;
-Water level forecasting, communication tool assessments and implementation
-Evaluate building a dyke around Swan River and other water routing options for prevention
-Clearly establishing direct contacts provincially and within municipalities to ensure the most efficient use of resources during an emergency
-Public education for property protection and emergency response
-A formal process established for post-emergency timely reviews by council and the province
-Tabletop reviews/discussions of various flood scenarios to find gaps in planning and preparation
-All potential emergencies must be practiced to ensure those with responsibilities understand what those are and how to act on them efficiently
Jacobson: First, we need better funding relief for affected properties. I will encourage our council and utilize my position as an AMM board member to lobby the province to establish a fund that delivers real-time support to affected properties. While federal disaster relief exists, it can take years for people to see assistance when they need help immediately after losing their homes. People needed help immediately!
Second, communication requires improvement. While the Town of Swan River has solid disaster control systems, communication among large governments, external organizations, and private entities can be enhanced. I commend the hard work done during the recent flooding, but optimizing the timing of critical decisions through good communication systems will improve future outcomes.
Q8. Swan River is in need of a new or upgraded arena. What is your personal take on what needs to be done and what methods would you pursue to make it happen?
White: I have recently had the opportunity to review the assessment and recommendations presented in 2018 by WSP out of Winnipeg with respect to the Centennial arena. The report clearly states that this facility can certainly be upgraded and maintained to a level to provide use to the community for many more years based on the upgrades detailed herein. In 2018, it was noted that a new arena would easily cost upwards of 20 million dollars. In 2027, I would imagine that number to be significantly larger. I would encourage council to pursue an updated assessment inclusive of the upgrades recently completed/invested in, for continued use of the arena with the goal of protecting our assets while promoting economic development. The arena is used by all communities in the valley in various capacities. I would propose we move forward with the inclusion of the perspectives and ideas from all involved as part of the data-gathering effort, towards an informed decision. This includes input and involvement from all valley communities and the Swan Valley School Board.
Jacobson: A vibrant and growing town requires recreation facilities that serve the community and promote healthy lifestyles. Swan River and the Valley have always been at their best when our communities could gather in places to meet, play and respect each other.
The Town of Swan River realizes this is a large and complex project that requires the community and its residents to work together so we can be successful.
Replacing a 60-year-old arena with something new takes a tremendous amount of planning, work and caution. It also takes volunteers who are dedicated to making our Valley and town a better place.
The Town of Swan River has partnered with the Swan Valley Legacy Committee (SVLC). It consists of dedicated residents from all over the Valley who have approached this project with a determined pioneer spirit. SVLC has committed to applying for grants, fundraising, and consulting with community groups to ensure we have a successful plan that has the least impact on local taxpayers.
We continue to talk to the federal and provincial governments and understand that this project can only proceed with their involvement.

An author with family roots from the Valley is coming to the Swan River Library to promote her books. Patricia Hack is the author of two books: What Old Broads Know: Musings of life, grief, job and growing older (but not up) and What Old Broads Know: Volume 2 Older and Broader.
“My family roots in the Swan River Valley go back several generations through the Emmond, Lyons and Qualie families,” said Hack. “My father’s family were homesteaders in the Thunder Hill area near Benito, and we also had family connections around Durban. My grandparents and parents came from the Valley, and although I grew up in Saskatchewan, that part of Manitoba was always very much a part of my life.
“I spent every summer at nearby Madge Lake and made countless trips to Benito, Swan River and the surrounding area. Some of my happiest childhood memories are from there, including going to the Swan River Rodeo.”
Hack resides in Foam Lake, SK and is a retired principal. She has always loved writing but never had plans to be an author.
“My first book, What Old Broads Know, grew out of short pieces I was writing about aging, family, friendship, grief, marriage, widowhood and the humour in ordinary life,” said Hack. “It has come close to Canadian bestseller status, which is far beyond anything I ever expected.
“That led to my second book, What Old Broads Know: Older and Broader, which came out this summer and has also been very well received. Both books are collections of short, easy-to-read essays, some funny, some thoughtful and some a little more poignant. They are really about this stage of life and all the things we understand differently after we have lived a while.
“The books are primarily based on my own experiences and observations, but they certainly reflect the experiences of other women too,” said Hack. “I write about the things women talk about around kitchen tables: marriage, motherhood, friendship, aging, loss, family, changing bodies, changing roles and the absurdities of everyday life. Readers often tell me, ‘That’s exactly how I feel.’ The details may be mine, but the experiences are often very universal.
“I’m 71 now, widowed after a long and very happy marriage, a mother and grandmother, and I think all of those experiences find their way into my writing. One of the nicest surprises has been discovering how many younger readers connect with the books as well. I thought I was writing primarily for women my own age, but apparently some of the things old broads know are useful before you actually become one.”
Hack started off writing essays long before thinking about publishing them in a book. The loss of her husband led her on a path of needing to focus on something instead of grief and this led to publishing her first book.
“Some of the essays that eventually became What Old Broads Know had actually been sitting in my computer for years,” said Hack. “I had always written bits and pieces about life, family, aging and the things that amused or interested me, without necessarily thinking they would become a book. I lost my husband, Jim, in 2023, and in the early spring of 2025 I knew I needed a focus to pull myself out of sadness. I knew I would always live beside grief, but I couldn’t live in it. I began going through those old pieces, writing new ones and putting them together. Somewhere in that process, I realized I wasn’t just collecting essays anymore. I was writing a book.
“Grief was certainly one of the challenges. I had lost Jim after more than fifty years together and was still learning what life looked like without him. Some of the essays were easy and funny, while others took me into places that were still very tender. I wanted to be honest about loss without allowing grief to define the book.
“The actual writing of it came easy for me,” said Hack. “I have always loved words and stories. I discovered that I especially loved the essay form. I could take one small incident or observation and follow it wherever it led me. Finding humour in ordinary life also comes fairly naturally to me. The business side of becoming an author was a much steeper learning curve.”
When it came time to publish her first book, Hack decided to go into the publishing business on her own and learned all about the industry.
“I decided to self-publish and established my own imprint, Heart Press Canada,” said Hack. “Then I had to learn the publishing business as I went, including editing, formatting, printing, distribution and promotion. It has been quite an education. I quickly learned that writing a book and selling a book require two entirely different skill sets.”
After publishing her first book, Hack didn’t waste any time writing and publishing the second one.
“There wasn’t a long gap at all,” said Hack. “The response to What Old Broads Know was far beyond anything I had expected. Women began contacting me, coming to readings and telling me how much they related to the essays. At the same time, I discovered I wasn’t finished writing. I still had things I wanted to say and, apparently, quite a few things I wanted to laugh about. That led to What Old Broads Know: Older and Broader.
“The second book was easier in some ways because by then I knew what kind of writer I was. I had found my voice and I knew my readers. But I was also conscious that I didn’t want simply to repeat the first book. I wanted Older and Broader to explore some different territory while keeping the same mixture of humour, honesty and reflection that readers had responded to in the first book.”
Hack discovered that she loves piecing together a story out of everyday life events and stories that others have shared with her. She has found writing both of her books very rewarding and it has helped to inspire others who are going through similar things in life.
“I love taking something very ordinary and discovering there is a story in it,” said Hack. “I also love hearing from readers. Someone will come up after a reading and tell me that something I wrote made her laugh, reminded her of her mother, helped her through a loss or simply made her realize someone else feels exactly as she does. That connection with readers has probably been the greatest surprise and the greatest joy of the whole experience.”
Hack has been travelling all over Manitoba and Saskatchewan promoting her books. She will be at the Swan River Library on October 13, at 6 p.m. to share her books and have a meet-and-greet with readers.
“I’ve travelled to dozens of communities across Saskatchewan and into Manitoba for readings, speaking engagements, book signings and events,” said Hack. “My travels have taken me from Saskatoon south to Assiniboia and from communities near the Manitoba border across a good portion of Saskatchewan. I have spoken in libraries, galleries, community halls, shops, conferences and all sorts of gatherings. One of the nicest parts of this adventure has been visiting communities. The speaking part has grown and I’m doing some guest speaking at functions, conferences and even to staff in-services.
“Both books are available through Amazon and through a growing number of independent bookstores, gift shops and other retailers across Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In the Swan River area, they are available at the Handcraft Shop in Swan River, the Lucky Dollar in Benito, and Crave in Roblin also carries them. I also sell books personally at readings and speaking engagements.”

Finding a career that gives you the best of both worlds can be challenging to find, but former Valley resident Dana Terry, has been able to do just that. Terry is trained both as a paramedic and firefighter and combining those two positions has led him to take on a new leadership role as well as be of service to others.
“My parents are Marg and Gordon Terry and when we moved to the Valley, we lived in the Lenswood area,” said Terry. “Part of my years growing up were there and I attended Minitonas Junior High, and later on to the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, where I graduated in 1989.
“I wanted to become a Fish and Wildlife Officer, so I moved to Lethbridge to take a college program there to be a Conservation Officer. Unfortunately, there were no jobs for those positions or very few and far between, with lots of competition for them. I finished the first year of the program and then met my wife.
“After I got married, I worked on a dairy farm because I was raised around working with cattle. That focused me on finding another career path,” said Terry. “My father-in-law was a Captain on the Lethbridge Fire Department and I asked him how I could get on the department. He told me I would have to become a paramedic first and go from there.
“So I quit the dairy farm and went to school to take my EMT course through the college in Lethbridge. I worked some rural ambulance shifts in Alberta. From 1995 to 1997, I went to paramedic school at NAIT in Edmonton. I took my Advanced Care Paramedic course, and at the same time I was working for the City of Edmonton as a paramedic.
“It was a really good experience to work in that field while upgrading in school,” said Terry. “As a new paramedic, I was really busy and saw a lot of different things. I got lots of experience from that and was eventually hired by the City of Lethbridge.”
Once Terry was set on his career path, he was able to merge his paramedic knowledge with firefighting. In the area that Terry lives and works in, the combination of firefighting and paramedic services comes in handy due to the environmental surroundings.
“Back then, the City of Lethbridge was a fire department and also an ambulance service,” said Terry. “Outside of Alberta, Brandon has an integrated system like this, where they cross-train firefighters and paramedics. One day you could be working on the ambulance, the next day on the fire truck.
“I stayed working with the City of Lethbridge for about 24 years and then I moved up into a Deputy Chief position. My career then took a little bit of a turn, as my position moved to a Deputy Chief position with Strathcona County in 2021, which is on the east end of Edmonton. Strathcona County is a specialized municipality that provides for the unique needs of a municipality that includes a large urban centre and a significant rural area and population.
“The challenge of being in a service like this is the number of refineries there are in the area,” said Terry. “There is a high risk involved in that. Then you have an urban side to provide fire protection services to that has about 88,000 people. There are also lots of rural properties and acreages in that mix too. It’s a unique system.
“Both services are focused on public service. That is what often brings people to work in this field. It attracts those individuals who are interested in the integrated service. There is a level of pride when someone can identify as a firefighter and a paramedic. When we respond to a call, it doesn’t matter which truck we show up on; we have kits on every one of our trucks and any of our staff knows what they need to do. We work as a team, so the team atmosphere is huge. There are times we get some pretty big incidents that we respond to, and we are able to switch from one task to another.
“There have been so many times throughout my career where I’ve used those skills interchangeably,” said Terry. “It’s very valuable, rewarding and what attracts people to the work we do.”
Terry notes that this kind of job can be heavy at times in terms of the things a person sees and experiences when getting called out. Fortunately, there are more mental health resources today geared to help first responders.
“We deal with people on the worst days of their lives,” said Terry. “I think that the hardest for me, over my career, is responding to incidents that involve children. Those are really tough calls to have to deal with. Sometimes, those children in incidents are the same age as my own children and that is really hard for me as a dad to come to terms with.
“The training I received helped to address those types of calls. I’m fortunate to have a good support system at home. In today’s emergency services, we have more mental health supports. In the service I have, we have a peer support team that is made up of other firefighter paramedics. They are trained to talk to their co-workers and address any issues that arise from a call. They can also refer them to our department psychologist. We have one on retainer that is available to us.
“We also have debriefings and meetings after the call and try to unpack challenges that we faced from that call,” said Terry.
Terry enjoys the line of work he is in because he really is focused on helping others.
“I’m very passionate about public service,” said Terry. “I like the ability to serve the public and think it’s a noble cause. It’s something to be proud of and you can certainly make a difference in people’s lives. I’ve seen this many times.
“Every so often, I will see people whom I remember from picking them up in the ambulance or responding to their emergency. Seeing that people do recover and become resilient is amazing. I’ve had some really good conversations with some of them after these types of incidents. I remember meeting a baby I delivered and she was in her 20s when I met her. That was a really cool experience.”
Terry has literally worked his way up in the department from the ground up. From there, he was able to build a foundation to set him towards more of a leadership role.
“When I first started, what I liked about the fire service and EMS was that you never knew what you were going to next,” said Terry. “It was always something new. You showed up to work and whatever came in, we responded to it. I really liked that, so I never thought of myself having to work in an office at some point.
“There was a point in my career where I needed to be challenged more. So I was part of the Union Executive for seven years and started expanding my leadership in certain areas. I had a discussion with one of the chiefs at the time, and he encouraged me to consider looking forward in my career and not just be content with what I was doing.
“He told me that if I wanted to really help influence direction within a department, he said I was going to need to do that from a higher position,” said Terry. “He coached me on which education to take, what courses to do, and what positions and responsibilities to take on to do that. I found it very rewarding to be able to see how much you can influence the direction of an organization by putting yourself out there and taking responsibility.
“That is where I have taken it. I’m ok to make decisions and taking care of people. I do care about the firefighters and paramedics we have and want them to be successful and taken care of. I remember what it’s like to be on that frontline, so I have a passion for the work and what they do on a day-to-day basis. I want to make it better for them and move our organization forward.
“It’s about how we improve and get better. I always tell people that they should always be coachable and teachable. I always tell my kids that too,” said Terry.
“I have recently been promoted to the position of Chief. I’ve only been in my current position for over a month, so I have some messaging I am sharing with my staff about the direction I want to see this department move towards. Over the next five years, there will be priorities we will focus on and set. It will be about understanding the needs and challenges our organization and community have, and how we can better serve them. My job right now is to set priorities and move us forward; it’s about progressing.”
Terry credits having some strong role models and supports in his life, while he pursued a career of helping others. It all started with his roots in the Valley.
“My dad, for sure, was the greatest influencer for the path I’ve chosen,” said Terry. “The work ethic he taught us and stuck with me. My parents raised four sons and we’ve all gone on to different careers, but I see the work ethic he put forward and encouraged us to work by. We grew up on the farm, so we raised our food, hilled potatoes, picked rocks, and did it all. I saw that in my dad and how he cared for and supported his family, which he continues to do today. He’s created a good legacy and I credit my dad for my drive and work ethic.
“My father-in-law certainly played a role by setting me on my career path. He was a good mentor and ended up being the Chief of the Lethbridge Fire Department for several years before he retired. He set a good example for me.
“Also, my wife, Marilee, has been my biggest partner and supporter throughout my career,” said Terry. “I wouldn’t be the person I am without her support and encouragement. Together we have raised four children into contributing members of society and now get to enjoy seven grandkids, so far.”

A local community member has recently been awarded a 2026 Manitoba Mosaic Award under the Indigenous Bridge Builder Award. Shawn Charlebois has dedicated his time and efforts to bridging gaps between different socioeconomic groups. This began with his vision for Red Road Compass: creating a safe place for marginalized people while connecting them to their culture and identity.
“Red Road Compass has been active in the community for about seven years,” said Charlebois. “Within that, I’ve really focused on four fundamental principles: affordable housing for people who are marginalized in our community, where I had two apartment buildings that were clean, safe, secure and low in rent. I’ve now left that fundamental because of the increased use of methamphetamines; the whole dynamic of the business wasn’t economically sound. I wasn’t charging more than I needed to; however, the damages were beginning to accumulate, and I could no longer afford it.
“The second fundamental was around food, and I felt that people wouldn’t think about healing if they were hungry. We started a soup kitchen in partnership with CMHA. We started it as an organization that we paid for out of our pockets. It was from contributions and my own personal earnings. All of a sudden it grew to a hundred meals a day. There was no way one person could sustain that. So CMHA stepped in and then that had to close because of certain circumstances around insurance.
“The third fundamental was land-based and how do we get people connected back to the land,” said Charlebois. “We placed them into an environment that just allowed them to breathe and relax, to feel safe, sit by the fire or water. The trees, clouds and water don’t judge people, so we did lots of that. However, this flood has impacted our setup, so now that is under reconstruction.
“The fourth fundamental was employment and training. One of the things I really wanted to do back in my previous role with PMH was to come up with creative ways to engage community members to seek employment in healthcare. I really tried my best, but there was so much opposition on so many fronts. When I retired in November 2025, I was able to find some freedom to sit down and reflect on our community and how do we help people in a more intimate way.”
The fourth fundamental is what led Charlebois to discover a way to help marginalized Indigenous people find employment, but also a sense of purpose and connection to the land.
“Employment is one of those things and it just so happened that many moons ago, working with WSFN Elder Buddy Brass, he took me up to The Pas and introduced me to an individual who came up with this initiative called The Non Timber Harvesting Initiative,” said Charlebois. “There are so many other things in the bush other than timber that have value on the international market.
“This person would go to communities and do an environmental scan to identify what plants had value on an international market and teach Indigenous community members how to harvest sustainably, process it, bring it to market and get fair market value. This was shared with me a long time ago, and then this person contacted me about three years ago and said he followed what Red Road Compass had been doing.
“He told me he was reaching a point in his life that he wanted to pass this initiative off and asked me if I wanted to do it,” said Charlebois. “After a whole bunch of conversations with him, I felt really interested in it. He had harvesters on the land coming to him, but I immediately thought of that population of people who were coming to the soup kitchen who would tell me they didn’t know what to do, so they did stuff that increased the probability of getting into trouble. These people would share this with me at the soup kitchen, where I would sit with them, listen to and counsel them. So often I would hear the same thing from many of them and that was that they were lost and didn’t know where to go.
“So he put me in contact with the international buyers, and they interviewed me to see if they wanted to do business with me in the same capacity.
“It was important to me that if I was going to do this, people would have meaningful employment, be paid what they were worth, as opposed to being taken advantage of,” said Charlebois. “Initially this company was paying $13 a dry pound for High Bush Cranberry Bark. High Bush Cranberry Bark is referred to as Cramp Bark, and it’s used as a women’s medicine for menstrual pains or urinary tract infections. I felt that it’s a lot of work to harvest this plant and that was not very much money.
“So I went into negotiations with this company and shared my vision with them. I pitched to them that there is a group of individuals in our community who are marginalized, good people with damaged spirits. My plan is to provide them with an opportunity to connect with the land and their culture, in a way that rekindles the Seven Sacred Teachings in them. As well, it would recognize the work they are doing and pay them accordingly that would allow them to feel pride and be able to support themselves. After negotiating with this company, they agreed to increase the price from $13 per pound to $31.47 per pound.
“What was interesting was that this company went to their buyers and told them about this initiative and how it would engage marginalized people who were underemployed, struggling with mental health issues, limited education, criminal charges that would have excluded them from employment,” said Charlebois. “These buyers then offered to pay more because they recognized the value in the community.”
The Non-Harvesting Timber Initiative has employed people who were often on the streets of Swan River, struggling to find the right pathway to supporting themselves and finding employment. Not only has this initiative helped these individuals earn an income, but it has also taught them a lot about respect and being stewards of the land.
“This is the third year the Non-Harvesting Timber Initiative has happened out of Red Road Compass,” said Charlebois. “The first year was a handful of us learning the process and making sure that we could meet the requirements of the buyers and get our shipping in order.
“When the second year came along, we got a few more harvesters, and then this year we just boomed. I suspect this year we had 15 harvesters and I think they harvested about 1,000 pounds of High Bush Cranberry Bark in a sustainable way.
“So how it works is that Red Road Compass is paid $31.47 per pound of High Bush Cranberry Bark by the purchaser, but Red Road Compass pays $26.47 per pound to the harvester,” said Charlebois. “Red Road Compass provides all the bags, and there are certain bags that have to be used, and then we do all the shipping. It removes the barriers for the harvesters to do this.
“We have had conversations with Natural Resources and High Bush Cranberry Bark is a plant that really does well when it’s trimmed. Red Road Compass teaches the harvesters how to use the tools and how to harvest the bigger stalk from the root site and leave the smaller ones. The smaller ones don’t have a thick enough bark yet and have less value.
“Then we teach them to snip off the little branches, which are like willows, and you stick them into the ground and it repopulates,” said Charlebois. “In essence, they are farming in a traditional way and are sustaining the land so they can harvest again next year. And if it’s done properly, they can harvest even more next year. The harvesters absolutely get it and Natural Resources loves this initiative.
“In talking with Employment and Training, they also support it because their clients are receiving employment training and skills. Then, Red Road Compass started working with Employment Income Assistance to help document what each harvester earned and got paid. Last year, an individual made $200 more than what they were getting on EIA.
“Some people will ask, well, what do they use the money for,” said Charlebois. “I have to say, I’m not naive and I’m sure they are using their money for whatever purposes they want. We can’t control that. Red Road Compass is providing support and we recognize that drug use is a coping mechanism for a deeper injury or trauma.
“We are providing this person an opportunity to remove themselves from a possible hostile environment, be on the land, harvest in a sustainable way, be surrounded by other people who are trying to make a positive change in their lives, follow guidelines and rules and then get paid fair market value. When we go through the process of making up their pay, we have scales and each harvester gets to see the weight of what they harvested. Everyone is part of the process in complete transparency.
“The other part of the win is here are people who are often not involved in business type transactions or conversations,” said Charlebois. “Now their opinions are being asked for and their words are being listened to. They are part of a community of harvesters and are being treated with respect and dignity. They connect themselves to memories of family who harvested and the feeling that comes with it, and that is hope.
“Now at the warm-up shelter, these individuals are no longer perpetrating lateral violence towards one another, but instead are sitting around, talking and healing, by sharing a common bond in harvesting. There is a sense of pride now within these folks and they feel like they are contributing to the larger picture.”
Charlebois knows how hard it can be when it feels like the deck is stacked against a person. This is an example of how building trust and adding kindness can go a long way in helping others to get back on their feet and find a sense of purpose.
“The very first thing that is the most difficult when working in community is establishing trust,” said Charlebois. “There’s a defence mechanism, especially with marginalized people because in many ways the system hasn’t been kind to them.
“They also take great satisfaction in knowing that the plant they are harvesting is helping people to get better. When we stopped harvesting the High Bush Cranberry Bark on Aug. 17, it was only a day later when these individuals came back to ask if there was something else they could do or another job they could work on.
“One of the misconceptions in our community is that people who are marginalized, homeless, dealing with addictions or mental health challenges are bad people,” said Charlebois. “I have been treated with nothing but kindness and respect by these individuals. I in turn show them nothing but kindness and respect back. I recognize they have value and they are not defined by their addiction. These people are human beings and extensions of my community.
“What I would love to see and find out is that in June, July and August, when our harvest was the most active, was there a reduction in shoplifting and minor crime in Swan River? Since we have stopped harvesting, there seems to be a slight uptick in those activities in Swan River in regards to break-ins and thefts.”
Whenever a new concept comes in and it is focused on helping individuals who are homeless or suffering from addictions, there is always criticism and skepticism of whether these initiatives are truly beneficial. Charlebois feels that despite some of the negativity this initiative has faced, there has been so much more positive that has come from it.
“We did have a couple of situations where someone in the community reported to the RCMP that harvesters going to the museum area,” said Charlebois. “The RCMP followed up on it and spoke to several of them.
“Another one of the criticisms I’ve received is that people shouldn’t be harvesting medicines for sale. I was raised that way too. Red Road Compass processes bear grease and other stuff away as gifts. It is all about what the definition of medicine is. I believe that harvesting in this capacity- giving people an opportunity to get away from critical environments, instilling purpose and meaning and creating part of a positive community- it all sounds like medicine to me.
“Never did I ever think that this cottage-industry could have the positive impact that it has had on people who in many ways have been deemed as hopeless by others,” said Charlebois. “The Non-Timber Initiative will resume harvesting of High Bush Cranberry in the spring.”