A resident from The Pas has been recognized at a provincial level for their efforts in tying in community and culture. Akech Mayuom was recently presented with a Manitoba Mosaic Award on September 18, 2026, in Winnipeg.
The Manitoba Mosaic Awards are part of Welcoming Week 2026, which runs Sept. 10 to 19 and brings together people and organizations to build connections among neighbours of all backgrounds and highlight the importance of welcoming and inclusive communities.
The Manitoba Mosaic Awards recognize the outstanding contributions of newcomers, immigrants, refugees and community partners who are helping build stronger, more inclusive communities in Manitoba.

The Opasquia Trails hosted the fourth annual Manitoba Trail Talks on September 18 and 19, 2026. The event was organized by Trails Manitoba and brought trail enthusiasts north to check out the Opasquia Trails and all northern Manitoba had to offer.
“Trails Manitoba visited the Opasquia Trails in The Pas on September 19, 2026, as part of our annual Trail Talks event,” said Trails Manitoba Executive Director Tim Coffin. “The purpose of the visit was to bring together trail leaders, volunteers, partners, and stakeholders from across Manitoba to experience the local trail network firsthand, learn from the people who develop and maintain it, and share ideas and best practices.
“A big part of Trail Talks is getting people out of the meeting room and onto the trails. Visiting the Opasquia Trails gave participants an opportunity to see the incredible work being done locally, better understand both the opportunities and challenges facing northern trail organizations, and build stronger connections within Manitoba’s trail community. It was also a great opportunity to showcase The Pas and the quality of outdoor recreation experiences available in northern Manitoba.”

A Dauphin woman eventually found herself in a holding cell after being repeatedly arrested by Dauphin RCMP officers.
On Sept. 4, at approximately 10:20 p.m., police responded to the first of several disturbances to occur this month at a residence in Dauphin.
Officers learned a woman known to the residents came to the home, caused a disturbance and threatened to fight them.
She left before police arrived, then returned later in the night and smashed windows at the residence. She was located walking behind bushes along Whitmore Avenue West and arrested. She was later released on an undertaking not to return to the residence.
On Sept. 9, at approximately 3:15 p.m., RCMP responded to a report of a theft at a business on the 1300 block of Main Street South in Dauphin. The suspect fled before officers arrived.
Officers identified the suspect as being the woman involved in the earlier incident. She was subsequently located at the residence she was on court-ordered conditions not to attend. The stolen items were found at the residence. She was arrested and released on a release order following a court hearing.
On Sept. 24, at approximately 5:20 p.m., RCMP saw the woman at a commercial property on the 1400 block of Main Street South that she was barred from attending. She was ticketed for trespassing, which carries a $672 fine.
On Sept. 25, at approximately 1 p.m., RCMP returned to the same residence as earlier incidents to investigate a report of a disturbance. Officers learned the woman had come to the home and attempted to fight one of the residents.
She was arrested nearby and later released on a release order.
On Sept. 26, at approximately 5:40 p.m., RCMP responded to yet another disturbance at the same address. The woman returned to the residence and assaulted a woman and a man - the latter of which she also threatened. She was arrested and this time remanded in custody.
Autumn Mekish, 28, is charged with two counts of assault, uttering threats, two counts of failing to attend court, three counts of failing to comply with a release order, two counts of failing to comply with an undertaking, mischief under $5,000, and two counts of theft under $5,000.

Development of Maamawi Park in Dauphin is being advanced by a $100,000 gift from the Province through the From the Ground Up - Safe Healthy Communities for ALL program.
The money is earmarked for the third phase of the project aimed at developing a new learning and activity centre promoting healthy recreaton, inclusion and reconciliation in the region.
“Strong communities are built around places where people can gather, learn, play and connect,” Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard said in announcing the grant, last week.
“Our government is proud to support Maamawi Park, because it creates a safe and healthy community space for everyone in Dauphin. This investment will provide new opportunities for families, children, elders and visitors to enjoy the outdoors, while deepening understanding of Indigenous history and culture in the Parkland region.”
This phase of the community-led project will expand recreation opportunities, while creating a safe, healthy and welcoming space for residents of all ages. The goal is to establish the first of four planned learning and story stations.
The activity station will be themed “the north” and will feature interactive play and exploration areas, Indigenous storytelling elements, public art, educational signage, landscaping and gathering spaces developed in collaboration with Indigenous partners.
Planned features include a bear tunnel play structure, cedar groves and shelters, musical play elements, Indigenous artwork and storyboards, as well as native plants and landscaping.
“This project reflects what makes the Dauphin area such a great place to live - people coming together to build something that benefits the whole community,” said Agriculture Minister and Dauphin MLA Ron Kostyshyn.
“By investing in Maamawi Park, we are creating more opportunities for children and families to be active, supporting reconciliation through learning and understanding, and helping ensure Dauphin remains a safe, healthy and welcoming community for generations to come.”
The free and accessible learning centre is expected to serve not only the City of Dauphin and the Rural Municipality of Dauphin, but also the broader region and neighbouring First Nations communities.
“Maamawi means together, and that spirit has guided this project from the beginning,” said Larry Budzinski, a member of the Maamawi Park Steering Committee.
“The next phase will create a unique space where people can gather, play, learn and celebrate Indigenous culture together. We are grateful to the Manitoba government and all our community and Indigenous partners for helping bring this vision to life.”
The project is being led by Dauphin Recreation Services in partnership with the Anishinaabe Nations in Treaty 2 Territory, the Northwest Métis Council, the Dauphin Friendship Centre, the City of Dauphin, the Rural Municipality of Dauphin and other local organizations.
Dauphin Recreation Services is a non-profit organization led by a board of directors, funded jointly by the City of Dauphin and the RM of Dauphin. It manages facilities and parks that serve both municipal regions, including 11 parks inside the city and four parks in the rural municipality.
The From the Ground Up - Safe Healthy Communities for ALL program provides up to $100,000 to help non-profits, municipalities and northern affairs councils fund community revitalization, youth programs and capital improvements that strengthen local infrastructure and support vibrant community life.

For the first time in team history, the Parkland Mavericks are Rugby Manitoba’s Division 2 champions.
The Mavericks claimed the title with a 32-29 win over the Winnipeg Assassins, Saturday in Winnipeg.
Willi Budzinski, Matt Shewchuk, Julien Lopez, Daniel Evans and Riley Keith had Parkland’s tries, while Ronin Mouck chipped in with two converts and a penalty kick, which decided the game.
Mavericks captain Jordan Campbell said the team was excited and happy to come away with the victory.
“It was a big emotional day. A couple downs, but a lot more ups,” he said.
After watching video of the win later in the day, Campbell said every player did his part throughout the game.
“All our important pieces played the game that we needed to play. We had lots of steals in the rucks and our young guys got us a lot of yards,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing is when we were running our systems within their 22, we were able to capitalize and actually score. We decided to go for points on a kick and that’s what won us the game at the end.”
The Assassins had eight Division 1 players dressed as substitutions and 31 players on the sidelines, while the Mavericks only had 19 players available.
“In the second half, they were bringing guys that had clean jerseys and I was like, ‘what is going on here?’ We had no subs and we really won the game in the last two minutes,” Campbell said.
“It was the most intense, nail-biting game. They had a try called back. They also lost in the premier game, so it was a bad day to be an Assassin.”
Campbell hopes the win will give the club more exposure and help to build the program in Dauphin and the Parkland, noting Rugby Manitoba would like to see two teams here, one in each division.
But Campbell pointed out the Mavericks started the season with 37 players, but ended with 19 due to injuries and life circumstances.
Campbell appreciated the large contingent of fans who showed up to cheer on the team in the final.
“Our fans were chanting against their fans. The VEO was live, so everyone was watching the game on the VEO livestream,” he said.
“People were literally crying on the sidelines. It was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever been a part of.”
Budzinski was named Player of the Match and playoff MVP for the Mavericks.
“He did everything right and he really led us. It was a good game and it was good to see Bundy (Shawn Sarkonak) go up there and grab the trophy.”

Backed by the solid goaltending of rookie Tate Barnaby, the Dauphin Kings won two of three games in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, last week.
The week began in Waywayseecappo, with a 4-1 loss to the Wolverines, a game in which Barnaby stopped all 19 shots he faced in the final 40 minutes of play.
Making his first start of the season on Friday, the Winnipeg product stopped 21 shots in helping the Kings to a 5-0 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Blues.
On Sunday in Portage, Barnaby, who turns 17, Oct. 18, had another 19 save performance in a 4-0 triumph over the Terriers.
Barnaby currently has a shutout streak of 169:27 and leads the league with a 0.60 goals against average and a .976 save percentage, to go along with his two shutouts.
Dauphin’s record is now even at 3-3-1-0 and they sit in fifth place, three points out of first place.
Kings head coach and general manager Bryan Kromm said Barnaby was lights out in his three games last week.
“For how old he is and for him to be so calm, cool and collected is really remarkable, in my opinion,” he said.
“He’s got a very, very high ceiling. There’s always things that guys need to work on, but he seems to understand the position really, really well. He has a head for it. So I was happy for him, but I can’t say I was necessarily surprised with the outcome when we put him in.”
Kromm liked how the team responded after the loss to the Wolverines.
“I think Wednesday, we didn’t get to our game, really. So I came at the guys pretty hard on Thursday and Wednesday night and to see them respond on Friday and then do it again on Sunday was really, really good for our group,” he said.
The team’s defensive play over the weekend limited the number of opposition shots, something the Kings have been focusing on.
“We’ve been working hard at our D zone coverage and I think a lot of it is just our willingness to block shots. To see the amount of sacrifices, its just an indicator of our team and how close everybody is. They’re willing to put their bodies on the line and play hard defensively for each other. That was nice to see,” Kromm said.
Special teams are slowing improving, with the power play scoring in both games on the weekend, while the penalty kill was perfect in six chances.
Kromm said the first power play unit looked really good on both nights and players are in the right spots and doing the right things on the penalty kill.
“It’s looked a lot better than it did when we first started,” he added.
Kromm made a couple of player moves with local product Jake Myhre and defenceman Beckham Garchinski no longer with the team.
“Jake was tough with him being a local. We just felt like for his development it maybe wasn’t the best situation for him to be with us in the organization,” he said.
“And Beckham ended up not being really a fit for our club, so we’re in the process of trying to move him on somewhere else.”
The Kings continue their six-game road trip, tonight, Oct. 6, with a game in Winkler against the Flyers at 7 p.m.
On Friday, they visit the Titans in Neepawa at 7:30 p.m., then travel further south to Steinbach to face the Pistons, Saturday, at 7 p.m.
Kromm hopes to see the Kings keep their momentum going.
“We’re just taking it one day at a time. We’ll focus on today (Monday) and getting a good practice in today and focus on tomorrow when that comes. And just take it one day at a time and see what happens,” he said.
While some players are banged up, forwards Kurtis Kinoshita and Kale Pratte and defenceman Declan Andrews are expected to return to the team sometime after Thanksgiving.

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.”

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation walk took place last Wednesday (Sept. 30) in Swan River. Hosted by the Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre (ECFC), the day included a march down Main Street in Swan River, followed by a lunch back at the hall. The day honours residential school survivors, while remembering the children who never returned home, and to confront the painful history and lasting impacts of the Canadian Indian residential school system. The event started with an opening ceremy inside the ECFC with the walk following. Pictured is a large group of local residents that took part in the walk, who made the trek down Main Street wearing orange and holding up flags in honour of survivors.

It’s time again. The time when we all decide who is going to make decisions around our council tables about general day to day things in your town and municipality that affect your lives. Now and over the next four years.
I was pleased when I found the post by Courtney Kostecky on Facebook that you see printed just to the right of this column. As a CAO and former councillor in two Manitoba municipalities, I thought she brought up some really good points that are good to consider when you’re looking at where to cast your votes. After all, like I always say, no one ever knows the behind the scenes of anyone’s job. This one is no different.
This time around, there’s a pretty good mixture in both the Municipality of Russell Binscarth and the RM Riding Mountain West of new folks looking to represent you around the table.
Of course, with the incumbents, you’ll know what’s gone on over the past four years and with some people, longer than that. And now is your time to ask questions you might have over decisions they’ve made – even if they happened to the folks on the other side of the RM, you might want to ask if your property and peace might be at risk sometime in the future too.
For instance, at this point, I’m going to think that most people saw what happened to the village of Shellmouth with the approved gravel pits there and how, relatively quickly that became an issue for the people who owned property at the Cottage Cove development. The RM of Riding Mountain is huge - also including Silverton and Angusville and do you need to have some assurance from the incumbents who made that decision and the new people running what, in the future that could mean for you. And, Lord knows, the councillors do have difficult decisions to make.
The same applies in every place in the province. and prior to the October 28th election is the time to ask those questions.
For both the incumbents and the new folks who are letting their names stand ask them what their vision for the next four years is. How do they feel about things like Economic Development for instance, what do they foresee coming here and what would they like to happen and how might they see that happening.
How might they see their councils dealing with huge issues like housing and health care and what challenges you might see and think need to be dealt with.
By the time you read this, the meet and greet for the candidates as part of the Beef and Barley volunteer night will have passed.
But there’s another chance to hear the views of the candidates and to ask questions.
We’re hosting more of a public meeting style event moderated by Randy Moffit from Roblin (He and his wife Lori (Tibbatts) used to live in Binscarth and must have been very well liked because every time I mention this name, everyone seems to know them and have great memories of both of them.)
We’re going to first have every candidate speak for a few minutes and then have a question period. In the interest of avoiding chaos, your questions can be submitted to me - here via my email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or just by giving me a shout at the office - 204-773-2069. Anyone who wants to have a specific questions added can also track me down at the meeting. I plan to be there about 6 pm. So even if you have a question and have submitted it to me prior to the meeting, it will be asked. We’ll have gone through the questions to ensure they’re polite and we’re asking that candidates show up about 6:30 pm so you’ll have a chance to ask them questions privately too before the 7 pm meeting.
The evening will run from 7 - 9 pm thanks to the generosity of the Leisure Centre board.
If you can, bring a handful of change as there will be a collection at the door to help pay for Randy’s travel taking the now longer trek from Roblin to Russell.
We hope to see you and all the candidates there.
Public meeting with the election candidates
Monday Oct. 19th at 7:00 pm at the Russell Leisure Centre
529 Main Street North

Roblin Fire & Rescue recently took delivery of a new Wildland Firefighting skid unit thanks to a very generous donation from a local philanthropist.
The unit came in at a cost of almos $27,000.
Read all about it and check out the picture in this week’s Review.