Assiniboine Community College (ACC) has partnered with Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology to offer a tuition-free Applied Building Construction program at ACC Parkland campus in Dauphin, beginning this February.

Selection into the six-month program will focus on engaging Indigenous youth from 18 to 30 years of age, who are not in employment, education or training (NEET Youth). There is space for 15 students. Tuition, textbooks, personal protective equipment, supplies and tools are all covered at no cost to those enrolled in the program.

“The Applied Building Construction certificate program provides students in this region an opportunity to receive training in a field with in-demand career opportunities, supporting an industry need for skilled trades workers,” said Kevin Poirier, dean of Trades at Assiniboine. “We’re thrilled to have Algonquin College on board to advance this opportunity for Indigenous learners. This funding strikes down a barrier for many of those looking to enter this field and goes a long way toward both transforming students’ lives and strengthening Manitoba.”

Applied Building Construction consists of six months of theory and practical learning followed by a seven-week paid practicum.

The program will be accredited with Apprenticeship Manitoba. Students who complete the accredited program with an average of 70 per cent or better in core trades subjects, gain employment and register as an apprentice within two years of graduating, will receive credit for Level 1 in-school technical training and 900 hours in the carpenter apprenticeship program.

“Costs for training that supports entry into the job market are an ongoing barrier to employment,” said Assiniboine’s director of Indigenous Education, Kris Desjarlais. “It’s welcome news when we’re able to offer opportunities where students can receive hands-on training free of this financial strain. With this, students are free to focus on learning.”

The program, funded by Algonquin College, prepares students for in-demand careers within a trade that employers report has a shortage of skilled workers.

Interested candidates must attend a free program information session as part of their admissions process.

Sessions are available on January 11 and 26, and February 1 and 8.

For more program details and to register for an information session, visit assiniboine.net/appliedbuilding.

The province is investing some $1.7 million as part of its plan to revitalize the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service.

“As part of our government’s commitment to revitalizing the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service, these investments will provide better equipment and technology so our officers can effectively and safely work in rural and remote areas of the province,” said Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt, the minister responsible for the service.

Find out more in this week’s issue.

With the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) still at the forefront, there is a need now more than ever for Indigenous female role models and advocates to come forward to spark change. An Indigenous female advocate, from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation (SCN), has been creating a movement through her actions that speak to the issues Indigenous women are facing today.
“I’m from SCN and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe,” said Chante Speidel. “I currently reside in Saskatoon, where I am studying at the University of Saskatchewan. I plan to graduate in Spring 2023 with my Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies. I currently work at the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority as a Human Resources Assistant.”
Speidel started as a youth entering Indigenous pageants as a means to advocate for MMIWG. With each pageant she entered, a new opportunity presented itself and she was able to further establish herself as an advocate and role model for Indigenous women and girls.
“In 2017, I was 15 years old vying for the title of Miss Manito Ahbee,” said Speidel. “This title is a youth ambassador role to advocate for MMIWG. Every four years the Manito Ahbee celebration selects a family that lost a loved one to this reality and honours them by sharing their story and allowing the youth ambassador to represent them.
“In April 2022, I was in the Miss Indian World Pageant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This title is a chance for young Indigenous women from ages 18 to 25 to showcase themselves as a cultural ambassador. This pageant is showcased at the largest powwow in the world. I received Second Runner Up in the pageant.
“In October 2022, I ran for Miss He Sapa Win at the He Sapa Wacipi in Rapid City, South Dakota,” said Speidel. “This title is for women ages 18 to 25 to run as a cultural ambassador representing the Oceti Sakowin –Dakota, Nakoda and Lakota peoples also known as the Seven Council Fires. I received First Runner Up in this pageant.
“I ran for Miss Manito Ahbee because I had a passion for being an advocate, especially in regards to MMIWG. I ran for Miss Indian World and Miss He Sapa Win because of my passion to be a leader, advocate and demonstrate myself as an Indigenous role model. I always wanted to run, these roles are prestigious in Indigenous communities.
“I got involved because in Indigenous communities for young people there aren’t many leadership titles; more are coming along now, but I have always been interested in leadership and speaking,” said Speidel. “My parents are leaders and my Kunsi (grandma) is my hero. They all have been in many leadership roles and I guess from observation and travelling with them to speak, dance or sing, they have inspired me to do it too.”
Participating in the pageants has helped Speidel stay connected to the issues many young Indigenous people are facing. She has also built bonds with other contestants to create a very close network.
“In pageant I have learned about what other young people are doing and connected with the girls very closely to create a sisterhood,” said Speidel. “Now I have over 30 sisters all over Turtle Island creating change, being leaders and cultural ambassadors. It was an experience I will never forget. I have always aspired to be the women who held these titles in the past.
“There is something different about the uplifting feeling you get when you are surrounded by powerful Indigenous women, who are proud of who they are and move beautifully. I’m interested though in maybe doing something mainstream such as the Canada Globe Pageant or something.
“I have been speaking forever, but was confident in my voice when I was 15 and I started to speak more often,” said Speidel. “After holding the title of Miss Manito Ahbee, I travelled more often to conferences and events across Canada and the United States. After about three years of doing that I had to focus on school, so I slowed down, but also COVID-19 happened.
“I started to join youth councils and committees in Saskatoon and National boards. I was just eager to keep speaking and getting practice. Now I’m an Office of the Treaty Commissioner Speakers Bureau member, and use this service to get organizations and councils to book me for presentations. I got into speaking after holding the title to continue advocating. I just didn’t want to stop being an advocate, because my reign was over. I still feel that way, I have to keep speaking and doing the work to initiate change and make a mark. I always felt that was my duty on earth, to speak and lead.”
Recently Speidel was asked to be the keynote speaker for Cultural Conversation: The Legacy of Indigenous Womanhood and Culture, hosted by the Saskatchewan Health Authority. This was an excellent opportunity for Speidel to share her experiences and to get the message out to others.
“The presentation went great and I loved the questions I received and the energy I felt when I did it,” said Speidel. “I talked about my perspective of culture and womanhood, using a Lakota prophecy story, Pte San Win- White Buffalo Calf Woman and medicine wheels translated into Lakota. Talked about the resiliency and dynamic of Lakota culture and womanhood. I shared history and connected it to colonial issues that have impacted the traditional ways of doing things for all Indigenous people. I then got into the topic of MMIWG2+.
“I shared the story of Lorna Blacksmith, the young woman I represented while being Miss Manito Ahbee. I talked about the history and factors that lead to sexualization, racism and discrimination of Indigenous women, which also are factors to MMIWG and violence towards Indigenous women. Because I know it is important to stay hopeful, I shared Chris Scribe’s Framework to Change, an eight-step process to create change in the community. My last slide was dedicated to Indigenous women heroes and leaders.”
With the recent news of a serial killer in Winnipeg murdering four Indigenous women, it’s hard to not feel the pain. Speidel knows the threat towards Indigenous women is real and that the need for change, in terms of creating safe places for Indigenous women, is greater now than ever.
“Hearing this news hurts, but yet does not surprise me, for we are unfortunately used to this treatment,” said Speidel. “Everyday Indigenous women walk with targets on their backs in society. Walking to your car alone at night is scary. Even walking around the city in daylight is scary. You never know the situations and possibilities that could happen so a lot of us live in fear. We have extra safety measures and avoid doing certain things. It has impacted our choice of clothing or recreational activities, I can speak from experience I will not go anywhere without anything showing even if it is hot outside.
“This issue is real; we live in fear every day. When I log into Facebook, my timeline has at least five missing posters or a family members' post announcing their loved one has been murdered. That is the reality of being Indigenous today.
“In regards to this news, I feel that this shows that Indigenous people are in need of allies and support,” said Speidel. “They need to investigate these cases and murders like they are human beings. We deserve an investigation and attention from the media on this case. Every social system should have training on truth and reconciliation, and the calls to justice for MMIWG enforced for all employees. No more numbers and statistics; we are people. We are missed, we have people who love us, and we have people who mourn our death. It is time for this issue to be treated as such.”
Speidel hopes to continue her advocacy work once she has completed her education and through her business.
“My plans are to transform curriculum,” said Speidel. “I definitely want to work with curriculum developers to create accurate Indigenous content with my Indigenous studies degree. I also aspire to expand my business, Techa Oaye, to support Indigenous youth in becoming leaders through hosting conferences and events to cater to mentorship for Indigenous youth. I also plan to use the business to go into Indigenous communities to develop language plans and strategies to bring back our languages for Indigenous youth.”

Families were welcomed backed to gymnasiums across the Valley as Christmas concerts and productions returned at all levels.

The DRCSS varsity boys basketball team got its season off to a solid start claiming the B-side championship at the Sanford Early Cat 16 Team Tournament.

Following an 81-69 first-round loss to a strong St. Maurice club, the Clippers rebounded and did not look back. The DRCSS team took charge in their final three games, defeating Grandview/Gilbert Plains 83-65, downing Stonewall 85-38 and beating the home team Sanford 49-38 in the B-side final.

Varsity girls

The DRCSS varsity girls basketball team brought home third place at its first tournament of the season, the Crocus Plains tournament.

The local team won its first game against Vincent Massey 61-32. With a short bench, they fell to Neelin 38-53 in the semifinal. The team then played Warren for third place and won 52-31. Tazz Genik was named a tournament all-star.

The Christmas Cup is returning to Dauphin after the Westman High School Hockey League’s Clippers took down the Neepawa Tigers 5-4 at Credit Union Place, Thursday.

Dauphin opened the scoring early when Trayden Guiboche scored his first of two straight in the game but Neepawa tallied three unanswered to grab a 3-1 lead in the second period.

In the second Guiboche and Tyron Sweetman scored to get the Clippers back on even terms before they fell behind 4-3 in the third period.

Dauphin then got goal from Liam Chartrand to even things up and Logan Chapman notched the game winner on the power play.

Head Coach Josh Yaschyshyn said the team had some nerves early on but pushed through them and came back.

“The rink was really full for the game, it was fantastic. Once we got hit a couple times and found our legs we were able to get the teddy bear goal out of the way. It was a really good effort for us.”

Dauphin found themselves in trouble when it came to penalties, especially in the second period but Yaschyshyn credits his team’s defence and penalty kill group for getting them through the turbulence.

“We’ve got a real strong penalty kill, we use lots of players on it and they’re not afraid to block shots, get hit or make a play along the wall. I’d like to say we’re a defence first team,” he said. “We haven’t given up a lot of goals this season so far and we take a lot of pride in that.”

Clipper captain Chapman came up big for his team in the third period, scoring the game winner on the man advantage. Yaschyshyn says he’s been a very dependable guy all season.

“He hasn’t had the greatest puck luck this year, but he sets the tone for us each and every night,” Yaschyshyn said. “We gave up two quick goals in the second to fall behind 3-1 and he really settled us down and led the way for us. Same with Trayden Guiboche, they were awesome for us.”

Between the pipes it was Owen Chubka stopping 32 of the 36 shots he faced for the victory.

Dauphin now heads into its Christmas break and will not return to the ice for WHSHL play until Jan. 7, when they host the Birtle Falcons at Credit Union Place.

The Clippers sit first in the league standings with a record of 14-2-0 on the year, two points ahead of the Killarney Raiders.

Yaschyshyn adds it’s nice to have the Christmas Cup back in the city of sunshine.

“There may not be an uglier trophy, but I would not trade it for the world.”

While Assistant Commissioner Rob Hill took over command of Manitoba RCMP in July, the change in leadership was officially recognized in a special ceremony last week.

Officers, employees, and special guests from across the province and nationwide welcomed the new commanding officer in a traditional RCMP Change of Command ceremony at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg.

The ceremony is an RCMP tradition that marks the symbolic handover of authority from the outgoing Commanding Officer to the new leader of the force in the province. The ceremony involved RCMP Pipes and Drums, a ceremonial troop, and a flag party. There was a parchment signing and the transfer of the Divisional ensign from outgoing Commanding Officer Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy to Hill. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki oversaw the ceremony.

“While we are sad to see Assistant Commissioner MacLatchy go, she is leaving the province of Manitoba in very good hands,” Lucki said. “Assistant Commissioner Rob Hill brings a breadth of experience to the role. He has Manitoba roots that tie him firmly to the people of this province. He is committed to building relationships, employee wellness and rural crime reduction, and I know he will tackle these issues with the same enthusiasm he brings to everything involving public safety.”

Hill joined the RCMP in 1997 and spent 10 years in Manitoba with postings in Morris, Island Lake and Winnipeg Drug Section. While in Manitoba, he became involved in the Critical Incident Program as a Tactical Medic with the Emergency Response Team.

In 2007, he accepted a position with the National Critical Incident Program in Ottawa, where he developed and oversaw the implementation of the RCMP’s Tactical Casualty Management Program. During his time in Ottawa, he was involved in planning and operational deployments to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and the 2010 G8 and G20 Summits.

In 2013, Hill was promoted to Inspector and moved to the Arctic where he was a Critical Incident Commander and the Administration and Personnel Officer for Nunavut RCMP.

In 2016, he transferred to Alberta and was the officer in charge of Stony Plain/Spruce Grove/Enoch Detachment. He was later promoted to Superintendent as the Assistant District Officer of the Central Alberta District. During this time, he continued duties as a Critical Incident Commander.

In February 2019, he was appointed to the position of Criminal Operations Officer with the Manitoba RCMP.

“I am humbled and excited to take on the role of Commanding Officer,” Hill said. “I commit to continue to learn from the lived experiences of diverse RCMP employees and the diverse communities we serve to make sure we are having the necessary discussions and are moving in the right direction. We are living and policing in challenging times, but I am optimistic about our future. I think the more we work together as people, as communities, the better we will be able to forge a path forward.”

Heather Kindret’s Grade 9 Life/Work class from the Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School visited Dauphin Regional Health Centre and the personal care home as part of their career exploration.

The class was appreciative of facility staff for the great tour of the facility and the snacks provided.

The career development program is divided into five themes - Personal Management, Career Exploration , Learning and Planning, Job Seeking and Job Maintenance and Career and Community Experiences.

The program provides students with an overview of career development outcomes with emphasis on building positive self-esteem, exploring self-assessment, locating work information, and selecting high school courses.

A petition has popped up on Change.org calling out Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute (MBCI) for creating a strict rule about students not being allowed to have backpacks and jackets in class and that those items must be kept in students’ lockers.
Within the petition that was sent to MBCI Principal Trevor Lane, a student had made comments about the unfairness of not allowing students to have their backpacks or jackets with them in class. Issues of carrying all the books needed was brought up and the inconvenience of having a locker located on the other side of the school from the classroom a student may be in, was another. The petition goes so far to say that if things are not changed, there will be a peaceful protest.
What seems to be forgotten in all of this is the actual reasoning behind it and the fact that this is not a new rule.
“There has been a lot of misunderstanding and inaccuracy surrounding the policy that MBCI has around not allowing backpacks or jackets in class,” said MBCI Principal Trevor Lane. “I will accept responsibility for not incorporating this policy back in to action when school started in September. This would have been brought up back then during the orientation meetings with students. I also should have gone around to each classroom and explained why this had to go back to the way it was before.

The Town of the Pas Council met last Wednesday for their final meeting of the 2022 year. With the recent amount of snowfall that has taken place in the area, council is making it a priority to focus on how to better streamline this service going forward.
“What we’re wanting to do is bring some more visibility to the whole snow removal process and by-laws,” said Town of The Pas Mayor Andre Murphy. “Our administration and public works are going to sit down and see if there’s a better way of doing snow removal. One of the biggest challenges I see is really around communication of it.