After their scheduled celebration was rained out the weekend before, Waywayseecappo First Nation held their second annual Gay Pride parade on June 29th just in time to end off Gay Pride month.

The brightly colored floats carrying residents of all ages, made their way through the business district in Waywayseecappo and onto Hwy 45 for a short loop back. 

The parade was followed by a barbeque and dance.

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The roar of engines and the smell of burnt tires and clutch wafted through the grounds of the Merridale Community Centre
July 1 as the Merridale Community Club hosted its first mud bog in three years. The day featured some great action which included a smoke show.

Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development is advising of additional management actions to help prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
CWD was first detected in Manitoba in 2021 in five mule deer along the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border. If the disease spreads and becomes endemic to Manitoba, there is a serious risk that CWD will threaten the health of all cervid populations in Manitoba.

Roblin Elementary School bid a fond farewell to the 26 members of its Grade 8 class at a final assembly, June 28.
Several students were recognized for their scholastic, athletic, music and citizenship accomplishments.

The dream of bringing a Métis musical festival to Roblin came to fruition over the July long weekend when the Roblin MMF Local hosted Li Festival Di Michif on the former St. Vlad’s grounds.
And it was a huge success.
Li Festival Di Michif brought in former residents from the Boggy Creek, San Clara and Shell River areas, along with other guests, to hear a variety of Métis music and see some old familiar faces.

There’s a new way for northern artisans to promote their work and sell it without the hassle of trying to create something on their own. Uptown Emporium 54 is a sub-organization of the Flin Flon Arts Council that offers an online platform and a storefront in Flin Flon, that showcases handcrafted items by northern artisans.
“We first opened up our shop in December of 2020,” said Uptown Emporium 54 Project Manager Sophia Charuk. “It has started because our 40th annual Arts and Crafts Sale, which is usually put on by the Flin Flon Arts Council in November, had to undergo some changes because of the pandemic. With the public health restrictions in place, there was no way it could be set up for artisans to sell their arts and crafts in a traditional way.

The grade nine art class this semester created some wonderful marionette puppets using wire, paper and paste. The project, used old newspapers from the Opasquia Times, and showed the creativity of the students.
“It was wonderful to see the students collaborating, to develop thematic ideas and help each other,” Visual Arts Specialist Pegi McGillivray commented on the student’s work.
The students not only created the marionettes, but also work to create displays for them. The work was completed prior to the June band concert held at MBCI.
“Students created backdrops in the theme of their puppets, Thank you to my students for showing so much enthusiasm and dedication,’ McGillivray commented, adding, “I had a great time working with you. Happy summer and see you in September.”

On one of the first fabulous weather days in June, the Christ Church held a Teddy Bears Picnic. The picnic welcomed teddy bears, as well as a variety of other stuffies, and their owners of all ages to joing them in games, face painting, food as well a visit from The Pas Animal Shelter puppies. Also on-site was The Pas Community Choir and Andrew Legeny and Kathy McKay, playing fiddle music.
While kids and adults alike played games and enjoyed each others company, Teddy Bears needed medical assistance for rips, tears, missing eyes or just a simple band aid on a boo boo, where welcomed at the picnic’s First Aid Station.

The Major Pratt School graduation class of 2022

Activities in the area included pancake breakfasts in Minitonas and Benito, baseball and slo-pitch, live music, a car show, a picnic-in-the-park at Swan River Legion Park, fireworks and plenty more fun for all.