A very special MMIWG2S awareness project made a stop in The Pas for the first time. The Pembina Valley REDress Project was on display at this year’s Kendara’s Memorial Walk on August 6, 2026. The REDress project was started by an Indigenous artist to create more awareness about the MMIWG2S.
“The REDress was a project created by Jaimie Black, who is a Metis artist out of Winnipeg,” said Pembina Valley REDress Project Co-organizer Courtney Yeo-Thiessen.

The Minitonas and District Lions Club hosted a community wide pancake breakfast last Saturday (August 8), at the Minitonas & District Arena. Many people attended the event that celebrated the residents and volunteers who helped with the 2026 flooding. Here, Levi Church helps Larry Holland collect his plate and untensils.

While buffalo farms aren’t rare, it’s always an interesting sight to see when the public catches a glimpse of a herd, such as this one found between Cowan and Camperville. This particular herd consists of several hundred animals. Pictured here, a small fraction of this herd was found roaming a field, with a couple keeping a close eye on this photographer.

The Inglis Fire Department’s fire chief Glen Gorda travelled to Brandon to pick up a Global Medic fire skid.
This self-contained unit has a 1000 L water tank, high-pressure pump and hose.
In addition, IFD was given 20 fire retardant coveralls. As one of the departments who volunteered to respond to the 2025 Manitoba Wildfires, the Inglis Fire Department was eligible to participate in this program provided by Global Medic, a Canadian-based charity, whose mandate includes equipping local departments for swifter and more effective wildlife frontline operations.
They and the RM of Riding Mountain West greatly appreciate being chosen as a recipient of these items that will help protect their fire fighters and increase their fire fighting capacity.

Last weekend, the Russell Golf Course celebrated their 100th anniversary.
After a day of golf amoung friends, the club members met again on the Sunday morning for a pancake breakfast followed by a speech by RM of Russell Binscarth councillor Brent Havelange and the cutting the official anniversary cake.
Councillor Havelange’s speeches are always a treat. This one, shown below, takes us through the history of the Russell Golf course. Thank you councillor Havelange for allowing us to pass this information onto our readers.
“My name is Brent Havelange I am a counselor, in the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth, also in attendance is my fellow councilor Barry Wishart and ex-councillor Ray Elliot, so on behalf of the municipality, I would like to congratulate the Russell Golf Course on its hundred-year anniversary.
That was all Joan Miller had asked me to say in our first meeting. But after a follow up meeting, she gave me five more chores and expanded this brief speech into the history of The Russell Golf Course.
So, if I see any rolling of the eyes ITS NOT MY FAULT...nor worries it will not last 20 minutes, no one here wants to hear my mumblings for that long.
This quarter section was originally owned by Mr. R. M. Anderson and was purchased for the price of $6000. Mr. Ken Reavie had indicated in a letter that the committee that was struck to negotiate for the purchase was not transparent about what they wanted the land for, fearful that Mr Anderson might raise his asking price if he had known the true purpose it was to be used for. Any councilors who have been involved in similar negotiations for the purchase of farmland in the municipality know what Ken is getting at.

Want to know more? Pick up this week's Russell Banner and get this story on the front page and page 2.

For the last eight years, the Pelly Trail Classic Soap Box Derby has been a favourite summer fun for the entire family. (Top centre) Modelled after old time community fairs, the derby gives kids of all ages (and their families) a chance to show off not only their mechanical creation skills with home-made derby carts but their driving skills down the steepest hill on Pelly Avenue. Participants can either rent a cart or buy it by the kit and build their own through Youth for Christ. Thanks to the efforts of dozens of volunteers helping with everything from the running the carts back up to the top of the hill, to face painting and the manning of the Pelly Classic food booth which served up home made burgers and cotton candy, or the climbing wall (top right) that comes from Madge Lake Bible Camp every year, the Soap Box Derby has been a favorite family fun day. Proceeds from the event go to Youth for Christ located on Russell’s Main Street. Turn to page 5 for more pictures of the event.

Local landscaper Peter Wyss is advising residents of Roblin to check their elm trees for signs of Dutch elm disease (DED).
He says while there are not as many elms in town as there are Manitoba maples, there are still quite a few and many are dead or dying.
Check out this week’s Review for more.

The Arts for Manitoba Indigenous Youth Choir headed to Italy earlier this year to perform in the 29th Alta Pusteria International Choir Festival from June 10 to 14, 2026. The choir was led by Choral Director Rhonda Head and it has been one of many life-altering experiences the youth have embarked on. The scenery in Italy was unlike anything the choir had seen before.
“It was a really awesome experience; it was surreal and all of us kept saying we couldn’t believe we were going,” said Head. “The flight was long and once we arrived, we had jet lag for about two days.

Every summer, there is a campaign launched for people to be responsible and diligent in the effort of preventing Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) from taking up residence in Manitoba lakes and waterways. The most common and concerning AIS is zebra mussels; however, other invasive species can create havoc in waterways.
Recently, the curly-leaf pondweed, a member of the AIS, was detected in North Cranberry Lake.
“It was first detected in early July 2026 by a member of the Manitoba government Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) team who was checking the lake for the presence/absence of zebra mussels and other AIS as part of their annual monitoring program,” said Citizens Protecting Our Northern Waterways (CPONW) President Chris Smith. “Because of our ongoing relationship with the government AIS team, our volunteer group, CPONW, was informed.

A group known as the Indigenous Saskatchewan Women’s Environmental Water Advocacy Keeper (ISKWEWAK) launched a water movement that started on August 1 and runs until August 6. This water movement is a call to educate and urge those living near the Saskatchewan River Delta to resist the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation project, in an effort to protect the delta.
This has been an ongoing effort that is now making its way into Manitoba.
“For me, this started way back, like 20 years ago,” said ISKWEWAK Member Denise Mckenzie. “My husband, who was with the NI Trappers, and I were trying to advocate about what was happening with the water. There was no flow going in; everything was starting to dry up. There was a smell to it, and the animals weren’t area. Everything was dying out.
“We kept getting the runaround. We went to federal and provincial government, with Justice and Environment. They referred us to Water Security and they referred us to the Watershed. Then when the Watershed Department came in and sent someone out to inspect, he said everything was good. We kept getting the runaround and nothing was happening.