Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) is well known for its musicians and artists, and one artist has been working hard to make his dreams come true. Low Budget Rock Star’s Kennie Henderson has dreamed of going to Nashville and do some recording. Thanks to some connections and hard work, he has been able to do just that.
“For me, we’ve come a long ways since the last time talked about my music,” said Henderson. “I remember one interview I had done for the Opasquia Times, where I talked about how I wanted to go to Nashville, connect with some people down there and record some music. Now I’ve done exactly that.

Winnipeg’s number one morning show, featuring a former Valley resident, has another accolade to its credit. Last week, Tyler Carr won an award for Radio/Podcast Host of the Year, and although it’s not Carr’s first award attributed to his work on-air, it’s still one that means a lot to him.
“I’ve won a few awards in the past, but this one specifically, I’ve never received,” said Winnipeg Energy 106 FM Radio Host Tyler Carr. “This one is for the Winnipeg Nightlife and Style Awards and it’s voted by people online. People go online to vote, and the top-voted contestants move on to the next round. The voting happens again and then the winner is chosen by the number of votes. It’s kind of like the Grammys, where they have the list of nominees and then announce the winners live.
“This award was different than the other ones, for me, because this one was more local. It had people from Winnipeg and all over Manitoba voting, whereas the other awards I received in the past, were voted on by boards or members. To get an award that is voted on by people in your community and listening area is surreal.”
The criteria this particular award is based on, comes from the fans and listeners themselves, for they are the ones who cast the votes. For Carr and his team, their morning show is both a regular timeslot feature and is also a podcast for people to take in whenever. Carr believes this played a pivotal role in him winning the award.
“The award is Radio/Podcast Host, so it’s out of a pool of people who are hosting morning, afternoon or evening radio, or someone who is hosting a podcast show,” said Carr. “It’s a versatile award category, but at the same time, it’s all-encompassing. For me, the best thing is doing the morning show. I just love being a part of hosting the morning show on Energy 106.
“My best friend and colleague, Dave Wheeler, also edits our show and makes a podcast out of it. So, for the listeners who didn’t catch the morning show, they can still get our show at any hour, at any time, with no music. It still provides what’s happening and going on in the area, which allows people to still access our content. We have this radio show and it’s also a podcast, so I think that helped me in terms of this award.”
Carr recognizes that not everything discussed on-air can have that light and fluffy feel to it, but the overall goal is about connecting with people on a real level and one that they find themselves in, during that specific moment.
“We don’t steer away from having hard conversations on radio and sometimes tensions get high, but we like to be real and show every emotion,” said Carr. “That is the part of the morning show I love the most. I get feedback from people in Winnipeg to Swan River, who appreciate that raw emotion that they can’t get anywhere else that time of day. It helps people not feel alone first thing in the morning on that drive to work or wherever they may be starting the day. I wouldn’t change this timeslot for anything in the world.
“We do this feature called the Loud Line and I think it’s my favourite thing. It’s a voicemail that callers can call in at any time and they leave stories, jokes, rants, or whatever and we play it at the same time every day. I love it because we get these messages and hear what others are going through or having to say, which allows us to hear their stories. So, they are listening to us, and we are listening to them. It’s like we are interacting with them on a certain level.”
There are several components to being an on-air radio host that Carr loves. Although mornings may not be his thing, he loves being a part of helping set others on the right foot to start their day.
“I will be honest, I am not a morning person, but I love the timeslot because it’s when everyone is going to work and you have the opportunity to help them get ready for their day,” said Carr. “Maybe they woke up not in a good mood or are stressed out, and we are trying to set them up as best as possible for their day, whether that is trying to make them laugh or giving them information so they can be aware. I love that.
“Then when I’m out in the community, I will have listeners come up to me and tell me they were having a really bad day and we said something on the radio that made them laugh and it changed the rest of their day. That’s why I love that timeslot because I have the opportunity to make someone else’s entire day better.
“Honestly, the feedback we get back from people listening, also helps us with our day, because we’re starting our day in the studio,” said Carr. “When they are sending you positive text messages, it just feels like a radio hug with people that you don’t necessarily know and I love that because it’s all about the message of positivity.”

The Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign is launching this week and another local charity is going to be benefitting from the fundraiser. Over the years, The Pas Tim Hortons has seen local support for the Smile Cookie Campaign grow.
“We are launching off our Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign starting April 29 to May 5,” said The Pas Tim Hortons Franchise Owner Kathryn Sanderson. “Over the years this campaign has been growing and well received. The Pas, R.M. of Kelsey and Opaskwayak Cree Nation residents have been huge supporters of it.

Students from Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute (MBCI) who excelled at the Northern Manitoba Skills Competition, advanced to the provincial level at the Manitoba Skills and Development Competition that took place at the end of April. Four students had advanced to compete provincially at Red River College Polytech in Winnipeg.
Zoey Wright entered in photography; Namirembe Afatsawo entered in public speaking; Tyler Atkins entered in small engines and Sandra Lucic competed in hairstyling. All four did an incredible job of representing northern Manitoba students in these skill areas and once excelled to winning gold.
Namirembe Afatsawo, a MBCI grade 12 student, won gold in the public speaking category. Afatsawo has been competing in this category for a few years now.

The burning down of the history Gateway Hotel in The Pas back in 2017, is one that everyone remembers, but one person in particular will always remember that fateful night. Dennis Gabriel Charlette was in the Gateway Hotel the night it burned down and played an epic role in getting people out of the building and to safety. He was one of three people who were presented with the insignia of the Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery.
It is a pin created to mark the 50th anniversary of the Decorations for Bravery Program and is bestowed to those who show selflessness in perilous situations. The pin also is an emblem to recognize the significance of such actions and express the gratitude of Canada. It was established in 1993, by His Excellency the Right Honourable Ramon Hnatyshyn, to broaden the Decoration for Bravery Program.
“I got it for what I did at the Gateway Hotel,” said Dennis Gabriel Charlette. “I was on my way to go guiding the day after it happened. I had stayed at my uncle Patrick’s place at the Gateway Hotel the night before and that’s the night it caught fire.

The Storyteller’s Film Festival is getting ready to showcase some Manitoba talent in the film industry, whether it be writing, directing, or acting. The interest in making films has increased and event organizers are seeing more entries comes from all over the province.
“There will be eight films at this year's Storyteller’s Film Festival,” said Storyteller’s Film Festival Organizer Cheryl Antonio. “Seven of those will be short films and one will be a feature length.
“Submissions for the festival has gone up and they have been coming from all over the province. They went up this year. Also, this year, we had two submissions from one local film maker, however, one of the films, A Conversation About Racism, is about and stars, an Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) member.”