In the largest Red River Métis event of all time, 4,000 Citizens gathered to unite in a historic vote to unanimously ratify the Red River Self-Government Treaty, which protects our governance rights in Canada’s constitution.
Our assemblies have always been crucial in Red River Métis collective and democratic decision-making and action-taking. The vote was part of the Manitoba Métis Federation’s (MMF) Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) at the Assiniboia Downs on June 3-4. In addition to virtual participation, Citizens had the opportunity to vote from satellite locations in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Thompson, The Pas, Dauphin, and Selkirk.
During his State of the Nation address, MMF President David Chartrand called the assembly a “day of reckoning” for our people.
“Let’s never forget that this country made a promise that they would settle a treaty with our great leader Louis Riel. That they would settle the treaty with your families, my families. They did not fulfill that promise,” said President Chartrand.

The Pas Arts Council will be teaming up with KB Coffee to offer a concert and coffeehouse in The Pas called Songs For Trees. Jacob Harvie will open up for the main act, which consists of Norine Braun and Alice Fraser.
Braun was born in Ottawa, raised in Alberta, and is now a Vancouver-based Metis singer, songwriter and recording artist. Norine Braun is on a Prairie Circle Tour this June, alongside partner Alice Fraser, who plays keys and does the harmony vocals.

The Citizens for Protecting Our Northern Waterways Inc. (CPONW) is a coalition of local citizen and business volunteers committed to the protection of pristine waterways in northern Manitoba.

There are representatives from The Pas, Clearwater Lake, Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), Rocky Lake, Cranberry Portage, Sherridon, Snow Lake, Thompson and Chemawawin First Nation.

The group’s focus has been preventing the spread of invasive zebra mussels, which can be transported to lakes by watercraft that have been in infected waters. 

CPONW has three primary focus areas that include awareness, outreach and advocacy, resource material and government liaison. 

“We work closely with the provincial government’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Unit,” said CPONW President Chris Smith. “Our group determined very early on that it was important to collaborate with them to work together, rather than doing something counter-productive. The AIS Unit monitors quite a number of lakes in Manitoba and in that, they have a group of lakes in an area that we’re interested in."

Read more in this week's edition of the Opasquia Times!

From April through late June this year, Mme. Kori Nagle’s Grade 6 French Immersion students built their own vision of a resilient community from the ground up, piece by piece. Their finished model featured a water filtration system, rainwater barrels, solar-powered buildings and vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations, hospital and wellness centre, animal shelter, bike & walking path along the river, farmers’ market, recycling/repurposing/composting centre, rec centre, arts & music performance space, public bathrooms — and much more!
This project was a collaboration between the students, Mme. Nagle and local artist Avery Ascher.

THE TRI-COMMUNITY Pride celebration saw more than 300 people participate in the parade and festival Saturday afternoon.

Once upon a time, there lived a wonderful boy named Dhzhyvon who lived in a city named Kyiv, Ukraine. Then in 2021 Dhyzhyvon moved with his parents and little sister Adelina, to a new town named The Pas, in a new country named Canada. Everything in The Pas was different - even the language everyone spoke!
Dhzhyvon worked hard to learn English, and he was a great help to his parents and teachers. When war shortly broke out in Ukraine, Dhzhyvon's grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins lived in Smela, in the Cherkasy region (and they still do to this day).