People abandoning pets has been an unfortunate common occurrence that puts a lot of strain on animal rescue agencies. Recently the Valley has had some local heroes step up to rescue a small dog last weekend that was abandoned and left in distress.
Swan River MLA Rick Wowchuk first spotted the dog outside of Cowan and posted seeing it all alone in the park. Sherry Markle then brought it to the attention of the Swan Valley Animal Protection League (SVAPL). This sparked a frenzy of concern for the little dog that led to a few rescue attempts to bring her to safety by members of the SVAPL and other volunteers.
“The first night Lisa and I went out, was on Thursday, June 13, at about 8 p.m.,” said Jenn Ferron. “That’s when we first learned about her. The dog was not having anything to do with us and ran into the park and bushes, and we couldn’t find her after a while.
“On the next day, we had more success. It’s a good thing she was hungry because we were able to bribe her with food and she would come close to us. She would come up and eat out of our hands, but she still didn’t want to be caught. We spent a total of five hours that night with the dog all along the side of the highway. The people in Cowan were wonderful as well, for letting us sit on their lawns while we tried to coax her along.
“Then on Saturday when I went out there, I walked up and down the highway because I couldn’t find her,” said Ferron. “Once I started calling the dog’s name, she jumped out of the lilac bushes and let me pet her and continued to eat from my hand, but still very skittish.”
Lisa Scales, Myrna Klein, Lori-Ann Sushelnicki and Ferron all tried to rescue the dog and eventually it was safely caught and brought in. The poor dog was covered with over 50 wood ticks from being left out and running in the long grass. Stephanie and James Wigley went to the vet Saturday morning to get Bravecto to get rid of the ticks.
“The dog was just covered in wood ticks and we noticed some really big ones when we first saw her,” said Ferron. “They fell off, but they were around her eyes and mouth, which was from running in the bush.
“We only learned about this dog on Thursday night, because of Rick Wowchuk letting us know. We don’t know how long the dog was left unattended, but that was the first sighting of her that we had knowledge of.”
The little dog has been named Lila because she would come out of hiding from the lilac bushes along the highway when rescuers were searching for her. Lila is doing well and has been to the vet for care. She is a very smart little dog, is housebroken, loves to play, crate trained for evenings and is a lapdog.
“The dog was seen by the vet and got fixed as well,” said Ferron. “She will need time to get over all she has been through before she can be adopted. She was given medication to help with all the wood ticks she had on her and they’ve all fallen off. At least she can heal from that and it’s not bothering her anymore. The dog is eating well and doing very well.
“My greatest reward for this was when Lisa phoned me at 10:30 p.m. on the evening of the day we rescued Lila and told me she was wagging her tail. To me that was great and that is the reward we get. I’ve gone to see the dog the last couple of days and she is so full of kisses and snuggles. She really is a loving dog, so for her to be that scared and alone, I can only imagine what this dog went through. It takes a lot for a pet to trust someone, especially after they’ve been abandoned by a previous owner. Most of the time they are just waiting for their owner and don’t know what is going on.”
The SVAPL asks that people do the responsible thing when it comes to not being able to care for a pet any longer. Having a pet is a huge responsibility and they become members of the family. Abandoning them in a foreign place is a cruel thing to do and there are better ways to handle it that would not put the pet at risk of dying.
“Unfortunately, with animal rescue, we see that all the time,” said Ferron. “It breaks my heart. I’ve been blessed to foster over 40 dogs in my care and it’s a heartbreaking thing, but I find it rewarding in the end when we find these dogs their forever home.
“If a person has a dog that for some reason they can’t look after or that they find abandoned, we encourage them to call the municipality or us for help. We can post to help rehome the dog, but please do not abandon or leave them. They are scared and could get hurt or worse, killed. Reach out to someone rather than doing this.”
The Valley has many community heroes and Ferron is thankful to all who helped save Lila’s life. It took a group of caring and concerned citizens to make all the difference in this little dog’s life and soon she will go to a home where she will be cared for and loved.
“As Lisa had said on social media, it took a village to rescue this little dog and I couldn’t have done it without people posting on Facebook and keeping us updated,” said Ferron. “From Rick posting, that he found her, to Myrna coming out to help, it really does take a village and I’m thankful to everyone who helped.”

When a loved one gets sick, it takes the strength of friends, family and loved ones to help them get through this, and sadly that isn’t always enough. MacKenzie MacLeod received some devastating and heartbreaking news that her brother, Robert MacLeod, is in the fight of his life and needed her help.
“In late April 2024, my brother Robert who is 26 years old, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with an FLT3 gene mutation, which is a very aggressive form of blood cancer that requires intensive long-term radiation, chemotherapy, and an allogeneic stem cell and bone marrow transplant, once a donor is identified,” said MacKenzie. “This cancer is very dangerous, and without a transplant, Robert has 29 percent survivability beyond five years.
“His wife, Ashley, is 35 weeks pregnant and they have a young daughter, MacKinley who is under the age of five. Robert has been admitted to the University of Alberta Hospital and is still fighting to achieve remission. This cancer is fast-acting and his prognosis is poor. The goal is to get his body into remission so that he may be healthy enough to be transferred to Winnipeg, where he can receive the exact kind of treatment needed for this particular blood cancer.
“My brother is larger than life, literally,” said MacKenzie. “He stands over six feet tall, has broad shoulders, is physically strong, mentally tough, and has been hard working to support his family. He possesses the vigour inherent in young adults with their entire lives ahead of them. Robert is an avid outdoorsman, hunting, trail quadding, boating and smoking meat.
“Robert had just begun his application to the RCMP days before his diagnosis. His dream was to be an RCMP officer, raise his children in Minitonas, and live a life full of love, adventure and memories. Today, while Robert accepts his fate and mentally prepares to go to war against this blood cancer, he shares how when he finally returns home to Minitonas, cancer-free, he looks forward to driving truck for Rick Bresky and keeping his life simple and close to home.
“Since cancer entered our lives at the end of April, my brother told me, he just wants to get better so he can be a good father to his children, a good husband to his wife, and he will never leave home again,” said MacKenzie “As cancer does its work and the medical team tirelessly works to save his life, Robert understands that this is an insidious illness and he has a long gruelling battle between him and recovery. We are terrified, sickened with the fear of losing him, his life cut short at 26 when our social laws of nature dictate, that he is to have a long happy life, not fighting for tomorrow in a hospital bed hundreds of miles from home.”
Not only has MacKenzie been an emotional support to her brother, but she is taking it a step further to raise funds and future support for any family from the area, who may have the unfortunate experiences her brother is currently going through.
“This diagnosis immediately halted our lives,” said MacKenzie. “We as a family, discussed how we could logistically position ourselves to protect and support Robert and his family while ensuring his best medical outcome. It was clear that money and safe-adequate-affordable housing close to HSC where he must receive multiple treatments of chemotherapy and radiation each day are our greatest barriers. Robert is unable to work due to his terminal illness and Ashley, on maternity leave, has been a dedicated mother and wife never leaving her husband’s side. As a young couple with a little girl and another on the way, they are struggling with a number of challenges that jeopardize their ability to fully focus on accessing lifesaving cancer care.
“I asked my brother when I returned home upon the news on compassionate leave from the Army where I was posted to CFB Gagetown, NB, ‘How do you need me to be here for you?’ He responded, that he needed me to care for Ashley, MacKinley, and the baby while he goes for treatment. He said they’re all going to really need me and that’s what he needed me to do. I told him that I wouldn’t ever leave him and promised I would always be there for them. I’ve got my brother.”
“In 2010, I ran 450 km solo in nine days from Dauphin to Winnipeg, to raise funds for Wounded Warriors and help educate Canadians on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how best to support their soldiers returning from combat who may be battling with invisible psychological injuries,” said MacKenzie. “My Wounded Warrior Run was a huge success, having raised over $30k in donations.
“I intend to adopt the same approach to help raise medical funds to secure long-term safe, secure housing for families from Swan River, Minitonas, Kenville, and Bowsman to empower other families who may be faced with similar hardships as my brother to facilitate their access to lifesaving care in Winnipeg. My vision is to name this house after my brother.
“The MacLeod House will ensure community members have access to lifesaving cancer care while keeping the family together, including their pets, so they can focus on fighting for tomorrow with dignity and respect,” said MacKenzie. “Politically, we know that safe, secure and affordable housing is a significant critical issue in Canada, however, within the scope of universal healthcare, this prevents individuals and their families from actually accessing universal lifesaving cancer care. This is a human rights issue far beyond my brother. I intend to rally tons of attention, energy, support and ultimately make this vision a reality in my brother’s honour.
“Currently, this is in the brainstorming stages, but I intend to create and conduct a bike-by-relay called, Cycle for Cancer Care. This relay will start from the front door of my brother’s house in Minitonas and will end at the front doors of the Health Science Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg, to raise funds to help support my vision to secure The MacLeod House.
“My small relay team is composed of veterans and soldiers who are volunteering their time and their bodies to Cycle for Cancer Care, which will be attached to a non-profit that I intend to create called, Robert MacLeod - #Fighting4Tomorrow,” said MacKenzie. “All funds donated will be evenly divided between my brother, Robert MacLeod, to help support his medical expenses and the other funds will be used to put a down payment on a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a fenced yard for children and pets to play located close to the HSC.
“I’m still connecting with organizations within town to attempt to partner the house so that it will be privately maintained long into the future and available to our people when they need it most. The goal is to ensure no other family from our communities ever has to struggle to keep their family together while they fight for tomorrow.”
Along with MacKenzie’s fundraising efforts, there have been some local initiatives to help out Robert and his family during these unfortunate circumstances. There are a variety of ways for people in the Valley to help out.
“The Minitonas Motor Hotel is hosting a meat draw as a medical fundraiser for Robert MacLeod on June 22 from 7 to 9 p.m.,” said MacKenzie. “Tickets are 3 for $5. Special thank you to Misty who is organizing and hosting this event to help raise funds that will go directly to Robert’s family to aid with expenses as he fights AML.
“There is a GoFundMe page organized by Paige Berlinguette entitled, “Help the MacLeod family fight leukemia” and the Swan River Credit Union is set to receive donations directly into Robert’s chequing account. Eventually, Cycle for Cancer Care Relay will be another mechanism for additional support.
“I’m asking for any local businesses and clubs to approach me directly should they wish to partner with The MacLeod House, as I will need that residence to be managed long-term,” said MacKenzie. “Additionally, my team is looking for additional volunteers to cycle from Minitonas to Winnipeg, with the trip broken into four days.
“Also, I’m looking for an RV for those days with or without a driver, so that my small team has shelter while we Cycle for Cancer. I respect that not everyone can cycle and I invite motorbike owners to approach me if they would also like to be included in the event as this is accessible to everyone and anyone who wishes to volunteer their time. Please continue to pray for Robert and his family. This is going to be a very long gruelling haul; we appreciate everyone and anyone who has and will continue to lend their support.”

Manitoba country rocker Ryan Keown has passed on his love of music and singing to his eldest son, Austin Ryder, who is now coming into his own in the country music industry. Ryder fostered a love of music at an early age, which resulted in him singing on stage and taking guitar lessons.
“I would say I’ve always been in love with music,” said Ryder. “I grew up with having music played in the house all the time, and being an extroverted person, I was always singing and making noise, which drove my family crazy at times.
“I started as a young little boy in about grade 4, as a special guest with dad’s shows where I would come up and sing a song with the band. It was always the song, Wagon Wheel, which is a crowd favourite. It wasn’t long after that I wanted to take guitar lessons, so I went to Stan Ostafie and he taught me how to play. Then in grade 8, that grew into me opening up for my dad’s shows and performing the first set of the night with his full band.
“It grew from there and I got the singing bug,” said Ryder. “I started learning some songs on my own and practicing to play alongside my dad in the band.”
For Ryder, watching his dad perform with his band was a normal way of life and an excellent way to spend time together as a family. It also instilled in him the dedication needed to foster talent and passion, and all the hard work needed to make it a reality.
“Growing up, I didn’t know anything different when it came to living the life of a musician,” said Ryder. “When I was in school, it was normal to know that on weekends, we would be travelling to wherever my dad was headlining or a concert. It was something all of us grew up with and it was fun, exciting and provided with some good stories to tell afterwards.
“I normalized following my passion and dreams from an early age as a result of that. My dad showed us that if we wanted to do something, we could absolutely make our dreams a reality and chase them. He was very encouraging in that.
“My dad was more of a role model and supported me when it came to music,” said Ryder. “He didn’t want to take on the direct role of pushing me into music. He wanted it to be a passion of my own, so I took music lessons from Stan and I kind of grew from there. He provided me with some opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to get on my own, but he wanted to be careful to ensure it was something I wanted to do.”
Ryder has experienced what it’s like to perform with a band on stage. It’s a different experience to performing solo and he feels like a band is your team that gets you through every aspect of performing on stage.
“I think that my start with performing with a full band happened before I started taking lessons of my own, that having the band there was a comfort and support system,” said Ryder. “I knew that the band had my back and if anything went wrong, they knew what to do and how to help me. That was empowering to have a full band. It’s awesome to have it all come together because you work so hard learning these songs on your own, and then being able to play them with a band to make music is a great experience.
“I have been fortunate to play with a couple of different bands in Calgary, even though I’m most familiar with our band back home, but the ones out here really know their stuff and they’re there to help. You can’t make a mistake with them, because they will follow you and help you out. It’s good to know that if it doesn’t go perfectly, no one will know because the band is there to back you up.”
When it comes to listening to music and performing artists, Ryder has his favourites in the country music industry.
“Vocally, I think Chris Stapleton is hands down the best in the business,” said Ryder. “He’s in a league of his own and to say one inspires to be like him is a bit of a longshot, but he is incredible. Stage presence-wise, I really look up to Cody Johnson. I recently saw him in concert in Calgary and he’s such a true classic cowboy. He is super humble, kind and classy on stage. He’s absolutely an entertainer.”
Ryder has been busy since he graduated from high school in Roblin and has been studying at university while making music. He has gained a lot of exposure and experience on stage performing in Calgary for different events and venues.
“I will be starting my fourth year of biochemistry in Calgary and will be graduating next spring,” said Ryder.
“Aside from my studies, I’ve been playing at local venues in the city. I’ve played at Ranchman’s numerous times and recently at Calgary’s International Beerfest. I do get a lot of opportunities to practice quite a bit. In my free time, so on Friday nights, you can catch me at the Ronald McDonald House playing music and singing to the families and children staying there for medical reasons. They are an audience that I get to practice for every week, which also helps me prepare for the bigger shows in Calgary. It’s a good balance, otherwise, I would find myself heavily involved in my schoolwork without any opportunity to keep up with my music.
“Calgary is called Canada’s Greatest Honky-Tonk, so knowing that and walking into Ranchman’s is intimidating but special at the same time,” said Ryder. “It was a great opportunity because there’s an atmosphere in there and the vibe from the stage, dance floor and employees are country to the core. It’s special to me because knowing the musicians who have played that stage before me and now, I’m getting to take part in that is all so surreal. It draws a different crowd than what I’m used to back home.”
Along with performing on stage, Ryder is now embarking on songwriting and recording. He will be releasing his first single very soon.
“I’m doing a little bit of writing now,” said Ryder. “My new single, Spin, that is coming out is one I didn’t write but was pitched to me out of Nashville. After listening to a couple hundred songs, when I heard this one, I knew I could make it my own. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to put my own spin on it and recorded it a couple of months ago.
“This single is all my own. I started meeting my producer, Bart McKay from Saskatoon, to get a feel for where we wanted the song to go. We put some inspirations that we want to include in the song and how we could modify it, versus the placement of things.
“Then it was a two-day studio session. On the first day, we laid down the tracks and recorded every part that fit the vision we had for the song. Then the second day, was the vocals, which was a half-day process of me singing the same song on repeat, with some changes in inflections and articulation of my words. Then we dove into the individual sections of the song to get the most out of it.
“I’m pleased with the way it has all come together and Spin should be out in the very near future,” said Ryder.”
Summer is going to prove to be a busy one for Ryder and he has a schedule packed with gigs and performances all over, from Manitoba and back into Alberta.
“We’ve got a busy summer coming up,” said Ryder. “Fortunately, I’ve had lots of opportunities here in Calgary, but I look forward to going back home. We have a long list of summer performances back home playing festivals, such as Dauphin Countryfest, as well as some rodeos and festivals. Then we will travel back to Calgary for the Stampede. Dad will get to take the stage with me at the Calgary Stampede, so this is the first gig that I’ve booked for him.”