They didn’t come away with any victories, but the Parkland Rangers arguably played their best games of the season, this past weekend in Winnipeg.

Kyler Swanton made 36 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Wild on Saturday, then stopped another 32 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss, Sunday afternoon.

Rangers head coach Tyler Carefoot said it was arguably the most successful weekend the team has had as a group this season.

“It just came down to commitment to team defence, some guts and just competing. That’s the expectation. And after the second game, I straight up said, that’s what we’ve been looking for all season,” he said. “If we keep playing like this, as hard as it is, we’ll be a tough out, but I also think we’ll probably win a few games, too. Hopefully this can end up being the turning point for this group.”

Swanton had his best games of the season, which Carefoot said was nice to see.

“It’s safe to say, he’d be the first guy to tell you that he’s been a little off throughout the season. But for him to come back, especially after nursing an injury the week before, he was just solid,” he said.

Luke Myhre had a strong weekend, netting three goals and an assist in the two games. Carefoot said he was the best player on the ice for both teams.

“For a 15-year-old, he plays a 200-foot game. He’s a power forward who takes key faceoffs matched up against the opponent’s best. He not only produced on the game sheet, but more importantly, he had an impact everywhere in both games,” he said. “To get two points versus a championship caliber program feels great for everyone, players, coaches and parents.”

Havryil Simchuk, the Ukrainian-born player, had another strong weekend, scoring a goal in each game. He now has points in all four games he has played.

“He adds some more depth and he was good. He’s responsible and you can count on him to make the right play and moving the puck around, too,” Carefoot said. “It’s just exciting. It’s nice to be in a meaningful game and it’s nice, as a coach, to pull strings, to get the right pieces on the ice in certain times. And the players themselves, they were in a battle and I think they all felt good about it.”

Carefoot hopes the team can keep the momentum going when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings, tonight at 7:30 p.m., and the Eastman Selects, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

“If we can just keep battling, I think we’ll be alright,” he said.

Dauphin’s Breken Brezden finished in seventh place at 2023 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, last week, in Oshawa, Ont.

Brezden recorded personal bests in both of her skates, posting a score of 56.06 in the short program, which had her in fifth place, before posting a score of 91.64 in the free skate program, which placed her seventh in the nation.

“Going into the competition, I just wanted to do what I’ve been doing in training and get a personal best and improve my placing. So the thing I set out to do, I accomplished and I’m pretty proud of myself,” she said.

It took a while for her seventh place finish to set in.

“At first, it didn’t really sink in yet. But the day after, I’ve been really excited and really happy about it all,” she said.

Her total score of 147.70 was another personal best and put her just .21 points out of fifth place.

“To be able to go out and do that at nationals, I’m pretty proud of myself,” she said.

Brezden hopes to keep improving as she continues her career and is thankful for the support she has received.

“I’m super thankful for my coaches in Hamilton who have helped me. My coach in Dauphin. My coaches all over, the people who have worked with me,” she said. “And then I’ve seen so many nice messages after my skates and I’m super thankful for that. As well as my parents for believing in me and allowing me to make some changes so I can achieve my goals.”

The demolition of the old Acadamy Video location on Second Avenue Northeast hit a snag Thursday afternoon after crews from Stirling Enterprises hit a gas line, which was still charged though it was supposed to have been shut off.

Manitoba Hydro staff had the gas leak contained prior to the arrival of the Dauphin Fire Department on the scene and the demolition was able to continue.

The City of Dauphin is making some major investments in the collection and processing of refuse.

At its regular meeting, council approved an increase in the amount it is willing to pay for the purchase of a new garbage truck, as well as an investment in the refurbishing of the trash compactor at the Dauphin landfill site.

The City originally ordered a new garbage truck in 2021 after a tendering process which saw Peterbilt Manitoba awarded the contract at a price of $341,973.32 plus taxes with a delivery window of approximately 18 months.

When checking on the progress of the build last October, director of Public Works and Operations, Mike VanAlstyne, discovered the truck was not yet in production due to supply train issues.

Peterbilt Manitoba, he told councillors, was only allotted one of the four trucks it ordered. As well, VanAlstyne said in a memo, there have been extreme increases in pricing and surcharges being pushed through the system to the end user, which have resulted in a price jump of $74,038.57 for the City’s truck.

The company proposed a cost-sharing arrangement resulting in each absorbing $37,017.68 of the added costs. Peterbilt Manitoba, VanAlstyne added, is receiving no support from their factory or body suppliers. The company has also reserved a build slot for the City at the end of April meaning the truck would likely be available in September or October of this year.

“At this point this is the best solution we could see. We did get just some verbal quotes from another supplier and it was $120,000 increase for the same unit,” VanAlstyne said.

Council approved the added cost of $37,017.68 with the funds to be drawn from the Machinery and Equipment Reserve Fund.

The new purchase price is $378,991 plus applicable taxes.

“It has been a mess for everybody,” VanAlstyne said. “So we are expecting to see it this year.”

Council also approved an expenditure of $143,362.69 plus fees and taxes to refurbish the landfill compactor which is “requiring some significant work.”

The machine is leaking and burning significant amounts of engine oil, as well as leaking transmission fluid, VanAlstyne said.

The compactor is a 2006 model with approximately 12,000 hours. While it is climbing in age, the hours are low enough to justify the maintenance, VanAlstyne said, adding the City could conceivably expect another 10 years service from the machine if the repairs are made. A good used replacement unit, VanAlstyne said, could cost approximately $1 million, while new machines cost upwards of $1.5 million.

The city has secured quotes from Toromont CAT in Brandon to have the engine replaced and the transmission inspected while the machine is split apart. If further work on the transmission is needed, it may have to be rebuilt, as well. The quotes range in value from $87,170.26 plus fees and taxes for the engine replacement and transmission inspection, to $143,362.69 plus fees and taxes for the engine replacement and complete rebuild of the transmission.

Council approved an expenditure of up to $143,362.69 with the funds coming from the Machinery and Equipment Reserve Fund.

This January, during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society is creating awareness about the many resources available to help support families as they face the challenges of living with dementia.

With more than 18,400 Manitobans living with dementia today, a number expected to reach 39,100 by 2050, the Society continues to enhance support for families impacted by dementia and meet their needs early in, and throughout, their journey.

Check out the feature page in this week’s issue.

Roblin RCMP received a 911 call about 10 to three in the afternoon on Boxing Day from a male that said he needed police, but then hung up. Call taker indicated the male sounded intoxicated.

No location given other than in Roblin. Members attended and patrolled, but no one flagged them down.

Find out what has kept police busy in this week’s RCMP report.

The new year has brought a new doctor to the Roblin Health Centre and the W.E. Nash Clinic. Dr. Donatus Osuorah, also known as Donald, joined the staff and began seeing patients at the clinic on Jan. 3.

“It’s going well,” he said in an interview Friday.

Find out more about Dr. Osuorah in this week’s Review.

Recent foggy weather has left the trees covered in frost more than one day in the past week. This stretch of trees along Eighth Avenue South were a beautiful sight to see yesterday morning.

It was one of those things that quite possibly was just meant to be. Because everything just fell perfectly into place.

Richard and Myrtle Croswaite had been back home for a wedding in the U.K. In the Isle of Mull to be exact.

“I told Daymon about this wonderful entertainer Davy Holt who had been at the wedding - he really got the crowd going - and Daymon, being Daymon said “Get him over,” Myrtle said. As it happens, the friends who were hosting the wedding of their son, Graham and Alison Brown also work at Tobermory Distillery and are scotch whiskey experts. So the dye was cast..... And Pat MacIsaac - who calls himself the ‘Marketing Dude’ from the Russell Inn and Myrtle - who is the Customer Service Manager set to work planning a lovely weekend of something a little unique for people from the prairies.

Read more in this week's Russell Banner!

During the first week of 2023, Darryl Fuz, General Manager of the Paterson Grain terminal in Binscarth presented a cheque for $10,000 to Abbey Vorelick, Care Team Manager for the Russell Health Centre.

The donation is from the Paterson Family Foundation. The Paterson Family Foundation is a private, charitable foundation incorporated under the laws of the Province of Manitoba.

It is composed of a Board of Directors that meets twice a year to make decisions on applications received and to deal with other Foundation business. The Paterson Family Foundation was started in 2018 to follow in the footsteps of dedicated philanthropist Senator Norman McLeod Paterson.

Since then, the foundation has been a devoted supporter of community organizations in the Prairie Regions of Canada. Grants are made to charitable, non-profit organizations with the major emphasis on projects and programs in the areas of education, health care, religion, social welfare and youth. The Foundation’s prime areas of interest are in the Prairie Region of Canada.

“This is the fourth year in a row that the Paterson Family Foundation has chosen to make a $10,000 donation to the Russell Health Centre,” Fuz said after the presentation. “And that’s because of all the great work that everyone sees is being done here.” The funds are to be utilized for the 2023 year towards emergency care and services provided by the Russell Health Centre.

Get the full story in this week's Russell Banner!