The Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas has recently gone through some changes as Archbishop Murray Chatlain has moved on to become the archbishop for the Archdiocese in Winnipeg. As a young man, Archbishop Chatlain had a very strong calling for the clergy, which led him down this path of serving God.
“Many years ago, when I was a young man, for some reason I prayed a fair amount and asked for guidance from God,” said Archbishop Chatlain. “I did ask God to help me find what kind of work he wanted me to do. It took quite a while before I got an answer. I was a bit reluctant at first because I thought I wanted a wife and family, with a regular job. There was a very strong and persistent call from God to give it a try.

SVRSS students displayed their abilities in their field of choice during the Skills Manitoba competition held on April 10 in Winnipeg, with four out of the 10 students from the Swan Valley coming back with medals...

At the annual general meeting held April 16 via webcast conference, Fusion Credit Union announced a $1.26 million return to members in the form of patronage allocations and cash pay-outs to select members.
“Our members are at the heart of everything we do,” said Fustion CEO Darwin Johns,. “This return is more than just numbers – it’s a reflection of our commitment to helping our members and our communities thrive.”
Learn more in this week’s issue.

Fresh off winning the Keystone Junior Hockey League (KJHL) Cup, the OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team headed to Alberta last weekend to compete in the 2025 Central Canada Cup. This season has been a challenging one for the OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team, however, all the obstacles helped make them a more versatile team this season.
“This season, like most teams, we had a lot of ups and downs,” said OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team Coach Ethan Constant. “This year we dealt with a lot of injuries, and our players had commitments with either school or work, so a lot of games we didn’t have a full roster. It was kind of tough to compete this year, especially with the teams being so competitive this year.

Students from The Pas recently came back from their exchange trip to France. It was an experience they were looking forward to and provided a world of memories and experiences they will never forget.
“There were 16 students with the majority from the high school and a few from the middle school,” said Chris Afatsawo. “We left The Pas on March 26.”
The students took in many of the sights and wonders in France. There were lots to see and do, and the cultural experiences were nothing like they had experienced before.

All the princesses in the tri-community can get their gowns out for The Pas and Area Animal Shelter has their annual Princess Ball fundraiser tickets on sale. This is an event that not only raises money for a good cause but is one that people of all ages can enjoy.
“Any age is welcome to our Princess Ball,” said TPAAS Lynda Geswin “Children do need to be accompanied by an adult at the event.”

This year’s federal election has four choices for voters to choose from in the Churchill – Keewatinook Aski Riding. The Opasquia Times had an interview with NDP candidate Niki Ashton a few weeks back and had no luck connecting with the Liberal Party of Canada candidate Rebecca Chartrand and Conservative Party of Canada candidate Lachlan De Nardi.
The PPC party has a local face as their candidate in this riding. Dylan Young grew up in The Pas and has been involved with the local Boy Scouts throughout the years. “I was born and raised in The Pas,” said Young. “I went through the French Immersion education system in school, so I’m still somewhat fluent in French.
“I used to volunteer quite often with the Boy Scouts in town, but I still show up at each Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival to make sure the kids aren’t hungry or freezing on the parade float. This year, I brought beef in a bag and they all enjoyed it.”

Children and parents gathered at the Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre on April 13 for the annual Easter egg hunt, where children aged 1-12 ran inside and outside to collect their springtime treasures. Here, the 1-3 age group gets let loose onto the area of ‘hidden’ Easter eggs.

Voters are going to polls April 28 to elect members of the House of Commons to the 45th Canadian Parliament.
Candidates vying in the newly-named Riding Mountain riding are Liz Clayton, Green Party of Canada; Terry Hayward, Liberal Party of Canada; Andy Maxwell, New Democratic Party of Canada; incumbent MP Dan Mazier, Conservative Party of Canada; and Jim Oliver of the People’s Party of Canada.
Pick up a copy of this week’s paper to find out what they have to say.

On the fifth anniversary of Melinda Lynxleg’s disappearance, RCMP Major Crimes Services says it is closer than ever before to providing the Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve woman’s family some answers as to what exactly happened to her.

Lynxleg, 40, had been missing for over three years when her body was located on June 7, 2023, at an abandoned property in San Clara.

Police located Lynxleg’s body after searching the property, which contained a small house and several outbuildings.

RCMP Forensic Identification Services, RCMP Search and Rescue and a Forensic Anthropologist were all on scene assisting with the search.

An autopsy confirmed her death was a homicide.

“The RCMP does not give up on missing people,” Sergeant Laura LeDrew, a Manitoba RCMP Major Crime Services investigator said at the time.

“More than three years of searching, conducting interviews, collecting evidence. We never stopped. Finding Melinda is an important part of this investigation. She can now go home. But our work is not done.”

Since that time, RCMP Major Crime Services, with assistance of the Roblin RCMP, have been working tirelessly to find answers as to what happened to Lynxleg.

More than 130 people were spoken to by police, as investigators followed up on every lead, while canvassing the entire community.

Police say thousands of hours have been spent looking for answers, including a complete review of the entire investigation, which recently led to new information coming to light.

This development has given the investigation forward momentum and officers are confident they’re even closer to finding those answers.

RCMP Major Crime Services continues to seek out any information someone may have.

If you have not reached out to police before, speak up now.

The RCMP Major Crime Service Tip Line is 1-431-489-8042.