There’s nothing like a really good cup of coffee to start your day off, but a local barista is hoping to offer more that just that. KB Coffee has been hosting pop-ups all over the community and providing specialty coffee as well as creating awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirited people (MMIWG2S).
“I’m originally from The Pas and have lived here most of my life,” said Gloria Ballantyne-Packo. “After I went to school, I moved to Calgary, AB, and lived there for awhile. I came back home after everything that happened with my sister, Kendara Ballantyne, to be with my family. I stayed home for a couple of years, before heading back to Calgary.
“When I moved back, I got a job with Monogram Coffee and this is where my love of specialty coffee grew. I trained with some truly talented baristas and a few of them have gone on to win the Canadian Barista Championship. One of the women I worked with was the first female ever to win the championship, and that happened just last year. Some of them have gone on to compete in the World Barista Championship.

With school out for the summer, it can be a challenge to engage kids in any kind of summer learning or reading activity. The Pas Regional Library is putting out some excellent literacy programming for both youth and adults to engage in.
“All of our programs are based on accessibility and opportunity,” said The Pas Regional Library Activities Programmer Rebecca Johnson. “We acknowledge that the families here in the tri-community tend to be bigger in numbers, so we make sure our programs are free. Being in the north, we realize that the cost of things can be so much more expensive and harder to do, so we make it free for everyone to enjoy.”
Once again The Pas Regional Library is hosting another Story Walk in the community and this one has a theme of Indigenous spirit animals and connects participants to nature.
“Our Story Walks consist of taking apart a book and displaying each of the pages either in the windows of the businesses or along the trail, which is what we’ve done for the Story Walk on Rosie Mayne Trail,” said Johnson. “At the beginning of the trail is the first page of the book and as you walk along, there will be other pages, which allows you to read the entire book. This is a program that was made in 2007, and I heard about it last year. We started it then and it’s been going over really well ever since.

Finding fosters for animals can be challenging most times, but is increasingly more so during the summer. Recently The Pas and Area Animal Shelter put out a call for help, looking for people who would be able to transport a canine companion or two to some locations west or south of the community.
Normally dogs are immediately placed with fosters and not kept in the shelter, but the increase in dog intakes has spiked.
“The number of dog intakes we receive varies greatly,” said The Pas and Area Animal Shelter Secretary Lynda Geswin. “I remember one week we had over 30 intake requests, so it’s rare not to have any. Like many other rescues, we have had an overwhelming number of owner surrenders this year. In the last two weeks, we have had requests for 13 dog intakes. Some of these come to us from the pound, as their owners did not claim them.

There’s a new way for northern artisans to promote their work and sell it without the hassle of trying to create something on their own. Uptown Emporium 54 is a sub-organization of the Flin Flon Arts Council that offers an online platform and a storefront in Flin Flon, that showcases handcrafted items by northern artisans.
“We first opened up our shop in December of 2020,” said Uptown Emporium 54 Project Manager Sophia Charuk. “It has started because our 40th annual Arts and Crafts Sale, which is usually put on by the Flin Flon Arts Council in November, had to undergo some changes because of the pandemic. With the public health restrictions in place, there was no way it could be set up for artisans to sell their arts and crafts in a traditional way.

American singer, songwriter, artist and author, William McCarthy, played at a free concert this past weekend held at The Pas Royal Canadian Legion. McCarthy was former the lead singer for The Augustines and has now struck up a solo career touring and performing all over the world. His experience in the community was definitely a notable one for him.
“My experience here in The Pas has been literally fantastic,” said William McCarthy. “I played a two hour show and it was like a long winding odyssey. I’ve had a really nice time here in the community.”
McCarthy had the opportunity to travel through The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) to see some of the local sights and scenery. He’s never quite seen an area like northern Manitoba and has fallen in love with its charm.

Many of us take Canada Day for granted and really don’t give it much thought, but for the Patel family, this year’s national day is also the start of a new journey for their family as Canadian citizens. The Patels came to Canada looking for more opportunities and were sponsored by family friend, who was already residing in the community.
“We’re originally from India and we came to Canada in 2017,” said Hemangi Patel. “We’ve been here now for five years and just got our Canadian Citizenship on June 7. Our family came to Canada seeking a life with better opportunities and a brighter future.
“One of our family friends sponsored us to come to Canada. At the time, he lived here in The Pas and recommended the community to us. We stayed with him until we were able to find an apartment and find a job. Over time we fell in love with the people and community, which led us to staying here.”

A well-known and accomplished musician will be making his way to play a free concert this week in The Pas. William McCarthy, former lead singer and songwriter for the band, The Augustines, will be performing a night of acoustic rock ‘n roll at the Royal Canadian Legion thanks to The Pas Arts Council and The Pas Friendship Centre.
McCarthy’s musical career debuted in 2004 when he released the EP All In Time with the band Pela. The band split in 2009 with a half finished album and some heartbroken fans. From there McCarthy teamed up with one of his former band mates to form a three-piece folk music act known as the Augustines.
The Augustines were signed to Votiv Records and released their first debut, Rise Ye Sunken Ships, on June 6, 2011. The album received praise reviews and was named iTunes Best Alternative Album that year. The Augustines did many network televisions performances and toured globally until they amicable disbanded in 2016, due to financial challenges.

There’s a future leader in the making who is originally from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation (SCN). Zoe Quill is currently studying at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Science and she’s recently been awarded the 2022 Indigenous Award of Excellence for Student Outstanding Achievement through the university. Her academic pursuits in the field of science are opening doors to a promising future for her.
“I was awarded the BMO Financial Group Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship to study at the University of Manitoba in 2018,” said Quill. “I entered directly into the Faculty of Science with interest in pursuing Genetics. Throughout high school, I was always interested in the sciences and wanted to explore these fields more in-depth at university.”
Quill has been contributing to researching internships, which has allowed her to combine her science background and work with Indigenous communities. This has allowed her to start her own journey as an Indigenous leader in the realm of science.
“While pursuing my degree, I have had the pleasure of participating in four research internships,” said Quill. “For two of these internships, I was given an opportunity to combine my knowledge of the sciences and work closely with Indigenous communities. I have come to witness the resilience of Indigenous peoples and their ambition in becoming self-determined in research.
“It was inspiring to my own journey to be able to collaborate with leaders of the community and take part in supporting their success. Indigenous representation is growing among the science community, and I hope to always empower Indigenous scholars and communities through research.”
Quill recognizes the challenges that many Indigenous students face while attending any schooling. She is focused on harbouring and fostering nurturing environments for other Indigenous students by being a leader and mentor to them.
“I recognize that there are barriers that Indigenous students still face and gaps in the supports that are available,” said Quill. “As an Indigenous student, it was important to me to create a positive and supportive environment.
“I achieved these efforts through community involvement. I became a mentor to first-year Indigenous students to provide guidance in facilitating a smooth transition into university life and participated in question and answer sessions as an UN Ambassador, sharing personal experiences to prospective students. I also became the Indigenous Students’ Representative for the Science Students’ Association to advocate and uplift Indigenous student excellence in the Faculty of Science. In this position, I have hosted culturally informed events for Indigenous students as a way to support their well-being.
Quill is persevering in the field of Science and has plans to attend graduate school. She has been determined and dedicated in her research, and gaining experiences that will help her to pursue that goal of obtaining a MD or PhD.
“I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science, Genetics Major,” said Quill. “I have only one more year to go. Since I’m planning on attending graduate school, I sought opportunities to conduct research at both Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the National Microbiology Laboratory of Canada. These experiences will give me the opportunity to explore my interests in Public Health.
“So far, I have gathered four years of research experience in various fields. I have published two peer-review papers and am currently working on publishing three more by the time I graduate.
“I have always had the goal of becoming a doctor and recently, research has become a passion of mine,” said Quill. “After graduation, I’m planning to pursue a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases that combines aspects of Public Health. Then, I will pursue either a MD or PhD. In research, I hope to always incorporate collaboration with Indigenous communities.”
With National Indigenous Peoples Day happening, Quill has been advocating to see more positive changes for Indigenous people. She feels her experience can be an example for others to overcome any obstacles they may face and be leaders for Indigenous people.
“As an Indigenous student heavily involved on campus and in research,” said Quill. “I have had the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who are driven, resilient, and aspire to create changes that advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples. To be part of a community that seeks to empower the next generation of Indigenous leaders, I am always motivated to contribute to these efforts.
“There is evidence that despite the hardships we have endured, we have the power to not only overcome these obstacles but to thrive as a community. I believe National Indigenous Peoples Day promotes a positive message describing this very strength every Indigenous person carries within them.”
Quill realizes that the process has been slow when it comes to the reconciliation portion for Indigenous people in Canada, but she focuses on the Indigenous people who are achieving reconciliation and pushing forward for a better and brighter future.
“I recognize that we still have a long way to go in fulfilling the 94 Calls to Action, but action is happening,” said Quill. “There are many Indigenous leaders in the community whom I met that are breaking barriers in their fields and contributing to the efforts of reconciliation.
“I have had my fair share of hardships experiencing discrimination, but I am motivated to continue to uplift Indigenous voices and support our movements of self-determination.“