The rain might have come down in buckets on Saturday night, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds at the 123rd annual Gilbert Plains/Grandview Agricultural Society Fair and Rodeo, July 14 to 16, in Gilbert Plains.

Heading into the weekend, organizers made some changes to the popular event to make it attractive to even more people, and it paid off in the end, according to society president Kevin Boese.

“I think it’s probably one of the best fair and rodeos that I’ve seen since I’ve been involved there,” Boese said. “We had great attendance, parking lots were packed full of cars, the stands were full the entire weekend, with the exception of the rain, I guess. But other than that everything was perfect.”

One of the major changes made was the expansion of the chuckwagon and chariot racing from two days to three. The reason was to provide extra entertainment on Friday when there is normally a lull following the parade.

Additionally, the Manitoba Pro Chariot and Chuckwagon Association prefers to have a three-day show, something which does not happen a lot, according to Boese.

“Talking with the association after, everybody loved it. They said it was really great having a three-day show. As far as the crowds go it was great. We had full stands. Everybody loves the chuckwagons and the chariots and everybody came and watched. There’s always something going on there with the wagons and carts. It’s great to watch and it’s a real thrill to see those horses come around that last corner,” Boese said. “Great crowds, everybody was very involved with cheering and we had quite a few compliments from the chuckwagon drivers. They said there’s not a lot of crowds that get in to it, or as involved as the Gilbert Plains crowd. We’re definitely a great chuckwagon town.”

The car show was also expanded this year to try and attract new people to the grounds, and Boese said that also proved to be a success.

“There was 25 old cars and trucks in the rink there. It was a great success. I would say the craft show was very good, too. Everybody was very happy and there was lots of people that came through,” he said.

But of course the rodeo, as always, was the star of the show, Boese said.

“Other than the rain, it was a great success,” he said. “Sunday afternoon made up for Saturday. The clouds disappeared and it was a beautiful day. It was a great rodeo and the stands were packed full.”

The key to hosting a successful event over the span of decades is the ability to adapt to the times and the changing expectations of crowds, adding and subtracting attractions as necessary.

“We definitely won’t be subtracting anything. There’s a few things that we need to change up and make better, of course. Every year we get suggestions from people that stop by and there’s always more things that we want to add for next year,” Boese said. “We’ll probably have a meeting in about a month and we’ll start planning for next year.”

When it gets to down to it, it is the support of volunteers and sponsors that make the event possible at all, Boese added.

“It takes volunteers and it takes man hours and we seem to get it done every year,” he said. “Without the volunteers this thing just wouldn’t happen. And it’s just amazing. People just show up out of the woodwork and volunteer and make it happen. And a huge thank you to all of the sponsors. Without all the sponsors and the volunteers this definitely would not take place.”

Sometimes, things just fall into place - it’s almost like they were meant to be.

That’s the feeling you get when you walk into the new home of Prairie Collective Co. on the corner of Main Street and Assiniboine in Russell.

The stately old building with its grand entrance and beautiful front façade, was the first ‘official’ post office in Russell with grand high ceilings and an ambience that is perfectly conducive to the antique furnishings that Jeremy and Jessica Jamieson lovingly restore and sell out of the new building.

Check out the full story in this week's Russell Banner!

Local marijuana and CBD oil users will soon be able to shop right at home.

Adam and Dylan Carritt of Prairie Trichomes – trichomes are the resin glands of pot plants that contain THC, CBD and other cannabinoids – are in the final stages of setting up the firm’s third cannabis dispensary and are looking forward to opening the doors.

Read all about it in this week’s Review.

In the afternoon of July 11, RCMP in Roblin received a report of a lost wallet.

The person later located in their vehicle between the seats.

Want to know more? Check out this week’s RCMP report.

On Apr. 7, conservation officers from the Roblin area located an ice shelter on Lake of the Prairies seven days after the legal date they are allowed to be on the lake.

There were hundreds of shelters on the ice over the winter and this one, an old camper trailer, was the only one that had not been removed.

Find out more in this week’s Review.

Local Indigenous artist Shauna Ponask’s work is appearing again as part of another juried competition and exhibit. Ponask came across the Manitoba Society of Artists Open Juried Competition and Exhibit online and decided to try entering.
“I came across this opportunity online through the Manitoba Society of Artists, and decided I would try entering a piece,” said Ponask. “The entries were accepted from March 25 to May 5, 2023. All entries are shown virtually from May 18 to August 31, and a jury selected shortlist pieces that were displayed at Eagleridge one five exhibitions from June 1 to 28.”

The Pas Community Renewal Corporation (TPCRC) is looking forward to bringing back the Street Festival to the tri-community again. There are lots of activities for people of all ages to engage in at this year’s Street Festival.
“This year’s Street Festival will have music, games, a bounce castle, free Zumba, face painting, bubbles, and shopping with our local vendors and home-based businesses,” said TPCRC Community Engagement Coordinator Holly LaJambe. “It’s going to be held on Saturday, August 19, and will be located on Edwards Avenue, between 2nd Street and Saskatchewan Crescent. First Street will not be closed for this event.”

The Town of The Pas has announced the hiring of a new Chief Administrative Officer. Bola Adedoyin, will begin in the role August 8 and according to a Town announcement she brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the town.
Bola Adedoyin is a statistician, researcher and a senior administrator who has served in numerous leadership roles both provincially and internationally.

Summertime is here and many people are making plans to go camping at the lake or travelling to other communities for a visit. Back in the day, the Valley had a series of cabins known as the Birch Wood Cabins that brought many tourists and visitors to the area. The history of Birch Wood Cabins is extensive and although it changed owners and names over the years, it’s a definite staple of the history of the Valley.
The Birch Wood Cabins were built and owned originally by the Tall family, and their granddaughter, Doreen Tall Pellissier shared her recollections of the history of those cabins.
“My grandparents were Alfred Tall, born in 1888 in Kearney, Ont., and Mary or Mamie (Jordan) Tall, born in 1894 in Oak Lake,” said Pellissier. “Mamie came to the Swan River Valley to teach at Avonlea School in 1914, and met Alf, who was from the Cropper Tops District. They were married on July 26, 1916, in Brandon.
“They lived with Alf’s mother and brother and in 1917, moved to their own farm, a mile down the road from the Tall original homestead which was established in 1901. The farm was in the family until 2011.
“Alf and Mamie had seven children, Gladys (Scotty Taylor); Merle (Ellery Taylor); Stan (Velma Graham); Elsie (Edwin Smith), Allan (Kay Hickman); Marg (Stan McNevin), and Aileen,” said Pellissier. “My parents are Allan and Kay. It was my dad and brother who continued the family farm until it was sold.
“Their son, Stan, had come home from WWII, so Alf and Mamie decided to leave the running of the farms to their two sons, and they retired to Swan River. Upon retiring, they felt too young to quit working entirely, so they decided to build the cabins and cater to the tourist trade. They built Birch Wood Cabins, and it was named because of the row of beautiful birch trees that lined their lot between the cabins and the cemetery.”
The Birch Wood Cabins were unique in the sense that they were in Swan River and not near a body of water or in a provincial park. Over the years the cabins saw visitors from many different places and northern tourism was beginning to take off around this time as well.
“The cabins were along Hwy. No. 10 north, about half a mile from Swan River’s Main Street,” said Pellissier. “There were seven cabins, positioned in a U-shape with swings and green space in the center. There was a small store in one building, as well as a larger building with hot and cold running water. Grandma washed the bedding in this building, which also had an iron mangle for ironing the sheets. There were no toilet facilities within the cabins themselves.
“Northern tourism was starting to boom and there were lots of people from all over Canada and the U.S. travelling through the Valley by Hwy. No. 10. Many of the activities included hunting and fishing, and many of the men would rent the cabins as a result of those trips. The by-pass was not yet thought of, so the location was ideal as there would be little else for accommodations until The Pas. For local tourism, Wellman Lake in the Duck Mountains and Steeprock Lake in the Porcupine Mountains would be the water recreational areas.
“The cabins were at least half a mile from downtown, with no store nearby,” said Pellissier. “Therefore, the small store that was part of the business was frequented by locals, as well as tourists. It appears that several people living nearby bought groceries there and it was a fantastic place for a child to buy some candy.
“My grandma loved that part of the business, but family stories indicate my grandpa wasn’t quite so patient. It could be at dinner time, or when the family was visiting, but the little bell would ring, and my grandma would tend to a customer. It could have taken quite a while for a child to decide how to spend his/her dime when there was such an array of candy available at three pieces for a penny. Those children are in their 60s and 70s today and some have been kind enough to share those memories with me and let me know how much my grandma was appreciated.”
The Tall’s owned and operated the cabins until the early 1960s, when they decided to sell, and they continued to live in Swan River.
“The property consisting of the house and seven cabins was put up for sale in August of 1963,” said Pellissier. “By that time, the by-pass was in use and these types of cabins were quickly being replaced by modern cabins and motels. As well, Alf and Mamie were getting older and quite ready to take things easy.”
Pellissier has fond memories of when her grandparents owned and operated the Birch Wood Cabins. Many others have reached out to her as well to share their memories of trips to the cabins and visits with her grandparents during those trips.
“I do remember going to grandma and grandpa’s house during their time operating Birch Wood Cabins,” said Pellissier. “I especially remember my grandma taking us across the lawn to the little store and we were allowed to pick out some candy. In later years, she moved the store to a room in the house. I do remember the swing and the yard, and the washroom. There was a fad around that time where people took old tractor tires, painted them and used them for flower beds and lawn décor. Grandma had some of those painted white and pink.
“My cousin shared with me that they remembered people coming to the cabins in the middle of the night and honking their horns to see if there was a vacancy. That was the only way to do it back in the day.
“I don’t remember my last trip to the cabins; however, I do remember my last thoughts,” said Pellissier. “When the cabins were about to be sold, my dad mentioned that maybe he should get one as a playhouse for my sister and me. That sounded perfect, and I was imagining all sorts of fun things. Alas, it didn’t happen, and the cabins became the property known as the Moon Glo Cabins located where Fas Gas is now.”
Unfortunately, not long after the sale of Birch Wood Cabins, Alf passed. The history of Birch Wood Cabins, then turned into Moon Glo Cabins, with another story to tell that was all it’s own.
“My grandparents stayed in Swan River after the sale of the cabins, as that was their home,” said Pellissier. “They bought a house on Fifth Avenue, just down the street from where Ace Hardware is now. Alf passed away in 1967 and Mamie in 1993.
“All that remains of the site now is a vacant lot at this time.”

Canola fields all across the Valley have been blooming brightly this past week making a drive around the countryside a beautiful and cheerful experience.