By Terrie Welwood
Russell Banner
At about 6:30 pm on Tuesday April 21st, Scott Gregor, the CFO of Riding Mountain West was checking out the water flowing under the municipal road off of Hwy 83 to the entrance to the Asessippi Beach & Campground.
“I had driven down the road over the Bear Creek around 6:15 p.m, and the water was really flowing down the road and over the culvert,” Karen Goraluk said.
“Scott who works for the RM was there watching and I guess he heard a noise and ran to back his vehicle and backed it up and he was still able to get a video of the culvert letting loose and going down Bear Creek before it ended up in the Shell River where it is now.”
A few days prior, the RM, she said, had been keeping an eye on that portion of road.
“They had their back hoe there and sat there for a few hours one evening keeping the culvert clear so that the water was flowing west,” Goraluk said.
Bear Creek, Karen explained, comes all the way from the Riding Mountain National Park and winds its way down and goes through the culvert right beside Asessippi Beach & Campground and ends up in the Shell River and then into Lake of the Prairies.
“If you go to the Inglis school and head north down the provincial road just north of the school, Bear Creek has two big culverts there.”
“And all that water comes down from there plus all the runoff along the creek and it all passes past the campground.”
Although nothing of this magnitude has happened since the Goraluk family took ownership of the Asessippi Beach & Campground in 2008, Karen said she knows that a washout like this has happened in the past when the washrooms and a septic tank were demolished by the waters of Bear Creek a number of years ago.
Goraluk said she’s spoken to the RM of Riding Mountain West who have assured her that a new culvert is already on order and are hopeful they’ll receive it in time for their May long weekend opening at the campground.
In speaking to Glenda Lemcke, the CAO of the RM of Riding Mountain West, came assurances that the culvert is indeed on order and is expected to arrive within two weeks.
If for some reason, the culvert does not arrive within that time frame, the RM will come up with a plan to ensure that road will be open..

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As spring is slowly showing up, many of us are looking forward to the warmer weather. We at the Drop-In Centre are planning more activities and will keep you posted (watch for posters or check our Facebook Page). We are currently planning our next dance. Just Us played for our last dance on April 11th. Attendees enjoyed dancing and a light lunch. The morning group gathers from 7:30 to 10:00 Monday through Saturday to play Pool, Cribbage and enjoy coffee and fellowship. Plenty of smiles and laughter are enjoyed. Another group gathers for exercises and coffee on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30. Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 2, we enjoy either Drums Alive or Shuffleboard. Also on Thursday afternoons at 1 join us for Line Dancing. Wednesday afternoons, a group gathers to play cards. There is no shortage of laughter and fellowship happening at the Centre.
We have a monthly Potluck Supper every last Monday of the month. Come and enjoy homecooked goodies along with smiles and fellowship.
Our facility is available for rent. Please contact Martha at 937-4717 to place a booking.
Keep smiling and let the sun shine in.

The global landscape is rapidly changing.
In response, Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control – building a stronger, more independent, more resilient economy. We’re building an economy where Canadians are empowered with greater security, certainty, and a lower cost of living.
Global conflict and ongoing supply disruptions in the Middle East are driving up fuel prices around the world. To make Canada more energy secure and less reliant on external factors, our government is advancing major projects to realise Canada’s full potential in clean and conventional energy.
On April 14th, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced that the government is temporarily suspending the federal Fuel Excise Tax on gasoline and diesel across Canada.
Started on April 20, 2026, Canada’s government will suspend the full amount of the tax on gasoline and diesel until September 7, 2026.
This is expected to reduce Canadians’ bills at the gas station by 10 cents per litre on regular gasoline and 4 cents on diesel.
The government is also temporarily suspending the federal Fuel Excise Tax on aviation fuels.
Cutting the tax on gasoline and diesel until Labour Day is a measure that will reduce operating costs for truckers and businesses in the food, agriculture, housing, construction, and delivery sectors.
The announcement builds on major initiatives to lower costs for Canadians, including:
Cutting taxes for 22 million middle-class Canadians by lowering the first marginal personal income tax rate from 15% to 14% as of July 1, 2025, providing tax relief of up to $420 a year per person, or up to $840 a year for two-income family
Cancelling the federal consumer carbon tax effective April 1, 2025, directly helping Canadians save money at the pump.
The government also removed the requirement for provinces and territories to have a consumer-facing carbon price as of that date. This has helped reduce gas prices in most provinces and territories by up to 18 cents per litre in comparison to 2024-25, lowering headline inflation.
Launching the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which provides a family of four up to $1,890 this year, and about $1,400 a year for the next four years; and a single person up to $950 this year, and about $700 a year for the next four years. The benefit will provide additional, significant support for more than 12 million Canadians.
Budget 2025 also outlined concrete action to ensure Canadians receive the support they deserve, including targeted measures to strengthen food security and household affordability:
Making the National School Food Program permanent, providing school meals for up to 400,000 children each year, saving participating families with two children in school an estimated $800 annually on groceries.
Introducing Automatic Federal Benefits, starting in the 2026 tax year, to ensure up to 5.5 million low-income Canadians automatically receive the benefits they qualify for by the 2028 tax year, including the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit and the Canada Child Benefit.
Lowering costs and strengthening competition in essential services, including ambitious pro-competition measures in the telecom and financial sectors to reduce prices, make it easier for Canadians to switch providers, and lower banking and service fees..
Eliminating the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for first-time homebuyers on new homes up to $1 million and reducing the GST for first-time home buyers on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million, to immediately make the goal of home ownership a reality for more Canadians, especially young families.
Cancelling the federal consumer carbon tax effective April 1, 2025, directly helping Canadians save money at the pump. The government also removed the requirement for provinces and territories to have a consumer-facing carbon price as of that date. This has helped reduce gas prices in most provinces and territories by up to 18 cents per litre in comparison to 2024-25, lowering headline inflation.

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