The Benito Vesselli Dance Club held their Annual Spring Concert last Saturday (May 9), at the Benito School Gymnasium. A large crowd was entertained by over 30 performers, dancing to a total of 37 acts. (Pictured) The trio of Carli Barker, Camila Lyons and Treden Long perform their rendition of the Poltava.

The Petro-Canada C-store owned by Sapotaweyak Cree Nation in Swan River started a bit of a fill-up frenzy last Friday (May 8) when they decided to drop their price for Regular gasoline down to 150.9c/L for four hours in the middle of the day. Drivers took full advantage of the 35c/L or more discount by lining up down the block to top up their tanks. Pictured here, Danny Chartrand pumps fuel into the vehicle of one of the patient patrons.

Dear Editor of the Russell Banner,

I am writing to express serious concern regarding the recently approved development of a gravel pit in the vicinity of our cabin community, Cottage Cove. This area, which serves as a ski destination in the winter and pristine walleye fishing lake in the summer, is not only an environmental asset but also a cornerstone of leisure, tourism, and local economic activity. The decision to introduce an industrial operation into such a setting raises significant long-term concerns that deserve reconsideration.
First and foremost, the environmental impact of a gravel pit in this location cannot be overstated. The extraction process will inevitably disrupt natural landscape, contribute to continued deforestation, and increase risk of soil erosion. More critically, it threatens the health of the nearby lake ecosystem. Sediment runoff, fuel spills, and airborne particles could degrade water quality, directly impacting fish populations- particularly walleye, which are highly sensitive to habitat changes. Once this balance is disturbed, it may take decades to recover, if recovery is even possible.
Equally concerning is the effect on air quality and noise levels. Gravel pits generate continuous dust and heavy machinery noise, fundamentally altering what is currently a quiet, natural retreat. This will diminish the experience for cabin owners, seasonal visitors, and tourists who come specifically for peace, outdoor recreation, and connection to nature. The transformation from a tranquil environment to an industrial zone is not a minor inconvenience – it is a complete redefinition of the area’s character.
There is also a clear economic contradiction in this development. While a gravel pit may provide short-term industrial gain, it risks long-term economic damage by reducing property values in the surrounding area. Cabin owners have invested significantly in their properties based on the understanding of a stable, recreational environment. The introduction of an industrial site nearby undermines that investment, potentially leading to financial losses and decreased desirability for future buyers. Additionally, tourism – driven by fishing, camping, boating, and winter sports – will likely decline, affecting local businesses that rely on seasonal visitors.
Beyond economics, there is an important social and lifestyle consideration. This area is more than land – it is a place where families gather, traditions are built, and people disconnect from urban stress. As a high school teacher in Winnipeg, the tranquil setting I have been used to coming home to for over 40 years has improved the quality of both my personal and professional lifestyle. The values of these experiences cannot be easily quantified, but it is undeniably real. Approving industrial development in such a setting sends a message that these community and environmental values are secondary.
I urge you to reconsider or at a minimum re-evaluate this approval with a more comprehensive environmental and socio-economic impact assessment. Alternative locations for gravel extraction should be explored – areas that do not carry the same ecological sensitivity or community significance. Responsible development should not come at the cost of irreversible damage to cherished natural spaces.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope that the voices of those who value this area for its natural beauty, recreational importance, long-term sustainability and who have resided in this area for generations will be heard and taken seriously.
Sincerely,
Jon Witzke
Winnipeg, MB

I was saddened to hear that there has been an application for a new gravel pit on the other side of the Shell River across from Cottage Cove. The first thing that comes to mind was additional dust and noise pollution which would obviously make the area much less desirable. The second thing was the possible effect on fish spawning grounds. Areas where fish spawn are fragile ecosystems that must be protected. The Shell River is by nature one of the important spawning areas for the walleye, perch and pike that inhabit the Lake of the Prairies which is one of the best walleye fisheries in the world. This proposed gravel pit could easily be a contributor to irreparable and irreversible damage to this invaluable spawning area. There is a big push in Manitoba today to control or eradicate invasive species like zebra mussels in our water systems but we also need to protect the spawning grounds today.
The bridge in the ski hill valley is a very unique and popular fishing spot in this area and I have personally fished at this bridge many times every year for the past 55 years. Not only is it a good fishing spot but also the perfect place to relax and experience the unique wildlife of the area – deer, bears, eagles, pelicans and vultures can be spotted regularly. It is also an ideal place for older people to fish who may no longer be able to climb a riverbank or operate a boat. Also, the fishing club from Major Pratt School in Russell has used this bridge for many years to promote youth fishing as it is a safe and convenient place to teach kids how to fish and to have fun doing it.
I also feel that the cottage owners of Cottage Cove will have been totally ignored if this project proceeds. Many invested in the area because of its quite and peaceful natural surroundings and outdoor activities. And a gravel pit nearby can only decrease the value of their investments.
When I first came to teach in Russell in 1970, I fell in love with the area mainly because of the natural beauty of this place and the outdoor possibilities like fishing, camping, hiking, boating, canoeing and now of course skiing. And these are the things that will continue to draw people to this area. So, it is very important that these things must be protected and preserved.
Our environment is priceless! But there are those who would put a price on it. We must do whatever we can to best preserve our natural ecosystems and overall environment. Unless we really don’t car about the next generation!
Barry Witzke
Russell MB

Dear Editor
Recently I purchased two lots at Cottage Cove, planning to build my retirement home in this winter paradise. Summer was the clincher, with the peaceful beautiful sunsets, the long quiet sunny days, filled with fishing, hiking and boating with my godchildren, who live in the area. The only hesitation I had was the occasional windborn crusher noise from the gravel pit a few kilometres north of the ski hill.
I understand there is now an application to open another pit right next to the Shell River. In my opinion, this environmental desecration would produce enough dust, noise and industrial effluent to destroy the resort, the fishing area and the surrounding communities.
These resources attract thousands of tourists year round, propping up the local economy and allowing maintenance of this beautiful area, which in turn, attract investors like myself.
Should the municipality approve this application, let it be on their conscience the destruction of a truly beautiful unique ecosystem, a thriving tourist economy and a generational legacy of natural resources. Personally, my plans for building at Cottage Cove are now on hold, with the hope that perhaps, maybe for the first time in the area, the council will opt for humanity over money.
Howard Edmonds
Oakbank, Manitoba

Editors Note: Dr. Witzke has also written letters regarding the current proposal before Tri Roads to:
MLA Rick Wowchuk, the Minister of Environment, Dept of Fisheries and Manitoba Tourism
Dear Sir ;
My name is Dr. Ronald W Witzke, a retired surgeon and RCAF veteran who has chosen your region as my retirement home (Cottage Cove at Asessippi Ski Hill) .
This community, which began as a skier’s alpine village, has evolved over the decades to become a permanent home to many families who are here because of the unique ecology, natural beauty and serenity of the Shell River Valley that cradles us.
A skiing resort in winter (a major local industry) and a fishing, boating and hiking destination in summer (another major tourist industry) has made this area attractive to retirees and investors alike.
All of this is now facing an existentialist threat by an application to destroy the valley by placing a gravel pit adjacent to the Shell River, less than half a kilometre from our quiet community. There is already a gravel pit a few kilometres north of our settlement and the river, which, although annoying at times for the noise it produces, does not significantly impact the river and the bucolic beauty of the valley (which is often used as a background for the wedding venue business located nearby).
We have already approached local municipal and provincial representatives with our concerns, but I worry the coalition of big business (Russell Redi Mix and Concrete) and a socialist government will result in money trumping environment.
Therefore, I am writing to you, as the local Member of Parliament (copying the Hon Julie Aviva Debrusin), pleading for any intervention to prevent this environmental disaster. The river provides a hatchery for the spawning of walleye, perch and pike that feed the Lake of the Prairies (a huge tourist attraction) and I fear the dust and industrial waste produced by the gravel pit equipment leaching into the river will destroy this fishery. The river also provides recreation to locals and tourists alike, who enjoy the kayaking, hiking and boating in the serenity of natural beauty provided by the valley.
There is a boat dock by the bridge, the TransCanada Trail runs through the valley and kids can watch pelicans, eagles and vultures soar above while they fish with their grandparents from the old bridge across the Shell. I can’t imagine any of this existing adjacent to a huge gravel pit crushing rock and hauling gravel daily. In the winter, Asessippi Ski Resort is a major tourist destination, attracting busloads of kids and thousands of skiers (bringing millions of tourist dollars) to its pristine runs and quiet setting. Imagine the impact of gravel dust on the clean snow and the cacophony of the pit grinders on the quiet hills; the operation of a gravel pit cannot coexist with this kind of recreation. There must be hundreds of other gravel deposits in Manitoba that are not as existentially impactful to surrounding ecology, economy and environment. There has been no environmental impact study, no fisheries department study, and no economic impact study; surely that is the least that should be done prior to any consideration of this application. Please help us preserve this beautiful unique part of Manitoba in any way you can.
Sincerely,
Ronald W Witzke CD

If - you love fishing Lake of the Prairies
• you enjoy skiing at Asessippi Ski Resort
• love the unspoiled environment of the Shell River Valley
• you own a business that profits from the tourism attracted to these recreations you might want to know more about the recent application by a large local business to tear up the valley adjacent to the Shell River less than half a kilometre from the Ski Hill and Cottage Cove, to open yet another gravel pit.
If you live near an active gravel pit , you know how much noise, dust and traffic is produced hourly, and what it does to the local ecology and environment.
Dust , machinery effluent and grinder noise cannot coexist with a fragile fish spawning ground, a recreational river (fishing, boating) and hiking trails through unspoiled forest teeming with deer, bear, and nesting eagles, hawks and vultures.
Nor can it coexist with a winter wonderland of unspoiled snow on quiet ski runs, polluting the snow with gravel dust and filling the hills with the cacophony of its grinders.
Surely, there are many other locations for gravel pits that will not devastate such a valuable, irreplaceable natural resource and deprive our future generations of the joys of the area as it currently exists.
Please help those of us who live in this valley oppose this application and thereby help your own community preserve this invaluable resource.

Dr. Ron Witzke
Cottage Cove

Editors Note:
The Letters to the Editor printed in this issue have been received through the online submissions to our Russell Banner website. One submission came directly to our office. Both methods are certainly acceptable.

To the Editor,
I am writing as Chair of the Cottage Cove Association. Our entire community sits directly south of the proposed gravel pit, and every home lies within the 1 kilometer buffer commonly used across Canada to separate gravel operations from residential areas. Some homes are as close as 400 meters. For a project this close to where people live, the proposal submitted to the RM was extremely thin, with almost no detail about how the operation would run, what protections would be in place, or how long the activity would continue. It is difficult to understand how a project with the potential for long term damage to the valley could be presented with so little information.
Residents have asked for basic due diligence studies that are standard in many municipalities, including a dust study, a noise study, a traffic and safety assessment, a visual impact assessment, an environmental impact review, and a cumulative effects assessment. We have also asked for clarity on where this gravel is needed, how it benefits the immediate area, and how those benefits outweigh the risks to residents, the valley, and the tourism corridor. To date, none of that information has been provided.
Another major concern is the lack of any plan for the existing pits in the area. Several have been left open with no clear reclamation or beautification strategy. Before approving a new pit, residents believe it is reasonable to expect a plan for restoring the land already disturbed.
It is also important for the public to understand that this is not just a Cottage Cove issue. Multiple provincial and regional assets lie within the impact zone, including campsites in Asessippi Provincial Park, recreation areas along Lake of the Prairies, the Shell River corridor, and the broader valley community.
One of the region’s largest tourism draws, Asessippi Ski Hill—which also serves as a major summer wedding venue—also falls within this zone. All of these areas are close enough to experience the effects of noise, dust, lighting, fumes, and visual disturbance. With prevailing northwest winds blowing directly toward Cottage Cove and the recreation corridor, these impacts will be felt daily.
The cumulative effects of multiple pits in one valley cannot be ignored. Noise does not exist in isolation. Dust does not exist in isolation. Diesel fumes, lighting, truck traffic, and visual disturbance all stack on top of one another. Without long term planning or limits, residents fear this could be the first step toward the valley being gradually torn up over time—and once that happens, the natural character that draws people here, cannot be restored.
At its core, this is a question of stewardship. In simple terms, stewardship means taking care of the land so it stays healthy for the people who live here now and for the generations who will come after us. A gravel operation in the middle of a recreation and tourism corridor does not align with that responsibility.
These concerns are not political. They are about protecting a shared provincial asset and ensuring development decisions reflect the long term interests of the region.
Thank you for providing space for community voices on an issue that will shape the future of our valley.

Sincerely,
Tim Barlow
Chair,
Cottage Cove Association

By Terrie Welwood
Russell Banner
Chris Radford and Don Betke have been part of the business community in Russell for their entire careers.
For most of those years, they’ve worked together, starting off at Clement Farm Supply and moving through a few other positions until the opportunity came up to take on the Napa business.
They decided to jump in and opened up in December of 2015.
After just a little over 10 years, they are now retiring, but not going anywhere.
“Neither of us are going anywhere,” Chris Radford said. “You will see us both in the community, just a little more relaxed now……maybe.”
As of March 1, Owen Orsak has assumed ownership of Southend Auto & Ag.
“After a few casual comments a year or so ago, that both Don and I would need to retire someday, Owen thought he would like to diversify from the farm he and his parents operate,” Radford explained.

Read more of this story on pages 1 and 2 of this week's Russell Banner.

Residents of the Cottage Cove housing development at the Asessippi Ski Resort are raising concerns about a proposed gravel pit in their backyard.
Cottage Cove sits directly south of the pit proposed in a Conditional Use application to the RM of Riding Mountain – dated August 23, 2025 – by Russell Redi-Mix.
Want to know more? Check out this week’s paper.