The Pas OCN Chamber of Commerce presented its Citizen of the Year Award at its Annual General Meeting on October 22, 2026. Val Berscheid was presented with the 2026 Citizen of the Year Award. Berscheid has been a very active member of the community and sits on many boards.
“I’ve been fortunate to serve on several boards, committees, and organizations over the years, both locally and provincially,” said Berscheid. “Each has provided opportunities to meet wonderful people, develop friendships, and work toward making our communities stronger.

The Manitoba Municipal Elections are over and both the R.M. of Kelsey and the Town of The Pas have new leadership. The R.M. of Kelsey Reeve is Val Berscheid and she was sworn into office at a special ceremony that took place on November 4, 2026, at the Wescana Inn’s Rendezvous Room. Berscheid enjoyed the election process and campaign, and is now focused on moving forward.
“I would like to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to vote in this year's municipal election,” said R.M. of Kelsey Reeve Val Berscheid. “I’m grateful for the confidence residents have placed in me and honoured to have the opportunity to serve as reeve of the R.M. of Kelsey. I would also like to acknowledge Michael de Tremauden for putting his name forward as a candidate. Running for public office takes courage and commitment, and I believe anyone willing to step forward and serve their community deserves recognition.

The longest running social event in the city continued, Saturday, when the Dauphin Firefighters Association hosted its annual Firefighters Ball.
The soldout event was a fund-raiser for DFD’s Restoration Fund, while recognizing firefighters for their efforts over the past year.
This year, Sam Smith and Oleksiy Vlasov received their Level I accreditation badges, which were pinned on their uniforms by their wives.
The Darren Killen Most Dedicated Firefighter Award went to Alvin Bogoslowski, who has served on the fire department for 43 years and continues to have a near 100 per cent attendance rate at training and calls.
In making the announcement, fire chief Cam Abrey said Bogoslowski has been involved with pretty much every construction project around the department since he started. He was one of the key members of the group that, along with Killen, built the shed that stores the antique fire trucks behind the fire station.
“When I started this bell project, it was both Darren and Alvin that took it away from me and completed the construction of it,” Abrey added.
Bogoslowski keeps busy cutting the grass, taking out the garbage and recycling, mopping the floor and then he’s in the radio room keeping an eye on Gary Holyoake.
Bogoslowski is not one to sit around, always busy with something, Abrey said, adding he is more than willing to throw on his gear and jump on a truck, but his skills are needed at the station filling air bottles and repairing the small motors and tools.
“We all tease Alvin that we’ve never heard him curse, ever, no matter what’s going on. We even asked his family, and they said they haven’t heard him drop one little “F’ bomb ever,” Abrey said.
Five firefighters were nominated for this year’s Jack Carey Memorial Firefighter of the Year Award.
All were excellent candidates, Abrey said, but the election process showed one clear winner, Bruce Bouttell.
Bouttell, Abrey said, is an individual that gives back to the department and over the past year, has excelled as a member.
Bouttell has stepped up and volunteered for every extracurricular event the fire department takes part in and even assisted in a large way with last year’s ball, even though he only had one month in as a member.
Over the past 12 months Bouttell has developed a strange relationship with DFD’s mascot Sparky the Fire Dog, volunteering to wear the suit every chance he gets.
Bouttell joined DFD in October 2025, but as mentioned, he developed the slideshow for the ball thanking sponsors, was involved with the other preparations, and during the July 1 flooding, left his own home traveling over flooded roads to respond to the many calls for service the fire department had and spent most of his day assisting with the evacuation of Dauphin Regional Health Centre.
Most recently, Bouttell has totally overhauled the tracks for the department’s side by side and in doing so, has taken two other new members and mentored them as to the required repairs.
Bouttell has also stepped up and taken on a special project of implementing a new records management software, even so far that he has taken his IT background and identified some deficiencies in the software, has met with the manager of the Provincial 911 Communications Center and the software provider and is working out the bugs in the system prior to many other departments in the Province moving to the same platform.
This is all in addition to assisting with the antique truck restorations.
Bouttell realized Abrey was talking about him when Sparky the Fire Dog was mentioned.
“I had a little bit of an inkling. And then some of the tables started to turn and look at me, so then at that point, I realized he may be talking about me,” he said.
Winning the award means the world to Bouttell.
“It’s an honour to work with such fine human beings and the opportunity to work amongst them is hard to put into words,” he said.
“I think moving from Winnipeg to Dauphin within the last 10 years and Dauphin has been such a welcoming community that I just thought this was a great opportunity to give back to the community. Hence I joined.”
The firefighters that he works with, Bouttell added, are all outstanding individuals.
Having served such a short time with DFD makes winning the award a surprise.
“To me, I just like to help out people. It took me by surprise. It was hard to keep a dry eye walking up to get the award from Cam,” he said.

Dauphin fire chief Cam Abrey is anxiously waiting to find out if a grant application to the Manitoba Growth, Renewal and Opportunities for Municipalities (Manitoba GRO) program is successful, so much needed renovations to the Dauphin Fire Station can get underway.
The application to the program, which covers 50 per cent of costs of shovel ready projects, was made around a $3 million budget meant to complete the first of three phases of the renovations.
“We had applied for the firetruck a few years ago and were approved, so we’re hoping that we can get something out of (Manitoba GRO) for the station renovations,” Abrey said.
The need for the redevelopment arose after engineers and architects were contracted to assess the existing building, constructed in 1970, which has seen two additions in the 1980s and a major renovation in the 1990s when the fire department took over the space from the RCMP.
“We wanted to know, is this building sufficient and will it handle another addition onto it. The engineers and architects came in said we have a great solid base,” Abrey said, adding he also wanted to determine if the department was housed in the proper location in the community.
“Being on an access to the highway right here was great and to the downtown area. So the location of the hall was extremely suitable.”
In the end a Class C estimate was provided outlining overall project costs of $5.5 million to $6.5 million.
“Knowing that we don’t have that money at this point in time, we worked with the architects to come up with a phased approach,” Abrey said.
With a leaking roof threatening possible structural damage to the building, it was identified as a priority for phase one, Abrey said, adding a new roof requires modifications or and installation of a new HVAC system. The roof will also house new communications equipment improving dependability of critical radio traffic.
“Right now we just have a short antenna. So from fire station to the truck in our protection area is not a problem. But when we’re outside of the truck with portable radios, we have communication issues and getting back to the fire station. We can talk to everybody on scene, but we can’t get back here,” he said.
“So the architects have also worked with one of the radio companies and, because it’s going up on the roof, they had to work that anchoring system in with their modifications there.”
Electrical upgrades were also included in phase one of the project as the numerous additions and renovations throughout the years has resulted in a disjointed and piecemeal system with panels and subpanels at several locations throughout the facility.
The HVAC work and communications upgrades demanded the electrical upgrades be a priority, Abrey added.
“We don’t have any backup power supply to this building right now. We’ve pulled generators off the trucks and run extension cords outside in order to keep our communications running, but we can’t fill air bottles for the SCBAs if our power is down. So, they’re looking at putting in the backup system, as well, with an emergency generator,” he said.
Finally, as the decision to apply to Manitoba GRO was made, Abrey said they decided to top up their ask with the addition of insulation work on the building by means of insulated panels applied to the exterior.
Abrey is expecting to hear a decision on the application in late February or early March 2027 and is hoping for some positive news.
“The thing is, there’s only so much money in the pot and I know of several fire departments that have applied for the GRO grant for fire trucks. So government has to make their decisions, as well. But fingers are crossed they pick us, too,” he said, adding getting half of the project completed with provincial government support would be “a big step.”
“And it is a shovel ready project. We have the blueprints in hand. They’re concept drawings, not the stamped engineered drawings, but everything’s there to be done. Hopefully that makes a difference.”
Abrey added an application to another funding source identified by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs has been made.
The new federal Climate Ready Infrastructure Service is offering funding to enhance climate readiness and low-carbon opportunities for new build or retrofit projects.
“I sent them all of our plans. They’re in receipt of everything that the architects have given us so far,” Abrey said.
“So, they’re taking a look at everything.”
Future phases
Phase two of the project involves adding to the footprint of the building with an addition squaring off the northwest corner of the station allowing for relocation of the kitchen, board room and fitness centre, as well as an expansion of the existing classroom and the addition of a storage area.
The third and final phase will involve the development of a decontamination area and clean room/locker room in the existing kitchen and boardroom.
Those changes will get firefighter gear off the apparatus floor, allowing more room for operational equipment currently being stored in a separate building.

A pair of Parkland rugby players were recognized by Rugby Manitoba recently.
Ronin Mouck became the first Mavericks player ever to be named Senior Player of the Year, while Codi Harrigan was chosen as the winner of the Ray Skett Coaching Award.
Mouck received an email from Rugby Manitoba about two weeks ago informing him of the award.
“I didn’t even know the award even existed, to be honest,” he said, adding he went to Winnipeg to receive the award, Oct. 30.
“I was just happy that putting all the work in through the season paid off, because I practice so much. I’m just happy to see it paid off, pretty much,” he said.
Mouck attributes his hard work and a strong, sharp mentality as keys to his success this season.
“We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I probably came to the field another two days a week, at least. Putting in the work during the off time. Just practicing all the time,” he said.
At 19 years of age, Mouck has a bright future ahead of him, so winning the award means a lot
“Coming off the championship with all the guys, too. It’s the first-ever championship in Parkland Mavericks’ history and now this is the first time a Maverick has won this award, so I’m just happy to win it for the Mavericks,” he said.
Mavericks player-coach Jordan Campbell said Mouck has been the most consistent and driven player the Mavericks have ever had.
“He makes everyone on his team better and I can even say from experience, he’s my friend and brother. At practice, he pushed me and it literally made me want to play harder,” he said, adding Mouck led the league in points, never missed a practice or a game, even after being in a car accident the day before.
“He’s the true definition of a rugby player and Maverick. As tough as they come,” Campbell said.
Throughout the season, Harrigan has coached eight different teams at all age levels.
“From Grade 3 right to U18 Canada women’s team,” he said.
Harrigan got into coaching through his daughter, who has been involved in the sport for six years, starting when she was five years old.
“She’s really been my driving force behind it. Just watching her enjoy the game and the game means a lot to me, so we can connect that way,” he said.
“She’s always been my biggest supporter, so when I told her I got the award, she said, ‘yeah, of course, Dad. You deserved it’.”
Harrigan doesn’t see it as an individual award, instead calling it a collaborative effort between the players, parents and volunteers behind every program he has been part of.
“I’ve just got to say thanks to everyone that’s supported me over the years and especially this last year,” he said.
“Especially the players that will come out here in the weather and give it their all.”
When he received the email informing him of the award, Harrigan at first thought it was a scam.
“I didn’t even know I was nominated. So I was very humbled,” he said.

The Dauphin Clippers are running roughshod over the competition in the early going of the Westman High School Hockey League.
The Clippers routed the opposition in a pair of games this weekend, beating the Reston/Melita/Hartney Renegades, 10-0, Saturday night, before skating to a 21-2 win over the Sandy Bay Badgers, Sunday afternoon.
Dauphin is now 5-0-0-0 for 10 points, good for a second place tie with the Vincent Massey Vikings and Swan Valley Tigers, two points back of the league-leading Crocus Plains Plainsmen.
In five games, Dauphin has scored 55 goals, while allowing just one against.
Clippers coach Drew Kulcheski said the Clippers played their game and tried to get the details down.
“And tried to get some scoring early and put pressure on some teams, so that way we can keep things rolling. But we’re just making sure we hammer in our details every game,” he said.
With games like this, Kulcheski said its tough to make sure every shift matters.
“It’s definitely tough to commit to both sides in games like this. But making sure the guys hammer in the details for every shift, because we’re going to get a point in the schedule where we’re going to need to be able to play every shift without taking any little bit off. So making sure that we get into good habits so that leads us all the way down to the end,” he said.
The Clippers will be in tough this weekend when they are in Brandon, Friday, to play the Vikings at 7:30 p.m., before facing the Plainsmen, Sunday at 3:20 p.m.
“Two top teams in the league right now. We’ve got to be ready to go right from puck drop. We’ve got to play Clipper hockey and make sure we stick to our game plan and try and spoil some home games on the weekend,” Kulcheski said, adding he is confident the Clippers can come away with two victories.
“This team has a very unfinished-business mentality this season, so we’re looking forward to having some revenge this weekend.”

Earlier this year, the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School entered into a partnership with the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) to collaborate on a Re-Right Project. A Re-Right Project is a community art initiative that promotes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child through public art and murals. As of March 2026, six murals have been completed through the Re-Right Project, five of which are in Winnipeg and one in Nelson House.
Winnipeg artist Charlie Johnston was chosen to work with students at the SVRSS on the Re-Right Project. Johnston is a well-known artist who has painted numerous murals and has a great deal of experience teaching and mentoring young artists.
“I’ve done some work with MACY and they are doing a series of murals centred around the International Declaration of Human Rights for Children and Youth,” said Johnston. “It’s a parallel declaration to the International Declaration of Human Rights. MACY fights to advocate for the rights of children and youth. This completely aligns with their mandate.
“I’ve done other mural projects in Winnipeg with youth and there have been other artists who have as well. The reason we wound up doing one of the mural projects in Swan River was that they wanted to provide more representation and service to the area. This was a good opportunity to express that.”
Students at the SVRSS were able to work with Johnston on creating a concept and painting the mural for the Re-Right Project. The Swan Valley mural is the seventh in the Re-Right Project. The mural shows the students’ interpretation of the right to be protected from harmful substances, including from making, selling or using drugs (UNCRC article 3).
“The mural was open to all high school visual art students from grades 10 to 12,” said SVRSS Graphic and Design and Visual Arts Instructor Amy Rogalski. “We had one class that focused on developing the mural and then students who expressed interest in participating in the painting portion of the mural. There were 20 students who were part of the class that developed the concept and eight students who participated in painting the mural with Charlie.”
“The creative process is always amazing for its strength, healing, and it’s engaging,” said Johnston. “I’ve worked with adults and young children on projects, but with kids, you put a brush in their hands and you can’t stop it; they just take off. As we get older, we get more conscious and thoughtful in the process. This was an opportunity for the youth involved to open themselves up to that process. It’s about finding the inner artist in oneself. This was an opportunity for the students to express their feelings about the issues that they felt the strongest about and let those feelings out and express them.
“In this process, I like to engage the participants in every facet of the creative journey. I like to get their creative intuition flowing from the start. In that sense, the students were the conceptual artists and put the idea together. They chose which declaration in the Human Rights Declaration was the one that mattered most to them. We went through a democratic process where we went through the list of Human Rights Declarations and they narrowed it down. They almost unanimously picked this particular issue, which is that children and youth have the right to be protected from harmful drugs.
“That really stood out like a beacon to them as the topic that they wanted to creatively express about,” said Johnston. “Then we went through the creative process of taking that idea and expressing it as a mural, and how you come up with the subject matter, imagery, style and the way it’s going to be painted.”
The Re-Right Project started within the first month that students were back to school and didn’t take long to complete. Once students fully understood what MACY does and the importance of having rights for children and youth, they became engaged in sharing their own personal experiences and providing input towards the project.
“We began the mural on September 28 with an introduction of the project and Charlie,” said Rogalski. “It was finished October 22 when the final signatures were applied.
“The students took about a day to engage. I think there is always the challenge of having a new teacher and then meeting an artist and being immersed in a new experience. Once they understood what MACY is and what the project meant and could represent for the community, they became more committed to what it could mean.
“The class that worked to develop the concept for the mural were really committed to the right they chose—the right to be protected from harmful drugs,” said Rogalski. “They were engaged in discussions of personal experiences and why this matters so much to them as students of the Swan Valley community. After concept development, the students who participated in the painting process were regularly ready to go. Every day of painting, they arrived to class for attendance and then were off to paint. You could see the pride, intensity, joy and focus they had in what they were creating and sharing with the community.”
“To us, this right means more than simply keeping harmful drugs away,” said SVRSS Student Liz Desjarlais. “It means building communities where people feel safe, where families can find support, and where those who are struggling with addiction are not forgotten.”
“Dragonflies were chosen to represent the heroes; they are a spiritual ally, as they have the ability to capture and contain the needle mosquitoes,” said SVRSS Student Sam Sakayigun. “The dragonflies are wearing symbols of health services, justice, safety patrol, and most importantly – love.”
The Re-Right mural unveiling was held on November 5, at the SVRSSS. The mural is located in the school hallway along the Cultural Arts Centre.

The 45th annual Calico Corners Craft Sale and Bazaar took place at the Veterans Community Hall  on Friday (Nov. 6), with plenty of local craftspeople coming out to sell their wares in support of the Association of Community Living (ACL). Pictured here, a couple of patrons deposit their tickets for the ACL raffle...

The Russell Swimming Pool has had a great few years! From fabulous teenage staff, certified instructors and lifeguards, and superb community support through the summer months, it finally feels like the pool has gained some momentum.
With this momentum the Russell Pool Board is looking to make some considerable positive waves in the coming years. In recent years, board members have organized numerous fundraising activities, including pool parties, calendar raffles, Halloween celebrations, and volunteer work supporting local organizations like Beef and Barley and the Russell Take a Year off Lotto. Additionally, grant funding has been secured to support the purchase and installation of the turf, which has proven to be a popular and well-utilized addition for swimmers throughout the season.
Our community pool’s priorities include: acquiring a new boiler, renovating the office and change-room facilities, purchasing and installing a new waterslide, expanding the turf area, and enhancing the pool deck’s appearance through new furnishings and decor (including seating, umbrellas, flower pots, and an exterior mural). Please note that as a registered charity, we are able to provide tax receipts for any involvement in our sponsorship program.

Catch the latest wave on pages 1 and 2 of this week's Russell Banner.

The Russell Banner is currently experiencing issues with out main line of 204-773-2069. Repairs are expected to have it in operation by this Friday, November 13, 2026.

Until then we are reachable on our second line at 204-773-3407.

We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.