Dawson Trail Dispatch August 2023

Construction Underway on K-4 School in Steinbach

Steinbach Chamber Receives Financial Boost to Support Ukrainian Newcomers

By Dan Guetre

By Dan Guetre

Construction is underway on a new kindergarten to Grade 4 school in Steinbach in Hanover School Division.

The two-storey school is being designed to accommodate 600 students, with an initial capacity for 500 students and an ability to expand by 100 students in the future. Costs are expected to be just under $40 million and should be completed in early 2025.

The 62,304 sq. ft. school will include 19 classrooms for kindergarten to Grade 4; a child-care facility with 74 spaces; gymnasium; library; music room; an art room; multipurpose room; life-skills suite; hygiene room; and associated support spaces.

“The board of trustees expresses heartfelt gratitude to the Manitoba government for their unwavering commitment to education and building a new K-4 school in west Steinbach,” said Ron Falk, board chair, Hanover School Division. “This investment will greatly benefit our students and their families, and foster a brighter future for our community.”

Through an amended contribution agreement the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce is receiving an additional $38,951 to ensure they have the staffing and resources needed to continue connecting Ukrainian newcomers with the Manitoba labour market.

The funding is available through the Canada-Labour Market Development Agreement and is administered by the Manitoba government.

“Our government remains committed to providing Ukrainian newcomers with dedicated support. This includes making sure they have access to good jobs,” said federal Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Minister Carla Qualtrough. “This investment will provide stability to thousands of Ukrainian newcomers and their families seeking a new start after Russia’s illegal and unjustified invasion.”

The Steinbach Chamber of Commerce is one of six organizations currently contracted to assist with employment counselling, resume preparation, shortterm training, job search assistance, job referral and job placement with local employers.

On a per capita basis, more Ukrainians have sought refuge in Manitoba than any other province, added the minister. Based on federal arrival data, roughly 14 per cent of Canadian arrivals have come to Manitoba.

L-R: Ron Falk (Board of Trustees Chair), Shelley Amos (Superintendent-CEO), James Teitsma (Minister of Consumer Protection and Government Services), Wayne Ewasko (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning), Kelvin Goertzen (MLA for Steinbach), Earl Funk (Mayor of Steinbach), Danielle Funk (Building Committee Chair), Lindsay Oster (Principal Architect).

Architect’s concept drawing of the front of the 62,304 sq ft new school. Submitted photos

Community Library Builds on Accessibility

By Dan Guetre

A small grant from the Manitoba Accessibility Fund (MAF) is going a long way for the Jolys Regional Library (JRL) to continue their goal of making the library more accessible to anyone using their services.

The MAF was created with the purpose of aiding organizations in implementing the essential changes needed to enhance accessibility in their services, ultimately improving the quality of life for all Manitobans and enabling full participation within their communities.

With almost $8,600 from MAF, the library is going to make the library a bit more friendly for those diagnosed with Dyslexia by adding a new collection.

“The new collection would include ‘Dyslexic Friendly Font’ books for all ages in both official languages,” explained head librarian, Nicole Gauthier. “Additionally we would further develop our ‘Large Print’ collection, by focusing on enlarging our French

language collection.”

In the past, the library has purchased Accessible Reading Devises to supports its community members with various print disabilities.

With a large part of the community being francophone, Gauthier notes that while the Public Library Services Branch (PLSB) supports Manitoba libraries by providing Large Print Supplemental blocks every 4 months, this does not include French Large Print.

Gauthier also plans to have the library reach out to local groups and organizations to with a campaign to make the greater community aware of the barriers affecting Print Disabilities.

Print Disabilities can be anything from a learning disability, physical disability or even a visual disability.

Gauthier explained that the library recognized the need to address the issue of inequality when it comes to the services they provide.

“We are very attuned to our patrons and we have learned that there are many parents struggling to get their children interested in reading due to a some form of print disability,” she explained. “Additionally, the JRL is in a shared space with Ecole Heritage School (Red River Valley School Division) and due to this close working relationship we see the increased need of Dyslexic friendly font within our shared collections.”

Change will not happen overnight, but Gauthier is hoping to getting the resources in as soon as possible.

“At this point we are in the research phase,” she noted. “Looking at different publishers to see what resources we can add to the collection, while ensuring that the books meet the library’s purchasing standards and collection development needs.”

She explained that the next phase will be to procure and process the new collections and hopes to have the project completed by March 2024.

The library has been successful with finding the funds for previous projects.

“[Also] in 2023 JRL was awarded $25,000 from the Arts, Culture and Sports in Community Fund (first intake) to install a new Circulation Desk to meet the standards of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act,” she elaborated. “The new circulation desk was designed to ensure we can meet all our patrons’ needs, including wheel chair accessibility.”

This project should be completed by this fall.

“We are patiently awaiting the results of our 2023 request (second intake) to see if we will be awarded through this funding again,” she added. “Our second request focused on replacing the soft seating to meet the standards of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act.”

She admitted to being a bit biased, but she believes that libraries are some of the most important learning centers and gathering places in our communities.

“Their importance to people’s well-being and their ability to learn and expand their knowledge cannot be underestimated,” she said. “There’s magic and history within their walls; a place to gather, and places to learn.”

By not only supporting and empowering individuals and families with lower literacy skills, but also providing infrastructure for those who want to learn, libraries connect people from all walks of life, every day she added.

Gauthier’s ultimate goal is to create a safe and inclusive community gathering space. Accessibility places a major role.

“Accessibility refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments which enables all people to participate fully in society without barriers,” said Gauthier. “Accessibility also entails the identification and removal of barriers, be they physical, technological, procedural, attitudinal, or environmental, which inhibit peoples’ participation in activities or in daily life.”

Gauthier is working with both CELA and NNELS to move forward in this recent project. CELA has resources available to serve people with print disabilities, including material produced with Dyslexic friendly fonts.

Accessible technology purchased by the library which includes YOTO players and cards, IPADS, STREAM Victor and STRATUS Victor Readers, and DAISY DISKS.

A Dyslexia friendly font can help someone with the affliction. This is a sample of a Dyslexia friendly font.

Many with Dyslexia can see this when attempting to read a book with a “standard” font.

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Southeast Students Tasked with Advising Provincial Education

By Dan Guetre

Four students from southeast Manitoba have been named to the 202324 Education Student Advisory Council.

The Student Advisory Council, made up of 30 Manitoba youth aged 14 to 18, reports directly to the minister of education and early childhood learning, and provides insights and advice on current and emerging issues and topics affecting kindergarten to Grade 12 students.

Brianne Judson from St. Malo who attends Roseau Valley School has already one year under her belt and was reappointed for a second term. Three additional students from the area will tackle their first term on the council.

New representatives are Steinbach’s Kristine Bolisay who attends Steinbach Regional Secondary School, Ste. Genevieve’s London Fraser who attends Pointe-des-Chênes in Ste. Anne and Niverville’s Edlynne (Eddy) Paez a student from Niverville High School.

“Our government would like to congratulate the council from last year, as well as the new and returning members being appointed to the 2023-24 Student Advisory Council. I thank everyone for their commitment to education in Manitoba and express my appreciation for their willingness to serve on the council,” said Ewasko. “I look forward to hearing directly from the members of this year’s council on what is needed to improve and maintain positive student outcomes and wellbeing in Manitoba schools.”

Last year, council members met six times to discuss and provide input on various topics, which helped to inform several of Manitoba’s K to 12 Education Action Plan priority items, including: remote learning; physical education and science curricula; student engagement and youth leadership; school leadership; the Poverty and Education Task Force; and the Access to Menstrual Products Initiative.

Council members for 2023-24 will serve a 12-month term starting this August and ending in August 2024. The final meeting of the 2022-23 council is scheduled to take place before the end of July. This will be a joint meeting with the 2023-24 council members, where both councils will have an opportunity to meet with the minister.

School Receives Funding to Help with French Curriculum

By Dan Guetre

In a recent funding announcement, Sainte-Anne Immersion School will receive $39,000 to put towards teacher support services.

On the same day the new Manitoba French Language Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy was launched, Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko and federal Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor awarded funds to Manitoba schools. The funding collaboration is between the federal and provincial governments.

“Through our commitments to French teacher recruitment and retention, we are forging a path of linguistic inclusivity and cultural enrichment. We will continue to empower generations to embrace the beauty and diversity of the French language, ensuring a brighter future for all Manitobans,” said Petitpas Taylor.

“The strategy to address the shortage of teachers supports Frenchlanguage initiatives as an integral part of Manitoba’s education system, and will help ensure these opportunities will continue to be available in our educational communities,” said Ewasko.

The goal for the partnership strategy between governments is to provide a framework to co-ordinate numerous initiatives intended to increase the supply of French-language teachers in Manitoba.

Federal Cabinet Shuffle Valueless, Says Provencher MP

By Dan Guetre

The recent cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won’t lead to more confidence from voters according to Provencher MP Ted Falk.

Falk believes the move is a “desperate attempt to restore faith in his failed government.”

“While I offer my sincere congratulations to my Liberal colleagues who were entrusted with cabinet positions, particularly the new cabinet members, let’s see this for what it was,” said Falk in a statement.

“[The] moves were akin to shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. Shifting the furniture on deck does nothing if one does not drastically change course to avoid the disaster ahead, something this Prime Minster shows no signs of doing.”

Falk, not one to miss an opportu-

nity to criticize the federal Liberals and speak to residents of the conservative leaning riding, focused what he believes are foundational errors the shuffle does not address.

“Shifting many of the same tired faces who have overseen eight years of failure, fear, and inflationary policies out of portfolios where they failed Canadians to new portfolios does little to comfort Canadians who can’t afford to buy groceries or heat their homes—that is assuming they are among the rapidly shrinking percentage of Canadians who can afford one,” he noted. “Nor does promoting a new crop of cabinet rookies who have thus far towed the line and will continue to cede total control to this out of touch Prime Minster.” His suggested solution did not mince words.

“Let’s be honest, the Minister that needs to be shuffled out is Justin Trudeau,” he stressed. “Canadians don’t just need a new cabinet; they need a new government.”

Provencher MP Ted Falk. Submitted photo

Education, Childcare and Senior Care Provincial Highlights for 2023

We are more than half way through the summer and with 2 months away from the election; a lot of hard work is being done as our government continues to move forward on our commitments. In my role as Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning, I would like to circle back and re-cap what our hard work has accomplished.

This year our PC government increased funding for kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) schools by $100 million for the 2023-24 school year.

That represents an increase of 6.1% in operating funding and a 23% increase overall since 2016.This funding provides increases to operating support while addressing cost pressures and includes additional funding for special needs and independent schools. It also provides increases in existing grants.

Improving literacy and numeracy outcomes for all Manitoba students a key priority for us since the former NDP government took our province from 3rd in the country to last. The primary components in our government’s Education Action Plan strengthen our education as a whole by focusing on modernizing curriculum resources, providing an equitable funding formula, and

supporting student presence and engagement. In May of this year, our provincial government announced its partnership with Enriched Academy to deliver a financial literacy pilot program to Manitoba students during the 2023-24 school year.

To address the impacts of poverty on education our PC government acted by forming the Poverty and Education Task Force, creating an all-systems approach to improve social inclusion, education, and well-being outcomes. Back in September we launched an access to menstrual products initiative that resulted in an agreement to have $3.3 million in products donated every year for 3 years. Following that, a funding increase to a total of $2.5 million went to the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba to support school-based meal and snack programs.

In continuing with our commitment of providing higher quality education to Manitoba students within the K-12 education system, our PC government made a pledge to build 20 new schools in 10 years, and will exceed this commitment 2 years ahead of schedule.

When it comes to childcare in Manitoba, while the NDP were

content on letting waitlists grow and had zero plans to expand our province’s childcare seats, we as the PC government took matters into our own hands by working with community-based organizations, existing child-care providers, school divisions and other partners to advance our commitment for 23,000 new childcare spaces by 2026. In support of that commitment the governments of Canada and Manitoba are allocating $13.5 million to help child-care centres expand infant and preschool spaces through the 2023-24 Renovation Expansion Grant. The Renovation Expansion Grant encourages facilities to invest in existing infrastructure and expand site capacity with additional infant or preschool spaces that will be sustainable for years to come. The Manitoba government estimates the funding will create up to an additional 450 spaces for children under the age of seven. Funding provided through the grant will support renovation, administrative and programming costs to create new spaces.

Here in the Lac du Bonnet constituency, our PC government has recently announced that we are making concrete investments to support

the senior’s strategy by advancing the planning stages for new personal care homes. Six more personal care homes will be built with four located in the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA) in Arborg, Lac du Bonnet, Oakbank and Stonewall. The other two facilities will be in Winnipeg. This investment brings Lac du Bonnet 95 beds! Following planning and design work, construction of the six new facilities will exceed the Manitoba government’s commitment to open 1,200 new personal care home beds by 2025.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at wayne@wayneewasko.com, or call me at 204-268-3282. Also, you can follow me on Twitter @ wayneewaskomla and friend me on Facebook. (Wayne Ewasko is the LA for Lac du Bonnet and the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning)

Expanding Child Care Spaces Over the Next 3 Years

Recently, our government has made a number of exciting announcements regarding child-care, and I am pleased to highlight that the Dawson Trail constituency has been included in these recent announcements. In particular, Anola School has been approved to receive 89 proposed child-care spaces as part of the new child-care capital expansion projects. The Town of Ste. Anne will also add more child-care spaces, alongside the RM of Wallace-Woodworth, for a total of 148 spaces across both communities.

Over the next three years, our federal and provincial governments will provide more than $180 million in funding to expand childcare spaces in public schools and post-secondary institutions across Manitoba, creating more than 3,700 new licensed and funded infant, preschool, and school-age child-care spaces. Funding will be provided under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. $132 million will be allocated across 36 public schools to create more than 2,400 spaces for children under seven. Another $45 million will

be provided to support more than 680 new child-care space expansion projects for children under seven across eight post-secondary institutions.

Hundreds of new child-care spaces will be opening in rural Manitoba as our federal and provincial governments celebrate the opening of the first of eight ready-to-move (RTM) child-care centres in Headingley. More than $94 million has been provided by Canada and Manitoba for two phases of the RTM child care project, which uses a hybrid construction model to develop spaces quickly. The RTM model allows high-quality, new facilities to be built under controlled conditions before they are moved to the final site and placed on a permanent foundation. The Canada-Manitoba CanadaWide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement fully funds the construction costs in exchange for land, servicing, and free rent space for the child-care operator.

Following the opening of the Headingley facility, the Oak Bluff, Whitemouth, Stonewall, East Selkirk, Ile des Chênes, Rosenort, and Portage la Prairie facilities will open by October. Phase Two of this project will create facilities in the cities

of Dauphin and Morden, the towns of Melita and Morris, and the rural municipalities of Hanover, Taché, MacDonald, Rockwood, Sifton, Ritchot, Argyle, and Brokenhead, as well as Lake St. Martin First Nation and Norway House Cree Nation. Additionally, $26 million is being invested this year to support the inclusion of 300 more spaces. 152 more spaces will be added across six of the community projects in phase two, in addition to the 148 spaces opening up in the Town of Ste. Anne and the RM of Wallace-Woodworth. When complete, both phases of the project are expected to create 1,970 new childcare spaces in 25 rural and First Nations communities across Manitoba. For more updates and information, visit my website at boblagasse.com. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact my constituency office at ca.lagasse@outlook.com or 204-807-4663.

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Elevator Addition Planned for Lorette School

École Lorette Immersion has received funding to reduce potential barriers at the school and will work towards adding an additional elevator.

“These accessibility projects will ensure that young Manitobans with disabilities and their families have access to the most inclusive

Snapshot of Summer

and barrier-free learning environments possible, so they can get the most out of their educational experiences and reach their full potential,” said Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko following the funding announcement.

Gaslighting Governance: Manitobans Deserve Better

Dear Editor:

Last year, I was troubled by the lack of interest shown by our current MB PC government in responding to the concerns of their constituents. The local MLA even went as far as disabling comments on their social media, further isolating themselves from the public. However, to my surprise, they suddenly shifted their focus to mental health awareness and started supporting various initiatives. Sadly, this turned out to be nothing more than a smoke screen for their lack of genuine engagement.

Over the past year, there has been a conspicuous pattern in the government’s behaviour. While they superficially allocate funds to communities and take credit for initiatives not of their own making, the gaslighting tactics they employ are deeply concerning. It appears that their current platform is designed to dissuade communication and exploit the emotions of people to avoid negative publicity.

Regrettably, I experienced firsthand the indifference of the government when they decided to attempt to push through Bill 64. This decision had a profound impact on my life and the life of my colleagues, causing significant distress. Despite reaching out multiple times for answers, my pleas fell on deaf ears. It’s disheartening to see the same government expressing concern for mental health while making decisions that negatively affect people’s well-being without any regard for their concerns.

Take, for instance, the funding announcement for the Lorette Multiplex—a long-overdue project that the municipality had been fundraising for over two decades. It only gained traction when the government needed a distraction before an election, using it to prop up an ineffective and unresponsive MLA for political gain. And yet, this project is sadly still under funded.

Similarly, after Bill 64, the MB PC government attempted to repair the damage by pouring money into schools, but this is merely a cover-up for their poor decision making and planning. All the while, new bills impacting education are being designed and wordsmithed to take the place of their predecessors. None of these tactics are in the best interest of teaching and student learning but rather for positioning power.

Throughout this past year, the MB PC government has shown a complete disregard for my mental health and how their decisions have affected me personally and emotionally. I have spent countless hours grappling with the implications of their policies on society, education, my career and family, only to be met with silence when trying to discuss my concerns. The irony of using mental health as a platform while being completely unresponsive to constituents’ mental health needs is both disrespectful and irresponsible.

This government’s misuse of power and manipulation of public sentiment shows a profound lack of integrity. They are more concerned with positioning themselves and their allies in positions of power than actually addressing the needs of their constituents. It is disheartening to see such callousness from those entrusted with leading our province.

The current MB PC government’s actions have demonstrated that they are not worthy of re-election. Their disregard for the well-being of constituents and their failure to address legitimate concerns raise serious doubts about their ability to govern responsibly. It is time for the people of this province to demand better leadership that genuinely cares about education, their mental health and overall welfare. Only then can we hope for a government that prioritizes the needs of the people it serves.

Susan Ciastko, Lorette West

It’s been great to be back in the riding the past month and have the opportunity to take part in the many parades, festivals, and cultural events that Provencher residents enjoy during the summer months.

My first event of the summer was the 50th anniversary of Chateau Malouin in St. Malo. My congrats to their team for so many years of providing seniors with affordable supportive housing. The next day, I was in La Broquerie for their annual pancake breakfast, then hurried to Blumenort for their parade.

On June 29th our Manitoba Caucus had the opportunity to sit down with the executive for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and later that day with Winnipeg Mayor Scot Gillingham.

It was great to really kick off summer on July 1st at the annual Canada Day celebrations in Vita. It was a great turn out and great to see so many families enjoying the sunshine, and have that opportunity to connect with constituents.

Since June, I’ve also been able to attend parades and other events in Niverville, Lorette, Montcalm, Mitchell, Ste. Agathe, St. Labre, St. Joseph, and Dugald.

Last week, I had the privilege to travel to Churchill, Manitoba to do outreach for our party and hold

meetings with our Manitoba Caucus. I had the opportunity to meet with the Board Chair and also the CEO of the Arctic Gateway Group, owners of the Churchill Port and railway line. We also met with the Chamber of Commerce and Parks Canada and toured several interesting facilities related to exporting and environmental projects. I was also able to meet with the mayor and other local officials. Our message of affordability and commonsense governance is working its way through the riding of Churchill Keewatinook Aski. While in Churchill, I was approached by several individuals, who identified themselves as residents of Provencher and expressed their concern about this current government and also appreciation for our Leader Pierre Poilievre and our conservative vision.

I’ve also had the opportunity to join my party’s leader (and I believe our next Prime Minister), the Hon. Pierre Poilievre at a couple of events this summer. Back in June, I was excited to join Pierre in Winkler in an effort to help the newest member of our Conservative caucus, Brandon Leslie, get elected. Earlier this week, I was in Kenora with Pierre as he held a rally to share our Conservative vision for Canada.

Everywhere I go, whether it’s

around the riding, up in Churchill, Kenora, and even in Winnipeg, I hear the same two things. Canadians can’t afford the cost of living and we need a change in government. Provencher families, even those with good jobs are struggling to make ends meet. Justin Trudeau is out of touch and Canadians are out of money. That’s why I’m pleased to have this summer to spread our Conservative message of hope.

It is such an honour to serve Provencher as your MP. I am so encouraged by all the messages of support I receive from my constituents. It is great to know you have my back and you better believe I’ve got yours.

I look forward to more busy days ahead. More events, more conversations with constituents, hearing the issues that matter to you. Then, I look forward to taking those issues, the views and values of Provencher back to our Parliament in the fall, as your commonsense voice in Ottawa.

Peace on the Seine

Southeast Greens Gearing Up for Provincial Election

By Dan Guetre

With a newly elected provin cial leader, the Green Party of Manitoba (GPM) is readying itself for the October provincial election.

Janine Gibson is no stranger to talking with residents in the southeast corner of the province, having represented the GPM in the past. This next provincial election will have a twist as she will not only represent the Greens in La Verendrye as a candidate but will need to lead the party.

Gibson is taking her new lead ership role in stride, confident that she can work with her party candidates as a team.

“The teamwork approach at the Green Party of Manitoba is attracting candidates I look for ward to working with, who in spire me and their communities to work on solutions together,” said Gibson. “Our message is Green jobs to address the climate emergency, end welfare and make every vote count. Our Green Party can deliver teamwork I’m grateful to help lead!”

Beyond the teamwork, Gibson is counting on the grassroot ideals the party was built on to rally the electorate.

“As Manitobans we need to make every vote count to breathe some life and diversity into our local democracy,” she explained, “[and] our candidates support that goal!”

Gibson says she values the grassroot movements that have surfaced recently, especially in the southeast.

“I am inspired by the citizen activists serving as water protectors in our communities as we join so many neighbours in challenging corporate ‘greenwashing’, she noted. “The Beausejour Water Treatment plant’s impacts on the Brokenhead River, Berger Peat Moss plant’s case dismissal in the face of climate emergency, the loss of wilderness with the proposed Highway 17 twinning, and private mining of silica threatening our drinking water quality - we are supporting our candidates in recognizing and participating in the spontaneous ‘citizen assemblies’ asking for government accountability on critical issues happening in their neighbourhoods.”

Gibson believes people should be concerned about what is happening on their doorsteps.

“The Regulatory Capture we observe demonstrated in so many of our government departments has to be stopped,” she explained. “Whether it’s because of insufficient funding to the departments or lack of political will, Manitoba decision makers have not been overseeing our resource development in a sustainable manner.”

She was not afraid to point out

specific projects.

“Sio [Silica] and its process is an issue and so is the Berger Peat Moss Plant and its approval process,” she clarified. “Both project approvals show such disregard for GHG emission controls and local citizen welfare, as does the infamous Municipal Board.”

Gibson also criticized the current government of allowing some companies to skirt costs even during the application stages.

“The province leaving so much money on the table with Sio’s applications, [this] is another missed opportunity,” she explained. “All Level Three Projects, which this proposal truly warrants, should cost $125,000 to start, but Sio only had to put $7,000 down as its plans were falsely declared a Level Two Project!”

This “rule bending” has led to the motivation for local citizens to become active in protecting their drinking water quality she added.

With the battle for voters set to take place in less than 60 days, Gibson is building her southeast team.

Marcel Broesky will be the Green Party of Manitoba candidate in Dawson Trail.

As an IT professional for decades, Broesky explained that risk management and disaster recovery planning are skills increasingly needed in leadership. He added that hands on action with the community is an important asset whether it’s volunteering for garbage cleanups at Reynolds Pond or with drop-in centres or the Two Rivers Senior centre.

Blair Mahaffy describes himself as a lifelong resident of southeastern Manitoba and will be the Green candidate for Lac Du Bonnet.

Born in Winnipeg, he spent summers in the Whiteshell, raised a family in Lorette, and now lives in West Hawk Lake.

“I was drawn to the Greens in 2015 when I was looking for a party that supported both strong environmental action and meaningful electoral re-

form,” said Mahaffy. “I discovered that the Green Party, federal or provincial, is not the single-issue party that many people perceive. There is, however, a singular theme of sustainability across a wide breadth of issues including democracy, social justice, the economy, and, of course, the environment.”

While the GPM has not announced a candidate for Springfield-Ritchot, Riley Unger will compete for the Greens in the Steinbach constituency.

Gibson is hopeful the GPM message will resonate with voters. “The Green Party of Manitoba supports commercial development in operations which demonstrate protection and respect for ecosystem health,” concluded Gibson.

Canoeing on the Seine River in Ste Anne in early July 2023. Photo by Ginette Perron

Marcel Broesky is the Green Party of Manitoba candidate for the Dawson Trail Constituency.

Blair Mahaffy from West Hawk Lake is running in the Lac du Bonnet constituency for the GPM.

The new Leader of the Green Party of Manitoba, Janine Gibson will manage her team of candidates while running in La Verendrye.

Dawson Trail Dispatch

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Severely Fire Damaged Bridge Set to Be Replaced

August 2023

Attention New Home Owners in Lorette

Welcome to the growing community of Lorette! Have you purchased a home, town home, duplex, or condo in the LUD of Lorette, in the last year? Is this your first time living in Lorette? Do you have questions about your new community?

The Welcome Basket Committee would be happy to answer any questions. We have a FREE basket of Gift Certificates, coupons, gifts, and information which have been generously provided by the businesses and organizations in the LUD of Lorette.

To arrange a short curbside visit please e-mail lorettewelcomebasket@gmail.com (no strings attached).

The bridge over Manning Canal on Provincial Road (PR) 311 between Landmark and New Bothwell will be replaced following a fire in May.

“This bridge sees over 3,000 vehicles per day and is an important route in the Blumenort area,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk. “We are working to have the bridge re-

The bridge on PR 311 between Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 216 and PTH 206 was 42-years old and damaged beyond repair by fire. The bridge has since been dismantled to ensure the safety of the site and a route detour has been put in place.

Grab Your Bike and Join Peace Trek

By Dan Guetre

Based on the success of last year’s event, Eden Foundation has set the date for their 2nd Annual Peace Trek.

In August 2022 Eden Foundation Inc. and the Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) co-hosted the first ever Peace Trek. The Peace Trek is a one-day cyclathon that uses an adaptation of the new Peace Trail that is being developed in southeast Manitoba. With 35 participants, and $12,000 raised in 2022, they are moving forward into year two!

The route is approximately 45 km with three way stations that include washrooms and refreshments. The starting point is the Mennonite Landing site by the Red River (near Niverville), and the terminus brings the riders to the Dirk Willems Peace Garden at MHV. Refreshments are provided throughout the trail, swag items and a meal at the end will be provided to all participants.

So, get your bicycle ready for the Peace Trek on August 19. Registration is $30, and their hope is that each participant will set a fundraising goal of $600 to support the vital work of Eden Foundation, providing financial means to Eden’s mental health programs, and to the Mennonite Heritage Village for the preservation of Mennonite history and programs.

Their peer-to-peer fundraising app and MHV website portal makes it easy for you to register, form a team if you like, and send out readymade emails/texts to potential donors, who with a couple clicks can make their contributions to you or your team.

And if you don’t think you can cycle the whole 45 km, you are welcome to join them from the mid-point (Tourond Creek Discovery Centre) which is only 21 km. Register at edenhealthcare.ca.

The Manitoba government is reviewing various options for reconstructing the bridge that considers the traffic needs in the area, with a priority placed on reopening to traffic as soon as possible. The new bridge will have a higher capacity for overloaded vehicles and is expected to be open to traffic in 2025, the minister added.

The bridge over Manning Canal on Provincial Road (PR) 311 between Landmark and New Bothwell will be replaced following a fire in May. Photo credit: Facebook.com/Susan Herrmann constructed and re-opened in the quickest timeline possible to minimize traffic impacts in the area.”

Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities! Dawson Trail Dispatch August 2023

Celebrating

Senior Citizens Need a Voice

By Chris Wiebe

I’ve knocked on thousands of doors in Dawson Trail over the last year. It has been one of the great pleasures of my life to form relationships with constituents.

Many of them haven’t spoken to a politician in years, and it is my honour to listen to their stories.

One of the more heartbreaking stories I have heard comes from Paradise Village. This is a 55+ retirement community just north of Ste. Anne. Many of the residents there have chosen to move to this area because of the natural beauty of rural Manitoba and the community spirit of the park. However, others have practical concerns, such as finding a home that is affordable for a fixed income, or being in close proximity to a hospital in Ste. Anne.

Unfortunately, both of these goals have been out of reach for many residents. The leased land in Paradise Village falls into a loophole for current provincial legislation. The leases have increased dramatically over the years - 51% over the last 8 years - while services haven’t kept up.

This is an issue that needs to be addressed by a new provincial government to make sure that landlords do not take advantage of senior citizens. As well, when Ste. Anne’s ER is closed in the evenings, many residents don’t have access to the care that they need. If something goes wrong in the middle of the night, residents of Paradise Village are often driving to Steinbach or Winnipeg for their care.

Senior citizens need a voice in this province. For too long, their needs have been ignored in Dawson Trail. Seniors should be able to enjoy this phase of their lives with dignity and respect, without worry about how they will make ends meet, or being bullied, or what sort of medical care they will have access to. A change in provincial government is necessary to advocate better for the needs of our senior community.

Species at Risk Spotlight: Culver’s Root

By Norm Gregoire

The tall-grass prairie has something to see at any time of year, and the month of August is the best time to visit if you have an interest in witnessing the incredible variety of native prairie flora. After all, this is what the tall-grass prairie is renowned for! The array of colours and scents is amazing. Also, just as impressive are the variety of grasses, such as prairie cord grass and big blue stem, maybe even more incredible are the heights to which these grasses can grow. By the end of August, some grasses will be nearing their full height, which can grow over two meters! In the tall-grass prairie, you may be familiar with many of the species you see; however, there are some species that are much harder to see outside of the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve. The Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is a safe haven for many of these native species and even for at-risk species such as Culver’s root.

Culver’s root was named after Dr. Culver, who was an early eighteenth-century physician who recommended the plant for various medicinal uses. Culver’s root was prescribed as an effective laxative, used for liver and gallbladder disorders, and used for various gastrointestinal problems. It should be noted that Culver’s root can be toxic if used incorrectly. The plant is protected under the Manitoba Endangered Species and Ecosystem Act, so harming the species is illegal.

Culver’s root is another tall species found in the tall-grass prairie. This perennial measures about 1 to 1.5 meters in Manitoba, with spikes of tiny pale pink, purple, or white flowers that bloom from July through August. The leaves grow in groups (called whorls) of 3–7, are serrated, and usually occur in widely spaced groups along the stem. As the only member of its genus (Veronicastrum) in Manitoba, Culver’s root is unlikely to be confused with other species. Everywhere that I have seen Culver’s root in the tall-grass prairie, it has always stood out as a unique plant.

This species at risk grows on the edges of prairie and mixed-meadow habitat that is moist and partially shaded. In Manitoba, they are found in ditches and along fence lines and road allowances; therefore, they are susceptible to the practices that go into maintaining these areas.

Culver’s root is one of twenty-eight species at risk that we can find in the tall-grass prairie. This ecosystem is home to over one thousand species (a conservative estimate), and every time you visit this magnificent native prairie, you will discover something new. If you are interested in learning more about this landscape and the species that call it home, August is the perfect time for a visit, and there is even a great opportunity to learn about everything tall-grass prairie-related from experts in their field.

Prairie Day

Prairie Day is an exceptional chance for the public to experience the tall-grass prairie in person with guided walks in the morning and presentations in the afternoon. These special activities take place on the second Saturday of August, so mark Prairie Day on your calendar for August 12 this year.

Guided walks will be about an hour long. Meet at the Prairie Shore Interpretive Trail (6 km west of Gardenton on PR 209).

Lunch will be hosted at Gardenton Park, catered by their exceptional volunteers. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit in the shade of the oak trees for the afternoon presentations.

Admission is $10 for adults, free for children 12 years of age and under. If you have any questions, please contact Norm Gregoire at info@sharedlegacymb.ca.

Chris Wiebe is the NDP Candidate for Dawson Trail. Submitted photo

Culver’s Root. Photo courtesy of Nature Conservancy of Canada

Dawson Trail Dispatch

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Ritchot Chimney Swift Initiative

By Angelique Forest

Ritchot Rec sharing the publication of a paper covering the effects of construction on Chimney Swift populations co-authored by local Chimney Swift conservation volunteer Barb Stewart.

Stewart has been observing and recording the habits of local specialty birds for years, and the recent construction of the St. Adolphe Daycare and RM Office expansion project in and around their nesting site has provided unique data.

According to the municipality, “this unique project shows the importance of co-existing with our feathered friends, and how we and nature can adapt together to preserve critical environments needed for the continuation of endangered species.”

The Chimney Swift, a small brown, sooty-coloured bird living in your neighbourhood chimneys, can induce a great passion in people and communities.

According to the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative (MCSI), the Chimney Swift populations have declined by a large amount in Canada since the 1960’s, and they are now listed under both the Manitoban and Federal Government Species at Risk Acts.

Chimney Swifts feed exclusively on insects caught while in flight. Manitoba swifts arrive in mid-May. Using their own sticky saliva and twigs, adults construct a cup-shaped nest well down inside pre1960’s era brick chimneys. The female then lays from 2 to 7 eggs which hatch in 18-21 days. The young fledge when they are 30 days old. Departing by late August, they migrate to countries such as Peru in South America. They are the only species of swift that breed in eastern North America as far west as Manitoba.

According to the Wildlife Haven, when you find a nest of birds inside your chimney, it is important that you try to contact them as soon as you can.

“If you know them to be Chimney Swifts, you can even contact the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative directly,” they noted. “Getting them back in the nest and with mom and dad is the best solution and ensures the best survival in this species at risk. Timing is always crucial; please contact experts as soon as possible for any injured or possibly orphaned wildlife that you may find.”

Many groups have erected artificial chimney structures as a focus for public awareness about chimney swifts and as potential habitat for swifts.

Based on the success of artificial towers in other locations, notably the southern United States, the MCSI set out to develop a tower design more appropriate to a northern climate.

In 2008, the MCSI erected towers in Starbuck, St. Adolphe, Portage la Prairie, and Winnipeg. More recently, towers were established at the Carman Elementary School and at the Old Grace Housing Cooperative and Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg.

August 2023

Annual Catholic Pilgrimage in St. Malo to Attract the Faithful

By Dan Guetre

The Catholic Church in St. Malo has been host to a pilgrimage for years, but since 2019, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Boniface has recognized it as a diocesan celebration which means parishioners from Catholic Churches in the southeast, the Red River Valley, Winnipeg and more are invited to attend.

“All are invited to the Diocesan Pilgrimage at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in St. Malo, on August 13,” said Daniel Bahuaud, a spokesperson with the Archdiocese of St. Boniface. “This special Marian celebration will be an opportunity for praise, healing and joy.”

Bahuaud noted that the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in St. Malo was a popular shrine even before the Archdiocese declared it a diocesan sanctuary and the site of its Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage.

A French Mass will be celebrated at 9 am, followed by a lunch (Tickets $10). The English Mass will be celebrated at 11 am, followed again by a lunch (Tickets $10).

“At 2 pm, we invite you to Prayers for healing, the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary and Songs of Praise,” said Bahuaud. “Come as a family! Bring grandparents and seniors! Tell your friends!”

In case of rain, the celebrations will be held at the church in St. Malo.

Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in St. Malo

Photo from parstmalo.weebly.com

In 2008, the MCSI erected towers in Starbuck, St. Adolphe, Portage la Prairie, and Winnipeg.

Several Chimney Swifts roosting inside a chimney. Photo Greg Schechter/Wikipedia

Submitted photos MCSI

Extraordinary Accomplishments Keep Rolling In As Town Revels in Consecutive Successes

The successes keep coming for the Town of Ste. Anne as hurdles are jumped and projects are announced.

To tally them up, the small community recently rallied to secure the future of their arena, saw a new grocery store announced, penciled in a dog park, had the province award them a new tech school/daycare, were chosen as the backdrop for a provincial police funding announcement (some going to the community police force) and secured a second 74-seat daycare facility.

“It’s been very busy and we are extremely proud of all that the town has received in the past several months,” said Mayor Yvan St. Vincent who is in his first term leading council. “It’s been a lot of work from this council, previous councils but mostly our office staff.”

St. Vincent noted that recently he seems to have to speak to CAO Marc Darker daily “as they work to investigate, execute, deliver or respond to something we’ve asked them to do.”

Being this busy is not something the Mayor in going to complain about though.

“We have many irons in the fire and it’s important to us that we do all we can for our residents,” explained St. Vincent, “We speak daily about how we want to offer more to our residents while keeping the small town feel and the outstanding services we’ve always had.”

The Mayor attributes the successes to building partnerships.

“We’ve collaborated with the Provincial government every chance we’ve got and that’s been a strong partnership both ways as they recognize our strong growth,” he explained. He added that the Town is not the only source of soliciting

partnerships.

“Our [police] department and Chief Robichaud are leaders in the municipal policing field and Chief Robichaud continues to explore ways of improving services to our residents,” he praised, confident that the provincial announcement was made in Ste. Anne due to the police department’s great work.

It’s not just a provincial partnership the Town is focused on.

“I won’t speak for the RM but I know the town has recognized that we can accomplish far more together and the reality is we ‘share’ many residents and they want us working together,” he mentioned. “We also know that the ‘regional’ approach is favoured by government so we are partnering when it makes sense for both sides to do so.”

“The reality is that we are both taking it very seriously to be responsible to our rate payers so we have to make sure when we do things together that it’s mutually beneficial to both parties and hopefully we keep finding more and more of that common ground,” he added.

The CAO explained that a mutual aid agreement between the Town and the RM of Ste. Anne was revamped a few years back changing it from a shared-equipment and cost agreement pre-2019 to a cost for service agreement, an approach according to Darker that is working better.

Darker also explained that the direction the Town is taking, working more with the rural municipality, is similar to successes throughout the province.

“With recreation many municipalities such as the City and RM of portage, RM and Town of Lac Du Bonnet, RM of Brokenhead and Town of

Beausejour [all] recognized the need, and costs of providing recreation opportunities to their residents, and have adopted these services as a regional approach,” he noted.

being said, we now feel we can accomplish way more in collaboration with our strong CDC. We look forward to seeing what’s next now that the CDC board is strong and starting to

us to do that was to open up all board positions and invite anyone interested, including those previously on the board, to put their names forward if interested.”

The result of this move was positive said the Mayor.

“This allowed us to get back on track and run things according to the library’s constitution and since then, things are running very smoothly and we’ve seen lots of residents accessing the library,” he said.

While the dog park location is still being worked on, the details on where the second daycare will be built, the final plans for the new tech school are still to come; St. Vincent realizes that with the freshness of these plans, details will follow on time.

And his council has no plans on slowing down.

“We are always open to ideas that will benefit our residents,” he said. “I’d say right now there is a focus on trying to create opportunities for small and medium sized businesses so that we can create employment opportunities for our residents.”

“These municipalities recognize they are stronger together, and we have tried to adopt that approach as well.”

He added that getting all on board with this can be challenging for some “old school” thinkers but the model works and “the province loves to provide funds to regional projects.”

Ste. Anne’s Community Development Corporation (CDC) was also given support by council after sitting idle for a few years.

“Many of these things were in motion before the CDC started operating again,” said St. Vincent, referring to the string of announcements. “That

get more and more active.”

Moving forward with all these accomplishments, including completing a multimillion dollar lagoon, even some of the peripheral services were fine tuned.

The Ste. Anne Library was a recent focus by the Town when the board was dissolved and the available board positions were posted.

“We didn’t overhaul anything, we just ensured, thanks to Councillor Wiens as the leader with the help of Councillor Einarson, that the library was operating according to its constitution,” explained St. Vincent. “The best way for

Getting too big too quickly can have its pitfalls, but St. Vincent is confident his council is in control of the big picture.

“We are conscious of our rapid growth over the past 10 years but we are also methodical in how that growth is handled so we can ensure we are able to keep up with all the services we offer,” he explained. “Not just in Rec, but we’ve seen a large increase in volunteerism, and that is very encouraging for all involved. It’s a clear message to him.

“It’s telling us our residents are proud of our Town and want to be part of all the great things we have going on and it’s very exciting,” he noted.

By Dan Guetre Town of Ste. Anne council and staff have no plans on slowing down following a rash of positive announcements for projects.

The province chose the Ste. Anne Police Department as its backdrop for a major funding announcement.

“We are always open to ideas that will benefit our residents.”

Added Time for Project Approval Pays Off for Developer After Initial Opposition

By Dan Guetre

A land developer with a project in the area known as Lorette West is now marketing the lots in stage 1 after spending an extra year on the project in attempt to appease neighbouring residents who opposed the way the development was designed.

“Change is always difficult, but people get used to it over time,” said Alan Klippenstein, Director of Real Estate Development for Schinkel Developments. “It’s always hard ‘seeing’ what things will look like on paper.”

A proposed berm around the property unified the neighbouring opposition who envisioned water drainage issues and a potential for the flooding of their own lots.

“On the engineered drawings the berm looks like a massive obstacle but now with it built it is barely a bump on the horizon, so I think that people that were concerned will not

be anymore,” noted Klippenstein.

“We actually think that home owners will see this as a feature as it breaks up the landscape.”

Klippenstein recognizes where the neighbours were coming from and believes the delay in getting Phase 1 underway was something he believes was necessary.

“As I mentioned before, change is hard and so we tried to make ourselves available to be able to answer questions or discuss concerns that people had,” he noted. “With this project in particular, there were concerns about flooding so we spent an additional year having engineers and the province review and model this subdivision to make sure that we would not impact our neighbours.”

Klippenstein says his team also held an Open House even before their application was submitted and followed up with a virtual meeting for those who had questions. The virtual meeting included Klippenstein and their engineer who were both available to answer any questions, including discussing flooding concerns.

With a typical development taking one to two years from start to finish, in the end, Klippenstein believes the extra year for review and approval was necessary in order to double check all the data.

The new residential development has a name a sales team assigned. Petite Pointe is ready to go.

“We are just completing phase 1 of 2 in this subdivision,” explained Klippenstein. “Phase 1 has 22 lots and phase 2 will have 24.”

As with any new development, it will take some time before the new neighbourhood is populated.

“We assume it will take about 4 years to sell out,” he noted. “One of the features to this subdivision is that we built the entire berm protecting the property in phase 1. The only remaining work for phase 2 is the road construction.”

Mike Fast with Royal LePage has been put in charge of attracting families to make Petite Pointe a place they can call home, and even with the delay, he is looking forward to seeing the new community fill in.

“It’s always difficult to see the field you enjoyed in your back yard developed and we empathize with that,” said Fast. “The good news is that statistically developments like this raise neighbouring property value which folks notice over time and typically are a fan of.”

He pointed out that historically, opinions from neighbours usually change, a trend that he has seen from previous developments.

“Acreages also tend to look very beautiful once developed and we have had many compliments years later from some of

Municipal Program Helps Families to Participate in Recreation

By Dan Guetre

With the goal of creating healthy communities while enhancing the overall quality of life for its residents, the RM of Tache council and staff created a funding assistance program to try and mitigate financial barriers when it comes to recreation enrollment.

Tache’s Everyone Can Play Program offers subsidies towards the costs of recreational programming that residents can apply for if they fall within a certain “low” income scale.

The subsidy program offers up to 50% of the fee covered for recreation program fees up to a maximum of $500 per registrant. This is an increase from $300 the previous year.

Beyond the low-income threshold there are some additional caveats. The subsidy is only available for residents that are 18 years old of younger and recreation programs must be ones that are offered within the municipality.

According to the details of the program, exceptions may occur for unique circumstances, however, in most cases applications will not be considered if your household gross income exceeds those figures posted on the municipal website, without sound justification.

Additionally, in special circumstances and with reasonable justification, families may be entitled to funding greater than fifty percent, but this will be at the sole discretion of the CAO or Recreation and Community Services Manager.

Applications for this subsidy are accepted on an ongoing basis.

As income will need to be disclosed, along with some other family information, the municipality assures applicants that any information will be kept in confidence and reviewed only by the CAO or Recreation and Community Services Manager.

If the application is accepted, the family will be notified by telephone

and a cheque for 50% of the program fee will be mailed to the program organization. You can reach out to the municipal office or your councilor for more information or a copy of the program details and income levels that are eligible.

the same people that were originally concerned,” he explained.

Fast is confident in the final result.

“We ended up developing this parcel in 2 phases,” he elaborated. “Phase 1 (22 lots) sales have recently started with pricing from $109,900.”

Interest is already coming in for the new neighbourhood.

“We already have 5 lots under contract with a few more that we are working on,” he admitted. “That’s a brisk start and we are very pleased with the initial uptake.”

Fast believes Petite Pointe checks

off a lot of boxes for those looking for a rural urban lifestyle.

“Folks love how close this is to the perimeter and appreciate that they don’t have to spend $150,000 or more on a lot,” he pointed out. “The idea that this is a community with a dyke strikes a chord with new buyers and now that they can drive by and see the land taking shape the excitement is increasing. The dyke provides more than just water protection, it also will provide some wind protection and rolling grade which is a nice change to ‘pancake flat’.”

Tache’s Everyone Can Play Program offers subsidies towards the costs of recreational programming Stock photo

A berm around the Petite Pointe development property unified the neighbouring opposition who envisioned water drainage issues and a potential for the flooding of their own lots.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 lots.

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Lorette 10 Year Old Achieves Taekwondo Junior Black Belt

Aethos Taekwondo’s Lorette Branch acquired the distinction hosting the first student promoted by Master Lionel Bernier to the rank of 1st Poom Black Belt on July 14. This is the junior black belt earned by those students who are under the age of 15 years.

According to Bernier, ten year old Matylda Stasica earned this promotion on the backs of the outstanding performances she displayed in January at her red belt test and in April at her black stripe test. In both instances, the testing committees had awarded her consecutive Outstanding Performance awards.

Bernier was encouraged to promote Matylda to 1st Poom by fellow Master Robert Quon after reviewing the material prepared on Matylda compiled by Bernier.

Elisabeth Fust, the Senior Instructor who oversaw much of Matylda’s training, also supported the decision to promote the young girl.

“We will never have another like Matylda,” noted Fust. “It also helped that Matylda was a double Gold Medal winner in patterns (poomsae) and sparring (kyorugi) at the February 2023 Winter Classic Taekwondo Tournament hosted by Taekwondo Manitoba. This is a first for Aethos Taekwondo.”

The promotion officially took place on July 27 at the Lorette dojang of Aethos Taekwondo in the presence of the club’s black belts, Matylda’s family, and colour belts. Master Bernier presented Matylda with a “Book of Memories” that documents her journey in Taekwondo from white belt to 1st Poom Black Belt.

Matylda will now enter into a new chapter in her Taekwondo journey as she and her family leaves Lorette at the end of July for their new home in Ottawa.

Bernier said Aethos Taekwondo was honoured to have laid the foundation Matylda’s knowledge and skills in Taekwondo.

Matylda will likely join Phoenix Taekwondo in Ottawa that is headed by a qualified National Coach.

“I wish all the best for my little Fighting Dragonet,” added Bernier.

Ten-year old Matylda Stasica earned the rank of 1st Poom Belt. This is the junior black belt earned by those students

Aethos Taekwondo Black Belt members. Back row, far right: Charlie Tardiff, Rya Bernier. Main row: Gaiden Bernier, Abbigail Keen, Edric Comia, Aaron Bernier, Elisabeth Fust, Master Lionel Bernier, Melody Tardiff, Casia Schteyer and Reid Ammeter. Front center: Matylda Stasica.

Photo by Jayden Rattie

According to Bernier, Matylda earned this promotion on the backs of the outstanding performances she displayed in January at her red belt test and in April at her black stripe test. In both instances, the testing committees had awarded her consecutive Outstanding Performance awards.

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities! Dawson Trail Dispatch

What Will You Compromise for a Payout of Billions?

By Monica Guetre

There’s a new twist that the Manitoba Government is inflicting on those of us living and working here in eastern Manitoba and this twist directly affects the majority who want to protect our right to clean drinking water.

Recently two new red carpeted announcements were made by our politicians regarding our mineral resources. No surprise, since a frenzy of incumbent government spending media releases always occurs just before an election so that politicians can make us think they’ve got a plan and try and get us to forget the bad taste in our mouth we had from their previous years of decisions.

In this case, one announcement was a “new” Critical Minerals Strategy such

as lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements.

The second was a big dollar and job announcement attached to a Memorandum of Understanding signed with a German solar panel manufacturer, RCT Solutions, to explore the construction of a mega facility in Manitoba. This involves billions in investment and thousands of jobs.

Sounds fantastic, right?

What would you do for the reported $3 billion investment and the creation of 8,000 jobs?

Glossed over is that this solar panel plant won’t magically appear tomorrow as it would need to be built over a few years. Additionally, to get the ball rolling, the announcement doesn’t mention what taxpayer dollars would have to be spent to entice this manufacturer such as government tax and grant incentives. We’d also need to build the infrastructure like roads, sewer and waste water treatment for the influx of skilled people to operate the plant, and find affordable housing for these people.

Now here’s the biggy… add in the fact that while the announcements listed some minerals, they purposely avoided the word “silica”, which in the southeast is turning into a trigger word associated with tampering with our drinking water. The optics of using the word “quartz” instead of the granular specific “silica” helps with their narrative. In the Critical Minerals Strategy quartz and silica were completely left out.

In a nutshell, none of these hurdles are mentioned in the government’s media releases. Instead it is a blatant spin offering a handful of “magic beans” placated with big dollars as they gloss over their intent while making back room deals that jeopardizes our future and our children’s future.

If you have put 2 and 2 together now to equal 4, you now realize that it’s Sio Silica waiting in the wings. Sio Silica, the company that’s eagerly waiting to frack our aquifer, drilling into our naturally protected clean water source by removing the quartz, or more specifically, the silica sand.

It now seems it was Sio Silica who approached RCT Solutions who then followed up introducing themselves to our elected politicians. RCT Solutions makes no secret they are banking on access to the silica sand that Sio Silica wants to frack.

Sio Silica has just turned into a surrogate for 8,000 jobs and $3B in investment, adding the icing on the cake to their proposed 150 direct jobs. This could be an attempt to sweeten the pot, to influence shoulder-shrugs when debating any negative findings in the Clean Environment Commission’s recommendations.

Based on the official media release from the government and the purposeful way it is written to avoid certain trigger words, it looks like it’s worked like a charm on the government.

Extracting silica sand does not always have to be devastating and there are methods with proven mitigation processes.

Canadian Premium Sand (CPS) has already been mining north of Winnipeg and has stockpiled quartz by surface mining and using an acid wash to remove impurities like iron to create the high purity silica needed.

Additionally, CPS has actually applied for their own solar glass manufacturing license which has the potential to add about 300 manufacturing jobs to our economy.

It seems since CPS has a good business model geared to add manufacturing to its mining, Sio Silica is trying to steal their playbook by aligning itself with a manufacturer.

With the dangling carrot of big numbers, politicians are attempting to soften the opposition.

Solar panel use and technology is indeed is one of the renewable energy strategies we should be embracing and to have jobs here would certainly be advantageous.

On the other hand, we have all been educating ourselves to the dangers of the extracting silica from our aquifer.

Let’s ask ourselves a question. When big money and jobs come calling, what line are you willing to cross and most specifically what and who will you compromise?

Is $3 billion and 8,000 jobs a big enough carrot to change your opinion of yesterday to a new opinion today?

With an election on the horizon, this is a question you also need to ask the candidates when they come knocking on your door.

Conservation Officers Perform Checkstop at Border

Over the weekend of June 10 and 11, the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service partnered with Canadian wildlife officers to conduct a fish, wildlife, and Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) compliance checkstop at the Canada-US border crossing at Emerson.

Over the two-day operation, conservation officers and Canadian wildlife officers inspected more than 140 vehicles. In total, 10 tickets were issued; four Manitoba Fishery Regulations for over limits of fish, four Manitoba Fishery Regulations for transporting fish without identifying skin and one Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) for unlawful

export of a bear and one Water Protection Act for transporting a boat without the drain plug removed.

Four warnings were issued for the unlawful export of an animal part and one warning was issued for fishing over the limit. Officers were encouraged by the overall level of compliance and the opportunity to interact with the public at a border crossing location where the export of the province’s resources could be assessed.

Anyone with information on illegal activity is asked to call local Natural Resources and Northern Development office or the Turn in Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-7820076.

Hadashville Woman Parleys

Childhood Dream into First Novel

By Dan Guetre

Growing up in Hadashville, Nicholle Realle (Reimer) was an avid reader and always thought about what it would be like to be on the other side. She recently fulfilled the dream by publishing her first novel.

While the writing has been there since she was six years old, she put off it off until she could commit the time, and even then, had to take a break as family was her priority.

“I started the book 13 years ago,” explained Realle. “It was difficult to find time to write with two kids and a full time job.”

Eventually, Realle was able to slot it into her busy life after her children reached adulthood.

“Once my kids were adults I decided it was time for me to fulfill my dream of being a published author,” she said.

Challenged with how to proceed from this point, Realle explained her road to creating a finished product she was willing to put her name to.

“I had a very rough draft finished when my oldest turned 18,” she noted. “I realized that I needed to figure out how to turn what I had into a complete novel.”

Realle followed this up with a “novel” approach.

“I began by listening to what other writers had to say,” she said. “Thanks to the internet, I was able to watch seminars and lectures and get in touch with other writers. I read books on writing books, studied novels, and got advice from an editor,” said Realle. “After a few years of learning and rewriting, I finally had a draft I was happy with.”

As for the book, the idea and story developed from a personal connection.

“The House in the Valley deals with mental health issues and autism,” she explained. “It is dedicated to my autistic niece and nephew,” she said.

“They have inspired me to write about the struggles with having children like that in the family,” she added. “I’ve always felt their intelligence is underestimated and they are often overlooked because many people think they aren’t aware of what is going on around them.”

Half of the book is told from the point of view of “Jessica”, a carpenter from rural Manitoba struggling to understand why her mother has ended her own life, with the other half told from the point of view of her mentally ill mother.

According to Realle, “it gives insight into the mind of someone with autism and OCD.”

The House in the Valley is the first published work for Realle, a Red Seal Carpenter who continues to work full time.

If you are interested in reading a copy, it is available on Amazon in both paperback and a Kindle version.

Cover design and photos by Sapphire and Stone Photography.

Nicholle Realle (Reimer) has published her first book.

Dawson Trail Dispatch

Something Fishy in Rural Municipality

By Dan Guetre

“Putrid” was the most common word used when both residents and council described a smell residents had been complaining about for months.

At a recent RM of Ste. Anne council meeting, a public hearing was called to listen to public comments regarding a proposal for Overton Environmental to continue with a new feature at their composting site located just northeast of the small community of Giroux.

According to CEO Dale Overton who was there representing his company, he was approached about 6 months ago to create a pilot project with the goal of taking waste from the Canadian Fresh Water Marketing Corp and turn it into fertilizer. While the initial plan was to utilize their Portage la Prairie facility, it was moved to the Giroux site.

He started his presentation to council informing them of how successful the pilot project was with the hope of continuing the processing of fish waste into compost. The plan was to bring to the site 16 tonnes of raw fish waste a day on average and mix it with other mediums to create an organic fertilizer.

This was probably the time he realized it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Multiple residents registered for the hearing and took time to speak about the “putrid” smell that was emanating throughout the area and how they were affected by not being able to use their decks and yards due to the smell. They also stressed their concern that the rotting fish could attract more predators to the area, a safety concern for their children.

While Overton explained that there were 7 new local jobs created revolving around this new project, he also assured residents that he would work towards mitigating the smell.

Both residents and council were not convinced. Many cited the fact that over the months, the smell and issues existed, and they question why the “mitigation” was not solved.

“We appreciate you creating jobs,” said Reeve Richard Pellettier, “but at what cost?”

Pat Stolwyk, one of the councilors mentioned how he went to investigate when he found out residents were complaining.

“I drove by there today and it stunk pretty bad,” said Stolwyk.

“It was putrid in the worst way. In the grand scheme of thing, the residents in that area… that smell was bad.”

Overton’s response seemed to put the situation in perspective.

“It’s a compost operation, it’s not, not going to smell,” he quipped.

Councilor Sarah Normandeau questioned a particular term Overton used in his presentation to council.

“You used the words ‘live together’,” remarked Normandeau. “It’s hard to match those two things together when you have… like I did go to there and it did absolutely smell putrid.”

Normandeau noted that if she lived near there and had to go outside, have a pool or just entertain, she did not know if she could do it with that smell.

“I don’t know if I could even drink a cup of coffee outside to be honest, it was that bad,” she added.

Even Brad Ingles, a councilor who lives 7 miles away admitted he smelled something foul.

“I thought something died in my yard,” he stressed.

Stolwyk pressed Overton on whether the decision to move the operation to Giroux from Portage was more than a logistics decision.

“Well ultimately they always say it stinks,” he said referring to residents around Portage. “They say it stinks when we process the potato waste… it’s a compost operation.” With no lack of trying, Overton tried to explain that the product only smells when it first arrives and that once it is mixed with the woodchips and rolled into windrows, the smell goes away.

A simple bit of math pointed out by councilor Randy Eros showed the number of tonnes planned over

Two Southeast Municipalities Receive Financial Boosts for “Green” Projects

By

Dan Guetre

Both the RMs of Ritchot and Piney have received funding to put towards projects that protect the environment and bolster a green economy. The funding will come from the Conservation and Climate Fund which was created in 2020 by the Provincial government.

the year could leave residents gasping for fresh air daily as fresh product arrives almost daily and the mixing and windrowing process isn’t instantaneous.

Reeve Pelletier admitted that he could not personally live near the smell.

“I couldn’t live with that, I would have to evacuate my home,” he commented.

At this point, Council was not finished with Overton as residents then mentioned the routes the trucks delivering the waste were taking.

Council questioned Overton about the route, mentioning that their original agreement when the operation was approved in 2015 specified certain roads, and according to residents, the route they saw the trucks traveling on, were not these roads.

Following this, Council realized that the Conditional Use Permit they approved had specific conditions on what items can be composted, and fish waste was definitely not one on the list.

While Overton explained he had an agreement with the Province to perform the pilot project he was chastised for “forgetting” to get municipal approval.

In the end, council ordered Overton to cease bringing in any new fish waste at the property and to quickly remediate the stock he had on site. They also adjourned the hearing until August 23 in order to see if the Provincial Environment Officer can attend to discuss the site specific project. While this leaves the final decision for anther day, council could use the time to possibly seek options for remediation of damaged roads and the violation of the Conditional Use Permit.

In response to residents pointing out that the municipality should have put a stop to this months previously council promised to look into why the bylaw officer was not out to enforce the Conditional Use Permit.

Piney received a little over $30,000 to put towards a climate risk assessment and a climate adaptation action plan.

Meanwhile, Ritchot was awarded $150,000 for a rural car initiative and an additional $8,000 to support a “native grasslands seeds of sustainability” project.

The plan was to bring to the site 16 tonnes of raw fish waste a day on average and mix it with other mediums to create an organic fertilizer, processing it into compost.

Overton Environmental wanted to continue with a new feature at their composting site located just northeast of the small community of Giroux. In the end, council ordered Overton to cease bringing in any new fish waste and to quickly remediate the stock he had on site.

Submitted photos

August 2023

Art Tour

The Boreal Shores Art Tour - Saturday, August 19, 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday, August 20, 10 am - 4 pm. Free, self-guided tour showcasing the work of artists in eastern Manitoba, from Lake Winnipeg to Whiteshell Provincial Park. Experience the work of painters, photographers, ceramic artists, beadwork artisans, jewellery makers, sculptures, woodworkers, knife makers, and fabric artists who are inspired and nurtured by the beautiful natural environment of the Boreal Shores. For tour maps and information go to borealshoresarttour.ca, email: info@borealshoresarttour.ca.

Carrick

Carrick Days – Saturday, August 12 to Sunday, August 13. Begins with parade, gates open at 12 pm. Horseshoe tournament registration at 1 pm, kids bouncy tent, live music, dunk tank, concession stand, silent auction, 50/50 draw, fireworks 10 pm. Sunday, August 13 breakfast 10 am and bean bag competition.

Dominion City

Bronze Medallion Lifeguard Training- Sunday, August 20 – Friday August 26, 10 am - 12: 30 pm and Sunday August 27 8:30am – 12:30 pm at the RCHP pool. Registration deadline Friday, August 18. Must be aged 13 by last day of class. Cost $145 includes all supplies/manuals. Register at app.universerec.com/emersonfranklinpub/index.asp. Contact kath@emersonfranklin.com.

Falcon Beach

Bingo – Wednesdays at 7: 30 pm, early bird games at 7 pm at the Whiteshell Community Club 20 301 Pr, Falcon Beach. Contact 204-349-2293.

Grunthal

Hanover Ag Fair – Thursday, August 17 to Sunday, August!

We’ve got bull riding, outdoor concerts, mod bog, petting zoo, full canteen, beer gardens and so much more.

Drop In Soccer - Tuesdays until August 29 every evening from 7 - 8:30 pm at the Tristar Field by South Oaks School. Grade 9 to adult, co-ed teams. No cost. Personal equipment required. Each week teams are randomly made and a scrimmage takes place full field or half field depending on numbers. Shin guards are required. Hope to see you there!

Summertime Pickelball – Mondays until August 28 from 7 – 9 pm at the Arena. For adults only. Cost $5. Bring clean runners and a water bottle.

Coffee Connections - All adults ages 55+ are welcome to join us at the New Horizon Centre for a time of visiting, while enjoying coffee, tea and refreshments. Join us and bring your friends. There is no cost. Contact Anita Funk 204-371-9134.

Ile des Chenes

Yoga - Thursdays at 9 am and Wednesdays at 9:30 am. Gentle yet invigorating yoga for adults 55+. $5 per class. Contact yogaforyoumanitoba@outlook.com to register.

Kleefeld

Honey Festival – Saturday, August 26 at the Park. Begins at 7:30 to 9:30 am with pancake breakfast. Slo-pitch tournament, mini-market, parade, canteen, children’s activities, petting zoo, barrel train rides, fire fighter competition, bubble

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities! Dawson Trail Dispatch

C ommunity E v E nts

soccer, archery tag, arm wrestling demo, beach volleyball tournament, $15 BBQ chicken dinner from 5 – 7 pm, Mainstage opener with the Turnstyles and headliner WHY the band followed by fireworks 9:15 pm.

La Broquerie

Drop-in Community Bike Repair Workshop – Tuesdays, 6 – 9 pm at La Bikequerie Inc, 36016 PR 210, and (the old Southeast Vet Clinic) Come; learn how to fix your bike. Bring a friend! We also have used bikes for sale. Contact Jacinthe Wiebe, 204-346-1515 or labikequerie@gmail.com.

Farmers’ Market –Until September 26. Weekly market Tuesdays 3 -7 pm and monthly market, last Sunday, 11 am -3 pm. We invite vendors to apply through our online form available at facebook.com/labroqueriefarmersmarket. Deadline for submission is Saturday, April 15, or until spots are filled. Location is the La Broquerie Hotel parking lot.

Lorette

Intro to Dementia and Brain Health - . Tuesday, August 8, 10:30 am at Club Bles D’Or, 1254 Dawson Rd. Join Meg Pfeifer-Brandt from the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba as she talks about the risk factors of dementia, getting a diagnosis, how to live well with the disease, and how to boost your brain health. You will also receive information about available programs and resources for those living with dementia and their care partners living in southeastern Manitoba.

Bibliothèque Taché Library – Craft Workshop hosted by Maison Mabel, Saturday, August 12, 10 – 11 am, Story Time (outside) & Craft Saturday, August 19, 12 – 2 pm and Story

Time French (outside) & Craft Thursday, August 24, 12 – 2 pm. Colouring Draw due Tuesday, August 29. Summer open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays from 11 am -5 pm and Saturdays 10 am -2 pm, 1082 Dawson Rd.

Fitness Classes for Active Older Adults- Every Tuesday at 10 am, until mid-June at the Les Club Bles D’or. Strengthening using body weight, bands and free weights. Sign up $9 to mid-June or $10 drop-in. Contact Laurie, laurie@rmtache. ca or Tobi Ann 204-801-3133.

Marchand

Annual Smokin’ Summer Charity Ribb Off – Saturday. August 19, 5:30 – 7 pm at the Marchand Inn. Fundraiser for the Robb Nash project that uses music and storytelling to engage our audience and address difficult mental health related topics such as suicide, addiction, self-harm and anxiety. Cost to enter the Ribb-Off, $100/two person team. Limited to 15 teams. Contact Ang and Laurie at smokinsummerriboff@yahoo. com. You get to have your say with the Peoples Choice Award. Enjoy games and drinks. No ticket required if you aren’t eating. Tickets must be purchased in advance; there will no meal tickets sold at the event. Every dollar raised goes directly to The Robb Nash Project.

Logging Day – Saturday, August 26 at the Community Park begins at 10 am with a Kids Zone bouncy castle, face painting and candy scramble, flea market at 10 am. Canteen and beer gardens at 11 am. Mud Bog with Mud Mafia at 2:30 pm. Social at 8:00 pm. $5 entry fee fundraiser to build new canteen and washroom. Contact Lisa 204-392-6761 to reserve a spot at flea market and to volunteer contact Teresa 204-424-5685.

Mitchell

Toast & Coffee – On Tuesdays, drop-in for toast and coffee for $2 and a menu is available with prices according to what you order at the Mitchell and Area Community Centre, 130 Ash St. Contact Jane Penner 204-346-2469, jpenner@jantre.com.

Otterburne

Pop-Up Day Camp Parties – Tuesday, August 15 at the Green Space beside Canada Post for ages 6 – 12. Free fun and creative outdoor activities. Register at ratriverrecreation.com.

OCC Open Golf Tournament - Saturday, August 19 at the Maplewood Golf Club starting at 1 pm hosted by the Curling Club. Hole completions, steak supper, cold drinks, prizes and fun! Cost $135/player. To register your team contact otterburnecc@gmail.com.

Richer

The Richer Rough Stock Rodeo – Friday, August 11 to Sunday, August 13 at the Richer Dawson Trail Park! Friday night Bull Riders of Canada Bullnanza, Saturday and Sunday Heartland Rodeo event, petting zoo, giant trade show, two stages with live music, giant cowboy social, family fun zone, kids train, pony rides, parade, lots of food vendors and so much more!

Wrestling for the Wetlands – A Ducks Unlimited Canada Fundraiser Saturday, August 26, at the Premier Tech Arena in the Dawson Trail Park. Cheer on The Wetlands Heavy Weight Champion, Wetlands Intercontinental Champion and Wetlands Welterweight Champion with Canadian Wrestling Elite. Meet and Greet (6 pm) First Priority admission $30, and a VIP Winner Choice raffle entry. General Admission doors open 6:30 pm, bell time 7:10 pm. Advance tickets at Burnell’s Food and Plus or Richer Inn Motor Hotel. General admission $15, aged 12 and under $10. Also a 50/50 draw and bucket raffles.

Dinner & Dance -Saturday, September 9 at the Young At Hearts. Music is by Gemstars. Dinner at 6 pm and dancing until 11 am. Tickets $25 each. Call Ron at 431-275-0874 for Tickets.

Richer Recovery AA Group - Meets every Monday from 7:308:30 pm at LUD Hall. If you would like more information, call Jeff at 204-371-5518 or Albert at 204-380-3058.

RM of Stuartburn

Services to Seniors - Free Shuttle for residents of the RM the first Friday of each month. Call to book a ride and do your banking and shopping locally or book your doctor’s appointment and we will get you to your appointment. Call 204425-3701.

Services to Seniors Steinbach Shuttle - Subsidized cost $15/ person. Minimum of 8 participants required for the trip to take place. Departure from Shady Oaks at 9:30 am. Call 204-4253701 to book a seat.

Roseau River

Wild Edibles Workshop - Thursday August 17, 7 pm at the Roseau River Park hosted by, Woodmore Women’s Institute. Learn more about highly nutritious and delicious wild plants. Botanist Laura Reeves will introduce us to some of these plants and how to make them part of our daily meals. Weather permitting this workshop will be held outdoors. Preregistration requested at meloskydebbie@gmail.com, with a $10 fee to be paid at the door.

Sarto

Willow Plain School Museum - Open from Thursday to Monday all summer from 10 am – 4 pm. New material to see having to do with the history of Sarto families and the latest edition of the 533-page Sarto Pioneers History/Genealogy ($30 cash only) is now available. Hope you and your family/friends will visit there very soon. Plan to spend a couple of hours perusing the historic memorabilia to make the visit even more memorable!

South Junction Southeast Farmer’s Market - Summer Outdoor Market held every Friday starting Friday, July 7 - Friday, September 1 form 3 to 8 pm at the Pine Grove Seniors.

Meet Your Neighbours Coffee Group- Mondays, at 1 pm, Pine Grove Senior Club, Highway 12 and Prevost St. and Thursdays at 1 pm at the Evergreens Senior Club at the Hall by railroad tracks.

Sprague Show & Shine Car Show Fundraiser – Saturday, August 12, Community Centre. Pancake breakfast, and Car registration 8 – 11 am, 9:30 am 3 on 3 basketball tournament with cash prizes, parade at 10:30 am, rainbow auction, kids entertainment, wood carving demonstration, horseshoe tournament, Bingo, Sprague Fest Social with DJ music (8 pm – 1 am), tickets $10.

Sprague Service to Seniors Seeking Volunteers - Seeking individuals to assist and to provide a few services to seniors within our community such as snow removal, transportation for a fee, volunteers in the congregate Meals Programs as well as home cleaning services to seniors for a fee. A criminal record check is required for cleaning services and transportation. Email lgdseniors@gmail.com with your rates and for information, or call 204-437-2604.

St. Adolphe Music in the Park - Homegrown Harmonies on Thursday, August 10 at 6 pm in the Park. Join us for a free live outdoor music in the park with a great lineup of local artists!

Outdoor Music Event – Friday, September 8, 10:30 am1:30 pm at Ritchot Senior Services office, 457 Main Street. The Ritchot Senior Services and Le Comité Culturel de SaintAdolphe are partnering to bring you the 4th annual outdoor bilingual music, food and friends’ day. Live music provided by Country Friends. Admission $10 and includes lunch and 1 ticket for a chance to win a door prize. Also a 50/50 draw and silent auction. You must pre-register by Thursday, August 27 to attend. Contact Janice at 204-883-2880 (leave call back number) or ritchotseniors@mymts.net. Some picnic tables will be set up but please feel free to bring your own lawn chair to enjoy the show.

St. Malo Annual Open Farm Day Fundraiser - Saturday, August 19, 12 – 5 pm. Fundraiser for the Lil Steps Wellness Foundation that helps subsidize the cost of therapy for youth in need and also helps us rescue animals at 112 Gosselin Rd. Also a silent auction, food and animal fun! Contact Gillian Lambert 204479-6124, Gillianlilstepswellness@gmail.com.

Pop-Up Day Camp Parties – Tuesdays, August 8 and August 29 at the Grotto for ages 6 – 12. Free fun and creative outdoor activities. Register at ratriverrecreation.com.

Summer Fun Day and Arena Fundraiser – Friday, August 25, 6:30 pm at the Arena. Barrel Train and Horse Drawn Wagon rides, face painting, balloon twister, bouncy castles, candy store, hot dogs, chips, 50/50 draw and live music with Catie St. Germain and Real Comeault.

Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage – Sunday, August 13 at the Grotto of Notre Dame de Lourdes. Mass at 9 ma (French) and 11 am (English), followed by lunch served by the K of C. $10 lunch for 16 and over.

Farmers’ Market – Every Saturday until September 2 at the Arena. Doors open 9:30 am for vendor set up. Doors open to public at 10 am to 1:30 pm. Please feel free to contact us for more information at stmalojrwarriors@gmail.

St. Pierre-Jolys

127th Annual Agricultural, Horticultural, Homecrafts Fair and Exhibition - Thursday, August 10 to Sunday, August 13 at the ICSP School, in the gymnasium (515 Herbert Ave.). To enter in the fair you must be a resident of Manitoba. Entry fee $5. There are over 300 categories that can be entered with cash prizes! Entries must be dropped off Thursday, August 10 from 6 - 9 pm or Friday, August 11 from 9 - 11 am, no exceptions. To enter the exhibition, email stpierreagsociety@gmail.com.

The Stand Market Event - Sunday August, 13, 10 am – 4 pm at the Carillon Parc. Local fresh produce, home décor, collectables, live music, and so much more. Interested in having a table contact thestandmarket@gmail.com for more information.

Pop-Up Day Camp Parties – Tuesday, August 22 at the Parc Carillon for ages 6 – 12. Free fun and creative outdoor activities. Register at ratriverrecreation.com.

3234 Manitoba Horse Cadets – Thursdays, 6:30 – 9 pm at the Community Hall from September to June. Cost is Free. Meet new friends, fun, adventures, leadership, citizenship, community service, drill band, orienteering, and more. Contact Captain Phil Atkinson 3234Army@cadets.gc.ca or phillip.atkinson@cadets.gc.ca. Website 3234manitobahorse.ca.

Ste. Anne

Annual Scooter Parade – Tuesday, August 15, 2 pm (rain date Thursday, August 15) in support of our Villa Youville residents as they parade down Main St. with their electric scooters.

Ste Genevieve Library Night – Every second Wednesday, 11am-12:30 pm. A “mini-library” at the Community Centre. Come check out some books, exchange and request items from the library.

Steinbach

Pioneer Days - Saturday, August 5 – Monday, August 7 at the Mennonite Heritage Village. Pioneer demonstrations, horse drawn wagon rides, music, family history station and much more.

Movie in the Park - Friday, August 11 at 9 pm, A.D. Penner Park. “The Super Mario Bros.” movie. Free. Enjoy a family movie on a large outdoor screen underneath the stars.

Story In The Park – Every Wednesday in August at 10 am in the EA Friesen Park beside the Jake Epp Library. Rain location in the Library under the big tree. Contact Steph McLean 204326-6841, smclean@jakeepplibrary.com.

Steinbach & District Farmers Market - Every Thursday, 3- 6 pm beginning June 22 until September 28. Contact 204-3266222, dorothy@cdtrees.com.

Chase the Ace Fundraiser - Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue – On Mondays at Smitty’s Restaurant. Tickets on sale 6 – 8 pm, draw at 8:15 pm. 2 tickets for $5.Come out and try to win cash. The jackpot goes up weekly until the Ace is drawn! Winning ticket receives 10% of ticket sales or 50% of sales if Ace is drawn.

Summer Arts Day Camp – Join the Steinbach Arts Council for a fun-filled summer with talented instructors and staff eager to welcome your kids with a creative experience that they won’t soon forget. Camps focus on the arts such as visual arts, theatre, music, and dance. Campers will also participate in science experiments, culture workshops, games, field trips, swimming at the Steinbach Aquatic Centre, and much more. Each week has a theme to make sure the projects, activities, and workshops are different each week. Visit steinbacharts. ca/sadc to register.

Royal Canadian Legion Steinbach Branch - Meets first Tuesday of the month via Zoom at 7:30 pm; Ladies Auxiliary meets first Monday of each month, 7:30 pm. Steinbach Legion, 227 Main St – Unit 5. Email steinbach190rcl@outlook.com.

Al-Anon – Mondays at 7:30 pm Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre back door, downstairs. Contact steinbachafg@gmail.com.

Creative Writers Club - Second Wednesday every month at 7 pm at the Jake Epp Library, 255 Elmdale St. This is not a class but rather a writing share group where we hope to foster and encourage our participants’ love of writing. Feel free to bring 5 pages of writing (single sided, double spaced) to share with the group. Our evening will begin with an ice breaker and then move into share time. Coffee and tea will be served. Contact Madison Redekopp email mredekopp@jakeepplibrary.com.

Steinbach Professional Development Toastmasters Club – On Thursdays at 9:46 am, Eastman Education Centre, 385 Loewen Blvd. How can a person get the message across well, keep meeting participants engaged, and fully use the capabilities of videoconferencing platforms? What works? What doesn’t? What is the etiquette expected? Join us in person or by zoom on 12 pm every Wednesday. All guests are welcome! Contact Mark Hiebert 204-371-5197, email mhiebert@ barkmanconcrete.com.

Knit-Wits Fibre Craft Club- First Tuesdays of the month at 6 – 8 pm, Jake Epp Library, 255 Elmdale St. Do you enjoy knitting, crocheting, cross stitching and other types of fibre crafting? Join other adults for informal knitting, crochet, etc. circle. All skill levels welcome. Please bring your own project/supplies.

Craft Night - Wednesdays at 7 pm, Jake Epp Library, 255 Elmdale St. Ages 16 years and up join us for a free event, with coffee and crafting. Our craft for the evening will be a beaded spring wreath. There is limited space available. To sign up, email mredekopp@jakeepplibrary.com.

Book Club - Meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 7 - 8:30 pm Jake Epp Library, 255 Elmdale St. Books are available at the circ desk as well as on our Libby App (free with your library card). Please sign up by email mredekopp@jakeepplibrary.com. Limited space available.

Steinbach & Area Lions Club - Meets second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 6:30 pm, South East Helping Hands. Contact 204-326-2313.

Sundown

Annual Gymkhana – Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27, head south of Zhoda and Lonesand, turn right at 53 E and follow the signs. Weekend family fun. Saturday, 5 event Gymkhana Jackpot, perogy supper and live band, Sunday pancake breakfast, cowboy church, open Gymkhana (all ages welcome). Raffle Horse Fundraiser, 50/50 draw, silent auction, canteen all weekend. Free camping all weekend. Bring your lawn chair. Contact Wayne Fuchs 204-346-2244 or Abe Rempel 204-392-4037.

Please email your events each month to editor@dawsontrail.ca

CRA and Estate Administration

Estate administration takes time. A lot of the time is waiting for Canada Revenue Agency CRA.

I am currently executor for three different estates and all three are getting near the end; and I can pay out the estate to the beneficiaries within the next few weeks.

The shortest time frame for one of them is about 15 months. A second one is about 20 months and the third one has taken more than two years at 28 months.

How quickly an estate can be administered from start to finish depends a lot on Canada Revenue Agency and how complex the estate is.

Why all the waiting for CRA?

First, a final tax return needs to be filed. There are a few simple tax returns that can be filed the same year of death. For example, I have some clients that have died early 2023, and the executor and I are now starting to work on their 2023 final tax return. If the assets were simple and we can calculate the income without the tax slips, we can start to file them in August. CRA will typically take about two months to process. Since it is the current calendar year, they do not process them digitally; the tax return is processed manually.

When clients die later in the year, say after August, I normally recommend we wait until next February to file the tax return. It won’t be much quicker if I try to paper file the 2023 final tax return with CRA in November or later. And then often we have to process adjustments if the tax slips were quite different than what we had estimated. For those ones, we will not save any time at all.

The tax slips for 2023 are only issued next February or March. Only a few tax slips are issued immediately such as the T4OAS. As a tax professional, I work with the executor to estimate what the income tax slips will be. If the assets are complicated like non-registered investments, we may need to wait until next spring to process the final tax return, using Rec on the Road, part of the RM of Ritchot’s Summer Drop in Program, has created some fun activities for all ages, young and old.

the tax slips issued next February and March. If the deceased had a surviving spouse, we are most likely waiting until next tax season, normally because of pension splitting and other credits that are shared between spouses.

Estate Tax Returns

Most estates will need an estate tax return to be completed too. If the deceased had a surviving spouse and all assets are in joint names and/or the spouse is the beneficiary, then sometimes an estate tax return is not needed.

Estate tax returns are for income earned after death. The most common item is the CPP Death Benefit, now $2,500 for most CPP recipients. There are other assets that typically continue to earn income after death including savings accounts, term deposits or Guaranteed Investment Certificates, mutual funds, Registered plans like RRSPs, RRIFs and Tax-Free Savings Accounts. Unless all assets are going to a spouse, the estate must claim the income on an estate tax return. Some income may need to be claimed by beneficiaries if they were named on the assets like RRSPs or RRIFs or TFSAs.

Even if there is a surviving spouse, I often will report the $2,500 CPP Death Benefit on a separate Estate tax return as the taxes payable may be quite a bit less than if I include the income on the spouse’s tax return.

We cannot process the estate tax return until all the assets are closed out to the estate account. So, more months have gone by. Once the Estate tax return is submitted, it takes CRA 2-3 months to process.

And then once all these tax returns have been assessed and Notices issued by CRA to the executor, then we can request a Clearance Certificate from CRA. This confirms to the executor that CRA is satisfied all taxes are filed and paid. If CRA determines there is taxes payable in the future, the executor is not responsible, CRA requests payment

from the beneficiaries.

A Clearance Certificate can take up to 120 days for CRA to issue. It can be longer for more complex estates.

You can understand why most of the time during estate administration, we are waiting for CRA to process taxes and requests. And then if there are adjustments that need to be made to any previous tax returns, that adds more time too.

The second estate I referred to at the beginning, there was an eightmonth delay waiting for adjustments to be made. I waited from August 2022 to March 2023 for CRA to adjust the 2021 final tax return. Then I could file the estate return and then I could request the Clearance Certificate. And now July and August 2023 I am making the payments to all the beneficiaries.

As I mentioned at the beginning, average estates can take about 14 to 24 months to complete. Even if they are considered “simple”, all executors need to file at least one tax return. The shortest time frame I have assisted an executor complete an estate with all taxes filed and the Clearance Certificate was about 10 months. But this was very unusual.

So, if you are an executor, make sure you advise the beneficiaries that it may be 18 months before the estate is completed and you are ready to pay out the inheritance.

Anni Markmann is a Personal Income Tax Professional and Certified Financial Planner; living, working, and volunteering in our community. Contact Ste Anne Tax Service at 204-422-6631 (phone or text!) or 36 Dawson Road in Ste Anne (near Coop) or info@sataxes.ca.

Drop in for Fun in Ritchot

With a successful July programming under their belt, Rec on the Road will continue in August. This will occur for one week from August 14 - 18 and they will be visiting every community from 10 am - 1 pm everyday.

These drop-in’s are free and require no registration. As a reminder though, while they will have a staff member on site, the activities will be unsupervised and unstructured, and any child under 12 must be supervised.

Below are the dates, locations and activities for these week:

Monday, August 14 - Parc d’Auteuil

- Come try our lawn games.

Tuesday, August 15 - Grande Pointe Park - Make your own kite.

Wednesday, August 16 - Perron Park in St. Adolphe - Make your own birdfeeder.

Thursday, August 17 - Parc BelleRiviere in Ste-Agathe - Sports equipment.

Friday, August 18 - Howden Community Centre - Card and board games.

A Relationship Built with Trust Steinbach Art Council to Host Visual and Performing Arts Conference - Opportunity for Artists to Learn and Share

What does it mean to trust someone? Recently I was asked that question. The dictionary defines ‘trust’ as “relying on the integrity, justice and friendship of another person.” It also says “to have confidence in.”

Confidence is a word synonymous with trust. Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse in the Bible, and it gives us a great truth that relates to all the Bible, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

We put our trust and confidence in things we can see and prove to be trustworthy. You have confidence in your easy chair in your living room because you have proved it faithful to hold you, time and time again. So, you just flop into that chair without giving it a second thought.

Also, you trust your friend. You don’t have to quiz them on how they will react to what you tell them because they have proven themselves faithful in the past. Therefore, you have confidence they will be there for you.

God wants us to trust Him in the same way and for the same reasons. You trust your friends because you’ve spent time with them and interacted with them on many occasions. They have proved themselves to be faithful. God says to us in Malachi 3:10 “Prove me now herewith.”

He wants us to have a close relationship with Him and get to know Him so well that you can trust Him in all things.

A child gets to know his parents very well because he spends most of his time with them. If you really want to get to know God so you can trust Him, then you need to become His child so you can spend time with Him.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” When a person believes that Jesus Christ died for their sins, God gives them eternal life and He makes them His child. Then, the more time you spend with God in prayer and reading His Word, the Bible, the more you will grow to trust Him and have confidence in His leading in your life.

Proverbs 18:24 says God is “a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” When you really get to know God as your Friend, then Proverbs 3:5,6 says you can get to this point in your life, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

If we could all get to this point, this world would be a much better place. But regardless of what other people say or do, you can come to God, put your faith and confidence in Him and let Him lead you, step by step, through life. Why not trust Him today?

By Dan Guetre

The Manitoba Arts Network (MAN) has announced that the Steinbach Arts Council will be this year’s host for Manitoba Showcase 2023 scheduled this fall from October 26-29.

Manitoba Showcase is an annual visual and performing arts conference that features some of the best Canadian artists, from a wide range of genres, for Manitoban presenters and galleries, connecting them with future opportunities and collaboration.

The preeminent event of its kind in Manitoba, Showcase engages over 150 artists, presenters, agents, managers, and industry stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop and rekindle relationships. The conference will feature speakers, performances, panel discussions, real-life testimonials from artists and educa-

tors, parallel presentations, regional discussion groups, networking opportunities, peer-to-peer and one-toone career advice from specialist advisors, and other showcase artists.

The Mennonite Heritage Museum is the primary location for the Manitoba Showcase workshops with Steinbach Regional Secondary School booked as the Showcase venue. The Steinbach Arts Council building will host the exhibitions, and late-night networking.

The conference will feature speakers, performances, panel discussions, real-life testimonials from artists and educators, parallel presentations, regional discussion groups, networking opportunities, and much more.

Peer-to-peer and one-to-one career advice and information from MAN staff, specialist advisors, and other showcase artists is a key component of the annual event.

Over the 4 days, 25 artists, and 150

delegates featuring some of the best Canadian visual and performing artists will attend the event featuring 12 performing artists showcases, 6 RBC emerging performing artist showcases, 5 visual art exhibitions, 5 pitches, 8 workshops and 12 networking events.

“It’s a weekend of entertainment, inspiration, and the ultimate place to connect with artists, presenters, industry professionals, colleagues, and friends,” noted MAN in their announcement. “It’s an excellent opportunity to learn from the best in the industry and get exposed to the latest techniques, and digital trends that will help you stand out from your competitors.”

Early Bird registration deadline is September 22. Go to manitobaartsnetwork.ca. If you have any questions/issues, do not hesitate to reach them at admin@mbartsnet.ca or call toll free 1-866-919-2787.

Arts Council Opens Fall Class Registration

The Steinbach Arts Council (SAC) has announced that registration for 2023 Fall Classes is now open. Following the success of last year with many sold out classes; the Steinbach Arts Council is excited to offer even more creative learning opportunities for our community.

“We know that there is an increasing demand for arts and culture recreation in our community and we’re excited to offer even more great opportunities this

year,” said David Klassen, Executive Director at SAC. “We saw hundreds of participants in our classes last year, and we’re preparing for another incredible season.”

Check out our classics like Backyard Theatre Company, Steinbach Youth Chorus, FUSION Musical Theatre, introductory classes with BOSS Dance, and a wide variety of visual arts classes to choose from for both youth and adults. Our free After School Arts Program for students in grades 5-12 is back for an-

other year with classes like improv, guitar, fiddle, pottery, and visual arts.

This fall, SAC is particularly excited about re-introducing Culinary Arts Programming.

“Food is art! Food helps define culture and allows expression in preparation, making the presentation of food a unique outlet for creativity and passion,” said culinary artist, Cassandra Kornelsen.

For a full class listing and all the details, visit SteinbachArts.ca.

Summer Day Camp Spaces Still Available

With summer in full swing and families and kids seeking something fun to do, there are still some open spaces available with the Steinbach Arts Council (SAC) Summer Arts Day Camps.

Their talented instructors and staff are eager to welcome your kids with a creative experience that they won’t soon forget. Their focuses on the arts such as visual arts, theatre, music, and dance. Campers will also participate in science experiments, culture workshops, games, field trips, swimming at the Steinbach Aquatic Centre, and much more. Each week has a theme to make sure the projects, activities, and workshops are different each week.

Below are some of the experiences still available but registering soon is recommended as the spaces are filling up quickly.

To thee Moon and Back (Space week)

Join us for a camp that is out this world! Climb aboard spaceship SAC and explore space like Canadian astronauts, Jeremy Hansen and Chris Hadfield. Create space themed art, be an astronaut or alien in drama class, and much more! Ages: (5 - 8 is Full) and 9 - 12. Schedule: July 31-August 4, 9 am – 4 pm. Members $140, Non-Members $160. Prices include swim fee.

Around the World… in 4 Days (Earth Week)

Travel around the world in four days without ever leaving Steinbach! Learn about all the amazing natural

wonders that our earth has to offer through different arts activities. Our “Travelers” will also participate in music, dance, drama, go swimming, and much more!

For ages 5 - 8 and 9-12. Schedule: August 8 - 11 (4 day week), 9 am – 4 pm. Members $115. Non-Members $135. Prices include swim fee. Be a Hero! (Super Hero Week)

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a superhero! Join us for a week where you will become Steinbach’s very own hero. Fly to the rescue and have an amazing week of art, drama, swimming, music and more for ages 58 and 9 – 12. Schedule August 14 - 18, 9 am – 4 am. Members $140. Non-Members $160. Prices include swim fee.

Visit steinbacharts.ca/sadc to register.

A Naughty Christian

Colossians 2:6-10… 6)

I N Y OUR C O mm UNITY

About Us:

Pat Porter Active Living Centre

(Serving Seniors Inc.) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the community with various activities that promote good mental health and an overall healthy lifestyle. This incorporates anything from events to dances, pickleball, and coffee, and everything in-between. We strive to offer programs and events that address your physical, social, cultural, intellectual, and emotional well-being. Our website patporteralc.com is updated on a regular basis with all of our current events and Activities, which range from fitness to recreational and social events. Everyone will find something they enjoy!

Current Programs:

Cost is $2 for members and $4 for non-members. * Programs are subject to change* Please check daily sign-up for updated hours.

Coffee Corner: Monday - Friday starting at 9 am.

Kids Pickleball – New. Tuesday 0:30 am – 12 pm.

Pickleball: Monday 9 – 10:30 am, Wednesday 9 am – 12 pm, Friday 9 - 10:30 am.

Beginner Pickleball: Monday – 1 –3:30 pm, Tuesday 9 am – 12 pm and 2 pm – 4 pm, Wednesday 1 – 3:30 pm (1 court), Thursday 9 am – 12 pm and 1 - 3:30 pm.

Evening Pickleball: Mondays 7:30

– 9 pm.

Badminton: Tuesday - Thursday 12 pm – 1 pm, Friday 4 – 6 pm. Registration required at patporteralc.com.

Cards: Card games are played Monday to Friday from 1- 4 pm.

Fitness Classes

Laughter Yoga: Monday 1 – 2 pm.

Fitness Drumming: Tuesday 1– 2pm.

PACE: Wednesday 1 - 1:45 pm.

Floor Curling: Wednesday 1:303:30 pm.

Yoga with Carrie: Friday 9 – 10 am. Square Dancing has taken a break until September.

Steinbach Rockin’ Rollers has taken a break until September.

Old Time Country Jam has taken a break until September.

Special Events:

Pancake Breakfast: Join us Thursday, August 31 at 9:30 am for a delicious breakfast of 3 homemade pancakes and sausage. Pre purchase your meal in advance by calling reception 204-320-4600 to reserve your spot. Cost $8.

Golf Tournament:

Tuesday, August 29, our Annual Golf Tournament is back! Lots of prizes to be won, 50/50 draw and lunch is included. Tickets are $130 with a $65 tax receipt. All proceeds of the tournament are used to support the Centre directly. Registration begins

at 7:30 am with a 9 am tee off.

Rentals:

We have rooms of a variety of sizes and prices. For pricing and room, availability visit our website patporteralc.com, email rentals@patporteralc.com or call 204-320-4600.

meal Programs:

A healthy, warm and delicious meal cooked fresh daily and delivered to your door. We have two Meals on Wheels programs running out of Steinbach and Grunthal. Meals may be purchased for $8 for delivery (residents of Steinbach & Grunthal) or pickup. A meal includes soup, a main dish, sides and dessert. Please call 204-320-4600 with any questions or to order a meal. To receive a same day meal, you must call before 9 am.

Steinbach Accessible Transit: Need a ride to an appointment or other errand? Steinbach Accessible transit can get you there! This service is available to residents of Steinbach. Please visit our website patporteralc.com for a full price list. Services are available Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm and weekends. To book a ride, call 204-3264055. If your call is not answered, leave a message with the answering service. Appointments must be booked in advance to ensure availability.

Ritchot Senior Services Upcoming Events

Group Events:

Prairie Dog Central Train - Tales from the Homestead - Saturday August 12. The bus picks us up at 9:45 am in St. Adolphe, Train departs at 11 am and will return to the station at 2:45 pm and bus returns us back. Sit back, relax and listen as our onboard historian and published author, as he recounts stories of his family’s journey to Manitoba and their farming life throughout the generations. At the stop over in Grosse Isle join our historian as he talks through excerpts of his published book of “Pork and Potatoes”. Bring along your own picnic or indulge in a freshly prepared hotdog or smokie, leaving space for a baked treat or ice cream. Take a stroll through the beautifully restored heritage buildings before we head back to the city. Cost $5 for the bus, Train Ticket $25. You must pre register for this event.

Assiniboine Park – Friday, August 25. The bus picks us up at Ritchot Senior Services at 9:30 am. Please join us as we enjoy a day wandering about the Leo Mol Sculpture Gardens and English Gardens at Assiniboine Park.

Spend the day wandering the gardens at your own pace, and enjoy a sit-down lunch inside the Park Café or from the take-out window and enjoy a picnic style lunch, or feel free to bring along your own picnic lunch. Cost is $5 for the bus. You must pre register for this event.

Foot Care Clinics:

By appointment only. For more information, please contact Janice at 204-883-2880.

Upcoming clinic dates:

Ste Agathe – Wednesday, September 13 and Thursday, August 14.

St. Adolphe – Monday, August July 24, Tuesday, July 25 and Wednesday, July 26

Ile des Chenes – Monday to Wednesday, September 18, 19 and 19.

Heart to Home meals:

To place your order please call 1-204816-8659 or 1-888-216-1067. Call for a menu or pick one up at Ritchot Senior Services. Please call or email Ritchot Senior Services after placing your orders to let us know you have placed an order. This will assist us in organizing volunteers for delivery

of meals to you. Order your meals by: Wednesdays, July 5 and July 19. Meals ready for pick up or delivery the following day. This service is available to all areas of the Ritchot Community including St. Adolphe, Ste Agathe, Ile des Chenes, Grande Pointe, Howden and Glenlea. There are no contracts, no minimum orders.

Coffee with Friends: Thursdays in August at 10 - 11:30 am. Open to everyone. $2 for bottomless coffee and muffin or pastry. Ritchot Senior Services, 457 Main Street, St. Adolphe.

Save the Date: Outdoor Music Fest – Friday, September 8, Ritchot Senior Services will be partnering with Saint-Adolphe Comité Culturel for our 4th annual outdoor music event. A day of fun with friends while enjoying live bilingual music and a meal. Stay tuned for more details.

Elvis Presley and Johnny CashFriday November 3, in St. Adolphe hosted by Ritchot Senior Services. Stay tuned for more details.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7) rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8)

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ. 9) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10) and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (NIV) Would it be fair to say that we must act out what we believe?

If we go back to the day, we accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we have no problem remembering how on fire we were for the gospel. We started our walk with Christ well grounded and settled in Him; we were spiritually healthy and enjoyed our daily communion with our Saviour. However, I have become aware, in my own life; my walk and my life do not always communicate or correspond with my faith. It saddens my own heart when it grieves the Holy Spirit to remind me that indeed it is dishonourable when I state publicly my faith in Christ, but function as though motivated by my own mischievous or playful spirit.

There is, at that moment the danger there are those who will not accept my confession of faith in Christ as being sincere. If I have received Christ, then I should walk as He would have me walk. If I have been rooted in His Word, then I need to grow up according to what His word teaches. All these are outward expressions or evidence of a heart transformed by the working of the Holy Spirit. Walking with Christ expresses this new life. Growing up, in the Spirit, show signs of inner power. Building up my faith in Christ will reveal that there is progress in my new character… That is what the apostle Paul was teaching the Colossians and us today.

When we trust Christ to save us from our sins, we can also trust Him for each day’s problems as well. However, it is especially important that we have a close, living relationship with Him. In that close relationship, we are also able to draw nourishment from Him so that we can become strong and spirited in the truth. In other words, our lives should overflow with the joy of the Lord which produces a thankful spirit within us.

The apostle Paul also reminds us that we should not let others spoil our faith and joy in Christ with their philosophies or ways of thinking.

The other day I was discussing Scriptural issues with a man who was trying to persuade me not to believe everything that I read in the Bible as being accurate. It was my privilege to remind him that his answers are based on human thoughts and ideas, not on what Christ was teaching in the Bible. Because in Christ we have everything, in Christ we have God in a human body; He is the highest ruler over every other power, a power that will enable us to resist seductive teaching. Our faith is strong enough to withstand those who come to us with enticing words or ideas, because we have such a grip of the truth, not motivated by seductive arguments. Not moved by anyone who would have us believe that we must follow a whole lot of manufactured rules to get to heaven. Do not let anyone declare you lost if you refuse to worship something other than the risen Christ. It is true that people have a very witty imagination not linked to Christ.

I do believe we have to believe truths about Christ. We all agree that we must receive Christ if we are to have eternal life. There is no doubt, in our minds, that we cannot earn eternal life, neither can we buy it… it is a gift from God. Remember we are rooted in Christ; therefore, we draw our spiritual food from Him. He is our foundation, we started with Christ, and we continue to grow in Christ. We are dependant on Him for our steadfastness in our walk with Him. He gave us the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ in us. That assurance of salvation comes from none other than, God Himself… To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done…

Would you pray this prayer with me. “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have peace in my heart, I really want that peace, joy, and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.” Amen.

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities! Dawson Trail Dispatch August 2023 RCMP FILES

If you have any information in regards to any item here you are asked to contact the Steinbach RCMP Detachment at 204-326-4452 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or manitobacrimestoppers.com or text “TIPMAN” plus your message to Crimes (274637).

Search Warrant Results in Arrest for Stolen Goods

On July 11 Steinbach RCMP obtained a search warrant on a residence in Steinbach for stolen property. Prior to the execution of the search warrant the suspect, 29-year old, Zachary Giesbrecht was observed away from the residence on foot before the search warrant was executed. Police officers attempted to arrest Giesbrecht when he fled from police on foot. Police engaged in a foot pursuit after Giesbrecht throughout the neighborhood. Police Dog service was summoned at this point. Giesbrecht shortly thereafter appeared on a front yard and was arrested without incident before dog services arrived.

Police executed search warrant and recovered stolen property from three different Break and Enter police files. Once police got back to the office it was learned some property still in the residence was linked to another file. Another search warrant was granted to go back into the residence to recover more stolen property. Over $15,000 worth of stolen property was recovered, which included an E-Bike, espresso machine, video projector, laptops, bicycle, tools and a generator. Most of the items have been returned to their rightful owners.

Zachary Giesbrecht was remanded into custody with charges of break and enter, three counts of possession of stolen property, resisting arrest and possession for the purpose of trafficking Methamphetamine. Giesbrecht was currently on a Release Order for similar charges prior to being remanded.

One of the items recovered included an electric bike reported stolen from a break in a few days earlier at a rural property off Road 33 East and 39 North in the Rural Municipality of Hanover.

RCMP Search for Metal Thief

On July 8, Steinbach RCMP received a report of a theft. The theft occurred at a residence on Road 33E in the RM of Hanover on July 8, at 1:15 am. An unknown male suspect walked onto the complainant’s property and entered into a barn. The suspect stole miscellaneous metal objects valued at approximately $50 from the barn. The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, thin build, wearing a hoodie with the hood on, gloves, and glasses.

If you have any information in regards to the above matter, you are asked to contact the Sprague RCMP Detachment at 204-437-2222 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or manitobacrimestoppers.com.

St-Pierre-Jolys RCMP Investigate Fatal Collision Fugitive Found Hiding in Closet

On July 10, around 4:45 am, RCMP responded to a single vehicle rollover on Highway 206, near New Bothwell, in the RM of Hanover. A passerby noticed a vehicle in the ditch, called emergency services and stopped to assist.

The driver, an 18-year old male from Niverville, and passenger, a 19year-old female from Lorette, were both taken to hospital with severe injuries. Later that day, the female succumbed to her injuries in hospital.

Two Women Rack Up Multiple Charges Following Break-in

On June 30, in the early morning hours Steinbach RCMP were dispatched to a break-in at residence located on Second Street in Steinbach. The suspects had entered the residence while the family was sleeping. While inside the residence, several items were stolen including the purse of one of the victims. The purse contained keys to a truck that was parked on the driveway. The suspects then stole the truck and fled the scene.

A short while later Steinbach RCMP located the truck in Mitchell and attempted to do a traffic stop. The suspect then rammed the police cruiser and fled the scene. The truck was located later, but the suspects had fled into the bush. Police Dog Services (PDS) were contacted and after tracking through the bush, PDS located one of the suspects who was arrested without incident. The second suspect was located shortly after and arrested without incident.

Kelly Ann Martha Toews and Kimberley Sawatzky of Steinbach were arrested and remanded into custody.

Both have been charged. Toews was charged with assault on a police officer with a weapon, flight from police, mischief over $5,000, mischief under $5,000, break and enter, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of break in instruments, and possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose.

Sawatzky was charged with assault on police officer with a weapon, flight from police, mischief over $5,000, mischief under $5,000, break and enter, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Fuel Thief Caught on Video

On May 29, at approximately 2:30 pm, Steinbach RCMP received a call about a theft of gas from Co-op Gas Bar in Mitchell. A 1999 grey GMC Sierra with the Manitoban Licence Plate JH6 423 driven by a Caucasian male was caught on camera by the Co-op’s surveillance system. The driver can be recognized by his tattoos on his right bicep and left forearm. The Licence plate features the Winnipeg Jets logo.

Steinbach is seeking the public’s assistance with any information regarding this matter, please contact the Steinbach RCMP at 204-3264452, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip

One of Manitoba RCMP’s Most Wanted was found hiding in a closet in a residence in Steinbach. Following a tip, Tyler Kenneth Sawatzky was found and arrested.

Sawatzky was wanted for assault, uttering threats, and mischief under $5,000.

Sawatzky is no stranger to running afoul of the law. In 2017 he was arrested in connection with a robbery and assault with a weapon following an attack on a homeowner with a machete in Niverville.

Search Warrant Leads to Arrest in La Broquerie

At approximately 1:30 pm on July 26, Steinbach RCMP learned the whereabouts a wanted individual, Christopher Gladu in La Broquerie. Steinbach RCMP along with East District CREST Unit surrounded the residence situated on Normandeau Street, and called for Gladu to exit the residence.

After 45 minutes, Gladu surrendered and was taken into custody based on his unendorsed warrant for assault, uttering threats, obstruction of justice, mischief under $5,000 as well as numerous Off Road Vehicle Act charges.

Gladu will be remanded into custody and to appear in Provincial Court.

Be aware of happenings in your neighbourhood and report suspicious activity to the authorities. Keep all vehicles locked. Check on your neighbours.

Call 911 if you suspect a crime is in progress or has occured!

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Dawson Trail Dispatch August 2023

RCMP Search for Mother Who Allegedly Abducted Daughter

St. Pierre-Jolys RCMP is requesting the public’s assistance in locating 35-year-old Holly Malleck and her 3-year-old daughter, Amelia Deonaraine. Malleck is currently wanted for parental abduction of a person under 14-years of age.

RCMP were notified of a custody dispute on July 7. Officers conducted an extensive investigation and determined that Malleck has taken custody of the child with intent to deprive the father of his parental rights.

In consultation with Manitoba Prosecution Service, a warrant of arrest has been issued for Malleck.

The RCMP have no reason to believe the child is in danger.

Holly Malleck is 5’3”, approximately 200 lbs with red hair and brown eyes. Her appearance may have changed.

Amelia Deonaraine, 3, is 3’2”, approximately 35 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes.

Stolen Pistol Recovered Following RCMP Search

On July 17, Steinbach RCMP started an investigation into illegal firearms activity with support from Manitoba Conservation. On July 26, Steinbach RCMP with the assistance of the Steinbach GIS executed a search warrant on a residence on Hanover Street.

The Steinbach RCMP recovered the restricted 9mm Ruger Pistol

which was later identified as one stolen from the RM of Ste. Anne in July of 2022 and arrested Shane Joseph Sebelley (54), who also had outstanding warrants out of Alberta.

Sebelley was charged with 5 firearms offences under the Criminal Code, including unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm

New Digs for Niverville Helping Hands

By Angelique Forest

The board of Niverville Helping Hands ad decided that the time has come to move if they are going accommodate their current and future needs. As of August, they will be moved into 101-106 Main Street. The organization has been providing food hampers to families in need for over 30 years, serving clients who reside not only in Niverville, but also in New Bothwell, Otterburne, and Ste. Agathe.

Starting in a basement back in the early 90s looking after one or two families, they have grown over the years transforming into a support for the communities. Over the past 3 years they’ve seen a significant rise in hamper applications. Throughout 2020 and 2021, they were serving 18-25 families twice a month, according to Larissa Sandulak, Chair of the Niverville Helping Hands Board. Sandulak started as a volunteer in 2020 and was appointed Chair in the beginning of 2022.

In 2022, the number of families relying on their services increased to approximately 35-38 and now as of March 2023, they are now serving just under 50 households twice a month, the majority of these being large families. It is noted that in the past six months alone, they’ve consistently received 3-5 new family hamper applications per month.

“Considering the current economic climate and forecast, as well as seasonal layoffs come fall, we are expecting these numbers to continue to increase,” added Sandulak. “As the numbers have grown, we noticed that our current pantry space and model for fulfilling hamper requests is no longer serving our clients or volunteers well.”

with readily available ammunition; possession of a restricted firearm without a license; possession of a weapon obtained by crime; unsafe storage/transportation of a firearm and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Sebelley has been remanded into custody and will appear before a Provincial Court Judge.

Sprague RCmP Hoping to Dissuade Residents from Arriving at Officers’

Personal Homes for Service

According Cpl. Kevin Bruce of the Sprague RCMP, in recent months several people have gone to the homes of Sprague RCMP members to seek police assistance.

Cpl. Bruce now finds it necessary to explain to everyone that they will get the best and most efficient police response by using the phone, not coming to the door.

There are telecoms/911 operators ready to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week he explained adding that they are trained to gather the necessary information in great detail, and very quickly. Following a 911 call, the operators are trained to dispatch the gathered information to the closest on duty police officers over the police radio so they can all hear the call. He says this is especially helpful if it’s a serious call so multiple units can get rolling. The operators even send the location of the calls straight to the map the officers have on their in-car computers! Cpl. Bruce explained that prior to an

officer starting their shifts, they need to gather and load up all of the equipment that they require to respond to a call. This can be a very lengthy process. They have several items on their duty belts to load. Such as: their service pistol, magazines, pepper spray, extendable baton, taser, portable radio and hand cuffs. They also need to load and secure other important equipment into their police vehicles. Such as, additional firearms, body armour, approved screening devices and their duty bags. The duty bags contain several important items including the relevant paperwork they may require on a call, bug spray, exhibit bags, and personal protective equipment that they must carry with them at all times.

“If there is no police officer at the detachment, you will get a better and faster response by phoning as opposed to attending one of their homes,” Cpl. Bruce noted in a statement. “If you come to my home in the middle of the night, I would have

to find my pants, a pen and paper and ask you a bunch of questions to gather the required information. I would have to find my keys, go to the detachment and put on my uniform. I would have to go to the secure room and load up everything that I need.” I would need to conduct a pre-patrol inspection of my vehicle, and log in with telecoms over the police radio. There is also the high likelihood that I simply wouldn’t be available.”

In considering the above, and in order to provide the RM of Piney with the fastest and most efficient police response possible, Cpl. Bruce has asked that all RCMP members working out of the Sprague office direct any person who attends their home, to call one the numbers below.

For all non-emergency matters including Criminal Record Checks, contact the Sprague RCMP Detachment at 204-437-2041. Should you require immediate Police assistance, call 204-437-2222 or 911 in the case of an emergency.

According to Sandulak at the current location there isn’t enough room to work with a team, and the pantry shelving doesn’t hold the quantity of food needed for 48 hampers. Volunteers were spending a growing number of hours and energy to repacking and stocking at the same time. Storage space was a concern along with a staircase that created accessibility issues. The layout and shortage of space was not the only concerns as connection to community members was being squeezed out.

“Our top concern is the loss of personal connection with our patrons,” she explained. “At Niverville Helping Hands, we seek to not only fulfill a tangible need, but to also offer support, encouragement, and build relationships with our patrons.”

She added that many of the clients are hungry for connection and they tend to linger and visit if given the chance. This part of their “community connection” was suffering as limited space with the growing number of clients resulted in the basic services of handing out food and shuffling people out the door.

The new space will allow them to revamp the model from one of packing hampers, to a grocery shopping style set up, where patrons will come and “shop” for their hampers. While clients will still be able to call or apply online, they will now also be able to choose a “shopping timeslot” that suits their schedule involving increased hours of operation.

“This shopping model also gives dignity to our clients, allowing them to choose things for their family’s preferences while also freeing up volunteer hours to be spent with clients instead of packing hampers,” added Sandulak.

The new location is the first step in growing the organization beyond food, and to offer other services such as employment resources and computer stations, a shuttle service for medical appointments, counselling, and things of that nature.

Finally, Sandulak wants to remind the community that their organization is 100% supported by donations from local residents and businesses. Financial donations can be sent by E-transfer to info@nivervillehelpinghands.org or cheques can be made out to Niverville Helping Hands and mailed to Box 1201 Niverville, MB R0A 1E0. Non-perishable food donations (nothing expired or homemade, please) can be left at their donation bin inside Niverville Bigway, or arranged to be dropped off at their pantry.

Board Members: Dan Macloskie, Phyllis Ens, Alexandra Rezansoff, Larissa Sandulak (missing is Sjana Fehr). Submitted photo

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Holly Malleck and Amelia Deonaraine is asked to call St. Pierre-Jolys RCMP at 204-433-

7433 or their local police agency, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1800-222-8477, or secure tip online at manitobacrimestoppers.com.

(Left) Holly Malleck. (Right) Amelia Deonaraine. Photos provided by RCMP