Dawson Trail Dispatch October 2023

Lorette Students Plant Trees at Centre of Canada

Piney Prepares to Go Greener

By Dan Guetre

A $30,000 grant from the Province of Manitoba will assist the RM of Piney to conduct a climate risk assessment.

“The news lately has been filled with stories of wild fires, droughts, excessive rain storms and more severe weather systems,” wrote the municipality in a statement. “This global phenomenon can be felt in the RM of Piney as we experience severe storms, changing temperatures and seasons. It is important for the Rural Municipality of Piney to be prepared for these climate impacts.”

According to the municipality, one way to be prepared is to assess which climate risks are likely to impact the municipality and then prepare an action plan that identifies how they can adapt and protect itself from climate risks.

“This project is will help the RM of Piney be better prepared and more resilient to the climate changes that are occurring and are likely to occur,” they added.

The project will be introduced at the October Coffee with Council sessions which is an open forum with residents that has been successful in the past as an exchange of ideas and view points.

With the support of Tree Canada, students from Lorette spent some time at the Centre of Canada Park along the Trans Canada to plant trees. According to Arborist Ken Fosty who is also a community advisor for Tree Canada, the students and volunteers are tasked with planting 400 trees. The ones at this site will eventually provide shade, shelter, wind reduction, wildlife habitat, watershed protection and clean air. This endeavor is part of a national effort to plant 300,000 trees during National Forest Week.

Photo courtesy of Ken Fosty

Family Medicine Resident Retreat Held to Encourage Physician Recruitment

The University of Manitoba Family Medicine Residents attended a retreat in Steinbach recently to encourage interest in rural and northern opportunities to practice medicine.

“Each year, residents come together to take part in a job fair, continuing medical education, networking and team building,” said Jane Curtis, CEO for Southern Health-Santé Sud. “Holding this event in Steinbach allows the medical residents to learn more about possible employment opportunities and encourages them to consider practicing in rural Manitoba once their education is complete.”

The career fair is attended by a variety of physician employers and support businesses, including regional health authorities, clinics, communities and even financial institutions.

The host of the event assists with local arrangements and takes the opportunity to profile their region and recruitment needs. This year’s host for the event was Southern Health-Santé Sud.

“This year we had the honour of hosting over 100 medical residents in our region and showcase rural Manitoba hospitality while providing some quality continuing medical education,” shares Dr. Denis Fortier, Regional Lead – Medical Services and Chief Medical Officer for Southern Health-Santé Sud. “Our region is home to several University of Manitoba clinical teaching units and we are proud to be doing our part in offering a unique rural perspective to family medicine.”

The retreat was organized by a committee with representation from the U of M residents, the Max Rady College of Medicine post-graduate family medicine program, Shared Health, Steinbach Family Medical and the host region Southern Health-Santé Sud.

“This is my second time attending a Family Medicine Resident Retreat, and once again it was enjoyable and informative” said participating resident Dr. Jason Ching. “The mix of educational opportunities, wellness activities, and career exploration was great. It was also my first-time visiting Steinbach, which was a very warm and welcoming community!”

All continuing medical education will be delivered by provincial experts and local physicians from the clinics and facilities within the region.

The career fair is attended by a variety of physician employers and support businesses, including regional health authorities, clinics, communities and even financial institutions. This year’s host was Southern Health-Santé Sud. Submitted photo

Dawson Trail Dispatch

Province Turns Orange, Eastman Remains Blue

By Dan Guetre

While Manitobans have elected the Manitoba NDP to lead the province over the next four years, the constituencies in the southeast remained loyal to the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, albeit now in the official opposition role.

Springfield-Ritchot re-elected PC MLA Ron Schuler who defeated NDP candidate Tammy Ivanco and Liberal candidate Trevor Kirczenow. Schuler hauled in around 55% of the vote.

In Dawson Trail, despite introducing himself over a year ago to voters, NDP candidate Chris Wiebe lost to PC incumbent MLA Bob Lagasse. There was no registered Liberal candidate. Out of all the southeast PC candidates, Lagasse won by the slimmest margin.

MLA Wayne Ewasko in Lac Du Bonnet was re-elected and completed the blue wave over the southeast by defeating Kathy Majowski with the NDP and Blair Mahaffy of the Green Party.

Election evening not only saw the concession speech of PC leader Heather Stefanson as she congratulated NDP leader Wab Kinew, but her added decision to step down as leader and as an MLA.

This decision had many political pundits already predicting that re-elected Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen may be tapped again fill in as party leader, and even so far as pressured to take on the role more permanently. Goertzen has taken on the role as cabinet minister for health, education and justice over his career and even was Premier for a few months as the party held a leadership contest.

Voter turnout on average was 50% across the province. With the exception of Steinbach (42% turnout), the other southeast ridings were almost 10% above the provincial average in voter participation.

In Steinbach, PC candidate Kelvin Goertzen again handily won his constituency with a clear majority, taking in over 72% of the votes. He defeated NDP candidate Gord Meneer and Liberal candidate Cyndy Friesen.

In La Verendrye, Konrad Narth defeated Liberal Monica Guetre, NDP Bianca Siem and Keystone Party Matthew Wiebe to keep the constituency blue, replacing retiring MLA Dennis Smook.

As of press time, the unofficial results were 33 NDP seats, 23 PC seats and 1 Liberal seat, which even in the event of some recounts or updates yielded a clear majority NDP government. Screenshot electionsmanitoba.ca

The southeastern part of the province stayed solidly blue, in contrast to Wininpeg. Screenshot electionsmanitoba.ca

Why Canadian Standard of Living is in Decline

The Liberal Government loves to tout numbers that show Canada’s economy is growing.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland regularly states, “both the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and the OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] have forecast Canada will have the strongest economic growth in the G7 this year and next year.”

However, when we dig into the numbers, we find this claim is not only misleading, but that Liberal policies are contributing, to the decline of our economic potential and to a significant decline in the standard of living for Canadians.

To understand this economic sleight-of-hand by the Trudeau Government, we must understand the difference between two economic metrics: GDP and GDP per capita.

Freeland’s “growth” projections are based on Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP is the measure of the market value of all the goods and services a country produces.

GDP per capita is the country’s GDP divided by its population (the piece of the GDP pie, theoretically, enjoyed by each Canadian citizen).

It is true, if we look at Canada’s overall GDP rate, it appears our economy is growing. However, when we factor in GDP per-capita we see quite the opposite.

Using this metric, the OECD projects that over the next forty years Canada will be the worst performing economy of all 38 OECD countries. That between now and 2060, Canada will see a GDP per capita growth of a meagre 0.7% (the current rate is 0.4%). When compared to the average rate of growth enjoyed by other advanced economies (currently 1.4%) our economic growth is essentially stagnant.

There are two main reasons for this stagnation, one a more long-term problem (though certainly exacerbated by the current government’s policies) and one more recent and entirely of Trudeau’s own making.

First, much of the Canadian economy is composed of protected oligopolies—where control over an industry lies in the hands of a few large sellers who own a dominant share of the market—such as airlines, grocery giants, or telecom firms. As a result, these firms don’t need to be as competitive to stay in business. This lack of competition means they can set/fix higher than average prices for consumers. This lack of competition also means these companies tend to spend less money on research and development resulting in less innovation. This in turn makes them less competitive in global markets so they rely on protectionist policies and subsidies from government.

To provide these subsidies, governments must assume additional debt, the cost of which is then

passed on to the taxpayers. While this approach has existed for decades, these Liberals have taken things to a whole new level.

Their brand of cronyism, government hand-outs to big business—essentially picking the winners (the big chains) and the losers (mom-and-pop small local businesses)—and red tape (government interference in the supposedly free market) has all but ensured stagnancy in our economy and that wages (and the buying power of those wages) stay low. Add halfa-trillion dollars in unnecessary deficit spending and money printing driving inflation, the already diminished buying power of Canadian consumers drops further still.

Second, this government’s irresponsible and unsustainable approach to immigration.

Part of the reason Canadians are feeling the pinch, particularly when it comes to housing—substitute health care, social services, etc.— is that our supply simply cannot keep up with the rate at which the Trudeau Government is bringing in new immigrants. When you bring in a million new people a year, demand dramatically surpasses supply, and the piece of that per-capita GDP pie gets a little smaller for every Canadian family.

To be clear, Canada’s economy needs immigrants to function. Canada’s low birth rate necessitates this need.

Strategic immigration—targeting skilled workers in key sectors— could and should help drive our economy to greater growth, but this opportunity has been squandered by these incompetent Liberals. Instead of being a boon to our economy and sharing in it, immigrants (through no fault of their own) become a

drain because we have failed to set them up for success.

Three of Canada’s major banks, TD, BMO, and the National Bank of Canada, have echoed this concern, recently.

“The federal government’s decision to open the immigration floodgates during the most aggressive monetary tightening cycle in a generation has created a record imbalance between housing and demand.”

According to TD bank, continuing this approach to immigration would “widen the housing shortfall by [an additional] half-a-million homes within just two years.” Even former immigration minister Sean Fraser suggested capping admissions to Canada—perhaps the only positive, common-sense contribution he made during his disastrous tenure at IRCC.

Sadly, there is no place for common-sense in Trudeau-world. In Trudeau-world, to raise questions about immigration levels or policies, one is immediately branded a “racist”.

Unlike Justin Trudeau, Conservatives have more to offer Canadians than cheap smears and a failed status quo.

Conservatives have a concrete plan to fix our economy: An economic approach that fosters innovation by promoting competition and common sense. A plan to give Canadians back the standard of living they once believed they could enjoy.

Funding for Assisted Living Housing in SE Manitoba Secures Next Step for Project

The Timberline Community Housing Project just got another step closer to its vision for a 20-room assisted living housing community located in Sprague.

Timberline Community Housing will be an assisted living housing facility caters to aging adults who can no longer live independently (or choose not to) but prefer an alternative to a personal care home. Timberline will be owned by the South East Community Services Co-operative, with a board of directors elected from co-operative members, that will be responsible for the strategic direction of the co-op. The group hopes to complete the project by 2025.

The board of South East Community Services Co-operative (SECSC) was informed on July 31 of their successful application to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Seed Funding Program with a grant of $40,100.

The CMHC Seed Funding Grant will be applied to site and code review, preliminary architectural design, and project costing. The deadline to complete the work is December 31 and the board is confident in being able to achieve that milestone with consultants already having been sourced and confirmed.

Once the preliminary initiatives are completed, it will give SECSC

Richer Garbage Fees Create Heated Discussions in Council

By Dan Guetre

A service levy for the weekly garbage pickup in Richer was tweaked by the RM of Ste. Anne council recently and is moving forward but did not come without some heated discussion at a council meeting.

The meeting, the first after a Public Hearing on the matter, had one councillor feeling the new levy structure was too sharp of an increase on multi-unit residential structures and another councillor criticizing that industrial and commercial properties were not paying their fair share.

The new rate of $117.67 per year was increased from $100 and now, according to council, reflects the exact annual cost of the service. They added that the rate had been at the lower amount for about 10 years and the municipal residents outside of the LUD of Richer had been subsidizing the costs even though they did not receive the service.

A further change now takes into account the number of residences on the property which affectively increases the rate for multi-family properties based on per unit as opposed to the rental property owner paying a single levy on their municipal taxes.

Reeve Richard Pelletier pointed out that with this new formula, the property owner of a multi-family project is only faced with an increase of less than 1%.

“They can live with that,” he stated. “As a business owner myself, I put myself in their shoes, and sure, it’s a shock, I understand that.” He acknowledged that property owners have been facing higher mortgage rates and other costs but argued that this levy structure was the fairest for all residents in the LUD.

In the end, council compromised and added an appeal process for any property owner who felt unjustly burdened by the increases.

As for the argument that the one rate does not fit all, council agreed that to develop a “commercial” designation, more information is required.

Pelletier said that council will spend the next 6 months gathering data on the commercial garbage collection to see if a commercial rate should be added to the levy fee schedule.

“We need a bit of history on what is happening and based on that history we’ll be able to see what the cost is and if changes are needed,” he explained. “We’ll have to come up with a plan of what they should pay to make it fair for everyone in the community of Richer.”

If a commercial levy is added, most of council agreed that no residential units; multiplex or not, will moved to the commercial designation.

the tools it needs to pursue further funding options. The project relies 100% on funding from grants, government (provincial/federal), nongovernmental organizations, and fundraising. The preliminary design schematics will also provide a visual representation of the new facility, allowing southeast Manitoba residents to see this shared vision as a nearterm reality.

The projected budget for the facility is estimated to be $4.8 million.

“This much-appreciated funding provided by the Government of Canada will help the Timberline Community Housing project advance one step closer to construction,”

explained SECSC president Martin Van Osch. “This grant backs a valuable grassroots initiative which will allow residents of southeast Manitoba to age in place while remaining close to family, friends and community support. This is a shared vision 20 years in the making that is now one step closer to reality as a result of many dedicated volunteer hours and strong community support.”

East Borderland Community Housing, a registered charity based in Sprague, has been working tirelessly for 20 years to provide housing options for seniors and other residents in need of assistance for daily living. They provided the initial funding to

restructure the effort from a nonprofit volunteer group to a co-operative and continue to champion the project.

The SECSC board is also grateful for the funding and technical support provided to the Timberline Housing Community project from Cooperatives First, Cooperators Foundation and Manitoba Cooperative Association. These funders provided grants and training to get the SECSC board formalized, develop a business plan, conduct market research, provide marketing tools such as a website and brochure, and create a membership recruitment and engagement strategy.

October 2023

Artist Brings St. Malo Grotto Back to Life

By Angelique Forest Millar’s

The grotto in St. Malo has been receiving much needed restoration work this summer as volunteer artist John Millar donates hundreds of hours of his time to bring back life to the Catholic parish statues.

“This project will have approximately taken almost 200 hours once complete,” said Millar. “Starting on July 10, I’ve popped by at St. Malo periodically to do painting and restoration work on the statues. I come whenever I’m not busy and will usually stay there from a few days up to almost two weeks at a time.”

The grotto receives visitors regularly everyday, and many have noticed the significant difference. The statues had faded to almost white and were in a state of disrepair for many years.

With the restoration work moving along, visitors are simply impressed with the vivid colours and realism that Millar is creating.

The grotto is the site of an annual pilgrimage and Millar relayed how the Parish Committee and others who’ve attended this year’s event were pleased with the work and how the restoration has brought the shrine to life.

“I’ve been posting progress photos of the work on a public album on Facebook, and a lot of people have been sharing it, so I think that’s what’s contributing to the growing popularity of the place,” added Millar. “A lot of people are curious and drawn to the changes that I’m bringing here.”

main motivation for completing these projects is what this shrine means to people. He said the spiritual atmosphere has an impact on the public, and he didn’t want these statues to keep falling into ruin because they also have significance to the site as a whole.

“The statues, being a plain white colour before, made them appear as only decorative objects in the landscape, but their true purpose is to provoke a sense of contemplation on the events, characters, and beliefs that they represent, so I think giving them a pop of colour and making them look ‘real’ helps immensely with that,” he explained.

According to Millar, the most challenging part about the projects is reconstructing big chunks that were missing from the statues that were lost to time. He had to play with the consistency of the cement so that it was malleable enough to shape and blend in the areas that they were needed.

“For example, the nose on Jesus on the tomb, the toe of Jesus on the Pieta, etc,” he noted.

“The restoration doesn’t look perfect, but there’s only so much you can do with a material that isn’t meant to be shaped with your hands,” he said.

Another big challenge in Millar’s journey is having to leave home for extended periods of time.

“It’s nice being away from the city, but it’s also hard being away from what you’re familiar with,” he explained.

Despite the long hours, Millar says his work there isn’t done. He plans to return next year because the Parish has ordered a new statue of the Resurrected Christ to replace the older one that is damaged and unrepairable.

Photos courtesy of John Millar

Volunteer artist John Millar donates hundreds of hours of his time to bring life back to the Catholic parish statues.

With the restoration work moving along, visitors are simply impressed with the vivid colours and realism that Millar is creating.

Dawson Trail Dispatch

Vita Arena Volunteers Celebrate 50 Years of History

October 2023

By Monica Guetre

At the recent Vita Arena AGM community members gathered to celebrate history, volunteer dedication and a number of accomplishments made throughout the year.

Arena Board president, Darcia Barnabe led a tour that not only showcased the history, she highlighted phase-one refurbishments made to the 50 year-old arena that hosts the Vita Mighty Ducks.

Additionally, linked to the arena is a curling rink that hosts an annual bonspiel and children’s curling lessons.

Barnabe said with the help of a Community Places grant, and the success from a number of fundraising events, phase one completion includes the rebuilding one of the original structural walls which was starting to crumble.

During Barnabe’s presentation she highlighted the dedication of many volunteers who led numerous fundraising activities throughout the year.

She said it was because of volunteers and donations that they were able to complete other renovations. She noted that the list was long and these included “change rooms, washrooms, building a new storage room for donated children’s hockey equipment, installation of donated vending machines and black rubber floor mats, first floor painting, re-opening of a lower level canteen and repairing the partial artificial ice making machine,” so that ice quality is better and skating activities could begin sooner than January.

Plans for phase two are already in the works to add insulation to the rebuilt wall from phase one, refurbish a portion of another structural wall; add an elevator to the second floor to help address mobility issues and access to the main canteen and rink viewing area on the second floor. The second floor is also the practice home to the Susydka Ukrainian Dance Club.

Madi Senkiw, a family recreation practitioner with ROC (Recreation Opportunities for Children) Eastman made a presentation to the Arena board as well.

Senkiw reported ROC Eastman was able to help many families throughout the area by “equipping 50 children,” so that they could play hockey or learn to skate. She stressed that ROC not only works to remove financial barriers so that children can play sports or create art, “[We] will even help parents with the paperwork,” when applying for a one of the grants available for sport and art activities.

Monique Chenier, Economic Development Manager with the Sunrise Corner Piney Stuartburn Economic Development, was also on hand to share her expertise and resources to help the Arena board in their fundraising and brainstorm efforts.

To volunteer, enquire about renting the facilities, to donate and for information on this year’s Vita and area skating, hockey, ringette or curling programs please contact Darcia Barnabe by texting 204-972-0687.

Community members who wish to donate funds or gently used equipment and supplies or community members who need assistance with a child’s sports equipment, art supplies, bicycles, play structures can contact ROC Eastman, Madi Senkiw at 204-371-7646 or email madi@roceastman.ca.

Vita Arena trophy case houses 50 years of history.

Vita Arena was using one of the original change rooms to store equipment even though it was needed as a change room. This year because the change room was turned back to its original purpose and refurbished volunteers built a new storage area in the arena to house community donated equipment.

Dedicated volunteers with the Vita Arena board are excited to start a new season Photo by Michelle Gawronsky

Photo by Monica Guetre

Photo by Monica Guetre

October 2023

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

Halloween Safety for Your Pet

Halloween isn’t just for kids. Pets are joining the festivities too, but it’s important to keep safety in mind while you celebrate. To make Halloween a real treat for pets and ensure they stay safe and happy, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Entertaining at home

Is your dog easily spooked? Even the friendliest pet may be alarmed by a ghost or witch at the front door. One of the best ways to help eliminate unwanted surprises is by establishing a safe, pets-only room in the house. This may also put trick-or-treaters who are uncomfortable around pets at ease.

“Before having pets join in the Halloween festivities, it’s important to assess whether your pet will be comfortable participating or if the festivities will cause undue stress,” says Dr. Robyn Jaynes ,a pet care expert at PetSmart. “If you have a young or senior pet, or one that is shy around others, it’s better to give them a quiet space away from all the activity or host a small family celebration where they’ll feel more comfortable.”

Pet-friendly treats

Chocolate is particularly tempting for pets, but it can make them seriously ill. Pet parents should keep all Halloween candy out of pets’ reach. Also, choose a treat that will help pets celebrate Halloween and includes health benefits, such as Greenies Dental Chews, which keep dogs’ and cats’ teeth clean and breath fresh.

Safety first

Is your pet ready to step out on the street? Reflective leashes, collars and ID tags with flashing lights are essential accessories for any pet Halloween costume. Pets should also have proper identification that includes pet parents’ contact information. Finally, make sure that an adult is holding the leash and that the pet is at ease around strangers and crowds. More tips on pet safety as well as Halloween costumes and toys can be found at PetSmart or petsmart.com.

Country Tales

By Darlene Kuchar

Merlin the frog was wide awake in the garden this morning. Darting way from my mud covered rubber boots. I must have been a truly scary sight, a walking sky scraper storm trooping through this yard. He doesn’t pay rent but he does a fabulous job at keeping mosquitoes away. While collecting ripe tomatoes I told little Merlin about the giant black PVC tube, frog only, water slide my friend and I made when we were ten. The construction project was built from garbage we found. The tube went from our tree house down to a water filled ice cream pail on the ground. No parents helped with these things back then so we just did our best. One kid poured a steady stream of water so the frogs could have some fun. Merlin listened attentively blinking his eyes in agreement. Agreement or fright I’ll never know I don’t speak frog.

“One day Merlin, if you are lucky, maybe a kid will make you a slide.”

As a high energy curious child, searching for frogs and showing your mom the great haul was the cat’s meow. No one knows why but one day you just don’t catch frogs and tadpoles anymore. Teens just don’t think you are cool I suppose. The ponds and ditches are still there, you can still hear the ribbits and chirps in the night. A television is much better than amphibians at keeping our attention when we grow up.

As an adult, when no one is looking I’ll catch and release a couple for old times sake. Little Merlin and his friends will always have a home at my place even though there’s no water slide.

Submitted photo

As a high energy curious child, searching for frogs and showing your mom the great haul was the cat’s meow.

Make Halloween a real treat for pets and ensure they stay safe and happy. Photo newscanada.com

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Traditional Travelling Adventure

October 2023

Halloween Tradition to Continue in Ritchot

“Scare with the Mayor” is back again and will be hosted on Tuesday, October 31 at the TC Energy Centre in Ile des Chenes.

The event, hosted by Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen, has become an annual family oriented day of fun. It was started in 2018 and now attracts over 600 people through the doors.

“It is amazing what Chris, and his group of volunteers do to set up the Hall,” said Shane Ray, Ritchot’s Director of Recreation Services.

The event runs from 11 am to 1 pm for daycares and schools to come over and walk through. It continues from 6 pm to 9 pm for everyone else.

Municipality Plans to Honour Food Bank Volunteers

By Dan Guetre

The volunteers at the Accueil Kateri Centre, the food bank that serves both Ste. Anne and the rural municipality, are set to be acknowledged at a special event as the RM of Ste. Anne Council decided to host an event to treat and recognize their efforts.

“We want to do a supper for them where they get served,” noted Reeve Richard Pelletier.

Pelletier added that council saw this as an opportunity to do something for a group that would never do this for themselves as they are solely focused on giving back.

Although details will be worked out of what the event looks like, council agreed it should take place before Christmas.

“We always set some money aside for groups that need a donation, this money will probably come from that,” said Pelletier. This event could be the start of other similar functions.

“It was brought up that we should do something like this annually, we want to really keep the committees of volunteers we have,” he said. “The RM has many groups of people helping [and] the municipality want to ensure they are recognized.”

The municipal council plans to have further discussions on this topic, he added.

“It’s a little bit of an incentive for them to keep doing what they do,” said Pelletier.

Terry and Patty Doerksen recently ventured along the Dawson Trail from east to west heading towards Winnipeg via Red River Cart. This is not the first adventure the Doerksens have taken on, having travelled the Crow Wing Trail also.

The replica Red River Cart was pulled by Zik the ox.

Submitted photos

5 Ways to Feel Truly Grateful this Thanksgiving

We all know how Thanksgiving is supposed to be: smiling family around a table loaded with food. Yet the reality can be different. Family squabbles, logistical challenges or money issues can make holidays more stressful than uplifting.

You’ve likely read about the power of gratitude to change a person’s perspective and increase happiness. But gratitude doesn’t just show up on Thanksgiving unannounced. You have to invite it into your home and life. A good way to start is by noticing all the things you do have – things other people may be missing.

Consider these five ways to grow gratitude this Thanksgiving:

Volunteer: Contact your local food bank or drop-in centre for the homeless, to see how you can help.

Visit someone: Take the time to visit someone who is elderly, sick, lonely or even in prison.

Strike up a conversation: Instead of ignoring that homeless person, ask them a bit about themselves. Maybe ask their name, and where they hail from. You’d be surprised how easily a conversation can unfold.

Compare situations: Learn about parts of the world where kids don’t survive into school-age, let alone into the age where our teens give us so much trouble. Insights on the topic of child and maternal health are available at worldvision.ca.

Give back: Donate a bag of outgrown clothes to the local women’s shelter, help collect canned goods for your children’s school food drive or bake for the neighbour who has just lost a job.

By reaching out and increasing gratitude, you may make a new friend at the same time – and that’s something to really be grateful for.

Tache Food Bank Puts Call Out for Volunteers

The Tache Food Resource Centre is desperately looking for volunteers to help out with the day-to-day operations.

There are many volunteer opportunities available throughout the year but at this time they are looking for a few people that are avail able a few hours a day most needed for Tuesday or Wednesday, mornings or afternoons.

Please reach out and call them at 204-270-0273 if you are interested and can spare some time.

Municipalities Start Deciding What Projects to Target with Millions of Unbudgeted Capital

By Dan Guetre

In early August, municipal governments had to start dealing with, where in their budgets they should squirrel away a “windfall” of unexpected funds announced by the province. The balance of almost $40 million left over from an $84 million Infrastructure Fund set aside for municipalities outside of Winnipeg was still sitting in the Provincial budget.

What it works out to, each municipality received over $75 in additional funding per capita which could be used towards various infrastructure projects.

In the RM of Ste. Anne, this amounts to over $428,000 in new funding.

According to Reeve Richard Pelletier, the extra funds will go into their reserves but they are still discussing the actual details of how this will be targeted.

“It will go into reserves,” he confirmed. “We have about eight items where we are looking for grants and most of the grants require a financial commitment from us so these funds can be used as our leverage for the grants.”

The items are a generator for their Emergency Management Organization, a tanker and a pumper for the Giroux and Richer Fire Departments respectively, and some new

sidewalks, a crosswalk, road construction and road repairs.

He noted that council has prioritized the projects and will submit the proposals to the province and use the new funds as the municipal commitment where needed.

Some of the grants they are applying for may not even require a municipal share and cover the entire project cost, he added. “It will depend on the project.”

He noted that some of the funds could be eventually set aside to manage their share of costs if they are successful in gaining a new

daycare.

The City of Steinbach received $1.3 million in unexpected revenue based on its population and is currently deciding what projects will require a piece of this extra money.

The Village of St. Pierre-Jolys announced they received just over $100,000. Council has already decided that $35,000 will go into their reserves for streets, $20,000 towards sidewalks and the balance of $45,000 into their reserve fund set aside for other infrastructure projects.

SAC Concert Series Announced

The Steinbach Arts Council has announced the lineup for their 20232024 Concert Series. This season brings world class performances to Steinbach community, including a symphonic Christmas with the WSO, spirited Latin folk by Notas de 4, inspired storytelling with the Manitoba Theatre Centre, classics reimagined by brass quintet Buzz Brass, and show-stopping virtuosity by the Desautels Piano Trio – Oleg Pohkanovski on violin, Minna Rose Chung on cello, and Judy Kehler Siebert on piano.

“Prepare to be captivated by a concert season like no other!” said Tara Schellenberg, Performing Arts Coordinator at SAC, who is looking forward to an exciting concert series.

“The extraordinary talents of these performers, coming to our community, will truly set a new standard of excellence for our concert series.”

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Holiday Tour

7:30 pm Thursday, November 30, 2023

Notas de 4

7:30 pm

Thursday, February 1, 2024

MTC presents Mix Tapes from my Mom 7:30 pm Monday, March 11, 2024

Buzz Brass

7:30 pm Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Desautels Piano Trio

7:30 pm Thursday, May 9, 2024

Season tickets are now on sale. Use your SAC membership to become a season subscriber and save! Season

Ticket prices: adult – $120, seniors – $110. Individual concert tickets are now available. For more info, visit steinbacharts.ca or call Tara at 204346-1077.

The Tache Food Resource Centre is looking for volunteers to help out with the day-today operations. Submitted photo

How to Keep Your Vehicle Running Smoothly All Winter

Ste. Anne Curling Season

ing seasons in Canada: winter and road construction. Well, we’re moving into the winter part of the year. So, now is a good time to make sure your vehicle is ready to carry you safely through the season.

Here are a few safe winter driving tips from Aviva Canada:

Switch to winter tires

Quebec and most highways in British Columbia are the only two jurisdictions in Canada where winter tires are required by law. But every Canadian driver should invest in winter tires for safety. All-seasons just don’t provide the traction needed in snowy or icy conditions.

For year-round safety, you should regularly check your tire pressure. In cold weather, tire-pressure will drop. Properly inflated tires grip the road better and improve fuel efficiency.

Top it up

Winter driving means a messy windshield. Regularly top up your washer fluid and store an extra jug in your car in case you run out on the road. You should also inspect your wiper blades and replace them if they’re starting to leave streaks.

Also regularly check the levels of your oil and coolant, particularly before heading out on longer trips. And try to keep your gas tank at least half-full in case you get stuck in a storm.

Be prepared

Always keep an emergency kit in your car. It can truly be a lifesaver if you have a breakdown in winter. It should include some non-perishable food, water, a flashlight and a first-aid kit. Add some candles and matches or a lighter to provide emergency warmth if you’re stuck for a long time. You can also include some warm clothing or a thermal blanket.

Check the basics

Check your battery, lights, windshield wipers and brakes to ensure they’re all in good working order before cold weather conditions start. This includes keeping your gas tank at least half-full at all times. This will help you out during any unexpected delays.

Hail damage

Hailstorms can cause significant damage to your vehicle. If you your vehicle is damaged in a hailstorm, call your insurance company immediately. They will be able to guide you through the claim process if needed.

Finally, consider storing a bag of kitty litter in the trunk that you can use to provide some traction if your tires are on spinning on the ice.

Find out more about car insurance options for protection this winter and yearround at aviva.ca.

Article courtesy of www.newscanada.com

Ritchot Schedules

Annual Sewer Cleaning

The Ritchot Water & Sewer Department has scheduled Annual Sewer Cleaning in the following communities:

Ste. Agathe - Monday, October 2 to Thursday, October 5

St. Adolphe - Thursday, October 5 to Thursday, October 12

Île Des Chênes - Thursday, October 12 to Wednesday, October 18

Be advised at times vents may be plugged and excess water may blow out plumbing

openings. We advise you to please take the following precautions:

1. Cover the inside toilet bowl with plastic wrap.

2. Place plugs in sinks, bathtubs and basement floor trap within the home.

3. If an odour remains, flush or rinse thoroughly.

If you require further information, please contact the Municipality of Ritchot at 204883-2293 ext. 1 or info@ritchot.com.

Online Registration Open

The Ste Anne Curling Club board announced that their 2023-2024 curling season will start on October 16, 2023. Registration is open at steannecurling.org and hope that people register early so they have time to plan another great year of curling. If you don’t have a team but would like to curl, let them know and they’ll do their best to find a team for you to play on. Please feel free to communicate with them if you have any questions or concerns at steannecurlingclub@gmail.com.

Photos courtesy of newscanada.com

Every Canadian driver should invest in winter tires for safety. All-seasons just don’t provide traction needed in snowy or icy conditions.

October 2023

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

Aethos Taekwondo Holds

First Black Belt Promotion Test

Aethos Taekwondo held their first black belt promotion test at the Ste. Anne Immersion School gymnasium on September 30 chaired by Master Robert Quon, one of the newest members of Aethos Taekwondo, and Master Lionel Bernier of the Lorette Branch.

It was attended by a sizable crowd of spectators, some colour belts, and of course, the club’s other black belts: Aaron Bernier 3rd Dan, Carter Tardiff 3rd Dan, Charlie Tardiff 3rd Dan, Rya Bernier 3rd Poom, Abbigail Keen 2nd Dan, and Gaiden Bernier 1st Poom.

During the event, club member Elisabeth Fust was promoted to the rank of 4th Dan and is now the third Master for Aethos Taekwondo. Master Quon holds the rank of 7th Dan and Master Bernier holds the rank of 4th Dan.

Other black belt applicants included Edric Comia for 3rd Dan, Casia Schreyer for 3rd Dan, Melody Tardiff for 2nd Dan, Reid Ammeter for 2nd Poom, David Lemoing for 1st Dan, Jayden Rattie for 1st Poom, Brody Keen for 1st Poom, and Julien Comia for 1st Poom.

The day before the testing, Master Bernier invited club member Jayden Rattie to participate in a smudge ceremony performed by Night Eagle (Evonne Wilson Bernier), a member of the Peguis First Nation. The event was hosted at Claude and Evonne Bernier’s farm near Lorette. Rattie is a member of

the Dakota Tipi First Nation and is the first Indigenous student of Aethos Taekwondo to advance to the black belt, a

Rattie, who had crafted his own deer skin drum, joined Night Eagle in honouring the Creator and Mother Earth with the drum ceremony to the four directions and the earth

and sky. He was coached in the significance of the drum ceremony and the care of his drum.

The day of the promotion test coincided with Truth and Reconcilia-

tion Day in Canada and numerous orange shirts were worn by participants at the smudge and drum ceremony to pay their respect for the day.

Aethos Taekwondo members gather around the “Sacred Fire.”Front: Camryn Redhead, Felicity Mousseau, Reme Houle, Jayden Rattie, Night Eagle (Evonne Wilson Bernier), Aaron Berbier, Sarah Painter, Melody Tardiff. Middle: Marcel Laurendeau, Gaiden Bernier, Roger Houle, Rya Bernier. Back: Charlie Tardiff, Wally Bergen, David Lemoing.

Photo submitted by Lionel Bernier

Jaden Rattie and Evonne Bernier (Night Eagle) drumming in unison.

Photo submitted by Lionel Bernier

Black belt group. Back Row: Gaiden Bernier, Rya Bernier, Charlie Tardiff, Aaron Bernier, Carter Tardiff, Casia Schreyer, Melody Tardiff, David Lemoing. Center Row: Master Robert Quon, Master Elisabeth Fust, Master Lionel Bernier. Front Row: Jayden Rattie, Brody Keen, Julien Comia, Reid Ammeter.

Photo by Nicki Woodhall

Black belts presented.

super momentous day in his young life.

Celebrating Mother Earth and Nurturing Reconciliation

Volunteers from the Crow Wing Trail Association and members of the Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation were inspired to organize a Mother Earth Care Gathering earlier this summer. They created an amphitheater-like trail setting near the banks of the Roseau River, on the South Rapids Reserve and invited youth and families from the Four Directions of the medicine wheel – Yellow, Red, Black and White – to come together on June 3. Approximately 30 people attended the event. This gathering was an opportunity to listen to an Indigenous elder share truth-telling about Roseau Rapids that was filled with pain, strength and hope. With the help of a botanist, guests were able to learn about the area flora and fauna with a lesson on plant identification, and participants even made mats out of cattails. A Wolf Clan member shared her insights and commitments as a protector of Mother Earth and Indigenous peoples.

Submitted photo

October 2023

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

Group Events:

Active Aging Week October 2-8 - Active Aging to promote the benefits of healthy aging and lifestyles.

Indoor Cycle - Mondays October 16 and 23 from 10 – 10:30 am. Using a pedal exerciser (provided) pedal along while enjoying the company of friends. This is not an instructor led class, but I will be there to encourage you along as you get your body moving at your own pace. Please pre register for this activity, drop in available if space allows.

Ritchot Senior Services Federal Housing Accelerator Fund Catches Eye of Multiple Municipalities

Coffee with Friends – On Thursdays from 10 - 11:30 am. Do you have a cool item or photo that you would like to share? Bring it along with you. Open to everyone. $2 for bottomless coffee and muffin or pastry. Ritchot Senior Services, 457 Main Street, St. Adolphe.

Walk with Me - Fridays October 6, 13 and 27 from 10 am – 11 am. Join us to enjoy a morning walk and enjoy the changing colors of autumn. We will stop along the way to practice some mindfulness, balance and flexibility training. Please pre register for this activity, drop in available if space allows.

Lunch & Learn – Tuesday, October 17, 10 am we welcome Cancer Care MB with an interactive/educational session on cancer care screening and prevention practices. Lunch will be served after the presentation. There will be no charge to attend. Please pre register for this event.

Trip to the Forks – Friday, October 20. Bus leaves St. Adolphe at 9:30 am, arrives at the Forks just after 10 am. You will have the day to shop and enjoy lunch with friends all at your own pace. We leave the Forks at 2 pm to bring us back. Cost is $5 and you must pre register with Ritchot Senior Services to attend this activity.

Bingo - Tuesday October 24, 1:30 – 3 pm. Play for fun prizes. $2 admission includes 2 cards, additional cards available for .50 cents each. You must pre register for this event

Old Time Dance – Sunday, October 29, 1 – 5 pm at the Pioneer Hall, 345 St. Adolphe Rd. Entertainment provided by Gem Stars. Door prizes, 50-50 and cash bar. Lunch is provided. Please reserve your ticket in advance by calling Jules 204883-2440.

Quilting & Knitting – Wednesdays, October 18 and 25, 9:30 am – 1 pm at the Howden Community Centre, 1078 Red River Dr. This year we will be working on two very important projects. We will continue to create lap quilts for the Alzheimer society. And new this year we will be creating knit lap blankets that will be donated to Palliative Care MB. All supplies will be supplied thanks to generous community donations.

Coffee and tea will be available. Bring along your lunch, spend time with community members that have the same passion as yourself and make a difference.

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

Upcoming clinic dates:

Ste Agathe – Wednesday, November 8 and Thursday, November 9. St. Adolphe – Monday, November 13, Tuesday, November 14 and Wednesday, November 15.

Ile des Chenes – Tuesday, October 17 and Wednesday, October 18.

Moms Pantry Fundraiser – Order by Thursday, October 26. Check Mom’s Pantry website; browse their amazing catalogue while you enjoy your afternoon coffee or tea. Your order will be shipped to us here at Ritchot Senior Services. We will contact you before it arrives and then all you do is pick it up and you are good to go. Online ordering, easier than ever:

1.) Add items to your cart

2.) On checkout, enter the Order Number and Group Passcode below, along with the Seller’s Name.

3.) Complete Payment

Group Name: Ritchot Senior Services

Order Number: 379119

Group Passcode: 14667

We also have paper copy of the catalogue at Ritchot Senior Services or at the St. Adolphe Pharmacy. Bring completed order to Janice at the Ritchot Senior Services with your payment, cash or a cheque made out to Ritchot Senior Services Inc. Please have all orders completed by Thursday, October 26. Delivery will be around November 7.

Corny Remple as Elvis Presley & Johnny Cash - in concert Friday, November 3 at the St. Adolphe Pioneer Hall. Dinner 6:30 pm, entertainment 8 pm. Only $40, Silent Auction and 50-50 will also be available Contact for tickets, Debbie 204883-2489.

Woodturners Association of Manitoba – Every second Thursday, 6:30 pm at the Howden Community Centre, 1078 Red River Dr. until June. Begins with a fundamentals topic followed by meeting at 7 pm and demonstration. A bunch of woodturning enthusiasts who meet to share ideas, challenge each other, swap wood and tools, and generally behave like kids in a candy store. Nothing excites them more than finding a new technique, tool, or chunk of exotic lumber. Contact Gerald wamturn@ gmail.com.

Heart to Home Meals -To place your order please call 1-204-816-8659 or 1-888216-1067.

Call for a menu or pick one up at Ritchot Senior Services. 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. 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.

By Dan Guetre

The RM of Piney, the RM of Stuartburn and the Village of St. Pierre-Jolys are just three of the many municipalities looking to participate in the Federal Government’s Housing Accelerator Fund to encourage residents and developers in a quest to increase housing projects.

According to the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC), the entity tasked with managing the fund, the goal is to encouraging initiatives that increase housing supply and promote the development of affordable, inclusive and diverse communities that are lowcarbon and climate-resilient.

The fund aims to remove barriers and create incentives to local governments.

Approved participants can use incentive funding for investments in Housing Accelerator Fund action plans, affordable housing, housing-related infrastructure and community-related infrastructure that supports housing.

The framework for determining the amount of incentive funding could include base funding, top-up funding and an affordable housing bonus.

“A major barrier that we face along with other municipalities is to plan for and build the necessary infrastructure to support new development,” explained St. Pierre-Jolys CAO Tina Bubenzer. “In our case, ensuring the Village has adequate lagoon capacity plays a key role in removing barriers to housing development. This is one of the ways we hope the HAF can help remove barriers.”

Bubenzer added they have another goal, reducing barriers to new housing is through streamlining and expediting approvals and permits.

“One of the initiatives included in our HAF application is to undertake a com-

prehensive review our policies, by-laws and procedures related to processing development and building permit applications,” she explained. “This may include implementing a new cloud-based e-permitting system to streamline permit applications and building inspections.”

The Village of St. Pierre-Jolys also sees particular value in component of the HAS, to implement an Infill Development Incentive program.

“This program will use direct and indirect financial incentives such as TIF, one-time grant per infill lot, beautification grants for landscape or façade improvements, and other incentives to encourage ‘missing middle’ and residential mixed-use development within the Urban Policy area, as outlined in our Official Development Plan by-law,” she noted.

The Reeve of the RM of Stuartburn, Michelle Gawronsky, noted that her council saw a multitude of benefits in completing a HAS application.

She listed the need for a lagoon expansion to increase capacity, seniors housing, affordable multi-house units, and additional units on existing properties. Additionally she sees the potential to incentivize new urban subdivisions and infill development.

She added that the funding available, if they are successful with their submission, would directly remove some of the barriers they are facing.

“Access to funding to expand our lagoon would enable the Municipality to accept further development… with funding for the lagoon expansion we would not be restricted because of the capacity limit of our lagoon,” she noted. “This would put the Municipality in a better position for more development.”

Gawronsky said that previous councils had already created a Zoning Plan that is “Developer Friendly” and Stuartburn does not charge any developer fees, and with a go ahead from HAS, the municipality will be in a great position.

“If our application moves forward in a positive way this will provide us with a much needed housing needs assessment,” she said, “it will incentivize developers to build in our municipality as well as incentivize property owners to develop vacant lots, and most importantly, give Council access to funding for our lagoon expansion.”

Gawronsky sees the program as an all around win for the municipality.

“Developing our community builds the economy of our community,” she explained. “This in turn creates employment and population growth which will increase retail needs, hospital and education, which creates employment, which creates housing needs…. one big happy circle.”

As for the Village of St. Pierre-Jolys, Bubenzer says council is ready to move forward as soon as the okay is given.

“Upon successful receipt of funds, we expect to proceed immediately with supporting the Manor, a non-profit housing provider, to increase the number of housing units available to the community and specifically to older adults,” she noted.

RM of Piney Reeve Wayne Anderson says his council is in the process of finalizing their proposal.

“We have a team working on the application, as well as technical aspects of things we can do to speed up housing construction,” he said. “We desperately need more housing in the RM of Piney, and it looks like the program will be beneficial to our region.”

Approved participants can use incentive funding for investments in Housing Accelerator Fund action plans, affordable housing, housing-related infrastructure and community-related infrastructure that supports housing. The framework for determining the amount of incentive funding could include base funding, top-up funding and an affordable housing bonus. Submitted photo

Niverville’s Richert Debuts on Formula 2 Car Race

Species at Risk Spotlight: Olive-sided Flycatcher

By Norm Gregoire

Over time, many avid birdwatchers develop favourite species to track down and spend time with. Although you may think it is easiest to be attracted to some of the many colourful species we have in the tall-grass prairie, I find that I enjoy a bird that has character.

You may ask, “How can one bird have more character than the next?” I think if you spend some time watching members of the flycatcher family, you will understand what I mean. They tirelessly work, catching insects one after the next, often using a rural backyard as hunting grounds. They are like sentinels on their perch until they make that quick movement towards their prey. They may not be flashy, but they are entertaining to watch! If you are a flycatcher fanatic like I am, over the years you may have noticed a decline in sightings. Indeed, some species population numbers have been declining, including the olivesided flycatcher, which is now designated a species at risk.

At the BOSS GP race at Monza in Italy in late September, Niverville’s David Richert completed his first experience in the extremely highpowered Formula 2 race car.

The weekend started off in very challenging conditions as rain persisted throughout Friday causing both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 to take place on a wet race track. Richert managed to navigate the difficult conditions and finish both practice sessions in 2nd position.

Qualifying took place under sunny skies and was set to be Richert’s first experience in a Formula 2 car in dry weather conditions. Unfortunately, due to Richert’s unexpected success in the first two practice sessions, by BOSS GP rules, he was forced to Qualify in the advanced group of cars and would only be allowed 3 laps to set a time, compared with the 13 laps that the majority of the drivers would receive. Richert managed to qualify in 3rd place, just two tenths of a second behind the BOSS GP championship leader.

After torrential thunderstorms, Race 1 eventually started, but came to an early end for Richert after his car slid off track into the waterlogged grass, from which he was unable to drive out.

Race 2 took place under brilliantly sunny skies on Sunday. Starting the race with a cautious approach left Richert with the task of playing catchup. After another car spun into the gravel late in the race, a safety

car was deployed and brought the field of cars back close to one another. A thrilling 3 car final lap shootout ensued where Richert finished in 6th position, only 3 tenths of a second behind 4th.

“All things considered, it was a fantastic experience to drive a Formula 2 car around Monza,” said Richert.

“The weather made it exceptionally challenging but it’s not in my control, so I’m happy we made the best of a difficult situation.”

Richert began the pursuit of his

dream by cutting his teeth racing gokarts. He was then selected by Volkswagen as one of the top young race car drivers in North America and competed in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. In 2016, Richert became one of the only Canadians to ever complete a race through the streets of Monte Carlo at the world famous Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix weekend. Most recently, Richert finished 2nd in the 2022 Drexler Automotive Formula 3 Cup Championship Standings.

The olive-sided flycatcher is a medium-sized bird, dark grey in colour with sooty flanks and a contrasting white strip down the breast and on the throat. The bill is large, and the plumage on the rear of the head is peaked.

In Manitoba, our flycatchers have the same general look to them, so using other variables can help to differentiate one species from the other. One thing to consider is where the flycatcher is perching. If it is on a high, conspicuous perch, like the top of a tree in an open area, that could be a sign that it is olive-sided. Another way to distinguish this species from other flycatchers is by their distinct call, which has been said to sound like “quick, three beers”.

Olive-sided flycatchers tend to breed in patchy networks of conifer woods in openings or on edges in meadows, muskegs, and waterways, as well as those created by partial logging and natural wildfires. Fires also leave behind dead standing trees, which are ideal for olive-sided flycatchers to use not only as hunting platforms but also as singing perches. This vocalization is crucial, especially for the males, as it helps identify their home territory to competing flycatchers. Each home territory can be over one hundred acres in size!

The olive-sided flycatcher constructs nests on conifer trees, sometimes using a dead or burned tree. Nests are usually built towards the end of a limb and constructed of a mixture of twigs, grasses, and lichens. When the eggs hatch (usually three to four), the parents will stay with the young until migration.

The olive-sided has the longest migration of any Canadian flycatcher and can overwinter as far south as Brazil.

What I love most about flycatchers is watching them hunt insects. Sadly, the drop in insect numbers is arguably the biggest reason for declining flycatcher populations. It is estimated by the North America Breeding Bird Survey that in the last five-plus decades we have seen a decline of over eighty percent in the olive-sided flycatcher population. Habitat loss on wintering and breeding grounds also plays a role in the declining population.

It is important to take note of these changes in the natural world

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Photo by Christian Artuso

Niverville’s David Richert completed his first experience in the extremely high-powered Formula 2 race car.

Submitted photos

A thrilling 3 car final lap shootout ensued where Richert finished in 6th position, only 3 tenths of a second behind 4th.

Richert said it was a fantastic experience to drive a Formula 2 car around Monza.

Fall Home Care

The Fall Family Yard: Use Our Tips to Make It Work for You

Fall is a great time to be in your family yard.

“Our yards are giving us ways to keep living,” says Kris Kiser, President of the TurfMutt Foundation. “Your backyard can help you stay active and thrive. It’s where you might throw a ball with the kids or the dog. You might grill dinner, sit around the fire, or plant something.”

According to researchers, people living in neighbourhoods with more birds, shrubs, and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress. Spending just five minutes in a natural setting can help improve mood.

Family yards can play a key role in promoting wellness for you, your family and your community, notes Kiser.

“Working in the yard in the fall provides a double benefit. What you do now in the fall to maintain your yard, will also get your yard ready for spring. And it gets you outside in nature,” said Kiser. Here are a few tips to maintain your yard this fall:

Get out your equipment and assess what you need for fall yard work. Clean and inspect your mower, trimmer, leaf blower, pruner, or hedger. Get out the attachments you might need for fall yard work like an aerator or mulching attachment. Take any equipment that needs it to an authorized service representative.

Be purposeful in how you maintain your landscape. If adding a tree or bush this season, consider its location, maintenance, sunlight and watering needs, as well as how it might support local pollinators in the spring and backyard wildlife over the winter.

Remove leaves. Autumn means falling leaves. Mulching leaves and leaving them on the grass – rather than raking and bagging them – is good for the lawn and the environment. As shredded leaves decompose on the lawn, they feed it naturally.

Aerate the lawn. Aeration prevents soil from becoming compacted and covered with thatch, a thick layer of roots, stems, and debris that blocks water, oxygen and nutrients from reaching the soil.

Mow at the right height. Continue to cut the grass until the first hard frost. Find the just-right length for your yard’s species, typically between 2-3 inches, to keep the grass healthy when it turns cold.

Water wisely. If the yard is not getting at least an inch of water a week from Mother Nature, keep watering through the fall. Install watering solutions, such as smart controllers on irrigation systems, to help conserve water.

Check if trees or bushes need pruning. Look for low-hanging branches that might snap or break in the winter and cause damage. Now is the time to trim them. Call a tree service if needed.

Family yards can play a key role in promoting wellness for you, your family and your community, Photo courtesy turfmutt.com

Get Your Home Winter-ready to Avoid Insurance Claims

Cozying up by the fireplace. Building snow forts in the backyard. Enjoying a movie. There are lots of things to love about spending the Canadian winter tucked in at home.

Filing a home insurance claim isn’t one of those things.

Follow these tips to get your home winter ready so that you can enjoy another snow-filled season at home – without worrying about the unexpected.

1. Check, clear and clean your exterior

Making sure the exterior of your home is well-kept is a key step in preparing for winter. So, before freezing temperatures become an everyday reality, clear your eaves of leaves and other debris to prevent ice dams from forming.

Drain and shut off your exterior water lines to avoid water damage from frozen and burst pipes.

Now’s also a good time to inspect the weatherstripping around your doors and windows.

Finding and fixing cracks or openings helps to prevent heat loss, which is good for your utility bill and the integrity of your home.

2. Do an interior safety checkup

Interior fire safety and air quality are important all year long, but adding a checkup to your winterprep list can ensure that everything is in tip-top shape.

Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re working. And, while you’re up on the ladder, make note of each detector’s expiry date. Depending on the model, they should be replaced every five to 10 years.

Next, make sure your fire extinguishers are in good working order and easy to access. If you don’t have fire extinguishers, add them to the top of your shopping list. Be sure to familiarize yourself and other family members with when and how to use them properly.

With safety on the mind, you can also consider getting a long-term radon test kit and detector. Ventilation, entry points, drains and even soil composition can impact your exposure to radon, a potentially cancer-causing gas created when naturally occurring uranium breaks down. The lowest level of your home is the best place to

install a detector. Regularly monitoring it can keep you and your family safe.

3. Inspect your furnace and other heating appliances

With winter knocking and cold temperatures on the way, routine checks and maintenance of your furnace are essential to ensure it’s operating efficiently and safely – so you can stay warm and toasty all season.

For a basic DIY inspection, check that the area around the furnace is clear of objects and debris, look at the pipes and fittings for any signs of deterioration and make sure your filters are replaced on the schedule recommended by the manufacturer. An annual inspection and cleaning by a qualified service technician is also recommended.

If you have wood-burning heating appliances and fireplaces in your home, you’ll want to hire a certified chimney inspector to examine and clean them before you start using them. This reduces your risk of a chimney-related fire. Find more tips on how to protect your home throughout the year at cooperators.ca.

Before freezing temperatures become an everyday reality, clear your eaves of leaves and other debris to prevent ice dams from forming. Photo newscanada.com

October 2023

Dominion City

Winter Forest Market – Sunday, December 10, 10 am – 2 pm at the Community Hall, 31 McKercher St. Vendors wanted, $30 fee. Contact Gypsiimagik@outlook.com.

Dufrost

Annual Variety Bingo – Friday, October 20, doors open at 6:30, bingo at 7 pm at the Community Hall. Admission $3 includes 1 card, additional card .50 cents. Canteen available.

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.

Friedensfeld

Special Olympics Spooky Soiree Fundraising and Costume

Contest - Friday, October 20, at 8 pm at the Community Hall. In support of the Eastman Special Olympics program and also raising money to send 6 of Eastman’s athletes to the National Games in Calgary. Please support this event by attending, contributing a donation, or by purchasing a support ticket. Any questions please contact Cathy at 204-999-5564.

Fall Dinner – Saturday, October 22, 11:30 am – 2 pm at the Community centre. Cost $25. Children 6 – 12, $15, under 5 is free. Menu chicken, meatballs with gravy, mashed potatoes, perogies, cabbage rolls, veggies, salads, coleslaw, dinner roles and homemade pie. Contact Maria Krentz 204371-7220, friedensfeldcc@gmail.com.

Annual Christmas Craft Show – Saturday, November 4, 11 am – 4 pm at the Community Hall. Over 20 crafters and vendors to help everyone get ready for Christmas!

Grunthal

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 204-3719134.

Ile des Chenes

Fall Supper – Sunday, October 15, 3 – 7 pm at the TC Energy Centre. A fundraiser for Seine River Minor Ball. A delicious turkey supper with all the fixings. Adults $20, seniors and students (13 – 15) $15; children 4 – 12 $10; 3 and under free. Drive Thru available at north entrance. Tickets available at the door. Contact Claire 204-229-0695, secretarysrmb@gmail.com.

Christmas Market – Saturday, November 18, 10 am – 4 pm at the TC Energy Centre. Looking for vendors, cost $30 per table. Email amy@tcenergycentre.com to book a spot.

Yoga - Gentle yet invigorating morning yoga for women and men 55+, and evening yoga for mature teens and adults at the TC Energy Centre. Contact Juliette at yogaforyoumanitoba@outlook.com.

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.

Trappers Education Course Coming to La Broquerie! Are you interested in acquiring your Trappers License? Next Course Info... November 4 & 5, HyLife Centre, 22 Arena Road, La Broquerie, 9 am - 4 pm (each day). Adults 18+ $100/person / Youth 12-17 Free. To Register call the MTA Office at 204-739-2624. Payment is required at the time of registration. A minimum of 15 is required to run the course.

Lorette

Public Skating – Begins Sunday, October 1 at the Community Complex from 11am-Noon. Mark your calendars, sharpen up those skates and we will see you there!

Bibliothèque Taché Library – Story Time & Craft (EN) on October 9 at 12 pm, Lego Night on October 12 from 5 to 7:30 pm, Book Club on October 19 from 7 to 8:15 pm (Reading

“The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain), Story Time & Craft (FR) on October 21 at 12 pm, Paint pumpkins on October 24 from 6 to 7:30 pm, Halloween Day! On October 28 from 10 am to 2 pm and Colouring Draw contest is due on October 31.

Yoga - Gentle yet invigorating morning yoga for women and men 55+ at the Lorette Community Complex. Contact Juliette at yogaforyoumanitoba@outlook.com.

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

C ommunity E v E nts

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

Eastman ATV Ride for Mom - Saturday, October 14. Register online atvrideformom.com (until Sunday, October 8) or day of the event from 9 – 11 am. Starts at 9 am. Begin at Marchand Grocery store, head east on MB-210 7.6 km then turn left. We will have a sign there. Then head north 4.7 km, then turn sharp right. We will have a sign there too. Travel .8 km south to start located at Suicide Hill. You will ride with your own group at your own pace. Registration includes lunch and chance to win a Door Prize. Rain or Shine. Limited to 600 Machines. Online Registration $60/ machine plus $10 for additional riders – cost covers driver and additional rider and trail lunch.

Middlebro Fall Supper – Saturday, October 7, 4 – 7 pm at the Community Hall. Turkey supper with all the fixings and 50/50 draw. Cost Adults $24, ages 7 – 12 $14, age 6 and under free.

RM of Piney Coffee with Council - Monday, October 16, 7 – 9 pm at the Community Hall. Community members within our RM are encouraged to join council at the ‘Meet & Greet’ to voice concerns or ask council any questions they may have.

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.

Niverville

Meet your friendly Niverville Fire & EMS Members during our OPEN HOUSE on October 10, 6 pm - 8:30 pm. We will be demonstrating our new Jaws of Life that you, the community, fundraised for us last fall. There will be coffee and donuts so bring the kids! And yes, adults can sit in the fire truck too.

Piney Piney Regional Chamber of Commerce – Thursday, October 12 at 7 pm. Monthly meeting, location TBD. Contact info@ pineyregionalchamber.ca.

Richer

Richer Young At Heart Dance - Saturday, October 21 with music from By Request. Dinner is at 6 pm and dancing until 11 pm. Tickets are $25 per person, and can be reserved by calling Ron at 431-275-0874.

Richer Community Club Chase the Ace held at the Richer Inn on Saturdays from 5 pm to 7:45 pm. Tickets only $1 each.

Jackpot currently over $11,000!

Halloween Social hosted by the Richer Recreation Committee and the Richer Fire Department, Saturday, October 28, 9 pm to 1 am at the Richer Young at Hearts Hall. Costume judging, 50/50, lunch served. Advance tickets on $10 and available at Burnell’s Food Plus, Richer Rec Committee Members and the Richer Fire Fighters. Procedds go towards the Brent Wery Memorial Bursary Fund.

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 204-425-3701.

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 204-425-3701 to book a seat.

Sandilands Playtime in the Park – Tuesday, October 9. Pack your picnic basket and join us for family friendly fun and games from 1 - 3 pm. Adult Supervision is required for any children under 12.

Autumn Harvest Fest – Friday, October 20. Bring the whole family down for games, contests and a ton of family friendly fun. Pumpkin carving contest, Harvest themed crafts and games and a spooky forest for those who love spooky season.

Adult Supervision is required for all children under 12.

Sarto

Fall Supper – Sunday, October 15, 4 - 7 pm at the Community Hall. Pre-purchase tickets at Sarto Store in advance, not available at the door. Only 400 tickets available. Includes a Ukrainian Meal chicken, meatballs, mashed potatoes, perogies, sides, dessert, & coffee/tea. Cost: ages 12 and up-$25/ plate; age 6 - 11- $15/plate, age 5 and under free.

Sirko

Perogy Supper – Saturday, October 14, 4 – 6 pm at the Community Hall located 6 miles south of Sundown on Sirko Rd, 1 mile east Rd 1N, in support of Susydka Dance Club sponsored by the Sirko Women’s Association. Cost Adult $12, children 6 – 12 $6, 5 and under free. Take out available.

South Junction

Southeast Farmer’s Market – Saturday, October 21, 10 am – 2 pm, at Pine Grove Seniors.

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

Sprague

Kids Club – Begins Wednesday, October 4, 7 – 9 pm at the Community Fellowship Church. For all children ages 5 and up.

Come and Visit Stay & Play - Free Drop in Program – Every Tuesday, starts October 10 until December 12, from 9:30 – 11:30 am at the Ross L Gray School, 21 Canham St. Hosted by RLG, BLSD and Southern Health for parents, caregivers and children 5 and under. Contact 204-4372175, chubatyc@blsd.ca, culletona@blsd.ca or ambri@ hotmail.com.

Book Sale EBCH Fundraiser– From Wednesday, October 1 to Saturday, October 14 at the Community Hall. Wednesday – Friday, 9 am – 6 pm and Saturday 9 am – 2 pm.

Annual Halloween Social – Saturday, October 28 at the Arena. Save the date.

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 St. Adolphe Old Time Dance, Sunday, October 29, 1 – 5 pm at Pioneer Hall, 345 St. Adolphe Rd. Entertainment by Gem Stars. Door prizes, 50/50 and cash bar. Lunch is provided. Tickets only $20. Please reserve your ticket in advance by calling Jules at 204-883-2440.

St. Malo

Little Métis Sing with Me – For parents/grandparents of children 5 and under. Starts Wednesday, October 11 to Wednesday, December 13, 10 am to noon at the St. Malo Church Hall on St. Malo St. Free. Crafts, free play, music, books, snacks. Contact Tiffany 204-371-5172 or Aline 204712-0321.

Ice Safety Awareness Course for Red River Métis – Saturday, October 21, 9 am – 4 pm at Centre Jean Desrosier, 154 Main St. Cost is Free. Spots are limited. Ice assessing techniques, ice conditions and capacity, rescue techniques, cold water shock and hypothermia. Email semmfyouth@ mmfmb.ca or shay-lynn.thomas@mmf.mb.ca.

St. Malo Fall Supper, Sunday, October 22 from 4 pm to 6:30 pm. Meals must be pre-ordered and picked up at Chalet Malouin (Drive-through only), 14 St. Hilaire St, St. Malo. Please call Chalet office at 204-347-5753 by October 18 to reserve your meal. $20 per plate. Tourtiere, meatballs & gravy, ham, mashed potatoes, veggies, bun and dessert.

St. Pierre-Jolys Zoning By-law Development Plan Review - We Want to Hear from You- Tuesday, October 10, 6 – 8 pm at the RM De Salaberry council chambers, 466 rue Sabourin. Have questions contact Jeff Palmer, Community Planner, Urban Systems 204-259-3693 or jpalmer@urbansystems.ca.

3234 Manitoba Horse Cadets – Join us for fun and adventure every Thursday until June, 6:30 – 9 pm at the Community

Hall. For ages 12 – 18. Cost is Free. Meet new friends, fun, adventures, leadership, citizenship, community service, drill band, orienteering, and more. Contact Captain Phil Atkinson, phillip.atkinson@cadets.gc.ca. Website 3234manitobahorse.ca.

Ste. Anne Wellness Conference and Expo for Seniors – Tuesday, October 17, 10 am – 3:30 pm at Club Jovial, 157 Central Ave. Meet and chat with Senior Friendly organizations and businesses dedicated to the well-being of our 55+ community and their families: falls protection, mobility and accessibility, hearing care, home care specialists, decluttering & moving pros, Home Meal Program, Senior Resource Finders, and much more. Gift for every participant! Resources available in French and English. Snacks, lunch and beverages provided. Free admission: bring a non-perishable food item for the Accueil Kateri Food Bank. All are welcome. For more information, contact Melanie Bremaud, Senior Resource Coordinator Seine River Services for Seniors Inc. 204-424-5285, labseinerss@gmail.com.

Christmas Market - Saturday, November 25, 10 am – 4 pm at Ecole Pointe des Chenes. There will be over 40 vendors for all your Christmas Shopping needs! Perk Coffee will be there, a Lions Club canteen, amazing door prizes and a 50/50 draw. Proceeds go directly back to the community. Come out and shop till you drop! And support your local makers and bakers. There is a $2 entry which gets you 1 door prize ticket. Kids Free.

Ste Genevieve Library Night – Every second Wednesday, in October from 6 – 7: 30 pm. A mini-library at the Community Centre. Come check out some books, exchange and request items from the library.

Steinbach Collecta Co. and Hitch + Boler Coffee is hosting a Community Book Swap – a fun evening on Thursday October 12th @ 6:30PM at Clearspring Centre. Open to Everyone! Gentle used books of all genres are welcome. Bring as many books as you like and take home as many books as you like. All leftover books will be donated to Little Free Libraries around town.

MHV Christmas Market – Saturday, November 11, 1 – 6 pm. Explore 27 tables of vendors, enjoy a hot lunch, and have fun with a children’s craft. Admission is a tin for the bin, new toy, or cash donation, all in support of Southeast Helping Hands. Contact Nathan Dyck 204-326-9661, info@mhv.ca.

South East Artists - For all visual artists we meet once a week until May 2024 on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 am at Steinbach Arts Council to paint in any medium you want. For more information contact Ginette at gperroncreations@ gmail.com.

Steinbach Sizzlers 4-H Club - Contact Tatiana Tuttosi loonlover06@gmail.com.meetings at Steinbach United Church, CE Building, 541 Main St.

Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Group - Thursdays, at 1 pm. Registration required. Contact Maggie@steinbachfrc.ca, 204-346-0413.

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 progressive jack-pot is starting at an incredible prize value of $2,500. Your chance to win a consolation prize of 10% of nightly ticket sales or the grand prize of the progressive jack-pot! Have fun while supporting animals and maybe walk away with some cash!

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.

Vassar RM of Piney Coffee with Council - Tuesday, October 17, 7 – 9 pm at the Council Chambers in Vassar. Community members within our RM are encouraged to join council at the ‘Meet & Greet’ to voice concerns or ask council any questions they may have.

Vita

Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser Vita Area Food Bank – Saturday, October 14. Registration begins at 1 pm at the Farmer’s Market location. Cost $20 per team and includes a hotdog barbeque for up to four participants on each team. The hunt will run from 2 - 4 pm followed by a BBQ and prize awards. Teams will drive to various locations in the municipality to search for answers to clues. The three teams with the highest scores will receive cash prizes. Community members may purchase meals for $5. There will also be a bin for nonperishable food donations. For further information contact Shirley at 204-380-4411.

Halloween Social Fundraiser- Saturday, October 28, 8 pm – 1 am, at the Vita Hall. In support of Ukraine National Home of Vita. Cost $15/person includes perogy supper. Tickets at the door or at Sumthing Special. DJ by Universal Muisc. Costume contest.

Christmas Market – Saturday, December 2, 10 am – 3 pm at the Community hall. Baked goods, holiday treats, gift ideas for the whole family. Hot lunch available, canteen, silent Auction. For a table contact Crystal 204-392-9801.

Woodridge

RM of Piney Coffee with Council - Wednesday, October 18, 7 – 9 pm at the Community Club. Community members within our RM are encouraged to join council at the ‘Meet & Greet’ to voice concerns or ask council any questions they may have.

Métis Mobile Clinic – Everyone Welcome! Friday, October 20, 10 am – 3 pm at Community Hall, 69 Denis St. Blood sugar testing, cholesterol levels, foot care (limited to 4, please book early), 5 minute health check-ins, COVID-19 vaccine including boosters. To book your vaccine/foot care contact 1-833-390-1041 ext. 3 or clinicinfo@mmf.mb.ca.

Please email events to editor@dawsontrail.ca for inclusion each month

Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!

Dawson Trail Dispatch October 2023

Underused Housing Tax Return

The new Underused Housing Tax (UHT) came in effect January 1, 2022, and is mostly applicable for those who own residential property in Canada and are NOT Canadian Citizens or are NOT permanent residents.

In a nutshell, the UHT is a one-percent tax on the value of non-resident, non-Canadian owned residential real estate that is considered to be vacant or underused.

The tax generally applies to foreign national owners of housing in Canada. However, in some situations, this tax also applies to some Canadian owners such as certain partners, trustees, and corporations (including non-profits). Generally, they may not have to pay the tax, but they may have to file a return and claim an exemption.

There has been much confusion about who must file the return and you can view the CRA info by searching CRA Underused Housing Tax.

In Manitoba, there is likely not much vacant or underused residential properties, compared to other larger cities like Vancouver and Toronto, so likely no taxes to be paid, but you may need to file!

You may be considered an affected owner and should determine if you need to file the return even if exempt from the tax.

The filing due date was April 30, 2023, but since this is the first year, CRA has waived the penalty and interest if filed by October 31, 2023. And even if you are an affected owner but exempt from the tax, you need to file by the deadline to avoid the penalty of not filing!

If you own property and it is being held in a formal trust for, say another family member, then you will need to file the return even though no taxes will be payable.

If you are a trustee for an Estate Trust and you are acting as a personal representative of a deceased individual, you are considered an excluded owner and you have no obligation under the UHT for the year of death or the following year. But after that, you will be an affected owner and need to file the return even though you may be exempt from the tax.

I have a non-profit organization that I complete financial statements and a non-profit corporate tax return for them. I remembered that they also have a residential suite above their store. They need to file the return even though they will be exempt from paying taxes for a couple of reasons: it has been occupied for more than 180 days and it is located in town less than 30,000 population. But they still need to file the return. They are affected owners, but will be exempt from paying the tax.

I am checking with a few of my clients to confirm they are Canadian Citizens or are Permanent Residents. I need to make sure that if they are not, then they may need to file the return even if there is no taxes payable.

The penalty can be $5,000 if you are an affected owner and even if you do not need to pay the tax! So, if you are not sure, check the CRA site for the UHT to find out if you need to file even if there is no tax to be paid. Non-resident owners will generally

have to file the UHT return and will either qualify for an exemption, or failing that, be subject to the tax. Exemptions from the tax are for affected owners, include those for whom the residential property is their primary place of residence, or that of their spouse / partner or a child studying at an education institution for the year. Other exemptions include those based on the availability, location or use of the residential property.

This can be complicated, so if you are a non-Canadian or a private-corporation or a non-profit corporation that owns residential property, I recommend you check out the CRA site for the UHT. They have an excellent page to determine if you are an affected or excluded residential property owner. I have used it a few times to check to see if any of my clients, individuals or non-profits, need to file the UHT return by October 31, 2023.

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.

The Ocean’s Floor

As I mentioned in last month’s column, my family and I went on a trip to the east coast to have a family adventure in the Maritimes. We had landed in Nova Scotia and had driven into New Brunswick.

The second day of our journey had us arriving at the Hope Well Rocks. This is a very cool place and I highly recommend that if you ever get out this way, you should definitely take in this site.

Since we had arrived earlier in the day, the tide was very high and only the tops of the Hopewell Rocks were showing above the water, kinda like small islands. We spent a good portion of the day, hiking some trails in the area and we checked out the museum. So much interesting information! We even took some time to have lunch in the nearby restaurant and enjoy each other’s company. Around five, in the afternoon, we headed back down the trail that led to the water’s edge and we were amazed at how far away the water’s edge had become! You see, Hopewell Rocks is one of those cool places where the tide is high in the morning but super low in the afternoon. What were small islands in the morning were now towering rocks.

It was very cool to walk down the metal staircase (or ramp, if needed) and set our feet upon the ocean’s floor. We walked along the shoreline and gazed

up at these massive towers and marvelled at the ocean as it continued to slowly slide farther and farther from us. The ground was mostly solid and firm but there were areas where we needed to mind our footing to avoid stepping on some slippery seaweed. The further from the shoreline that we walked, the muddy the ground became and we did not dare venture beyond the edge of the muddy flats. My daughter and I did take a winding route and spent quite a bit of time weaving an intricate path through the slippery rocks and avoid as much of the mud as possible.

In time, it was time to head back to our hotel and ponder the wonder that we had taken in. Not only had we seen the wonder but had, in some small way, been a part of.

What a great way to spend our second day of our Maritime journey!

Until next time, take care and keep your world spinning.

Your Foundation in Faith

Have you ever thought of rock climbing? That might be difficult to do out here on the prairies, but there are people who make their living as guides doing it all the time.

Mountain climbers must face the rock and cling to it as they struggle upwards. To turn away from the rock puts them in danger of exposure and harm. Their whole life and future depends on them looking to the rock.

In the Bible II Samuel 22:32, 33 says “Who is a rock, save (except) our God? God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.” I Corinthians 10:4 says, “That Rock was Christ.” In our spiritual travels that we climb in this mountain of life, the God of heaven is our Rock. We get ourselves in trouble when we take our eyes off Him.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” We need to keep our eyes on the God from the start of our life until our journey down here is finished. Psalm 48:14 says “he (God) will be our guide even unto death.”

God, as our Rock, supports us. He shows us the best path to take and is there with us all the time we travel that path. He is our stability when we weaken and are about to fall into trouble. Psalm 32:8 says, “I (God) will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”

Who is your Rock and guide in life? Who do you turn to for help and support? There is no one wiser or more capable of being our Rock than the God heaven. When he becomes your Guide, He says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” David, the king of Israel, said in Psalm 23:6, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”

God wants to be the Rock for the kings and mighty men of this world, but He also wants to be the Rock of the poor and needy like you and I. Why not let Him be your Rock today? “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Arts4Tots Preschool

Registration Now Open! Have you been looking for a fun and educational preschool for your toddler? Our Arts4Tots preschool registration is open for the 2023-2024 year.

This is a great way to prepare your toddlers for kindergarten and get them excited about the arts. Introduce your children to science, math, reading, and fine motor skills. Immerse them in music, theatre, arts, and games.

Our afternoon classes for Arts4Tots still have a couple of spots left, call us now or signup online to reserve your spot. Visit our website steinbacharts. ca for more information and to register.

SAC Exhibit 2023:

The Steinbach Arts Council (SAC) is proudly presenting our first visual arts exhibit of the season. This dual exhibit features artwork from Cheryl Kunzelman: A Few of My Favorite Things and Jacqueline Robert-Choptuik: Beachland at the Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre. The Exhibit opens to the public for viewing on September 15th, 2023, and will close on October 20th, 2023. SAC 2023-2024

Concert Series:

The SAC is thrilled to announce the lineup for our 2023-2024 Concert Series! This season brings world class performances to our community, including a symphonic

Christmas with the WSO, spirited Latin folk by Notas de 4, inspired storytelling with the Manitoba Theatre Centre, classics reimagined by brass quintet Buzz Brass, and showstopping virtuosity by the Desautels Piano Trio – Oleg Pohkanovski on violin, Minna Rose Chung on cello, and Judy Kehler Siebert on piano.

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Fall this year. Culinary youth will explore various methods while leaning essential food preparation skills. The students will create a variety of cuisines that will be created alongside new and exciting recipes.

Choir:

Is your child interested in joining a choir class? Come join our free Choir class. Call 204-346.1077 for more info.

Holiday Tour - 7:30 pm

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Notas de 4 - 7:30 pm Thursday, February 1, 2024.

MTC presents Mix Tapes from my Mom - 7:30 pm Monday, March 11, 2024.

BOSS Dance Academy Classes:

Come join, have fun, and learn the fundamentals of Ballet and hip hop for ages 3-5 and 6-9. Movement exercises, understanding rhythm and music and encouraging their passion.

Buzz Brass - 7:30 pm

Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

Desautels Piano Trio - 7:30 pm Thursday, May 9, 2024.

Use your SAC membership to become a season subscriber and save!

Season Ticket Prices: Adult $120 and Seniors $110. Season tickets now on sale. For more info, visit steinbacharts.ca or call Tara at 204346-1077.

Pottery Classes:

Are you still interested on signing up for pottery? We have great news for you. We have a couple of open spots left for some of our pottery classes this Fall. Hand Building with Clay (Saturdays only). Intermediate/Advanced Pottery 16+, and Open Pottery Studio 16+. Visit steinbacharts.ca to register.

Culinary Youth:

Is your child interested in learning how to create delicious delicacies? This class is perfect for them! Introducing one of our newest classes for

Volunteer at SAC:

We are looking for people who are like-minded and love the arts as much as we do. As a non-profit organization, we would not have been able to thrive without volunteers who share their time, talent, and service.

The Steinbach Arts Council would love to have you be part of our team. Volunteering is a great way to build your resume, network and be part of this vibrant community.

We have opportunities to help in putting up our promotional flyers, setting up for events, theatre stage production, administrative work, and many more. We are willing to train and introduce you to what our organization does. In return for your participation, we provide a volunteer certificate and a welcome packet. Put your name on our volunteer list today! Go to steinbacharts. ca/volunteer.

Steinbach Arts Council to Open Exhibits

“A Few of My Favorite Things” and “Beachland”

The Steinbach Arts Council is hosting their first visual arts exhibit of the fall season. This dual exhibit features artwork from Cheryl Kunzelman: A Few of My Favorite Things and Jacqueline Robert-Choptuik: Beachland at the Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre. The Exhibit opens to the public for viewing until October 20. The exhibit will also be made available for viewing online at steinbacharts.ca.

Cheryl Kunzelman is a Manitoba based artist and owner of Captured Reflections. At a young age, Cheryl developed her love of art and a dream of becoming an artist. She began “arting” with her father as a child, and in high school she began doing portraits with graphite pencils. Cheryl has always enjoyed experimenting

with different mediums of art such as watercolours, oils and acrylics and has found various ways to “art” throughout her life. After taking a brief break from art, Cheryl decided to focus on her art full time, she created Captured Reflections, now she focuses on sharing her art with others by freezing moments and memories on canvas. Cheryl takes inspiration from her commissioned artwork into her own; her exhibit “A Few of My Favorite Things” captures the essence of Cheryl’s passion and the way in which she can grow pretty much anything on canvas.

Jacqueline Robert-Choptuik is an internationally known Canadian artist based in Niverville, Manitoba. She attended the University of Manitoba’s Fine Arts Program, and her work is influenced by Emelie Carr, Group of Seven and Salvador Dali. Throughout a thirty-five-year ca-

reer, Jacqueline has produced various works in different mediums, and many of her commissioned works can be seen in several homes around Canada and around the world. With this series; as with all her paintings, the artist speaks to the fundamental human desire for serenity. To feel alive in a society when technology and commercialization are so pervasive, the artist enjoys creating a form of magical realism to generate worlds within worlds, attempting to tell a unique and interesting story within every piece created, by her undisputed talent.

“Cheryl and Jacqueline are two very talented artists; they are truly authentic in the manner they use their personal stories and backgrounds to influence their work,” said Camila Funes-Giesbrecht, Exhibit Coordinator. “The passion they have for their art truly shines in both of their exhibits.”

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 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! Visit our website to learn more. (patporteralc.com).

Current Programs:

We will be closed October 9 for Thanksgiving. All programs will be free on Wednesday, October 18. Cost is $2 for members and $4.00 for non-members. Programs are subject to change. *Please check daily sign-up for updated hours.

Coffee Corner - Monday - Friday from starting at 9:30am.

Cards - Monday to Friday 1– 4 pm. Fun Bingo – Free Wednesdays October 11 and 25, 6 -8 pm.

Old Time Country Jam - Wednesday 7 – 9 pm.

Quilting - Thursdays October 12 and 26, 10 am-3 pm.

Fitness Classes:

Laughter Yoga - Starts October 6, Monday 1 – 2 pm.

Zumba – New $3 for members and $5 for non-members.

Monday, October 2, 16, 23 and 30 from 1 – 2 pm.

Friday, October 6, 13 and 27 from 6 – 7 pm.

Tai Chi - Thursdays 1 – 2 pm.

Fitness Drumming – Tuesdays, 1 – 2 pm.

Walking - Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 – 1 pm.

Circuit Training – Starts Monday, October 169, Mondays, from 1011 am.

PACE- Wednesdays, 1 - 1:45 pm.

Floor Curling – Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3:30 pm.

Yoga with Carrie – Fridays, 9 – 10 am.

Square Dancing - $5 – Tuesdays, 7 – 9 pm.

Kids Pickleball –$1 - Mondays from 4 – 6 pm.

Pickleball - Monday-Wednesday and Fridays, from 9 am – 12 pm.

Wednesday and Fridays, 4 – 6 pm.

Evening Pickleball – Mondays, 7:30 – 9 pm.

Beginner Pickleball – Mondays, 2 – 4 pm except September 11 which is 1 – 3:30 pm. Tuesdays 2 – 4 pm.

Wednesdays, 1 – 3:30 pm (1 court).

Thursdays 1 - 3:30 pm.

Badminton - Monday, Wednesday and Friday 12 – 1 pm.

Wednesday and Friday, 4 – 6 pm.

*Registration required at patporteralc.com

SPeCIAl evenTS:

2024 Memberships

Take advantage of our Early Bird $25 membership pricing starting

Monday, September 16.

Open House

Ever been curious about what all goes on at the Centre? We have the event for you! Join us any day from Monday, October 16 to Friday, October 20 and check out any of the various programs we having going on. And the best part? Every program on Wednesday, October 18 is completely free for all who walk in our doors. For the rest of the week, any newcomer may try out a program for absolutely no charge (excluding the dinner and dance). This is a fantastic way to see what we’re all about, try something new and come say hi!

Sgt Wilson’s Army Show

Thursday, October 12, $40 - $25, Tax Receipt. Doors Open at 6 pm.

Coffee, Cheese, Crackers and Dessert served. Wine and Signature cocktails available for purchase. Join us for an evening of entertainment and music from the 40s/50s. This will be a night to remember, you won’t want to miss out.

Disability Tax Credit Info

Tuesday, October 3, from 1- 4 pm. Free. Ever been confused by the Disability Tax Credit Information?

This is the place for you. Join us for an afternoon of discussion where we break down the Disability Tax Credit in a way that makes sense. This is a free event for anyone to attend.

Grandparents Day Ice Cream

Friday, October 20, 1 – 4 pm. We’re celebrating Grandparents Day in the sweetest way possible. Bring your grandchildren for a fun afternoon of Ice Cream Sundaes. This is a free event.

Pancake Breakfast

Join us Thursday, October 26 at 9:30 – 11 am for a delicious breakfast of homemade pancakes and sausage. Pre purchase your meal in advance by calling reception 204320-4600. Cost $8.

Dinner & Dance

Wild Ridge Band on Friday, October 20. Doors open at 5 pm. Food is served at 5:30 pm, dance starts at 7 pm. $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Tickets are available at the Centre. Dinner tickets must be purchased prior to October 17. Call 204-320-4600 or Visit in-person.

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 204-3204600.

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 or cancel 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 204-326-4055. If your call is not answered, leave a message with the answering service. Appointments must be booked in advance to ensure availability.

Pharisees and Sanhedrin’s Perspective

Mark 3:1-5… 1) Another time Jesus went into the synagogue and a man with a shrivelled hand was there. 2) Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3) Jesus said to the man with the shrivelled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone. 4) Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5) He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. (NIV)

Everybody – me included – will be misunderstood by someone eventually. Nobody is so perfect that they will always be understood, it just will not happen. But how we react at that moment can spell the difference between a positive relationship, or a relationship broken and crushed. And while most misunderstandings are easily cleared up, some, on the other hand linger for years, and some are never cleared up. Sad, when some folks go to their graves never overcome the misunderstanding that happened between themselves and the unlucky person who offended them.

Did you know that the Pharisees and Sanhedrin’s, who were the leaders of the church when Jesus walked on earth, misunderstood Christ? Oh yes! They misunderstood. However, these fellows loved to be noticed. In Jesus’ day the front seats in the Synagogue (Church) were the seats of honour, and likely they paraded down the aisle just after the start of the church service to make sure everybody took notice. They were sitting there, not to worship Christ; they were there to scrutinize Jesus’ every action. They thought it was their duty to deal with anyone who was likely to mislead the people and seduce them from what they thought was the right way. The sad part of all this is we have folks today who do the very same thing. It upset Christ then, and it should upset us today.

Jesus knew that this man’s life was not in danger. He would be no worse off should Jesus decide to leave him until the next day. However, for Jesus, this was a test case, and He met it head on; because he told the man in verse three to rise and to come out of his seat and stand where everyone could see him.

Very likely Jesus wished to make one last effort to awaken sympathy for the stricken man by showing everyone his affliction. Jesus certainly wished to take the next step He was going to take in such a way that no one could possibly fail to see what He had done. He asked the experts in the law two questions in verse four… Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil? The Pharisees and Sanhedrin’s had to admit that it was lawful to do good; and had to deny that it was lawful to do evil. Then Jesus asked them… Is it lawful to save a life or to kill it? Jesus was taking steps to save this unhappy man’s life; they on the other hand were thinking about ways of killing him. Surely it was better to think about helping a man than it was to be thinking of killing a man… They remained silent. No wonder they had nothing to say. But now look at what Jesus did in verse five… Jesus looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Jesus with a word of power healed the man; the Pharisees on the other hand were rule makers.

In almost every family circle, among almost every circle of friends, misunderstandings exist that eat away at relationships like acid. And like the Pharisees and Sanhedrin, the longer they are left unattended, the more destructive they become. Forgiveness must occur when there’s been a collision in a relationship over some misunderstanding. It does not necessarily mean we have to agree, perhaps we will not be able to restore the relationship – Christ was misunderstood, but forgiveness was always there.

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 the peace in my heart that I yearn for. I want that peace, joy and happiness that fulfills my heart’s desire. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will honour Your Name. Amen.”

“To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done”

Photo by Ginette Perron

Calico dragonfly taken in Ste. Anne on the Seine River.

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

Falcon Beach RCMP Rescue Hiker

On September 18, at approximately 4:50 pm, Falcon Beach RCMP along with the assistance of Traffic Services responded to a SOS beacon from an injured hiker on the Mantario Trail near Caribou Lake, in Whiteshell Provincial Park.

Three officers immediately responded and obtained the GPS coordinates from the SOS beacon. The terrain was difficult so officers used ATV’s and a boat to get to the area. RCMP located the injured hiker and he was brought to safety.

Two officers sustained minor injuries during the rescue.

The 59-year-old male hiker was checked by Emergency Medical Ser vices and cleared.

Steinbach RCMP Respond to Two-Vehicle Collision Information Sought Regarding Hit and Run Fatality East of Dugald

At 1:30 pm on September 28, Steinbach RCMP were called to a motor vehicle collision on Road 32N in the RM of Hanover. The investigation has determined a scooter drove into the rear of a parked semi-truck and trailer. The 15-year-old scooter driver suffered several physical injuries and was taken to hospital.

Male Shoplifts Electronics and Cologne

Steinbach RCMP received a report of shoplifting from the Shoppers Drug mart on Main and Barkman in Steinbach. On September 1 at about 7:15 pm, a male in his late 20’s stole multiple electronic devices, and cologne totalling approximately $3,000.

The male was described as wearing a black hat and grey track suit. If you have any information in regards to the above matter, you are asked to contact the Steinbach RCMP Detachment at 204-326-4452 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 or www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

On September 28, 2023, at 1:50 am, officers from Oakbank / Beausejour RCMP received a report of a vehiclepedestrian collision that occurred on Highway 15, located approximately six kilometres east of Dugald. Officers attended to the scene and met with the 31-year-old male driver, from the RM of Whitemouth, who advised he was driving eastbound in his pickup truck when he collided with an object on the highway. He turned around and discovered that the object was in fact a person. The driver contacted 911 and provided medical assistance until EMS arrived.

The victim was described as being 5’6” in height, with short black hair, 14-15 years of age and weighing approximately 100 lbs. She was wearing light grey colored sweat pants, a dark grey sweater and black runners. The victim has now been identified as a 27-year-old female from Winnipeg. She was found with significant injuries, possibly not related to this collision, and pronounced deceased on scene. The autopsy has since confirmed that the victim died as a result of injuries sustained from being struck by a vehicle prior to the 1:50 am collision. That suspect vehicle had failed to remain at the scene.

With this new information, officers returned to the collision scene and conducted a thorough search of the area where vehicle debris was located and seized.

Keep all vehicles locked. Check on your neighbours. Call 911 if you suspect a crime is in progress or has occured! Be aware of happenings in your neighbourhood and report suspicious activity to the authorities.

Anyone who believes they may have any information in relation to this collision is asked to contact the Oakbank RCMP at 204-444-3391, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

3 Invisible Killers That Could Be in Your House

Your home sweet home could be hiding some invisible hazards that put your family at risk. Here are three things every homeowner should be aware of, how to detect them and what to do if they are present in your home.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide, or CO for short, is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by burning fuels such as gas or propane. Exposure to low levels of CO can cause flulike symptoms at first. But in high concentrations it can lead to loss of consciousness and death.

The only way to detect it is with a certified CO alarm. You can buy combination smoke and CO detectors. Install one on every floor of your home and near all sleeping areas. Test, maintain and replace your alarms according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and leave your home immediately if the alarm sounds.

Lead

For centuries, lead was used in a variety of household products including paint and pipes. Then, scientists discovered that ingesting

lead that seeped into the water from the plumbing or airborne flakes of paint can have serious health effects, including affecting young children’s neurological development and behaviour. Using lead in paint and plumbing was phased out in Canada in the 1970s, but some still exists in older homes that haven’t been completely renovated.

If you live in an older home that might have lead in the pipes, contact your municipality or local public health authority for advice and assistance with the testing. If you have lead in your drinking water, be sure to regularly clean your faucet aerators and always use water filters certified to remove lead in your refrigerator, kitchen tap and water pitchers. You can buy low-cost kits to test for lead in paint at your local hardware store or paint supplier. If lead is detected in either case, the testing company will advise you on next steps.

Radon

Radon is an invisible, radioactive gas that comes from natural uranium in the ground. In concentrated amounts, it is the leading cause of

lung cancer for non-smokers. The only way to know if it’s accumulating to a dangerous level in your home is to do a radon test. You simply buy a test kit or hire a service provider and do the test in the lowest regu-

larly used room in the home – say, a family room or basement bedroom – for at least 90 days. Then send it to a lab to find out your home’s radon level. If the result is high, it can be easily lowered; contact a radon miti-

gation professional about what you can do to reduce your exposure. Learn more about radon and how to protect your family from it at canada.ca/radon.

Your home sweet home could be hiding some invisible hazards that put your family at risk.

Photo courtesy of www.newscanada.com

Get Started in Regenerative Agriculture – Learn the Principles

By Dorthea Gregoire

If you’re among those of us who have heard about regenerative agriculture (regen Ag) and are intrigued by the possibilities for your farm, yard or garden this article is for you.

For those already farming, gardening or growing, regen ag is suitable for both conventional and organic management systems, large grain operations, small mixed farms and even backyard gardens, though the path each adopter takes will look slightly different. Regen Ag focuses on rebuilding soil health and harnessing that living system to put it to work in your agricultural setting.

A successful transition to regenerative agriculture includes changing on-farm practices but also changing the way we see the practices we use, our management system and the contributions that the soil ecosystem make to our ability to grow healthy, quality crops. Before you start making changes, take a moment to learn the regen Ag principles and consider how they will be affected by anything and everything you do.

Regen Ag Principles:

Keep the soil covered at all times – with plants, either living or dead (such as mulch). Keeping the soil covered a) armours it against the harsh heat of the sun, which bakes the soil ecosystem and the life in it, b) retains moisture, making it available to crops, c) protects fields from the loss of the most fertile top soils to wind erosion and d) absorbs the impact of rain, which hits bare ground with amazing force - think of each raindrop as a mini bomb going off, throwing topsoil into the air and compacting the soil below. Keep a living root in the ground as long as possible – a living root in the ground holds the soil structure but it also holds a living - photosynthesizing - plant above ground. Green plants take in CO2 from the air and turn it into sugars (carbohydrates) for use within the plant. What many of us don’t realize is that anywhere from 40 to60 percent of these sugars are pumped into the soil by plants as root exudates (organic compounds

deposited into soil by plant roots) that feed the microbes, such as fungi and bacteria, in the soil. These microbes in turn bring important nutrients to the plant. The more exudates a plant can put out, the bigger and more diverse a community of microbes it can support. As this community grows, it can access more space in the soil giving it more opportunities to seek out and retrieve desirable nutrients from the soil – no synthetics required.

Minimize soil disturbance – unless you’re using it as an intentional tool, soil disturbance should be avoided. Soil disturbance includes physical disturbance like tilling, discing and other forms of cultivation. It also includes animal disturbance, such as digging, and chemical disturbance including the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Disturbance can lead to death of soil microbes (especially fungi) if applied unchecked. However, disturbance is also a powerful tool that, when applied correctly, can be used to stimulate growth, alter community composition (for microbes and weeds) and promote healthy interactions. Don’t underestimate the power of disturbance in your system – intentional or otherwise.

Diversify - when in doubt, diversify. Adding diversity above ground (i.e., your crops) creates diversity below ground. A great place to start is by trying your best to add forbs (flowering plants), grasses, and legumes to all of your plantings. This can be done by including species from each functional group in your diverse crop mix, such as planting oats, peas and sunflowers together, or by planting sequentially in your rotation. For example, a year of peas could be followed by a year of oats and then a year of sunflowers. Remember, different plants put out different exudates and therefore attract and feed different soil microbes that do different jobs. Keep aboveground diversity in mind if you want to see it below ground.

Add livestock – whenever you have a chance, include livestock in your fields. We most commonly think of

cattle in regenerative systems but diversity will optimize your system here too. Look at sheep, horses, chickens and pigs or any other animal you have access to. When live animals aren’t a practical option, consider adding manure and or compost (filled with microbial “livestock” if you will) as a source of both nutrients and organic matter for your soil. Manure and compost not only bring nutrients to your fields but also support soil structure by adding organic matter. Consider your context – most importantly; becoming regenerative in your life means knowing the limitations and opportunities available to you in your context. Don’t forget to consider the financial, environmental, cultural, social, and spiritual aspects of what you’re planning to do. For example, can you afford the equipment you need to execute your plan? Or does it fit with your values? Remember to start small with what you have and don’t be afraid to share your journey with others. We all benefit from hearing about the success of our neighbours and avoiding the mishaps they’ve already learnt from!

With these principles in mind, it’s now time to sit down and figure out what you hope to accomplish by transitioning to regenerative agriculture, how you might do this and how you will do it. In other words, what are your goals, what is your plan, and what tools are available to you?

A great place to start is by adding a cover crop, intercrop or relay crop to your rotation. Make sure to pay special attention to including plant species that will help you achieve your goal.

Also, take time to think about how you’ll determine whether this venture was a success or failure. Nobody plans to fail but sometimes, we all fail to plan. Start out on the right foot by planning to make time to observe, observe, observe! Take note of what you see during the growing season and why this may be happening.

For this reason alone, I strongly recommend focusing your first regenerative efforts on a small piece of land that’s easily accessible (like a field you drive by daily). Set yourself up for success by making it easy to do a weekly walk through where you get a real feel for what’s going on in your field, what’s working and what unexpected benefits you may already be seeing. Don’t forget to take notes and take pictures and go back to them at the end of the season as you review your first foray into regen Ag.

As we shift out of harvest and into the winter planning season – I hope you all find time to squeeze in a cover crop and see for yourself how regen Ag can work for you.

Dorthea Gregoire is with the Canadian Organic Growers.

Brought to you by the Stuartburn Emerson-Franklin Local Food Initiative. initiativelocalfood@gmail. com or find us on Facebook.

Dorthea Gregoire is with the Canadian Organic Growers.

Adding a legume to a cereal crop or grassy hayfield is a great way to get nitrogen moving in the system. Submitted photos

Diverse crop plantings such as cover crops can improve soil health by helping to bring back diversity below ground too.

The principles of regenerative agriculture can be applied at any scale; including your backyard garden.

Flu Myths and Facts

Myth: I don’t need to get a flu vaccine until someone I know is sick.

Getting the vaccine early in the season is actually better for you and those around you. It can take up to two weeks for the protection in the vaccine to be effective. Once you know someone is sick they could have already passed it onto you as it can take days to start showing symptoms. The earlier you get the vaccine, the better protected you are. Myth: I never get sick, so I don’t need to get vaccinated.

You can be infected with the flu and spread it, even if you’re not showing symptoms. Getting the vaccine means you can also help protect others from getting sick, especially those who have medical conditions or infants too young to get immunized who are more likely to have complications from getting the flu.

Myth: I don’t have the time to get vaccinated.

Getting vaccinated takes about 30 minutes. If you get sick, the flu can last for several days or weeks. It can also lead to more serious problems like pneumonia and bacterial infections that can sometimes result in hospitalization. No one has time for that. There are many different type of health care providers who can administer the vaccine including physicians, public health nurses/mass clinics, and pharmacists (for those 7 years of age and older).

Myth: It’s complicated to get the vaccine because there isn’t a flu clinic near my home or work.

Flu clinics are just one great option where people can get their flu vaccine. You can also go to your doctor/nurse practitioner or even to the local pharmacy.

Myth: I think flu vaccines have the potential to create strains that are vaccine-resistant, like what can happen with the overuse of antibiotics.

The influenza virus already mutates frequently. That’s why there is a new flu vaccine every year. The strains that are within the vaccine changes to match the strains that are expected to be circulating and that may cause the most severe illness. Myth: It is better to be naturally exposed to the flu to keep natural defenses strong. Influenza can spread very quickly and easily. Some people may get the flu and be contagious, but never show symptoms. They may be ‘building’ their own immune system, but also could be exposing someone with a weaker immune system to the virus, leading to serious consequences for

them. People infected with the flu can spread it to others up to 6 feet away from them.

In addition, since the flu strains that circulate change year over year it is unknown how the flu may affect a person once infected and person could risk becoming severely ill from the flu. Creating immunity against the flu one year may not protect you from the flu in the following year because the flu virus changes so frequently. That’s why the vaccine protects both you and others.

Myth: Last time I got the flu vaccine, it made me sick. Some people may get flu-like symptoms for a few days after the vaccine and think that they are getting the flu, but that is your body building up the antibodies to learn how to fight the virus if in the event you are infected.

Some people experience varying levels of these symptoms, or none at all. Every person is different. If you did get sick after getting the vaccine, it’s most likely you were incubating the illness before the vaccine could take effect. Or, it was a different kind of respiratory illness caused by another virus or bacteria, and not the influenza virus.

Myth: There isn’t much evidence that pregnant women should be vaccinated.

Data shows that pregnant women are at a higher risk of complications or hospitalization related to influenza. There is also evidence that the vaccination of pregnant women protects their newborns from influenza and influenza-related hospitalization. It is recommended that all pregnant women get immunized against the flu.

3 Important Vaccines to Get This Fall

Fall brings many great things from the beauty of the leaves changing colour to relief from the summer heat and humidity. It’s also the start of flu season. This year, in addition to the annual flu strains that are circulating, there are two other viruses to be wary of: RSV and COVID19. Here’s what you need to know about each.

Seasonal flu

The flu, short for influenza, is not one, but a variety of contagious viruses that circulate year-round. In Canada, flu season starts around October, right when we start spending more time indoors. Common symptoms include headaches, chills and a cough. A fever, muscle aches and general fatigue can also occur. But the flu is nothing to sneeze at. Every year, approximately 3,500 Canadians die from flu-related complications.

Health officials around the world work together to determine the most threatening flu strains going around and develop a flu vaccine that targets the most prevalent strains. The strains and vaccine formulation change every year, which is why you should get your shot annually. RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus)

RSV is a common, highly contagious virus that affects the lungs and airways. RSV is increasingly recognized as a major health threat, particularly to young children, those who are immunocompromised and older adults. Although the virus can affect all ages, its impact on older adults is significant. The virus can cause severe respiratory issues including pneumonia. This past August, Health Canada approved a new RSV vaccine in Canada for people 60 and over.

COVID-19

As much as we’d all like it to just be a distant memory, COVID-19 variants are still circulating around the world. In fact, it’s expected that the COVID-19 virus will continue to mutate and will eventually become part of the strains that make up the seasonal flu.

This year, Health Canada is recommending that everyone five years and older who has completed their initial series of COVID-19 vaccines get a booster shot.

You can get your flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time at local pharmacies.

Article courtesy newscanada.com