March 1, 2024 - Neepawa Banner & Press

Press

Neepawa resident

Joe Dutko joins ‘centenarian club’

By Casper Wehrhahn Neepawa Banner & Press

It’s not every day you turn 100! One Neepawa resident is celebrating just that. Joe Dutko, who will have living in Neepawa for eight years come June, became a centenarian on Feb. 27. Dutko’s daughter, Joanne Cook, and son-in-law, Joe Szabo, met with the Neepawa Banner & Press to provide details and share stories of their dad.

Dutko farmed for essentially his whole life. Following an accident his uncle had, which resulted in disability, Dutko quit school in Grade 3 to assist his aunt and uncle with their farm in Polonia and district. Then, later in his life, he inherited the farm and built onto it– including the rebuilding of the home. Each building, whether it was the home itself, barn or tool shed, was all made by his hand. He employed a mobile mill to assist with the fabrication of the lumber.

“I was in Grade 9 when he built that house,” said Cook.

The operation was mixed– a combination of growing cereal crops and tending to cattle. And, Cook and Szabo reported, the animals loved him.

“He’d call ‘My cows! My cows!’ and they would come running,” said Cook.

More about Joe Dutko on Page 8

Poor choices, costly fixes

Town of Neepawa finds The Flats change rooms vandalized once again

By Casper Wehrhahn Neepawa Banner & Press

It wasn’t all fun and games at The Flats in Neepawa last weekend. While there was plenty of family friendly fun to be had during the Winter Festival, it was later found that activity of the ‘up to no good’ type also occurred over the weekend. Come

Tuesday, Feb. 20, town staff made an announcement via social media that the men’s change rooms facility had been vandalized.

“The cleaning staff had discovered it Monday evening while going to clean,” said Nicole Cooper, director of recreation services. “Inappropriate words and foul language was written in large letters on the walls.”

This isn’t the first time the washroom and changing room facility for The Flats has been vandalized. The

most recent incidents prior to this one took place in late 2023, which resulted in the closure of the facility in late October that year. This was a temporary change to deter further acts of ‘vandalism and nefarious activity’ while Neepawa Town Council discussed the issue further.

On several occasions, access to the washrooms at The Flats, in Neepawa have been restricted, due to vandalism. Another such incident happend the day after the Louis Riel celebrations. Authorities are reviewing the video surveillance to track down the person or people responsible.

Prior to this, the change rooms and washrooms were available from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., after which they are locked.

Although unannounced, the temporary closure was lifted a few weeks after.

After the re-opening, there had been no further issues until the Winter Festival weekend. This continued

vandalist activity is something that casts a grey cloud for both the town and those who use the facility in a proper, respectful manner.

“We know how used the facility is, and that a warm place to lace up skates is a necessity this time of year. But it is discouraging and costly to constantly have to

clean and paint over peoples poor choices,” said Cooper.

In the meantime, Cooper told the Banner & Press that parents should take a few minutes to speak to their children about being respectful of public spaces.

“We would hate for a couple of poor choices to take away the amenity for those

Pair of arrests made in Neepawa robbery and weapons incident

By Sgt David Taggart Spruce Plains RCMP

On Feb. 8, shortly after 10:12 p.m., Spruce Plains RCMP received a call of a robbery which occurred at a business on Main Street in Neepawa. It was reported that two masked males brandishing knives forced their way into the store, one of the males threatened to stab the cashier. Both males then fled the location on foot.

A short time later, while police were conducting patrols of Neepawa, a pedestrian flagged officers down and informed them two males held a knife to his throat and attempted to rob him.

On Feb. 13, at 12:38 a.m., the Blue Hills RCMP received a call of a Break & Enter to the Esso in Sprucewoods. Two males were seen wearing masks, entering the business and stole approximately $2,000 worth of vape products. Through investigation, the Spruce Plains RCMP were able to identify both suspects. With the assistance of MWD CREST, Blue Hills RCMP and Brandon Police Service, police executed two search warrants on residences in Neepawa and Brandon. As a result, police have located stolen items, a face mask and a knife.

A Neepawa youth has been charged

with two counts of Robbery with an Offensive Weapon; Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose; two counts of Disguise with Intent; Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Break & Enter. Nicholas Genaille of Brandon, has been charged with two counts of Robbery with an Offensive Weapon; Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose; two counts of Disguise with Intent; Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Break & Enter. Police were opposed to release; however, both were released from custody by the courts pending future court appearances.

who use it properly and respectfully,” said Cooper.

Councillor

Yvonne Sisley also discussed the issue at the recent council meeting, stating, “It’s very unfortunate that we can have such a great event and utilize the facilities, as they should be utilized, and then have things vandalized. We’re going through the cameras and we’ll find out who it was and being looking at proceeding with some sort of justice on that.”

No further details were available at this time.

PHOTO BY EOIN DEVEREUX

1974: NACI set to perform Cheaper by the Dozen

By Casper Wehrhahn Neepawa Banner & Press

125 years ago, Wednesday, May 24, 1899

A flag staff was erected on the Opera house yesterday.

Note: The section for March through early May is absent from the hard-copy archives of this year. As such, an excerpt from late-may has been selected for this week.

100 years ago, Tuesday, March 4, 1924

Edrans: News of the re-opening of the local brick-yard industry still floats in the air. There will be much rejoicing in the Edrans district if this proves to be correct.

On the day of the execution the gallows went up in Flames! And plunged the Blackmoor Gaol into a raging turmoil of frenzied convicts and panic stricken jailers. In all the confusion one man alone was calm– Travers–

he saw a chance to get even in the “Game of Life” at the opera house on Wednesday and Thursday, Mar. 5 and 6.

75 years ago, Thursday, March 3, 1949

Orville Nelson returned from England recently with his bride, the former Miss Janet Hogg, of Leicester. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson accompanied George Drysdale from Toronto.

Funeral service for Waler Seward, 87, was held Monday at Riding Mountain United Church. F. H. White, of Kelwood, officiated and burial was made in Riding Mountain cemetery…

Mr. Seward came to Canada from England in 1887 and was in the Yukon gold rush of ‘89 and spent 12 years in the north. He returned to Riding Mountain, where he farmed until he retired to the village a few years ago.

50 years ago, Thursday, March 7, 1974

Information received during the past week from Tudale Exploration Ltd. of Winnnpeg indicates that the target date for commencement of drilling a new test hole will be put down near the old Langford No. 1 oil well that intersected 38.7 per cent iron in 1947 in Section 36, Township 14, Range 14,

20 years ago, Monday, March 1, 2004

Elizabeth Harley of Neepawa was named to the President’s List at Minot State University for earning a grade point average of 4.0.

Also named to the President’s list at Minot State was Erin Davie of Neepawa, for earning a grade point average of 3.5 and higher.

Meanwhile, Brittany Gibson of Neepawa was named to the President’s

List at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, N.D. Gibson is attending Lake Region on academic and basketball scholarships.

Harley, Davie and Gibson all graduated from Neepawa collegiate.

Two years after nearly dying, the Neepawa and District Chamber of Commerce is once again on death’s door.

In a motion put forward by Monty Simon and seconded by Don Phillips, members will decide at the annual meeting whether or not to give the organization a year’s rest…

Long-time board member Norma Terrick said she doesn’t want to see the organization disband, if only for a year. But she said it’s difficult to tackle projects with only eight board members.

The cause of a fire that destroyed Neepawa’s century-old Hamilton Hotel last month has been ruled “undetermined”.

Disclaimer: The information gathered and used each week in the Looking Back feature is directly taken from the original print copy of the Neepawa Press and Neepawa Banner newspapers. Any errors or omissions from stories (Factually or otherwise) are the result of the original print and not the responsibility of the archivist for the current version of the Neepawa Banner & Press.

The Banner & Press is your reliable, local news source!

204-476-3401 www.myWestman.ca

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BANNER & PRESS ARCHIVES

Pictured is the Gilbreth family, as it was set to be portrayed in a stage play of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ by students of the Neepawa Area Collegiate drama group in 1974. Members of the cast shown are Jim Lang and Velerie Dyck (Mr and Mrs. Gilbreth), seated at the centre. They are surrounded by 11 of 12 children, played by Stacey Ellis, Sheila Ritchie, Mary Sauerborn, Leonard Kuharski, Howard Horne, Betty Ann Wasyluk, Vicky Cameron, Arthur Harris and John Wasyluk.

NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS ARCHIVES

An advertisement for ‘Me and My Gal’ appeared in the Mar. 7, 1924 edition of The Neepawa Press.

Tundra

By Chad Carpenter

City of Winnipeg

As I put words to paper this Sunday afternoon, I have been informed that the Winnipeg Jets are down in season ticket sales. One of the owners, Mark Chipman, says they have to get the sales back up again. I also hear the NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, is coming to town reportedly to encourage or scold the team for their lagging sales.

My first thought is that Gary Bettman should retire, as many people, myself included, find him to be a very annoying and often unrealistic man. Others will say that he has been instrumental in building the NHL to the brand it is today and that could be true too. Like most league commissioners, Bettman has way too many opinions, way too much power and he comes across as arrogant.

It occurs to me that the Winnipeg Jets fans are very loyal. That said, the Jets tickets are very pricey according to just about everyone who buys tickets.

It’s also reported that Jets tickets are cheaper than most other teams’ prices, but it is Manitoba after all. Winnipeg in particular, and Manitoba in general, can be very generous with charitable donations but also very tight with their money. All that said, Jets tickets seem very expensive and going to a game can take a big chunk out of your credit card. Hotdogs are $11 and other snacks and drinks are pricey too. Parking isn’t cheap.

There is a nasty aspect to going to Jets games, as one is likely to be met by vagrants who are high on drugs or liquor, or by panhandlers. Often vehicles are vandalized in smash and grab incidents. Some players don’t want to play in Winnipeg because it’s cold compared to some US cities and the players wives and girlfriends don’t feel safe making their way past the addicts and panhandlers to access the Canada Life Centre.

Right in the Centre

Ken Waddell

I have it on firsthand authority from a Neepawa area fan who turned down a free luxury suite ticket because they didn’t want to put up with many of the negative aspects that I have listed above.

Overall, the Jets have a very good team, a great arena, albeit financed heavily with tax dollars initially. The community involvement of the Jets players and True North Entertainment is very good. Cleaning up the area around the arena isn’t the direct responsibility of the players or True North. That task rests with the City of Winnipeg and the province. To effectively “clean up” downtown Winnipeg will require a major shift of emphasis. It’s a great thing that Mayor Gillingham has facilitated the use of security staff on buses. That a bus driver or passengers have been subjected to violence is absolutely wrong. Hopefully, the new security staff will be able to make riding a bus safe. I used to use the buses way back in the late 60s and I don’t believe there was violence or obnoxious behaviour back then. Maybe I was oblivious to it, but I don’t remember ever experiencing dangerous behaviour.

My contention is if a person is drunk or drugged, they don’t belong out in the public. Drunk and disorderly used to be an offence that got you into jail for a spell. It still should be. Surely no good is being done for the individual and certainly endangering the public

The City of Winnipeg reports they have about 1,200 homeless people. I think that is probably a low estimate, but I don’t know. Winnipeg has a lot of great things and more than half a million good people. What the city, the voters and the province of Manitoba needs to realize is that change is needed. The centre of Winnipeg is hollowed out and most developers and business people know that.

Housing is desperately needed and that may mean converting the upper vacant floors of commercial buildings to housing. Housing may cost many millions of dollars. Redevelopment of the Hudson Bay building and Portage Place hopefully will go forward.

If downtown Winnipeg doesn’t improve, it won’t matter how cheap the Jets tickets and hotdogs are. People will not come.

I am the first to admit that my ideas may not be valid, but the evidence is pretty strong that some parts of the city’s downtown equation is not working. After health care, the province needs to take strong leadership in cleaning up the dark parts of Winnipeg. Clean up and upgrade the derelict buildings, the vagrants, the housing situation, the addicts and yes, even the street surfaces. The choices are there to be made, but is the courage and conviction high enough to make the right choices? It will need a lot of courage and a huge budget from private and public sources.

Lenten thoughts...

For the first time in a long time, I have given up things for Lent; usually I take on something rather than put something down. I have, in the past, taken up writing notes of appreciation to folks who have blessed my life, knowingly or unknowingly, recently or ages ago. I have taken up the practice of doing an anonymous good deed for the weeks preceding Easter. This year I cancelled all my television channels (ok I have a sports network on one device!), and I have a smart television so I am not entirely without entertainment, but it has made a significant difference in my free time. As has the cancellation of the candy crushing game- with no exceptions here! With the studying I do I came across a statement that spoke clearly to me, expounding on the Gospel of Mar, chapter 8: 31-38 F. Craddock states ‘Clearly, Mark does not want his church to use Easter to escape Lent and Good Friday.’ I have been guilty of that. Knowing how the story ends with victory I have respected Lent, perhaps not honoured it. And so changes began.

I downloaded the book Seven Story Mountain, an autobiography by Thomas Merton. If I had a paper copy if would be filled with underlining and tagged corners. There is seldom a page that does not cause me to pause. Slow reading!

This one: “When a ray of light strikes a crystal, it gives a new quality to the crystal. And when God’s infinitely disinterested love plays upon a human soul, the same kind of thing takes place. And that is the life called sanctifying grace.” And I think of the collection of crystal that I have, simply because it speaks to me. Taking up space in a display case, requiring washing and polishing annually. And I still find some pieces that I wish to add to the collection..a slight crack in a unit causes an interesting refraction. I am that cracked piece, refracting like crazy!

I am using my time for faithfully. And God knows I have time! Walking the dog and tidying when required doesn’t take up much of my day. I will admit that the set of grow lights and the emerging plants fascinate me. Here I see Easter as well; a dark, dormant season before renewed life. I’m trying new types of vegetation, and some old favourites. It could become additive… Two grow lights with no shelf space… hmmm… perhaps the kitchen counter seeing that I don’t do a whole lot of food prep?

On a totally unrelated topic, for those who are curious, I got my tattoo from MossTown here in Neepawa. It is on the inside of my left arm, a series of three butterflies of graduating sizes and in graduating shades of blue. Beside the lowest dark blue one is the number 27, in memory of Ed my husband and partner of forty years, the centre one is a lighter blue with a 29 beside it, in memory of Gordon my partner of six years, and the highest is smaller and a soft pastel blue with 79 beside it, in memory of a wee one I carried for eight weeks way back then.

Your gifts, your choice, Part IV

In this, the final article on the topic of charitable donations, I want to address some words to those who receive the money we donate each year. I do not intend to criticize the goals of any charitable organization or question its administrative or financial policies. I fully respect an organization’s right to decide how it will raise its funds and the projects to which those funds will be allocated. I also realize that larger charities will require paid staff to process donations, distribute funds, keep financial records and issue receipts. And I believe that these people should be paid a fair wage for the work that they do; especially if they are full-time employees.

But as a donor, there are some things I would like to know before donating to a church, to a local charity or to a national organization. There is nothing underhanded or sneaky about these questions. They should be very easy for every charitable organization to answer.

Question 1 - How will the funds be used? I am

Neil Strohschein

amazed at the wide variety of projects the churches and charitable organizations in The Banner and Press’ coverage area are helping to fund. Churches, as expected, provide religious services and programs for children, youth and adults. But that’s not all they do. Some operate food or clothing banks. Some sponsor refugees. Some operate private schools. Others host concerts, recitals and various other musical programs put on by schools or community agencies. I am always thrilled to hear of the many different ways by which churches serve their communities.

If we choose not to donate to a church, we have many other options. They are as varied as the organizations that sponsor them. If you are seeking donations, please be as specific

as you can be when telling us how the funds we give you will be used.

Question 2 - Is your organization registered as a “charity” with the Canada Revenue Agency? If your answer is “No;” I, as a prospective donor, have the right to ask: “Why not?” and receive an honest answer. I may not agree with your rationale, but I will keep those opinions to myself. I know there are some who, for one reason or another, may choose not to register as a “charity” with CRA and I respect your right to do that if you so desire.

Question 3 - Does your organization provide regular updates (preferably by email) to let the public know how donor funds are being used and what positive results are being achieved?

Local charities don’t

need to worry as much about this; as the impact of their services to the community can be easily seen. National and international charities often provide a link to their charity’s website, where donors can view copies of their most recent annual report, financial statement and other information. That should be adequate for most of us.

These are basic questions, seeking information that should be readily available. By sharing these questions, I hope to enable all who donate to any charity to do so with confidence, knowing that they are entrusting their hard-earned income to organizations lead by people of integrity who will use the donated funds effectively and efficiently to support programs and projects that will benefit people around our world.

These suggestions have come from a lifetime of donating to charitable organizations, and for the past few years, as an officer of a local charity. I hope you have found them helpful.

Local Victoria’s Quilts Canada nearing 2,000 quilt milestone

Gladstone market report

By Tyler Slawinski Gladstone Auction

After a reality check with a taste of winter, it just reminds us we still live in Manitoba! More and more cattle producers are welcoming new calves in their operations as we approach spring. As we get full swing into calving, more pen space is needed for the next calf crop, keeping the number of feeder cattle and slaughter cattle moving at a steady pace throughout the markets across the prairies.

The feeder cattle market was robust today, the front row held many orders and all classes of cattle had demands! We sold 1,019 cattle though the ring in Gladstone on Feb. 27.

The market saw a variety of cattle– whether they were big or small, the market welcomed all classes of cattle with open arms. The market was quite aggressive with reassuring returns! Cattle futures are green and optimism in the cattle industry is at an all time high once again! Cows and bulls traded with plenty of stability from 125 to 135 with sales to 141.50 showing higher averages. Bulls traded with demand ranging between 145.00 to 165.00 with sales to 178.75. All classes of cattle sold well!

Plainer type cattle, are still being discounted! Here is a look at the feeder market!

Some market highlights

to 5.21

4-500 lbs. $4.50 to 5.40

5-600 lbs. $3.95 to 4.51

6-700 lbs. $3.75 to 4.15

7-800 lbs. $3.45 to 3.71

8-900 lbs. $3.17 to 3.42

900+ lbs. $2.65 to 3.00

Bulls $1.45 to 1.78

Heifers

3-400 lbs. $3.80 to 4.35

4-500 lbs. $3.75 to 4.20

5-600 lbs. $3.70 to 4.09

6-700 lbs. $3.15 to 3.56

7-800 lbs. $3.00 to 3.35

8-900 lbs. $2.65 to 2.98

900+ lbs. $2.40 to 2.63

Cows $1.25 to 1.41 1,019 head sold

from todays sale, mixed steers weighed 405 brought 540.00. Black steers weighed 515 and brought 451.00. Cross bred steers weighed 647 and traded for 393.00. And a big set of Red X steers weighed 765 and they brought 365.00 per pound! Heifers, Crossbred heifers weighed 451 and brought 420.25. A set of black heifers that weighed 500 and they fetched 409.00. Black heifers weighed 615traded for 354.00. And big black X heifers weighed 759 brought 320.25 per pound.

Two thumbs up for our Neepawa Titans Team! They read to our classes for I Love to Read Month and we so appreciate it!!

Sonya Paterson and the NMS Junior Tigers Neepawa, MB

Helen Drysdale

out of helen’s kitchen

Freezer meals

When you don’t have time to make dinner every night of the week, the solution is to stock your freezer full of ready-to-bake casseroles. Then you’re just a thaw-and-bake away from a dinner that is ridiculously easy. Stop worrying about supper while at work and try these casseroles recipes. Double your recipe as you are getting dishes dirty anyway, and have extra prepared food for another day.

Taco casserole

2 lbs. ground beef

2 envelopes taco seasoning

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1-1/4 cups biscuit baking mix

2/3 cup sour cream

3-4 cups chopped lettuce

1 cup chopped tomato

1/2 red pepper, diced

2-3 green onions, sliced

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large frying pan, cook beef until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain off any fat. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Spoon meat into a lightly greased 9X13 inch baking dish. In a bowl beat the eggs and milk. Stir in biscuit mix. Pour over meat. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5-8 minutes. Spread sour cream over top; sprinkle with lettuce, tomato, peppers, onions and cheese. To freeze; cool baked casserole without the added toppings, cover and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator. Rewarm in a preheated 350°F oven until heated through. Cool for a few minutes and add the toppings.

Chicken, rice and Broccoli Casserole

1 onion, diced

2-3 stalks celery, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbsp. butter

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 cans creams of chicken soup

1-2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2-3 tsp. Mrs. Dash

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

10 cups cooked rice

4 cups cooked chicken diced

5 cups chopped broccoli lightly steamed

Fry the onion and celery in butter for 4-5 minutes, add the garlic and cook one minute more. In a large bowl, combine the onions, celery, garlic, soup, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash and mix well. Stir in the cheese. Add the cooked rice and chicken. Gently stir in the broccoli. Place in lightly greased casserole dishes. This will make two 9X13 inch casseroles or 3-4 smaller ones. Thaw casserole in the refrigerator. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese, if desired. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

Former North Cypress-Langford CAO charged with theft

Manitoba RCMP have made a big step forward in a major criminal investigation in Carberry and area. Two incidents of theft are currently considered connected. These are the theft of approximately $30,000 from the Carberry Curling Club and the theft of a sum of money from the Rural Municipality of North Cypress-Langford during the 2023-2024 year.

The alleged suspect in this case is identified as 36-year-old Trish Fraser. Fraser is being charged with Theft over $5,000. She was released from RCMP custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Apr. 4, 2024, in Brandon.

Timeline of incident Carberry RCMP received the report of significant theft from the Carberry Curling club on Dec. 7, 2023. This report stated that the former treasurer had allegedly stolen money throughout the year.

Through investigation that followed, it was determined that the suspect, while acting as the volunteer treasurer for the club, may have stole the sum of about $30,000. The suspect

By Jolene Balciunas Local Journalism Initiative

Carberry is adding another hair salon on Main Street. XLVI - Fashion Forty Six. Erika joined Main Street with her clothing store in the former Linda’s Hair Salon. Since she is a red seal hairdresser with over 10 years experience she has

decided to go back to what she loves. Her salon will be open March 1 and available for walk-ins. She will be offering evening and weekend appointments in her newly renovated space at 41 Main Street. She will still be offering beautiful floral arrangements. Fresh cuts and even fresher flowers down at Fashion Forty Six.

then left the position of treasurer and, while holding the position of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the RM of North Cypress-Langford, allegedly utilized unauthorized funding from the R.M. to pay back the Curling Club.

Per previous report in the Dec. 22, 2023 edition of the Neepawa Banner & Press, Fraser was announced as dismissed from the position of CAO with the RM on Dec. 15. Prior to this public announcement, the RM of North Cypress-Langford also released statements on Dec. 11 and 12 noting that:

•They were aware of a concerning municipal situation;

•An investigation into an

employee that was placed on paid leave was being conducted; and

•The R.M. office would be closed to the public from Dec. 13 to Dec. 15, but would re-open on Dec. 18.

The statements at that time did not provide further comment, as investigation was ongoing.

New CAO appointed

During these events, Teresa Parker was appointed Interim CAO for the municipality. Since then, Parker was reported to be officially listed to the position of CAO within the past month.

The alleged events concerning Fraser are still pending, as they’ve yet to be proven in court.

Banner Staff

Neepawa Banner & Press

Gladstone theatre raises money for local causes

By Kelvin Bueckert submitted

“I thought life in the country would be easy,” said Becky, a young woman who had left the city in search of a better life.

“Nothin in the country is easy m’am,” was the only wisdom that the ranch hands she asked for help had to offer. Even the horses in the corral beside her cabin didn’t like her.

“Why am I here anyway?” Was the question that Becky found herself asking.

“Good question. Why are you here?” That was what the ranch hands were thinking.

As one crazy situation followed another they all learned a lesson about themselves and what it means to finally find your way home.

A story full of horses, horsing around, and even a little horse sense. Join us as we discover, Whatever Happened to Little Creek Ranch.

Special musical guest: Craig Fehr.

“Well, what can I say, I wrote an original comedy with Julienne Evans, and then we found a talented cast from different places. Next thing you know, we have a show to put on,” said co-writer/director Kelvin Bueckert. “But, best of all, we’re glad that we can help out some worthy causes in the places where we’re performing. At the MacGregor show on Mar. 16, we’re helping out KidRanch.”

“At KidRanch, children are partnered one-on-one with Christian mentors who show them the love and compassion they so desperately need. Children have an opportunity to learn all kinds of skills and enjoy many activities alongside a mentor who walks through life with them,” said KidRanch board member, Charissa Isaac.

“In Gladstone, on Mar. 22, we’re performing in support of the local Palliative Care program, so, I’m sure I can speak for everybody involved when I say, I hope to see you all at the show,” added Kelvin. “There is free admission but we do ask that people reserve tickets so that we have an idea of how many desserts to have on hand on show night.”

Tickets can be reserved at www.themobilestageco.ca or by calling 204-385-3232.

‘Better than we could ever have hoped for’

New Gladstone-based restaurant receives an overwhelming welcome

By Casper Wehrhahn Neepawa Banner & Press

Spring is a season of new beginnings. And, although we’re not quite there yet, Gladstone is getting an early start. The community and surrounding area welcomed a brand new business venture with open arms this month with the official opening of the Gladstone Roadhouse.

Gladstone Roadhouse is owned and operated by Chris Frere. Frere also acknowledge Gerald Bisson, who has been “a great asset” in aiding Frere to spearhead and run the restaurant. Bisson once ran the Gladstone Hotel and is well known in the area for his pizza making abilities.

“It’s a good, small-town, home cooking restaurant,” said owner Chris Frere. “You get some traditional meals– y’know, hot turkey sandwiches, turkey dinners, roast beef dinners, pizzas… we specialize in our burgers.”

Perhaps it’s this home cooked quality that has area patrons flocking to it. According to Frere, ever since the restaurant first opened at 21 Logie Street on Feb. 7, he and his team have been working “nonstop ever since”.

“The community support has been absolutely overwhelming. It’s to the point sometimes where we’re so busy it just takes a little longer for everyone to get their food, but everyone

seems ok with it. It’s very very busy sometimes, but it’s fantastic,” Frere enthused. “It’s better than we could ever have hoped for.”

This nature of support isn’t exclusive to the restaurant now being opened. Frere shared that he is actually from Ontario, but has been working at Gladstone for approximately 19 years for a company known as Charlie-Bee Honey which produces honey in the rural community.

“So I live part-time here–I’ll go home for a couple of weeks, then I’ll be back for a couple weeks,” Frere chuckled. “And soon bee

season will open, so I have to work the bees so I’ll be out here for that as well. Long term plan, I’ll probably eventually move here. But, for the time being, I have two irons in the fire so to speak.”

Frere added, “I made a lot of good close friends in the community here over the years, and one thing the town hasn’t had for several years is a good, regular, restaurant. So, when this opportunity arose, I saw something I could do for the community. Something the community needed, and it was too good to pass up.”

And in the process of

preparing the building at 21 Logie for its debut as a restaurant, Frere said the community lent a helping hand.

“Various people in the community just really pitched in a lot of time and elbow grease to get it up to par. It’s just been fantastic,” Frere shared.

Frere extends his heartfelt thanks to everyone from Gladstone and the surrounding areas for their support.

Gladstone Roadhouse is currently open Tuesday through Sunday, starting at 7:00 a.m.

Thursdays 12:00 pm - 3:30pm

14 Main St. (HMS Office)

Carberry, MB Phone 204-834-2044

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Gladstone Theatre Group is set to perform Whatever Happened to Little Creek Ranch on Mar. 16 to raise funds for palliative care.

‘He was able to make anything’

Continued from Page 1

Joe Dutko was a very active man in his farm days. In addition to the rigours of farming, he also had blue heelers named Buster and Blue. Each and every day, regardless of weather, Buster and Blue would be waiting for him at the door to take a three to four mile walk. Whether it was sunny or storming, rain or snow, Dutko made the journey with them each day.

“He also loved snowmobiling, camping, fishing, hunting… Later in life, he became a conservationist,” said Szabo. “He

also used to take the 15 mile journey to town on horse and buggy, which was the transportation at the time, to go to dances.”

Still able to ‘wrassle’ down a strong, stubborn hog at age 85, Dutko’s last year of farming came when he was 92. He and his wife, Lorraine, moved to Neepawa that year. And, although the activities have changed, the energy is still there.

“After he moved here, he bought a mobility scooter. He calls it his buggy. He goes on that thing every day, even today,” said Cook. “He’ll go down to McDonalds– he goes to

Giant Tiger faithfully… Even in the winter, he’ll still go if the weather permits.”

Dutko also remains dedicated to exercising within his home, having equipment that he uses daily.

In addition to having an active life, Dutko also possesses a strong, sharp mind. Throughout his life, Dutko could see a picture of something, or picture it, and soon have it made and working. Some such projects included items such as a meat saw, a coal-

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Left and bottom left: working on the barn in 1961.

Above and bottom right: Working towards building the new house in 1967!

fed stove with a hopper, fabricating a cab for an old cab-less tractor and a protector for the brakes on his old truck to protect them from stones and dirt.

“Her dad was not afraid of technology– he was able to make anything. He’d think about it and it’d keep him up at night,” said Szabo. “And, by morning, he’d have a plan.”

For the brake protector, Szabo explained further that vehicles at the time were not equipped with such things. So, when it went in for servicing

BP School Division unveils proposed budget for 2024-2025

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

The Beautiful Plains School Division (BPSD) has done the math on its potential budget for the next school year. An online video review of the proposal, as well as a printable copy of the document, were uploaded to the School Division website on Thursday, Feb. 29.

BPSD superintendent

Jason Young and secretarytreasurer Shannon Bayes explained the details behind the numbers in that video.

For the upcoming year, the total proposed budget is expected to be $28,814,400. That amount is an increase of just over $2.25 million from the previous year and is an 8.5 per cent increase year over year.

Increasing staff costs are the primary factor in that increase. More teachers and other support staff have been needed, as the student

enrolment within School Division has continued to rise over the last several years. Neepawa has been the most affected, with an additional 236 students enrolled since 2021 (1,228 in 2021 vs 1,464-current).

Where’s the money come from?

Beautiful Plains is funded 62.9 per cent through provincial funding and 34.2 per cent through local funding. The other 2.9 per cent is raised thought tax grants and other revenues.

What’s this mean for you?

As for what the proposed budget will mean for our property taxes, the cost to a homeowner will go up $23.00 on average for every $100,000 of value of their home. For commercial properties per $100,000 value, it will go up $33.00, while for farms, it will go up by $13.00 per $100,000. The mill rate, which is the

amount of tax payable per 1,000 dollars of the assessed value of a property, will go up from 10.1 to 10.62.

Editor’s note: In previous years, the Manitoba government has mailed out an education property tax rebate to eligible property owners. Back in December, The Winnipeg Free Press reported that the NDP announced that it will not mail out cheques for the $453-million education property tax rebate brought in by the Progressive Conservatives. Premier Wab Kinew did add, however, that the 50 per cent tax cut would instead be applied directly to municipal property tax bills in 2024.

What’s next

Beautiful Plains School Division trustees will review these details and likely finalized the budget at their next meeting Mar. 5. The public can comment on the budget by contacting bpsd@bpsd.mb.ca, or any of their trustees. The budget must be submitted to the province by Mar. 31.

Beautiful Plains is a rural division that stretches from Sprucewoods Provincial Park to Riding Mountain National Park. It has 14 schools within the district (Seven community schools and seven Hutterian schools) and its major centres are Carberry, Neepawa, Brookdale and Eden. It has approximately 300 staff members and 2,260 plus students.

sometime afterwards, the dealership servicing him encouraged seeking a patent. While Dutko did not seek a patent, this sort of

brake protection is now commonly used in vehicles today.

Cook added, “He’s never had a computer, but GPS and stuff like that for his farm…”

“Anything to make the farm more efficient, he embraced it,” Szabo supplied.

With stories like these, it is clear that Dutko has lived an eventful, inventive life full of stories that could likely fill the paper many times over. The Neepawa Banner & Press congratulates him on the special occasion of his 100th birthday.

McCreary box sledding

Monday, Feb. 19 was the scene of McCreary’s second annual cardboard toboggan challenge. The event had approximately 100 people in attendance and seven competitors. Competitors brought their decorated cardboard box toboggans and took turns riding them down the toboggan hill. Some of these toboggans are pictured above. The most popular toboggan will receive a $50 cash prize. Votes for most popular toboggan were closed this week on Feb. 29, after the paper went to print.

Highland Dance

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Some of the dance students who participate in the Feb. 16 Medal Tests.

Submitted Neepawa Banner & Press

Medal Tests were held on Friday, Feb. 16 at Expressive Dance with Crystal’s Studio in Minnedosa. The examiner was Gaelyn McGregor who travelled out from Winnipeg. She is an examiner with the Scottish Dance Teachers’ Alliance. 24 of Crystal Scott’s Highland dancers completed a total of 78 exams.

Some exams include four dances as well as demonstrating technique. Many dancers completed two to four exams each. There were Highland Dance exams, Scottish

Nationals, Irish Jig, Choreographies and Theory exams.

The marking system is as follows: Dance Stars up to Preliminary receive a Pass, PreBronze up to Award 6 receive Pass, Pass Plus, Commended, Commended Plus and Highly Commended.

All Theory participants received top Honors! Everyone was successful with their exams and they’ll receive certificates and medals from Scotland at a later date. Crystal is so proud of her dancers as they continue to set goals and strive to keep reaching new achievements.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARCHIE MCCREARY SOCIAL MEDIA

Buster MacPherson is making a big racquet

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

Racquetball is not a sport that’s huge in Neepawa right now, but Buster MacPherson is doing his part to perhaps change all that. The 13-year-old, who started playing the game just a few months ago, recently competed in the Keystone Classic in Winnipeg. The Keystone is one of Canada’s longest-running racquetball tournament, having started back in 1976. In total, 40 athletes of all ages and skill levels from across the prairies hit the court.

For MacPherson, this event, while not his first tournament, was his first against some of the sport’s top-tier players. Buster was able to meet that challenge and exceed expectations, finishing third overall in his skill category (Junior Singles - Badge Level 3 & 4). MacPherson ended the round-robin competition with a 2-2 match record, an impressive first outing for someone who is still developing their game. But for now, trophies don’t matter that much to Buster, as his interest in a new sport that challenges him.

“I want to stay active and this year I wanted to try a new winter sport. I love to ski so I wanted time to be able to do that this year, while also doing a new sport. I

found out that Brandon has racquetball and wanted to try that since I already like badminton, tennis and ping pong,” said MacPherson. “[As for the Keystone], I wasn’t sure how I would do. I’ve been practicing a lot, but knew that there would be kids from all across the province. Because it was based on my level and not age, I played against kids that were 16 and 17 years old and I was one of the youngest in the group. It was a big challenge, but I was happy with how I played overall. Some of these kids have been playing for a few years, so being my first year, I was really happy with how I played.”

As for how he goes about practicing his game, MacPherson travels to Brandon every Wednesday and Saturday to train with Kurtis Cullen, who operates the Brandon Racquetball Association Junior Program. Cullen is himself a top-ranked competitor, who finished third overall at the National Racquetball Championship last year.

As his skill level has progressed with Cullen over the winter, MacPherson has set new goals, including playing in another tournament in March and then competing at the Junior Provincials, which are scheduled for April.

Neepawa Titans start winning again at just the right time

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

When it mattered most this season, the Neepawa Titans put together their most complete team effort out there on the ice.

That commitment to excellence has paid off in a big way, with the club winning three straight games, including an important 7-0 win over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

The victory over Wayway gave Neepawa a three point lead in the MJHL standings over the Wolverines for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Division. With eight games remaining on the schedule, the Titans have a 24-25-1 record, good enough for 49 pts. These numbers also give Neepawa something perhaps even more important, control of their own playoff destiny.

Continued on Page 13

Buster MacPherson has started to compete on a provincial level in racquetball, including participating in the 48th annual Keystone Raquetball Classic, in Winnipeg.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

PHOTO BY EOIN DEVEREUX

Connor Thompson advances the puck into the Swan Valley zone, during the Titans 7-3 win over the Stampeders on Saturday, Feb. 24. In his last three games, Thompson has 6 points (4 goals - 2 assists)

MJHL Standings

Three straight wins put Neepawa Titans back into a playoff position

Continued from Page 12

After their 7-0 win over Waywayseecappo on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Neepawa Titans head coach and general manager Ken Pearson said that was one of the best performances the entire roster has put together this season.

“That’s probably the best 60 [minutes], complete 60 that we’ve played all season, from start to finish. Every line, every player just contributed out there in a positive way in that win,” said Pearson.

Game results

Friday, Feb. 23

Neepawa 6-5 OT Selkirk

First Period

02:01 SEL J. Purdom (8) PP

ASST: R. La Cara (17), C. Bilous (5)

Second Period

01:25 NPA H. Stocks (17)

ASST: C. Kasprick (18), C. Thompson (20)

05:51 SEL E. Knittig (2)

ASST: O. Johnston (8), P. Lundbohm (6)

08:04 SEL E. Knittig (3)

ASST: P. Lundbohm (7), M. Catellier (17)

15:55 NPA C. Thompson (15) PP

ASST: E. Poirier (20)

Third Period

09:07 SEL O. Johnston (4)

ASST: E. Knittig (8), P. Lundbohm (8)

10:04 NPA C. Alexander (3)

ASST: J. Larkins (8)

14:23 SEL R. La Cara (16)

ASST: J. Purdom (20), O. Weihs (7)

17:44 NPA H. Stocks (18)

ASST: C. Thompson (21), C. Kasprick (19)

18:03 NPA C. Thompson (16)

ASST: C. Kasprick (20), H. Stocks (15)

Game results

Saturday, Feb. 24

Neepawa 7-3 Swan Valley

First Period

06:42 NPA L. Paquette (3)

ASST: Unassisted

12:38 NPA B. Knox (4)

ASST: D. Andries (5)

Second Period

07:24 SV B. Vopat (1)

ASST: Unassisted

10:29 NPA C. Alexander (4)

ASST: J. Baird (8), L. Paquette (8)

10:46 NPA K. Weisgarber (4)

ASST: C. Alexander (8), J. Baird (9)

15:31 SV R. Fequet (9)

ASST: A. Taylor (8), I. Ness (12)

18:05 SV I. Ness (2)

ASST: R. Fequet (6)

Third Period

02:26 NPA C. Kasprick (14) PP

ASST: C. Bendtsen (8)

17:50 NPA K. Weisgarber (9)

ASST L. Paquette (9), C. Alexander (9)

19:48 NPA D. Andries (4)

ASST: J. Baird (10), T. Schell (6)

Scoring 1 2 3 Total

Goaltender

SVS K. Abrahamson - (L) 35/42 saves

NPA KC Couckuyt - (W) 14/17 saves

Attendance: 404 - Yellowhead Arena

MJHL Player stats

Tuesday, Feb. 27

Neepawa 7-0 Wayway

First Period

13:21 NPA M. Hartley (14)

ASST: C. Hegarty (9)

14:18 NPA C. Kasprick (15)

ASST: H. Stocks (16), J. Baird (11)

Second Period

08:11 NPA C. Kasprick (16)

ASST: H. Stocks (17)

Third Period

04:50 NPA C. Thompson (17) SH

ASST: E. Poirier (22), J. Larkins (9)

10:18 NPA C. Hegarty (6)

ASST: M. Hartley (13), C. McLeod (7)

13:40 NPA C. Thompson (18)

ASST: C. Kasprick (21), H. Stocks (18)

16:52 NPA C. Alexander (5)

ASST: T. Tychonick (18), L. Paquette (10)

Scoring 1 2 3 Total PP

WAY 0 0 0 0 0/2

NPA 2 1 4 7 0/2

Goaltender

WAY K. Kirkwood - (L) 43/50 saves

NPA M. Lobreau - (W) 31/31 saves

Attendance: 451 - Yellowhead Centre

“Coming into tonight’s game, we went over a few things with the guys related to the last time we played [the Wolverines].Cleaned up a few things we didn’t like, and just told them to be relentless out there tonight and I think we did that. We committed to the backcheck, our puck retrieval was solid and we focused on the penalty kill and ensuring they didn’t get any easy chances. Our

The Titans celebrate their 7-0 shutout win over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines on Tuesday, Feb. 27. Along with wins over the weekend in Selkirk and at home versus Swan Valley, the Titans has now surpassed Wayway in the standings and are back in fourth place, and holding on to the final post season spot in theWest Division.

guys really created a lot of offence out there, as well.

Aside from the goals, there were a lot of quality scoring chances we were able to put together by using their speed and going to the net.

They stepped up in a big way, and were rewarded for it.”

As of Thursday, Feb.

29 there are eight games remaining on the Neepawa Titans’ regular season

schedule. The next home game is Friday, Mar. 1 versus the Swan Valley Stampeders. Start time is set for 7:30 p.m.

Tigers win home ice advantage

Neepawa finishes first in WHSHL regular season standings

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

A pair of road wins over the weekend gave the Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute (NACI) Tigers the top seed in the Westman High School Hockey League (WHSHL) playoffs. Neepawa earned a 7-2 win over the Birtle Falcons on Friday, Feb. 23. They followed that up on Sunday, Feb. 25 with a dominant 11-3 victory in Virden, over the Golden Bears.

With these pair of results, the Tigers closed out the regular season with a 254-1 record, good enough

Neepawa Titans

Junior “A” Hockey team

Neepawa Titans regular season home games

March 1 at 7:30 pm vs Swan Valley

March 8 at 7:30 pm vs Dauphin

March 17 at 6:30 pm vs OCN

for 51 pts in the standings and one point better than the Vincent Massey Vikings (25-5-0. 50 pts). That also gives Neepawa home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. From a historic context, this is the third time the Tigers have won the regular season, with 2013 being the last season in which NACI went into the postseason as the top team.

As if all this league success weren’t enough for Neepawa, finishing first overall has also secured the Tigers a spot in the upcoming ‘AAAA’ Provincial Hockey Championship in Winnipeg.

Consistency was the key Neepawa Tigers cocoach Mike Adams spoke with the Banner & Press regarding the team’s impressive regular season. He said the roster had been focused all year on achieving this specific goal.

“At the start of the season, we set a goal of finishing as high as possible in the standings. A lot of things have to break right to finish first overall, being consistent for 30 games and showing up every day with your best effort is something we focus on and of course you need a little help from other teams once in a while. We’ve been talking about finishing first overall since January because a lot comes with it, like a spot in ‘AAAA’ provincials and home ice throughout the playoffs,” said Adams.

Not overlooking the Wildcats

As for the WHSHL playoffs, Neepawa has been paired with the GCB Wildcats in the opening round. The team played a pair of games at the start of the regular season, with Neepawa winning both times. Adams noted, however, that it will be a tougher version of

the team they’ll met up with in the post-season.

“GCB is coming off a gold medal at the A/AA provincials this past weekend. They have a balanced attack and take very few penalties. Our two teams were the least penalized in the league, this season. So, when they do happen, it will be important for us to take advantage of any powerplay chances we get.”

Playoff schedule

Details of the first round schedule have been released. The Tigers will host GCB on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at the Yellowhead Centre. That game concluded after the Banner & Press publication deadline. Game two is to be held in Carberry on Friday, Mar. 1 and has a 7:00 p.m. start time. Game three, if necessary, will be played in Neepawa on Sunday, Mar. 3. Start time is set for 3:30 p.m. at the Yellowhead Centre.

PHOTO BY EOIN DEVEREUX

A great year for the Neepawa Golf & Country Club

Club host its 80th annual general meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

There are plenty of positives to report coming out of the Neepawa Golf & Country Club’s (NGCC) annual general meeting. An in-person gathering was held at the Royal Canadian Legion #23 on Tuesday, Feb. 20, with club members assembled to hear how the NGCC is faring going into the 2024 golf season.

Board president Warren McLeod noted that last year included several bright spots, including completion of the new, larger deck, expansion of wheelchair accessibility at the clubhouse and expanded shed storage. The most important additions, however, would be the new irrigation system for the old-9 and the new bridge, to permanently replace the one damaged by the 2020 flood. McLeod added that there were a lot of improvements, the staff, volunteers and members of the Golf Club should be very proud of.

Positives in the financials

After McLeod’s opening statement, he passed the meeting on to Craig Johnston, who reviewed the financial statements for the fiscal year-end. He stated that the

numbers, which were tabulated through Kinley Thomson were looking positive.

The total revenue for 2023 was $626,768, an increase of $120,619 from the previous year. The largest increases to revenue came from green fees (+ $41,847 year-over-year), clubhouse oper ations (+ $41,156) and cart rentals (+ $24,954). Food and beverage revenues also saw increases.

Expenses, meanwhile, also rose yearover-year, going from $505,393 to $573,251. Those combined results meant the NGCC saw a net income for the year of $24,756.

Johnston stated that’s a solid turnaround from the 2022 results, which saw the club deal with a $56,416 net loss.

He thanked the volunteers for their help with flowers and garbage clearing. He also acknowledged the grounds crew for their amazing efforts to keep the course in the tremendous condition that it’s known for. Maintenance was able to remain close to budget, with the new irrigation system, previously mentioned, still on target.

All the pipes and wiring needed in the old-9 are in the ground, and the wet well has been installed. All that remains to be done is the new pumphouse.

One other item Kerkowich mentioned was a proposed tree planting program for the golf course. He hopes to proceed with the installation of some new trees sometime in the fall, time and budget permitting.

Superintendent’s report

Mark Kerkowich said 2023 was a pretty good season overall, as they didn’t have to deal with many weather extremes, such as multiple rainy days or excessive heat.

Minnedosa/Gladstone series a close one so far

Tiger Hills Hockey League playoff results

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

Whomever comes out the winner of the Minnedosa Bombers/Gladstone Lakers playoff series will definitely be able to say they’ve earned it. After two games in this best-of-five series in the Tiger Hills Hockey League (THHL) Eastern semi-final, each club has won a game. The Lakers started it off with a massive 6-5 victory in overtime on Friday, Feb. 23. It as a huge come from behind effort in the third period that pushed Gladstone into extra time and, ultimately the win. Trailing 5-2 with 20 minutes left in regulation, the Lakers scored three unanswered, before Jory Geddes put away the winner, just 1:26 into OT. During regulation, Riley Bruce scored twice, including the game tying goal with only 1:27 left in the third. Jacy Kennedy, Jesse Toth and Dale Evenson scored the others for Gladstone.

As for the Bombers, they jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, with Shane Jury, Matt Saler and Mark Willis, all scoring late in the first. They’d do the same again in the second, with Jury and Bryson Werbicki-Mallett scoring in the final 3:15 of the second, making it 5-2 for Minnedosa.

Minnedosa rebounds in game two

The next night in Minnedosa, the Bombers replied with a more dominant effort, eventually winning game two by a 6-2 score. After a scoreless first period for both clubs, Minnedosa struck with four goals in the second. Bryson WerbickiMallett, Shane Jury, Tyler Jury and Patrick Kondratiew all contributed goals, with Tyler’s coming off of a power-play.

For the third, Minnedosa added one more early, off a Ryan Heino opportunity. Connor Grunsten picked up for Gladstone, but that

was quickly negated with a second straight goal from Heino. Jesse Toth replied for Gladstone with one more goal with 3:54 left in the period, but that was all the Lakers could muster, as the Bombers picked up the win, tying the series at 1-1.

Game three of the series was played on Wednesday, Feb. 28, just after the Banner & Press publication deadline. Details can be found online at the league’s website, www.thhl.ca.

Game four is scheduled for Friday, Mar. 1 in Gladstone, while game five, if necessary, will be in Minnedosa on Saturday, Mar. 2.

THHL Playoffs

General manager’s report

General manager and CPGA head golf professional Landon Cameron was next to speak. He reported that a combined 22,000 rounds of golf were played on the

course in 2023, which was a bit busier than other years in the past. He said the shape of the course, and good word of mouth on that, helped bring in a few more rounds from outside of the community.

As well, the clubhouse restaurant saw a profitable season, which Cameron attributed to doing a better job with social media promotion directly to their membership.The restaurant is currently looking for staff to assist with operation of the kitchen.

A number of tournaments are already booked in for 2024, including the Manitoba Men’s Mid-Amateur and Women’s Amateur Championships. This is the first time these major events have been in Neepawa, and will take place from July 4 to 6. NGCC has also been selected as a host for a 2025 Prairie Links Canadian Junior Tournament. It’s been about ten years since Neepawa last hosted that event.

For the regular membership, one other positive to report is the purchase of 35 new E-Z Go Golf Carts. The exact cost of the purchase was not discussed, but they’re likely well subsidized by the sale of the old carts, in which NGCC received $5,500 on trade per cart.

24031ge1

Classifieds

Coming Events

It’s not too late. Minnedosa

Adult Learning Centre’s March registrations start

Monday March 4th. Contact: Val Gawel in Rm 2 Minnedosa Collegiate 74 Armitage Ave. 204-867-2519

––––––––––Notice

Alanon meetings currently being held at 342 Mountain Ave, Neepawa - Old Co-op Store. Tuesdays at 7 pm. Call 204-841-2192

––––––––––Notice

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings currently being held at 342 Mountain Ave, Neepawa, Thursdays at 7 pm. Call 204841-0002

Arden Hall, cap. 255. Park, camping and sports facilities, rink, curling ice, kitchen and lounge. Call 204-368-2202

Please check your ad when first published. The Banner & Press will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion

HAPPY 80 TH

BIRTHDAY BRIAN

Love your Family

Classified Ad Deadline: Tuesday Noon

• Cancellations and corrections only within business hours and corresponding deadlines

• Please check your ad when first published the Neepawa Banner & Press will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.

• All copy is subject to approval by the Neepawa Banner & Press.

• We reserve the right to edit copy or to refuse to publish any advertisement we deem illegal, libelous, misleading or offensive

––––––––––

Notice

BAR 66 TACK N TRADE & Candy's Cottage Western general store, men's clothing, animal feeds, horse dewormers, and meds, gifts, pure vanilla, cowboy boots, jeans, t-shirts and more. Opening Feb 9, 11 am - 5 pm. Reg hours Wed - Sat, 11 am - 5 pm. 3-37 Main Street, (Bailey Building) Carberry, MB

Minnedosa Handivan 204868-8164 Mon-Fri 9:00-3:30

Neepawa Banner & Press offers full research and re-print services from our archives that go back to 1896. Additional copies of papers, $2 each depending on availability. Re-print of a page from past copies, $2 per page. Archival research, $25 per hour with a $10 minimum. Individual photos on photo paper $5 depending if we have a suitable original in our digital, print or photo archives. Ken Waddell, publisher

Birthday Notice

Personal

Crisis Pregnancy Centre

Winnipeg: Need to talk? Call our free help line, 1-800-6650570 or contact our Westman office: 204-727-6161

Obituary

John Harold Saunders

––––––––––

For Rent

Apartment for rent. Bri-Mont apartments, 331 Mountain Avenue. Phone 204-8414419

Two bedroom, one bathroom apartment at Stewart House in Minnedosa. The apartment is in a quiet 12-plex apartment block and is a 55+ building for a single or couple. The apartment includes AC, a plug-in parking stall, fridge, stove, in-buiding laundry, secure entrance into the building, storage room, deck and more. Rent is $1,050./month plus hydro. Water is included with the rent. No smokers or pets. A one-year lease is necessary and references required. For more information or to book a viewing call 204-826-2184.

For Sale or Rent

Storage vans (semi trailers) for rent or sale. Anderson's 204-385-2685, 204-3852997 Gladstone.

September 18, 1944 – February 20, 2024

It is with deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, John. Prior to moving to Calgary, Alberta, John was a long-time resident of Carberry, from 1972 – 2008. He leaves to mourn his wife of 57 years, Helen, children Steven (Katherine), Tanya (Chad), and Nancy (Glen), grandchildren Riley, Lachlan, Daniel, Amelia, Jasmine, and Emmaline, brothers Brian and Roger Saunders, sisters, Ann Cook and Susan Spalding. John was predeceased by his parents Leonard and Lillian Saunders, his brother Martin, and his son, John Mark.

Full obituary can be viewed at https://www.choicememorial.com/memorials/john-saunders/5382694/index.php

TURTLE RIVER SCHOOL DIVISION

École Laurier

French Immersion

Inscription à la maternelle

Kindergarten Registration

L’inscription à la maternelle à temps plein aura lieu du 1 mars au 22 mars, 2024.

Tous les enfants qui sont nés avant le 31 décembre, 2019 sont admissibles. Veuillez apporter à l’école, votre carte d’immatriculation ainsi qu’un des suivants : le certificat de naissance de votre enfant, le certificat de baptême, une déclaration de naissance vivante ou une déclaration solennelle. Nous sommes une école d`immersion française, la pré-maternelle à la 8ième année, et nous offrons une excellente éducation dans les deux langues officielles.

Full Time French Immersion Kindergarten registration will take place from March 1 to March 22, 2024.

All children born on or before December 31, 2019 are eligible to register. To register you will need to bring in your child’s Manitoba Health PHIN# and one of the following: Birth Certificate, Baptismal certificate, Certificate of live birth, Health card or Statutory declaration. We are a Jr. K-8 French Immersion school and provide an excellent education in both official languages.

École Laurier

Laurier, Manitoba 204-447-2068

NEEPAWA BANNER &

To place an ad:

Telephone: 204-476-3401/ 888-436-4242

Fax: 204-476-5073

Email: ads@neepawabanner.com

All word classifieds must be prepaid before printing

Real Estate

188 acres for sale near Langruth MB. SE 20-16- 9 west, NE 20-16-9 west, 170 cultivated. Call Tony at 204-509-1963 for more information.

Auctions

Meyers Auctions & Appraisals. Call Brad at 368-2333. www.meyersauctions.com

Notice

TURTLE RIVER SCHOOL DIVISION

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING 2024 / 2025 BUDGET

The Turtle River School Division invites residents,Municipal Councilors, Parents, Parent Council Members and Staff to the following Budget Consultation meeting:

March 7, 2024 7:00 pm

Turtle River School Division Office 808 Burrows Rd. McCreary, MB. R0J 1B0

The purpose of this meeting will be to review the 2024/2025 Preliminary Budget and to have an open discussion on opportunities being considered by the Board.

*Please follow our website, facebook and X for more information as it becomes available*

Karey Wilkinson, Chairperson

TURTLE RIVER SCHOOL DIVISION

Kindergarten Registration for the 2024 Fall Term

will be held during the regular school hours between March 1 and March 22, 2024 at the following schools:

Alonsa School Tele # 204-767-2168

Glenella School Tele # 204-352-4253 Ste. Rose School Tele # 204-447-2088

McCreary School Tele # 204-835-2083

Help Wanted

The Heritage Resources Act (Section 26) Form 12

Municipal Notice of Intent TAKE NOTICE that on February 21, 2024

the council of the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone gave first reading to By-law No. 2024-01 to designate as a municipal heritage site under The Heritage Resources Act, the lands and premises commonly known as Walter Arksey Military Cairn, located in the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone along Highway 50 on the east side between Roads 90N and 91N in the Province of Manitoba. The land is described in Certificate of Title No. 1487050/3 as follows

SW1/4 5-16-9 WPM INCLUDING ALL IN RLY RIGHT-OFWAY PLAN 374 PLTO EXC

1STLY: ROAD PLANS 290 PLTO, 808 PLTO, 979 PLTO AND 2296 PLTO

2NDLY: ALL MINES AND MINERALS

A copy of the proposed By-law can be inspected at 14 Dennis St. E, Municipal office, Gladstone, MB.

A public hearing will be held at 14 Dennis St. E on April 17, 2024 at 9:15 a.m.

At that time, any person may submit an objection or other representation on the proposal. If there is no objection, council may resolve to adopt the proposed By-law, or not to proceed with it.

Dated at Gladstone on February 22, 2024.

Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone

Per: Cindy Marzoff, CMMA, CAO

We are once again proud to offer a Full-Time Kindergarten Program. All children born on or before December 31, 2019 are eligible to register. To register you will need to bring your child’s Manitoba Health PHIN# and one of the following: Birth Certificate, Baptismal certificate, Certificate of live birth, Health card or Statutory declaration. If you have any questions, please feel free to call your school today.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public notice is hereby given that the Gladstone Golf and Country club located in the municipality of Westlake Gladstone intends to conduct the following pesticide programs for the 2024 season:

1. To control noxious weeds on the golf course, the herbicides to be used are: 24D, Mecoprop, and Glyphosate.

1. To control soil born diseases on the golf course, the fungicides to be used are: Daconil, Heritage Maxx, secure and Instrata. The projected application dates are from May 1 to October 31, 2024.

The public may send written submissions or objections within 15 days of publication notice to the department below.

Environmental Approvals Branch

Manitoba Sustainable Development 1007 Century Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba. R3H 0W4

invites applications for the following positions:

Route # 17 – Permanent School Bus Driver for the Arden Area

Route # 2 – Permanent Bus Driver for the Neepawa Area

See Division website for more details on these positions at www.beautifulplainssd.ca

Click on Job Postings.

Shur-Gro Farm Service is looking to add to the operations staff in Neepawa Manitoba.

The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of operations of an Ag retail outlet including; Anhydrous Ammonia, Seed, Fertilizer and Crop Protection Products, while providing service to a growing customer base. Custom Application experience would be a bonus. Training will be provided.

Please apply by resume by March 15, 2024

Contact:

Gary Rossnagel

Box 455, Neepawa, MB. R0J 1H0

Phone: 1-431-276-0386

Email: garyrossnagel@shur-gro.com

R.M. of Minto-Odanah

Water Treatment Plant/Equipment Operator

The Rural Municipality of Minto-Odanah is accepting applications for a Full Time Water Treatment Plant/ Equipment Operator. This position is full time and scheduled to start immediately. Duties to include operation and maintenance of a Class I Water Treatment Plant and Class I Water Distribution System, operation of municipal equipment and Labourer and other general duties as assigned.

Applicant should have Class I Water Treatment and Class I Water Distribution Designation or be willing to obtain them

Class 5 driver’s license. Class 3 driver’s license would be an asset. Be mechanically inclined

This opportunity will remain open until a suitable candidate is selected.

Only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.

Please send resume with 3 references to:

R.M. of Minto-Odanah – Water Treatment Plant Operator 49 Main St., Box 1197, Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0

Phone: (204) 867-3282

Fax: (204) 867-1937

Email: admin@mintoodanah.ca

invites applications for the following Teaching positions:

- Itinerant Phys.Ed/Health Teacher for Hutterian Colony Schools

- EAL Teacher at Neepawa Collegiate for Grades 9-12

- ELA, History, Human Ecology at Neepawa Collegiate for Grades 9-12

- ELA Teacher at Neepawa Collegiate for Grades 9-12

- Phys.Ed Teacher at Neepawa Collegiate for Grades 9-12

See Division website for more details on these positions at www.beautifulplainssd.ca

Click on Job Postings.

Margaret Laurence Home

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Seeking youth between the ages of 15 and 30. This position is 35 hours per week starting mid-May and ending September long weekend.

Duties include: greeting the public, tours, yard and house maintenance and cleaning, gift shop supervision, updating museum collection database and other duties as assigned.

Please send cover letter and resume to:

Summer Position, Margaret Laurence Home Box 2099, Neepawa, MB R0J 1H

FOODS

Industrial Butcher (NOC 94141)

Why join our team?

HyLife is a global leader in food processing, with a vision to be the best food company in the world. To achieve this, we are currently expanding our team and have exciting career opportunities at 623 Main St. Neepawa, MB. We are actively seeking to fill 25 positions.

The current starting wage is $16.45/hour with incremental increases to $24.60/hour based on tenure as per our Collective Agreement

Quick Facts:

• Culturally diverse – employ people from all over the world

Fully integrated facility –Feed Mills, Barns, Transportation, and Production Plant

• 2500+ employees worldwide

• We Care about our employees, communities, customers, animals, and our environment

What we can offer you:

• Competitive Wage

• Vacation: 10 working days of paid vacation as per our collective bargaining agreement

• Comprehensive Benefits package – health coverage, dental plan, vision care, long-term disability, and pension plan

• Permanent full-time employment (74-80 hours per bi-weekly)

• PM Shift Premium

• Full training, with genuine opportunities for career progression

• Employee Referral program - $500! Free parking Company events

• And more!!!!

Your duties may include:

Slaughter, eviscerate, and mark hogs for further processing;

• Debone edible parts and remove inedible organs for parts;

• Cut pork carcasses into primal cuts for further processing, cutting, or packaging for local, national, and international premium markets.

We are looking for people who are:

• Fit and capable of working in a physically demanding role

• Capable of repetitive manual tasks and standing for long periods of time

• Open to working in colder/warmer environments

• Minimum of one (1) to seven (7) months experience in meat cutting or slaughter or completed a program in Industrial Meat cutting

• Completion of Secondary school or equivalent experience

Able to effectively communicate in English HyL ife is dedicated to promoting equal employment opportunities for all job applicants, including those who identify as a member of the following groups: Indigenous people, Newcomers to Canada, Older workers, Veterans, and Visible minorities.

Ways to apply:

Online at http://hylife.com/careers/ or mail to PO Box 10,000, 623 Main St E, Neepawa, MB R0J 1H0. Fax to: 204.476.3791 | Email to: jobs@hylife.com

In Person at 623 Main ST. E, Neepawa, MB R0J 1H0

For inquiries contact: Phone: 204.476.3393

HyLife has an accommodation process for employees with disabilities. If you require a specific accommodation during your employment because of a disability, please contact Jobs@hylife.com. An HR representative will be in touch with you as soon as possible. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis and our accommodation policy can be forwarded upon request.

Be a part of the HyLife experience

– your journey starts here!

We thank all applicants, however, only those under consideration will be contacted

Help Wanted

ROSE INC.

Is now accepting applications for the position of:

DIRECT SUPPORT WORKER

In our Community Living Disabilities Program In Ste. Rose, Manitoba

Successful Candidate must Demonstrate Good Organizational Skills, Be Self-Motivated, Possess Good Inter-Personal Skills, and be willing to work as a team. Starting wage is $18.75 with an increase following a successful 6-month probation period and benefit package included.

Interested Applicants are invited to apply to: ROSE INC. Box 28, Ste Rose du Lac, MB R0L 1S0

Or Contact Program Manager - Diana White at 204-447-3224 EXT. 3

Gladstone Legion Aquatic Centre Summer Job Opportunities

WestLake-Gladstone is accepting applications for the following positions.

Lifeguards: Required to have NL (National Lifeguard

Certificate), First Aid, and be 16 years of age or older.

Starting Wage $18.00 per hour

Head Lifeguard: Required to have NL (National Lifeguard

Certificate), First Aid, and be 16 years of age or older.

Starting Wage $20.00 per hour

Instructors: Required to have Bronze Cross, Swim for Life Instructor and first aid. 15 years of age.

Starting wage $17.50 per hour

Admission Clerks: Required to have experience working with technology, works well in a team environment, and understands great customer service.

Starting Wage: $15.30 per hour.

Specify what position you are applying for and submit resume to: Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone

14 Dennis Street E, Box 150 Gladstone, MB R0J 0T0 or Email rec@westlake-gladstone.ca

Application Deadline - April 1, 2024

Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Thank you for your interest.

Construction Employee Required Independent, experienced builder (own tools) required for, from scratch building of remote cabins (start to finish), including propane appliances, plumbing, wiring, metal roofs, etc. May through September. Call 204-937- 4007

Help Wanted

TURTLE RIVER SCHOOL DIVISION

invites applications for Kindergarten Here I Come Instructor April 2024 - June 2024

Applications close at noon on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

For more information

Contact Bev Szymesko (204) 835-2067

Submit letter of application and resume to: bevs@trsd.ca or Bev Szymesko, Superintendent

Turtle River School Division, Box 309, McCreary, MB R0J 1B0

Phone 204-835-2067 • Fax 204-835-2426

TOUCHWOOD PARK ASSOCIATION INC.

A non-profit organization with a mission to provide services to adults with intellectual disabilities.

Applications are currently being accepted for the position of Day Program – Director of Services The successful applicant will be responsible for adhering to plans and protocols relative to implementation, training and maintenance of Day Program services This is a full-time position Group benefits plan and matched RRSP will be offered. The successful candidate will be self-motivated and committed to the goals and objectives of the organization.

Qualifications:

- Post-secondary education in a related field is preferred, however a combination of education and experience will be considered

- Demonstrated time management and collaboration experience

- Demonstrated skills in Microsoft 365 applications

- Experience in an administrative role managing a sizeable team of staff and Supported Individuals

- Experience working with people with disabilities

- Proven organizational, leadership, interpersonal and teambuilding skills in a dynamic environment

- Familiarity with applying provisions of a collective agreement as well as organizational policies and procedures

- Effective verbal and written communication

- Valid driver’s license with satisfactory driving record

Employment is subject to a Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Search, Adult Abuse Registry Check and Child Abuse Registry Check Successful candidates will be required to obtain First Aid with CPR and AED certification and provide a driver abstract. All charges incurred will be at the expense of the candidate.

Please submit your resume to:

Human Resources Director

Box 1149 Neepawa, MB, R0J 1H0

Fax: 204-476-8849 Email: hr@touchwoodpark.ca

This position will remain open until filled.

•

•

Turtle River welcomes applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations may be available upon request. All applications are appreciated, only candidates who are selected for interviews will be contacted. Successful candidates must complete a Criminal Record/Vulnerable Sector and Child Abuse Registry check.

TOUCHWOOD PARK ASSOCIATION INC

A non-profit organization with a mandate to provide services to adults with intellectual disabilities.

We are seeking energetic, organized applicants for the position of Seasonal Contract Facilitator

This position(s) is a full-time term with an anticipated start in May and end in August 2024, extension possible based on scope of work remaining and availability of successful candidate(s) The rate of pay is $17.50 per hour.

Qualifications:

- Minimum Grade 12 education

- Valid Class 5 Driver’s License

- Ability to provide supervision and direction to a small team responsible for a variety of duties

- Ability to self-manage time and responsibilities while working alone

- Adaptable to changing priorities

- Experience working with adults with developmental and/or physical disabilities an asset

- Groundskeeping skills, including operation and maintenance of relevant equipment

This position is subject to a Criminal Records Check, Adult Abuse Registry Check, and requires valid First Aid/CPR certification. The successful candidate will be responsible for any service charges incurred.

Please submit your resume by May 15, 2024 to:

Human Resources Director

Box 1149 Neepawa, MB, R0J 1H0

Email: hr@touchwoodpark.ca

sealed, written tender for the respective property situated within the Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne, in the Province of Manitoba, and described below to be received by:

TAYLOR LAW PATERSONS LLP

Box 309, 269 Hamilton Street

Neepawa, MB R0J 1H0

Attention: SARAH J. FAST

Telephone: 204-476-2336 sfast@taylorlawpatersons.ca

Legal description of the property is as follows:

Title No. 3059878/5

NE ¼ 22-17-13 WPM - 160 acres – pasture land.

Title No. 3059879/5

NW ¼ 22-17-13 WPM – 160 acres – pasture land with approximately 25 acres of cultivated grain land.

Title No. 2858541/5

The NE ¼ of Section 21-17-13 WPM Exc Firstly: The Nly 401.591 Metres Perp and Secondly: Road Plan 4978 NLTO – 77 acres – pasture land.

Title No. 2858542/5

The Nly 401.591 Metres Perp of the NE ¼ of Section 21-17-13 WPM Exc: Road Plan 4978 and 5177 NLTO – 69.67 acres. This property has a 2011 20 x 76 ft. modular home with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a garage located on it.

1. Interested parties must rely on their own inspection and knowledge of the property and not on any representations made by or on behalf of the Vendor.

2. Tenders must be received on or before 4:00 p.m. on March 11, 2024.

3. Only Tenders in sealed envelopes marked “TENDER” and referencing the legal description of the property, will be considered.

4. Tenders must be accompanied by a ten (10%)

percent deposit by way of certified cheque or bank draft payable to Taylor Law Patersons LLP. Deposits accompanying unacceptable bids will be refunded.

5. Highest or any Tender not necessarily accepted. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE

1. Possession date to be 90 days after acceptance of Tender.

2. The bidder whose Tender is accepted will be required to complete an agreement covering the terms and conditions of sale.

3. On acceptance of the successful Tender, the balance remaining will become payable on the Closing Date. If the balance of the accepted Tender is not paid as of the Closing Date, the Deposit will be forfeited as liquidated damages and not as a penalty.

4. If part of the Purchase Price is to be paid from the proceeds of a new Mortgage, payment of that amount may be delayed by the time required for registration of the Mortgage at Neepawa Land Titles Office and for reporting to the Mortgagee, and if so, that amount shall bear interest payable to the Vendor at the same rate as the new Mortgage until paid.

5. The Tenderer will pay the applicable GST or provide acceptable undertaking to self-assess.

6.

Carberry Plainsmen play in Killarney hockey tournament

By Jolene Balciumas Local Journalism Initiative

Our Carberry U11 Plainsmen traveled to Killarney last weekend for their league tournament. The first game was an unfortunate loss against Killarney 13-1. Brody Surminsky scored the only goal and received player of the game. After lunch, the teams took part in a fun skills competition.

their season with the second day of their league tournament in Killarney. They won their first game against Virden 4-3. Brody MacDonald scored his first goal and was awarded player of the game. They lost their second game with a final score of 6-4. Brooklyn Holliday was awarded player of the game. The Fastest Skater in the skills competition went to Brooklyn as well.

NOTICES

Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Manitoba Community Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www. mcna.com.

URGENT PRESS RELEAS-

ES - Have a newsworthy item to announce? An excit-

Auctions

ing change in operations? Though we cannot guarantee publication, MCNA will get the information into the right hands for ONLY $35.00 + GST/HST. Call MCNA (204) 947-1691 for more information. See www. mcna.com under the “Types of Advertising” tab for more details.

SEASONAL CRAFT SHOW? REGISTERING

Spring Programs? Having an AGM? Have your blanket classified ads seen in the 31 Member Newspapers which are seen in over 368,000+ homes in Manitoba. Now booking Winter and Spring advertising for 2024. Please Call THIS NEWSPAPER NOW to book, or call MCNA at (204) 947-1691 for more details or to book ads. MCNA - Manitoba Community Newspapers Association. www.mcna.com

Want to promote your community event? Visit neepawabanner.com and email us your event info More than your community newspaper

The second game against Oak Lake ended with a close 7-5 loss. Player of the game was awarded to Asher Fryer.

The U11 team finished off

Don’t forget to pick up your Carson Bjarnason bobble head at the Satuday, Mar. 2 home game of the Brandon Wheat Kings!

Manitoba High School Hockey Provincial AA Tournament

By Jolene Balciunas Local Journalism Initiative

Manitoba High School Hockey Provincial AA tournament was held February 22-24, 2024 in Boissevain MB. The Glenboro Carberry Baulder (GBC) Wildcats participated in the tournament again this year, and played their first game on Thursday the 22nd against the hosting Boissevain/ Souris/Deloraine/Waskada Broncos team. The GCB Wildcats picked up a 4-1 win with goals from Nathan Dyck Assist Carter Elliott, Landon Bouwman Assist from Carter Elliott in the first period. In the second period Preston Shearer scored with an assist from Austin Dubyts and Jack Sholdice. Austin Dubyts potted the next one with an assist from Dylan Hood. The Broncos scored their lone goal to close out the second. There was no scoring in the third. Sawyer Wiebe picked up the win in net, for the GCB Wildcats first game of the weekend.

The GCB Wildcats second game of the day was against the Killarney Wawanesa Raiders. The first period was scoreless.

The Raiders opened up the scoring in the second period at 13:37. The GCB Wildcats answered back with a goal from Nathan Dyck and an assist from Carter Elliott at 1:58. The third period was a back and forth battle with both sides having good opportunities to score. But it was the Raiders scoring at 3:05 left in the game to hand the GCB Wildcats the loss.

The GCB Wildcats ended the round robin play in second place in their pool with a 1-1 record, moving them into the semi-finals on Friday against 1st place in Pool 2, the Major Pratt Trojans from Russell. The GCB Wildcats wasted no time opening the scoring at 18:23 with a goal from Preston Shearer and Assist from Jack Sholdice. This was followed up by a goal from Tucker Forbes and Assist from Griffin Anderson. Major Pratt scored a goal to close out the first period. The second and third period scoring was all GCB Wildcats with goals from Jack Sholdice Assist Preston Shearer and Tucker Forbes, Goal from

Chase Nash Assist Carter Elliott, Goal from Preston Shearer Assist from Jack Sholdice and Dylan Hood, Goal From Carter Elliott Assisted by Landon Bouwman. Third period Goals from Preston Shearer Assist Jack Sholdice, Goal by Dylan Barnstable, Assist from Jack Ramsey and Jaxon Mueller, Goal by Corbin Knoll Assist by Jaxon Mueller and Griffin

Anderson. Sawyer Wiebe recorded the win in Net for the GCB Wildcats.

With that win the GCB Wildcats would again face the Killarney Wawanesa Raiders in the Gold medal game on Saturday the 24th.

The GCB Wildcats showed up determined to erase the loss against the Raiders in the round robin play. GCB Wildcats opened

up the scoring at 14:17 with a goal from Tucker Forbes and an assist from Jack Sholdice. The Raiders responded with a goal with 2:54 left in the first, but not to be outdone the GCB Wildcats answered back just over a minute later with a goal from Austin Dubyts and an assist from Tucker Forbes. The GCB Wildcats added to the total scoring three more goals

in the second period from Austin Dubyts assist Max Janz, Griffin Anderson assists from Landon Bouwman and Carter Elliott, and a hattrick goal from Austin Dubyts with assists from Tucker Forbes and Preson Shearer.

Despite lots of action in the third period there was no scoring. Sawyer Wiebe chalked up another win between the pipes.

Gold For the GCB Wildcats.

Tournament all star awards were given to #9 Preston Shearer, # 21 Austin Dubyts, # 30 Sawyer Wiebe .

Dairy Farmers of Manitoba Player’s Choice Award: #21 Griffin Anderson.

And Tournament MVP to #14 Tucker Forbes.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Zanders Legacy which sponsored the tournament to help raise mental health awareness. We know all the GCB Wildcats, coaches and parents held Zander close in their hearts this weekend. If you would like to support Zanders Legacy in anyway please contact them at zanderslegacyfund@gmail. com

Neepawa Elks Cash Calendar winners

The Neepawa Elks have announced a pair of winners from the area for their annual Cash Calendar fundraiser. The winners were Irene and Dennis Magwood, of Franklin, and Lorne and Val Crammond, of Austin.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Manitoba High School Hockey Provincial AA Tournament champions.

Pictured left: From left to right are Jim Schmall, Chairman, Neepawa Elks, Irene and Dennis Magwood receiving a cheque from member Ron Petch, seller of the cash calendar. Winner’s amount was $5,367.50.

Pictured bottom left: From left to right are Doreen Robertson, Neepawa Elks seller of calendar to Lorne and Val Crammond of Austin mailing address and Jim Schmall, Chairman of Neepawa Elks. This was the Jan. 1 draw of $ 1000. SUBMITTED

2024 clan gathering report

Submitted

Neepawa Banner & Press

Expressive Dance with Crystal’s Highland dancers and families celebrated their nineth Clan Gathering on Saturday, Feb. 24. The event was held at the Minnedosa Ukrainian Hall and was attended by 22 Highland dancers and around 80 family members. The afternoon started off with a showcase of traditional Highland dances, Nationals dances from the lowlands of Scotland, Jigs, Hornpipes and choreographies. There was a break midway through the dancing to visit and enjoy snacks. The dancers who participated in the November 2023 dance exams were then presented with their Highland Medals Test Awards.

The event continued with a fabulous potluck supper. Followed by family games (egg n spoon race, 3-legged race, wheel barrel race, tugo-war, “balance the Haggis”, etc). The evening continued with an opportunity to get the families up to try a few old-time pattern dances like Road to the Isle, Heel Toe Polka, Seven Step, Four Horseman Schottische, Waltz, French Minuet and a few other tunes. A great addition to the evening was the local musicians; Cary Clarke (bass guitar), Clark McNabb (lead guitar) and Fred Scott (fiddle) who played the tunes for the dancers and their families to dance to. Thanks to all those who helped out in any way to make this a memorable fun-filled family event.

Phone:

Email:

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Pictured here are scenes from the 2024 clan gathering for students, friends and family held by Expressive Dance with Crystal.

The event winners for the Arden Open Curling Bonspiel have been announced! The 2024 event was held from Feb. 23 to 25 at the Arden Curling Club. The winners are:

For the Nu Era Seeds, first event (pictured top left): Neil Turner, Kayla Hunter, Michelle Pottinger and Cryce/ Reg Kwiatkowski, who won against Ron

For the Parrish & Heimbecker, second event (above): Al Paramor, Joan Paramor, Jason Doerksen and Brittney Ough, who won against Emmett Sanstrom in the event final.

For the Meyers Norris Penny, third event: Rob Melnyk, Craig Henderson, Danielle Henderson and Cecile Melnyk, who won against Frank Porada in tge event final.

The Arden Curling Club extends its thanks to all those who made the event a success.

Kulbacki in the first event final.