2025 August Archive
August 14
By Tony Zerucha
The RM of Springfield is assessing the Springfield Police Service after its two active members resigned last month to join the RCMP – a move that leaves the federal police force temporarily in charge of all law enforcement in the municipality.
On Aug. 6, the municipality stated the Springfield Police Service (SPS) office at 686 Main St. in Oakbank is closed until further notice. It directs non-emergency calls to 204-444-3391, general police enquiries to the RCMP desk at 204-444-3847 and emergencies to 911.
A sign on the front door of the police station noted the front counter position was also currently vacant, but that “officers are still on patrol regularly.”
Mayor Pat Therrien confirmed the two officers recently left the Springfield Police Service. Therrien said the police board remains intact and council will discuss next steps at an upcoming meeting.
Springfield was already searching for a new chief of police after former chief Stephen Hitchon left in February. CAO Colleen Draper said the search for a replacement would continue until a suitable replacement was found.
Springfield’s recent policing structure featuring combined municipal and RCMP service is a Manitoba rarity. Many rural municipalities rely solely on the Mounties, while some also employ Commissionaires or Prairie Bylaw Enforcement Services to perform some duties.
In 2021, Springfield signed a shared services agreement with the RCMP to further bolster cooperation between the two entities, often working with both the Oakbank and Beausejour detachments as required. Touted benefits included a shared communication service and faster response times. It is renewed annually.
The municipality has significantly invested in the Springfield Police Service over the past decade. In 2019, it purchased the former Oakbank Credit Union building for $1.15 million before investing thousands in renovations and upgrades (that building also houses planning staff). It has also regularly invested in equipment, such as $133,750 for a Tahoe Police Interceptor in 2024.
The 2025 Springfield Police Service budget is $632,140. That does not include revenue from fines.
This edition of Springfield’s council has been debating the future of community policing. In 2023, it discussed various versions, with Therrien researching the different options and funding. According to Manitoba’s Police Services Act, municipalities can choose the RCMP, establish their own service, use another municipality’s, or establish a joint force. Municipalities are also pushing the Province of Manitoba to allow community safety officers to enforce more laws.
A new survey conducted by CAA Manitoba found that Manitobans are worried about dangerous driving seen across the province, especially distracted driving and speeding.
The study found that 88 per cent of Manitoba drivers feel somewhat or very concerned about distracted driving. According to Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), distracted driving is now the number one cause of fatalities on Manitoba roadways.
“It is no surprise that Manitobans are concerned about the dangerous driving they have witnessed, especially when it comes to distracted drivers,” said Ewald Friesen, manager, government and community relations for CAA Manitoba. “What is most concerning, however, is that currently, Manitoba does not have a specific distracted driving law, which could help deter distracted drivers and increase road safety.”
CAA Manitoba’s research indicates that almost half (46 per cent) of Manitobans have admitted to being distracted drivers, while most (63 per cent) have witnessed a close-call collision or traffic violation caused by distracted driving.
Most concerning, 13 per cent of drivers reported being directly involved in a collision due to distracted driving. Our research found that more than half of Manitobans believe increasing fines and penalties can discourage distracted drivers.
“We know that drivers who text are far more likely to be involved in a crash or near-crash compared to non-distracted drivers,” added Friesen. “Distractions inside and outside your vehicle can draw your focus away from where it needs to be most.”\
In addition to distracted driving, speeding continues to be a significant problem in Manitoba, and Automatic Speed Enforcement (ASE) may be an additional tool that has been shown in other jurisdictions to help.
Additional research conducted by CAA shows that 82 per cent of Manitobans stated that speeding is also a problem this year. That same study found that 65 per cent of drivers support the use of ASE cameras to deter speeding and slow drivers down.
“ASEs can be a valuable tool in positively shifting driver behaviour and protecting vulnerable road users, especially in areas with schools and community centres,” said Friesen. “Photo radar cameras should not be used as a revenue generator but rather as a tool to encourage safe driving behaviours, especially in school zones.”
As of right now, Winnipeg is the only municipality in Manitoba with the right to use photo enforcement; however, other municipalities continue to lobby for similar rights.
In addition to tools such as ASE cameras, Manitobans support higher fines and harsher penalties or suspensions, especially for repeat offenders. Over half of Manitobans (60 per cent) believe increasing the penalties on repeat offenders is the most effective way to discourage drivers from speeding, especially in school zones or near community centres.
“CAA Manitoba continues to advocate for safer roads across all municipalities, especially for vulnerable road users,” said Friesen. “Standardized practices across municipalities regarding distracted driving laws and ASE cameras can help ensure that they are used in a predictable way that improves road safety and reinforces public trust.”
Conducted by DIG Insights, the distracted driving online survey was from Feb. 11-21 with the speeding online survey held from March 7-19. Approximately 500 Manitoba drivers aged 18 and older were surveyed for each.
Two men drowned in North Eastman in separate incidents and five other adults who are unable to swim were saved by emergency services personnel over the last two weeks.
On Aug. 2 at approximately 2 p.m., Steinbach RCMP were notified of a possible drowning in the RM of Reynolds at Reynolds Ponds.
Officers responded and were advised by bystanders that a male had been swimming, when suddenly he did not resurface. Bystanders had been searching for the swimmer but had been unable to locate him.
Manitoba RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT) was deployed to assist officers with the search. A 70-year-old man from Ontario was later located deceased.
At approximately 8 p.m. that same day, Selkirk RCMP were notified of a possible drowning at Grand Beach.
Officers were advised two males had gone out onto to the lake on a pool flotation device, when they lost their balance and fell into the water.
One male was rescued by a nearby kayaker. The other male did not resurface.
Officers along with assistance from the URT were later able to locate the male in the water.
A 25-year-old male from Winnipeg was pronounced deceased at the scene.
RCMP continue to investigate both incidents.
On Aug. 9, members of the Pinawa Fire and Rescue Service, RCMP and EMS responded to a report of five persons stranded in the float channel when overwhelmed by swift water.
Fire crews discovered five unprepared non-swimmer adults, with no life jackets or paddles, unable to make it to shore. A call was placed to 911 for help.
Fire crews successful reached the five stranded floaters, leading them to safety.
Swimming Canada Natation says before entering an open body of water for a swim there are many safety considerations to examine. There may be waves, currents, weeds, and the water, colder than you are used to.
The Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and the Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF) are sending out a reminder to swimmers and recreational boaters to be safe out on the water. If a person does not know how to swim, they strongly recommend wearing a life jacket or personal flotation device (PFD) at all times.
The two organizations reports that 80 per cent of recreational boaters who drown every year in Canada were not wearing life jackets. A majority of these victims were males between the ages of 19 and 35.
A wave or wake from another boat can not only knock a boater or boarder into the water, but also carry their flotation device away leaving them in the middle of a lake without any flotation.
By Mark T. Buss
Mother Nature made her presence felt last week as heavy rain, hail and at least two tornadoes were recorded in North Eastman.
On Aug. 6, two tornadoes occurred in the Springfield area and were assigned EF0 ratings after a damage survey was conducted.
The first occurred at Birds Hill Park at 5:06 p.m. With an estimated maximum wind speed of 115 km/h, a narrow path of minor tree damage was found over an area four kilometres long and up to 270 metres wide.
The second report took place around 25 minutes later in Dugald. A similar wind speed of 115 km/h resulted in a narrow path of crop and minor tree damage found over an area 4.24 kilometres long and up to 70 metres wide.
According to Manitoba Agriculture, more than 13 millimetres of rain fell in the Beausejour area with 4.1mm in Dugald.
By Simon Ducatel
As part of the RM of Lac du Bonnet’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the threat of future wildfires, council is subsidizing the purchase of a protective home sprinkler system similar to the kind deployed by wildfire services in remote areas.
Following recent wildfire destruction, Reeve Loren Schinkel said the RM is working alongside the provincial government to establish essential fire guards in strategic areas. Council unanimously approved spending $33,000 for the bulk purchase of 200 specialized home protection sprinkler kits from ABC Fire and Safety that will be available to residents at cost representing substantial savings from the retail price.
Background information in council’s July 22 agenda stated floating embers from wildfires are a leading cause of home and structure loss during wildfire events. Getting water onto the roof and surrounding areas can significantly increase a structure’s chance of surviving a wildfire event.
Typically retailing for between $225 to $250 or more, RM residents will be able to pick up a WASP wildfire protection sprinkler kit for $165.
Council feels that’s a small price to pay to protect an investment like a home.
“When you think about the asset that it protects, $165 is a pretty good investment,” said Schinkel.
The RM purchase is not intended to generate revenue but rather be cost-neutral with the goal of enhancing preparedness. Provided all the units sell, the program will bear no financial impact on the municipality.
The systems are wind and heat resistant, and are designed for homes with or without gutters. Each kit includes two gutter mount sprinkler brackets, two agricultural grade wind-fighting sprinkler heads, two fascia/fence brackets for homes without gutters, as well as two fire department grade 25-foot hoses.
During the July 22 meeting, Deputy Reeve Greg Mandzuk said one sprinkler head is mounted on each side of a house and activated in the event residents receive an evacuation order. He urged residents, especially those along Copper Mine Way and anyone who was evacuated, to have one installed.
“Most people have pumps or running water... they turn on the switch, let ’em go and get out,” he said. “These sprinkler kits will protect your house as long as we have power, unless you have some other mechanism like a gas-fired generator.”
Either way, so long as they have a power source, the sprinklers will continue pumping water.
Recognizing the RM cannot afford to buy each resident a kit, Mandzuk said the municipality could at least negotiate a bulk price to make them available at a significant saving.
“I know there’s people going out and buying them already. We’re not going to reimburse people, but as long as we can get these sprinklers here at the RM, we’ll be able to get them out to the community,” he said.
The reeve added the systems are proven to work.
“You see a completely devastated burn area, and then there’s three cabins that had these sprinklers on them and the fire goes around them because there’s no fuel and it saves the structure,” said Schinkel.
The soaker hoses are also made of specialized material so they don’t burn, he added.
“This is something that wildfire services use all the time when they’re in remote areas – some of the people have pumps that they hook them up to that feed right out of the river on a generator system.”
As of Aug. 1, Schinkel said the kits had not yet arrived but that the RM was in the process of obtaining them.
“Certainly when they are available, we’re going to be putting it out on our website and then promoting that,” he said. “Obviously, council felt that it was appropriate to offer that to the residents given the significance of what we went through here.”
The sprinklers could prove invaluable for remote properties that are far from an active fire hall.
“The concept is so simplistic, yet very effective.”
Schinkel added RM emergency management coordinator John Fleming regularly conducts wildfire presentations and was busy throughout July meeting with cottage associations in the region. In the event the kits do not sell out, the RM would continue promoting them and encouraging residents to install one.
By Tony Zerucha
On Aug. 15-17, Cooks Creek’s Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church and Grotto will host the Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope – one of only three Ukrainian churches in Manitoba to receive the honour.
Parish council member Audrey Mulla said that while the church holds an annual pilgrimage, this one is special because, in one of his final acts as Pope, Pope Francis declared 2025 a jubilee year.
“Pope Francis intended to bring the world closer together, and to show that faith is important no matter your culture,” Mulla said. “This has spread from Rome across the world. We’re proud to be selected as a site.”
It is a busy three days, beginning with the Rosary at 6 p.m. on Aug. 15. Ukrainian Hierarchical Divine Liturgy follows at 7 p.m., it includes confessions, blessing of water and flowers and anointing. At 8 p.m., fellowship time begins, featuring corn, cake and coffee. An Akathist (hymn) to Mary, the Mother of God, will be sung at 9:30. An overnight campfire and campout conclude the evening.
Aug. 16 begins at 9 a.m. with a 19.3-km pilgrimage walk. Stations of the Cross will be held at the Grotto at 4 p.m. English Divine Liturgy follows at 5 p.m. Hamburgers, hot dogs and fries are served at 6 p.m. The overnight campout and campfire come next.
On Aug. 17, a memorial service (Panakhyda) is scheduled for 12:30. The Grave of the Very Rev. Philip Ruh, OMI, will also be blessed. Bilingual Hierarchical Divine Liturgy is slated for 1:30; the service includes confessions, blessing of flowers, and anointing. A chicken lunch will be served after the service.
Mulla said jubilees are a time to renew one’s faith and sense of hope, something many need at a time of trouble in the world. Past jubilees have attracted believers from across Manitoba, North America and Europe as people come together to experience the power of corporate worship.
According to the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg, the word “jubilee” derives from the yobel, or ram’s horn, that proclaims the year’s launch.
“It was intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields,” the Archeparchy’s website states.
Jubilees are a call to journey and cross boundaries, hence the importance of the pilgrimage. In planning the route and learning about the destination, the traveller learns and changes; they meet people, hear new perspectives and contemplate creation. In his 2025 Letter for the Jubilee, Pope Francis said care for creation “is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to His will.”
For more information, visit immaculatechurch.ca or https://archeparchy.ca/jubilee-year-2025/
By Tony Zerucha
Beausejour will be well-represented at the upcoming Canada Games, as brothers Justin and Carson Kroeker have made Team Manitoba.
The University of Manitoba track stars are headed to St. John’s, Newfoundland, for the Games, which run through Aug. 25. Justin competes in the 1,500 metres, while Carson will vie for medals in the 3,000-metre steeplechase and 5,000 metres.
“It’s quite a privilege to be on a team that goes to the Canada Games and competes against other provinces,” Justin said. “I’m really happy that my brother also made the team; it’s awesome.”
Justin said he’s up against many familiar names. He has run against many at university and summer events in Ontario and British Columbia.
“The competition in this race is pretty tough,” he admitted. “There are lots of good athletes coming.”
Justin is preparing to wrap up his university career, as he will soon graduate with a degree in Biological Sciences. As he looks back on the past half-decade, he is proud of his consistent production.
“I’m really happy with how things have gone,” he said.
The University of Manitoba track community is a special one. Many alumni keep training with the team after their eligibility ends. They mentor the current edition and pass along tips.
The Kroekers also benefit from support systems closer to home. They live together in a house near the Fort Garry campus. Several team members live there too. They train together and push each other.
“There’s always somebody at home between classes,” Justin said. “Because we’re close to the university, teammates come and visit throughout the day.
“It’s almost a community house. We train together and are on the same schedule. It’s really nice to have that.”
Athletics are the Kroeker family business, as parents Lisa and Derek had strong collegiate athletic careers, too.
“I knew they ran from a relatively young age, but I didn’t ask much,” Justin said. “They didn’t force us into running; it was always something I naturally did. I always liked running, even back in elementary school. I played soccer through Grade 10, then shifted to track.
“It’s a big change from what I had been doing.”
Before joining the Bisons, the Kroeker Bros. had provincial high school track success with École Edward Schreyer School. In 2020, Justin was a three-time silver medallist in 1,500 metres, 3,000 metres and cross country respectively. In 2023, Carson finished first in the varsity boys 3,000 metres and second in the 1,500.
Canada Games athletics are scheduled for Aug. 19, 20, 22 and 23. Catch the action at www.canadagames.ca/watch
By Tony Zerucha
Oakbank’s Oliver Vaughn has great leadership skills and loves everything about Special Olympics, so he was a natural choice to be its 2025 Youth Ambassador for Manitoba.
Vaughn is kept busy appearing at grocery stores, where he hands out bracelets, collects donations and tells everyone how great Special Olympics is.
Vaughn first began attending Special Olympics nearly seven years ago. He began in Active Start, which is for children ages two to seven, before progressing to FUNdamentals, which teaches basic athletic and social skills to kids seven to 12. Every Tuesday evening, Vaughn and his friends move from station to station and practice different sports.
Soon, he will pick a sport or two to focus on. Does he have any favourites?
“I really like bocce ball,” Vaughn said. “It’s kind of unique; it’s just fun. There’s no feeling that you have to win. If I lose, I lose. If I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.
“Honestly, I like everything. I like hanging out with friends I meet there.”
Vaughn’s coach called his parents and recommended they apply for Oliver to be an ambassador. They answered some questions and waited for a few months before the call came.
“I was pretty excited but also nervous, because I’ve never been chosen to be an ambassador before,” Vaughn admitted. “I wondered what it would be like and if I could handle going to schools. It turns out I could, and it was really fun.”
Vaughn meets many people in his new role. He provides them with information about Special Olympics and shares how much fun he has every week. People ask him questions, too, like which sport he plays.
“I say that I can’t specialize yet because I am too young,” Vaughn explained.
Vaughn has assumed a leadership role, as he helps younger kids get used to Special Olympics.
“I greatly enjoy that,” he said. “I want younger kids to go through the same process as me, and I want them to have a good time. I’d like to help them make friends and just grow. I want them to gain confidence and be empathetic to their friends. I want them to gain all of the things I have gained through my experience, the same joy, and pride. I want them to believe in themselves.”
Oliver’s mom, Amy Vaughn, said Special Olympics has been wonderful for Oliver. Before, he didn’t want to play with anyone. Now, he adjusts to different situations, follows instructions, and fares better on his own, too.
He’s also made friends. Including Olivier, who will be his friend for life.
“The empathy...,” Amy said. “His buddy Olivier is around the same age but a little more affected by his environment. When things get chaotic, he’ll lie down on the floor. Oliver lies down with him until he convinces him things are OK.”
Vaughn also gets to enjoy sports at Sunrise School Division’s Unified Sport Day. He spends the day with a neurotypical student. They play sports and eat lunch together.
“It’s a great day for the kids. It shows them they’re more alike than different,” Amy said. “This school is so fantastic about taking kids that wouldn’t have that experience with special needs people and shows them those kids play sports like them.”
Oliver enjoys school but admits he has to work hard to fit in. Special Olympics takes no work at all.
“At Special Olympics, I can just be myself and fit in without any effort,” Vaughn said. “It’s one of the few places where I can be me.”
What advice does Vaughn have for anyone thinking about Special Olympics?
“You really should go. If you’re ages seven to 12, it does a great job of the fundamentals. I have personally come a long way from this program, and you probably will too.”
Beausejour’s annual car show continues to welcome classic auto enthusiasts, but with a temporary address this year.
On Aug. 24, the 34th annual Shades of the Past car show is scheduled to set up shop at Train Whistle Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The move is required due to watermain work currently being done on Beausejour’s Park Avenue.
Shades spokesperson Jack Komadowski said vehicles will still enter the event at First Street and Park Avenue, but will be directed south to the park.
“The cars will park on the grass where the grain elevators used to be, near the walking trail,” Komadowski said. “There should be enough room to get the same amount of vehicles in there.”
Starting in the early 1990s with five cars, a barbecue and Marlon Brando’s The Wild One playing at the Lyric Theatre, Shades of the Past has grown to become one of Manitoba’s premier car show.
Normally setting up barricades on Park Avenue from First Street to Fifth Street, more than 600 classic cars, trucks and motorcycles line both sides of the street. The event space has continued to expand to where autos are also parked down the middle of the roadway to accommodate the large numbers.
The Shades of the Past car show is a free event for spectators, but organizers ask those in attendance to bring a ‘Tin For The Bin’ for the Beausejour Area Food Bank. The event has collected hundreds of pounds of food annually for those in need.
Proceeds from the event raised through 50/50 draws, T-shirt sales and other activities are also turned back to the community with donations to local organizations and charities.
By Rick McGregor
The August long weekend was once again the perfect time to host this year’s Fire and Water Music Festival with beautiful weather, great artists and positive vibes all weekend long.
Held once again at the site of the former Lakers Water Ski Club on PR 502 in Lac du Bonnet, the festival was kicked off Friday evening with the Ila Barker Band taking the main stage. Saturday night featured a special addition to this year’s festival with the famous Lac du Bonnet fireworks, postponed from Canada Day due to the forest fires, clearly visible to the festival crowd from the shoreline of the Winnipeg River.
Musical highlights included a couple of rollicking performances from Les Barn Boys, a Manitoba band featuring the sizzling fiddling of the Wrigley brothers from St. Laurent and a unique performance from Roger Fournier. Concocting a bass out of an old washtub, broken hockey stick and a rope, this Manitoban singer/songwriter amazed the crowd with his creativity, jokes and singing.
Asked to sum up this year’s festival, new Fire and Water president Norine Harty said the event had a truly new look. Taking advantage of the recent upgrades to the property by the RM and Town of Lac du Bonnet, the artistic crew designed a new site plan that provided new performance spaces that were unique to the festival.
“The new site plan also gave us an opportunity to showcase the beautiful view of the Winnipeg River as the festival backdrop,” Harty said. “Music performances were magnificent with such a variety of styles and genres.”
August 21
By Andrea Geary
Slow germination, flea beetles and dry weather are negatively impacting this year’s canola crop, but a recent 75.8 per cent tariff levied by China on Canadian canola seed could be the last straw for some North Eastman farmers.
“It’s a high-cost and very unpredictable crop,” said Brokenhead Reeve Brad Saluk, himself a producer, adding he paid $900 for a bag of canola seed. “It’s a disastrous crop this year.”
Saluk said a cool spring resulted in slow germination and flea beetle infestations meant more spraying was needed which has added to the cost of production. While he won’t be harvesting the crop for a few more weeks, he isn’t optimistic about yield.
“We need a 35-bushel (an acre) average to break even,” he said, adding that he’s estimating a yield of about 25 bushels.
Added to this year’s challenging growing conditions for many North Eastman canola growers is China’s 75.8 per cent tariff effective Aug. 14. China is Canada’s largest canola seed buyer, importing close to six million tonnes in 2024 to generate revenue of approximately $4 billion Canadian.
The tariff was placed a year after China launched an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola imports. There is speculation that China’s tariff comes as retaliation for the Canadian government’s 100 per cent levy on electric vehicles exported by China to Canada.
“We’re in this game to make a living,” Saluk said. “We’re the ones stuck in the middle.”
Warren Ellis, Manitoba Canola Growers chair, said the canola tariff hits farmers hard and calls on the federal government for assistance.
“This decision lands like a hammer blow to Manitoba’s canola farmers. We are days away from harvest, and now a critical market is effectively shut. We need the federal government to act decisively and immediately to get this market reopened because every day of inaction deepens the damage to our farms, our rural communities, and our economy,” he said.
Provencher MP Ted Falk said he’s sure China’s tariff is retaliation.
“Ottawa’s decision to slap massive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, without any coherent strategy to protect Canadian exporters – invited a response,” Falk said. “And China chose to hit where it hurts: Canadian farmers.”
He joins Ellis in asking for federal action to ease the financial burden the tariff places on canola farmers.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew stated he believes the federal government should use the $100 million collected through the EV tariff to compensate Canadian canola growers for any financial loss due to the seed tariff.
By Andrea Geary
Gena Boubard plans to use her Miss Indigenous Canada title to raise awareness in support of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in Sagkeeng First Nation and other First Nation communities in Manitoba and across Canada.
Boubard, 24, is Anishinaabe, Two-Spirit and non-binary. Crowned Miss Indigenous Canada on July 26 at the pageant held at Six Nations of the Grand River near Hamilton, Ont, this year’s pageant included 19 competitors from First Nation communities across Canada.
Miss Indigenous Canada’s mission is to empower and encourage Indigenous youth to develop leadership skills, give back to their communities and connect to their cultures. The pageant features an essay competition, interview, cultural presentation and scrapbook featuring the competitor’s work within their home community.
“The focus of the pageant is not on beauty. It was to honour the diversity of Indigenous traditions, values and practices. It didn’t feel like a competition,” Boubard said. “All of the competitors were incredible and devoted to their communities.”
Boubard was very surprised to be announced as Miss Indigenous Canada 2025.
“I didn’t enter to win, but to raise awareness of Two-Spirit people.
Boubard was recognized for her efforts in organizing and running Sagkeeng’s first Pride event held in June. The day included a parade, powwow, community feast, inspirational speakers and entertainment.
Boubard said the local community was very supportive.
“It was really beautiful for people to come together.”
At the age 17, Boubard was crowned Miss Southern Manitoba and competed in the Miss World Canada 2018 pageant. Parents and siblings provided inspiration and serving as strong positive role models.
Boubard hopes to continue generating support for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their families.
“I’d really like to spark conversations within communities to better support our youth.”
Boubard added that discrimination and violence against Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals still exists within some communities.
“I want to show them they’re not alone.”
Hundreds of spectators took in the annual Heritage Day celebrations held at Beausejour’s Pioneer Village Museum this past weekend making the trip down memory lane wildly successful for many.
Established in 1967, the Pioneer Village Museum recreates a small pioneer village complete with a school, community hall, train station, store, blacksmith shop and church.
With most pioneers of the Beausejour/Brokenhead area being of Eastern European descent, many artefacts and tools depicting this lifestyle are located in the museum’s buildings.
Those on hand Aug. 17 for the Heritage Day celebrations were able to take in musical entertainment, dancing demonstrations and a threshing demonstration. Loaves of homemade bread baked in the clay ovens on the museum grounds were just one of the many tasty treats available at the concessions stand.
The Lac du Bonnet and District Chamber of Commerce is highlighting the culinary creativity of area restaurants with their annual two-week hamburger festival.
From Aug. 20 to Sept. 3, the Winnipeg River Burger Trail will feature 10 restaurants from Pine Falls to Elma each making unique and original hamburgers with customers voting for their favourites.
After sampling all of the specially created burgers, diners are asked vote for their favourite so a winner can be proclaimed. Guests will be encouraged to visit as many places as they can.
Organizers hope the event will be a fun social experience while promoting the participating communities to residents and visitors. This is a great event to get people within the region out to explore other communities, and to learn about some of the fantastic restaurants. The event also attracts people from other areas who are burger aficionados.
A solid lineup of participating outlets include Lac du Bonnet’s Black Bear Golf Club, Chicken Chef and Drifters Gulf Restaurant and Lounge, Otter Falls Resort and the Pinawa Golf and Country Club, Papertown Motor Inn and River Front Convenience in Powerview-Pine Falls, Seven Sister Motel and Restaurant, Starlette’s Burger Saloon in Elma, the Spicy Radish in Whitemouth and Wrapz Diner in Seddons Corner.
In 2024, participating restaurants sold a whopping 2,624 burgers combined with Otter Falls selling 325 of their Skeeter Bite Burger burgers to finish first. Drifters and Black Bear finished second and third respectively.
This year, Otter Falls features the Cluckin’ Caesar – a breaded chicken burger topped with Caesar salad with bacon pieces on a toasted garlic butter bun.
Drifter’s Sir Dips-A-Lot is a beef patty topped with cheddar cheese and chipotle sauce, served with warm nacho cheese and crushed cheetos to dip into.
Black Bear offers a Mexi Burger with fried mixed cheddar cheese, sliced pepper, crispy lettuce and fresh tomato. Served on a toasted brioche bun with homemade bold mexi aioli, diced jalapeños and onions to bring the heat, and house-made seasoned taco chips for that perfect crunch.
Chicken Chef Lac du Bonnet’s Viva la Italia Smash Burger has two smash patties topped with a homemade marinara jam, melted creamy cheese, crispy prosciutto chips and fresh arugula, all on a toasted brioche bun slathered with house-made arugula pesto.
Pinawa Club’s A Whole in One is a fresh, sweet and sticky glazed bagel turned inside out with two smash patties, cheddar cheese and a dollop of tangy mustard.
Riverfront Convenience features The Juicy Lucy – a smoked ground chuck burger stuffed with a blend of sharp cheddar cheeses and caramelized onions. It is topped with a homemade burger sauce, crispy bacon, leaf lettuce and tomato, stacked on a sturdy cheese bun.
The Seven Sisters Motel has the Double Oink Burger featuring a beef patty topped with barbecue pulled pork, bacon and all the fixings – mustard, relish, tomato, pickle, ketchup, lettuce and cheddar – on a bakery-fresh bun.
Starlette’s Burger Saloon has The Big Wild West. This is built with two house-made patties, loaded up with chilli, double cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles , and smothered in our signature cowboy sauce on a sesame seed bun.
The Spicy Radish has a Steakhouse Burger – a ground chuck beef patty, roasted mushrooms, crispy onions, tomato pepper jam, horseradish sauce, monterey jack cheese and greens on a house made garlic buttered bun.
Wrapz Diner has The Things and Stuff Burger. As it is billed, there’s things in it and stuff. Try it to find out.
For more information contact Lac du Bonnet Chamber of Commerce at ldbchamberofcommerce@gmail.com or call 204-340-0497.
The Pinawa Foundation has announced their Community Project Month efforts in May raised over $113,300 for 17 projects, including the 50 per cent top up provided by the foundation.
This year’s grants included:
Children’s Place Day-Care – furniture for new day care $14,259
Survivor’s Hope – Reaching Out Project Sarah Circle raised $10,443
Pinawa CancerCare – Treatment chair replacement $7,627
F. W. Gilbert PAC – 20 gymnastic mats $3,450
Pinawa Lions Club – pergola refurbishment and Pinawa birthday weekend expenses $6,750
Pinawa Public Library – computer upgrades $5,550
WSXC Ski Club – snowmobile for trail grooming $6,611
EMCA – LED stage lighting for the community centre $3,187
Courts of Pinawa Club – picnic tables with umbrellas $1,792
Pinawa Minor Baseball – reviving the game infield $3,879
Two Rivers Seniors – Services for Seniors programs $9,610
Pinawa Minor Hockey – scoreboard project $6,689
Pinawa Health Auxiliary – replacement bed/mattress project Year 2 $14,150
Pinawa Holiday Cheer Committee – tall trees and festive signs $937
Orville Acres Arena – brine line straightening $10,580
Pinawa Swimming Pool – community support for pool refurbishment $7,162
Pinawa Art 211 – Art in the Garden Tour signage and maps $705
All of these grants were awarded at the Foundation’s 2025 Annual General Meeting.
Carol Findlay from the Foundation said May is giving month in Pinawa and none of this would be possible without the support of donors, neighboring communities and municipalities, and second and third generation family members from far and wide.
One man was charged after a vehicle reported stolen from a Lac du Bonnet business was recently recovered in Winnipeg following a joint effort between urban and rural police forces.
On Aug. 12, at 2 p.m., Whitemouth RCMP were patrolling on Hwy 11 for a vehicle which had just been stolen from a business located on Prairie Road in the RM of Lac du Bonnet. Officers observed the vehicle turning on Hwy 11, from Road 502, and attempted a traffic stop but it failed to stop. A pursuit was not initiated.
Further investigation led officers to believe the stolen vehicle had moved on to Winnipeg.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the Manitoba RCMP East District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team (CREST) and Emergency Response Team (ERT), with the assistance of the Winnipeg Police (WPS), located the vehicle at a business on Marion Street in Winnipeg. Officers with ERT and WPS found the driver and the passenger of the vehicle walking near this location, on Lagimodiere Boulevard.
The driver, Riley Caie, 25, from Stony Mountain, was arrested. He was remanded into custody and is facing multiple charges for incidents from July 22 to Aug. 12 including theft of a truck, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, seven counts of failing to comply with orders, possession of weapon for dangerous purpose, flight from peace officer and assault.
The passenger, a 19-year-old female from the RM of Rockwood, was taken into custody and later released without charge.
Manitoba RCMP East District CREST continue to investigate along with the Lac du Bonnet, Selkirk and Beausejour RCMP Detachments.
By Morgan Maguet
After several years, the Beausejour Girl Guides unit is hoping to re-open for the upcoming guiding season.
A lack of volunteers and leaders in recent years has resulted in a gap in program delivery for the Beausejour area. As local Guide leader Tammy Welsh explained, the Brokenhead area programs have been struggling with these issues for many years.
“Girl Guides has been off and on in the Tyndall, Garson and Beausejour area for at least 40 years,” said Welsh. The last time the Girl Guides program was offered in Beausejour was from 2005 to 2013. Shortly after, units moved to Tyndall as many of the remaining volunteers and leaders lived in the Tyndall and Garson region.”
However, the Tyndall program has also come to an end in recent years.
“In 2022 the Tyndall units also closed for the same reason – Guiders retired or moved,” said Welsh. “Today, we have many members who live in Beausejour, Garson and Tyndall who have to drive to Oakbank to participate in meetings. This is also putting pressure on some of the Oakbank units, with their program currently holding a wait list of 14 girls.”
In order to re-open the program and offer units to the public, volunteers will have to start coming forward as soon as possible.
“Each unit or age group needs a minimum of two leaders. We are hoping for two volunteers to come through so we can open a mixed unit for both Sparks (ages 5-6) and Embers (ages 7-8, previously called Brownies),” said Welsh.
“As of today, there are two potential volunteers who have contacted the email address. If those two volunteers work out, we will be able to open a Spark/Ember unit by the end of September. Unfortunately, without more volunteers we will have to limit the girls joining the unit to about 10,” said Welsh.
Ideally, the Girl Guides program would have as many volunteers as possible to help with various programs and fundraisers throughout the year, and to run a full slate of age groups in the area. For now, Welsh’s next goal is to have enough leaders to open a Guide unit (ages 9-11).
Welsh has been a part of the Girl Guides program for more than 35 years and would love to see it start up again in Beausejour. She believes both girls and leaders benefit from being in the program.
“Girl Guides teaches girls to be strong, independent global citizens. We teach the importance of community service, money management, goal setting, protecting the environment and trying to lessen your carbon footprint. We also teach about Girl Guides all over the world. We talk about personal and mental health, and we promote being kind to everyone, no matter how different we are,” she said.
The program also offers many long-term benefits.
“Girls who join Girl Guides and stay in the program have opportunities to apply for scholarships, work with youth, build strong job references, and travel the world to learn about other cultures.”
The Girl Guides also hope to offer some of the fun events and volunteer campaigns they had been offering in Beausejour several years ago.
“Girl Guide units do activities related to the environment, personal health, learning ‘how-to’ skills, and having fun with games, songs and crafts.
Throughout the year, units often volunteer at a local food bank, play games with seniors, volunteer at local pet shelters, visit a fire hall, have sleepovers and camps, and take part in weekend activities such as a pool event or a corn maze,” Welsh said.
The call for volunteers reflects a broader challenge for Girl Guides in many communities, where leader shortages have made it difficult to sustain programs and limited opportunities for girls and their families.
Welsh is optimistic and eager to see the Beausejour program thrive again, bringing girls and leaders together through fun and adventure. Those interested in volunteering can email mb-evergreendc1@girlguides.ca
Friends, family and former teammates travelled from around the world to see Anola’s Corey Koskie be inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame at Target Field on Aug. 17.
With Koskie the 41st member of the club, former teammate Michael Cuddyer introduced the Manitoban, calling him a role model and highlighting his affinity for practical jokes. Former managers Ron Gardenhire and Tom Kelly spoke of his work ethic as the scoreboard video screen showed some of his many highlight-reel plays. Parents Maryann and Leonard sent greetings via video.
Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew, who originally telephoned Koskie to inform him of his induction, helped him don his powder blue Hall of Fame blazer. MLB Hall of Famers Bert Blyleven, Tony Oliva, Paul Molitor, Joe Mauer and Jim Kaat, along with ex-teammates Torii Hunter, Joe Nathan, Eddie Guardado, Brad Radke, Kelly and Gardenhire were present. Former Twins Rick Aguliera, Gary Gaetti, Greg Gagne, Dan Gladden, Justin Morneau and Jim Perry were also in attendance.
“Growing up, he was a volleyball player and a hockey player,” emcee Dick Bremer said. “When he became a major leaguer, he played defence like a hockey goalie, and served home runs over the fence like a middle hitter.”
Selected by the Twins in the 26th round of the 1994 draft, Koskie blossomed into a full-time Twin. In 2000, he batted .300, hit 26 home runs, drove in 103 runs and scored 100. He is one of only six Twins to score and drive in 100 runs in the same season. That year he shared the Tip O’Neill Award as Canada’s top baseball player with MLB Hall of Famer Larry Walker.
Also playing in Toronto and Milwaukee, his career numbers include a .275 batting average, 124 home runs, 506 runs batted in, 71 stolen bases, a .367 on-base percentage, .458 slugging percentage and 24.6 WAR (wins above replacement). He was elected to Canada’s Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
“He was an incessant worker and became a leader on three consecutive division champions,” Bremer added. “In short, he was a force of nature.”
Festivities included a reception for Hall of Famers and Koskie’s guests. Invitees included family, childhood friends and teammates like Jason Mateychuk and former Elmwood Giants coach Lorne Korol. In addition to his Twins teammates, Koskie invited teammates from throughout his minor league career, with one flying from Australia because he had to be there. Many others made the drive from Manitoba, sitting in the stands.
On induction day, Koskie’s guests were seated in three groups around the field. Koskie, his wife Shannon, and his children sat front and centre.
“I’m excited that the Twins are showing their appreciation, and Twins Territory is showing its appreciation to you in making you a Twins immortal,” Cuddyer said.
“Standing here today, I’m honoured to be among Minnesota Twins legends, my teammates, family, friends and you, the fans,” Koskie said. “The game is bigger than how I feel about myself. It’s about making a kid smile in that five-second moment we have together.”
“A farm boy from Anola, Manitoba, who didn’t start playing serious baseball until 19 is your testament that no mountain is too high, no challenge is too difficult to tackle,” he said to the audience. “Where there is a will, there’s a way; where there’s no will, there’s no way.”
By Tony Zerucha
The Eastman Wildcats U17AAA endured some early hardships, but they came together to win a provincial championship and post a strong showing at the national championships. Key contributors were Beausejour’s Kaitlyn Bonkowski and Oakbank’s Sadie Church and Ella Sawatzky.
The season began slowly, with the Wildcats losing three of their first four games. A low point was an early tournament in Brandon, where the Wildcats scored a mere four runs over the weekend.
“The regular season got off to a slower start than we wanted,” Church admitted. “We weren’t playing consistently well in all areas of the game and lost more than we would have liked.”
Following the Brandon tournament, Coach Pat Tetrault held a team meeting.
“Many thought this team would be lucky to finish top four in the province,” Tetrault said. “The sputtering start to the season created adversity and challenged the team to become much closer and develop what started their team’s motto and quiet belief in themselves: ‘We have nothing to lose but to win!’”
That rallying cry keyed a turnaround that saw the Wildcats win 12 consecutive games to close the regular season. Like many teams, the Wildcats found success by focusing on the little things.
“Every pre-game speech from our coach was the same: one catch, one play, one at-bat at a time,” Bonkowski said. “Our focus came from playing clean and relaxed games and not getting ahead of ourselves.”
“Some highlights we had were the way we came together to play so well to win all those games against some very tough teams,” Sawatzky added.
The Wildcats opened the provincials on July 17 with a 10-1 win over the Manitoba Angels. The games tightened after that, as they beat the Westman Magic 2-0 later on opening day. On July 18, the Wildcats won two one-run contests, 1-0 over the Interlake Phillies and 6-5 over the Winnipeg Lightning.
How did the Wildcats stay focused during so many tight games?
“Cheer on your teammates and don’t worry about the things you can’t control,” Sawatzky said.
“A softball game is never over until it’s over, and no win comes easy,” Church said. “There are a lot of great teams in our league,
and everybody has a chance to win when we take the field. Focusing on the next play and not getting too high or too low throughout a game is key.”
The club was on a roll, but had to cool their jets for nine days, as wildfire smoke caused a delay. Eastman made the most of it, with a strong practice that helped maintain focus. Once the provincials resumed, the Wildcats topped the Smitty’s Terminators 17-10 and Central Energy 5-2. The playoffs began with a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Lightning.
“(That) qualifier game was more stressful than the championship game,” Bonkowski said. “We ended up winning that game 3-2 in the tenth inning, securing our spot in the Canadian national championship.”
The provincial championship game would be a rematch with the Lightning. Could the Wildcats strike twice?
“The Lightning had runners on base and were hitting. They had already scored, and we had two outs,” Sawatzky said.
“The last few innings of the final game were tense,” Church added. “Despite having a 4-1 lead with an all-star pitcher like Kelsey Warketine on the mound, you have to execute defensively to lock down the win. Each pitch and each play matters.”
The final out was a ball to the shortstop, who fielded it cleanly and fired it to first. The Wildcats were provincial champions.
“The whole team dropped their gloves and ran over to the mound to celebrate with our pitcher,” Sawatzky remembered.
“None of us had ever been provincial champions before, so winning and being undefeated felt unreal,” Bonkowski said.
“It’s surreal when you get that last out,” Church said. “We have come up short in the provincial finals the last couple of seasons, so it is extra special to finally call ourselves provincial champions. We played hard and definitely celebrated hard when we got that last out.”
The momentum carried over to the National Championships in Warman, Sask. The Wildcats won their first three round-robin games by a combined 32-6 score. They lost the next two, including a close call against a powerhouse Quebec team that needed multiple extra innings to decide.
Undeterred, the Wildcats rebounded to beat the top Ontario team in the first playoff game. Their championships ended with a loss to Team British Columbia, who went on to claim the bronze medal.
The Wildcats are proud of their showing.
“The losses could have gone either way and included an extra innings loss to a very good team from Quebec and a 4-2 loss to a strong Ontario team,” Church said. “In the first round of playoffs, we beat one of the top teams in the country, the Ontario provincial champions. I think we shocked them and a lot of other teams by knocking them out of the tournament, but it confirmed that when we’re at our best, we’re one of the top teams in the country.
“We ended up in seventh place out of 24 teams, which I feel is an amazing result for a group of girls from small towns across southeast Manitoba.”
August 28
By Simon Ducatel
Frustration is mounting among Beausejour’s municipal leaders who are fed up with repeat offenders being released back into the community on bail or under house arrest only to continue committing crimes.
“Every community, unfortunately, has crime. But our crime rate has really driven up here over the last two months,” said Beausejour Mayor Ray Schirle. “And it’s because we’re getting so many people coming here on bail, on house arrest.”
Schirle attributes the substantial rise in instances of breaking and entering to a failure of sufficient bail reform exacerbated by the revolving door of justice, prolific offenders being placed in Manitoba Housing units and a lack of RCMP resources.
“It’s just a combination,” Schirle said.
Schirle said RCMP officers are “working their butts off here to arrest these people,” citing one habitual offender with 13 outstanding charges who was arrested four times in one week and still released and placed under house arrest in a Manitoba Housing unit.
“Now I have a drug dealer I’m trying to get out of a Manitoba Housing house,” he said. “The justice system doesn’t even share the information with the RCMP locally; they find out after the fact when they’re chasing the guy down.”
Incredulously, some of these offenders are found to be from other provinces, he said.
“They raided a house a couple of weeks ago and they found out there was a guy from Ontario under house arrest in one of the houses,” he said.
“These officers are working day and night right now, making piles of arrests on repeat offenders in our community,” he said. “The RCMP has got their hands full.”
Compounding matters is the absence of any kind of follow-up from the courts, he said.
“The court system and the justice system are totally failing right now,” he said. “We have over a half a dozen of these repeat offenders in our community that are causing all the crime... and every one of them is waiting for outstanding charges.”
“People are not feeling safe in their homes (anymore),” he added. “I want to make sure it gets back to that.”
The issue has more to do with a backlog in the courts and lenient sentencing than a lack of room in correctional facilities like Milner Ridge, which Schirle says has a 24 per cent vacancy rate. The provincial government even previously reduced capacity at the facility in 2018 citing a declining prison population.
Manitoba Housing is another factor, said Schirle. The mayor unequivocally expressed his support for public housing, noting there are people in the community that need it. However, there are some units housing “drug dealers and thieves” on bail or house arrest and they are not adequately monitored.
“We have lots of units in our community, and out of all them I’ve got four of them that are causing us lots of problems,” he said. “At what point does Manitoba Housing start taking care of their houses?”
A provincial spokesperson told The Clipper that Manitoba Prosecution Service has no role in co-ordinating how an accused, released on conditions, obtains housing. The Crown may check to confirm the address is legitimate and ensure that it is not near the homes of victims when considering release conditions. Local law enforcement would be responsible for ensuring that any release conditions are met.
The spokesperson added Manitoba Housing is not informed by Manitoba Justice in circumstances of house arrest, bail conditions or parole that someone has provided a Manitoba Housing unit address as their place of residence.
Asked what approach he believes would best mitigate the issue, Schirle said the justice system must share more information.
“They need to look where they’re putting these people under house arrest,” he added. “They shouldn’t be in Manitoba Housing units. It’s bad enough they’re stealing in (the) community, but now we’re sitting here and we’re actually giving them a place to live and a roof over their head.”
The mayor said he’s had one meeting with Manitoba Housing with another scheduled for next month.
“The earliest they can all meet with us is the end of September,” he said. “To me, this is a today problem – not a month from now problem.”
The municipality also recently sent letters to respective ministers and had yet to receive a response.
“Maybe people need to start doing their jobs,” he said.
As a regional representative with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, Schirle said Beausejour isn’t alone and that other communities are pushing for bail reform. Lac du Bonnet Reeve Loren Schinkel – a retired policeman with decades of experience working with Manitoba Justice – said RCMP are doing their best to respond to crime and catch perpetrators, but offenders all too often end up being released before police even finish their paperwork
“The bail reform that’s supposed to hold people that are charged with criminal offenses accountable is so terribly flawed and broken,” he said. “It’s been that way for a long time, and it’s perpetuating itself.”
The reeve was clear that he fully recognizes the need for due process.
“I understand the need for the presumption of innocence until proven guilty; I get that,” he said, adding the problem arises “when an individual is apprehended successive times... and continually released on bail into the same environment and continues to perform criminal acts.”
Allowing this to go on “is morally and ethically wrong,” he said.
“Beausejour’s crime rate for theft has gone up 300 per cent in the last few months, and people think it’s a victimless crime, it’s not a big deal. But it is, because that’s where it all starts,” he said. “The same thing is happening in Lac du Bonnet to a lesser degree; maybe it’s the proximity of Beausejour to Winnipeg, and they do have more Manitoba Housing units than we do.”
The reeve firmly places responsibility on Ottawa as it all boils down to the Criminal Code of Canada.
“It’s got to be dealt with at that level, because it’s not a provincial jurisdiction issue. At the end of the day, this is federal legislation that has been largely, and continues to be, ignored.”
Sentences should more closely reflect the likelihood of a perpetrator re-offending. Someone who is already out on bail multiple times and released on an undertaking who violates their conditions needs to be incarcerated, he said.
“If it’s three strikes, you’re out,” he said. “They’re snubbing their nose at the rest of society and the criminal justice system. There’s no deterrent there.
And when it comes to conditions of release, Schinkel said judges follow the Criminal Code, which stipulates the least restrictive approach to release someone.
“They’re following the law,” he said. “The laws have to be changed.”
Despite the ongoing lobbying efforts of organizations like AMM, the reeve feels there’s been no progress on the issue.
“You talk to the government officials, and then they go on their summer break... they are just not paying attention. My view is they’re not listening,” he said. “The level of frustration is getting higher and higher,” he added.
RCMP are seeking information on the identity of a person who tried to break into a Lac du Bonnet home twice in the same night.
On the morning of Aug. 21, Lac du Bonnet RCMP received a dispatch for an attempted break and enter to a home in the Town of Lac du Bonnet at 2:17 a.m. An unknown male was observed walking up to the residence’s back door and using a hammer to smash the window. The male did not make entry into the residence due to security camera’s on the property.
The man returned later that morning at 4:30 a.m. to attempt entry through the front door. When the suspect noticed a doorbell camera, they were viewed walking away from the residence. The male is described as wearing a black hoodie, black pants, with a trucker style hat – white mesh in the back and a black panel on the front. The hat may be recognizable to someone in the community as it has red lettering on the front of it.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Lac du Bonnet RCMP detachment non-emergency line at 204-345-8685, the administration office at 204-345-6311, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or provide a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com
By Simon Ducatel
As someone who would not be alive today had her father been among the many captured Canadian soldiers who perished during the Second World War amid horrible conditions in Japanese prisoner of war camps following the Battle for Hong Kong, VJ Day holds a special significance for Pamela Poitras Heinrichs.
On Aug. 15, 1945, Imperial Japan formally surrendered to the Allies, finally ending the global conflict in what is now known as Victory Over Japan Day, or VJ Day.
Her father, Pte. Ferdinand Poitras, a Red River Métis infantryman with the Winnipeg Grenadiers who was from St. Vital, managed to survive years of mistreatment suffered at the hands of his captors.
But many of the 1,975 Canadians who were deployed in a scramble to defend Hong Kong – among them 131 soldiers of Indigenous ancestry – did not.
“Many think the war was over in May but while people were celebrating that, the men of these two Canadian regiments were still toiling as slave labourers and being tortured in POW camps,” said Poitras Heinrichs.
Approximately 290 died during the 17-day battle in 1941 with hundreds more wounded. Some 267 later succumbed to appalling conditions in the camps over the following years. Those who were killed in action and others who later died during internment included 49 soldiers of Indigenous ancestry.
“It is unimaginable what they went through,” she said.
“My dad and many of the others were at camps in Japan, and as the length of their time in the camps was progressing, it’s documented that they were getting sicker and weaker,” she said.
“There’s also documentation that it was known that if Allies invaded Japan, all the prisoners were to be executed. And winter was coming – it was August – and medical personnel, after the fact, estimated that if the men would have had to go through another winter, many if not all of them probably would have died because they wouldn’t have had the strength to go through the winter and work in the coal mines,” she said.
“It’s kind of weird to think myself and many others are sitting here,” said Poitras Heinrichs, who is married and has three children. “It’s really something difficult to get my head around.”
So she believes their sacrifice must never be forgotten and to that end has for many years volunteered with the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association towards honouring their memory.
“People need to know about history.”
In recognition of the milestone 80th anniversary of VJ Day, the association participated in organizing an event in Ottawa on Aug. 14-17 that included a focus on soldiers of Indigenous ancestry.
The association has previously conducted research to identify Hong Kong veterans with Indigenous ancestry, and among the attendees were residents from Lac du Bonnet, Beausejour and River Hills who are related to those veterans, she said. Through funding from the Métis Veterans Legacy Program, 32 family members of Métis vets, representing 23 of the Métis veterans in the Winnipeg Grenadiers, were able to attend.
“Both the family from Beausejour and the family from Lac du Bonnet, this is their first time going to something like this,” she said. “I’ve had people in actual tears knowing that they can go and do this... they’re just beside themselves.”
The itinerary included a service at the National War Memorial followed by a wreath-laying at the Hong Kong vets Memorial Wall where all the veterans’ names are inscribed, and an educational workshop on the involvement of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian military.
Beyond the event in Ottawa, the effort to further honour and more formally recognize veterans with Indigenous ancestry includes identifying them all on the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association website. The site also features photos including some of her father and those he was interned with.
“He talked about them a little bit,” she said, adding he otherwise did not speak much about his wartime experience. “I learned more as I got older, and more from other people in reading things about the atrocities that they suffered.”
In 2000, Ferdinand took Pam, her husband and their three children on one of the Veterans Affairs pilgrimages to Hong Kong and Japan, where they learned a lot.
“Looking back now and in his later years, once I learned more about it, it certainly explained a lot about him and the way he was with certain things,” she said.
Ferdinand passed away in 2008
.“He was almost 88 years old. I always said he was a prime example of, ‘if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.’”
The legacy left behind by the Hong Kong veterans through their descendants and the hope for a better future created a sense of connection among their families.
“Whether it was your dad or your uncle or your cousin or whatever, they all went through the same thing,” she said. “You have that bond with everybody else.”
The communities of Powerview-Pine Falls and St-Georges will once again welcome the 4P Festival during the Labour Day weekend and provide a host of activities for all ages.
The 4P Festival is a celebration of the history and resources that contributed to the establishment of the cluster of communities. The four Ps stand for Paper, Power, Peas and Pickerel. The home coming event brings people of all ages back to visit friends and family and take part in the last blast of summer fun activities for all ages.
The 4P Festival was established in 1982 by the Manitou Rapids Arts Council. The festival ran the same weekend as the Jig and Jam in Pine Falls, and in 1983 organizers combined the two festivals and added a pickerel derby and tours to the Hydro dam, the Pine Falls paper mill and the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum in St-Georges, home of the famous peas used in traditional pea soup.
Activities and Events
Visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities at several locations in Powerview-Pine Falls and St-Georges. The events kick off at 9:30 a.m. Friday morning with the Winnipeg River Carvers Exhibit as well as the launch of the Bird and Butterfly Village Loop Trail Mural.
A Lego sculpture contest will be held at Library Allard at 11 a.m. as well as a youth art exhibit featuring work from the library’s summer camp program.
A community appreciation barbecue will be held at Town of Powerview-Pine Falls’ public works on Dupont Street at 11:30 a.m.
At 4 p.m., the Pine Falls Fire Department will host an open house and a fish fry with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 64 Pine Falls hosting a meat draw at 5 p.m.
The Winnipeg River Lions will host a Chase the Ace event from 5:30-8 p.m. with 50/50 tickets and a meat draw. Ace jackpot draw time is 8 p.m.
Comite Cultural de St-Geroges is hosting an Outdoor Movie Night at dusk featuring the French film Un p’tit truce ’n plus.
Saturday starts early as the Norm Vezina Memorial Slo-Pitch Tournament begins at the École Powerview School diamonds at 8:30 a.m. The Knights of Columbus will host a pancake breakfast at Notre Dame du Laus parish hall starting at 9 a.m. while a Bannock Boys 3-on-3 ball hockey tournament at the École Powerview School outdoor arena.
A car show and shine will begin at 10 a.m. at Powerview Auto complete with classic cars and barbecue. A market square and Indigenous Shoreline Museum will be set up at the curling club and a kids zone will be at the Village Green with inflatable bouncers, train rides, a petting zoo, face painting and crafts.
The Manitoba Living History Society will demonstrate life skills of the Selkirk Settlers, fur traders, voyageurs, Métis and Indigenous people of Manitoba starting at 11 a.m.
The 4P Golf Tournament will begin at 1 p.m. at the Pine Falls Golf Club.
A Manitoba Hydro sponsored firewrosk display will take place at dusk beside Midway Foods while a 4P Summer Sunset Party will start at 10 p.m. at the Papertown Motor Inn.
Events like the slo-pitch tournament, market square, Winnipeg River Heritage Museum guided tours and Manitoba Living History Society displays will continue Sunday.
The 4P parade begins at noon and winds down from the Pine Falls pool to École Powerview School.
Plage St-Georges Beach will host A Day At the Beach with live duck race with a chance to win $1,000.
A highlight of the day will be an opportunity to cheer on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on the big screen inside the beer garden at the Access Arena. Festivities start at 4 p.m. until the game ends.
There will be a Classic Manitoba Social at Access Arena from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Labour Day Monday will feature a Winnipeg River Area Lions family fishing derby at the St-Georges boat launch. Registration for the 25-boat maximum event will begin at 8 a.m. First come, first served.
Winnipeg River Heritage Museum guided tours begin at noon.
For more information email festival4P@gmail.com
The 2025 version of the Double B Agricultural Festival has a schedule packed with live entertainment, agricultural and multicultural activities and semi-pro rodeo excitement fit for a 30th Anniversary celebration.
The Double B Agricultural Festival will occupy the Co-op Community Complex Sept. 5-7 with a carnival and midway run by Select Shows and rodeo entertainment provided in conjunction with the Canadian Cowboys Association and the Manitoba Rodeo Cowboys Association (CCA/MRCA)
The Brokenhead Agricultural Society is once again sponsoring the Double B Agricultural Festival and have been a crucial component in the event finding success for over a quarter of a century.
Incorporated in 1917, the Brokenhead Agricultural Society started with local farmers striving to help each other and local families and that has remained the guiding principle for over 100 years.
Schedule of Events
The Manitoba High School Rodeo kicks off this year’s festival Friday at 2 p.m. along with the opening of the Gret Cup Trailer followed by the opening of the Select Shows midway at 5 p.m.
Saturday will start with a pancake breakfast running 7 to 9 a.m. The Manitoba High School Rodeo will immediately follow with a 9 a.m. start along with parade marshalling at the Beausejour Sportsplex.
At 10 a.m. the Double B Agricultural Festival parade will depart where floats, horses, cyclists, machinery and other participants will head west down James Avenue and turn north on First Street. To avoid construction on Park Avenue, the parade will turn east on Ashton Avenue (new this year) and south on Fifth Street as they wave to the hundreds of children and onlookers lining the roadways.
Chainsaw carver displays will begin at 10 a.m. and run to 4 p.m.
The Select Shows midway and Prairie Exotics will open at noon and run all afternoon along with children’s activities including a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, glitter artists and more. Hoop and Hat vintage comedy circus will take place at 12:45 p.m. JUNO award winning children’s entertainer Al Simmons will perform at 2 p.m.
The CCA/MRCA semi-pro rodeo main attraction will begin at 5:30 p.m. with bull and bronc riding, calf roping, barrel racing and more. Intermission will feature a six-horse hitch team demonstration, wild pony races and wool riders.
The Double B Agricultural Festival’s legendary fireworks display will illuminate the sky when the sun goes down on Saturday evening, followed by a barn dance and saloon. Hazelridge brothers Jon and Daniel Hnatishin, and their country-rock band Banned & Outlawed, will be performing. Admission will be $15. No minors allowed.
Sunday will begin with a pancake breakfast starting at 8 a.m. with a car show at 10 a.m.
The midway will re-open at noon along with children’s activities and the chainsaw carvers display.
The CCA/MRCA semi-pro rodeo events will continue at 1:30 p.m.
Gate admission to the Double B Agricultural Festival on Friday is free with Saturday priced at $15. Sunday admission for adults will be $12. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
For 50/50 tickets or for more information, go to brokenheadag.ca
The Beausejour Slo-Pitch League (BSL) closed out the 2025 season with exciting action Sunday.
In women’s play, Die Hards returned to previous championship form in defeating Diamond Divas 14-4 in the A-B final Sunday.
The two teams met Saturday in the A final with similar results, sending the Divas back in the B pool. The Divas topped The Bulls early on Sunday to set up the rematch with Die Hards - a club where some players have been teammates for 40 years.
A5’s topped Drink N’ Run in the C event.
Ruth Place Eagles won their first BSL men’s title the hard way as they had to defeat the six-time champion Highway Hitmen twice in the A-B final, and did so by scores of 13-12 and 17-9.
The Hitmen won the A division Saturday over the Eagles, who rebounded to win the B event Sunday over Blue.
The Beavers defeated the Gophers in the C final.
In co-ed competition, Old Dawgs retained their 2024 title by defeating Tropical Punch 17-4 in the A-B final.
Tropical Punch defeated One Hit Wonders in the B final at midday before facing the Dawgs in the afternoon. One Hit Wonders bested Grip and Rip to win the B event and punch their ticket to A-B final.
Bats and Beavers defeated Rippers in the C final
Seasoned exhibitors and a number of new participants turned up with 270 entries for the annual Agassiz Garden Club show Aug. 11.
The Lac du Bonnet Community Centre was filled with flowers, fruits, vegetables, baking and handicrafts. This year, photography entries were digital and were viewed as a slideshow set up Betty Loewen. Kayla Yanchak won the best photo.
As usual, a crowd of visitors came for the afternoon to view the exhibits and enjoy tea, coffee and sweets. In the evening, Laverne Wojciechowski and Ruth Monych presented the prizes and thanked everyone for their effort in staging another beautiful show.
Junior prize winners were Amelie Holowachuk, Mikko Ikonen, Markku Ikonen and Saija Ikonen.
Adult winners of plaques were:
Best cut flower and most points in baking: Carol Clegg
Best gladiolus: Cherry White
Best vegetable in show: Pat Holowachuk
Best floral arrangement and most points in flowers: Laverne Wojciechowski
Most points in vegetables and most points in show: April Obirek
The Boreal Shores Art Tour (BSAT) took visitors on a self-guided driving tour through North Eastman recently to view the work of the region’s most talented artists.
From Aug. 16-17, approximately 800 visitors reviewed the work of 35 visual artists from Victoria Beach to Falcon Lake. BSAT coordinator Norine Harty said visitors to the tour came from all over Manitoba, BC, Alberta, Ontario and PEI as well as international locations including Australia, Germany and the U.S.
Harty said the artists and visitors noted the highlight of their tour was “talking art” and sharing stories.
“Visitors learned about different methods and media, what inspires the artists, where they do their work, and how they began their artistic journey,” Harty said. “(They) shared their personal art experiences, shared their view of the artists’ work and had an opportunity to participate in a batik demo.”
Started in 2017, BSAT not only showcases the work of local artists, but also provides visitors with a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery, eating establishments and other attractions. A “destination event” for many visitors, several try to visit each artist and venue over the two days.
Since its inception, over 20,000 visitors have experienced the tour and supported area businesses by purchasing tanks of gas, dining in local restaurants and staying in local accommodations.
Pinawa’s Stu Iverson is one of the region’s most prominent photographers and has viewed several international locales through a lens. His vast portfolio is not limited to any particular topic, but he has an interest in capturing images of wildlife and nature.
Iverson said the Boreal Shores Art Tour, along with other art sales and tours, is an important incentive for artists.
“For all of us, the fact that there is an art show... acts like a stimulus to get ready, be prepared (and) finish some of those things we have been thinking about doing,” Iverson said. “Having the tour, meeting the public (and) selling their art is great for most artists.”
Iverson said the tour itself is as equally stimulating for viewers, many of whom look on it as a way to take a drive with family or friends and see the countryside or communities they have not visited in a while.
Harty said feedback she received from visitors was very positive, adding some dedicated art lovers visited every stop on the tour.
“Many were amazed to visit locations they never knew existed and told us that seeing the beauty of the locations was truly a highlight of their journey. They can easily see how the scenery, sounds, and wildlife in the Boreal Shores area inspires the artists.”
The Lac du Bonnet Community Centre is hosting the 22nd annual Rod Demoline Golf Tournament on Sept. 10 at the Granite Hills Golf Club.
This event is the most significant fundraiser for the community centre as the revenue generated provides a large portion of its annual operating costs.
Lac du Bonnet Community Centre president Sharalyn Reitlo says the golf tournament is a great way for friends and family to get together or for businesses to say thank you to employees, business partners and loyal customers.
This annual tournament is held in memory of the late Rod Demoline, a community leader who held executive positions with the community centre, curling club, Lions and town council. Demoline passed away in 2003, but left a legacy the Lac du Bonnet Community Centre and their tournament sponsors and golfers continue to honour.
In 2024, the event was a roaring success as golfers raised approximately $12,500 with the winning team of Barry Carpenter, Frank Huber, Chris Hanson and Michel Fillion shooting a sizzling 58 or 14 under par.
“We can’t thank the players and sponsors enough for their support,” Reitlo said last fall.
Registrations are now being received from individuals or teams to enjoy 18 holes of golf in Texas scramble format, a shared power cart, lunch and prizes. Registration is at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start at 10 a.m.
Golfers will also be challenged to enter contests to win larger prizes and the organizers guarantee a fun time for all.
Golfers wishing to participate are invited to email demolinegolf@gmail.com or call 204-345-6737.