On August 13, 2026, the provincial government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Opaskwayak Cree Nation(OCN) to establish a community court in OCN that would integrate Cree legal traditions and culturally grounded approaches to the administration of justice.
“This is a community-led initiative and is being driven by the community,” said Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe. “They presented us with a larger justice plan that includes building out their restorative justice programming, programming for youth, anti-gang, reintegration plans and a larger justice plan for Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

The Swan Valley is made up of some incredibly dedicated people who are passionate about the community they live in and have a desire to make it better for others. One very dedicated and long-standing volunteer in the community is Neil Brown. Brown became very involved with the Swan Valley Historical Museum over 40 years ago and has been helping out with it ever since.
“I started volunteering with the Swan Valley Historical Museum back in the 1980s,” said Brown. “There were a bunch of guys who wanted to get a steam engine running. There wasn’t an operating one at the museum at that time, so a bunch of us got together and with the community’s help, we got a steam engine. We worked together to recondition it, so it could be operated.
“That took about four or five years to do. There was a lot of work to do to raise the money for the steam engine and then it took about two years to restore it. We don’t run it anymore, partly because we don’t have a licensed operator to run it. We need a couple of licensed operators to help us out with that.
“I’ve always enjoyed the total history of the Swan Valley,” said Brown. “The Valley goes back a long way, and I like to learn about and see the people. I’m also very interested in the old tractors and threshing machines. I grew up with a lot of those in my time.”
Over the years, Brown has been involved in volunteering on different projects for the museum. He has watched the museum grow and change, but the interest is still strong in preserving the history of the area.
“During the time I’ve been involved with the museum, we put up a workshop, received a donation to help build the Gulash Building, and did a lot of maintenance,” said Brown. “We had to deal with the roofs and shingles on a lot of these buildings over the years, and that has been an ongoing project. We tried doing a building every year, but it all takes time and fundraising.
“I’ve also been working on the train. That keeps me busy. I’ve helped build the track and some of the cars. I’m always trying to maintain what we have there and see if there are ways we can make it better. There was a lot of manual labour that went into building the track for the train. The train cars have a steel frame and the riding car has a cushion to sit on. The locomotive is all metal. We have two of them; one is battery-operated, and the other is a gas motor.
“The museum board is now working on the train station,” said Brown. “That is a good thing for the museum, for it shows that we are still going on. The board has been working hard and things are looking really good, and I’m sure happy about that.
“We have other people interested in keeping the tractors running and other things as well. It’s a good group of people that come forward to help out.”
Brown knows a lot of fundraising has to take place to keep the Swan Valley Historical Museum going. He said the efforts for raising funds were always strong and continue on today, as new members create new ideas to keep things alive.
“Over the years, the museum applied for grants and hosted two suppers during the year,” said Brown. “We received a lot of donations as well, to help keep things going. The museum has grown over time. I give a lot of credit to the people who started it and kept it going for all that time.
“The Harvest Festival Day has been going, I think, since the entire time that the museum has been operating,” said Brown. “It was an event that brought people to the museum and had things for people to do. Before the hall was built, I believe there was no supper, but rather like a picnic set up.
“Especially in the last few years, we have been seeing big crowds come out for the Harvest Festival Day. Everyone comes out to enjoy the old-time activities like the bread baking, horse carriage rides, train rides and so much more.
“Mistletoe Magic has been a successful event that some of the newer board members came up with for the museum,” said Brown. “I was still president of the museum board at that time, and it was a new group of people who came on board and brought forward the idea. It has been very good and it’s been one of the highlights for the museum. That event sure got the attention of the community.”
Brown’s dedication to the Swan Valley Historical Museum led him to be the president of the board for a period of time. He credits all the work done to the many volunteers and board members who helped put it all together and make it happen.
“I was president of the museum board for about 12 to 14 years,” said Brown. “I was there quite a bit of the time, so the board asked me to be president. I had a good board to work with all the time I was president.
“I’m glad to see that has continued on, now that I’ve taken a back seat. I’m still pretty active with the museum and help out when I can. Overall, I’m very happy with how things are going.”

While the Benito Splash Park has been operational for much of the summer already, the completion of the project construction was celebrated on Saturday (Aug. 15) as part of the post-poned Canada Day festivities. Pictured here, local children have a blast in the splash park during the foam party in the afternoon, not letting the temperatures or the rain ruin their fun. See more on A9.

Waywayseecappo First Nation held their annual pow wow over the first weekend of the month, drawing dancers, groups and officials from around the province and even farther afield.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, the National Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations - shown far left with long time Waywayseecappo Chief Murray Clearsky was also on hand along with Gerry Davis of the Southern Chiefs Organization.

Community organizations are turning great ideas into reality with support from Fusion Credit Union’s Full Circle Fund.
Following its latest intake, Fusion has committed a total of $56,000 to eight community organizations, providing support to projects that will have lasting benefits for residents.
École St. Lazare will receive $20,000 to support the development of a new school and community fitness area, providing students and residents with greater access to health and wellness opportunities. Roblin Children's Center’s layground Renewal and Safety Enhancement received $25,000 while the Rossburn Ag Society was awarded $10,000 for grounds & building upgrades
Here in the Municipality of Russell Binscarth, $5,000 was awarded to help toward the cost of George P. Buleziuk flooring renovation.
The Full Circle Fund was established to support community projects that require larger donations. Applications are accepted year-round and reviewed twice annually, on April 1 and October 1, ensuring organizations have ongoing opportunities to access funding for impactful initiatives.
“Communities thrive when organizations, volunteers, and local leaders have the resources they need to bring important projects to life,” says Michelle Mazurkewich, Chief Strategy and Governance Officer at Fusion Credit Union. “Through our Full Circle Fund, we are proud to support initiatives that enhance quality of life, strengthen community connections, and create lasting benefits for generations to come.”
The eight organizations selected through this latest intake represent a diverse range of projects focused on recreation, education, wellness, and community development.
Since its inception in 2019, Fusion has invested over $1.06 million through the Full Circle Fund to community-driven projects that improve local infrastructure, promote wellbeing, and create opportunities for residents of all ages.
"Behind every successful project is a dedicated group of volunteers, leaders, and community champions who are working to make their communities better,” adds Mazurkewich. “We are proud to support their efforts and celebrate the positive difference they make every day."
For a full list of winners and more information on the Full Circle Fund program, or to apply for the October 1, 2026 intake, please visit fusioncu.com.

Since it’s inception in 2016 when the little shareholder owner grocery store in Inglis first opened, Friendly’s Grocery has always been community driven. Last week, as they moved into their new premises in the old curling rink was no different as staff and volunteers from the community banded together to make sure that the move was as seamless as possible.
Erna Hall, General Manager of Friendly’s explained that while planning and renovations for the new building have been going on for the last two years, community members and shareholders have never taken their eye off the future of the local grocery store and the fundraising efforts that will push new efforts forward. “Throughout this whole time the community was amazing,” Hall said, adding that the entire moving process was an exercise in community cooperation between staff and volunteers.
The actual move, Hall added went on since mid July.
“After hours, during the week of July 20, excess stock and anything else that could be moved was moved,” she said.
“During that week, we also had help from The Grocery People in setting up the shelving and where items should be placed in the new location.”

Hungry for more? Pick up this week's Russell Banner and find the rest of the story on pages 1 & 2.

Municipality of Roblin’s head of council Robert Misko has released a statement regarding concerns and criticism directed toward him and council.
The statement was made in response to posts made on a new private Facebook page callend Roblin Town Square.
Check out the transcript of his statement in this week’s Review.

A young man in the tri-community is building not only himself up, but others as well. Carson Thibodeau is only 19 years old and is the Aging Out of Care Coordinator Assistant with The Pas Friendship Centre. Recently, Thibodeau received the Most Active Youth Award from the National Association of Friendship Centres.
“I first got involved with The Pas Friendship Centre last November,” said Thibodeau. “One of my friends’ dads worked at The Pas Friendship Centre at the time and they were looking for an assistant to help with cultural activities. I was the first one to be called up.
“Here at The Pas Friendship Centre, we do a lot of culture-based activities. I also started getting involved with the Opaskwayak Sundance.”

If you’re driving by Funky Threadz, you might notice a new work of art. A new mural has taken up residence on a side wall. It’s something the owner of Funky Threadz has envisioned, in terms of having a mural on the side of the building.
“We purchased the building a year ago to run our family businesses out of,” said Funky Threadz Owner Jerome Conaty. “That wall was a huge blank space, with such high visibility; we knew we wanted a mural on it before we bought the building.

A very special MMIWG2S awareness project made a stop in The Pas for the first time. The Pembina Valley REDress Project was on display at this year’s Kendara’s Memorial Walk on August 6, 2026. The REDress project was started by an Indigenous artist to create more awareness about the MMIWG2S.
“The REDress was a project created by Jaimie Black, who is a Metis artist out of Winnipeg,” said Pembina Valley REDress Project Co-organizer Courtney Yeo-Thiessen.