OCN is proud to announce the groundbreaking of a new commercial strip development, a project that has been 20 years in the making. The groundbreaking ceremony takes place on April 25, 2025, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in OCN history and development. The commercial strip is located on Highway 10 North in OCN.
OCN is employing the services of their newly acquired company. Sohkatan Contracting is a partnership developed with two Indigenous owned entities, Lonona Contracting and Paskwayak Business Development Corporation. Sohkatan Contracting is committed to utilizing local resources for equipment and labour.

Municipality of Roblin (MOR) council killed three birds with one stone at a public meeting April 16 at the Community Centre.
Roughly two dozen residents were on hand to hear council’s 2025 Financial Plan as well as participate in public hearings for two by-laws that will see the municipality borrow up to $2.45 million this year.
Details in this week’s issue.

An Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) member received the golden opportunity to be crowned the first-ever Miss Indigenous Canada last year. Jessica McKenzie has been acting as the first Miss Indigenous Canada and this opportunity has provided her with many enriching experiences.
“It’s been an incredibly beautiful experience overall,” said McKenzie. “I’ve had the opportunity of deeply connecting with OCN and its members, along with meeting so many new faces across Turtle Island. This opportunity has given our community a platform to amplify our voices. We get to share our stories, traditions, and values.

There are many outstanding works done by Manitobans that have been recognized and recently presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal for these efforts. Cameron Ritzer recently received this award for his work and advocacy in the paramedic profession.
“I have a long history of being a paramedic advocate,” said Ritzer. “Being a paramedic myself and growing up around paramedics. I’ve always been involved in enhancing the profession, especially the education standards. This year, the Paramedic Association of Canada nominated me for the award for my dedicated service to enhancing the paramedic profession in Canada.”

The tri-community has always had outstanding citizens, many of whom have been recognized and presented with awards for their community efforts. Terry McKellep has been an active volunteer for many years and sees it as a way to give back to a community that has given her family so much.
“The main reason why I started volunteering was that this community helped me to raise three incredible kids,” said McKellep. “Every one of my children is amazing, and they have taken the torch and volunteered as well. This community was a great place to raise my children and I feel it’s a good place to live, so I wanted to give back.”

The Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas has recently gone through some changes as Archbishop Murray Chatlain has moved on to become the archbishop for the Archdiocese in Winnipeg. As a young man, Archbishop Chatlain had a very strong calling for the clergy, which led him down this path of serving God.
“Many years ago, when I was a young man, for some reason I prayed a fair amount and asked for guidance from God,” said Archbishop Chatlain. “I did ask God to help me find what kind of work he wanted me to do. It took quite a while before I got an answer. I was a bit reluctant at first because I thought I wanted a wife and family, with a regular job. There was a very strong and persistent call from God to give it a try.

SVRSS students displayed their abilities in their field of choice during the Skills Manitoba competition held on April 10 in Winnipeg, with four out of the 10 students from the Swan Valley coming back with medals...

At the annual general meeting held April 16 via webcast conference, Fusion Credit Union announced a $1.26 million return to members in the form of patronage allocations and cash pay-outs to select members.
“Our members are at the heart of everything we do,” said Fustion CEO Darwin Johns,. “This return is more than just numbers – it’s a reflection of our commitment to helping our members and our communities thrive.”
Learn more in this week’s issue.

Fresh off winning the Keystone Junior Hockey League (KJHL) Cup, the OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team headed to Alberta last weekend to compete in the 2025 Central Canada Cup. This season has been a challenging one for the OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team, however, all the obstacles helped make them a more versatile team this season.
“This season, like most teams, we had a lot of ups and downs,” said OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team Coach Ethan Constant. “This year we dealt with a lot of injuries, and our players had commitments with either school or work, so a lot of games we didn’t have a full roster. It was kind of tough to compete this year, especially with the teams being so competitive this year.

Students from The Pas recently came back from their exchange trip to France. It was an experience they were looking forward to and provided a world of memories and experiences they will never forget.
“There were 16 students with the majority from the high school and a few from the middle school,” said Chris Afatsawo. “We left The Pas on March 26.”
The students took in many of the sights and wonders in France. There were lots to see and do, and the cultural experiences were nothing like they had experienced before.