Presenting Swan Valley Regional Secondary School’s Class of 2025!  Graduates celebrated their final year of high school on Friday (June 20) with ceremonies, a banquet and dance.

The saying used to be “Go West” to seek your fortune and opportunity. But if you’re already as far west as you can get, perhaps the saying is now “Go East”.
That’s what the Northern Manitoba Blizzard’s new head coach is doing. Coming off a championship season that saw their coaching staff depart for a new opportunity, the Blizzard have hired Ty Valin to lead what was a very young, but talented hockey club.
Valin has deep ties to hockey in Alberta and British Columbia, contacts and experience he hopes to parlay into a successful move to the MJHL. A native of Peace River, Alta., and Valin played his junior hockey with the Grande Prairie Storm and the Bow Valley Eagles of the AJHL, as well as the Vernon Vipers and Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL. He won a Centennial Cup in 1999 as a defenseman with the Vernon Vipers, proving he knows what it takes to win a championship. He also played college hockey at a pair of Alberta secondary schools before transitioning to coaching, last guiding the Fernie Ghostriders of the KIJHL two seasons ago.

Last week, The Pas’ Devon Park hosted the National Amateur Disc Golf Tour (NADGT) on June 7. Disc Golf is a new sport catching on and growing in many rural and northern Manitoba communities.
“Disc golf works just like regular golf in scoring and play etiquette,” said The Pas Devons Park Disc Golf President Mark Armitage. “The only difference is that you throw a hard plastic disc. At a metal basket on a course designed like a golf course. Players registered with the Professional Disc Golf Association will also get a rating for playing in a tournament.

Getting into Driver’s Education through MPI has posed a real challenge, as there have been long wait lists due to a lack of trained driving instructors. Opaskwayak Cree Nation woman, Nicole Tornquist, has taken the wheel and gotten into the driver’s seat by owning and starting her own business, Tornquist Driving School.
“I’m a First Nations woman from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, located on Traditional Treaty 5 Territory,” said Tornquist. “I’ve lived in The Pas my entire life, and from a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. This has always been my passion.

Swan River’s Kal Tire once again hosted their annual fundraising barbecue on Friday (June 13), with hundreds of meals being served to loyal patrons and community supporters looking to support a local cause while having a great meal. This year’s fundraising support went to the Heyes School Parent Advisory Committee, which is raising money for some outdoor playground upgrades...

The Sam Waller Museum is welcoming a new curator to be a part of the team in preserving the unique and collaborative history of the tri-community area. Catherine (Cate) Gilpin is originally from Ontario and has an extensive education in history. Combining that with her hobbies, she will be an excellent addition to the staff at the Sam Waller Museum.
“I grew up in a few different places around Southwestern Ontario,” said Gilpin. “I'm originally from Toronto but spent most of my childhood through to early adulthood around Milton and Kitchener-Waterloo, so I always tell people Milton is my hometown.

Close to 50 students graduated from Assiniboine College at its convocation ceremony, Friday afternoon.

Following a blessing by Elder Reg Nepinak, Parkland Campus director Carol Stewart gave some opening remarks, followed by greetings from AC president Mark Frison, as well as greetings from Kayla Gillis of the Assiniboine Alumni, welcoming the graduates to the association.

Abigail Worrall, one of 12 students from the Practical Nursing program, then gave her valedictorian speech, stating it was an honour for her to deliver the address.

Worrall began by stating she had applied on a whim for the Practical Nursing program two years ago and just three days before the program began.

On her first day, she said, she sat down in her seat and was immediately overwhelmed with imposter syndrome.

“I questioned myself. Do I belong here? Am I smart enough to fill this seat?” she said, adding she was sure every graduate in attendance entered their program of choice with the same questions and not knowing if they would succeed  and doubting their own capability.

Worrall noted she soon realized a valuable lesson that carried her through her journey.

“We are capable of so much more than we let ourselves believe. It is only when we let go of those toxic doubts, start to believe in ourselves and begin to see our full potential that we can truly thrive,” she said.

“Now look at us today, celebrating the remarkable achievement that is graduating.”

Suddenly, she added, those distant doubts feel so silly and meaningless. Graduation day, Worrall said, testifies to the hard work, dedication and sacrifices they all made.

“But today is also a testimony to how capable, intelligent and deserving we are of this success. We have worked irelessly to reach this milestone and now, here we are, at the threshold of a new chapter, ready to turn the page into the unknown of the real world,” she said.

Worrall noted during the first year of school, Minegoziibe Anishinabe (formerly known as Pine Creek First Nation), gifted the campus a sacred bison skull, a symbol of strength and resilience.

Elder Reg, she said, met with students to share its profound spiritual meaning.

“I can vividly recall his words as he spoke about the bison, how it charges straight into the storm, meeting it head on without hesitation,” she said, adding Elder Reg told students to be like a bison, to face every storm, every challenge and every hardship with courage, not to run from it, but to push through it.

His teachings, Worrall said, resonated with her, leaving a lasting impression, guiding her through every test, every sleepless night and every setback she encountered during her time at the college.

“As we now begin to transition into our careers, we undoubtedly will endure plenty more obstacles. Let us all carry this powerful lesson along with us, remembering the strength of the bison to confront whatever adversity we may face,” she said.

Worrall then directed her comments to those who taught them, stating none of the graduates would be where they are today without the guidance of the dedicated, inspirational and passionate instructors.

“They have been with us every step of the way, offering encouragement and support, uplifting us to be the best possible versions of ourselves. With unwavering patience, often answering the same question 10 times or more, their hard work and commitment do not go unnoticed,” she said, adding a heartfelt thank you to her instructors on behalf of the Practical Nursing program students.

“You have not only taught us the clinical skills required for the nursing profession, but also the compassion, empathy and resilience needed to thrive in this demanding field. Your devotion to our success has made a lasting impact and profoundly shaped our lives and nursing careers,” she said.

“We will deeply miss the classes, skills labs and practicums with you immensely. Your exceptional guidance in the Practical Nursing program has been invaluable and we owe our success to you.”

Worrall then turned her thoughts to the students’ families and friends, who, she said, were beaming with pride and probably a little relief that they were finally done with their education.

For the full story and list of grads, read this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

No parent should ever have to experience the loss of a child, yet tragically, so many have. Stuart and Bonnie Lang have lived through it. Their daughter, Payton, was born with a serious heart condition that led her to spend a lot of time in and out of hospitals during her life.
“Payton was our first child, so our experience in having her became normal to us,” said Lang. “Living in and out of the hospital, taking time off work to take her for surgery and to recover was part of our lives. I didn’t want to put her in daycare at first, because I was worried about the care and medications involved, and I didn’t feel comfortable putting that level of responsibility on someone else.
“Before Payton was born, we found out she was going to have a congenital heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. It impacted her from birth, as she had her first open heart surgery when she was not even a week old. Then she had a series of three open heart surgeries before the age of four and multiple heart catheterizations and other procedures at an early age.
“After her last corrective surgery, we saw cardiology every six months and then once a year, until she was about 12,” said Lang. “When she started having growth spurts, it was like the corrections and surgeries couldn’t keep up. Then she started experiencing severe heart failure. Children with the condition are considered to always be living with heart failure, even after the surgical corrections, because they take a four-chambered heart and make it into a two-chamber one. This causes the heart and circulation to work very differently from normal.
“She started having much lower oxygen saturation levels and that indicated her heart was not functioning as well as it should. One of her heart valves started leaking quite significantly, so she needed a valve replacement. This was very traumatic because of complications from the surgery Payton’s heart didn’t maintain a proper rhythm. A week later, she had to have a permanent pacemaker put in.
“After that, things continued to go downhill,” said Lang. “Payton wound up in liver failure, which caused her to have verocies, which are like aneurysms that happen along the esophageal tract. She would have internal bleeding from it. Around this time, we ran into Lee-Anne Campbell, we had grown up not far from each other in Minitonas.
“This led to being in and out of the hospital for a week at a time. They did several things to stop the verocies, but things were deteriorating very quickly. It was then decided she needed a heart transplant and we were sent to Edmonton for an assessment. We had to live there while she was being assessed.
“It was determined that Payton needed both her heart and liver transplanted. They decided to do them at the same time because they realized she wouldn’t be able to survive one transplant without the other. During that time, Payton and I moved to Edmonton, while Stuart and Kasey lived in Winnipeg. We had to be in Edmonton waiting and were told it could take up to three years for a transplant.
“I did all of her care out of the hospital, because I didn’t want her to be hospitalized for the three years. I learned how to do pic line dressings, changes for an ART line and all kinds of medical things. Payton had all her nutrition given to her through IV and I had to do that as well.”
Despite the hardships of the Lang family being apart while Payton was waiting for her transplants, they were still able to spend some quality time together. During the uncertainty and stress of the situation, the Langs found the Ronald McDonald House was a beacon of comfort in such a time of need.
“We were fortunate to be able to access the services of the Ronald McDonald House,” said Lang. “When Stuart and Kasey came to Edmonton, we went there and they had two rooms full of handmade blankets that people donated for children to have. Every child at the Ronald McDonald House, as well as their siblings, can go to that room and select a blanket for themselves.
“Payton chose a quilt and Kasey chose one similar to it. Those blankets brought so much joy to both of our girls and they each had something to treasure. After that, Payton used only that blanket and it was her favourite thing that brought her joy.”
The Langs’ hopes fell short after Payton’s transplant surgeries. They were faced with their worst fears happening and losing Payton.
“Payton then had her transplant and it was successful, but she ended up getting a fungus, and that was what cut her life short, not the transplant,” said Lang. “At the time Payton died, Kasey was eight years old and she didn’t understand all of the things that had happened. When the doctors told us Payton couldn’t survive and that we would have to have her disconnected from life support, we spent her final night all together in the hospital room. They set beds on each side of Payton’s hospital bed and we held her as she took her last breath. Our parents were with us as well.
“We had to drive home from Edmonton without Payton, and that was the longest drive home of our lives.
“Payton was a very unique spirit,” said Lang. “A lot of children who go through major illnesses and spend the majority of their lives in the hospital experience different challenges and circumstances than others. Payton was always a kind soul, no matter how rough things had gotten.
“She was often described as a collector of souls, meaning she found people and loved them. She was like that with people of all ages. A lot of her friends reach out to me and are still in our lives.”
The Langs wanted to keep the memory of Payton alive and looked back on things that made a real impact on them during this experience. The memory of the girls picking out blankets at the Ronald McDonald House and the comfort it gave them during those tough times inspired Payton’s Comforters.
“I have always wanted to do something in honour of Payton and celebrate her life,” said Lang. “I kept coming back to the different types of gifts she had received while in the hospital. There are lots of amazing people who do and give amazing things to kids in the hospital. It came to me that I could do something and find a group of like-minded people to help me create handmade blankets to donate.
“My goal was to have something set up like at the Ronald McDonald House, where every child could go in and choose a blanket, but I found out that the Children’s Hospital has 1,000 to 2,000 children that go through it every year. That was a huge undertaking and I knew it wouldn’t get to that right off the start.
“I got in contact with the Child Life Team through the Children’s Hospital and they were interested in giving out the blankets,” said Lang. “We started giving blankets out to those children who were sickest in the hospital, until we could get to a stage where every child would get a blanket.
“I started Payton’s Comforters back in 2023, and it started off being myself and some family members who made blankets. The first year, we donated a total of 20 blankets. In 2024, we formed a formal board and are now a registered CRA charity. In 2024, we donated our 100th blanket to the hospital.
“This year we set a goal to give another 100 blankets and before the end of May, we had donated another 100 blankets,” said Lang. “In total, we’ve donated 200 blankets now. That is something that makes me so happy. So many people have reached out to us on Facebook, and they support this cause.
“Everyone has some connection to a child who has needed to be hospitalized in Winnipeg. When children are there, those rooms are impersonal and they feel overwhelmed by the situation, and having something soft, personal and theirs can bring them comfort. That is why I called it Payton’s Comforters.
“Payton’s Comforters has a wish list out there for people to donate stuff such as material or supplies to make blankets,” said Lang. “They can make a blanket and reach out to us on Facebook to donate it or money. We greatly appreciate everyone who donates to this cause.”

On 15 Parkway Drive, Aniyah Strate (Left) and Rylee Webster (Right) set up a lemonade stand (June 6) to raise funds for the evacuees who fled their hometown’s to evade the wildfires in the northern region of Manitoba. The money raised would go towards ice cream coupons for those in need.

Roblin’s LEARN Centre hosted a special lunch hour on Wednesday to provide an update on its indoor growing project.
About 10 people took advantage of the opportunity to partake of locally-grown salad greens and to learn more.
Read all about it in this week’s issue.