The first five months of 2025 proved to be a little busier for Dauphin Fire Department (DFD) than the same time frame in 2024, fire chief Cam Abrey told Dauphin city council at its regular meeting May 26.

Abrey said this year,  DFD has responded to 97 incidents as of May 22, an increase of 17 calls over 2024.

Abrey said the increase was due to motor vehicle collision calls doubling year-over-year and a busier spring with wildfire calls.

“Outdoor fires were exponentially raised, because it was a bit of a drier spring this year and there were a few fires that were getting away out in the RM,” Abrey said, adding there have also been three mutual aid calls in 2025 compared to one last year.

“A couple of large ones in Gilbert Plains that we went out and assisted with. But they have been here assisting us, as well. So we’re scratching each other’s backs lately this spring.”

There have been nine structure fires this year, which Abrey said is on the high side. Three of those fires in January and one in April are attributed to individuals squatting in detached garages.

Two of the nine fires are considered suspicious in nature. One was in a home in January, Abrey said, and the other was the announcer’s booth at the grass ring near Rotary Arena in February. The remaining structure fires were accidental in nature, he added.

In other areas, EMS lift assists are being monitored to determine the impact on DFD’s operations.

When it comes to covering two separate municipalities, Abrey said 13 of DFD’s responses have been to the RM of Dauphin, totalling 379 personnel hours, while 81 calls have been City and motor vehicle incidents totaling 1,352 hours. The three mutual aid calls have resulted in 88 personnel hours.

Those statistics can change quickly, Abrey added.

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

Midwest Karate The Pas has shown that hard work and dedicated training lead to success. Students in the club attended the JKA National Championship in Winnipeg, where they came home with several medals. The tournament is held annually in the spring and tests the athletes’ ability in both kata (patterns) and kumite (sparring).
"Our students did exceptionally well. I am always proud when they take part in a tournament as it can be challenging," said The Pas Head Instructor Sensei Jodie Kuhl. "Our athletes did bring home a number of medals, which is fantastic. I'm also very proud as an instructor and coach, regardless of the medals. The students work hard and put themselves into competition, not knowing how it will go. It takes a lot of nerve to compete at the national level. Each athlete who attended made our club proud."

The Northern Manitoba Blizzard are in the market for a new head coach and a new assistant coach, which of course means that Blizzard Head Coach Eric Labrosse and Assistant Coach P.A. Deslaurier are moving on to pursue other opportunities.
The announcement came on May 24, just days after the Blizzard had competed in the Centennial Cup in Calgary.
Though it may come as a stunner to fans, it probably shouldn’t. Labrosse guided two young teams to a pair of outstanding seasons – making it to the MJHL final four last season, and winning it all this season.
It’s not public where either Labrosse or Deslaurier will end up for the coming year, and that won’t be known until early June.
The Blizzard owners wished both men the best, praising them for their efforts over two seasons in an announcement on their website.
“Two years ago they came to the club, in the middle of the team negotiating a new venue service agreement, a complete organizational restructure, and a fresh rebuild. Through all the challenges, they were able to take the club into Game 7 of the semifinals of the Turnbull Cup Playoffs in 23/24, then a League Championship and Centennial Cup birth in 24/25.

The United Church of Canada is celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year. The United Church was inaugurated on June 10, 1925, in Toronto when the Methodist Church Canada, the Congregational Union of Canada and 70 percent of the Presbyterian Church in Canada entered into a union.
“This is the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada,” said Linda Buchanan. “What is interesting about the United Church of Canada is that it’s the only one that is enshrined as an act of parliament within the Canadian government and law. It was formed in 1925, with the Methodists, two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Canada and the Congregationalists coming together and forming the United Church of Canada. They wrote the Act of the United Church.

Dufresne Swan River is celebrating a milestone anniversary, having been in business in the Valley for 25 years. Store Principal Dee Palsson started the business up after transitioning a family business into the Dufresne line.
“I worked with my stepfather, Gordon Shaver, and he decided to retire,” said Palsson. “He ran a mom-and-pop kind of store, Currie Furniture. When it came time for me to decide to invest in that franchise, I knew I had to think outside the box, because as far as buying power, I knew we would need a little more lift. We talked to the President of Sealy, and he put us in contact with Mark Dufresne, because he thought it would be a good fit.
“I went to meet with Mark in Winnipeg and liked how he presented himself. He was personable, family-oriented and that made me feel comfortable. It didn’t feel like a big corporate store. I came back to Swan River and decided to partner with him.
“We held a sell-off from January to April, then did our renovations in May and opened up in June, and here we are,” said Palsson.
When it comes to helping customers find the perfect furniture for their home or a good quality bed to sleep in, Palsson prides her staff and herself on the efforts they put into helping the customer make the right choice. Although times have changed and some trends have too, today’s customer has a lot more options when it comes to buying furniture and appliances.
“I’ve been doing this for many years and I’ve found that you have to listen to what people want and guide them as best you can,” said Palsson. “Sometimes customers have an idea of what they think they want, and it’s our job to help them make the best decision when it comes to choosing furniture based on a variety of factors such as their flooring, colour of walls and what else is in their home. Because, at the end of the day, we want them to be happy with their purchase and make it a part of their home. Also, when people go into a guest’s home and they ask where they got it from, we want them to know it came from Dufresne.
“Back in the day, people went with white appliances, and now we see the demand for stainless steel and coloured panels. There are just so many options now. With a customer order program through our Canadian suppliers, we can order almost anything our customers want. We have a lot of selections of sofas to choose from.
“Even in our bedding area has grown over the years,” said Palsson. “Customers have come to realize how important a good night’s sleep is, so people are investing more in quality beds, whereas back in the day, people just bought a bed. Now, we have a Sleep Centre and we are all certified sleep experts, and we have to be to sell a bed with Dufresne. There is a training program our staff completes and it helps us to fit a customer to a bed. It’s no longer how many coils are in the mattress anymore, but it’s based on getting the customer in the right type of bed, whether it’s firm, soft, or medium. Buying a bed is a huge decision and is more of a need than a want.”
Palsson knew that in order to succeed in business, she would have to grow the business by expanding her customer area. She was instrumental in thinking outside the box and found ways to bring products to markets that had very limited options.
“We have a 5,000 trading area with Swan River as the hub,” said Palsson. “We always must be creative because to be profitable, we can’t just do deliveries in our area. I first started up in 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, we went to The Pas with trailers. We would set up in Opaskwayak Cree Nation and sell furniture.
“A lot of the elders don’t travel, and as we went up there, Dufresne got known. Our business grew from that and to this day, our trucks go up there regularly. We’ve gone into Saskatchewan and delivered as far as Yorkton. Then on the other side, we go as far as Winnipegosis. This has all been through getting our name out there and word of mouth. We had to get to know our customers because we don’t get the traffic like the big city stores do and as a result, we had to build strong relationships with our customers to earn their trust and have them keep coming back.
“The other part that helps the business is that we offer servicing here,” said Palsson. “Dean Henderson does all our service and has done it since we opened. The big box stores aren’t like that. Most customers have to send stuff away to be fixed or call a 1-800 number. Here at Dufresne, our customers call us and we look after them. That has been a huge advantage for us.”
Owning and operating a business in a rural northern community, Palsson knows the importance of developing and maintaining a strong relationship and trust with customers. With big box store competitors and less populated areas to serve, she has prided herself on establishing loyal returning customers and that has led to her success in business.
“We put a great emphasis on acknowledging the customer when they come into the store,” said Palsson. “My staff have all been trained to greet customers within the first couple of minutes. I base this on my own experience as a customer. I know if I go into a business and I’m not greeted right away, it just doesn’t feel right.
“Customers tend to go online to see what is available for options and I find are more educated about the products as a result of that. We never saw that before. After spending 25 years here, I find that every day is different and as staff, we have to grow. The consumer now is coming into the store knowing the product details, which means staff have to know it as well. If we don’t know all the specs on something, then we look into it for the customer.”
When it comes to finding the perfect staff, Palsson has been successful in recruiting and retaining employees. Many of her former employees got their start working for her at Dufresne before finding their career path. She has always treated her staff like family and still has strong personal relationships with many of her former staff.
“Over the years, I’ve had excellent staff,” said Palsson. “I’ve had some leave to try other things and then come back to work here. Others have stayed for several years before moving on to another career. People stayed because I treated my staff with respect and like family. It’s very much family-oriented here, because we all know each other’s family, kids, and have spent time together outside of the workplace. I still keep in contact on some level with the majority of my former staff. We’ve formed friendships that have continued long after their time here at Dufresne.
“One former employee who was instrumental in helping me develop the business was Lloyd Barabash. When we came over from Curries, we had to lay off staff and rehire. In that process, we hired Lloyd and he worked here for over 10 years. He was like my rock. I was around 34 years old at the time I started this business, and he gave me a lot of inspiration and guided me through things. He was wonderful to have as part of the team and his presence here is still missed. He still comes in and talks to us, and that is great.”
With this 25-year anniversary, Palsson is looking toward the future of Dufresne and finding a succession plan before she retires.
“Being a store principal, I’ve reached a point where I know I have to think about the future,” said Palsson. “I’m not ready to retire right now, and I plan to stay for a few years. In that time, I would like to find a successor. Someone I can work with to help grow the business and then take over.
“Dufresne has implemented a program with their store managers that is modelled after our store, which I’m very proud of. They hire a manager and depending on how they do, they are offered an opportunity to become a store principal. This allows them to have a financial stake in the business, instead of trying to buy into a franchise. I’ve always had a stake in the business and found it made me work that much harder over the years. It helped me to make this my store and do all the local community things I was able to do while in business.
“Every day is different, and I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed the people I have met through the store,” said Palsson.

Residents of the Swan Valley have been stepping up to assist the surge of northern visitors from Flin Flon and other regions in northern Manitoba currently under mandated evacuation as forest fires threaten settled areas...

Over the last few years, the Prairie Classic Walleye Tournament has been somewhat of a kick off to summer as anglers from all over Manitoba and Saskatchewan head to Lake of the Prairies to look for those winning walleye.
Last fall, it was announced that Kickerfish, a media company specializing in organizing kayak angling tournaments and fishing shows in central Canada would be taking over the Prairie Classic while retaining the helping hands of members of the Russell Lions Club.
Details in this week’s Review.

Tri-Community Pride is getting ready for its biggest event of the year, the annual Tri-Community Pride Parade and Festival. The event takes place on June 7 and welcomes everyone to attend and be a part of the celebrations.
“This is going to be our fourth annual Tri-Community Pride Parade and Festival,” said Tri-Community Pride Member Derrick (Nadia) Sanderson. “Since we started, we’ve almost seen a doubling in size, in terms of the number of floats and people walking. We've seen a really good turnout for the pre-parade, parade, festival and market. We’re happy to see the amount of people taking part in all of that.

The Opasquia Trails has faced some unforeseen hardships after completing some improvements to the trail system. The spring conditions led to some damage being done to the observation platform when the ice melted and moved towards the shoreline.
“The damage was actually done to the original platform in the Kelsey Watershed District office parking lot, at the head of the boardwalk on April 29 around 1 p.m.,” said Opasquia Trails Board Member Megan Molin. “Considerable damage was done to the observation platform when it was pushed off its supports and moved further inland a few meters.

There have been rumblings about cuts to Indigenous services, particularly Jordan’s Principle funding, but nothing official was released. Instead, many school divisions and organizations that were assisting Indigenous youth who are living out of their First Nation communities lost Jordan’s Principle funding to help those who needed services.
The story of how Jordan’s Principle was formed was in honour of Jordan River Anderson, a young Indigenous child from Norway House Cree First Nation. He was born with a rare medical condition that required him to be hospitalized for the first years of his life. He remained in the hospital long after the medical team recommended he be discharged because neither the provincial nor federal government would take responsibility for funding his out-of-home care.