Fielding an inexperienced lineup, the Dauphin Clippers White boys rugby team won its first game of the Westman High School Rugby season, beating the Vincent Massey Vikings, 31-10, last Wednesday.
Ivan Vrasko led the way with three tries for Dauphin, while Body Kaminski and Garrett Urichen had singles. Vrasko also had three converts.
Clippers coach Henk DuPlessis noted 90 per cent of the team never played 15s rugby before.
“And I saw a lot of heart out there today. These boys, mostly Grade 9 and 10 boys played against these Grade 11 and 12 boys and the score speaks for itself,” he said.
The Clippers gained the momentum right away, scoring within the first two or three minutes of the game.
“That was one thing we told the guys. We need to get the first points on the board and that’s what happened. And I think that got them going,” DuPlessis said.
The JV team will have a busy week ahead with three games, starting tonight when they host the Crocus Plains Plainsmen in a game rescheduled from Apr. 23. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
Dauphin then hits the road for a game in Souris on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., and then face the Dauphin Green varsity squad, Saturday at 2 p.m.
The team’s conditioning will be put to the test with the busy schedule.
“We told the boys they’re going to need to do it themselves. We only practice twice a week, so I hope the boys put it in to get into shape. But we’ve got a small squad, so we can only hope for the best,” DuPlessis said.
The Clippers girls ended the regular season with a 51-5 win over Souris on Thursday.
Kiersten Vandekerckhove and Paityn Bourgouin had two tries each, with Bella Williams, Alina Genik, Desiree Lariviere, Mila Heschuk and Halie Garlinski adding singles. Vandekerckhove also had three converts.
The Clippers finish the regular season 4-0, scoring 350 points, while only allowing 10 against.
Clippers coach Shawn Sarkonak and his staff had this date circled since the schedule was released.
“They’re a well-coached team. They’ve got some really good players. And they gave us a run for our money,” he said.
“I think our girls were surprised in the beginning. You can’t blame the weather, because both teams were playing in it.”
Given the team’s success over the last few years, Sarkonak said it is easy to get complacent at times.
“And the last few games have actually proven that to us. But the girls were able to flip the switch and come together and come out with the win,” he said.
The Clippers will now wait to find out who they play in the semifinals scheduled for May 26 and 27. The season ends this week, with games, Thursday and Friday.
The Clippers Green varsity team beat Souris, 35-17 to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Julien Lopez had three tries, Ben Miner and Josh Yakielashek had one each and Jordan Evans had four converts, while Colten Miner had one.
Coach Aaron Miner was not pleased with the team’s play.
“Souris brings out the worst in us. We knew the game plan going in. We were too anxious, too nervous. We didn’t play our game,” he said.
“Tackles weren’t executed. We knew their routes. We knew where they were coming from and we just couldn’t put it all together. Nerves were just too high.”
While pleased with the win, Miner recognizes that if they play that way against a stronger team, the Clippers wouldn’t stand a chance.
“We can’t continue to play like that and expect to compete against the prep schools,” he said.
Miner hopes the Clippers can get their game a little tighter when they face the JV team.
“I think we’re going to try and use this game as a learning experience for both sides and try to incorporate some of our set plays and have the other teams try to defend against it,” he said.
“We know each other’s plays and we’ll have a good time with it. We hope to have some fun with that game.”

New ownership of a pre-existing community business is celebrating its first anniversary in business. Dylan Funk and Shauna Ponask, owners and operators of the Wanless General Store, are celebrating their first year in business. Funk and Ponask had a vision of continuing the store in the community and growing it into something more.
“We took over the store in Wanless and began operating as the Wanless General Store officially on May 1, 2025,” said Ponask. “This wouldn't have been possible without the financial support and business guidance from previous owners Kelvin and Lori Dionne. Their belief in our potential to continue a local family-run business at this location was integral for this transition to occur.

Approximately 50 people attended a public meeting discussing the urban reserve proposed by Gambler First Nation and the federal government encompassing the property at 447-459 Main St. N. - commonly known as the offices of Gambler First Nation, The Russell Banner and Canada Post. The following questions were presented to Gambler First Nation and the Municipality of Russell Binscarth:
What is the dispute-resolution process if the municipality and First Nation disagree on issues like bylaws or services later?
Article 13 of the proposed Municipal Services Agreement (MSA) outlines a clear, step-by-step dispute resolution process. First, both parties agree to attempt to resolve issues through good-faith negotiations between appointed representatives within 30 days. If unresolved, the matter goes to a jointly selected mediator. If mediation fails after 60 days, disputes specifically concerning financial provisions or service standards are referred to binding arbitration in accordance with The Arbitration Act of Manitoba, ensuring a final and legally binding decision for both parties.
• How often will the service agreement be reviewed and updated, and who initiates those reviews?
The current draft states that the agreement remains in effect as long as the lands retain their reserve status. Any changes or amendments to the agreement must be made in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both governments. Any party to the agreement may initiate changes to the agreement.
Economic Impacts
• How will the municipality be compensated for lost property tax revenue on the urban reserve land?
Under Article 9 of the MSA, Gambler First Nation commits to paying an annual "General Service Charge". This charge will be calculated as a negotiated percentage of the municipal tax levy that would have applied if the property were taxable, based on the property's assessed value determined by the provincial assessment authority. This ensures guaranteed, annual revenue for the municipality.
• What protections exist to prevent unfair competition for local businesses due to tax exemptions on the reserve?
By law, First Nation businesses located on an urban reserve are required to collect provincial and federal sales taxes. The only exception is for registered Status Indians, who are exempt from sales tax when purchasing goods and services on reserve land. For all other residents and visitors of Russell-Binscarth, the prices and taxes will be the exact same as at any other local store, ensuring a level playing field and fair competition. To further reassure local businesses, please note that we do not plan to open high-traffic retail operations such as convenience stores or gas stations on this site. The property will continue to be used exclusively for First Nation administrative offices and to accommodate our existing tenants. The property will be subject to Gambler First Nation's Land Laws, which currently prioritize administrative and professional tenant use for this specific location.
• Are there community benefits or joint initiatives planned, such as job training or infrastructure upgrades for Russell-Binscarth?
Our core vision is that a successful reserve builds a successful region. The integration of this property will bring new investment, customers, and economic activity to Main Street. Urban reserves historically create employment opportunities for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and contribute to the revitalization of host municipalities. Furthermore, First Nations periodically have access to additional external funding for joint community initiatives, infrastructure, and training programs. However, these specific funding opportunities and programs will only become accessible once the property officially achieves full reserve status.
Services and Infrastructure
• Who will cover the costs of municipal services like water, fire protection,
waste management, and roads for the reserve?
Gambler First Nation covers these costs fully. It is important to note that the First Nation, through its current corporate ownership of the property, is already paying for all utilities (including water, sewer, natural gas, and electricity) just like any other business on Main Street. Under the proposed agreement, this seamless payment will continue. Specific utilities, such as water supply and wastewater collection, will continue to be billed at 100% of the standard user rates. Furthermore, general services—such as fire protection, policing, solid waste collection, and adjacent road maintenance (including snow removal)—will be fully covered by the annual General Service Charge.
• How will bylaw differences (e.g., zoning, noise, building codes) be handled between the municipality and the First Nation?
Safety and compatibility are legally bound in the agreement. Under Article 7.1, Gambler First Nation legally commits to meeting or exceeding the National Building Code of Canada and the National Fire Code of A. Regarding zoning, Article 6.1 explicitly requires that any land use and future development by the First Nation be generally compatible with the existing adjacent land uses on Main Street.
Agreement Details
• What specific benefits does this create for the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth and its ratepayers?
The agreement guarantees long-term financial certainty without burdening other taxpayers. It provides clear rules for the coming decades, outlines a solid framework for service payments and dispute resolution, and paves the way for further investment on Main Street. Furthermore, GFN assumes full responsibility for the maintenance of all internal infrastructure on the property.
• What are the municipality’s main concerns, and how are they being addressed in the agreement?
Through public consultation, we have heard concerns about potential tax losses, which are addressed by the guaranteed General Service Charge and full utility payments. Concerns about downtown zoning and safety are addressed by our commitment to National Building Codes and land-use compatibility.
The entire document is currently a proposed framework. We are actively in the public consultation phase, which is a key step before approval. Specifically, the exact percentage for the General Service Charge is still being negotiated with the Municipality, and the Municipal Council is currently reviewing legal notes on the draft.
• What metrics or conditions would define this proposal as successful for both governments and residents long-term?
Success is defined by true partnership and integration. A successful urban reserve will act as an economic engine, creating jobs and expanded services for everyone in the Russell region. A continued, respectful government-to-government relationship that provides certainty and economic growth for decades to come is the ultimate measure of success.
• Who would be responsible for policing of the proposed urban reserve?
According to Schedule B of the proposed agreement, Policing Services are listed as a "General Service". This means policing will continue to be provided by the local policing authority currently serving the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth, and the costs for this service are covered under the annual General Service Charge paid by Gambler First Nation.
In the event that leadership changes happen for either parties, the municipal service agreement stands, and both parties would have to agree to an amendment.

The Dauphin Clippers rugby teams continue to run roughshod over their opponents in Westman High School Rugby.
Desiree Lariviere and Paityn Bourgouin each scored four tries to lead the Clippers girls to an 111-0 win over the Vincent Massey Vikings, Thursday in Brandon.
Jorja Percival, McKenzie Kropelnicki and Alina Genik had two tries each and Ryann Richard-Soltis, Kiersten Vandekerckhove and Mila Heschuk had one each.
Vandekerckhove had 13 converts.
Clippers coach Shawn Sarkonak said the Clippers started out a bit slow as the Vikings kept them out of the end zone for the first seven or eight minutes of the game.
“I wouldn’t say the girls came out flat, but I think they came out underestimating Massey a little bit. Once they realized, ‘okay, we’ve got to start pushing harder here and supporting,’ they just kind of flipped the switch and the score ended up being what it was. They played their hearts out after that,” he said.
The Clippers continued its balanced scoring attack with eight different players finding the end zone, something the coaching staff has been preaching all year.
“There’s no individuals out here. This is a team game and you win or you lose as a team. We’re telling the girls when the score gets a little bit up there or out of reach for the other team, we always remind them that if you start playing as an individual, you’re going to come off,” Sarkonak said.
The Clippers, Sarkonak said, will work on its support, making sure they are at rucks in time.
“Massey did a good job or stealing a few balls from us and counter-rucking. I think that actually surprised our girls. They’re usually the ones that do that themselves and so once that switch was flipped, the ball was being moved nicely,” he said.
“They were digging hard gaps, supporting, working on offloads. And that was the big thing in the second half that they worked on, was just support. Running with each other, being there for each other. In the first half they got caught watching, thinking that when someone got a good line break, they were going to get in and score.”
The Clippers will host the Souris Sabres, Thursday at 5:30 p.m., a game Sarkonak expects could be Dauphin’s toughest game in what will be the final game of the regular season.
“We always have good games against Souris. They’ve got a good coach there, a good youth program. Right now, they’ve got a roster of 14, so if they don’t find a 15th, then we’ll be matching that for the last game of the season,” he said, adding if that were the case in the playoffs, Souris would have to play a man down.
The Clippers boys Green, meanwhile, beat the Vikings 66-0.
Alex Thompson led the way with three tries and Ben Miner had two, with Julien Lopez, Parker Schau Ryzlie Nepinak, Jaime Comacho and Josh Yakielashek adding singles.
Jordan Evans had eight converts.
While they played well in the win, Clippers coach Aaron Miner said there is still plenty to work on.
“There were pieces of the game that were taken for granted, because we were playing a smaller team,” he said.
“If we make it to provincials, playing a Winnipeg team will not be like this. They’ll have a lot more size and structure than these smaller teams that the Westman league has this year.”
Miner noted both the varsity and junior varsity teams have good size and are facing younger teams in the league.
“The league is very young this year, with the exception of our varsity team. So we’re going to have to work on a few things if we want to be successful at the provincial level,” he said.
Like the Clippers girls, the boys Green team will host Souris, Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Miner expects the Clippers to be at their best against the Sabres.
“We have a healthy rivalry against Souris and we always enjoy playing them very hard and that’s the expectation,” he said.
“It’s our first home game, so the boys will want to put on a performance for, hopefully, a big crowd. We love playing Souris. It brings out the best and the worst in us and I think that will happen once again this year.”

They entered nationals ranked 73rd in the country and 13th among Manitoba teams.
By the end of the tournament, the Parkland Vipers 14U girls volleyball team had moved up to the 58th spot overall and finished 10th among Manitoba squads.
The Vipers got off to a slow start against Thunder White from Alberta, losing 13-25, 25-23 and 14-16.
Parkland rebounded with a 9-25, 25-18 and 15-13 win over Rain City Rush from British Columbia.
The Vipers then beat Powerwest Volleyball Club, 25-14 and 25-21, which put them in a three-way tie for first place in their pool, with the extra set victory putting them in first place.
On day two, the Vipers picked up where they left off, scoring a 25-10, 23-25 and 15-10 win over the Rhinos Volleyball Club from Alberta.
Vipers coach Taylor Schmidt noted the Vipers were down 20-11 in the second set and almost completed the comeback, but carried that momentum into the third set.
Parkland then dropped a 19-25 and 14-25 decision to the Prince George Kodiaks and lost 22-25 and 19-25 to SPVC of Grande Prairie, Alta.
From there, teams were placed in eight-team tiers in a single elimination format for day three of nationals.
The Vipers opened day three with a 25-20 and 25-20 win over JCVC Red from Saskatchewan, then faced another Manitoba team, Skyline Selects, winning that match, 27-25 and 25-13.
In the Tier 8 final, the Vipers ran out of gas in a 14-25 and 11-25 loss to B.C.’s Seaside Volleyball Club Surf.
Schmidt said the goal was to make sure they were competing in every game and put themselves in a position to move up a tier.
“That was our goal on day one,” he said.
“The Vipers, they really played well the whole weekend. After finishing first in our pool on the first day and winning that first game on Saturday really set us up to have a chance at a medal on Sunday.”
On Sunday, Schmidt said the Vipers played some of their best volleyball of the season.
“And we won our game in the morning. And then, unfortunately, we had to line up against another Manitoba team in the semifinals. We were down, 24-21, in the first set and we were able to come back and win that first set and set us up for a final against a tough Seaside team from B.C.,” he added.
Increasing their national ranking and winning a silver medal was a nice way to end the season for the Vipers.
“All the way back to the beginning of the season, I laid out the goal and the challenge for the girls and the team to improve as individuals and to improve throughout the entire season. And where we started and ended up finishing, the girls did that.”
That was proven by the Manitoba rankings after nationals which saw the Vipers finish 10th among Manitoba teams.
“It was a great season,” Schmidt said.

Everything is set for a celebration of learning at Dauphin’s annual graduation powwow, May 21, at Selo Ukraina.
Niigaani Miikana - The Road Forward - Graduation Powwow is about celebrating all people no matter where they are in their life’s journey, said Carole Shankaruk, co-ordinator of Indigenous Education at Mountain View School Division.
“It’s not just focussed solely on Grade 12s and postsecondary students, it’s focussed on all of us on our life journey in transitional moments,” she said.
“This year our focus is around this concept of the road forward. So we’ll start with the Head Start students that are coming into our Kindergartens and then our Kindergarteners coming into Grade 1. Then we’ll focus on our elementary students coming into the Mackenzie middle years, then our Grade 8s coming into the high school and then our high school and post-secondary coming into the workforce.”
Organized in conjunction with Assiniboine College, Dauphin Friendship Centre and Dauphin’s Countryfest, Shankaruk said the goal was to organize a community event and everything is coming together beyond her expectations.
Artisans and other vendors, food trucks, entertainer and community organizations, such as Prairie Mountain Health, Kids Help Phone, MMF, Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth and Service Canada are all confirmed.
“We reached out and the community is really responding. We have almost 2,000 people registered to date. We also know that there will be lots of people who attend who aren’t registering, so we know that number is going to be higher,” Shankaruk said,
“So, it's going to be an amazing community event.”
On top of the powwow dancing and drum groups, there will also be cultural workshops, crafting activities and entertainment.
“It’s fluid. Let’s say a teacher has a class of Grade 2s and they’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. They can take some quiet time in the hall where they could do some beading work or they could make their own personal talking stick. Or we have storytelling going on there,” Shankaruk said.
“People don’t have to sign up. They can just come and go as it works in their schedule.”
The day gets underway at 9 a.m. and runs to 3 p.m., with a traditional feast planned for lunch.
Transportation will also be provided for those who need it. Pickups are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Dauphin Friendship Centre and 9:45 a.m. at Dauphin Marketplace Mall.
Shankaruk hopes people make an effort to attend as the time is right to celebrate community.
“Coming out of the pandemic, there’s been lots of challenges for people and our youth. We know that a lot of people are struggling with mental health,” she said.
“As a community we need to we need to come together and this is a perfect time and event.
“It totally is about being together.”

With just a couple of months until the 2026 edition of Dauphin’s Countryfest, organizers have launched a new promotion to put more people in the stands.
The Two Step and Stay program is offering a free campsite in the Fisher regular campground for anyone purchasing two general admission weekend passes for the regular price of $738 plus fees and taxes.
The promotion, Countryfest president Duane McMaster said, is about topping up an already fantastic crowd.
“Ticket sales have been good. We’ve sold more than twice as many as we did last year, the most sales we’ve had post covid. So things are moving along, but we still have tickets to sell,” McMaster said.
“Right now we’re looking at maybe 7,500 to 8,000 people there each day and we’re still selling tickets. I’d like to see it full again.”
Given the resources put into the lineup, this year the board opted to offer only weekend passes over single day admission. At this point, that is still the plan, McMaster said.
“We always want people to come for the weekend, right. We don’t want it to be about one day. We want people to come and enjoy the event for the entire weekend,” he said, adding the board will meet later this month to re-evaluate the situation.
“We don’t want to, but if it becomes a necessity, we will. But we want to have a weekend event, we’ve always wanted that.”
With everyone talking about Saturday headliner Jelly Roll, one of the hottest acts in music right now, people are forgetting about the entertainment available throughout the rest of the weekend, McMaster said.
“Everybody's really excited about Jelly Roll, but we have good entertainment on every night, Nate Smith, Tyler Hubbard. We have Brett Kissel, Blackhawk, we’ve got a lot of really good names,” McMaster said.
“We want people to come see the whole event. We don’t want it to just be a Jelly Roll concert with camping.”
While competition for entertainment dollars is tight, McMaster believes Countryfest rises above other options in not only quality of entertainment, but also in convenience and overall experience.
“The thing about Countryfest is you can pull in there on Thursday and park and you don’t have to move again until Monday. You can stay there and enjoy the entire weekend. There’s food vendors there, you’ve got your camping, you’ve got showers, you’ve got ice. Everything you need is there,” he said.
“We’ve got an incredible lineup. We have, in my opinion, the best site for an outdoor event, an outdoor music event, in Western Canada for sure, and probably in Canada overall. There’s not a bad seat in the house. We’re on the edge of a national park. It’s just beautiful, and we’ve got everything you need.”
McMaster said the volunteer board works hard to create an event worthy of people spending their hard earned money on and he believes they have achieved that goal.
“We have great value for money in my opinion. I know it’s not just the price of the ticket, but we figured it out. I think it was last year that the price of a weekend pass worked out to $6 a band. I don’t know if that’s the same this year, but it will be pretty close to that,” he said.
“I think we’ve got a great lineup. I think we’ve got a great venue. We just need people to come out and support us and keep us around. We do an awful lot of good in the community. We bring a lot of business and a lot of economic impact to Dauphin. That’s something that we need to keep supporting here.”
For those wanting to get in on the Two Step and Stay promotion, tickets are available on Ticketmaster.

The Benito Vesselli Dance Club held their Annual Spring Concert last Saturday (May 9), at the Benito School Gymnasium. A large crowd was entertained by over 30 performers, dancing to a total of 37 acts. (Pictured) The trio of Carli Barker, Camila Lyons and Treden Long perform their rendition of the Poltava.

The Petro-Canada C-store owned by Sapotaweyak Cree Nation in Swan River started a bit of a fill-up frenzy last Friday (May 8) when they decided to drop their price for Regular gasoline down to 150.9c/L for four hours in the middle of the day. Drivers took full advantage of the 35c/L or more discount by lining up down the block to top up their tanks. Pictured here, Danny Chartrand pumps fuel into the vehicle of one of the patient patrons.

Dear Editor of the Russell Banner,

I am writing to express serious concern regarding the recently approved development of a gravel pit in the vicinity of our cabin community, Cottage Cove. This area, which serves as a ski destination in the winter and pristine walleye fishing lake in the summer, is not only an environmental asset but also a cornerstone of leisure, tourism, and local economic activity. The decision to introduce an industrial operation into such a setting raises significant long-term concerns that deserve reconsideration.
First and foremost, the environmental impact of a gravel pit in this location cannot be overstated. The extraction process will inevitably disrupt natural landscape, contribute to continued deforestation, and increase risk of soil erosion. More critically, it threatens the health of the nearby lake ecosystem. Sediment runoff, fuel spills, and airborne particles could degrade water quality, directly impacting fish populations- particularly walleye, which are highly sensitive to habitat changes. Once this balance is disturbed, it may take decades to recover, if recovery is even possible.
Equally concerning is the effect on air quality and noise levels. Gravel pits generate continuous dust and heavy machinery noise, fundamentally altering what is currently a quiet, natural retreat. This will diminish the experience for cabin owners, seasonal visitors, and tourists who come specifically for peace, outdoor recreation, and connection to nature. The transformation from a tranquil environment to an industrial zone is not a minor inconvenience – it is a complete redefinition of the area’s character.
There is also a clear economic contradiction in this development. While a gravel pit may provide short-term industrial gain, it risks long-term economic damage by reducing property values in the surrounding area. Cabin owners have invested significantly in their properties based on the understanding of a stable, recreational environment. The introduction of an industrial site nearby undermines that investment, potentially leading to financial losses and decreased desirability for future buyers. Additionally, tourism – driven by fishing, camping, boating, and winter sports – will likely decline, affecting local businesses that rely on seasonal visitors.
Beyond economics, there is an important social and lifestyle consideration. This area is more than land – it is a place where families gather, traditions are built, and people disconnect from urban stress. As a high school teacher in Winnipeg, the tranquil setting I have been used to coming home to for over 40 years has improved the quality of both my personal and professional lifestyle. The values of these experiences cannot be easily quantified, but it is undeniably real. Approving industrial development in such a setting sends a message that these community and environmental values are secondary.
I urge you to reconsider or at a minimum re-evaluate this approval with a more comprehensive environmental and socio-economic impact assessment. Alternative locations for gravel extraction should be explored – areas that do not carry the same ecological sensitivity or community significance. Responsible development should not come at the cost of irreversible damage to cherished natural spaces.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope that the voices of those who value this area for its natural beauty, recreational importance, long-term sustainability and who have resided in this area for generations will be heard and taken seriously.
Sincerely,
Jon Witzke
Winnipeg, MB