A special day is planned to honour and remember those involved in a tragic bus crash near Carberry on the first anniversary of the accident, which left 17 people dead and eight others with significant injuries.
The event at CN Park is also being organized to unveil a memory bench provided by an anonymous donor dedicated to those killed in the accident and a monument which includes the names of all of the passengers and tells the story of that day.
“We’re going to have representation from the Province, the City, the RM of Dauphin and Ministerial Association. Then we’re going to have a tribute to the passengers and the first responders. Some of the first responders (involved in the aftermath of the crash) are coming. We have a lot coming and we’re going to honour them and then the unveiling of the monument,” said Theresa Rausch, whose mother Cathy Day died in hospital about a month after the accident.
Rausch was joined by Darlene Prytula, Lavonne Tyschinski, Patrick Furkalo and Dave Showdra - all of whom lost family members in the accident - in planning for the monument and the ceremony.
“We kind of started this, you started reaching out to each other. We got together and that’s our counseling sessions. We get together . . it was once a month, but now it’s once a week,” Rausch said.
“It’s so they’re not forgotten, to honour them.”
The monument was made possible through a grant from the province, funds raised by the Dauphin and District Community Foundation’s Support Our Seniors Fund, which was set up after the crash, contributions from the City and RM and the Dauphin Firefighters Association, as well as other donations from individuals and local businesses.
The monument was designed and manufactured by Repro Map in Dauphin, in consultation with the families of the victims, Rausch said.
The ceremony in CN Park gets underway at 2 p.m. sharp and will be followed by a tea at the Dauphin Active Living Centre, which will also offer a viewing opportunity of the event made possible by a live stream provided by Pathways Funeral Services.
The collision happened when the bus carrying Dauphin area residents to a casino near Carberry for the day was hit by a semi at the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Dashcam footage reviewed by police shows the semi had the right-of-way and information was sent to the Manitoba Prosecution Service earlier this year to determine if charges should be laid.
The accident also prompted a review of the intersection by the Manitoba government, which later earmarked $12 million to upgrade the infrastructure.
A report released in January provided three potential options on how the intersection could be improved. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2026.

Users at Dauphin Recreation Services will have noticed some damage done to the facilities at the Parkland Recreation Complex.
According to DRS general manager Ryan Vanderheyden, there had been a small leak over time.
“And so we were getting our roof done. And unfortunately things happened. The company that was working on there, some of the gravel clogged up the drain,” he said.
So when the area was hit by heavy snowfall and rain a couple of weeks ago, the water could not drain off the roof.
“So we were in the process of getting that fixed and then kind of a fluke accident that happens. We should be able to get everything covered through insurance and it will be a lot of work,” Vanderheyden said.
“It will benefit us to have everything fixed right.”
At this point, there is no number value to place on the damage as it is still being examined. But Vanderheyden said a lot of things got ripped out.
“If you are in the rec. center, you’ll see that anyway in the hallway from the curlers lounge to the Aspen Kitchen had damage to it. And even some of that damage, the water was flowing so much into the rec. center that there’s stuff in our first floor that got damaged, as well.”
As for how long it will take to fix, Vanderheyden said that is a guessing game with some of the materials that may need to be ordered in.
“But with some of the other parts of the reno, just being drywall and paint, that should go relatively quick. But there would be some stuff like carpet that might be a special order,” he said.
“So we’re guessing anywhere from two months to three months.”
None of the schedules at the Kin Aquatic Centre have been interrupted by the damage.
“We’re going to have our renovations done as quickly as possible. The contractor is working hard. We look forward to getting back to normal and getting that all fixed right,” Vanderheyden said.

Manitoba country rocker Ryan Keown has passed on his love of music and singing to his eldest son, Austin Ryder, who is now coming into his own in the country music industry. Ryder fostered a love of music at an early age, which resulted in him singing on stage and taking guitar lessons.
“I would say I’ve always been in love with music,” said Ryder. “I grew up with having music played in the house all the time, and being an extroverted person, I was always singing and making noise, which drove my family crazy at times.
“I started as a young little boy in about grade 4, as a special guest with dad’s shows where I would come up and sing a song with the band. It was always the song, Wagon Wheel, which is a crowd favourite. It wasn’t long after that I wanted to take guitar lessons, so I went to Stan Ostafie and he taught me how to play. Then in grade 8, that grew into me opening up for my dad’s shows and performing the first set of the night with his full band.
“It grew from there and I got the singing bug,” said Ryder. “I started learning some songs on my own and practicing to play alongside my dad in the band.”
For Ryder, watching his dad perform with his band was a normal way of life and an excellent way to spend time together as a family. It also instilled in him the dedication needed to foster talent and passion, and all the hard work needed to make it a reality.
“Growing up, I didn’t know anything different when it came to living the life of a musician,” said Ryder. “When I was in school, it was normal to know that on weekends, we would be travelling to wherever my dad was headlining or a concert. It was something all of us grew up with and it was fun, exciting and provided with some good stories to tell afterwards.
“I normalized following my passion and dreams from an early age as a result of that. My dad showed us that if we wanted to do something, we could absolutely make our dreams a reality and chase them. He was very encouraging in that.
“My dad was more of a role model and supported me when it came to music,” said Ryder. “He didn’t want to take on the direct role of pushing me into music. He wanted it to be a passion of my own, so I took music lessons from Stan and I kind of grew from there. He provided me with some opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to get on my own, but he wanted to be careful to ensure it was something I wanted to do.”
Ryder has experienced what it’s like to perform with a band on stage. It’s a different experience to performing solo and he feels like a band is your team that gets you through every aspect of performing on stage.
“I think that my start with performing with a full band happened before I started taking lessons of my own, that having the band there was a comfort and support system,” said Ryder. “I knew that the band had my back and if anything went wrong, they knew what to do and how to help me. That was empowering to have a full band. It’s awesome to have it all come together because you work so hard learning these songs on your own, and then being able to play them with a band to make music is a great experience.
“I have been fortunate to play with a couple of different bands in Calgary, even though I’m most familiar with our band back home, but the ones out here really know their stuff and they’re there to help. You can’t make a mistake with them, because they will follow you and help you out. It’s good to know that if it doesn’t go perfectly, no one will know because the band is there to back you up.”
When it comes to listening to music and performing artists, Ryder has his favourites in the country music industry.
“Vocally, I think Chris Stapleton is hands down the best in the business,” said Ryder. “He’s in a league of his own and to say one inspires to be like him is a bit of a longshot, but he is incredible. Stage presence-wise, I really look up to Cody Johnson. I recently saw him in concert in Calgary and he’s such a true classic cowboy. He is super humble, kind and classy on stage. He’s absolutely an entertainer.”
Ryder has been busy since he graduated from high school in Roblin and has been studying at university while making music. He has gained a lot of exposure and experience on stage performing in Calgary for different events and venues.
“I will be starting my fourth year of biochemistry in Calgary and will be graduating next spring,” said Ryder.
“Aside from my studies, I’ve been playing at local venues in the city. I’ve played at Ranchman’s numerous times and recently at Calgary’s International Beerfest. I do get a lot of opportunities to practice quite a bit. In my free time, so on Friday nights, you can catch me at the Ronald McDonald House playing music and singing to the families and children staying there for medical reasons. They are an audience that I get to practice for every week, which also helps me prepare for the bigger shows in Calgary. It’s a good balance, otherwise, I would find myself heavily involved in my schoolwork without any opportunity to keep up with my music.
“Calgary is called Canada’s Greatest Honky-Tonk, so knowing that and walking into Ranchman’s is intimidating but special at the same time,” said Ryder. “It was a great opportunity because there’s an atmosphere in there and the vibe from the stage, dance floor and employees are country to the core. It’s special to me because knowing the musicians who have played that stage before me and now, I’m getting to take part in that is all so surreal. It draws a different crowd than what I’m used to back home.”
Along with performing on stage, Ryder is now embarking on songwriting and recording. He will be releasing his first single very soon.
“I’m doing a little bit of writing now,” said Ryder. “My new single, Spin, that is coming out is one I didn’t write but was pitched to me out of Nashville. After listening to a couple hundred songs, when I heard this one, I knew I could make it my own. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to put my own spin on it and recorded it a couple of months ago.
“This single is all my own. I started meeting my producer, Bart McKay from Saskatoon, to get a feel for where we wanted the song to go. We put some inspirations that we want to include in the song and how we could modify it, versus the placement of things.
“Then it was a two-day studio session. On the first day, we laid down the tracks and recorded every part that fit the vision we had for the song. Then the second day, was the vocals, which was a half-day process of me singing the same song on repeat, with some changes in inflections and articulation of my words. Then we dove into the individual sections of the song to get the most out of it.
“I’m pleased with the way it has all come together and Spin should be out in the very near future,” said Ryder.”
Summer is going to prove to be a busy one for Ryder and he has a schedule packed with gigs and performances all over, from Manitoba and back into Alberta.
“We’ve got a busy summer coming up,” said Ryder. “Fortunately, I’ve had lots of opportunities here in Calgary, but I look forward to going back home. We have a long list of summer performances back home playing festivals, such as Dauphin Countryfest, as well as some rodeos and festivals. Then we will travel back to Calgary for the Stampede. Dad will get to take the stage with me at the Calgary Stampede, so this is the first gig that I’ve booked for him.”

On this past Saturday, June 8, the Legion Park was grounds to celebrate Pride month. There were various stations for anyone to come partake in or to visit. One of the members of the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School Genders and Sexuality Alliance folds a balloon animal...

Mountain View School Division (MVSD) is still facing some turmoil after a questionable presentation by Trustee Paul Coffey during a regular board meeting.

Not only has the presentation resulted in complaints, which in turn sparked a governance review to be conducted by the Province, things have since escalated.

Read the rest of the story in this week’s Review.

The Town of The Pas Council held a special meeting on May 28 at 12:15 p.m. to discuss resolutions for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM).
Two resolutions were discussed in great detail amongst the council. The first resolution was to call on the Province of Manitoba and Shared Health to improve the management of needle distribution and disposal. The second was with regards to collecting service fees from residents in neighbouring Provincial Parks and Crown Lands.
The concern of discarded sharps in the tri-community has been an ongoing one that has forced the municipality to get involved.
“The intent of calling on the Province and Shared Health to improve the management of needles distribution and disposal is to address the fact that municipalities should not have to deal with the responsibility of collecting and picking up sharps in their community,” said Town of The Pas Mayor Andre Murphy. “We’re not criticizing the local organizations, but we don’t they don’t have the resources and their actual method of distribution needs to be reviewed so that it operates like an exchange program. Is what they are doing really reducing harm?

June is known as Pride month and it’s a time when people can come and celebrate their uniqueness as individuals, in a safe, inclusive and supportive environment. Tri-Community Pride has been breaking down the barriers for the northern 2SLGBTQIA+ community for the last couple of years as the organization hosted events, including their annual Pride Parade and Festival.
This year’s Pride theme is heavily focused on how at-risk today’s 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are. There is still a lot of discrimination and hate targeting this community about having gender-neutral washrooms and having 2SLGBTQIA+ literature in schools. This has created a lot of turmoil and uncertainty when it comes to acceptance and safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.
“I can see this year is a big ramping up in comparison to other years,” said Tri-Community Pride Member Derrick Sanderson. “A lot of the slogans and messaging around Pride this year is not about love is love, but rather our queer and trans kids are in danger.”

On May 29, as a result of an ongoing investigation into the illegal sale of liquor from a home, officers from the Ste-Rose du Lac RCMP, along with assistance from the Manitoba West District CREST unit and Police Dog Services (PDS), executed a search warrant under the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act at a residence located in Ebb and Flow First Nation.

As a result of the search, officers seized numerous bottles of liquor, several cases of beer, over seven grams of crack cocaine, marihuana, unstamped tobacco, over $5000 in cash and a loaded firearm.

Upon entry into the home, officers arrested three suspects, a 45-year-old woman and two men, aged 29 and 17. They were later released for and August 29 appearance in Dauphin Provincial Court where they will face charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, unauthorized possession of a firearm, unsafe storage of a firearm and possession of property obtained by crime.

Charges were also issued under the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act for the unauthorized sale of liquor and possession of fewer than 25 units of unmarked tobacco.

Police continue to investigate.

The Dauphin Clippers girls rugby team are two-time provincial champions after a convincing, 92-0 win over the Souris Sabres, Friday.

Bree Walker led the way with three tries, while Kiersten Vandekerckhove, Ashley Korney and Mai Maguet each scored twice. Lindsey Korney, Tanya Devos, Ryann Richard-Soltis, Tylee Rudkavich, Lucile Musick, Ruth Dandeneau and Raylyn Koshowski all had singles.

Megan Thompson had five converts, while Walker had one.

Dauphin finished the season undefeated, going 7-0 and outscoring their opponents, 490-0.

Clippers assistant coach Kent Miner said being a two-time provincial champion feels great.

“It’s very good for the girls to have that second victory, especially without letting a point against them this year, I think, is an all-out record for any rugby team out there,” he said.

 One of the reasons the Clippers were able to score so many points is the team-first attitude of every player.

“The reason why they got so many points as a team is everybody worked together. There was no individual play. If there was individual play, those players just got subbed out for a team member. So everybody knew they had to play together as a team or watch from the sidelines,” Miner said, adding that was the key to the team’s entire success this season.

“It was just playing together as a team. Always running with support. Always having a friend with you.”

This was the second year the local high school program has benefited from the Parkland Pirates youth rugby program.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

Swan Valley Folkfest returned for the first time since 2018, with plenty of food, drinks, entertainment and cultural sharing at the Swan River Community Centre on Friday and Saturday (May 31 and June 1). Swan Valley’s diverse residents were able to share their culture from their home country or other ethnic backgrounds, as well as visiting groups from Winnipeg’s Folklorama...