Some of the Valley’s youngest graduates celebrated a milestone last week. Six members of the ESRSS Daycare will be moving on to Kindergarten next year and so they invited family and friends to honour their achievements last Tuesday (June 13) at the centre. 

After the most successful season ever for the Dauphin Clippers rugby program, the teams held their awards banquet, last Thursday.

The Most Improved Player Award for the girls was shared by Ruth Evans and Tanya Devos, while Rhett Tkachyk won for the boys.

The Top Back Award for the girls went to Chloe Fletcher, while Oliver Dandeneau won for the boys.

Emma Fox won the girls’ Top Forward Award, while Will Miner won the boys’ award.

Megan Thompson and Matthew Zurba won their respective Playoff MVP Awards, while Raylyn Koshowski and Scott Gower were recipients of the Spirit Award.

The Rookie of the Year Award went to Bree Walker for the girls 7s team and Janna Manzano for the girls’ 15s program. Louis Prevot and Guzman Garcia shared the boys award.

The first-ever Mavericks Award was awarded to Brooke Miner and Dandeneau.

The MVP Award for both the girls 7s and 15s was shared by Brooke Miner and Emma Fox, while the boys’ MVP was won by Joseph Lopez.

The community of Ste. Rose is celebrating a windfall which will allow for the completion of phase two of the Turtle River Trails project.

Through its Community Spaces program, Co-op has pledged $85,000 towards the project as part of a $1 million investment in 15 community projects across Western Canada.

“We are so very thankful to be the recipient of the Co-op Community Spaces Grant, to have Co-op partner with us to create such an amazing space for the people of Ste. Rose and surrounding communities to enjoy,” said Shari Shankaruk, chair of the Turtle River Trails Committee. “Valuable projects like ours, and communities across the country are becoming a reality because of this program. Co-op is a community-minded business and is undoubtedly known for their generosity and support in communities such as ours. On behalf of the Turtle River Trails project committee, I would like to extend a huge heartfelt thank you to Co-op for believing in our project and partnering with us to make it a reality.”

Intended to enhance, beautify and promote healthy living in the community, the Turtle River Trail system built during phase one, through phase 2 will be augmented with the construction of a toboggan hill, nature trail and nature play park, as well as a nine-hole disc golf course.

Dauphin Ste Rose Co-op general manager Lorne Eiffert said the local business is pleased to be involved with the development as it “reflects our vision to enrich the life of our communities.”

“Each project can be different in a community where it’s located and that’s the beautiful thing about local residents building their communities, they understand the community needs,” he said.

“I want to thank the Turtle River Trails committee for your commitment and extraordinary work you do on a daily basis. That makes such a big difference in the community of Ste. Rose. Co-op is proud to be part of bringing this project into reality and together we are improving the places where we meet, play, learn and share.”

Since 2015, the Co-op Community Spaces program has provided $12.5 million to 175 projects in three categories: recreation, environmental conservation and urban agriculture.

The program was developed as part of Co-op’s commitment to invest in the communities it serves.

Funding has also been secured through the provincial Building Sustainable Communities Fund in the amount of $83,250, as well as a $10,000 grant from the Thomas Sill Foundation which, when combined with the money from Co-op Community Spaces means phase two will be able to proceed without any further fund-raising being necessary.

Ten of the 25 Dauphin area residents involved in the horrific crash at the intersection of Hwy. 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway remain in hospital, while the medical examiner’s office continues working to identify the remains of the 15 killed in the accident.

At a press conference, Friday, provincial health officials said the injured - six women and four men are being treated at hospitals in Winnipeg and Brandon for serious injuries. Six are in a critical care unit at the Health Sciences Centre, while the other four are being treated for serious injuries in a surgical care unit

“A number have received operations and more operations are planned, but these injuries are quite significant,” Dr. Shawn Young, chief operating officer of Health Sciences Centre, said.

While the families of those deceased have been notified by police, Manitoba’s chief medical examiner, Dr. John K. Younes, said fingerprints, dental records, surgical history and, if necessary, DNA will be used to confirm the identities.

“The worst possible outcome for us is to mistakenly identify someone and give wrong information to families, so we have to undertake a scientific means of identification of each of the deceased,” he said, adding the process should be complete later this week.

The accident occurred shortly before noon, June 15.

RCMP initially said the bus carrying 19 women and six men ranging in age from 58 to 88 years old was travelling south on Hwy. 5 en route to the Sandhills Casino in Carberry and was crossing the eastbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway when it was hit by a semi-trailer.

In an update Friday afternoon, police said they have obtained footage of the crash from a camera installed in the semi which shows the bus entering the lanes on Hwy. 1 without having the right of way.

“We are not assigning culpability or laying any blame at this time. We’re merely stating the facts as we know them,” Supt. Rob Lasson of the major crimes division said, adding witness accounts align with what RCMP saw in the video.

Lasson said the semi driver has been released from hospital and police have been able to interview him as they further their investigation. They have not yet spoken with the driver of the bus as he is still being treated in hospital.

“Our primary concern at this time is his medical care and recovery,” Lasson said.

He added police are doing what they can to support families of the victims through support centres in Dauphin and Winnipeg

“Each family will be presented with a direct RCMP contact that they can reach out to for support. We know this is of utmost importance,” Lasson said. “It is imperative that we all respect what the families are going through at this time. This is not easy.”

Opaskwayak Cree Nation’s (OCN) Madison Moore has made headlines when she announced she would be competing in this year’s Miss Universe Canada pageant. This isn’t Moore’s first time taking the stage and competing in a pageant; she has done work modelling for various events.
“I’m 21 years old and from OCN where I currently work as a youth support worker, and I have two beautiful twin nieces,” said Moore.“I did my first pageant when I was 14 years old, for Miss Teen Canada in 2016. I didn’t place, but I enjoyed the experience and meeting new people.

University College of the North is pleased to announce two new IT programs that will help to address the chronic shortage of skilled technicians in northern Manitoba.
UCN President, Doug Lauvstad said a new IT Support Technician and Technology Readiness Program will be delivered on The Pas Campus starting in the fall of 2023.
“We thank the Government of Manitoba for the new funding; skilled IT technicians are needed in every community and every sector of the north,” said Doug Lauvstad, UCN President.

In the largest Red River Métis event of all time, 4,000 Citizens gathered to unite in a historic vote to unanimously ratify the Red River Self-Government Treaty, which protects our governance rights in Canada’s constitution.
Our assemblies have always been crucial in Red River Métis collective and democratic decision-making and action-taking. The vote was part of the Manitoba Métis Federation’s (MMF) Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) at the Assiniboia Downs on June 3-4. In addition to virtual participation, Citizens had the opportunity to vote from satellite locations in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Thompson, The Pas, Dauphin, and Selkirk.
During his State of the Nation address, MMF President David Chartrand called the assembly a “day of reckoning” for our people.
“Let’s never forget that this country made a promise that they would settle a treaty with our great leader Louis Riel. That they would settle the treaty with your families, my families. They did not fulfill that promise,” said President Chartrand.

Emergency and enforcement services around the Swan Valley came together with their vehicles and equipment for EMS Day at the Swan River Centennial Arena, allowing Swan Valley students to explore the world of front-line services. Represented services included RCMP, municipal and provincial fire departments, emergency medical services, Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Conservation.

The Swan Valley Student-led Genders and Sexuality Alliance Group held their second Swan Valley Pride Event on Saturday, (June. 10) with a great show of supporters attending the event.