Two law offices in the Swan Valley will be combining practices to better serve and meet the legal needs of clients in rural and northern Manitoba. Ferriss Law and Oakes Law Office are working towards joining forces and working as one entity, starting June 1, 2026.
Rhodel Ferriss will be joining Oakes Law Office as an associate lawyer, helping ensure continuity and a smooth transition for all clients. Ferriss has been practicing law in the Valley for almost 30 years and remembers what drew her to practice law here.
“I decided that I wanted to be a lawyer early on in high school. I grew up in Ashern, which is a small town in the Interlake,” said Ferriss. “After high school, I attended the University of Manitoba and obtained an Arts degree with a major in political science and a minor in Canadian history. I worked several summers at the legislative building in Winnipeg in the Department of Justice office. This was shortly after the riots at the Headingly jail and it was a very interesting time to be in the Justice Department. I entered law school in 1995, also at the University of Manitoba, graduated in 1998 and received my Call to the Bar in 1999.

On Tuesday, March 24, over 130 community members (most of whom were seniors) came to our first Lunch and Learn Program, organized by Gwen Bartram of the Golden Agers through funding from The Pas Renewal Corporation. The theme was to present information to seniors on how they are a vulnerable target population for scams.
According to the Government of Manitoba, while anyone can be a victim of fraud, seniors are often specifically targeted. Police and recent reports show these scams are not abstract—they are happening right here, with older Manitobans losing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

The Swan School of Dance presented their spring recital on Wednesday (March 25) at the SVRSS. Their theme this year was ‘Lights... Camera... Dancin!!’. Pictured here, the Jazz/Hip-hop class of new instructor/alumna Ella Hart finish their performance to the tune of Let’s Get Loud.. More on A10/11

Pickleball is back on in the GPB Hall in Russell! Tuesdays from 1-3pm and Thursdays from 9-11am and again from 7-9pm! Pickleball is still ongoing at the Binscarth school on Monday evenings from 7-9pm! Pickleball is FREE and we have all equipment needed. Clean, indoor shoes required.
Badminton is back on in Russell at the GPB Hall on Sunday evenings from 7-9pm. It is FREE and we have all equipment needed. Clean, indoor shoes required. NO badminton on Easter Sunday, April 5th.
Indoor walking is back in the GPB Hall on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30am-12 noon. Clean, indoor shoes required. FREE - NO Indoor Walking on Good Friday, April 3rd
Adults & Tots is a FREE program for adults and their littles up to age 7. Dates are as follows: Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22 from 1-3pm and Thursdays, April 2, 9, 16, from 9:30-11:30am. This is a FREE open gym time.
FREE Public Skating every Tuesday AND Thursday from 9:30-10:30am at the Russell Memorial Multiplex
Zumba is Thursday nights from 6:30-7:30pm upstairs in the Bunge Room at the Russell Memorial Multiplex, Main St entrance, $5 drop-in!
NO GYM KIDS April 1st and 2nd (Major Pratt Spring Break)
The Recreation Office is CLOSED on Friday, April 3rd.

If you’re from this area, it’s highly likely you’ll be familiar with someone from the Davidson family.
Last week, a First World War memorial medal lost for decades was returned, reconnecting them with a deeply personal piece of their history and the sacrifice of two brothers who never came home.
The medal, known as the Silver Cross, was discovered in early spring 2024 by Brandon metal detecting enthusiast Mitch Cuthbert while searching what is now the Odikia playpark at the north end of town near the Personal Care Home.
“I was in Russell for work and I thought, rather than sitting in my hotel room at night I’d take out my metal detector and see what I could find,”
Due to how the signal appeared on his machine, Cuthbert thought he had most likely found a silver dollar but what initially appeared to be a coin quickly turned into something far more significant.
“I thought it might be a silver dollar at first,” Cuthbert said. “But once I cleaned it up, I realized it was a war medal. That’s when I knew it was something special.”

Read more of this heartwarming story on pages 1 & 8 of this week's Russell Banner. 

A set of human remains recovered in Loos-en-Gohelle, France in August of 2020 have been identified as those of a farmer from what is now the Roblin district who served in the first World War.
The soldier’s identity was confirmed in December of 2025 through historical, genealogical, anthropological, archaeological, and DNA analysis, according to the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Read all about it in this week’s Review.

The Rall’s Island Community Park has been a hub in the community and there is a dedicated board in place that is committed to providing it a little TLC. The community park has been a great place for families, friends and youth to get together and engage in various physical and social activities.
“The Rall’s Island Community Park is a great drawing area for the community,” said Rall’s Island Community Park Board Chair Greg Hunter. “There are a lot of activities that kids can do throughout the park and it’s a nice place to meet up. On a weekend, it’s great to enjoy the equipment and facilities, from the outdoor skating rink to the ball diamond or playground. It’s just a nice spot for people to get out, meet up and get involved.

The Pas Arts Council is bringing some Celtic rock to the tri-community area next month. The Derina Harvey Band will be performing their original songs as well as some traditional folk ones. Lead singer Derina Harvey’s powerful vocals earned her a 2025 Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Contemporary Singer of the Year.
The Derina Harvey Band has been described as an edgier version of another Canadian band, Great Big Sea, if they had lead singer, Adele. Their music and performance brings a high-energy show that engages audiences.
The band has released three albums, the latest of which came out in 2023, called Waves of Home. In 2024, the Derina Harvey Band took home a 2024 East Coast Music Award for Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year.

Editor’s Note: This article contains content that may be traumatizing or triggering.
The long-awaited inquest into the death of Kevin Anderson has finally taken place over the span of three weeks, which started on March 2, 2026. Judge Timothy Killen allowed the media to sit in on the inquest, but prohibited the media from recording any testimony or statements. The media was also instructed not to release details of the testimony given until all those called to testify had done so.
Anderson and co-worker, Chris Rushton, were seriously injured and trapped after a freight train was derailed in northern Manitoba, near Ponton, back in September 2018. The men were unable to call for help due to their radios not working. The crash was discovered two hours later by a civilian helicopter that was flying overhead.

In late 2025, the Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNP) installed AXON Fleet three camera systems in all marked Police vehicles. This was done as part of a commitment and investment to keep First Nations communities safe. These cameras serve a dual purpose by recording all vehicle stops and prisoner transports and are equipped with an Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system. On March 1, these cameras were activated in Opaskwayak Cree Nation as part of a pilot test.