This spring could easily dubbed the year of the swan, with multiple people mentioning they’ve seen more swans than normal throughout the local area.

You might have seen them too, as these large all-white birds with long necks are hard to miss.

Want to know more? Check out this week’s Moments in Riding Mountain.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) is well known for its musicians and artists, and one artist has been working hard to make his dreams come true. Low Budget Rock Star’s Kennie Henderson has dreamed of going to Nashville and do some recording. Thanks to some connections and hard work, he has been able to do just that.
“For me, we’ve come a long ways since the last time talked about my music,” said Henderson. “I remember one interview I had done for the Opasquia Times, where I talked about how I wanted to go to Nashville, connect with some people down there and record some music. Now I’ve done exactly that.

Spring is in the air, as and the snow has melted, we are seeing more birds returning from a long winter and soon some buds should also be blooming. With the snow gone, many are eager to get out, enjoy the warm weather and take in the sights on the Grace Lake Boardwalk Trail.
“One of our board members said the boardwalk has just started floating and we will be inspecting it as it has gone through the first winter since we installed it,” said Opasquia Trails Board Member Al McLaughlan. “We want to make sure it handled the winter well and everything else is looking really good, so we are excited for people to get out and use the trail.”

Winnipeg’s number one morning show, featuring a former Valley resident, has another accolade to its credit. Last week, Tyler Carr won an award for Radio/Podcast Host of the Year, and although it’s not Carr’s first award attributed to his work on-air, it’s still one that means a lot to him.
“I’ve won a few awards in the past, but this one specifically, I’ve never received,” said Winnipeg Energy 106 FM Radio Host Tyler Carr. “This one is for the Winnipeg Nightlife and Style Awards and it’s voted by people online. People go online to vote, and the top-voted contestants move on to the next round. The voting happens again and then the winner is chosen by the number of votes. It’s kind of like the Grammys, where they have the list of nominees and then announce the winners live.
“This award was different than the other ones, for me, because this one was more local. It had people from Winnipeg and all over Manitoba voting, whereas the other awards I received in the past, were voted on by boards or members. To get an award that is voted on by people in your community and listening area is surreal.”
The criteria this particular award is based on, comes from the fans and listeners themselves, for they are the ones who cast the votes. For Carr and his team, their morning show is both a regular timeslot feature and is also a podcast for people to take in whenever. Carr believes this played a pivotal role in him winning the award.
“The award is Radio/Podcast Host, so it’s out of a pool of people who are hosting morning, afternoon or evening radio, or someone who is hosting a podcast show,” said Carr. “It’s a versatile award category, but at the same time, it’s all-encompassing. For me, the best thing is doing the morning show. I just love being a part of hosting the morning show on Energy 106.
“My best friend and colleague, Dave Wheeler, also edits our show and makes a podcast out of it. So, for the listeners who didn’t catch the morning show, they can still get our show at any hour, at any time, with no music. It still provides what’s happening and going on in the area, which allows people to still access our content. We have this radio show and it’s also a podcast, so I think that helped me in terms of this award.”
Carr recognizes that not everything discussed on-air can have that light and fluffy feel to it, but the overall goal is about connecting with people on a real level and one that they find themselves in, during that specific moment.
“We don’t steer away from having hard conversations on radio and sometimes tensions get high, but we like to be real and show every emotion,” said Carr. “That is the part of the morning show I love the most. I get feedback from people in Winnipeg to Swan River, who appreciate that raw emotion that they can’t get anywhere else that time of day. It helps people not feel alone first thing in the morning on that drive to work or wherever they may be starting the day. I wouldn’t change this timeslot for anything in the world.
“We do this feature called the Loud Line and I think it’s my favourite thing. It’s a voicemail that callers can call in at any time and they leave stories, jokes, rants, or whatever and we play it at the same time every day. I love it because we get these messages and hear what others are going through or having to say, which allows us to hear their stories. So, they are listening to us, and we are listening to them. It’s like we are interacting with them on a certain level.”
There are several components to being an on-air radio host that Carr loves. Although mornings may not be his thing, he loves being a part of helping set others on the right foot to start their day.
“I will be honest, I am not a morning person, but I love the timeslot because it’s when everyone is going to work and you have the opportunity to help them get ready for their day,” said Carr. “Maybe they woke up not in a good mood or are stressed out, and we are trying to set them up as best as possible for their day, whether that is trying to make them laugh or giving them information so they can be aware. I love that.
“Then when I’m out in the community, I will have listeners come up to me and tell me they were having a really bad day and we said something on the radio that made them laugh and it changed the rest of their day. That’s why I love that timeslot because I have the opportunity to make someone else’s entire day better.
“Honestly, the feedback we get back from people listening, also helps us with our day, because we’re starting our day in the studio,” said Carr. “When they are sending you positive text messages, it just feels like a radio hug with people that you don’t necessarily know and I love that because it’s all about the message of positivity.”

The Swan Valley boasts two new national champions as members of Lidstone Combat Sports Academy (LCSA) return from the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) Canada National Championship with two championship belts. Here, competitors Liam Peterson (left), John Walsh (second from left) and Cole Lumax (right) are pictured with coach Travis Lumax (second from right) in front of Niagra Falls where the competition was held.

The Dauphin Kings got a glimpse into the team’s future at its annual spring camp, this past weekend at Credit Union Place.

More than 100 players hit the ice hoping to make an impression with the team’s coaches and scouts.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley said there were two teams of 2009-born players, who will be eligible for next year’s draft.

“We’re looking for a watch list of players to watch for next season and get more comfortable with the guys that we’re going to draft in 2025,” he said. “It’s great to see those kids out. It was tough, because last year we had three teams. But the MJHL is running one this year at the end of May, so a lot of players decided, because we were going to be there, they would skate there. Still, we had a very good turnout.”

There were also four teams of players born between 2006 and 2008.

“Those kids are a lot of our list kids, a lot of kids that we want to draft this year. So it was really good for us to see them skate. Really good for our scouts to see them skate,” Hedley said. “And then we’ll put our list together after camp of the ‘08s that were here and rate them and rank them and get into a situation where we’re comfortable at the draft.”

Hedley liked what he saw on the ice from the young skaters, noting U.S. scout Andy Kubas brought some players from south of the border to camp.

“We’re really happy with those guys. We’re happy with some of the talent we have in the ‘08, ‘06 group and the ‘07 group from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. So it’s a good mixture of players and there’s some real good skill sets out here,” he said.

Hedley anticipates inviting 10 to 15 players back for the fall camp. He noted there were other players who could not attend the spring camp as they were competing at the Telus Cup U18 national championship with the Brandon Wheat Kings, which lost in the final to a team from Quebec.

There were also other players who could not make it to the spring camp, but will be here in the fall.

Since the season ended, Hedley has been busy getting ready for the spring camp and will now shift his focus to the league’s annual general meeting where the schedule for the 2024-25 season will be set. The draft will take place, June 2.

A new champion was crowned last week when the Winkler Flyers beat the defending champion Steinbach Pistons, 5-4 in overtime, Friday in Winkler.

Hedley said the Flyers were a big, heavy team that played heavy all season.

“It was well deserved. They’re a good team. Probably the heaviest group of forwards in the league. They had a great run. I offer my congratulations,” he said. “It’s always good to see different teams and the parity in the league that different teams are winning championships. I think they’ll represent our league very well.”

The Parkland Mavericks have hit the pitch to prepare for the upcoming season.

The Mavericks will play in Rugby Manitoba’s Men’s Division 2, with five other squads. Teams will play 10 games, one home and one away against each of the other five teams.

The Mavericks practiced outside for just the second time last week.

“This week was really the kickoff to the preseason and practicing, working towards the regular season that kickoffs, May 25,” said Mavericks player-coach Shawn Sarkonak.

After Rugby Manitoba failed to schedule any games for the team last year, the provincial organization changed things up to cater to each division’s strengths.

Check this week's Herald for more!

Calls for the resignation of a Mountain View School Division trustee are mounting.

People around the province are reacting to a 30-minute presentation made by trustee Paul Coffey at the board’s regular meeting, Apr. 22, which many are calling hateful and ignorant.

Coffey’s presentation - Racism/Anti Racism Nice Until is Isn’t - called into question the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and provided his alternative views on residential school history in Canada.

“Residential schools . . . they were good,” Coffey said in his presentation which was streamed live.

Read the full story in this week's Dauphin Herald. 

The legacy of the 2024 Manitoba Summer Games powered by Manitoba Hydro in Dauphin will include a new rubberized track, as well as a new multi-use athletics pad at the DRCSS.

The announcement was made Friday at the track behind the local high school.

The project will cost $1.1 million, backed by a coalition of funding partners, including the Province of Manitoba, Mountain View School Division, Sport Manitoba, and the Dauphin and District Community Foundation.

Host committee co-chair Carla Wolfenden said the new track will be a huge addition to the community.

“It’s not just a games focus. This project is going to serve our whole region for years to come. Decades. It’s an investment in our youth. And just the benefits that come out of it, there’s so many intangibles. It’s going to be really nice to have,” she said.

Construction is expected to begin in late May and will be completed in time for the summer games.

Besides a new track, there will also be a new 100-foot by 60-foot multi-use pad where the runways for long jump are currently located. It will include new rubberized lanes for long jump, as well as an outdoor basketball court.

Having multiple funding partners was important to make the new track a reality.

“We’ve had support that we’re just so thankful for. And, honestly, it wouldn’t have happened without them. We were happy with just paving the track or doing a new asphalt track. But the support was there and we kept pursuing it and now we can rubberize. It’s kind of like icing on the cake,” Wolfenden said.

The volunteer drive did well at the recent Kin Business Expo, but Wolfenden said there is still a need for more help.

“Our goal is to have 1,000 by the end of May. And we’ll still need more beyond that. So we’re by no means finished recruiting. We’re about a quarter of the way there, maybe,” she said. “We know the support is there. When we talk to people in the street, people are still saying, ‘I want to volunteer, I just don’t know when I can yet.’ We know they’ll come.”

DRCSS Principal Taylor Schmidt feels the school is fortunate to have the summer games committee working with it to upgrade the track.

“It’s in our back yard, literally. So having the opportunity to use such a elite level track to support all of our students. It’s not just for our track team, but for all of our students of our Phys. Ed. programs, all of our sports programs. To be able to have a training facility like this in our back yard, just the opportunity to have it is second to none,” he said.

Having a multi-use pad for long jump and basketball is a welcome addition.

“That was quite nice. The pad out there, it can be used as a multi-surface pad, but looking to create a basketball court, again, in our back yard, for all of our students and for everybody, that was a bonus when they were sharing that with us, as well,” Schmidt said. “It’s going to be a wonderful addition to our whole campus. It’s going to bring people. This facility is going to be able to host major events. The opportunities are endless.”

The summer games will be held, Aug. 11 to 17.

A decision by MOR council to subdivide the Children’s Legacy Park property and sell two lots has not gone over well with members of the Roblin Playgrounds Revitalization committee.

Committee member Kayla Gaber says they have been for two years fundraising to revitalize Lions Park – located in the northeast part of town – with the Children’s Legacy Park the next on the list.

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