On paper, it was a good week for the Dauphin Kings.

The local Manitoba Junior Hockey League squad picked up five of a possible six points, actually gaining a point on the second-place Blizzard Junior A Hockey Club.

But the Kings did not make it easy on themselves.

The week began with a 3-2 win over the Neepawa Titans, Tuesday in Dauphin, in a game which they led 3-0 entering the third period.

On Friday, the Waywayseecappo Wolverines came to town and escaped with a 3-2 shootout victory to keep their playoff hopes alive.

On Saturday, the Kings had to overcome a 3-0 deficit versus the last-place Winnipeg Blues, scoring a 4-3 overtime win on Cayden Glover’s second power-play goal of the game, 2:50 into the extra frame.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley said ever since a 6-1 win over the Winnipeg Freeze, Feb. 3, they have been out worked and out shot and out hit.

“And it’s all a choice. We’ve got a great group in the room and I believe in them. I really think we can do some good things this year, but they’ve got to believe in themselves and they’ve got to be prepared to work,” he said. “When talent works hard, it’s tough to beat you. Hard work is going to beat talent every time, unless talent works hard. We’ve got talent. We know we do, but we’ve still got to work and we’ve got to be tough and hard to play against.”

That is something the Kings need to do more of, especially on home ice as Hedley feels the Kings don’t get physical enough when teams come to play in Credit Union Place.

“We don’t make it a tough place to play. And I think once we started being physical and finishing checks all over the ice, we started getting opportunities,” he said. “When you have games like we did against the Freeze, when you don’t play well but you still win 6-1, you’re playing risk hockey, or you’re hoping instead of coming from behind pucks. The best offence is below pucks when you come from behind with speed, in the right place, D side of battles, the right side of pucks. When we do that, we’re a good team. And we started doing that in the last half of the game.”

All three teams the Kings faced during the week are below them in the standings. Hedley said you still have to respect your opponent, no matter where they are in the standings.

“You still have to out work them. You have to come ready to play and it’s not a point night, it’s still a team thing. It’s team buy-in. Short, hard energy shifts. At times we stay on the ice too long and then we wonder why we don’t have energy and we’re changing at the wrong times,” he said. “There’s just little things we can get better at. But I think if we can just stay with that identity that we want by playing fast with our speed, playing physical and be hard on pucks, it becomes habit and we can do some good things this year. We’ve just got to stay more consistent.”

Dauphin improved its record to 27-13-1-1 for 56 points, two behind the Blizzard, with three games in hand.

This week, the Kings travel to Waywayseecappo for a rematch with the Wolverines, tonight at 7:30 p.m.

On Friday, the Kings host the league-leading Steinbach Pistons at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, they are back on the road to face the Swan Valley Stampeders in Swan River at 7 p.m.

Going forward Hedley said awareness and communication are the two most important things in the defensive zone.

“A lot of times we’ve been really happy with the mobility we have on our backend, but some of the time, our D-men want to jump into the play too soon,” he said. “That consistency and that communicating and awareness is huge. We’ll be okay. We’ll get better and we’ll get back on our toes.”

On the injury front, forward Kyan Grouette is day-to-day with an upper body injury and forward Ethan Williment is not expected back from a shoulder injury until the end of the month. Defenceman Karson Raymond is ready to return from a rib injury.

Kings court: The Kings have signed head coach and general manager Doug Hedley to a two-year contract extension, through to the end of the 2025-26 season.

The City of Dauphin is well into the process of setting its 2024 financial plan, but it is still too early to say what that might look like in the end.

Mayor David Bosiak said there are many factors to consider. With major infrastructure projects such as the Main Street South reconstruction and the Buckwold Bridge rehabilitation underway and the lagoon expansion on tap, there are a lot of moving pieces to consider. Add to that continuously increasing costs, new union agreements and more upcoming negotiations, and it becomes quite a juggling act.

“When we talk about the overall process, we are looking for every possible opportunity to either reduce costs without reducing service,” Bosiak said.

On the positive, the City has an extremely good relationship with the new provincial government, having had several meetings with the premier and cabinet ministers with more coming up.

“There’s a window of opportunity there, possibly. We’re sort of reading the tea leaves about the positive relationship that the current provincial government has with the federal government and the, I would say, tremendously positive relationship that our municipal government has with our provincial government. The support we’ve received from our MLA and the premier himself and other ministers, I think, is all positive for us as a community.”

This budget provides an opportunity for the current council to begin putting its mark on the future of the community as its previous focus was more managing and completing initiatives put in place by the previous council.

“Now as a new council we have a three-year window to present our projects and have them included in budget discussions so that we can move on some of those that seem realistic or reasonable or fit with what we want to do as a municipality,” Bosiak said, adding just last week the City was advised by the province that it’s new Plan Dauphin was approved.

“So we will now, as a council, look very strategically at the items that the last council and our current council included in that, those things that were important to us as a community moving forward. And I would suspect that we will have some movement on some of those initiatives.”

Any movement, Bosiak stressed, will take place responsibly, with the benefit to the community weighed against the cost.

And while the news has been filled with reports of increases in the mill rates of other urban centres around the province, Bosiak said that will not necessarily be the case in Dauphin.

“One thing I will tell you is that this council has basically stated we will not hold taxes if that means a reduction in services to our residents,” Bosiak said. “We all appreciate that inflation is still running at over three per cent, that there are still some supply chain and other issues from post COVID still affecting supply and distribution of materials and other things. We’ve seen that in the projects that we’ve tendered in this last year, they’ve all come in higher than budgeted. So we understand that and as we go through this process we will certainly inform the public on where we’re at. But I can’t say that a tax increase is off the table and I can’t say right now how big it might be if there is one.”

Bosiak added Dauphin residents can rest assured that everyone involved in the budgetting process will do what is best for the community.

“We really trust our administration and I get the sense that administration really trusts our council and I doubt that we’ll be suggesting any kind of crazy projects that are going to significantly increase taxes,” he said. “We’re getting tremendously good advice from our administration on what is possible. We, like everyone else has, have challenges with costs and we’ll do the best we can to handle them. I trust the council and I trust the administration that they will do the right thing.”

The community of Dauphin is mourning the loss of one of its biggest supporters following the death of Myles Haverluck, Feb. 9.

Known primarily as an intelligent and successful businessman, the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy founder nurtured what has become a legacy of consistency and reliability through a customer-first philosophy.

Armed only with a vision of creating “something special,” Haverluck opened his business in 1979, employing only himself and one support person.

“The first couple or three years it was a bit of a grind. Dauphin already had several well-established and respected pharmacists, or druggists as we were called back then, and I think back in those days there was even more loyalty than there certainly is today,” Haverluck said looking back at the early years at the time of DCP’s 40th anniversary in 2019. “I think it was a little scary back then, but we just kept plugging away, doing what we were doing, and we grew slowly. We didn’t try to be really big, really fast. When I first started, it was just myself and one other lady that worked with me. Eventually we hired additional staff members, and we just kind of went along like the turtle, slow and steady.”

But it was not all about business for Haverluck, who took pride in supporting community events and projects, both through his business and personally.

If you attended any community events in the past, throughout the Parkland, chances are that Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy played a role in its success.

“I have always believed that you should, and you need to support your community. And everybody is going to do it at different levels,” Haverluck said of his desire to give something back to the community. “The bottom line is community is important to us. We want to see things succeed and we want to support it.”

Propping up that philosophy, Haverluck, personally and through his business, supported numerous community events such as the Dauphin Kings Hockey Club, the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cashpiel, Countryfest, the MS Bike Tour, Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival, Jesus Manifest and the Myles

Haverluck Clinic Pharmacy Classic Golf Tournament. Youth groups, sports teams, church groups, service groups, music festivals and community special events have also benefitted from that generous community spirit.

Development of community facilities such as the Parkland Recreation Complex and sponsorship of its walking track, as well as Dauphin Countryfest Community Theatre were also a priority for Haverluck.

And Haverluck’s approach earned him and the business numerous accolades throughout the years such as, but not limited to, the 1997 Dauphin and District Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award, the 1998 Chamber of Commerce Community Appreciation Award for Outstanding Community Service, a 1999 Recognition Award from the Province of Manitoba for outstanding contributions to seniors of Manitoba and the 2005 Whitehall Robins’ Bowl of Hygeia Award, in recognition of time and personal sacrifice devoted to the welfare of the community.

Currently, there is a petition going around Roblin calling on the provincial government to do something about the number of elk in the area, the damage they are causing and the potential risk they pose in spreading TB.

Pine Creek First Nation harvester Phillip Chartrand feels there is a solution that could work for multiple parties and not cost tax payer dollars.

Read all about it in this week’s issue.

About 8 p.m. on January 29, the Roblin RCMP detachment received a report of a vehicle in the ditch. Members attended and the driver tried to hide his identity and was obviously intoxicated.

He was arrested, blew one sample into the instrument, then refused after that. He was remanded into custody. If convicted, this will be his 14th impaired conviction.

More in this week’s RCMP report

We’ve somehow made it normal to allow kids to use smart devices and have access to social media, and now it’s catching up to us.

The Manitoba RCMP Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit has seen a drastic increase in the number of investigations involving youth and social media. The apps youth are using remain the same, but they are starting to use them at alarmingly younger ages.

Check out the rest of the story in this week’s Review.

There’s some unsettling talk about the possibility of Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League restructuring and eliminating some teams that they feel aren’t meeting the competitive standard of the league.

A competition committee was formed to determine the viability of league and made some recommendations for improvements.

Find out more in this week’s Review.

University College of the North (UCN) is hosting its annual Linkages Conference this month, but this time in a new location. This will be the first time UCN’s Linkages Conference will be held in Thompson.
“Linkages Thompson is going to be held this year on February 13 and 14,” said UCN Communications and Events Coordinator Jackie Rechenmacher. “This is the first year for Thompson to have Linkages, and we look forward to hosting the event in both communities in the future.
“The theme of the conference is around skill and development of the trades in the north. UCN and the Mining Association of Manitoba have partnered for the Linkages Thompson conference as there is a strong emphasis in the northern mining economy and the skilled workers that we will need to sustain it.” This year’s line-up of keynote speakers is im pressive and ranges from television celebrities, former sports stars and Indigenous leadership. “Mike Holmes, the television personality and professional contractor, will be presenting on engaging youth in the trades and the importance of trades in any economy,” said Rechenmacher. “We also have Ken Coates, who is a historian focused on Canadian north and Aboriginal rights and Indigenous claims, as well as a leading thinker on the Canadian future. “Our third keynote is JR LaRose, who is CFL Grey Cup Champion and is a member of the One Arrow First Nation. He shares his experiences of facing adversity, resilience, and how he has persevered through the struggles both he and his family has faced. “The Linkages Conferences focus on how reconciliation and reconcili-action are worked into many different industries and sectors across the board,” said Rechenmacher. “The pro gram will have sessions from sector leaders who are Indigenous and will be speaking about how Indigenous communities deal with industry, specifically the mining industry. Additionally, a presentation from Dr. Ramona Neckoway, Vice President of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation at UCN will be providing a presentation on Northern Manitoba Reconciliation, what is in the process and what is coming up next.” Although Linkages will be held in Thompson this year, the overall for mat will be similar to the conferences held in the past. “Conference attendees can expect a similar for mat as the Linkages conferences in The Pas,” said Rechenmacher. “There will be many opportunities to network, learn, and ask questions from leaders in various fields.

Sixteen-year-old Emily Heape has overcome incredible odds and was granted a dream come true through the Dream Factory. Just before Christmas, Heape went on her dream trip to Australia to experience all kinds of adventures with her family.
“We started our journey to Australia on Dec 17, flying to Vancouver after spending the weekend in Winnipeg,” said Heape. “What felt like a billion hours later, we arrived at my aunt and uncle’s house in Noosa, Australia. We extended our stay as a family holiday and in total, we were in Australia for 17 days.
“My thoughts and first impressions of Australia when we first arrived were darn it’s hot here! If I’m not dead by the time we leave, I’ll be a raisin. It was really warm, but beautiful and so different from Canada.” Heape did a lot of sightseeing while in Australia and witnesses some breathtaking views. She also made sure to check out all the animals and sea creatures she could. “While we were in Australia, we did lots of fun things,” said Heape. “We went up this huge 230 metre tower called Q1 at the Gold Coast. From there, we got to see a 360 degree view of the beach, ocean and the city of Bris bane all at once. Then we went to the Australia Zoo, which was my favourite, and we got to see all of the different amazing animals. We visited some markets and mom loved all the different vendors. “We also went to Rainbow Beach, went swimming in the ocean and to the Great Barrier Reef, which was amazing. All of the different fish and creatures you could see, it was incredible. To get out to the reef, we had to take this huge boat that kind of reminded me of a ferry. “While we were at the Great Barrier Reef, we tried snorkelling, but I did n’t like it very much,” said Heape. “There was this glass-bottom boat that my dad and I went on, and you could see everything. It was so cool. Later, while my mom and brother were still snorkeling, my dad and I went in the submersible. That was even better than the glass bottom boat. You could see a lot more in the submersible than in the glass bottom boat. I think that was one of my favourite things we did the whole trip. There was this one fish that they named Wally, since he was al ways around. “Also, we took a glass-bottomed sky rail ride up a mountain at the world's oldest tropical rainforest while in Cairns and visited a 100-year-old town called Kuranda.” Each adventure Heape went on was left a lasting impression and she was really engaged at the zoo, where she saw lots of different animals for the very first time, up close and personal. “My favourite activity in Australia was the submersible,” said Heape. “This was my favourite activity because it was like a whole different world under the water that I had never seen before. It was a whole experience in itself. I enjoyed seeing all of the cool and different sea creatures. “All of the different animals that we got to see were one of my favourite parts of the trip. My aunt and uncle had quite a few different animals in their yard. They have wild turkeys they named Walter and Winne, as well as kookaburras, and wild cockatoos among others. They have lots of different kinds of bugs and spiders. My mom and brother got to see a praying mantis. There was this huge beetle at the B&B that was the size of a palm. “There were lots of different kinds of birds when we went to the zoo,” said Heape. “We went to a bird show and we got to see so many types of birds there. At the zoo, we saw a Komodo dragon, tortoises, and lots of different types of lizards and snakes. We went to a crocodile show, which was pretty cool to see, we saw a cassowary, which sort of looks like a fancy ostrich native to Australia. “We went and saw the koalas, which to be honest were sort of boring, but very cute. One day we went to a koala sanctuary, which I enjoyed much more as we got to pet a koala and see it up close. We got to see some sleep ing dingoes and a binturong, which looks like a bear and a cat combined. We got to see lots of wallabies and lazy kangaroos, as well we got to see some elephants, which made me very happy. We also went and saw a tiger and a giraffe.” This trip to Australia will always be one Heape and her family will cherish forever. Not everything went as smoothly as planned, but the memories made will last a lifetime. “I went swimming in the ocean for the first time when we went to Rainbow Beach,” said Heape. “Unfortunately, one of the medications that I take causes my face to react to the sun and it gets sore and itchy, so swimming in the salt water didn’t make my face feel very good. “I think I’ll remember everything since this trip was my dream trip and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Finally visiting my aunt and uncle and having them show us where they live, with all the different places and things that are unique to Australia is something we’ll always remember.

The state of the Skippy L rests in the hands of who officially owns it, which has now come into question. With the derelict state of the designated heritage site being beyond repair, the Town of The Pas and Heritage Society must first find the owner before the de-designation process can begin.
“Right now, the town is stilling trying to determine ownership of the Skippy L,” said Town of The Pas Assistant CAO Jenn Early. “I’m working with the Heritage Society, but they don’t seem to have any information either. We have no proof that the Town of The Pas owns the Skippy L or anything proving that it was the town that designated it a heritage item.” A relative of Tom Lamb expressed some interest early on, but that has since been abandoned. “In October of 2023, The Heritage Society ad vised that the great-grand son of Tom Lamb, Fraser Fisher, reached out to them and he was inquiring about restoring the boat,” said Early. “The Heritage society put him in touch with me. I received one e mail from him and pro vided him with the status of the boat and the Condition Assessment report the town had done on the Skippy L. I never heard back from him. I have sent him three more e mails since then with no reply. “It is necessary to find relatives of the original owner as the Heritage Society is requesting this be fore they will de-designate the heritage status. With out the de-designation the town cannot legally demolish the boat, as we cannot prove we are the owners of it. “The Skippy L is be yond repair,” said Early. “If the owner would have used the designation status before it got in this state, there would have been funding through the heritage society to fix it up. Unfortunately, we don’t know who the owner is and can’t get this process going”. The current condition of the Skippy L poses some concerns in terms of safety for the community. It has been boarded up to prevent people from entering in. “With the state the Skippy L is in right now, it is a huge liability,” said Early. “I’m still working with the Heritage Society, and they are now looking at what the next step will be in order for the town to de-designate it and demolish it.” If anyone knows who may be associated or has knowledge of who has ownership of the Skippy L, please contact the town office.