It’s a challenging time all around for agriculture, business and industries all over the world.

The pandemic has left a huge impact and when combined with a drought year in Manitoba and inflation, many are just bearing down and riding it out.

The pandemic put forth challenges for businesses and industries to wear masks and ensure employees were properly social distancing while on the job.

“In many ways it was business as usual for us during the pandemic,” said Canmark Family Farming owner Henrik Thomsen.

Check this week's Banner for more!

Modern agriculture looks little like the early days of farming.

All aspects of farming have been modified by the access farmers now have to technologies to meet the demands of their work and the pressure a growing population places on farmers to produce quality food.

Farm automation, precision farming and smart farming are strategies utilized by today’s farmers. These technologies have become important ways for farmers to optimize the production of food and improve its quality.

Get more of this story in this week's Russell Banner!

“Music is a medicine and a time machine. It can transport you back to a time when all was good. Even in the darkest minutes, hours and days, it heals. Sometimes when I play or listen to music I laugh or cry but regardless which, I always feel better after.” - Bob Christie.

The last two years have been a tough go - and so many people worldwide, are in need of togetherness, and a renewed sense of community.

That’s exactly what Bob Christie is looking to address with an event he’s planning at Binscarth’s Third Avenue Theatre on April 30th. Pre-Covid, he said, he and his daughter Kianna performed at a fundraiser for MS in Esterhazy with a line-up of other musicians.

“That’s really where the idea came from,” Bob said. “It was so well received and I really wanted to do something similar here.”

But then, along came Covid and everything with it.

Read the full story in this week's Russell Banner!

Friedrich Nietzche wrote, “all truly great thoughts are conceived while walking”.
The idea to write this article, while, maybe, not a “great” idea, did come to me while I was walking.
Here goes...
Many times through the years I have been asked “Why do you walk?” When first I was asked the question I would respond, “because I ran out of excuses for not walking”. I had a friend who had walked long term. Every time I saw her she would ask: “did you walk this morning?” I would respond “No” and give that day’s excuse. The excuses became as lame as “I didn’t want to”. “I don’t like walking...” I heard what I was saying and got a nagging happening in my head and it just persisted. These days I answer the question, “Why do I walk?” differently. Now I say...
I walk to more fully observe and experience the beauty of the created order.
The earth is stunning: its intricacies immeasurable. Mary Louis wrote, “to walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles”. I have witnessed a thousand miracles!
Walking through the seasons reveals just a tiny glimpse of the marvel, the interconnectedness, the wonders right before me:
Winter reveals snow, hoarfrost, drifts, snow-laden trees, tracks in the fresh snow, squeaky sounds, frigid air that somehow feels so pure, so clear. And this season seems frozen in time.
Spring brings change, every day. Tender greening, growth, drying, blossoms, wildflowers, oh the variety of wildflowers.
Spring holds more activity. Farm equipment at work, preparing and planting the land. Fields are transformed, levelled, brown/black into the foreseeable steps. Gardens begin to emerge. Wild animals with their newborn often cross my path. Most fascinating was seeing two cougars walking on a newly seeded field in May. Most frightening is getting too close to bears who are out patrolling, looking for their breakfast. Domestic animals, cattle with their spring calves speckle the countryside, baby lambs with their mothers as I walk the forty shades of green of Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula Hiking Trail. And sheep herds coming towards us on the hiking trail that has merged to become a road for vehicles and for farm purposes.
And, oh joy! This season means lighter walking clothes and the warm spring sun!
Summer sees the wildflowers continue to flourish – wild roses, buttercups, paintbrushes, tiger lilies (my favourite), lady slippers (she must have a big foot), etc.
They seem to stand still in time, yet even by the next morning, their appearance has changed. Crops emerge and change daily. The canola comes into full bloom and radiates beauty for three weeks.
Trees are in full foliage and provide shade from the season’s heat. The river has slowed from the rush of spring run-off and it lazily makes its way toward the lake. Lakeside walks are exhilarating as the loon calls, fish jump, and ripples move across the water. Summer walks tend to extend in length, perhaps with the hope of prolonging the season.
All too soon summer gives way to autumn and the changes speed up. Crops ripen, wildflowers wither, grasses die... and the leaves so brilliant before their fall. Sounds change and the dominant morning sound in the country for a period of time is the honking of geese as they let me know my walking days will soon be more challenging for winter is lurking.
And another sound is common: farm equipment – moving toward a harvest-ready field or moving out after completing the field late into the night. Trucks hauling the yield of their labour to their chosen grain terminal or to store in bins until later. And the sound that keeps me most alert – gunshots. Hunting season has arrived. The wild animals that have learned I am not a threat through the year are now on edge.
Very often I can only catch a glimpse of them off in the distance as they flee quickly picking up on my smell or hearing my step. I have even made lots of noise and blown my whistle to get them moving when I know hunters are in the area! The rivers appear lazy in this season. Their water levels drop and they seem in no hurry to get to the lake before freeze up.
And then one morning I step out into the countryside covered in white. I am reminded that another walking year lies before me and nothing has been written on it yet. So I step into the experience to embrace what is down the road...
I walk for my health and well-being. Obviously, walking is good for me. My body is designed to be upright and to get around on my own two feet, not to sit in one position for extended periods of time. On April 9, 2007, I laced up my runners and stepped out of my door into a spring morning. Since that morning I have laced up my runners, winter/summer hiking boots every day and April 8, 2022, saw 5479 consecutive walking days in 15 years. I began in 2007 with the intent that on a 90-day sabbatical (that began that day) I would become a healthier person physically.
And what I discovered is that my mental, physical, and spiritual health all responded to the act of putting one foot in front of the other. As 90 days concluded I had formed a habit, as you can imagine. So the morning walk was now built into my schedule. As time moved along when my mind thought “let’s skip today’s walk,” it seemed my body vibrated in protest so, my feet took my mind out the door on these days. Walking regularly is one of those activities that are truly self-reinforcing. The more of it I do the more I like to do it and the easier it is to do. Many times in these last two years as we lived with all the challenges and changes of a worldwide pandemic I have given thanks for my walking ritual. It has kept me safe, and healthy, and allowed me to escape new restrictions, changes, and responsibilities for a brief span of time each day.
Social – By nature I am a quiet, reserved person and so a walk by myself is a good fit. But I do enjoy the company of others. I experience a perfect walk when a neighbour meets me along the road so that some of the walk is in solitude, some in communication with another. I much enjoy walks in the Swan River Legion Park where I cross paths with others and have brief conversations. Communication and conversations are easier on a walk. It is easier to articulate, to share thoughts when putting one foot in front of the other. It is easy to open up, to become vulnerable as I share something I’ve been guarding or incubating for some time as I walk with a neighbour or friend.
It is also easier to ask a difficult or uncomfortable question. By far the most fun I had walking has been in the company of friends, especially extended hikes on the Dingle Walk in Ireland, the Iona Pilgrimage in Scotland, the El Camino Pilgrimage in Spain and the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland.
Lots of fun, deep bonding, and risk-taking as we shared walking and its benefits.
By far the scariest experience I had walking was when I was alone. I truly regretted not having a companion that morning! Often I do not even take my cell phone but fortunately that morning as I was gathering what I might need my eye caught the phone and I picked it up.
It was April 2017. I stepped out to walk in Paris. Well, each intersection had like seven converging directions. So no prairie intersection – north, south, east, west. No.
Everything was at an angle. I walked for an hour and thought I had better head back for breakfast. Our tour bus was leaving at 9 a.m.. I walked for some time but then became aware that nothing in my surroundings was familiar.
For quite some time I tried to retrace my steps but nothing seemed right and I could tell by the light that I was not going in the right direction. When I headed where I thought I should go, that did not work either. I was lost!
So I asked numerous people and one sent me one way and I would go and would not find my way. I asked another only to be directed back to where I came from. Most of them spoke Paris French. So I hit a language barrier!
I had walked in countless major cities: Madrid, Dublin, Belfast, Toronto, Las Vegas, Glasgow, San Diego, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki... and never got lost before!! So my pride was injured and once I soothed it, quieted my fear, my brain re-started. I realized I did have my phone. And, I did have 27 percent battery life, so had to be efficient in its usage. I phoned my daughter and son-in-law. They pulled up a map and in time they were able to match where I was as I stood at one of those seven pronged intersections, and they directed me back to our hotel. Enough excitement for one day, and all of it before breakfast! Definitely walking with another is a good strategy!
Henry David Thoreau wrote, “the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow”.
This has been my experience. And some of my thoughts I choose to explore in my own head, others I like to share with another to reflect more in-depth, to understand more clearly, or just to verbalize what seems to me to be a good thought.
So the balance between walking alone and walking with another is something I always keep in mind.
To conclude, walking is low cost. A good pair of runners or hiking boots and seasonally suitable clothing that is probably in one’s clothes closet. There are few obstacles if one is physically mobile. No bad weather, just poor clothing.
Walking is a daily adventure that has fully enriched my life. I can’t wait for tomorrow to arrive... So my response to those who ask me now: “Why do I walk?” is this: “why not walk?”

The Dauphin Kings are moving on to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League semifinals after surviving a late surge by the Swan Valley Stampeders in the quarterfinals.

After taking a three-games-to-none lead, the Kings dropped two straight games, 6-3 in game four, Apr. 4 in Swan River, and 5-4 in double overtime, Friday in Dauphin.

But Kaden Bryant’s goal 13:15 into double overtime of game six, Sunday in Swan River, put an end to Swan Valley’s season, propelling Dauphin into a semifinal series with the Winkler Flyers.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley felt Swan Valley’s record was not a good indication of how good the Stampeders really are.

“I don’t think they performed up to their capabilities all season. I think they under achieved all year. They’re a good hockey club,” he said. “They’re an older team. They’ve got as many 19 and 20 year olds as anybody.”

Hedley cited Swan Valley’s two-game sweep over the league-leading Steinbach Pistons in Steinbach in mid-January as an indication of how good the Stampeders really were.

“Wolfie (Swan Valley head coach Barry Wolfe) got the best out of them and they played hard. They showed flashes of this in the regular season,” Hedley said. “We knew they were a good hockey club. The standings sure didn’t reflect how good they could be. It was a good series.”

Stampeders goaltender Kobe Grant was the difference in Swan Valley’s two wins. He made 47 saves in game four and 52 in the game five double overtime win.

“Goaltending in any playoffs in huge and the kid played very well. He kept them in a few games. He played very well. Credit to him. He was outstanding. Kept them in every game they played and it came down to two games back-to-back in double overtime,” Hedley said.

When the Kings got up 3-0 in the series, they got away from paying attention to the little details, Hedley said.

“You’re not as good away from the puck. You don’t work hard to get back on top of the pucks or right sides of battles. And I think it cost us in the end. We started going back and forth and we lost some attention to our rush defence and they scored a couple big goals off the rush, especially in game five in Dauphin,” he said, adding the defensive awareness wasn’t as good as it had been earlier in the series.

“And I thought we got back to it in Swan (in game six) and played very well away from the puck. We limited their rushing chances. And I thought that was one of Carson Cherepak’s best games he played in the series.”

Hedley feels the adversity the team faced against the Stampeders will benefit them heading into the series with Winkler.

“When you get through it, I think it does make you a bit stronger down the road. It challenges your dressing room. It challenges guys to work harder. It challenges guys to stay together and stick to what makes us successful,” he said. “So I do think it creates a bit more strength and a little more comradery in the dressing room. Hopefully it continues on against Winkler.”

The Flyers finished second in the East Division with a 33-16-3-2 record, 12 points behind the Kings. But Winkler won both games against the Kings in the regular season, 6-4 in Dauphin, Jan. 7, and 4-3 in overtime the following day. Cherepak was pulled after 40 minutes of the game in Dauphin and missed the rest of the month with an injury before returning to the lineup in early February. Led by league scoring champion Justin Svenson, the Flyers will present a tough challenge for the Kings.

“It’s going to be a good series,” Hedley said. “Obviously, Svenson and (Jaden) McCarthy and (Troy) Hamilton are all good players. Their top line can score goals. Their backend has (Trent) Sambrook, so anytime you put him into the mix, they’re tough. He’s a very good player. We’re hoping our guys can step up.”

The series is expected to begin this weekend. Tickets for game one in Dauphin are expected to go on sale Wednesday.

Support for the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund has been tremendous.

The fund has raised more than $100,000 in cash so far.

“Right now we’ve contacted the federal government, the provincial government the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to give us a list of names and contact information of families that are wishing to come,” said Roman Panchenko, adding there are many who have fled Ukraine that have every intention of returning following the conflict.

However, the group’s priority is to fund families that intend to settle permanently in the Parkland

“So if they can identify those that are willing to come to our area with the intentions of settling permanently, then the selection committee will weed those out and make recommendations to the rest of the group, he said.

Committee member Jim Perchaluk added the group is remaining flexible, however.

“This is the first time we’ve done it and let’s just say nobody wants to settle here, but they’re looking for a place to reside for several years. Well then we certainly will review our mandate,” he said. “But our objective is to assist families, hopefully intending to reside in our community.”

Just how many families the group will be able to assist remains to be seen as donations are coming in daily and organizers really don’t know what level of support will be required.

Read the FULL STORY in this week's Dauphin Herald!

From left, Devon Pylypchuk, fire chief Cam Abrey, 2021 Firefighter of the Year Ryan Murray, Fabien Carriere, Brendan Greening and Chris Davidson were honoured at the City and RM’s appreciation dinner, Apr. 6.

The City and RM of Dauphin hosted the Firefighters Appreciation Evening, last Wednesday at the Aspen Lodge in the Parkland Recreation Complex.

Several firefighters were recognized for their many years of service.

Devon Pylypchuk, Fabien Carriere and Mark Bass received recognition for five years of meritorious service to the Dauphin Fire Department and Ray Lofgren was recognized for 15 years of meritorious service.

Daniel McKay, Brendan Greening and Chris Davidson were presented with their department badges for their accomplishments in training for the NFPA 1001 Fire Fighter certification.

Fire Chief Cameron Abrey was presented with the Governor General’s Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal for 20 years of service to public safety.

Due to the pandemic, the Firefighter of the Year Award for 2021 was not presented last year as the Firefighters Ball was cancelled. So the Jack Carey Memorial Firefighter of the Year Award was presented, Wednesday, to Ryan Murray.

Murray was selected by his peers for going above and beyond the normal call of duty. Murray, not once, but twice put his first aid training skills to work at his regular place of employment, demonstrating his commitment to public safety.

Murray was in disbelief after receiving the award.

“Pretty shocked, actually. I didn’t know I was nominated. So I was quite shocked. I’m really speechless,” he said.

Murray moved to Dauphin about two years ago and has been welcomed with open arms. So receiving the award means a lot to the new firefighter.

“It’s a great group of people. A family. I’m still pretty new to Dauphin, so it’s quite nice being recognized. But I feel like everyone on the fire department is deserving. Everyone does a lot of work for the community. So I feel like everyone should get the award,” he said, adding he has been with the fire department for just over a year.

“I’m new to the town, so I wanted to give back to the town.”

One woman has been charged and further arrests are expected in connection with a Dauphin RCMP raid on a city home recently.

On Mar. 31, Manitoba West District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team, along with the Emergency Response Team and Dauphin RCMP, executed a search warrant at a residence in Dauphin.

Officers seized two firearms, four machetes, bear spray, approximately 43 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine and hydromorphone.

Seven people were arrested at the residence.

A 34-year-old female from Dauphin is facing charges of two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm and two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

She is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

The other six people were released without charges at this time.

RCMP continue to investigate and expect to make further arrests.

People are finding creative and inspiring ways to help those in Ukraine during these devastating times.

Former Roblinite, Devon Ungurain, has been using her artistic talents through her small business to help raise funds for the cause.

Check the story in this week's Roblin Review!

There’s a new outdoor market starting up in Roblin this season but it’s going to be quite a departure from the Roblin Farmer’s Market. 

With pandemic restrictions lifted, people are looking to get out more and businesses need the support. It’s expected that tourism will be on the rise after people have been isolating, and it’s a good time to bring business into the community. 

That’s what prompted local business owner Kelcey Harasen to start up the Roblin Local Market.

More details in this week's Roblin Review.