Many citizens in the Valley will remember when the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and Prince Charles made a stop in Swan River back in 1970. Most of the members arrived by car after a tour in The Pas, but Prince Charles came by plane from Norway House. A group of local Valley residents had the privilege of accompanying the Royal Family during their stop in the community.
“Swan River was picked as one of the Queen’s tour spots by the provincial government because it was Manitoba’s centennial year in 1970,” said Reid Minish.
“There was a locally formed committee and they were directed to find people to act as escorts for when the Royal Family were visiting. There was the issue of needing escorts for Prince Charles and Princess Anne at that time. I was asked if I would be interested in escorting Princess Anne and was 17 years old at the time.
“I was a young individual at that time who was aware of the significance of the Royal Family and thought it was a neat idea. I ran it by my parents and they thought it was a good idea. It was quite the experience and the only advice I should have taken was from my mother when she told me to get a haircut before the event, which I didn’t.
“It was an experience of a lifetime as I reflect on her Majesty’s passing and Prince Phillip’s as well, and Prince Charles, whom I sat two shoulders from, is now the King of Commonwealth,” said Minish. “I thought about it over the years and just what a remarkable event and time it was.”
The Royal Family was accompanied by James H. Bilton, MLA and Mrs. Bilton; Norm Olfrey and Mrs. Olfrey; Mayor L.F. Matthews and Mrs. Matthews, along with Naomi Blake and Reid Minish greeted them upon their arrival. When the Royal Family was brought to the rodeo grounds for the Centennial Grandstand Show, they were escorted past a Legion Colour Guard. Murray Theunissen presented a bouquet of flowers to Queen Elizabeth and Bobbi Butterfield gave one to Princess Anne.
“The Royal Family came to the Valley and there were some dignitaries waiting to greet them,” said Minish. “Where my responsibility came in, was where they had some big chuckwagons on display at the rodeo grounds. I was asked to be there with the Royal Family and the escorts, and we sat in a special area set aside for us in the grandstands. The performance lasted about 45 minutes.
“I was formally introduced to Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the Royal Family that was in attendance. We were trained in the proper protocols of greeting and addressing the Royal Family; a kind of what to do and what not to do sort of thing. We were told to only speak when spoken to. They went through the receiving line of meeting their escorts and the people who would be with them. I shook all of their hands and properly addressed them.”
The Swan River School Band and mass choir did a performance for the Royal Family before the Centennial Grandstand Show. During the event, the Royal Family seemed particularly interested in the cutting horse exhibition that was demonstrated by Manitoba’s five top cutting horses.
“Looking back to that time, the Queen was just the same as they have been describing her on television and discussing her time in reign,” said Minish. “Her Majesty and the Royal Family were kind of normal and at times I think we wondered how they must have had to struggle to make conversation. Instead, they were very polite, inquisitive and there was no arrogance present with them at all.
“There were time constraints involved with the Royal Family’s visit to ensure they saw everything that had been planned for their trip. They watched the chuckwagon races with great enthusiasm and every second was very professional and polite. They were lovely people to meet.
“As part of the conversation, they talked about how intrigued they were by the pony chuckwagon races,” said Minish. “The Royal Family were horse kind of people, particularly the Queen and even Princess Anne both have horses back in England. They were very interested in how this all worked in Western Canada and there was positive feedback given by them for everything that they saw during their time here.”
The Royal Family was definitely smitten by the Centennial Grandstand Show and all the excitement it had to offer. The Duck of Edinburgh was a patron of the Canadian Cutting Horse Association and as such, he presented a large trophy to Al Cannon of Winnipeg, who was the owner and rider of the winning cutting horse.
Following the Centennial Grandstand Show, the Royal Family were escorted to the Swan Valley Lodge and visited by a large crowd of pioneers, senior citizens and their guests. Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip shook hands with the people and asked questions and wished each person continued good health. All of the members of the Royal Family greeted the Valley’s two eldest pioneers at that time, Mrs. Elizabeth Metcalfe who was 99 years old and Mr. Frank Dennis who was 96.
The Royal Family then took an unscheduled walk from 4th Avenue South to the C.N.R. station and talked with some of the hundreds of people who were waiting patiently to see them. They then boarded the train to move on to their next destination for the tour. The entire experience was one that Minish will never forget.
“I was pretty young at that time and wasn’t too worldly at all when the Royal Family came to visit Swan River, but I just thought the simplicity in how they met with me back then was just impressive,” said Minish. “They found a common thread and were able to communicate and visit at a comfortable level with someone who is a very common person in society. I honestly feel that was one of the strengths they have, is to be able to associate on a level with the individuals they spoke with on tour. It made me feel special to have had that opportunity.
“The Royal Family dignified themselves, along with ourselves, by allowing us to have a basic conversation about something that wasn’t foreign to us, but rather our regular way of life. They showed interest in what we did, tried to understand how things worked and showed a level of appreciation for it.”
When Minish learned of the Queen’s turn in health, he began to reflect on his experience from 1970. Not only has Minish himself had the remarkable opportunity to meet members of the Royal Family, but he has extended family who has as well.
“Knowing the Queen was ill and I was out of town when she passed, one of the first things that came to mind was that the man I sat beside during that visit in 1970 is now the King,” said Minish. “Then I realized I shook hands with the Queen and now I have shaken both the hands of the former Queen and future King. That was an opportunity that very few people have had and I’m honoured by the experience and privilege.
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in Yellowknife in July of 2011. It was relative to the passing of my sister and there was a Garden of Hope that was established there. My three nieces met the Duke and Duchess as a result of that.
It’s very unique that a family like ours would have had such opportunities to meet members of the Royal Family.
“I have more of an appreciation for the entire experience now, than I did back then; it’s something special that I won’t forget,” said Minish.

Local Indigenous artist Patrick Paul is working his way to showcasing his Woodland art in Toronto and the end of the month.

Paul has been presented with the opportunity to display his work alongside other Woodland artists.

“The name of the art show is Tisiget and it means a person who changes the colour of it,” Paul said. “It opens on Sept. 30 in honour of National Truth and Reconciliation Day in the Canary District of Toronto. It’s going to be featuring artists Thomas Sinclair, Autumn Smith, Bree Island and myself. The show is featuring a collection of Woodland artists.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for all of us to get out there and display our art and stories. A lot of us like to keep our stories authentic to the Woodland and Ojibwa culture that we paint.”

Tisiget was created by two other Indigenous artists who felt that putting on an art show during National Truth and Reconciliation Day was an excellent opportunity to put emphasis on Indigenous art work. The trip to Toronto is one Paul hopes he is able to make before the show ends.

“Thomas Sinclair and Autumn Smith are the curators for this show and they are putting it together themselves,” Paul said. “They invited me to be a part of it, because they loved the authentic values I keep in my Woodland art. I’ve never been part of an art show before, so this is an incredible opportunity. I just hope I’m able to make it out to Toronto, because I don’t have the funds yet to get there. The show runs until Oct. 10, so I’m hoping to get out there before it wraps up.”

Paul is excited to have his artwork tell a story and to share that with people.

“I think the most important part about my art being out there is to spread awareness of Indigenous culture and art,” he said. “The telling of Anishinaabe stories is a big part of this and sharing our culture with others. I like to keep my art rooted to those stories and the ancient art pictographs. Just being able to share our art and stories is the most important part of all.”

Paul has been working on some new material for the show and just finished a painting that means a lot to him. He also will be incorporating some of his earlier works and hopes to create a few more before the end of the week.

“I just finished painting one that I called the Spiritual Balance of the Sacred Sturgeon Woman,” Paul said. “It’s a 36 x 60 acrylic painting on unstretched canvas. It has a snake with the woman travelling on a sacred sturgeon with some turtles in the background. It’s a very important piece to me and it’s one of the brightest ones I’ve finished. I’m hoping to do one of a dancer for the art show, as well. A couple more recent ones I’ve done, too, will be included. The art display at the show will be readily available for people to purchase.”

Check out this week's Dauphin Herald for more great local stories!

With the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth, many are mourning the loss and reflecting back over her time reigning as Queen.

The Queen made several trips to Canada, with a stop in The Pas as part of her nationwide tour in 1970. For local resident June Robertson, it was an experience she has long since remembered.

Robertson was originally from England and later moved to The Pas with her husband. 

“It was kind of a thrill for me to meet Queen Elizabeth,” said June Robertson. “Originally, I’m from England and was a war bride who married a Canadian solider. I moved to Canada a year later in 1946. I was married in England, but my husband was repatriated and discharged from the army. It was quite some time before I could come over as a war bride, because there were so many ahead of me. That was the way it was with all the war brides; they had to wait at least a year before coming into Canada."

Read more in this week's paper!

September has been designated as World Suicide Prevention Month and many communities and organizations across the globe have or are hosting events to increase the awareness of suicide prevention.

In Canada, approximately 11 people die by suicide each day and it’s the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15 to 34. Suicide rates are three times higher among men. 

Every year 106 million people worldwide contemplate suicide and tragically 800,000 die by it. This means that over 159 million people survived a suicide related crisis every year. Suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility. 

With suicide being the second leading cause of death amongst youth, there is a big emphasis to watch for changes in behaviour that could be warning signs. 

“Youth go through many normal ups and downs,” said Northern Health Region Mental Health Promotion Specialist Shellie Verville. “If you notice changes in their behaviour or mood, it’s important to ask how they are doing. This is a time that may pass, but it could be something more serious. Youth can develop feelings of depression, anxiety and feel hopeless about the future, which can lead to thoughts of suicide."

Check out more details in this week's Opasquia Times!

The Town of the Pas has been working on creating an Asset Management Plan, which helps prepare a municipality for the life span and usage of all municipal infrastructure, as well as planning for upgrades and replacements.

As populations dwindle in rural and northern areas, planning for the future of communities and infrastructure is crucial, and an Asset Management Plan can help foster that.

“As a municipality, we really had to work on developing an Asset Management Plan,” said Town of The Pas Mayor Herb Jaques. “Some of the funding from the federal government, as it relates to Gas Tax and transfer payments, will require communities right across the country to develop a plan like this going into the future."

Read more in this week's paper!

Many people only dream they could fly, but for local pilot Kim Ballantyne, she’s made it a reality.

Ballantyne knew at an early age she wanted to be a pilot and when she shared that with her family, they helped foster and nurture that goal. 

“I was four years old when I shared with my grandpa, Malcolm Crane, that I wanted to become a pilot when I grew up,” said Ballantyne. “He encouraged my dream right from the beginning.” 

It wasn’t an easy road to becoming a pilot. There were a lot of steps Ballantyne had to go through before she could start training. 

“I wanted to finish high school and university before I started with pilot training,” said Ballantyne. “After completing my education, I started my professional career. I had to get a medical done by a doctor first in order to be cleared to fly. Once I had enough resources to begin pilot training, I started researching different flight schools and their programs."

Read this story and more in this week's Opasquia Times!

There’s a young Internet sensation hailing from Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) and he’s getting quite famous for his take on science. Simon Monteith, better known as Simon the Scientist, is only nine years old, has been creating experiments and tutorials on video, and uploading them on to social media to help reach other Indigenous youth and kids in an effort to get them to understand and appreciate the world of science. “I’m going into grade 5 at Lakewood Elementary School,” said Simon. “There isn’t any really specific thing that I love about science, I just have interest in all types of science. I started Simon the Scientist when I was seven years old, just as the pandemic started. It was a slow start at first, but then it grew.

When a RCMP officer meets with tragedy on the job, they leave behind family, friends and colleagues who mourn their loss. A newly formed foundation has created an annual fundraiser called Move to Remember Challenge, to help provide support to those RCMP members’ families who have lost a loved one serving in the line of duty.
“The National Police Federation Benevolent Foundation (NPFBF) is an organization’s sole purpose is to support the families of fallen RCMP officers,” said NPFBF Chair Kevin Halwa. “It was recently designated by Royal Canadian Mounted Police Federation as the sole charitable foundation that collects donations for the families of fallen RCMP officers.
“When one of our members is tragically killed in the line of duty, it’s not just devastating to the community, their colleagues and the force, but it’s unbelievably overwhelming to the family. We’re there to provide immediate financial and other support for the member’s family as needed.
“We also provide some post-secondary funding for bursaries for students across the country,” said Halwa. “Those bursaries are open to all students that are going into any kind of public safety field for post-secondary learning.
“The Move to Remember Challenge is for the month of September. Members register and collect pledges for any kind of physical activity that allows them to reach a goal of 246 km. The reason for 246 plus km is to represent the number of fallen officers in the line of duty, as well as those members whose work-related injuries led to suicide. Those circumstances are incredibly tragic and this is a way we can keep those colleagues and their loved ones in our hearts and minds.”
Swan River RCMP Detachment Constable Briana Blencowe is more than taking the cause to heart; she’s stepping up to the challenge.
“I personally did the Move to Remember Challenge on my own last year, but because of my involvement with Ride for Refuge, I didn’t seek community support,” said Constable Blencowe. “The NPFBF raises money to help support those families in different ways. This challenge helps us as RCMP to also remember and honour those members who we have served with that are no longer with us as a result of a tragedy on the job.”
The cause is personal for Blencowe for she feels the potential that tragedy could befall any of her previous or current co-workers on the job. For Blencowe, those co-workers are a form of family.
“I’ve been in Swan River for four years and in that time, I’ve worked with so many amazing members and got to know the community,” said Constable Blencowe. “Most, if not all of us, have come from across Canada to serve in Swan River and to become members. We have left our extended families and close friends to become part of a new community.
“I don’t know if the general public realizes how much a member sacrifices personally when it comes to that. Because we leave our extended families, we develop a bond with our co-workers and their families and it means that much more if something were to happen to them. Just knowing that the Benevolent Fund is there to help take care of those families, should a tragedy befall their loved one on the line of duty, means a lot to me.”
Although Blencowe has participated in Move to Remember before, this time she’s enlisting a team consisting of members from the Swan River Detachment and has set a fundraising goal along with a personal physical activity goal to raise funds.
“I’m hoping to get our full detachment together to do the Move to Remember Challenge,” said Blencowe. “There’s going to be a couple of ways people can donate to our team’s involvement for the Move to Remember Challenge. Next week there will be donation sheets at some of the local businesses. We also have a QR code that will connect directly to our online donation page for our team. I’m hoping we can raise $3,000.
“The Move to Remember Challenge goes from Sept. 1 to 30, and the idea is to get as many kilometres as possible over the 30 days with a minimum being 247 km, which represents the 246 plus fallen members. Personally, the goal for myself is to swim 247 laps, bike for 247 minutes and aqua run 247 loops. My hope is as a team we can surpass my combined distance of 680 km from last year or at least get to 247 km as a total.”

This year’s Opaskwayak Indigenous Days (OID) Princess was one who had both talent and a message to deliver.

16-year-old Juliana Bignell was crowned OID Princess and she is ready to represent OCN to the best of her capabilities. 

“I feel really proud to be crowned OID Princess,” said Bignell. “I also feel honoured to be this year’s OID Princess, so I can represent the community as best as I can. “I will speak up for those that can't be active and advocate during bully awareness week. Also, I’ll be available to anyone if they need a friend, for I personally know how the impacts of bullying can affect a person and I never want anyone to experience that."

Get the full story in this week's Opasquia Times!