Doug Zywina
Clippers prepare for new season on the gridiron
With August drawing to a close, high school sports are beginning to ramp up for another season.
The Dauphin Clippers football team began practicing, Aug. 9, with an average of between 25 and 30 players.
Incoming manager Jeff Micasew, who is taking over from the retired Cam Bennet, said it is always tough when it comes to the number of players in practice in the summer, because of family vacations and other commitments.
“We’re not going to tell kids, don’t go on vacation because you’ve got practice. But the young kids we’ve got, some rookies, have made a bunch of practices. The coaches have done a really good job of focusing our practices to getting conditioning and learning plays and positional aspects of the game. So it’s worked out really well that way,” he said.
Those rookies, Micasew said, seem to be catching on to what the coaches are trying to teach them. But it’s not just the coaching staff doing the teaching.
“We’ve got some vets that are really showing some maturity and helping these young kids along. I know back in the day, the rookies were kind of just off on the side. Our vets have done a really good job of taking these young kids under their wing and saying, ‘look, this is what you need to do.’ Just being more of a hand up instead of being a nuisance and you’re trying to take my spot type of thing,” he said. “It’s really good to see. From a teacher, educator standpoint. It’s good to see that type of thing.”
The schedule has been reduced to six games per team with the additions of the Falcons Football Club and St. Vital Mustangs, both from Winnipeg.
The Clippers will kick off the season on the road against the Falcons, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m.
The first home game isn’t until, Sept. 22 when the Clippers host the Interlake Thunder at 5 p.m.
Micasew expects the Clippers to be competitive this season.
“Just from what I’ve seen in practice, we’ve got some dogs with some bite in them. So I think we’ll be competitive. And that’s all you can ask for,” he said. “You always go into a season gunning for a championship.”
As much fun as it is to watch the players at practice, Micasew is looking forward to getting the season underway.
“The real fun is standing on the sidelines and watching everyone play and seeing the excitement in the kids’ eyes when they make a good play. It’s always good to see,” he said, adding the coaching staff continues to step up and put the work in to get the team ready. “Hats off to the coaches. As anyone who coaches knows, they put in a ton of work that probably never gets recognized. In June we had conditioning camps and guys were talking about getting plays ready and slotting in who do we think we have here and who we have there. They’re thinking about this long before August. So it’s always a good thing. So hats off to those guys.”
Treaty Days golf
Scott Lynxleg, hitting from the fairway on no. 1, aims for the green on no. 18 during the Ebb and Flow Treaty Days Golf Tournament, Friday.
The tournament was part of Ebb and Flow Treaty Days celebration, Aug. 13 to 20.
The week-long event included pancake breakfasts, a drag queen contest, pool tournaments, arrow shoots, volleyball, ball hockey, beach volleyball, a hotdog eating contest, lawnmower races, bingo, a scavenger hunt, youth basketball, a fishing contest, talent show, fastball, horseshoe tournament, arm wrestling, a fashion show, a hardball tournament, a slo-pitch tournament and powwows, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
In the dark
About 85 golfers hit the links at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club, Saturday evening, for the annual Night Light Golf Tournament.
The event is a fund-raiser for the multi-use park at Dauphin Beach.
Organizers said the cement was poured about a month ago and the fencing has arrived.
The courts are expected to be open and ready for use by the fall for tennis, pickleball and basketball.
It was also announced the facility will be known as the Maggie Scott Memorial Multi-court, named after committee member Maggie Scott, who died last year.
For a good cause
Kevin Thompson and Justin Huddle keep an eye on Amy Thompson’s putt on no. 11 during a charity golf tournament at the Gilbert Plains Country Club, Saturday.
The fund-raiser was in support of Isaac McCrimmon, a 2-1/2-year-old who was diagnosed with a form of leukemia.
The family moved to Saskatoon where Isaac will be treated for his leukemia. Scott McCallum and Greg Clemenson won the tournament and returned their prize money to the family.
All closest-to-the-hole winners and the 50-50 winner also donated their winnings to the family.
The tournament raised $8,500, which will help cover expenses.
Girl Guides gather for Crocus Camp
More than 500 Girl Guides and their leaders from across Canada have come to Dauphin for the organization’s Crocus Camp 2023, which will be held, Aug. 20 to 26.
Camp director Melissa Lopushniuk of Winnipeg said this is the first year they are running such a Crocus Camp.
“So we’re really, really excited to have such a large camp and something to happen in our province. And specifically Dauphin. Dauphin has been really hospitable with us and has been a really, really great support in terms of the community,” she said.
The Girl Guides, ranging in age from 10 to 17, will be camping at Selo Ukraina. It was the Selo site which sold organizers on holding the Crocus Camp in Dauphin.
“The Selo site has such great infrastructure and there’s such great things around. We have the museum that we can utilize. We have so many great things. We have some out trips going in and around the city,” Lopushniuk said.
Activities for the week will include Ukrainian egg decorating, mountain biking, as well as an activity involving the local Communities in Bloom committee.
“So something for all of the youth involved,” Lopushniuk said, adding she hopes the girls will enjoy the week. “I definitely think that we’ve created something that really reignites their spirit and really gets them to enjoy guiding and to continue on. So this is a big thing for us,” she said.
The opening ceremonies were held, Sunday evening, which included a special performance by Sche Raz.
Parkland Humane Society in desperate need of volunteers
The Parkland Humane Society (PHS) is in dire need of volunteers.
According to PHS office administrator Jenn Langlois, the shelter has been inundated with an influx of cats and dogs.
“There’s lots of dogs coming in from the pound. The same with cats coming in from the pound. And we are up to 20 dogs in the shelter and only a few are in foster. So we are also short of fosters,” she said. “And we have only one summer student hired and then my fulltime position. I’m supposed to be on office, but I’m also taking care of the dogs a lot.”
Langlois added there are currently 10 to 15 people who are on the schedule to come in and care for the animals at the shelter.
“Lots of times we’re running with only one person here. We’re lucky if we get two. So we are desperately in need of more volunteers to care for all of these influx of animals that are coming though,” she said.
Every day, Langlois said, they receive calls about pregnant cats or cats with kittens.
“And we just don’t have places to put them We are full here. Our fosters are full. We also get lots of calls for dogs, again lots when they get pregnant and need a place to go and we just don’t have that room,” she said.
At times, animals will be sent to other shelters, but those other shelters are also full and are unable to accommodate any more animals.
“We are definitely over the maximum right now for the dogs and the cats. And when we’ve only got one or two people per shift you can’t devote all of your attention, you’ve got to get everybody fed and watered. And by the time you get even that (far), then your shift is done and you haven’t had play time or walking time,” Langlois said. “These animals need more than what they’re getting.”
Of the 20 dogs, eight are housed inside the shelter itself, while the rest are housed in the kennels, sometimes with two or three per kennels.
And there are between 20 and 30 cats, as well, with a long waiting list for cats to come in.
“So no sooner that we get some out, more are coming in,” Langlois said.
Another problem facing PHS is no one is currently adopting animals.
“We’re at a standstill for adoptions. So therefore, no other can even come in. Lots of people are surrendering or they’re in the pound. They’re just not going anywhere,” Langlois said.
Anyone interested in volunteering or fostering can call the shelter at 204-638-6966, or visit the organization’s website at parklandhumanesociety.com and fill out the foster or volunteer form, which can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or dropped off at the shelter.
Those interested in fostering will receive everything they may need to care for a dog or cat.
“For fostering, you don’t need anything. We give you everything you possibly need. Leash, collar, bowls, litter, litter boxes. There is absolutely no cost to a foster to take a dog or a cat,” Langlois said. “We just like that you’re able to bring the dog or a cat if they need to be seen or if they have vet appointments.”
Langlois added they also look for fosters who are able to care for animals that may need medical attention.
“It could be simply giving a pill, that they’re comfortable with doing that,” she said.
Shelter shifts are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week year round.
“We need somebody here all the time,” Langlois said.
Rea ready to step aside from Parkland Vipers program
The Parkland Vipers Volleyball Club will have someone new at the helm next season as program founder Ted Rea retires from the role as organizer.
Noting it has been more than six years since his own family has been involved with the program, Rea said the program had more than 100 girls registered with teams from Grades 5 to 11.
“And I think with so much interest and the coaches we’ve got involved now and the parents that are involved, I thought it would be a good time to step away and have them take on the task as a group and take over the program,” he said.
Rea started the program in 1998 for what he called selfish reasons, a desire to win a provincial championship at the high school level.
“And we had to have a club team to develop those skills a little bit further in order to do that,” he said.
That first team back in 1998 consisted of mostly girls from Dauphin.
“But we had a few girls from out of town,” Rea added.
The next year, the program grew with players from Gilbert Plains, Winnipegosis and Grandview joining the program.
For the first few years, it was just Rea involved coaching one team.
“And then there was a group that got together with Jeremy Love’s daughter Tabi coming up that decided to do a few teams. So we had a few age groups going,” he said.
That lasted for a little while, Rea said. The number of teams continued, but the organization eventually went by the wayside.
“The parents that were involved, their daughters graduated and moved on and nobody really wanted to continue with the program. I’d been doing it before and knew the ins and outs and decided to just take on the task myself,” he said.
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Silvester helps Manitoba to silver medal at nationals
Ethelbert’s Analiese Silvester helped Team Manitoba to a silver medal at Football Canada’s Women’s U18 National Championships in Ottawa, July 21 to 29.
Manitoba opened the tournament with a 32-26 loss to Ontario Red, July 23.
Playing in the Cummings Division, Manitoba then defeated Indigenous Football Canada, 53-0, on July 26, to advance to the gold medal game against Ontario Black, which captured the gold medal with an 8-0 win, July 29.
Entering her 10th year of playing football, Silvester became interested in the sport when her mother and sister started playing.
“And they encouraged me to go to a practice, so I thought, ‘why not? I’ll try out in practice.’ And then I just fell in love with the sport,” she said.
Living in Ethelbert, Silvester commutes to Dauphin to practice and play with the Dauphin Clippers high school team. She first began in the youth football program in Dauphin before graduating to the high school level.
Silvester’s dream was to play for the provincial team, so when she heard about the tryouts, she decided to give it a try.
“I was pretty mind blown. It was very nice knowing I made the team,” she said of her reaction to making the team.
Silvester didn;t really have any expectations entering the national championships.
“I’ve never really been to one of those, so I didn’t know what to expect. But it was a very amazing experience,” she said, adding it was also a good learning experience, as well.
Silvester played mostly as a defensive back, but she also saw time as a linebacker and safety.
Silvester hopes to someday tryout for Canada’s national women’s team.
Silvester would like to give a huge thank-you to the following for their help raising funds for her travel costs: Erica Spek, Baba’s Corner Store, Gerald Lopez, Semtrack Agency and Design, Burdeniuk’s Service, East Side Collision, Western Trails, the Telfer family along with friends and family.
“Your help is greatly appreciated,” she said.
Celebrating a milestone
The Very Reverend Father Oleg Bodnarski, along with Marvin Procyshyn conducted a service honouring Ukrainian pioneers at the Trembowla Cross of Freedom site, Sunday, as part of Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival.
The day also celebrated the 125th anniversary of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, which was built in 1898 at Mink River and moved to thre Trembowla site in 1967.
Paying a visit
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson was in Dauphin, Friday for a meet and greet at the Parkland Recreation Complex with local dignitaries and recipients of recent funding through the Arts, Culture and Sport in Community Fund.
Among the Parkland recipients are:
Dauphin Recreation Services, Maamawi Park All Seasons, Phase 2 - $400,000; 2020 Dauphin Manitoba Summer Games Committee Inc., athletics facility upgrade, Phase 2 - $50,000; Dauphin and District Allied Arts Council Inc.,, auditorium floor - $17,500; Dauphin’s Countryfest Inc., amphitheatre seating upgrade project - $18,952.50; Rorketon Curling Club Inc., ice surface/interior revitalization - $25,000; Ukrainian Folk Arts Centre and Museum, Selo Hall access improvements - $18,005; Dauphin Active Living Centre, heritage showcase series - $12,000; Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club Inc., northgate gallery project - $25,000; Gilbert Plains and District Historical Society Inc., Guardians of our Past, Phase 2 - $11,700; Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, Tapestry: A Celebration of Diversity - $5,000; Sifton recreation, second annual Harvest Festival - $5,000; and Ste. Rose Hoof ‘n’ Holler Days Inc., Hoof ‘n’ Holler - $5,000.