For two decades, Credit Union Place (CUP) has been a cornerstone of recreation, activity and community connection in the Parkland region.
Fusion Credit Union (FCU), a sponsor since inception in 2006, is proud to continue its commitment with a new 10-year sponsorship agreement as the exclusive naming partner of the facility.
“Facilities like Credit Union Place play an important role in the vitality of our communities,” Darwin Johns, CEO at FCU, said in a press release.
“We’re incredibly proud to have supported this facility since day one and are excited to continue that partnership for the next decade.”
Since its inception, Dauphin’s CUP, managed by Dauphin Recreation Services (DRS), has become a gathering place for sports, major events and activities that contribute to healthy, vibrant communities.
“Partnering with local organizations such as Dauphin Recreation Services aligns closely with Fusion’s co-operative values and commitment to helping communities remain active, connected and economically strong,” said Johns.
“Credit Union Place brings people together, supports active lifestyles and creates opportunities for connection and community pride.”
Beyond recreation, Credit Union Place supports the regional economy by hosting major events and attractions that bring visitors to the area.
“When communities have spaces that bring people together, the impact reaches far beyond the four walls of the building,” said Johns.
“These facilities create economic activity, support local businesses and help foster the kind of vibrant, connected communities we’re proud to serve and live in.”
The long-standing partnership between DRS and FCU symbolizes the power of collaboration to create lasting impact in our communities.
“Investing in Credit Union Place is an investment in the future of our communities,” said Johns.
“When organizations come together with purpose, they create opportunities that shape brighter futures for everyone.”
“We are incredibly grateful to have Fusion Credit Union returning as our naming sponsor for the next 10 years,” said DRS assistant general manager Lindsey Kyle.
“There is no better symbol of community than Credit Union Place, a central hub that brings together residents from across our region for recreation, connection, and events.
“Support from partners like Fusion is what allows us to continue offering a wide range of recreation opportunities and community events. We are proud to move forward together and look forward to building on this strong partnership for years to come.”

A short run in the 2026 Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs has resulted in a financial loss for the Dauphin Kings.
A year after reporting a profit of more than $47,000, the Kings are reporting a loss of $44,308.
In terms of revenue, the biggest fall came in ticket sales. In 2025, the local junior A hockey club reported ticket sales of $339,727. That number fell to $186,448 this year.
Total revenue in 2025 was $835,599, while revenue in 2026 was $644,534.
Expenses also fell, from $787,927 in 2025 to $688,842 in 2026.
Fund-raising increased from $174,833 to $182,020 on the strength of the tractor lotto, which raised approximately $130,000 and the Par 3 Golf Tournament, which raised about $14,000, almost double from the year before.
Despite the shortfall, the Kings still have assets totalling $27,996.
Bryan Romanow was named interim team president last August.
He faced a number of challenges over the course of the season, noting there is a new era in junior hockey.
“It’s tough when you lose a player like Havryil Simchuk at Christmas time to B.C. He would have helped us out immensely in the playoffs, for sure” he said.
“I think stuff like that is the biggest impact now. Losing players at the wrong time of year.”
The Kings have been searching for a new head coach and general manager since parting ways with Doug Hedley at the end of the season.
Romanow said the team was close enough to hiring someone new to offer a contract.
“And we thought we had one locked up and then they had a family meeting and had a change of heart,” he said.
“There were a couple more that we were just about to offer contracts to, but then they backed away. We’re working really hard. It’s tough. Coaching nowadays, too, they want a lot of money. But hopefully, in the next week to 10 days, we’ll have somebody in place.”
Romanow will remain on the board as vice-president with Jason Gibbs stepping into the president’s role. Romanow hopes to use his time as vice-president as a learning experience.
“I was only on for about six months, so I have quite a bit to learn yet. So it will be nice to follow Jason’s lead for a while and then hopefully, I’ll step back up into president or remain a vice-president, which is fine,” he said.
As for the financial situation, Romanow said the loss shows how important a long playoff run can be. He also noted while the Kings appreciate the support from sponsors, the team lacks a major industry to support the team, unlike other teams in the league
“Our sponsorships are awesome in Dauphin, don’t get me wrong. But you’re dealing with the Steinbachs, where they have HyLife. And you’re dealing with Portage, with McCain. They back their teams fairly well,” he said.
“We are very happy with the support we get in Dauphin. It’s just we don’t have any industry, basically. What it comes down to is we’re a farming community. So we try to make the best with what we have.”
Gibbs joins the Kings after serving as governor a few years ago, before moving on to the Parkland Rangers program.
“I still love the game of hockey and, obviously, my kids have moved on, so we have a little bit of empty nest syndrome and I still want to give back. So I just thought coming back to the board and helping these folks get through things was the right step,” he said.
Among the challenges will be to right the ship financially.
Gibbs credited director of business operations Christian Laughland for his work in securing sponsors.
“But just keeping the team afloat and, obviously, we need to focus on getting a head coach signed and announced,” he added.
The Kings are also looking for added revenue streams to help the bottom line.
One thing Gibbs hopes to do is to get players back out into the community.
“Giving back to the sponsors, helping out wherever they can. We’re hoping that we’ll get more folks in the stands and get them excited about the players and the team,” he said.
Recognizing time is of the essence, Gibbs hopes to have a new coach and general manager is place soon.
While there were no resignations from the board, a number of people stepped up and joined the team.
Cam Abrey will be the billet co-ordinator, Jason Alf joins as community relations, Joey Pasternak and Troy Steeves will serve as game day directors, Craig Kaminski will serve as information technology and Dave Campbell will join Rob Hrechka and Rae Csversko in external relations.
Remaining on the board are Laughland, who will also serve as the team’s governor, Erin Sigvaldason in finance and Scott McCallum as director of hockey operations.
The Kings recently announced its schedule for the 2026-27 season.
Of note, all but one home game will be played on weekends, with 15 Friday games, seven on Saturdays and six on Sundays. The lone weekday home game will take place, Dec. 31, a Thursday.
The season opens, Sept. 18, when the Kings are in Selkirk to battle the Steelers, with the home opener the next night at Credit Union Place also against Selkirk.

The City of Dauphin has taken steps to address a perceived downtown pigeon problem.
At its regular meeting, June 8, council was informed administration, acting on an initiative approved as part of the 2026 financial plan, has entered into an agreement with Orkin Canada to oversee a pigeon population management program in the city.
Control efforts will begin with targeted trapping and removal activities, deputy city manager Lisa Gaudet told councillors, followed by the installation of rooftop feeding stations, which dispense OvoControl pellets, which contain birth control measures to address the growing population of the urban birds.
“The feeding stations will dispense OB control pellets designed to gradually reduce pigeon reproduction rates through a humane, non-lethal population management approach,” Gaudet said.
OvoControl has proven to be useful for managing pigeon flocks in larger areas without having to resort to poisons and their associated risks.
Pigeons represent a source of common infections, including, salmonella, and a range of e. coli, some of which can represent a serious health risk to people and animals, making it pivotal to manage pigeon population growth.

The Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School celebrated the Class of 2026, Saturday at Credit Union Place.
This year saw 143 graduates walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.
Following the processional, greetings were brought by Mountain View School Division assistant superintendant Gord Wood, MVSD trustee Jarri Thompson and DRCSS principal Taylor Schmidt.
Then came the convocation and presentation of awards followed by the Valedictorian address by Jacobi van Luijn-Michaluk.
Here is her speech:
Hello everyone, my name is Jacobi and I am honored to have been voted valedictorian for the Class of 2026.
This role has made me reflect on all the memories and accomplishments we’ve had over the years. These are some of the most important times in our lives.
It has also forced me to think about one of the scariest things and that’s the unknown ahead of us. I’m sure this fear has crossed everyone’s mind, especially us graduates.
For so long, we sort of knew what was ahead. We knew that the next year we would return to school, see the same teachers and friends that we have seen every day for years, to then go home and continue that cycle, but it won’t be like that anymore and it’s been so hard to admit that. We are breaking years worth of habits and routines and that’s an extremely difficult thing to do.
This change can really take a toll on kids. So many people have told me that it sort of feels like we are suddenly leaving behind our whole life. It’s as if we are popping this safe little bubble we have built around each other.
I made sure this year to really take my time to process it all and cherish every second I spend with my friends, teachers and family. We should all be thankful for the people that surround and comfort us during this time in our lives. Every single person here today wants the absolute best for us and it’s important that we keep that love close to us.
As scary as this new chapter may seem, there is some excitement to it. We are all going to have this new level of independence and a new sense of individuality. We are going to discover so many new and exciting things about ourselves we have no idea about. In order to grow as people, we must branch out and face our challenges head on. But that growth can be intimidating.
It feels like we are ready to grow up until it’s actually happening. Growing up feels like it should just be all fun and exciting, but it feels so hard and confusing, too. I know it’s normal for us to feel like this, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult. It may not seem like it right now, but it’s important for us to grow up. Even as we get older, we will still have parts of our childhood with us, along with all the memories we have made. So many memories and crucial parts of my life have happened in high school, and I’m going to cherish that for the rest of my life.
We are so lucky to experience this together and to be there for one another.
Along with all these good things that we will carry with us, it isn’t like that all the time. So many teens struggle with mental health and I want to take this opportunity to spread awareness about it.
They say one in four youth have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death in Canada for youth between the ages of 15 to 19. LGBTQIA+ youth are five times more likely to attempt suicide and Indigenous youth are five to seven times more likely.
Let that information sit with you for a moment. Think about that next time you decide to judge someone based on their looks or because they are a bit different than others. We are all human and we only have one life. Everyone should be able to live that life with some happiness in it. We all have our things we are insecure about, maybe we think too much about what others think of us. I hope that whatever you are dealing with, you persevere and go to the people that are willing to help you when you need it. Everyone has someone who cares about them. If you don’t think so, check again because I guarantee they are there.
I am so proud of all the graduates for getting through the highs and lows of high school. We may complain about our assignments or skip class because we don’t feel like doing work, but there is at least a part of us that is going to miss all this. During our time in school, we have learned to become our own person, to take care of ourselves and others and to trust that there is always someone who is willing to help us.
I want to take a moment to thank all the teachers at the DRCSS for teaching us these things and for always being there for your students. I want to highlight a few teachers that have impacted me, and many other students.
Mrs. Coombs, thank you for bringing light to your classroom and our lives and for believing in students even if they have given up on themselves.
Mr. Cote, you bring laughter, joy and comfort to any room you walk into. Thank you for creating such a safe space for me and many other people.
Lastly, I’d like to thank two teachers that have made the biggest impact on me, Mrs. Michaluk and Mrs. Krisjanson. You may not work in a classroom, but the work you do is just as important. You help kids reach the finish line and get through anything they may be going through.
Mrs. Krisjanson, you are so patient with kids and supporting them academically. Mrs. Michaluk, you always go above and beyond with kids who need you. These teachers I have named are true heroes in so many people’s lives and I’d be lucky to become half the person that they are. Teachers truly save lives and the work they do is so crucial in our world. Thank you to all the teachers for guiding us through life and helping us ease into young adulthood.
I’m so curious to see the people we are all growing to be. It’s hard to say goodbye to this chapter and all the stories in it, but it’s time to write the next one. Maybe it will be even better than last. Whatever is in store for all of you, I hope you achieve great things and have the life you deserve to live.
Before I’m done talking, I want to read one of my favorite poems called “Wild Geese” written by Mary Oliver.
“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
The mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
The world offers itself to your imagination,
Calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
Over and over announcing your place
In the family of things.”
Thank you class of 2026, we deserve to celebrate all we have accomplished.
Following her speech came the turning of the tassel and the recessional.

This flash flood has taken its toll on everyone in the Valley, including residents, farmers, and local businesses. Several businesses sustained damage as a result of floodwaters and are working together to try to salvage what is left. Dan Grazier of Grazier Manufacturing was one of the businesses that took a hard hit from the flooding in the area.
“My business was literally and figuratively underwater,” said Grazier. “There is substantial building damage and we’re just starting to sort out the equipment damage. It’s fairly substantial and so is the damage our neighbours have sustained.”
Grazier knew there was some heavy rainfall in the forecast and that it had created some flooding issues, but he had no idea of the magnitude of how much water and how quickly it would come his way.
“We had a regular work day on Monday, June 8, and I had some suspicions the water might come, but I actually didn’t think it would,” said Grazier. “There were some flooding issues at the Cargill turnoff, but that is a fair distance away. There were lots of ditches for that water to fill up along the way, so I didn’t think it was actually possible. I was where the flood started.
“I had started scratching around the storm drains in case the water did come, it would start flowing in there. That afternoon, the roads were bare and dry. At 4 p.m., I noticed some trickling down the roads, along the outer sides. Then by 5 p.m., there were thick streams coming down both sides of the road and shortly after, there was some pooling between my shop and Co-op.
“Whenever we see a heavy rain or spring thaw, it will usually flood out across the street,” said Grazier. “I started to realize that this was beginning to be a bit of a problem. I talked to Mayor Jacobson to confirm that water is coming in and that there might be a problem. I sent him a picture and had already gone home for the day. When I checked my security cameras, I noticed the water around it and told him I was about 10 minutes away from losing our office.
“He activated things very quickly and got sandbags down here. By the time I got to our office, it had already been swallowed up by the water. People were showing up to sandbag, including an army of young people. We were too late to save our office, so we started helping our neighbours sandbag. There were an unbelievable number of people from the community helping out. I was shocked by the number of young people who came to help out and did a lot of grunt work.”
In a time of a natural disaster and crisis of this magnitude, Grazier is proud of the efforts made by those who were helping each other out all around the Valley. Thanks to the teamwork efforts by everyone in the community, people are starting to get back into their homes and businesses.
“We tried to minimize the damage and I think everyone is doing ok,” said Grazier. “There is some building damage all around; further up the street, it looks a little better. Most of the businesses in this area are back in the buildings, cleaning up with a lot of work ahead of them. We’ve been stripping walls all week here at our office.
“Louisiana Pacific has been really good to us and offered some labour and their summer students to help us with stuff where we needed some more hands. We’ve been helping each other as we go. It has been a couple of late nights, but a real community effort. Countless people came to help who had no real affiliation with the businesses per se, but came as good people trying to help out. For once, I’m at a loss for words.
“We were shoulder to shoulder in mud and water, helping one another out,” said Grazier. “It might not be our property, but we are friends and work with these people every day, and care about each other here. Even though our property took in a lot of water, people still wanted to try and help us any way they could.”
Through community efforts, the water is subsiding and moving on.
“We were pumping water steadily last Friday,” said Grazier. “I figure we took in about eight inches of water. When they cut the railway and bypass, it really lowered the level of water around here. Now we have water just on the sides of the roads. There’s still lots of work to be done.
“We’ve been trying to pump out the low spots of water because whenever people would drive through the water, it would send it back into buildings. So people driving down here to take a look at what happened was a real problem in terms of the water coming back in. Once the road got cut, we saw the water drastically drop, so we cut back on the pumps. At the time, we weren’t sure if that was going to happen, and we were focused on trying to get the water away from the buildings so people could get back in them. Until the water went down, businesses couldn’t put forward a full effort into cleaning up.
“I just want to put a focus on the help that has been offered to us personally and around town,” said Grazier. “It has been remarkable. We are in the process of testing out our equipment to see what needs replacing. We are like a lot of people, not insured for overland flooding and a lot of people are scared about that and what it means for them.
“We were working to get to a point where we could set up some fans and dehumidifiers and dry things out over the weekend. We needed a bit of a breather and hoped this would help dry out our building, and then we plan to go help others in the Valley. There are a lot of people who are looking for and need help right now.
“I am so proud of everyone here and the community support,” said Grazier. “We will get through this.”

Presenting Swan Valley Regional Secondary School’s Class of 2026! Graduates celebrated their final year of high school on Friday (June 19) with ceremonies, a banquet and a dance. See more in our graduation supplement section.

The Binscarth Lions jumped into action when and where it was needed most with a $2,500 donation to Swan Valley Flood Relief as they battle along the road back to normal.
Back row: Bill Thompson, Jean Thompson, Joy Toole, Sandra Birch, Mike Willis, Sonja McNair, Cliff Tetzlaff Front row: Linda Charron and Christine Judd.

Thirty six years ago, Heather Betke typed out the application to the province for Russell’s first daycare, on a typewriter. Heather is now retiring.
Anyone who has been lucky enough to be a parent of a child in her care over the last three+ decades knows that Heather and the various daycare boards have orchestrated a lot of changes over the last thirty six years.
The daycare opened on January 8th of 1990 with four staff and Heather as their director.
Now there’s a staff of 25 full time, permanent employees and about five casuals.
When the daycare opened, they were licensed for forty spaces and now, the daycare can hold 124 kids.
Along the way, that growth has required a few physical expansions - the first when a classroom in Major Pratt became much needed daycare space, expanding the daycare to the north.
Then came the brand new building just across the road from the Lots A Tots Daycare centre. Along the way, there’s been the addition of a fenced in playground space. Now after 36 years and a place where many area families have seen two generations as Lots A Tots kids, Heather is saying goodbye to her official capacity. Her replacement is Cori Tumak who has been with the centre for three years. She brings with her many years of experience in child care, including a time as a director of a centre in Lac du Bonnet. Thank you Heather for your years of commitment to our area families and to our community ensuring that the centre grew with our area communities forming a valuable asset which for many families was among the deciding factors when looking at the possibility of relocating to this area.

The countdown to Manitoba’s quintessential country music festival is on. Dauphin Countryfest kicks off June 25 and with an eclectic and iconic mix of artists set to hit the stage, it is going to be legendary.
The four-day music festival takes place in the idyllic Selo Ukraina site just five minutes south of Dauphin, and according to organizers, not only is the festival an economic boost to the community, it is more importantly an opportunity for country music fans to build community.
“The togetherness it creates in our community, the sense of pride it gives us to host such a large event is immense,” said Countryfest First Vice-President Bob Gilroy. “The economic impact for a rural Manitoba community like Dauphin does not go unnoticed with an event the size of Countryfest. In its initial years, Countryfest was similar to many rural community events - small and with little financial input and a lot of volunteer blood, sweat and tears. Over the past 37 years, the festival has grown to the point that one cannot ignore the economic boost it provides Dauphin directly and by extension the Parkland region.

Growing up in northern Manitoba as a person who is a part of the 2SLGBTQIA community was not an easy thing for many who lived and experienced it. It’s something that Connie Merasty has first-hand lived experience in and it forced her to leave her home community to find a safe place.
“I’m turning 58 years old this year and was born and raised in Opaskwayak Cree Nation(OCN),” said Merasty. “I’m the eleventh of twelve children. I’ve lived in cities, mainly Winnipeg, for over 30 years. That was where my advocacy work started.
“It was a big culture shock for me as a young person to come from OCN to Winnipeg. When I left my home community, it was under great duress. I struggled a lot with substance abuse and all of the things that come with living a life of homelessness. I didn’t have an education when I went to Winnipeg, so I was left to my own devices for survival.