The annual Gary Brandon Memorial Men’s Match Play Tournament saw 120 golfers comprising 60 teams hitting the links at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club, June 5 to 7.
The tournament, sponsored by Aspen Insurance and Assante Wealth Management, is a fund-raising event for local charities and a proud supporter of the Dauphin and District Community Foundation.
Shawn McQuarrie and Chad Facey won the championship flight, beating Bob Gilroy and Christian Laughland.
Nelson Lepla and Jordan Brown placed third, beating Lance Prytula and Drew Tyschinski.
Lynden Smigelski and Tyler Carefoot teamed up to win the first flight, defeating Wayne Catcheway and Earl Thompson, while Boston Karlson and Jackson Delaurier were third after defeating Brett and Perry Farnsworth.
Mark Odut and Regan Hedley won the second flight over Seth and Darcy Gares, with Shawn Woods and Dustin Underwood finishing third after defeating Darcy Malcolm and Julian Houle.
Ron Low and Andy Pickering beat Ron Love and Mike Penrose to win the third flight, with Randy VanHumbeck and Dan Bourgouin defeating Kelly Eastman and Bryan Diboll to finish third.
In the fourth flight, Wayne and Scott Heide took first place, beating Denis McKay and George Campbell, while Brendon Green and Jack Reis finished third after a win over Jody Bilous and Derrick Kabel.
Mike Shawn and Deegan Delaurier scored a win over Bart Michaleski and Blaine Johnson to win the fifth flight. Dean Cooley and Ron Hedley finished in third place after a win over Mike Sparrow and Rob Bouchard.
Terran Roos and Branden Hrychuk won the sixth flight scoring a win over Derrick and Dryden Vendramin, with third place going to Jeff Sutherland and Chris Garand, which beat Troy and Mark Steeves.
The seventh flight was won by the team of Clayton Carefoot and Jeff Gorawk, which defeated Steve Bell and Jordan Morrisseau, while James and Chris Davidson beat Mitch Prawdzik and Brendon Kruk to place third.

The provincial final in 2022 was the last time the Dauphin Clippers girls rugby team lost a game.
That was when they fell, 34-14, to the Rivers Rams in the provincial final.
The Clippers suffered its first defeat since then, Saturday, again in the provincial final, when they fell 31-22 to the Steinbach Sabres.
Clippers coach Shawn Sarkonak said the Clippers haven’t seen that level of competition in a long time.
“And I think the girls were a little bit shell shocked. They ended up getting down 18-0 in probably the first 15 minutes. But they were resilient, for sure. They battled back. They scored two quick ones right after,” he said.
“We went into the half, it was 24-12. Steinbach scored early in the second half and then the girls battled back, but, ultimately, couldn’t get it done.”
Despite the loss, Sarkonak is pleased with the silver medal, noting everything must come to an end.
“But what I’m most proud of is the way the girls didn’t quit. They battled as hard as they could. They put it all on the line. They went right to that final whistle. And they gave Steinbach a good push,” he said, adding he is pleased the girls were able to experience that level of competition.
“Especially our graduating girls,” he added.
Steinbach’s success over the last couple of years is proof of how far women’s rugby as a whole has come, not just in Manitoba, but across the country.
“With the success of the national women’s team, I think it’s just sparked an uptick in youth rugby, which is now translating into high school and young girls aspiring to play as high a level as possible. We haven’t had competition in Winnipeg in the last two years, so it was nice to finally see that,” he said.
To reach the final, the Clippers beat Springfield, 67-0.
Sarkonak offers his best wishes to Vanderkerckhove and Ryann Richard-Soltis who will be attending Brandon University, where they will play for the Bobcats, as well as Bourgouin, who will play for Mount Royal College, while Megan Thompson has transfered to Regina University to play for the Cougars, where she hopes to play alongside Felicity Sahulka and Percival.
The Clippers boys defeated St. John’s Ravenscourt, 52-5, to advance to the final against the St. Paul’s Crusaders.
In the final, the Crusaders won their 11th provincial title in a row and 12th in the last 13 years with a 26-19 win over the Clippers.
Clippers coach Aaron Miner felt the Clippers came as close as they possibly could to pulling off an upset.
“We lost by one try and we lost to a better team. They were better and stronger and just made fewer mistakes than we did. You couldn’t ask for more from our players, that’s for sure,” he said.
Miner feels the Clippers surprised the Crusaders with their strong play, noting they have had a good relationship with the Winnipeg school.
“In talking to their head coach, he did mention that this was definitely the best team that he’s ever coached in his career at St. Paul’s. So he was quite certain they were going to take it to us,” he said.
“I think we shocked them by being persistent and not giving up and making a full comeback. Even when they were up on us by two tries, we managed to come back. Like I told the guys, if it was a hockey game and there was a third period, we might have made the full comeback.”
Overall, Miner is pleased with the season, not just for his squad, but the girls and JVs, as well.
“It just goes to show the strength in the program at the DRCSS. Parkland rugby in general. Just nothing but a bright future ahead for the programs. We’re only one day out of high school rugby season and we’re already starting planning for the next event and the next wave of players coming up into the program,” he said.
“So no rest, and I think that’s how we keep our program strong and keep it going.”

Assiniboine College Parkland Campus held its annual graduation ceremony, celebrating 71 graduates.
Following the processional and the elder blessing from Reg Nepinak, Parkland Campus director Carol Stewart made some opening remarks.
AC president Mark Frison then brought greetings, as did Kayla Gillis on behalf of the Assiniboine College Alumni Association.
Then it was time for the Valedictory address delivered by Tammy Chief.
It’s an honour to stand here today and represent a graduating class that showed so much determination and heart. They say the journey to education begins within, but no one gets there alone. True success is built through the support of family, friends, classmates and instructors. Along the way, we don’t just learn what’s in textbooks, we learn who we are.
During my time at Assiniboine College, I saw firsthand the dedication, drive and perseverance of each one of my fellow graduates. I saw it every day in the classroom and across campus. We all showed up, even when it was hard. We endured sleepless nights completing assignments, juggling schoolwork alongside life and work commitments and facing financial stress that sometimes felt overwhelming. Yet here we are, standing today with a diploma in hand and with it, the power of education that we will carry into our future roles as individuals, employees and leaders.
With the guidance of my classmates, instructors and faculty, and the unwavering support of my family, I gained more than knowledge. I gained perspective, patience and flexibility. Those lessons have shaped me and they are something I will carry forward into my new career and throughout my life.
Choosing to return to school after 30 years may have been a difficult decision, but for me it was the right one. Right here in Dauphin, having Assiniboine College campus close to home made this journey possible for so many of us. It gave us more than an education; it gave us the skills and confidence to face what comes next. Education gives us the ability to stand up for ourselves and to be voices for those who cannot, and that is a responsibility I know this graduating class carries with pride.
Our instructors and staff created a space where growth was encouraged and where every student was truly seen. The friendly greetings from staff and faculty, the laughs we shared after handing in a test or assignment, and the check-ins from instructors who genuinely cared, these are memories I will hold true in my heart.
There’s a quote from a Scorsese film where a character says, “I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” That idea reflects what we have done here. Through our willingness to learn and grow, we shaped our environment into one that reflects resilience, determination and connection. And now, as graduates, we are stepping out into the world as that product, not just educated, but stronger, sharper and more capable because of the tools we’ve gained along the way.
It wasn’t always easy. There were busy schedules, heavy course loads, and moments of real stress. But through it all, one thing remained constant. We had each other. We leaned on one another, encouraged one another and were guided by instructors who pushed us to do our best and believed in our potential.
Today, we celebrate not just our accomplishments, but the journey that brought us here and the people who walked it with us. I am incredibly proud of everything we have achieved.
So, as we take this next step, let’s carry forward the lessons we’ve learned, the connections we’ve built and the confidence we’ve gained. Let’s continue to shape the environments we enter and make a meaningful impact in our communities.
Congratulations, Class of 2026. We worked hard for this, we earned it and I’m proud to stand here with you today.
The graduates were then presented with their diplomas.
Adult learning and upgrading
High School Diploma Secondary Diploma - Magnus Smith.
Mature Student High School Secondary Diploma - Cooper Beckman, Hayven Brezden, Aaron Catcheway, Lindy Chartrand, Alexander Flett, Julia Friesen, Colan Lafreniere, Brett McKay, Chloe Moar, Jorgia Moosetail, Luke Parenteau-Thompson, Jesse Sinatynski and Janine Zalizniak.
STRIVE Succeeding in the Work World Document of Achievement - Harley Bone, Michael Costello, Derrick Didluck, Cameron Flatfoot, Wynona Guiboche and Renee Roulette.
Youth Employability Skills Certificate of Achievement - Jazmanee Gregory, Kaitlyn Hatt, Lisa-Marie Kitchemonia, Chantelle Wishira and Isabelle Wishira.
Edna Edwards School of Nursing
Comprehensive Health Care Aide Certificate - Hailey Catcheway, Taiton Dyck, Shannon Holt, Marcus Lusung, Abby Maczuga and Tia Thiessen.
Peters School of Business
Business Administration: Accounting Diploma - Jaitanna Delaronde and Ashley Didyk.
Business Administration: Human Resource Management Diploma - Omolade Akinsete, Trevor Boyd, Tammy Chief, Courtney Clearwater, Tia Crawford, Kaur Manpreet, Courney Settler and Gurpreet Singh.
School of Health and Human Services
Early Childhood Education Diploma - Skylar Collins, Jaylene Gabriel, Calista Hudyma, Tanisha Meyer, Amanda Pangman, Johana Postrano and Ling Zhang.
Early Childhood Program Management (DE) Advanced Diploma - Angie Moosetail.
Social Service Worker Diploma - Haley Bone, Shavanna Genaille, Shuai Jiang, Alexandria Jordan, Julia Kotyk, Josephine Okeke and Kailyn Ushkowski.
School of Trades
Applied Plumbing Installation Certificate - Chukwudi Agi, Baron Arneson, Nyles Brazeau, Tanner Gamache, Keegan Ganchar, Ryan Gustilo, Kare Josephson, Matthew Knott, Drake Malcolm, Nevada McDougall and Devan Normandin.
Heavy Equipment Operator Certificate of Achievement - Jesse Boehling, Braidy McKay and Jimoh Olatunji.
The Governor General’s Academic Award, presented to the student who achieves the highest overall average upon graduation from a diploma program, was presented to Calista Hudyma of the Early Childhood Education program.

The City of Dauphin is hoping operational changes at the residential recycling drop off location on First Avenue Southeast will improve conditions at the facility.
From now on, the depot will accept only cardboard.
“This is in response to ongoing misuse, contamination, and illegal dumping that were making the site increasingly difficult and costly to maintain,” City deputy manager Lisa Gaudet said.
“The residential recycling depot was originally intended as a convenient option for residents to drop off recyclable materials, but over time, staff have observed increasing contamination of recycling bins and significant misuse of the site. So materials that didn’t belong at the recycling depot were regularly being left at the location, including household garbage, broken toilets, appliances, and other discarded items.”
Staff, she said, were spending valuable time cleaning up the site and the depot was quickly becoming an eyesore.
“The condition of the site was becoming a concern,” Gaudet said.
“The site, it’s in a fairly visible location. It doesn’t reflect well in the city to have a depot with garbage strewn about.”
The operational changes are meant to preserve the service and monitoring will take place to see if simplifying the operation reduces the contamination.
Cardboard needs to be flattened before being placed in the bins and all other recyclable materials need to be placed in the residential curbside recycling bins for collection.
“We know that there’s still a risk of non-recyclable items being discarded there, but this will allow us to evaluate whether a more focused service can be maintained successfully,” Gaudet said.
“Our goal is to maintain a recycling option for residents, but that requires the facility to be used as it’s intended.”

The town is welcoming a new face to the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) strategy, but the individual happens to be a born and raised local. Alexis Watts has been hired as the new CSWB Manager.
“I was born and raised in The Pas and am proud to call this community home,” said Watts. “My amazing husband is an Electrical Instructor at University College of the North (UCN); he is my absolute favourite person, such a huge motivator to the person I am and am becoming. We have two incredible sons and three semi-chaotic dogs who keep our household busy, but so full of love and energy.

This past season has been exciting for NHL player Connor Dewar. Not only did he have a great season overall, but he also signed on for two more years with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I felt like I did a really good job playing this year with Pittsburgh and earned the trust of the coaching staff and my teammates,” said Dewar. “I got to play more than I had in the past, plus it gave me the opportunity to score. This allowed me to flourish, build confidence, find my stride and show what kind of player I am in the league.

It's a rare opportunity for a Junior A team to hire a coach who's had the opportunity to play and learn under one of the greatest coaches of our time - Ken Hitchcock - and one of, if not the greatest hockey player of all time - Wayne Gretzky.
Josh Gratton, the new President of Hockey Operations and Head Coach of the Northern Manitoba Blizzard, can claim all that and more.
Gratton, a 43-year-old native of Brantford, Ont., brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the Blizzard franchise. He played more than 700 professional games, playing with some of the great minds in hockey. This includes NHL stints with the Philadelphia Flyers and Phoenix Coyotes, and two Calder Cup championships with two separate AHL teams.
"I was fortunate to have great coaches from the start of my career – including John Stevens, assistant coach with the Vegas Golden Knights, who’s won a bunch of Stanley Cups and we won a Calder Cup together,” said Gratton, who also went on to talk about his above-mentioned coaches. “I got to learn from the best of the best.”

The Swan River Valley was hit with what seemed like a tropical storm over the weekend, leaving destruction in its path. With upwards of 5” of rain in spots, farm fields, acreages and basements paid a heavy price. Pictured is what is supposed to be a healthy farm field along the south bypass in Swan River, but with the heavy rainfall, looks more like a lake. See inside for more photos from the aftermath.

On May 26th, 2026 the 677 Royal Canadian Air Cadets hosted their Annual Ceremonial Review. They had an amazing crowd of approximately 70 spectators supporting the event. Major Terrence Henry generously joined the squadron as the reviewing officer for the evening. During the event, the cadets were presented with the year-end awards capping off a great training year.
The awards presented were: Level 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Excellence Awards for cadets who completed their respective level and obtained a 90% or better attendance. The Excellence in Fitness Award which is sponsored by the Russell Lion's Club and was presented by Kevan McCarthy. The Distinguished Marksmanship Award which is sponsored by the Russell Game and Fish and was presented by Ken Schmitz. The Lord Strathcona Medal presented by Major Henry and the Legion Medal of Excellence presented by Earl Smith of the Russell Legion.
The cadets had a successful training year and volunteered numeous hours with various community organizations.
The Russell 677 Air Cadets would like to thank all of the individuals and community organizations that supported us this year and made this year a success. The squadron has grown from 3 Cadets to 15 Cadets in the last 3 years and a large part of that is in thanks to the community, sponsorship committee and the local squadron staff. We look forward to our upcoming training year and an even more impressive Annual Ceremonial Review next year.
Air Cadet fall registration will be on September 8th, 2026 at the George P. Buleziuk Centre in Russell at 7:00 p.m. for youth ages 12-19.

COMING AUGUST 14! Roadshow Pickleball Manitoba will be running a youth pickleball camp for ages 12-17 years in Russell! Details coming soon! Mark your calendars!
The Russell Town wide Garage Sale is scheduled for Saturday, June 20th from 9 am-3:30 pm. If you would like your address added to the map, please contact the recreation office: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. From out of town? We will be offering in space inside the rink for $20.
Summer Camps are back! The camps are 1 week and meet daily from 9am until 3:30 pm! Come join us for outdoor activities including arts, crafts, hiking, science, swimming, games, etc. The cost is $50 for the week! Dates and ages are as follows:
Russell July 13-17 ages 9-12, Russell July 20-24 ages 7-11, Russell July 27-31 ages 6-10 and Binscarth August 4-7 ages 7-11. Please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register!
There is a new story on the Storybook Trail! “Cool Canadian Dinosaurs” Fun Facts from Teeth to Tracks! by Canadian Girl. The trail starts just off Alexandria Ave by the Russell grain elevator on the Trans Canada Trail. Follow the trail, stopping at each story pedestal and learn about 14 different types of dinosaurs that once lived in Canada!
Healthy Baby is Tuesday, June 23rd from 11am-1pm upstairs in the Bunge Room located in the Russell Memorial Multiplex, Main St entrance. This is a free program for expecting parents and those with babies under the age of one. Come join us!
Pickleball is at the GPB Hall in Russell (106 Shell River Ave S)! Tuesdays from 1-3 pm and Thursdays from 9-11 am and again from 7-9 pm! Pickleball is FREE and we have all equipment needed. Clean, indoor shoes required. Never played before? We’ve got you covered! We will teach you!
Badminton is in Russell at the GPB Hall on WEDNESDAY evenings from 7-9pm. It is FREE and we have all equipment needed. Clean, indoor shoes required.
Zumba is Thursday nights from 6:30-7:30pm upstairs in the Bunge Room at the Russell Memorial Multiplex, Main St entrance, $5 drop-in!
Coming soon! The disc golf course will be set up again this summer as well as the PlayBoxes in Russell and Binscarth. Stay tuned for more information!
Follow us on Facebook: Recreation Department Municipality of Russell Binscarth Not on Facebook? Check out our community bulletin board located on the front of the Russell Memorial Multiplex (Main St).