An Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) member received the golden opportunity to be crowned the first-ever Miss Indigenous Canada last year. Jessica McKenzie has been acting as the first Miss Indigenous Canada and this opportunity has provided her with many enriching experiences.
“It’s been an incredibly beautiful experience overall,” said McKenzie. “I’ve had the opportunity of deeply connecting with OCN and its members, along with meeting so many new faces across Turtle Island. This opportunity has given our community a platform to amplify our voices. We get to share our stories, traditions, and values.

There are many outstanding works done by Manitobans that have been recognized and recently presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal for these efforts. Cameron Ritzer recently received this award for his work and advocacy in the paramedic profession.
“I have a long history of being a paramedic advocate,” said Ritzer. “Being a paramedic myself and growing up around paramedics. I’ve always been involved in enhancing the profession, especially the education standards. This year, the Paramedic Association of Canada nominated me for the award for my dedicated service to enhancing the paramedic profession in Canada.”

The tri-community has always had outstanding citizens, many of whom have been recognized and presented with awards for their community efforts. Terry McKellep has been an active volunteer for many years and sees it as a way to give back to a community that has given her family so much.
“The main reason why I started volunteering was that this community helped me to raise three incredible kids,” said McKellep. “Every one of my children is amazing, and they have taken the torch and volunteered as well. This community was a great place to raise my children and I feel it’s a good place to live, so I wanted to give back.”

The Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas has recently gone through some changes as Archbishop Murray Chatlain has moved on to become the archbishop for the Archdiocese in Winnipeg. As a young man, Archbishop Chatlain had a very strong calling for the clergy, which led him down this path of serving God.
“Many years ago, when I was a young man, for some reason I prayed a fair amount and asked for guidance from God,” said Archbishop Chatlain. “I did ask God to help me find what kind of work he wanted me to do. It took quite a while before I got an answer. I was a bit reluctant at first because I thought I wanted a wife and family, with a regular job. There was a very strong and persistent call from God to give it a try.

Fresh off winning the Keystone Junior Hockey League (KJHL) Cup, the OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team headed to Alberta last weekend to compete in the 2025 Central Canada Cup. This season has been a challenging one for the OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team, however, all the obstacles helped make them a more versatile team this season.
“This season, like most teams, we had a lot of ups and downs,” said OCN Storm Junior B Hockey Team Coach Ethan Constant. “This year we dealt with a lot of injuries, and our players had commitments with either school or work, so a lot of games we didn’t have a full roster. It was kind of tough to compete this year, especially with the teams being so competitive this year.

Students from The Pas recently came back from their exchange trip to France. It was an experience they were looking forward to and provided a world of memories and experiences they will never forget.
“There were 16 students with the majority from the high school and a few from the middle school,” said Chris Afatsawo. “We left The Pas on March 26.”
The students took in many of the sights and wonders in France. There were lots to see and do, and the cultural experiences were nothing like they had experienced before.

All the princesses in the tri-community can get their gowns out for The Pas and Area Animal Shelter has their annual Princess Ball fundraiser tickets on sale. This is an event that not only raises money for a good cause but is one that people of all ages can enjoy.
“Any age is welcome to our Princess Ball,” said TPAAS Lynda Geswin “Children do need to be accompanied by an adult at the event.”

This year’s federal election has four choices for voters to choose from in the Churchill – Keewatinook Aski Riding. The Opasquia Times had an interview with NDP candidate Niki Ashton a few weeks back and had no luck connecting with the Liberal Party of Canada candidate Rebecca Chartrand and Conservative Party of Canada candidate Lachlan De Nardi.
The PPC party has a local face as their candidate in this riding. Dylan Young grew up in The Pas and has been involved with the local Boy Scouts throughout the years. “I was born and raised in The Pas,” said Young. “I went through the French Immersion education system in school, so I’m still somewhat fluent in French.
“I used to volunteer quite often with the Boy Scouts in town, but I still show up at each Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival to make sure the kids aren’t hungry or freezing on the parade float. This year, I brought beef in a bag and they all enjoyed it.”

Many are looking forward to warmer weather so they can get out, get active and enjoy the great outdoors. The Tri-Community Triathlon is encouraging people to come out and give the event a try, even if it is for the first time.
“We’re hoping to see lots of first-time triathletes come out and try a new sport,” said Tri-Community Triathlon Event Coordinator Emily Doucette. “The triathlon is made up of swimming, bicycling, and running.
“At last year’s event, we had 50 people participate in the triathlon. We also had a lot of local volunteers who came out to help make the race a fun and safe event for the athletes.