A series of cabins in the Valley has had quite an extensive history in the community and surrounding area. They became part of a few different family businesses and upbringings for some of the former local residents. The Moon Glo Cabins were another set of cabins in the Valley that tourists frequented before it became part of the Crescent Park Motel.
The Fosters ran the Moon Glo Cabins and resided on the property while raising their children.
“My dad was George Arthur Foster and my mom was Muriel Lavina Foster (Johnston),” said Lynn (Foster) Hall. “They were both born in 1906 and my dad was born in England. He came over to Canada when he was three years old. My mom was born in MacGregor. There were eight children in our family: Merceda (Mickey), Wilfred, Raymond, Donald, Glen, June, Douglas and then myself.
“I was born in 1946, and that’s when my family moved into town from the farm. My father and his brother-in-law built the majority of the Moon Glo Cabins. The Birchwood Cabins used to be our competitors.
“From what I can remember, there were about 10 cabins, but I don’t how many there were originally when they first started,” continued Hall. “We lived right on site in a huge four-bedroom with a full upstairs and downstairs. The home had a huge stretch of property attached to it.”
The Moon Glo Cabins didn’t have private bathrooms within each cabin but still had a fair number of amenities for the time period.
“The cabins were red with white trim and, I believe, there was a central bathroom or shower house with the ladies on one side and men on the other, with a hot water tank in the middle,” said Hall. “People were able to shower and use the flush toilets, but in the winter, my dad had to drain the hot water tank so it wouldn’t freeze up. There may have been outhouses on the property earlier on, but I’m not entirely sure.
“There was no running water in the cabins, but there was a cook stove to keep warm and my dad supplied water. There was a little table with chairs, dishes, and utensils that families could use to eat. Each cabin usually came with two beds and I remember making lots of those beds over the years.
“A lot of couples first started off their married lives in those cabins,” said Hall.
There was a lot of space for other recreational activities where the Moon Glo Cabins were. The Foster family had tons of animals on site for kids to play with and lots of yards for them to play games.
“We had a nice big lawn area that had swings on it and kids played crokinole out there,” said Hall. “My dad kept an immaculate lawn, with the grass and trees well-trimmed. There was a stone archway that had a sign above it saying Moon Glo Cabins. He had that made, with the pillars made of big boulders or river stones cemented in. That archway was the entrance to the property. We had a great big Caragana hedge from the house we lived in right down to where the archway was. There was always lots of yard work for him to do and he loved it.
“We also sold fuel there, British American Gas, and the tourists, especially Americans, stopped in back then. Some would even stay.
“There was a barn behind that had lots of room for people to park their boats and stop,” continued Hall. “Dad always had Shetland ponies or horses in the barn for kids to ride on. There were other animals including rabbits, dogs, and cats and in the beginning, we also had a cow. We raised a lot of Collie and Labrador dogs. My dad really loved animals.
“Behind the first row of cabins, there was a summer kitchen that people could use to cook their dinner or meals.”
Running the Moon Glo Cabins was literally a full-time job for the Fosters. There was always lots of work to be done to get the cabins ready for the next round of guests and visitors to stay there.
“Both my parents had their work cut out for them in the mornings with the cleaning of the cabins and making the beds for the next guests,” said Hall. “For the longest time, my mother did all the laundry herself with a ringer washer and hung out on the line. Eventually, they got the linens sent to Dauphin when that service became available for some of the businesses in town.
“We still had to make the beds and have lots of stock on hand because you couldn’t wait for the clean linens to come back. It took about three days for the clean stuff to arrive back at the cabins.”
The Fosters built a new house closer to the cabins, with an office attached to it. This change began to reshape the business.
“Eventually our parents built a new house, down towards where the gas pumps were,” said Hall. “We had a sign up that said for customers to beep the horn when they wanted to get fuel. Customers would honk their horns and, if dad was in the office, he would tend to them, if not, we would come down from the house.
“So, when the new home was built closer to the pumps, it was a two-bedroom home with a basement, then an office attached to it for the business. There was another unit attached to it for guests; it sort of started to take shape and look like a motel.
“My parents became good friends with a lot of the guests who stayed there. I can remember a couple would look after the place if they went away somewhere. Then I believe my parents moved into a house in town around 1970 or 1971 and that’s when they sold the cabins to the Waltons and it became Crescent Park Motel.”

Owning a piece of Swan River’s history can be an amazing and rare find. This is the case for Valley-born Jason Beasley of J-Ride Customs.
Beasley acquired the old milk truck from Crescent Creamery that was used in the Valley to deliver milk and cream to people. It was a treasure he stumbled upon while taking a drive out in the country.
“I have family in the Valley and was actually born in Swan River,” said Beasley. “I was cruising around with my Aunt Nancy Thomas and Uncle Bob Thomas. They have land up in the Pretty Valley area and on the way, I spotted the old Crescent Creamery milk truck just off a gravel road, in a field. It caught my eye and we stopped, because any kind of old vehicle gets my attention right away.
“My uncle stopped and I went and had a look at it. It was in rough shape and there wasn’t even a frame underneath it. It’s a 1954 International Metro Milk Truck and it’s a rare find. My uncle knew who owned the land it was on, so I called them up and I made a deal with the owner. My brother was coming back up to Swan River in a couple of weeks because my grandmother was moving to Winnipeg, so we put all of her stuff in the Metro and put it on a trailer and brought it back.”
Beasley is an avid retro vehicle collector and has dedicated his time to restoring many classic cars, trucks and antique automobiles. Through his business J-Ride Customs, he does all the custom work himself and has a dedicated YouTube channel that has videos of him doing the restoration work for people to see.
Restoring the old 1954 International Metro Milk Truck was challenging for a few reasons. It was in really rough shape; the parts were impossible to find and basically no longer exist.
“I just love old vehicles with all the curve detail they have on the body itself,” said Beasley. “I had to do some research because it was missing so many parts. It looks like someone was just gutting it and using it for parts at one time. There was no frame or motor in it when I bought it.
I had to find out what would fit underneath it the best with the least amount of modifications to it.
“I ended up buying a 2009 Dodge Durango and used that frame for underneath it, including the motor and transmission. Now it’s an all-wheel drive vehicle. I wasn’t able to find any of the old parts for it, so I had to customize and make my own. I had to make my own body panels and everything for it. On my YouTube channel, I have videos of myself making parts for this.
“Sure, it would have been nice to go to somewhere like California to find potential parts for this old milk truck, but you just can’t do that with these types of vehicles because there’s just not a lot of them around,” said Beasley. “You have to make do with what you can.”
It took some time for Beasley to find the right parts that would work with the old Metro milk truck.
He spent a lot of time researching what would work best. Once he had the materials, he began working on it through the winter and on side, amongst other projects and work he had coming into his shop.
“I owned the old Crescent Creamery milk truck for three years before I even did anything with it,” said Beasley. “That’s how much time it took to research and make parts. I work on big projects like this in the winter months. I have a decent size shop and the tools to work on stuff like this. I actually started working on the milk truck last fall to get to where it is now. It’s not totally finished, but did a fair amount of work to it, plus I have three or four other vehicles I was working on at the same time. Plus, I have other vehicles coming in for servicing as well.
“I’m going to bring the milk truck back into the shop for the winter and hopefully finish it. It’s not going to be all pristine; I’m going to leave the original paint and the mural on the side of it. That is all going to stay and where I put the new parts, I’m going to blend the paint to make it look older as well, to match.
“I’m also going to put the seats from the Dodge Durango inside the Metro Milk Truck, so it will have three rows of seating inside,” said Beasley. “I’m also using the dash from the Durango as well, because it’s got this nice woodgrain look to it.”
Restoring the old 1954 Metro milk truck has been a topic of discussion for people of all ages and from everywhere, not just the Valley. Many people remember a time when milk and cream were delivered to their home using milk trucks just like this.
“It’s a real conversation starter that’s for sure,” said Beasley. “A lot of older people remember these types of milk trucks from back in the day. They tell me how they got their milk and cream delivered back then in these trucks. My mom recalls that as well.
“Then I have all these delivery people and Amazon drivers who come here and they are just drooling over this old milk truck. People always ask if they can take pictures and are just blown away by it.”
Beasley has always loved classic automobiles and that led him to learn how to restore them. Some of the restorations he sells, and others stay part of his permanent collection.
“I have certain ones I keep after I’m done restoring them,” said Beasley. “I have a Corvette that I bought when I was 19 years old and a few Novas, Chevelles, cab over pick-up trucks in my collection. I’ve always been car crazy my whole life and I blame it on the band ZZ Top. I’m all self-taught when it comes to the autobody and restoration work.”
Beasley has plans for the 1954 Metro milk truck once it’s finished. It will become part of his permanent collection.
“Once it’s finished, I will keep it because it’s nostalgic to me, and is a part of my history and Swan River’s as well,” said Beasley. “It pulls on my heartstrings a bit. I plan to keep it and potentially take it and put it in car shows. I put a trailer hitch on it so if I want to pull a trailer and my Harley on the back, I can do so. There are a lot of options of things I can do with it now.
“It’s in the plan for me someday to show these restorations in car shows and even down in Arizona. I’ve had lots of people wanting to put old Crescent Creamery milk truck in the parade in Swan River for the rodeo, but it won’t be done for then, but likely next year it will be.”
To see more of Beasley’s restoration work and projects, you can watch videos on his YouTube channel under J-Ride Customs.

Writing and publishing a novel is something that a few people dream of, but sometimes never find the actual time to do. A former Valley resident, despite his extremely intense schedule and career, has found an opportunity to achieve that very thing he has dreamed of. Dale Fedorchuk has a career that is beyond impressive; one that really sounds like it’s out of a book all its own.
“I was born in Swan River and my parents are Bill and Rose Fedorchuk,” said Dale Fedorchuk. “I grew up on a farm in the Big Woody District. After I graduated from the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School (SVRSS) in 1977, I started at the University of Manitoba in the same year. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1980, and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the U of M in 1983. I was called to the Bar in Manitoba in 1984. I practiced law in Manitoba from 1984 to 2001.
“In 1994 I participated as a Controller in a joint military, intelligence and police field training counter-terrorism exercise in advance of the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, B.C.. Three years later, I was offered a contract to develop military exercises and provide instruction part-time for the United States Air Force Special Operations School. United States Special Operations Command – Joint Special Operations University picked up my contract and I became part of a team briefing Special Operations Forces, which is mostly Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets before they were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.
“I served in this capacity part-time for 16 years from 1997 to 2013, while I continued to practice law,” said Fedorchuk. “In May 2001, my wife, Anika, and I moved to Calgary. I was called to the Bar in Calgary in 2001 and I have practiced criminal law here since that time. In 2010, I was appointed a Queen’s Counsel. After King Charles was crowned, I became a King’s Counsel. I am a criminal defence lawyer and I litigate most of my cases before a jury. I live in Cochrane with Anika and our pets, and I practice law in Calgary and its surrounding regions, with no plans to retire.”
The dream of writing and publishing his own book was something that had intrigued Fedorchuk at an early age. He had a love for reading books that turned into a flare for writing, but it wasn’t until much later that he took the plunge and wrote his first novel.
“Since I was a teenager, I wanted to write science fiction stories,” said Fedorchuk. “I was an avid comic book and science fiction reader from the age of 10. I spent many hours as a youth devouring a hamburger nip, a cold Pepsi in a glass bottle, and numerous comic books at Dick’s Café in Swan River. The owners of Dick’s Café had been so kind to me; they would allow me to sit and read comics for hours while Mom and Aunt Jean Fedorchuk shopped.
“In high school, my English teacher challenged me to write a science fiction short story and publish it in the Star and Times. I wrote it and, to my surprise, the Star and Times printed it in its entirety. I still have the article buried somewhere in my personal papers. After I left high school, though, the pursuit of a legal career swept my ambition to write under the carpet, until last year.
“I had attended a family wedding in Swan River, where I sat with my nieces, Micayla and Nadia Krahn,” said Fedorchuk. “In the 1980s, I wrote poetry, including a series of poems about a fictional character called Tul’ran the Sword. I gave a copy of my poetry to my sister, Connie, many years ago, and my nieces read the poems. At the wedding, Micayla and Nadia told me how much they enjoyed Tul’ran’s poems and asked me why I never wrote a story about Tul’ran. They challenged me to write a novel and I accepted the challenge.
“Writing my novels is one of the strangest experiences I’ve had. When I sat down to start writing my first novel, the words poured out of my mind, through my fingertips, and onto the keyboard. I couldn’t type fast enough to keep up with my thoughts sometimes. I see passages of the book like scenes from a movie in my mind. I try to record those scenes as accurately as possible.”
The storyline of Fedorchuk’s book has an ironic sense of what he has experienced in his career but with a more Sci-Fi/Fantasy twist.
“The novel starts in an oasis in the desert near the city of Ur in Mesopotamia in 2005 BC,” said Fedorchuk. “The lead male character, Tul’ran az Nostrom, known as Tul’ran the Sword, is brooding under a palm tree about his life. Although Tul’ran is wealthy and legendary, there is no peace within him. He hears a woman’s scream, and rides his stallion, Darkshadow, to the aid of Erianne of Kabolon. Erianne is an intelligent and courageous woman running from assassins.
“Together, they flee and fight various assassin groups, as they try to rejoin her fellow travellers. As they do so, they learn truths about one another that take this story far beyond the ordinary. This is not a typical fantasy, historical romance novel; it has twists and turns drawing the reader into an unexpected journey. The series is centred around Tul’ran and Erianne, and their efforts to administer justice against violent crimes perpetrated against men and women alike. As the books go on, other characters join them.”
Fedorchuk wrote his first novel in record time, but the real challenge was determining the best course of action to get it published.
“It took only eight weeks to complete the first draft of the first book, The Ballad of Tul’ran the Sword,” said Fedorchuk. “My wife, Anika, is also my paralegal. I turned the draft over to her for editing and she did an excellent job of it. Once she edited the first draft, I created a second draft and emailed it to my beta reading group.
“The group consisted of men and women ranging in age from 14 years old to 72 years old. I received an enthusiastic response and suggestions for edits. After incorporating the edits, I began the process of trying to get the first book published.
“All the articles I read about publishing suggested a traditional publisher would not entertain a manuscript submission unless I had an agent,” said Fedorchuk. “I prepared a query letter and approached several agents, who either rejected my proposal or ignored it. On the last weekend of April 2023, I attended the Calgary Expo. I met Amanda Muratoff there, who co-authored a fantasy series. She was kind enough to speak to me at length about her experience with self-publishing, more commonly described as indie publishing.
“I formatted my manuscript to meet the requirements of Kindle Direct Publishing. Using Artificial Intelligence drawing programs, I created images for Tul’ran and Erianne, as well as a desert scene. I manipulated the images with Corel Photoshop and created the covers. The first novel was then published on July 13. It is being distributed through Amazon worldwide. Since publication, I’ve learned the bookseller, Barnes & Noble, has picked up my book and is selling it in the United States.”
Since his first novel, Fedorchuk has actually written a series from The Ballad of Tul’ran the Sword.
“The series currently consists of The Ballad of Tul’ran the Sword (Book I), A Time, and Times, Half a Time (Book II), and Abandon Hope (Book III),” said Fedorchuk. “I have written two-thirds of the fourth book, Wolf’s Den. The second book, A Time, and Times, and Half a Time, will be published on Nov. 6.
“I will publish the third book, Abandon Hope, on March 24, to coincide with my mom’s 85th birthday. There is no set publication date for Wolf’s Den just yet, but I anticipate it will be published in the summer of 2024. I’ve sketched the concepts for the fifth book, When the Sky Falls, but I haven’t started writing it.”
Fedorchuk has found writing the easiest part of the process, but when it came to finding ways to publish his novel, that proved to be more trying.
“I am blessed in that writing, so far, has been the easiest part of the process,” said Fedorchuk. “As I’ve said, the passages in the book appear as scenes from a movie in my head: all I must do is record them. The most challenging part has been the attempt to engage a traditional publisher.
“The advantage to having a traditional publisher is their expansive ability to market a novel. In my experience, it was as difficult to secure an agent as it was to secure a traditional publisher. I hope my books are regarded well enough to engage the interest of a traditional publisher. Sometimes a traditional publisher will sign an author who is an indie publisher.
“The most enjoyable part of the experience has been sharing it with my wife, Anika, my 14-year-old niece, Payton Goller, and my 72-year-old military brother, Mike Bennett,” said Fedorchuk. “Mike is a retired Green Beret, having left the US Army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He wrote the Foreword to the book.
“These three people have read all the manuscripts and commented on them, giving the books a much richer depth. I’ve spent hours talking to each of them about the nuances of the characters I’ve created in the novels, and the emotional waves the reader will coast as they progress through the series.”
Fedorchuk’s books are available to purchase on Amazon, but he is currently exploring other retail platforms.
“My books are available on Amazon worldwide, although only the first has been published to this date,” said Fedorchuk. “As well, my American friends can purchase them from Barnes & Noble. I am currently in discussions with Chapters/Indigo bookstores for the distribution of my novels in Canada.”
Fedorchuk is working to finished writing his fourth book and has now moved on to writing the fifth, with no shortage of ideas or writer’s block stopping him.
“I’ve completed 225 pages of the fourth book, Wolf’s Den, which means it is two-thirds complete. All my novels are over 350 pages long. I have plans to start writing the fifth novel, When the Sky Falls, as soon as Anika has begun editing the publisher’s proof copy of Wolf’s Den.”

A milestone class reunion was held at the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School (SVRSS) the week of the Northwest Round-up Fair and Rodeo. The SVRSS Class of 1973 was the first class to graduate from the newly formed regional secondary school and celebrated their 50-year high school reunion.
“1973 was the first year that the SVRSS opened, after a year of preparation by our school board, Swan Valley School Division Superintendent John Kastrukoff and SVRSS Principal Larry Sackney,” said Evelyn Immerkar. “Most Grade 12 classmates who attended that first year only had 10 months to get to know each other. Many students from the year before came back just to attend the many new subject areas offered by this new school.”
“Other schools that came to the SVRSS were from towns such as Cowan, Renwer, Minitonas, Benito, Durban, Alpine, Kenville, Mafeking, Birch River and Bowsman,” said Lorna Bell. “Each one of us tried to get to know each other through sports, classes, vocational courses and a beautiful spacious school equipped with a cafeteria.”
Graduation ceremonies were quite different back in 1973 compared to what they are today. It seems like the event itself was still prominent, just didn’t have all the extra extravagances that today’s graduation ceremonies have.
“In 1973, there were 167 graduates of the SVRSS,” said Immerkar. “This remains the third largest graduating class in SVRSS’s history. The SVRSS Class of 1973 had a long graduating ceremony, because of the sheer number of students graduating. There were also many speeches and awards handed out.”
“We didn’t have caps or gowns, but it was nice because we got to see everyone all dressed up in their best attire,” said Bell. “We had a small dance in the gym afterward which only a few attended.”
There have been other high school reunions at the SVRSS prior to this one, however, it is the first 50-year reunion that has been held. The events sort of stretched out over the week and gave former classmates a chance to catch up and make new memories.
“Previously the SVRSS Class of 1973 held a 10 and 25-year reunion,” said Immerkar. “Classmates came from all over Canada and the United States.
“The Class of 1973’s 50-year High School Reunion was held on July 25, with a social evening for over 100 people attending. Pizza was delivered all throughout the evening, while guests registered and received their name tags. Everyone exchanged hugs, caught up on life events and looked at memorabilia displayed and prepared for the next day.
“The next day, a morning brunch was enjoyed and prepared by the Bowsman Curling Club with over 120 people in attendance,” said Immerkar. “During the afternoon, a tour of the SVRSS was arranged by the current SVRSS Superintendent, and former classmate, Cam Mateika, along with three tour guides.”
“Participants were amazed by the exceptional condition of the school, with its technological advancement in classes delivered and the new expansion being built,” said Bell. “Local caterer Kyla Kluke provided a supper with a traditional Ukrainian flair. Many remembered having such a meal once upon a time in Swan River, meanwhile, some have not experienced the tasty Ukrainian favourites.
“The evening then proceeded to greetings from our first principal Larry Sackney, vice principal Leonard Harapuak, Mateika, MLA and former classmate Rick Wowchuk, and bringing greetings from the Town of Swan River, former classmate Don Bobick. Frank Ooms was the Master of Ceremonies, along with Diane White Gilmoure. Classmates Heather Pawlinsky and Marilyn Woodard Brown prepared a heart-warming tribute, along with a memory tree displaying names of those classmates and teachers who had passed.
“Donna and the Dynamos were extremely well received by approximately 160 guests with a variety of songs we all knew,” said Bell. “They also received a standing ovation. Music from 1973 played in the background, while classmates reminisced for the duration of the evening while scrumptious food was available.
“On the Thursday morning, classmates who were available gathered to decorate our float for the Northwest Round-up and Exhibition. The next day was the parade and approximately 50 people gathered to ride the float or to walk alongside, handing out candy to onlookers. After the float was undecorated farewells and hugs were passed around with promises to gather again.”
SVRSS Class of 1973’s 50-year High School Reunion was definitely one for the books. Many of the former classmates thoroughly enjoyed rekindling friendships and memories from back in the day. Both Immerkar and Bell enjoyed being a part of putting together and planning the event for their former classmates.
“We enjoyed watching our friends recognize each other after 50 years,” said Immerkar. “Another surprise was watching classmates get their name tags, which had their grade 12 picture on it. The other surprise and gratitude were receiving all of the compliments, and thanks for all the hard work and months of planning with the reunion committee. Another surprise was having some of our local classmates show up to help us out with the final preparations.”
“The most important part was that our community stepped up to help us out with this event,” said Bell.”

Summertime is here and many people are making plans to go camping at the lake or travelling to other communities for a visit. Back in the day, the Valley had a series of cabins known as the Birch Wood Cabins that brought many tourists and visitors to the area. The history of Birch Wood Cabins is extensive and although it changed owners and names over the years, it’s a definite staple of the history of the Valley.
The Birch Wood Cabins were built and owned originally by the Tall family, and their granddaughter, Doreen Tall Pellissier shared her recollections of the history of those cabins.
“My grandparents were Alfred Tall, born in 1888 in Kearney, Ont., and Mary or Mamie (Jordan) Tall, born in 1894 in Oak Lake,” said Pellissier. “Mamie came to the Swan River Valley to teach at Avonlea School in 1914, and met Alf, who was from the Cropper Tops District. They were married on July 26, 1916, in Brandon.
“They lived with Alf’s mother and brother and in 1917, moved to their own farm, a mile down the road from the Tall original homestead which was established in 1901. The farm was in the family until 2011.
“Alf and Mamie had seven children, Gladys (Scotty Taylor); Merle (Ellery Taylor); Stan (Velma Graham); Elsie (Edwin Smith), Allan (Kay Hickman); Marg (Stan McNevin), and Aileen,” said Pellissier. “My parents are Allan and Kay. It was my dad and brother who continued the family farm until it was sold.
“Their son, Stan, had come home from WWII, so Alf and Mamie decided to leave the running of the farms to their two sons, and they retired to Swan River. Upon retiring, they felt too young to quit working entirely, so they decided to build the cabins and cater to the tourist trade. They built Birch Wood Cabins, and it was named because of the row of beautiful birch trees that lined their lot between the cabins and the cemetery.”
The Birch Wood Cabins were unique in the sense that they were in Swan River and not near a body of water or in a provincial park. Over the years the cabins saw visitors from many different places and northern tourism was beginning to take off around this time as well.
“The cabins were along Hwy. No. 10 north, about half a mile from Swan River’s Main Street,” said Pellissier. “There were seven cabins, positioned in a U-shape with swings and green space in the center. There was a small store in one building, as well as a larger building with hot and cold running water. Grandma washed the bedding in this building, which also had an iron mangle for ironing the sheets. There were no toilet facilities within the cabins themselves.
“Northern tourism was starting to boom and there were lots of people from all over Canada and the U.S. travelling through the Valley by Hwy. No. 10. Many of the activities included hunting and fishing, and many of the men would rent the cabins as a result of those trips. The by-pass was not yet thought of, so the location was ideal as there would be little else for accommodations until The Pas. For local tourism, Wellman Lake in the Duck Mountains and Steeprock Lake in the Porcupine Mountains would be the water recreational areas.
“The cabins were at least half a mile from downtown, with no store nearby,” said Pellissier. “Therefore, the small store that was part of the business was frequented by locals, as well as tourists. It appears that several people living nearby bought groceries there and it was a fantastic place for a child to buy some candy.
“My grandma loved that part of the business, but family stories indicate my grandpa wasn’t quite so patient. It could be at dinner time, or when the family was visiting, but the little bell would ring, and my grandma would tend to a customer. It could have taken quite a while for a child to decide how to spend his/her dime when there was such an array of candy available at three pieces for a penny. Those children are in their 60s and 70s today and some have been kind enough to share those memories with me and let me know how much my grandma was appreciated.”
The Tall’s owned and operated the cabins until the early 1960s, when they decided to sell, and they continued to live in Swan River.
“The property consisting of the house and seven cabins was put up for sale in August of 1963,” said Pellissier. “By that time, the by-pass was in use and these types of cabins were quickly being replaced by modern cabins and motels. As well, Alf and Mamie were getting older and quite ready to take things easy.”
Pellissier has fond memories of when her grandparents owned and operated the Birch Wood Cabins. Many others have reached out to her as well to share their memories of trips to the cabins and visits with her grandparents during those trips.
“I do remember going to grandma and grandpa’s house during their time operating Birch Wood Cabins,” said Pellissier. “I especially remember my grandma taking us across the lawn to the little store and we were allowed to pick out some candy. In later years, she moved the store to a room in the house. I do remember the swing and the yard, and the washroom. There was a fad around that time where people took old tractor tires, painted them and used them for flower beds and lawn décor. Grandma had some of those painted white and pink.
“My cousin shared with me that they remembered people coming to the cabins in the middle of the night and honking their horns to see if there was a vacancy. That was the only way to do it back in the day.
“I don’t remember my last trip to the cabins; however, I do remember my last thoughts,” said Pellissier. “When the cabins were about to be sold, my dad mentioned that maybe he should get one as a playhouse for my sister and me. That sounded perfect, and I was imagining all sorts of fun things. Alas, it didn’t happen, and the cabins became the property known as the Moon Glo Cabins located where Fas Gas is now.”
Unfortunately, not long after the sale of Birch Wood Cabins, Alf passed. The history of Birch Wood Cabins, then turned into Moon Glo Cabins, with another story to tell that was all it’s own.
“My grandparents stayed in Swan River after the sale of the cabins, as that was their home,” said Pellissier. “They bought a house on Fifth Avenue, just down the street from where Ace Hardware is now. Alf passed away in 1967 and Mamie in 1993.
“All that remains of the site now is a vacant lot at this time.”

The Valley can take in some really diverse and authentic barbecue cuisine this summer at a new food truck that has set up shop. Maggie’s BBQ not only makes food for the soul but is also about giving back to the community. The creation of Maggie’s BBQ - and its arrival in the Valley was all because of one very special woman.
“The whole intention of doing this was to bring something to Swan River that the community had never seen or experienced before,” said Maggie’s BQQ Owner and Operator Grant Bruce. “I lost my mom, Margaret Foster, late last fall and she was a pretty well-known figure in the community. I didn’t really know that until later in life.”
Grant and Margaret’s story of coming to the Valley is one of triumph, as they overcame some very personal struggles, only to find a community and place to call home with people who were there to accept and support them.
“I grew up in Bowsman and Birch River areas, but was born and lived my early years in Snow Lake,” said Bruce. “When my parents divorced, we moved to the Valley in 1992. From 1992 to 1997, life for my mom and I was difficult, as we were using the assistance of women’s shelters and food banks just to survive.
“When we moved here, the people in the Valley helped us immensely and it always overwhelmed my mom to the point where she felt she needed to do something to pay it back. Through that, she used her sewing skills and volunteering in the community to give back.
She volunteered a lot at the Legion and other community events. She would also sew for people and didn’t charge a lot for it, as it was her way of paying back. Her life was cut short as she died at only 68 years old.
“To bring this full circle I decided to come out here with the food truck that I owned and operated out British Columbia,” said Bruce.
The pandemic changed a lot of things; from the way people live to how businesses operate. These changes also led Bruce back to the Valley.
“The last few years of operating a food truck in B.C. have been very different,” said Bruce. “Pre-COVID-19, we were doing very well. Post-COVID-19, the demographics of the Okanagan Valley changed immensely to the point where there are fewer young families. We were also short-staffed and it was harder to access foods, which made it hard to operate a food truck there.
“Last fall I cut my season short to spend more time with my mom before her passing. During that time, we had a lot of back-and-forth chats about what I should do. Through one of those conversations, I asked her what she thought about me bringing the food truck to the Swan Valley and renaming it. In my mom’s typical fashion, she laughed and said ‘Oh Grant’.
“After she passed away, I felt there was a big hole left behind in the community from all the messages I was receiving from people here,” continued Bruce. “I received hundreds of personal messages about my mother’s passing and the impact she had on others and the community. I could feel the amount of emptiness left behind from her passing. I felt the need to do something in her memory.”
Bruce felt that creating Maggie’s BBQ out of respect and love for his mom and all that she did was something he just had to do.
“So I had a good friend from Minitonas design a logo for me,” said Bruce. “He took a picture of my mom’s likeness and designed a logo that I never in a million years could have dreamt up. It’s 100 percent to her likeness and when you look at it, it looks exactly like my mom did.
“A little comic relief was when I used to call her Maggie. She would hate when I would call her that and it would drive her to distraction. The only reason I would call her Maggie was because her dad did. As I got older, we would joke about it, but there’s not a more fitting name for my food truck than Maggie’s BBQ.
“I brought my food truck to Manitoba this spring, to just give my mom’s name a little more time on earth,” said Bruce. “This move has turned beyond my expectations and the response from the community is more than I could have asked for. At the end of the day, I’m trying to give my mom’s memory a little more time here and I’m also trying to rewrite my history in the Valley.
“As a youth, I was a pretty bad kid and had a lot of ups and downs in my life as a young adult. I was hoping that this would be my opportunity and the chance to give back to this community as well.
“It’s been nice to connect with people who knew my mom, but had never personally met me before too,” he continued. “I get to hear so many stories of how my mom made an impact in their lives.”
Bruce found his love of cooking from a few different sources and his biggest critic and fan, wound up being his mom.
“When my mom was a single parent, I took on the role of cooking for us and that started when I was eight,” said Bruce. “Mrs. Canada, from the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, taught us food and I delved into watching the Urban Peasant show on TV. I was intrigued by it and wanted to try making what was made on the show.
“Watching this cooking show gave me the flair to cook. At first, my mom would choke down whatever I made and say it was good. I used to make taco salad all the time and it was my favourite thing to make. Just a few months ago, before she passed, I found out she hated it. She never admitted that until just before she passed away. She told me for years that she loved it and it was so good, meanwhile, the entire time she didn’t like it.
“Through the years of me cooking for us, I got a pretty good hand at cooking. I did other work as a logger and running equipment in different provinces, but what led me to do the food truck thing, was a result of the forest fires.
“In 2015, the forest fire issues started to have an impact on my summer jobs, so I had to transition to another line of work,” said Bruce. “So I had to figure out what other skillset I had, so I could look at making a career change, and that was cooking. I started looking into food trucks and it went from there. I would work in the winters and then operate the food truck in the summer, so I wasn’t stranded unemployed or left to claim Employment Insurance; now it’s my full-time gig.”
Maggie’s BBQ has a unique and flavorful menu, unlike anything you will find in the Valley and even around Manitoba. Through Bruce’s travels and life experience, he was able to learn how to make some very authentic ethnic dishes, which rotate through the menu at Maggie’s BBQ.
“In the beginning, I went down to Mexico and travelled around,” said Bruce. “I stopped in a town where this little old lady had a street cart where she made and sold tacos. I ate 30 of those tacos; they were so good. I offered to pay her to show me how to make them and she flat out brushed me off.
“I kept going back to her street cart to eat and three days later, I offered her $100 USD to show me how to make them, because they were so good. She put me to work at her street cart for the next three nights, and I learned how to make authentic Mexican tacos, guacamole and more.
She showed me how to make everything.
“The bacon cheeseburger is really my staple and it comes from being a farm kid,” he continued. “I love beef and steaks, so I never use a frozen patty when it comes to making burgers. I don’t make your regular hamburger; I just use ground beef and spice and it translates into something really flavourful.
“When it comes to the A5 Kobe Waygu, I worked with a Japanese Teppanyaki Chef and he now supplies restaurants with A5 Kobe from Japan. A5 Kobe Waygu can only come from one place in the world and that’s Kobe, Japan. They create a zen when raising the animal and feed it accordingly to create a marble within the meat that is unparalleled to anything in the world. The first time you eat that meat, it changes your life.”
He’s got a few other selections that are sure to make your mouth water as well.
“A Po’ Boy is an amazingly flavorful double-smoked garlic sausage grilled on a toasted bun, garnished with sauerkraut, onions, mustard and banana peppers,” said Bruce, describing more of his offerings. “Banh Mi is a Vietnamese-style sandwich that has a lightly toasted bun with garlic aioli, shaved smoked ham, a layer of sliced cucumber, a layer of pickled carrots and a layer of cilantro. Pollo Al Carbon, which is charcoal chicken tacos made authentically Mexican style.
“A donair is a Turkish food consisting of seasoned meat, which I use beef, on a pita with tomatoes, onion and sauce. We also have pork tacos, pulled pork, the McRib sandwich, Wagyu Bites, and wings.”
Maggie’s BBQ is definitely in demand, as the food truck is being booked for events and festivals all over.
“We are booked in for Countryfest this year and a few other events as well in the coming weeks,” said Bruce. “We’re going to run Monday to Friday in the Swan River and the weekends will be events.”
Bruce will be splitting his time between here and B.C. The response he has received since opening up Maggie’s BBQ will bring him back every summer to keep it going and to give back to the community that gave so much to him and his mother.
“I have two children, family and a life out in B.C., but I also have a life here and own property in Durban and Birch River,” said Bruce. “My intentions going forward are to spend the summers in the Valley and winters in the Okanagan.
“I thank my mom for my sense of adventure, exploring and community. The reviews from town about the food are amazing and I’m overwhelmed by it. I thank everyone for sharing their stories about my mom, expressing their condolences in her passing and for the tremendous support with this venture.”

There have been many Valley residents who received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal this year for various activities and volunteer efforts. Valley resident Connie McKay was one who received the medal and was nominated by MLA Rick Wowchuk. McKay has volunteered and helped at various community functions for many years.
“All my life I’ve done things for people and the community,” said McKay. “I taught sewing in 4H for young girls for many years and curled lots, which led me to helping the school-aged kids learn to curl in the Valley. I volunteered to work at the Monster Bingos in Bowsman and did lots of other volunteer work.”
McKay now does a lot of stuff through the senior centre and still continues to not only keep active and socialize but volunteer and help out as well.
“I just love doing stuff for other people and helping out,” said McKay. “Now I’m involved with the senior centre. We were closed for a couple of years due to the pandemic, but now it’s reopened and we got things going, which is really nice.
“We have floor shuffleboard and cards, and I work at bingo every other week. There are over 83 new members coming to the senior centre and they’re a really fun bunch. Since the pandemic, very few of the seniors, who came before COVID-19 hit, have returned. Instead, we’re seeing a whole new group of seniors coming.
“I love to go to the senior centre, it’s a great way to socialize and keep busy. In the summertime, I love to golf and used to curl in the winter. I curled for over 50 years, but haven’t done so in the last 10 years.”
It was quite a surprise for McKay when she learned she was going to be a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal. Fortunately, she was able to make it to the reception in Brandon to receive the medal, despite the cold weather.
“When I received the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal I was trying to think of what I did to deserve this recognition and it was hard to pinpoint because I was always doing things,” said McKay. “I was pretty thrilled to receive it.
“At first I wasn’t going to go to the presentation to receive it, because it was in Brandon, but Rick Wowchuk encouraged me to go. I’m not one to be in the limelight and prefer to be more in the background, so this was a bit out of my comfort zone. On Jan. 17, Darin and Della (McKay) took me, so I did go to Brandon to the award ceremony. I believe there were over 80 people who were to receive the medal at that presentation, so it was really nice.
“I’m really glad I went,” concluded McKay. “At first I was unsure because it was wintertime and not the best time to travel, but it all worked out.”

If you wanted to learn more about Indigenous culture, Swan Valley Regional Secondary School (SVRSS) is offering two free sessions for people to partake in. The first is learning Ininimowin, which is one of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages in Canada. Ininimowin has five major dialects, Western/Plains Cree, Northern/Woodlands Cree, Central/Swampy Cree, Moose Cree and Eastern Cree.
The second session allows participants to make their own ribbon skirts.
“These Ininimowin and Ribbon Skirt Making classes were part of our Indigenous Education goals for 2022-2023,” said Swan Valley School Division Indigenous Academic Achievement Coordinator Lorna Jean Munro. “We meet annually to review and discuss what goals and activities we’d like to do each year to promote Indigenous Education in the division.”
“Everyone is welcome to participate,” said Munro. “The language class is an introductory Ininimowin class for all ages. Participants will be introduced to the syllabics chart and learn how to enunciate, read, write and speak in the language.
“I will be instructing the Ininimowin class and the classes are free, with no registration required. They are held every Tuesday from 6 to 6:30 p.m. in the SVRSS Resource Centre. These classes run from March 14 to May 16, 2023.”
Ribbon skirts have different meanings according to the people who wear them. It’s mainly to honour First Nations heritage, and to express history, resilience and character while reclaiming identity and matriarchal authority.
“In short, ribbon skirts are worn by Indigenous women to celebrate their culture, their strength, and their connection as women,” said Munro.
“Jan. 4 is National Ribbon Skirt Day, a day where all women are encouraged to wear their ribbon skirt as a symbol of resilience, survival and identity. There’s no experience necessary to make a ribbon skirt, just a willingness to learn about a way of knowing and doing from an Indigenous perspective.
“The Ribbon Skirt Making sessions are held on Thursdays in the SVRSS Family Studies Area at SVRSS,” said Munro. “Elder Marilyn Pohlmeier is leading classes and there’s a limit of 10 participants per session. Participants will need two meters of cotton fabric in terms of supplies.
“The class is held from 6 to 8 p.m. and the sessions are ongoing with these classes running from March 20 to May 25. Participants must register with me to book their session.”

A group of avid snowmobilers have embarked on a cross-country snowmobile journey from Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Fairbanks, Alaska and will be passing through Swan River and The Pas on their trek. Rob Hallstrom is the youngest rider in the group at age 65, Paul Dick is 72 and Rex Hibbert will turn 70 while on the trip. Hallstrom, Dick and Hibbert refer to themselves as 3 Old Guys and they’re always up for a challenge.
“We’re always up for some kind of adventure,” said Hallstrom. “We went to Churchill in 2019, and at the end of that trip, we were already kind of talking about what we could do that would be bigger than that. We had a really good time on that trip and that sort of started the rumblings for us to go to Alaska.”
All three of the snowmobilers have extensive experience in long-distance riding, but this may very well be the longest journey yet. Each of them will tow sleds with supplies that include spare snowmobile parts, gasoline, a hot tent, sleeping bags and essentials.
“We’re coming from Minnesota and we’re estimating it will be about 4,500 miles to make the journey,” said Hallstrom. “When we went to Churchill, that was about 3,000 miles, but that was a round trip.
On this trip to Alaska, we will be snowmobiling there, and then flying back.
“We’ve done quite a few trips and I’ve done even more on my own. My partners, Rex and Paul, have been in the Iron Dog Race in Alaska and all three of us have been in the Cain’s Quest in Labrador. We’re all getting a little older, so instead of racing, we’re doing some touring.
“We riding 8000x Arctic Cat Norseman snowmobiles with all three of us riding the same model,” said Hallstrom. “We have a general plan that the entire trip will require 22 riding days. I’m sure there will be times when we want to take a day off or need to stop and do some repairs or due to the weather. There are quite a few unknowns in this, but we have a route planned and figure it should take about a month depending on what we find on the trail.”
The 3 Old Guys are a bit daredevil, as they embark on this journey without having someone following them in a vehicle along the way.
“We’re not planning on having someone follow us with a trailer on this journey, because from Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Flin Flon, Manitoba, there’s a good trail network, even though that would work for that portion of the trip,” said Hallstrom. “After we leave Flin Flon, we’re going to be going through such remote areas, that it will be extremely difficult to have someone follow us closely with a chase vehicle, so we’re basically going to be on our own.”
They have their route charted with much of it being in remote areas across northern Canada. They will have a few different satellite communicators that will allow them to send text messages and let a few people follow their journey in real-time. This also allows them to call out for assistance in case of an emergency.
“We’re going to take the trail up to Flin Flon, then we going to take the old Cat trails to Sandy Bay, then go on to the south end on Reindeer Lake,” said Hallstrom. “From there we’ll head to Wollaston Lake and cut across to Lake Athabasca and cut across it. Then go up to the Great Slave River to the Mackenzie River and all the way up it to the Arctic Ocean. Then we’ll cross by the Richardson Mountains to the Porcupine River and take that down to the southwest part of the Yukon River. From there we will follow the Yukon Quest sled dog trail into Fairbanks. It’s quite a route and pretty remote, so it would be hard to follow by vehicle.
“We’re trying to stay in hotels along the way, wherever we can. There are a few places where we may stay in a trapper’s cabin and we have a tent with us for those places where we have to camp out. We’re prepared for that and definitely think we will have to do that a few times.”
As the 3 Old Guys make their journey into Manitoba, they have plans to stop in Swan River and will be passing through The Pas as they head into Flin Flon.
“We’ll be entering Canada close to Falcon Lake, go through Gimli and Lake Winnipeg,” said Hallstrom. “Then head west to Swan River and follow the trail north to The Pas and Flin Flon.
“If everything goes according to plan, we hope to be in Swan River and The Pas on Wednesday or Thursday. We are planning to make a stop in Swan River before heading north to The Pas and Flin Flon.”
The group was more than ready to get on the trails and blaze across Canada to Alaska. They started their journey on Monday and are looking forward to experiencing friendly Manitoba once again.
“We’ve been raring to go and at this point, we’re super ready to go on this trip,” said Hallstrom. “We’ve been talking about it enough and we’re ready to get going.
“The last time we were in northern Manitoba was our trip to Churchill and we really enjoyed it. We went through a lot of northern communities and stopped in The Pas. Everyone was so nice to us there and when we had some minor problems on the trail, people bent over backwards to help us get going again. It was just a great experience overall and we’re hoping for that again this time.”

Editors note: The following story originally ran in the Feb. 14 edition on A11 but was not in it’s entirety. The Star and Times apologizes for this error.
There is a definite need for more support and advocates for people with disabilities. Valley resident, Evelyn Yelinek, knows all too well about the needs people with disabilities have and recently, she’s been appointed to the Manitoba Intellectual Disability Advisory Council to share her experience and advocacy on certain topics.
“There was a call for interest on the Manitoba government website and I applied,” said Yelinek. “I first noticed that some people were being treated disrespectfully when I was in Grade 6. I recall telling a teacher that he was being a bully. This resulted in being sent to the office. I told the principal what happened. I was thanked and was asked to report back if I felt things like this happened again, but I should not address the teacher myself because then I was the one being disrespectful. Being the cheeky child that I was, my response was that maybe the teacher should be a better role model.
“I have a cousin who has Down Syndrome. When she came to visit, she was not allowed to play with us; she could only sit on the couch and look at books. I thought that she had a very sad life. When I asked my aunt why I was told it was not safe for her because she was very fragile.
“I also had an uncle who lived with us for a while,” said Yelinek. “He wasn’t able to care for himself and eventually he was placed at MDC because his behaviours made it unsafe for him and us. Then I became a mom to a couple of great guys. You really don’t know what love is until you have a child. My guys were born three and a half months early and I was determined to make their world very much unlike the one I witnessed as a young girl.”
Yelinek’s desire to advocate for fairness for others really developed through her own experiences as a mother.
“When I was a new mom, I was made to feel like I did something wrong that caused the early births,” said Yelinek. “The social worker constantly threatened my rights as a parent. She said that she was an educated woman and didn’t feel that she could care for the boys, so what would make me think I could? I felt she was judging me, and I was also feeling that way by some friends and family too.
“Every birthmark and bruise had to be explained. Little kids do get bumps and bruises. Add being blind to the mix, any educated person should understand that they too would get bumps and bruises.
“Then there were issues getting funding for support workers at daycare; issues getting funding for EAs; very little funding was available for respite because we lived in a rural area; the guys were not allowed to go on many field trips because of lack of support staff; while EAs came and went,” said Yelinek.
“Then comes adulthood and needing to rely on government assistance. This program was designed to help people for a short time until they can get back on their feet. It is not acceptable in any way to subject already vulnerable adults to a life of poverty in which the rent budget is so little that safe housing is very challenging, if not impossible to find. Some families have to have their adult children placed in homes outside their home community because of a lack of proper homes.
“These are just some of my experiences. People wonder why families of people with disabilities have a hard time trusting,” said Yelinek. “I never want any other mom to feel the way I did.”
Along Yelinek’s personal journey, she met some incredible people who helped her along the way. It was through their guidance that she found the inspiration to keep advocating for people with disabilities and to demand fairness for them on many issues.
“I have met some wonderful staff and friends along the way,” said Yelinek. “Dr. Rajani, a pediatrician, and Deb Ramsay, a mom from the Parents of Premature Babies club, were the first two people who provided amazing support. Deb and I are still close friends. Lois Paske, OT/PT from CNIB, told me that I was a great mom; she empowered me to stand up to the social worker. She and Dr. Rajani wrote letters on my behalf to that social worker.
“Then I moved to the Valley and met some wonderful workers here. Iris Jonsson, a Children’s Disability worker, heard my story and took me under her wing. I started working for the Department of Families and continued to be mentored by Lee Greig and Donna-Jean Slack, who were program managers, to become the best worker I could be. I was often matched up to work with families who had special needs kids; some were children and some were adults.
“At the Department of Families, I met a wonderful man named Phil Boguski, who was the Vocational Rehab Worker,” said Yelinek. “He provided so much guidance to me as a worker and a mom. I volunteered on the Association for Community Living board and met many wonderful people who attended the day program. My fellow board members were passionate about making this world our children are part of life, a much better place.
“Volunteering on the Community Mental Health board provided another opportunity to meet some pretty great citizens and see life from a different perspective. I’m now on the Innovative Life Options board and again have been blessed to meet so many wonderful men and women.”
Advocating for a loved one who has disabilities is a very challenging and draining task; one that makes you feel like the odds are greatly stacked against you. Yelinek’s faith and support from her immediate family, helped her to continue the good fight.
“Even though I have been so blessed, the struggle was real, the hurdles were huge and many times life was discouraging and heartbreaking,” said Yelinek. “This should never be the case. I am so glad that my parents raised me in a Christian home and taught me not to be afraid to speak out when things are just not right. I’m so glad my husband encouraged me to grow in my faith and continue to speak out. One of my favourite Bible verses that inspires me to keep going is ‘through him, all things are possible’. This is the verse I relied on upon through all those difficult years.
“My guys are 38 now. Christopher receives financial assistance, but no other support. Devon hires his own staff using provincial funds. Devon is part of a wonderful organization called In the Company of Friends (ICOF), whose governing board is Innovative Life Options. ICOF refer to people they serve as employers. These men and women, with the guidance of a group of people of their choosing, hire their own staff, choose where to live, what to eat, and what activities they want to enjoy. In other words, these ladies and gentlemen live with dignity, are respected, and know exactly what it means to have full citizenship. I wish more people with an intellectual disability would have an opportunity to choose ICOF.”
Yelinek feels the new changes being made will better support people who live with disabilities and that this government has given people ample opportunity to engage in the dialogue on these issues.
“I’m so hopeful of all the new changes our government is making to support people who live with disabilities,” said Yelinek. “The development of this advisory council and the fact that Heidi Wurmann, the Assistant Deputy Minister with the Department of Families, will chair it, demonstrates this government’s seriousness about making changes to current policies. The eight-person Advisory Council members were strategically selected to ensure the team is made up of people who bring many years of hands-on real-life experiences from a variety of perspectives.
“It’s so important to speak out whenever there is an opportunity provided and even when there isn’t. This government is providing its citizens with different opportunities to speak out. For example, we have EngageMB surveys and in 2022, there were many consultations about the Employment and Income Assistance program as it relates to people who live with a disability. There have been many good first steps made to the EIA program because of government has been listening to front-line staff and the recipients of this support. The Advisory Council will be another tool our government decision-makers can use to ensure the development of the best policies, procedures and programs to support Manitoban citizens who live with an intellectual disability.”
There are some issues that people with disabilities face that Yelinek would like to see addressed in the near future.
“Some of the areas that need improving for people with disabilities are fair wages for support staff, which would mean less staff turnover and more people interested in being a support worker as a career,” said Yelinek. “Fair means higher pay based on the types of support being provided and employee benefits. The department recently developed a very fair assessment tool that could be used as a guideline to develop such a wage scale.
“There needs to be more affordable housing and higher EIA rental rates. As well as promoting the benefits of hiring a person who has a disability and continuing to provide employers with incentives and supports to do so
“One change that could help would be to make the EIA disability supports a pension,” said Yelinek. “This way the person could marry a person with a higher income without losing a way to support themselves. Eliminate any fees related to Public Trustee services would greatly help too.”
Yelinek will meet with members of the Manitoba Intellectual Disability Advisory Council this month and looks forward to this new opportunity to advocate.
“The whole team will meet minimally three times a year, however, my current understanding is that there will be sub-committees formed who will meet as necessary,” said Yelinek. “My term on this committee is for two years. I would like to see all Manitobans live their best life, live with dignity, be respected and have a voice in every part of their life. I look forward to our first meeting in February.”