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.

If you love films, then there is an event coming up in the tri-community that you won’t want to miss. The Storyteller’s Film Festival looks for the best Manitoba and Canadian-made films to draw in views to celebrate National Canadian Film Day.
“This is The Storyteller’s Film Festival’s 12th year,” said event coordinator Cheryl Antonio. “We try to move it around to attract different audiences. We also love to show local content as much as we can, which we usually get through submissions. Every year our audiences are unique, depending on which films we are showing. We get a good variety of people, of all ages and ranges from children to youth to elders and seniors. Since the beginning, Storytellers has been proud to show many Indigenous-made films. We also partner with National Canadian Film Day to show Canadian-made films. The Festival has been sponsored by The Pas Arts Council for several years.

Brother and sister duo, Randy and Cheryl Antonio, recently received recognition and were awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal last week in Winnipeg. Both siblings have contributed a lot to society and are each deserving of the award.
Randy has spent some time away from The Pas but has had a busy life between his career and his family.
“I have had the pleasure of living in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba,” said Randy. “I grew up in The Pas but left in the early 1980s for the Canadian Forces. I was an Air Cadet with 303 Squadron in The Pas, which I firmly believe pointed me in the right direction. I did leave the military in 1994 and returned home to work at the college for a year before heading to Winnipeg to attend college

A member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) was recognized and honoured in the Manitoba Legislature a couple of weeks ago. The Pas-Kameesak MLA Amanda Lathlin gave a special recognition statement in honour of Peggy Wilson. Wilson was acknowledged for her leadership and dedication to the Opaskwayak Culture and Healthy Living Initiative.
“After my husband and I retired in 2002, we both wanted to give back to the community,” said Peggy Wilson. “We would come back to OCN every summer after the university year was over and stay to do some work here before going back to work in the fall. One of the things I noticed was how many people had diabetes. When I realized over 60 percent of the people in the community had diabetes and I felt something had to be done.

University College of the North (UCN) is preparing to host their annual Carer Fair coming up this month. This allows people to learn more about a certain field of employment and what it takes to enter into the profession they want to work in.
“The University College of the North’s Journey to Your Future Career Fair serves as an excellent platform for employers and job seekers to connect,” said UCN Career Resources Coordinator Kelly Hause. “This event provides businesses with a unique opportunity to engage with job-ready students, recent graduates, and community members actively seeking employment. Attendees will be able to expand their professional networks and explore new career opportunities.”