The weather was clear and the water was calm, perfect conditions for Wally's Place 3rd Clearwater Lake Boat Parade, held this past Sunday.
According to Cheryl Antonio, 39 water crafts were registered from sea doos to pontoons to motorized canoes. “There was even a sasquatch sighting,” she said. The boats assembled and lined up and were ready to go by 11:00 am at the Camper's Cove boat launch. “Parade marshall and main sponsor, Wes Greenwood, led the amazing site back around and in front of the people-packed beach,” Heading down the shore lines, Greenwood was so pleased to see docks crowded with spectators.

If you ever wanted to try out different art mediums, the Try It Yourself Art Show hosted by Uptown Emporium 53, the Sam Waller Museum and The Pas Arts Council was the place to do so. The event was open to people of all ages and free for participants. It was held last Saturday at the Christ Anglican Church Hall and brought in an excellent crowd.
“There were approximately 80 people of all ages that came through,” said Uptown Emporium 53 Champion Cheryl Antonio. People had lots of different styles of art to try at the Try It Yourself Art Show. Local artists from the area taught all of the various art mediums to participants.
“There were several different art mediums for people to try,” said Antonio. “Anita Genaille showed people how to paint with watercolours, acrylics, and oil. Anisa Eliuk and her daughter Emily Heape taught how to make beautiful, beaded bracelets. Shelly Hanchuk, from Handmade by Shelly, brought in her sewing machine and helped participants to make fantastic hair scrunchies.

It’s time to start thinking about elections across the province for both municipal and provincial bodies. Many provincial candidates are in the process of being announced as running in the 2023 election. The Pas NDP MLA Amanda Lathlin recently held a Meet and Greet last week to reconnect with people in the constituency and hear their concerns.
“One of my main concerns right now is access to healthcare services,” said The Pas NDP MLA Amanda Lathlin. “We’re trying to address the nursing shortages throughout northern Manitoba and I feel there needs to be more collaboration at all levels, including First Nations, especially in regards to recruitment and retention. The First Nation and northern communities need to have input to let the government know what needs are required and necessary in order for them to have the same quality of healthcare as the rest of Manitoba, especially outside of the perimeter.

Gord Landriault has been known as Mr. NDP over the years and has dedicated over 40 years to the party. Last Friday was Landriault’s last day in office working as the Constituency Assistant for MP Niki Ashton and the start of his retirement.
“I got involved with the NDP by helping a friend of mine put up signs back in 1969,” said Landriault. “Then in 1974, I got more involved when I moved into The Pas area and began working with Ron McBryde as the MLA.
“My involvement in labour and labour’s affiliation with the party is what drew me in. The NDP’s support for labour, how they represented the everyday working people and their policies were all things I firmly believe in.”
Landriault started out working on candidates’ election campaigns back in the 70s. He loved getting out, meeting the people and hearing their concerns. This led to him being a part of several successful election campaigns for the NDP, not just in Manitoba, but other provinces as well.

The public was invited to visit some of Swan River’s private green spaces during the Garden Walk tour, which serves as a fundraiser for the Swan River Ladies Golf Club. 

Crowds flooded the midway at the NorthWest Round-up and Exhibition this past weekend keeping it filled with activity from opening until closing.

The ice is in at Credit Union Place, which can only mean hockey season is not that far away.

An elite skills and skating camp takes place at the CUP, Aug. 2 to 5, featuring former Dauphin Kings Grady Hobbs and Nakodan Greyeyes, as well as strength and conditioning coach Hayley Choma.

The Dauphin Kings skill and development camp goes, Aug. 15 to 19.

A two-vehicle accident on River Avenue, Saturday morning delayed the start of the Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival parade.

One vehicle had pulled over to let passengers out to watch the parade and was rear ended by another vehicle.

No one was injured in the accident.

Ashcroft Vision Care is partnering with the province to provide advanced eye care options for Parkland residents that does not involve travel to Brandon or Winnipeg.

Health Minister Audrey Gordon was in Dauphin last week to announce a retinal specialist pilot program, which will see retinal specialists from Winnipeg travel to Dauphin once a month to deliver services normally not available in the community.

“Manitobans living in the Parkland region currently have to travel all the way to Winnipeg to access a retinal specialist and this can create an unnecessary financial burden, as well as additional stress for patients and their families,” Gordon said. “To have a specialist provide services right here at Ashcroft Vision Care will help reduce out-of-pocket expenses for these patients and families, strengthen health care in the region and ensure the same level of care closer to home.”

Retinal specialists diagnose retinal diseases and treat a wide variety of eye conditions including age-related macular degeneration, hereditary diseases of the eye, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment and cancers of the eye. They also treat patients who have experienced severe eye trauma.

According to Dr. Kara Vanderheyden of Ashcroft Vision Services, intravitreal anti-vegf injections are imperative to prevent permanent vision loss, as well as blindness in individuals who develop certain eye diseases such as wet macular degeneration, retinal venous occlusions and proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and can only be performed by retinal ophthalmologists.

Beginning this fall, the program will service 60 to 80 patients each month, which Vanderheyden said will make a real difference in the lives of area residents displaying “increased concern and anxiety” around the need to travel to Winnipeg for treatment. “I’d say there’s around 200 patients from this area that are traveling and there’s new ones all the time.” she said.

“At this point, I am unsure of whether or not we will be over capacity to not accommodate all the patients from this area. Not all patients have to have injections every month, so we should be able to accommodate most patients in this area from having to go to Winnipeg. That is the goal of this project.”

The Manitoba government will cover travel expenses for the specialists and supply costs to support the project. Ashcroft Vision Care will provide space for the retinal specialist to perform procedures in one of their clinic rooms.

“It was becoming very evident, particularly over the past two years, the financial and physical burden patients were experiencing having to travel to Winnipeg as much as once a month,” Vanderheyden said. “Doctors (Randy) Ashcroft, (Jeremy) Mills and myself are more than pleased to provide our clinic for this pilot project and facilitate in bringing this important service closer to home for many Manitobans.”

This pilot project is in alignment with Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan’s goal to provide care closer to home, Gordon said, adding the initiative is expected to run over the next year to evaluate its effectiveness and impact on patient care.

“We’re saying this is a pilot and the pilot will initially benefit a certain number of individuals, so that we can test demand and look at how often we need to bring those specialists in,” Gordon said. “So in the pilot it may be one day, but once the program is fully up and running it may be more.”

After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival (CNUF) made a triumphant return over the weekend with three fun-filled days full of Ukrainian culture and heritage.

CNUF president Kayla Gillis felt this year’s festival was fantastic, thanks in part to more people attending than expected.

“I would say that we had about 7,500 through the gates, which was phenomenal,” she said.

Gillis feels the festival’s success year-after-year can be attributed to the patrons who keep coming back.

“Bringing in that high caliber entertainment. Bringing in local entertainment, as well. But I really have to say it’s our patrons and our sponsors that really keep the festival going. So I hope they continue,” she said.

Gillis was at a loss to explain what made this year such a success, suggesting the lack of a live event the last two years had people eager to celebrate its return.

“I think it was just getting together and just having that enjoyment. Coming together as a community, coming together as a festival family again,” she said. “I know with recent events that happened in Ukraine, too, I know a lot of people have been coming just to show their support to our culture.”

Some of the Ukrainian families who relocated to the Parkland because of the war in Ukraine were in attendance and even stepped up to volunteer at the gates and in Baba’s Kitchen.

“It was really nice to see,” Gillis said.

Saturday’s Zabava was cut short because of rain, but it did little to dampen the enthusiasm of everyone in attendance. Gillis was appreciative of the support of the many people who volunteered during the festival. Of the 210 people who volunteered at the festival, Gillis noted an organization came from Brandon, as well as some from Saskatchewan.

“A lot of the service groups in town helped us out. So it was really nice to see that everybody came to help and support us,” she said.

But the plan for next year is to being in something new every year.

“Which brings in new attractions, which brings in new people that haven’t been here before,” Gillis said.

The war in Ukraine was on the mind of everyone in attendance, with one dance group performing a military style dance.

“That was a very special moment. There wasn’t a lot of dry eyes in the stands for that dance. But I think everybody is thinking about it and you could tell, everybody wants to make sure that everybody is happy and supporting (Ukraine),” Gillis said, adding there were a couple of groups were collecting funds, as well.

Planning is already underway for next year, Gillis thanking everyone who attended this year’s festival.

“Thanks to our supporters, contributors, everybody. It’s been phenomenal. It’s a little overwhelming, a little emotional. It’s been fantastic.”