By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

On Aug. 28, 1963, approximately 250,000 people participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The event concluded with Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, “I Have a Dream.”

With an appeal to end economic and employment inequalities, King outlined the long history of racial injustice in America and encouraged his audience to hold their country accountable to its own founding promises of freedom, justice and equality.

Originally slated to speak for four minutes King went on to address the crowd for 16 minutes delivering one of the most iconic speeches in American history. The March on Washington and King's speech became turning points in the Civil Rights Movement.

One of the March on Washington participants, Ivan Innerst, had grown up in Los Angeles where it was common to interact and be friends with 90 miles from Washington, D.C., and early on the morning of August 28, along with members of the York Action for Peace group, Ivan and his father boarded a chartered bus and headed to their destination.

At the grounds of the Washington Monument, participants greeted each other with handshakes and hugs. Waving their protest signs and singing songs such as “We Shall Overcome”, they began the one-mile march down Constitution Avenue from the Washington Monument to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

On that sunny and hot August day Ivan noted that it was a beautiful experience to stand shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other freedom marchers.

A state-of-the-art sound system greatly contributed to the peaceful protest.

Along with the speeches, music played a vital role in the March on Washington. Ivan was moved by the folk and spiritual songs performed by artists including Joan Baez, Odetta, Mahalia Jackson, Marian Anderson, Peter, Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan had written “Blowing in the Wind” the previous year and in 1963 the song was made famous in a recording by Peter, Paul and Mary. Dylan’s lyrics echoed about fighting for the rights and equality of people in society.

“How many years can some people exist, before they are allowed to be free? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.”

Music was one of Ivan’s passions. Billed as Freeberg and Friend, Jim Freeberg and Ivan performed many of those familiar folk and spiritual songs as a duo at social functions at the Jamestown campus in 1962-63.

Near the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Ivan stood fairly close to the podium where the musicians performed and civil rights leaders spoke for almost three hours issuing urgent calls to action.

Then the “Queen of Gospel,” Mahalia Jackson, sang two spiritual songs and was followed by Martin Luther King Jr. who delivered his iconic speech, “I Have a Dream.”

As one of the participants in the March on Washington, Ivan Innerst experienced an important event that he will always remember.

Years later at the Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School, he used “I Have a Dream” as a teaching tool in his Grade 11 English class.

The students listened to and analyzed the effectiveness of this timeless speech and how it could move an audience of 250,000 people.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.” (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Submitted by
Jim Perchaluk

On behalf of the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund, I am pleased to provide a positive update on our support for Ukrainian families in Dauphin.

The fund is now directly supporting 20 families from Ukraine. In addition to these 20 families, there are a number of citizens from Ukraine who have relocated to the Parkland to work on farms or reside with family.

Our support to 20 families has definitely exceeded our initial expectations when the fund first started last April at which time we had planned to assist two or three families.

With the generosity of the people throughout the Parkland and province of Manitoba, we have received cash donations along with many donations in kind, such as housing, household furniture, clothing and bikes to support 20 families.

Our support group of volunteers have provided transportation from the airport in Winnipeg to Dauphin, along with rides to the grocery store, bank, work, medical appointments, English classes, etc.

A great example of the excellent support services provided by the fund, with a financial contribution from the Dauphin and District Community Foundation, is the set-up and funding of English classes two evenings a week to assist in the learning of our language.

As families arrive there are some that have good English language skills and those that cannot speak any English, so the classes are adapted according to the individual needs.

They are quick learners, so even the beginners progress well within several months, which helps in developing their employment skills.

With our volunteer support we have, therefore, been able to welcome and support 56 people from Ukraine who have fled the war.

Of the 31 adults who have arrived, and are able to work, most are finding jobs in our community. There are 25 children who are either in our schools or day cares and many participating in dance or swimming lessons.

All are quickly adapting to our Canadian life and are very appreciative of the support and opportunities that are being provided by the fund and community.

As these families integrate into our community, they are making a great addition economically, educationally and socially as new citizens of Dauphin.

When the fund first started accepting families, we made a commitment to the first 12 families to provide financial support for 12 months of housing, six months of transportation, and three months of food and incidentals.

Once we went beyond acceptance of the first 12 families, we had to scale back our financial support to stay within our financial means, therefore, our financial commitment to the latest families were for three months of food and housing, plus support services. Total expenses to date from the fund for the families in the Parkland have been $133,000 and another $142,000 has been allocated to complete our commitment to the 20 families.

The war in Ukraine rages on today and many more Ukrainians are continuing to flee to countries like Canada. Many however, arrive in cities and are left to fend for themselves with little or no support services. Our community, on the other hand, has welcomed those who wished to come to Dauphin, and we can be proud of the support which we have provided through the generous donations and countless hours of volunteerism in support services.

As I have said in the past, the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund will assist as many families as the generosity of Dauphin and Parkland communities will support through donations and volunteering.

At this time our fund has maxed out financially in its commitment to assisting the 20 families which are here now. Support to additional families will depend upon new donations to the fund.

On behalf of the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund, I thank all those who have already generously donated to the fund and encourage those who still wish to help, to donate to support additional families.

Receipts for income tax purposes will be provided in the next several weeks to all those who have made cash donations.

For more information call Larry 204-648-5904.

The Parkland U15 Female Rangers played a pair of games against Brandon, this past weekend.

On Friday, the Rangers lost on the road, 7-0, with Morgan Gouldie recording 44 saves.

On Saturday in Dauphin, Brandon scored a 4-2 victory. Dara Robak and Hannah Robson, scored the Rangers’ goals, while Maliya Malowski picked up an assist and Olivia Brown made 43 saves.

The two teams will meet again, this Friday in Russell and the Rangers will face the Eastman Selects, Saturday in Niverville.

On Oct. 8 and 9, 2022 McConnell School of Irish Dance student, Charleigh Carefoot, was in Dayton, Ohio, to compete in the Cumann Rince Náisiúnta (CRN) Western Regional Championships.

Carefoot competed in three CRN levels of competitive solo dances on Oct. 8 - Bunghrad, Ullmhuchan, and Meanghrad - with podium finishes for her dances.

On Oct. 9, Carefoot competed in her Bunghrad Award dancing the Reel and the Slip Jig back-to-back and received a perfect score from all three adjudicators giving her the title of Western Regional Bunghrad Award winner under 14.

Carefoot has been dancing with the McConnell School of Dance for nine years. 

By Ed Stozek
Herald Staff

One of the first mishaps at No. 10 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) occurred on March 20, 1941.

Pilot-Officer Thompson reported hitting a tree on Riding Mountain while giving Leading Aircraftsman (LAC) Heal, a student pilot, instruction on instrument flying. With substantial damage to the wing, the plane returned to the airdrome and landed successfully. Thompson was charged with low-flying. Damage to the Harvard plane amounted to $750 and necessitated shipping the wings to a depot for repair.

On April 9, 1941, one of the courses, Course No. 25, started with the majority of the class composed of student pilots from Brandon’s Manning Pool. By June 21, 49 attained their “wings”, two failed, seven were “washed out’ during the course and two were killed due to plane-related fatalities.

Group Captain D.W.F. Bonham-Carter made the presentation, addressing a few words of congratulation to the graduates individually as he pinned the wings on their chests.

At the conclusion of the ceremony he addressed the class as a whole, telling them to be cautious and not to take unnecessary risks but not to hesitate to take whatever risk arose in their line of duty. Thirty-two of the graduates were posted overseas and 17 to CFS Trenton for further training as instructors.

As the courses progressed, mishaps kept the maintenance crew busy. By May 1, there were 12 accidents. If repairs couldn’t be made at the crash site, the crew dismantled the wings and loaded the downed plane onto a truck.

On May 23, in his daily reports J. S. Williamson, F/L noted, “Two accidents today. Nobody hurt. Must be a lot of spare horse shoes around, everyone seems to be so lucky. LAC Tate, J.C., student pilot in Harvard 3783, low flying in Fisher River area – 46 miles north. Struck a backhouse (outhouse) in the Stony Creek school grounds with his port wing. Aileron and seven feet at outer end of wing torn off. Backhouse disintegrated. Tate managed to fly back to the aerodrome minus aileron and half of wing. Made a perfect landing. Two charges laid against him of low flying and endangering life.”

The next day Tate was charged before W/Cdr. Wilson and remanded for a summary of evidence to be taken by S/L Dupont.

The other accident involved LAC McLachlan, W.J.A. who force landed in a Harvard, seven miles north of No. 10.

“The aircraft turned over on its back, damaging the rudder and prop. Repairs were made on the spot and craft was flown back. McLachlan forgot to close the altitude control when doing aerobatics resulting in a ‘conked’ engine.”

On May 24, the first fatality occurred to LAC Bolton when his Harvard plane spiraled into the ground at 11 p.m. while on solo night flying practice from the relief field north of Dauphin. The plane hit the ground two miles northwest of the field, followed by an explosion and then it burst into flames killing Bolton instantly. Station Chaplain Littlewood officiated at the funeral on May 27. Six Leading Aircraftsmen acted as pallbearers and escorted Bolton’s remains to the train station for shipment to Toronto.

On June 5, LAC Alexander became the second fatality while flying at night. The funeral was held the next day at the Bullmore Funeral Home in Dauphin. Littlewood officiated and six confreres acted as escorts.

On June 17, the District Court Martial of Sgt. Tate commenced at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 5 p.m. On June 18 the sessions were completed and forwarded its findings.

On June 23 the court martial finding on Sgt. Pilot J.C. Tate was received and ordered to be promulgated (made known) at a full wing parade. Five squadrons were lined up at the parade ground. F/O J. Sinclair, station adjutant, read the findings. Tate was severely reprimanded and had $75 deducted from his pay. That was not bad of a price for flying low over a school yard and hitting an outhouse while trying to impress a lady school teacher. Dr. Medd, a doctor from Winnipegosis and part of the review board, stated that if the pilot could safely land a plane in distress then he would be an asset to the forces overseas.

On Saturday (Oct. 15) the SVRSS Tigers Boys’ Soccer team faced the Garden Valley Zodiacs for at shot at the Manitoba High School Athletic Association championship title. After maintaining their undefeated status all season, the Tigers fell 7-1 to a very strong Zodiacs team.

The U15 female Parkland Rangers attended the Hockey Manitoba U15 Female Showcase in Warren and Stonewall, last weekend, going 0-3 with their lone goal scored by Lily Nemetchek and assisted by Ava Cole.

The team is younger and inexperienced with only five returning players from last year’s team. The players used pink tape all weekend to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The team opened its season, with their home opener, Oct. 14, losing 7-3 to Yellowhead. Madison Colon scored twice and Layne Minshull had the other goal. Nemetchek, Cole and Colon had assists and Olivia Brown made 26 saves in goal.

The next day, the Rangers lost on home ice, 9-1 to the Westman Wildcats, with Colon scoring the only goal unassisted. Morgan Gouldie recorded 47 saves in goal. On Oct. 16 in Brandon, the Rangers fell, 6-0, with Brown making 47 saves. 

By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

People born after World War II, between 1946 and 1964, are defined as baby boomers.

Today, the baby boomer generation is comprised of people aged 58 to 75 and continues to be the largest group in Canada numbering 9,212,640 in the 2021 census.

During my formative baby boomer years several unforgettable events occurred and still stand the test of time.

Every one of my vintage remembers the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. On Nov. 22, 1963, I was in Grade 6 and coming home from school. That day I caught a ride with my teacher and we heard about the assassination on the car radio. When I got dropped off at our farm, I quickly ran to the summer kitchen to announce the news. I can still picture my parents and Fred and Irene Wozney plucking chickens. My parents had just recently installed a black-and-white television set so later that evening it was quite the experience to watch the news program relating to the assassination.
Most baby boomers also remember the space race. On July 20, 1969, three American astronauts landed the Apollo 11 module on the moon. The Apollo 11 space program significantly advanced science and boosted the USA in its competition with the Soviet Union. It was amazing to watch the events unfold on television and hear Neil Armstrong’s famous words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” With an estimated audience of 125 to 150 million viewers, nearly half of the country’s TVs were tuned to CBS anchor Walter Cronkite and his side kick Wally Shirra, a former NASA astronaut.

“Oh, boy,” Cronkite said after the Eagle touched down in the Sea of Tranquility.

“Wally, say something, I'm speechless.” (cbsnews.com)

1969 also provided another “speechless’ event with three days that defined a generation. On Aug. 16 to 18, 1969, some 500,000 fans attended a three-day music festival located on a farm near the small town of Woodstock, New York. Long before the Internet and mass media, I didn’t pay much attention to the festival until 1970 when I started to attend university. Several friends and I went to the Evans Theatre to watch the movie, Woodstock.

In an era of great protest and unrest regarding the civil rights movement, Woodstock was an opportunity for young people to escape into music and spread a message of unity and love at a time when there was opposition to the US’s involvement in the Vietnam War. “The Vietnam Song” performed by Country Joe and the Fish was very prophetic.

The eight-game Canada-Russia exhibition hockey series during September 1972 captivated and united a large Canadian audience. On Saturday, Sept. 2, my parents had gone to a wedding in Dauphin. I had the house to myself to cheer as loud as I wanted to. I was at home prior to moving to Brandon to attend my third year of university. Like most hockey fans I had great expectations that Team Canada would easily defeat the Soviets. It was the first competition between the Soviet National team and a Canadian team represented by NHL professional hockey players.

Thirty seconds into the first period at the Montreal Forum, Canada scored the first goal. Six minutes later they scored the second goal. Soon the superior conditioning and team play of the Russians took over the game and Canada lost 7-3.

After losing game four at Vancouver, Phil Esposito delivered a speech stating how disappointed he was regarding the Canadian fans booing the team. He noted that the team gave it their best and played for the “love of our country.”

In Game 5 in Moscow Canada lost again and were down in the series 3 games to 1. After winning the next two games, Canadians across the country tuned in to watch the final game of the series. TVs were brought into schools and offices as the country came to a standstill. When Paul Henderson scored the winning goal with 34 seconds left to play in the game, the country erupted in celebrations and relished the greatest moment in Canada’s sport history.

As baby boomers we have had our share of some very memorable events during our formative years.

Dear Editor:

Once again, I find myself in a position where I must respond to, in this instant, a newsletter that has been circulated to residents of Russell Binscarth Municipality.

To my dismay, this newsletter is filled with misinformation, and inaccurate and false statements. It begins by making a statement about rumors within the municipality. For the mayor’s edification these are not rumors but are facts that the mayor and her CAO have been unwilling to answer or explain. I am assuming that the author of this document is the mayor since the pronoun “my” is used at the beginning of the newsletter.

More than one councilor noted that they knew nothing of the content of the newsletter until the document arrived in their mailboxes. The public meeting referred to in the first statement was in fact chaired by myself and provided an opportunity for Ms. Napier, to explain her position as it related to her firm’s intellectual property being pirated and distributed under a false pretence. The intent was to once and for all put an end to an issue that has stained the reputation of this municipality and by extension our communities! This was not a closed door meeting! Sadly, the only member(s) from council in attendance were councilor Estha Baseley and former councilor Marg Fraser. Ms. Napier’s presentation was not confrontational but she provided the evidence that in fact supported her claim. Council members had the opportunity along with their CAO to attend, to listen to her presentation and provide an explanation as to their CAO’s erroneous claim regarding the document.

To end all of this, an apology by council to Ms. Napier could have concluded the matter. Instead the mayor has chosen to keep this issue alive in the news letter by continuing to hopelessly defend actions of the CAO in this matter. I must also address the “in camera” issue because the author of the newsletter links this to a former structure of council management and claims that this lacked transparency. In camera sessions have never been part of the regular agenda of council meetings. This is a process that should be rarely used by any council. Its intent is to deal with an issue that requires a private discussion by councilors. In such a situation, a motion to meet “in camera” would be called for with a recorded vote. Following the “in camera” meeting, the issue would be brought back into the general session of the council meeting. The item could be tabled for discussion at a subsequent meeting, or it would be dealt with in the normal course of the same meeting.

Read the full letter in this week's Banner!