By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

For close to 40 years downhill ski enthusiasts enjoyed their favourite winter pastime at the Mount Agassiz Ski Resort.

Located eight miles west of McCreary, the National Parks Branch began developing the site in 1958-59. The site’s name was appropriate as the hill was at one time part of the shoreline of Lake Agassiz, which was formed when the glaciers retreated approximately 12,000 years ago.

An article in the January 15, 1959 edition of the Dauphin Herald showed that funds were proposed for preliminary work on the development of a ski resort within Riding Mountain National Park from the $387,000 winter work program approved by the federal government.

Crews were expected to open a road into the resort area and clear brush from the slopes.

The site, the only mountain ski hill between Thunder Bay and the Rockies, called for a downhill run, a slalom run and a practice run for beginners. The rest of the development would be up to private investors.

Newspaper reports from Winnipeg indicated that a group of city businessmen were contemplating putting up the $200,000 needed to finance and operate the resort.

In December 1961 a special showing of ski related movies at the McCreary School auditorium accompanied three days of free instruction at the cleared ski area. The program was sponsored by Manitoba Ski Zone and the newly-created McCreary Ski Club. Following each day of lessons Bob Pierce, one of Manitoba's top alpine competitors, demonstrated slalom racing.

“A group of Manitoba men were awarded the concession to operate a double chair lift, a tow rope and a chalet at the ski hill. These are expected to be installed and operating by December. This summer the national parks branch will be completing construction of a five-mile access from the park boundary, a parking lot, ski patrol hut and other facilities.” (May 30, 1962, Dauphin Herald)

On Feb. 16 and 17, 1963, the Central Canadian Alpine competitions with entries from Fort William, Port Arthur, Winnipeg, Loch Lammond and Flin Flon were hosted at Agassiz.

By Sunday afternoon more than 300 cars had ferried spectators to watch the finals of the downhill and slalom competitions. Later that week a meeting was organized at Black’s Sports Shop calling all interested local skiers to come out to see special films, as well as take part in organizing a Dauphin ski club.

Provincewide interest was evident by the hundreds of skiers and sightseers travelling to the area to see the progress being made.

“The slopes were in first class condition and would be ready for skiers as soon as there was sufficient snowfall. The new chalet which will replace temporary accommodation at the slope last winter is hexagonal in shape, consisting of a large lounge with two completely glassed in walls looking out onto the slope offering skiers and spectators a panoramic view of the entire lower area of the slope. There will be a canteen and a pro shop for ski rentals. The lift will have a capacity of 960 skiers per hour and will convey them to the top in about eight minutes. It may well be that before long Agassiz will be regarded as the Banff of the Prairies.” (November 6, 1963, Dauphin Herald)

In anticipation for the 1979 Canada Winter Games hosted by Brandon, the Agassiz site had a major overhaul at a cost of half a million dollars as the alpine skiing events were to be held there. A month prior to the games more than 1,000 skiers got to test the new ski runs and their first chance to ride a chairlift in Manitoba. Some mechanical difficulties were also ironed out.

Unseasonably warm winters during the 1990s and the opening of the Asessippi Ski Resort near Russell were cited as two of the main factors that caused the owners to file for bankruptcy in 2000.

In the ensuing years several unsuccessful attempts were made to re-open the “Banff of the Prairies.”

In 2014 a contract was awarded to remove the main lodge building, excavate contaminated soil and landscape the area as Parks Canada made the decision to revert the former ski resort back to its natural habitat.

The spirit of the Ukrainian people and their cultural traditions are alive and well in Canada thanks to people like Angie Esplen.

She drove her children to dance practices and recitals for years and when they graduated from high school, Angie and other mothers decided to form their own group: the M&Ms, which stands for Menopausal Mommas.

“The M&Ms do traditional Ukrainian dances and are known for character dances,” says Angie. “We practice weekly and compete throughout Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta.

We performed at Dauphin’s National Ukrainian Festival in 2020 and feel honoured to be invited back this year. We also host an annual competition in Russell, and I’ve been chairperson of that for a decade.”

For more, check this week's Russell Banner

The great weather brought out 27 people to Moose Lake Trail who enjoyed a afternoon by participating in skiing, snowshoeing, and chatting around a bonfire while roasting smokies and marshmallows, and sipping on hot chocolate!

Riding Mountain National Park staff - Trail Maintenance Supervisor Ron Sykes and Outreach Co-ordinator Marjorie Huculak - attended and were very pleased to see so many people appreciating this beautiful RMNP trail!

The Moose Lake trail is maintained by local volunteers, and the donations received at the Fun Day and from other sources, are used to pay for upkeep of the snowmobile packer (repairs, gas, oil), and for replacement of this very old machine.

The Moose Lake Trail Stewards are very grateful for the generosity of their donors, as well as for the RMNP Staff who assist in brush clearing of the trail in the off-season

The Kilty Kurling Klub welcomed three new life members to its fold, recently.

Debra Watson of the life membership committee, presented Carolyn Baker with her certificate, top, while committee member Dona-Leigh Davis presented certificates to Norma Johnson, middle, and Brenda Desroches.

The three new members were recognized for their contributions to ladies curling in Dauphin.

Manitoba’s top cop is retiring.

Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy announced her planned retirement from the RCMP last week, after more than 34 years of dedicated service to Canadians.

A/Commr. MacLatchy has been the commanding officer of the Manitoba RCMP for three years, having taken command in February 2019.

Her last day as commanding officer will be in June.

“My career with the RCMP has brought me across Canada, and three years ago, it brought me to Manitoba,” MacLatchy said. “It has truly been an honour to be the commanding officer for the Manitoba RCMP. Over the last three years, I’ve seen countless examples where the nearly 1,500 employees of this incredible organization have made positive differences in the lives of Manitobans. Time and again, they have gone above and beyond to ensure the safety of the communities we so proudly serve in this province. It has been a privilege to work alongside them and see first hand, their commitment and professionalism.”

The process to select a new commanding officer will begin shortly.

Further details will be available at a later date.

On Mar. 21, the Gilbert Plains branch of Western Financial Group was able to donate $5,000 to the Parkland Humane Society.

Pictured, from left, is Kristen Rubeniuk, Peanut, Dawn Fillion, Nancy Beattie and PHS volunteer Denise Penrose.

The donation was made available through the Western Financial Group’s charitable arm, The Western Communities Foundation - Infrastructure Grant.

The funds will go towards kennel renovations and other upkeep needs at the shelter. In 2021 the branch was also able to donate $3,144 to the Gilbert Plains Caboose Restoration project, $459.50 to the Gilbert Plains Resource Council activity fund and its annual $750 graduation bursary to Melanie Patenaude. 

The women of the Fork River Women’s Institute recently made a donation of cash and hygiene items to the Parkland Crisis Center and Women’s Shelter.

Pictured are Amanda of the Crisis Center, and Marilyn Kippen, Lorna DeVos and Emily Pylypchuk of the Fork River WI.

The ladies of the WI live by the motto “For Home and Country.” They are a dozen women who focus on sharing helpful information and improving the lives of women and families locally, nationally and internationally.

Despite the difficulties of fund-raising during COVID-19, the group wanted to help other women facing difficult times in their lives.

By Floyd Martens
MVSD Board Chair

Who represents your voice?

The easy answer is the people we choose to speak on our behalf.

But it can be more complicated than that. Not everyone who gets elected has the same perspective that I may have on an issue. It is the nature of democracy.

We choose people to represent us – the majority of us. They will not always share our perspective on each and every issue that arises. They may make decisions we agree with or they may make ones we do not support.

Regardless, they were elected to represent everyone.

For those elected, the responsibility is to willingly hear concerns and viewpoints from all citizens. After doing so, they make the best decisions possible. It may not be the decision I might make or like, but they are elected to represent all voices and make decisions accordingly.

Elections matter.

This fall, elections will be held for municipal governments and school boards. We as citizens have the opportunity to choose our representatives - those who will make the best decisions they can with the information and constraints they have.

Mountain View School Division is looking for your input on this upcoming election. Not only are people encouraged to run as a trustee, but the make-up of the board requires your input.

Currently, the board of trustees has nine trustees elected in four wards. These wards follow municipal boundaries and are used for election purposes. Once trustees are elected, they represent the entire school division and not just the area they are elected from. It is the nature of trusteeship.

Each trustee represents approximately the same number of people. It is a requirement to be within 25 per cent below or above the average number of electors.

When that gets out of alignment, wards need to be adjusted. At the present moment, we are nearing the 25 per cent threshold in a couple of our wards.

In looking at potentially adjusting wards, two options exist.

We can leave the structure and number of trustees the same and see where the average sits after this election. It may require changes for the election four years from now.

Or, we could adjust the number of wards and trustees for this year’s election.

Instead of four wards and nine trustees, we could move to three wards and seven trustees.

It is not an easy decision.

The board has been operating for over a year with seven trustees due to two resignations in the midst of the pandemic. Holding byelections, given the restrictions, was not advisable.

While this required more time commitment for current trustees, the board managed to represent our communities with the reduced numbers.

But, do our communities feel represented?

The reduction of two trustees is not really a financial consideration. Although the trustee budget will be reduced slightly, saving $10,000 to $15,000 from a $45 million budget does not make a significant difference.

The issue is more about representation.

To that end, the board is seeking feedback from our communities prior to making a decision.

A short survey is available for you to provide your input. It is available on our website at www.mvsd.ca until Apr. 8 at 4 p.m.

You can also receive hard copies by contacting the division office at 204-638-3001.\

Representation is important. The board does not want our communities to feel a loss of local voice if a reduction to the number of trustees were to occur.

We need to hear from you.

The U15 Parkland AAA Female Rangers have had a season of ups and downs this year, but ended on a high note.

The weekend of Mar. 11 to 13, the team traveled to Carman to compete in the Rural AAA Provincials, which included seven regional teams - Eastman Selects, Pembina Valley Hawks, Westman Wildcats, Brandon Wheat Kings, Norman Wild, Yellowhead Chiefs and Parkland.

The first day of the tournament was a long one, as some of the players hit closed roads on the way to Carman on the Thursday night and slept in their vehicle in a gas station on the No. 1 highway. Other players had early mornings on the road that were just opened to make it to the first game at 1 p.m. in Carman, but all the girls came to play.

The first game we met the host team, Pembina Valley Hawks.

The Rangers came up short and lost a hard fought battle 5-3. The Rangers then faced off against Westman Wild and ended in a 1-1 tie.

Once all the other teams finished the round-robin play, the Rangers placed fourth, which meant on Sunday morning they were playing for a chance to go into the gold/silver medal game.

The Rangers lost against the Brandon Wheat Kings for that chance. The Rangers then moved on to the bronze medal game where they were to meet the host Pembina Valley Hawks again. The Rangers put everything they had into the game and came up with the W, a 4-3 OT win, with the winning goal scored by Avery Frattinger and assisted by Montana Jubenvill. The coaching staff are head coach Phil Fafard from Dauphin, Dave Kirk from Swan River, Jodi Kaskiw from Gilbert Plains, Ann Ransom from Dauphin, and Jill Wiebe from Grandview. The team includes Adel Wiebe of Grandview, Avery Frattinger of Elkhorn, Brooke Shewchuk of Dauphin, Carli Durston of Dauphin, Dara Robak of Gilbert Plains, Ffion Devonlad of McCreary, Grace Kirk of Swan River, Katie Falkevitch of Russell, Layne Minshull of Grandview, Montana Jubenvill of Gilbert Plains, Olivia Brown of Dauphin, Peyton Lehmann of Bowsman, Ruth Dandeneau of Dauphin, Sara Hopfner of Ste. Rose, Sophie Oversby of Ste Rose and Tayah Zimmer of Russell.

By Gabe Mercier
MVSD Trustee

As parents and adults, we have come to realize how important, rich and rewarding participation in our community activities has been for our quality of life.

The research is showing that students who participate in extracurricular activities benefit from the many opportunities provided by the events. Gains from participating in extracurricular activities include higher self-concept, better school attendance, higher standardized test scores and higher educational attainment.

Extracurricular activities in Mountain View School Division (MVSD) provide an avenue for reinforcing the lessons learned in the classroom. They provide students the opportunity to apply academic skills in a practical context of real-world situations, and are therefore considered part of a well-rounded school education.

Those extracurricular activities in MVSD can help students build professional skills, as well as skills that cannot be learned in the academic environment of the classroom alone. The activities can help expand students’ social circles and also allow them to pursue their interests. Having to contend with school and extracurricular activities encourages students to build good time management skills.

Almost every school, and particularly the high schools in MVSD, offers some type of extracurricular activity, such as student council, music, volunteer opportunities, educational travels, student voice, sports, etc.

These activities offer opportunities for students to learn athletics, the values of teamwork and team spirit, individual and group responsibility, competition, social diversity and the need for community.

Student Voice activities, for example, aim to promote student engagement and achievement in MVSD by listening to and learning from students. This gives students an opportunity to share their experiences, expertise, opinions and ideas with their school and the division to improve student learning.

Participating in student councils gives students valuable insight in governance within a greater society.

At many schools in MVSD, student council is a group of mainly elected student volunteers who work together with a staff advisor within the basis of preset procedures, to provide a means for students to assist in school activities. This gives opportunities for student experience in leadership and communication skills, and encourages student, school staff and community relations.

School sports encourage the students to participate in activities that will assist in learning about healthy living and in promoting physical, social and emotional values. Below are the Sport Principles of the Manitoba High Schools Athletics Association:
• Go for It – Rise to the challenge – always strive for excellence. Discover how good you can be.
• Play Fair – Play honestly – obey both the letter and spirit of the rules. Winning is only meaningful when competition is fair.
• Respect Others – Show respect for everyone involved in creating your sporting experience, both on and off the field. Win with dignity and lose with grace.
• Keep it Fun – Find the joy of sport. Keep a positive attitude both on and off the field.
• Stay Healthy – Place physical and mental health above all other considerations – avoid unsafe activities. Respect your body and keep in shape.
• Include Everyone – Share sport with others. Ensure everyone has a place to play.
• Give Back – Find ways to show your appreciation for the community that supports your sport and helps make it possible.

Participating in extracurricular activities reduces the possibility that a young person would participate in illicit activities or indulge in drug and alcohol use.

The evidence is clear: it is important for schools, communities and parents to provide more extracurricular opportunities for our students.

While it is a fact that some extracurricular activities are expensive - and for many families, those activities may be cost prohibitive and out of reach for their children - there are a myriad of activities provided by schools and community organizations that provide opportunities for the development of positive self-worth, teamwork, leadership skills and community connections.

Finally, without a doubt, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years has been devastating for family connections, extracurricular sports, and face-to-face group activities.

This situation has challenged many of our families and educational communities when it comes to our relationships, well-being and mental health.

We are all relieved with the conditions that have precipitated changes in the health and safety precautions, and the lifting of restrictions that were placed on group activities.

Many of our team sports have resumed their activities, and MVSD will continue to support those activities that will provide enhanced extracurricular opportunities for students.

We wish those participants in extracurricular activities success in the remainder of the school year.