The Russell Regional Vet Board would like to clarify our position on the letter to the Editor dated Tuesday, February 10th, 2026.
1) The Board is not against Passion for Paws or anything they are trying to accomplish, however the board is here to represent the best interests of five municipalities; Russell/ Binscarth, Rossburn, Ellice-Archie, Prairieview and Riding Mountain West.
2) The Board would like to make it clear, this was a board decision and the veterinarians have no voting rights at the board level. Our clinic veterinarians and their staff provide and essential service in our area, to the patrons and animals they care for. They maintain and provide a very high level of animal health and animal welfare to the clients and their animals. Verbal abuse towards the staff will not be tolerated.
3) The board’s main concern is to maintain a high level of biosecurity on the premise for animals that come for care. We believe this high level of biosecurity would be difficult to maintain with a rescue on the property. We are concerned about communicable and infectious diseases as the vet clinic is a hospital where immunocompromised and sick animals come for care and healing.

Want to know more? Read the full letter on page 4 in this week's Russell Banner.

For the last couple of years, the Pelly Trail and Ste. Madelaine Locals of MMF have banded together to celebrate Louis Riel Day, enjoying the day with Bannock making sessions and a workshop in the Michif language. There was face painting and colouring for the kids, crazy marbleboards, cribbage and games.
A jigging contest showcased a whole bunch of talent as dancers took to the floor to the music of Kevin and Lorne. The walls of the small meeting room of the George P. Buleziuk Centre were lined with Metis artifacts and information of the Metis people of this area along with the history of Louis Riel. As always there was delicious traditional food - hamburger soup, bannock, macaroni and rice pudding with the day ending off with a Bingo.

In 2013, after a couple of years without a grocery store, the residents of Inglis and the surrounding area decided to open a community owned store that would service the community and keep the village alive.
At that time, 68 people purchased shares to re-open the store, renovated and updated the flooring, painted, hired a manager, and purchased inventory.
With 100 transactions a day, the store was more than viable but was more than 100 years old, was deteriorating and space was an obvious issue.
The committee went to the RM of Riding Mountain West who agreed to supply the long unused curling rink for use with the stipulation that the project include much needed fuel. With that decided, after coming up with an overview of the building and the necessary renovations to the existing curling rink, the cost was estimated to be over $400,000.
Then the search for funding began with the Manitoba Government Economic Programs Branch who the community had used with the original store when it was first renovated and incorporated in 2014.
“There was a two year program that we applied for called Community Enterprise Development Tax Credit (CED)” Glenda Chescu of the committee explained.
“This credit is 45% of the share amount purchased and is a refundable Manitoba tax credit which is available to individuals or companies and has no limit share investment.”
This credit was eligible for 2024 and 2025 with the date ending Feb 27, 2026. Each share is $900.00.
With the funding and share structure in place, it was time to make the dream come true.

Get the whole front page story in this week's Russell Banner.

The province released its school funding announcement Feb. 9, touting an increase of $79.8 million for the 2026-27 year, meant to help Manitoba’s school divisions cover increasing operating costs.
Currently working on Mountain View School Division’s budget for the coming year, secretary-treasurer Lori Slepicka said the increase falls well short of meeting the division’s needs.
Read all about it in this week’s Review.

A former student from the Valley is putting her education to the test and has been asked to be a presenter for the famous TEDx series. TEDx is considered a grassroots initiative to research and discover ideas worth spreading. Shaelyn Carr, who is currently studying at the University of Regina, has been asked to be one of the presenters in this year’s lineup.
“I grew up in Swan River, attending ESRSS from grade 6 through high school at SVRSS,” said Carr. “My parents are Debora and Lloyd Carr, and my grandma is Lena Hubscher. I’m currently in my third year of a PhD in Experimental and Applied Psychology, specializing in Forensic Psychology, which explores how psychology interacts with the criminal justice system.
“My research focuses on ways to make the justice system fairer—like developing age-appropriate police lineups for children and exploring more reliable techniques for detecting deception with suspects and alibis.”
Throughout Carr’s studies, she has been taking opportunities to broaden her horizons as well as challenge what she is learning in university. This opened the door to her taking part in TEDx.
“I’m passionate about translating my complex research into ideas that the general public can understand,” said Carr. “In 2025, I competed in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Storyteller competition, which challenges participants to tell the story of their research in three minutes. I placed first in the University of Regina competition and was selected as a national winner.
“From there, I was invited to present at the University of Regina’s annual Taste of Research event, which showcases standout faculty and students in a TED-style format. After that presentation, an organizer from TEDx approached me about speaking at their 2026 event.
“The theme for the TED event is Once Upon Our Future,” said Carr. “ We’re at a critical moment in history where the world and our community need more than hopes and dreams; we need action. Every generation imagines what the future could look like, but the future does not just happen on its own. We have to write it and shape it together.
“Once Upon Our Future invites us to dream boldly, act quickly, and take responsibility for the chapters that are still unwritten. It is about turning ideas into action, using our creativity and collaboration. We are building a world that reflects the hopes, values, and possibilities of us as humans because the story of what comes next is ours to tell, together.
“My talk will connect my research to this theme by discussing ways to make the justice system fairer,” said Carr. “Too often, the justice system relies on whether a child or witness is believed before their testimony has weight. My TEDx talk will argue that we shouldn’t wait for belief. We need procedures and tools that help us know the truth. I will highlight new police lineup techniques I’ve explored that provide a clearer sense of how likely an eyewitness is to identify a guilty person, as well as reliable tools for detecting deception in suspects and alibis.
“Much of my research focuses on children, who are particularly vulnerable in the justice system. For example, among Canadian children, reports of sexual abuse rose 190 percent from 2011 to 2021, meaning roughly 8 percent of Canadians experience sexual abuse before the age of 15, according to Statistics Canada data from 2021. My talk will educate the public on these issues and discuss some of the ways we can improve the criminal justice system to better protect children and ensure fairness for all.
“My research is directly related to making the criminal justice system more reliable and equitable,” said Carr. “The talk will draw from my work in forensic psychology, where I test and develop methods that improve how evidence, like eyewitness testimony or suspect statements, is evaluated. It’s about using research to create a justice system that’s fairer for everyone.
“I absolutely love talking about my research and doing so in a way that laypeople can understand! This is also a really good opportunity to network and connect with the broader city of Regina.”
This is an incredible experience for Carr and is something she is looking forward to. Most would be intimidated by the public speaking aspect, but not Carr. She actually thrives off of it.
“This is also a full-circle moment for me,” said Carr. “When I was an undergraduate student, I watched TED talks regularly for class assignments or in lectures. Now, I have the opportunity to stand on that TED red circle and present my work to the community. My TEDx talk will be recorded and posted on YouTube, so it is a TED talk that the next generation of undergraduate students might watch and learn from.
“I’m one of the weird people who actually enjoys public speaking. I love translating research into accessible ideas and seeing someone have that ‘aha’ moment. I prepare by practicing my presentation repeatedly—in the car, walking to school, or even getting ready in the morning. The more familiar I am with the material, the more confident I feel on stage. I also remind myself that no one in the audience knows my research better than I do, which helps calm any nerves.”
Carr is set to give her TEDx presentation in the spring, but for those who aren’t able to attend it in person, there will be an opportunity to stream it online.
“I will be speaking at TEDx Regina on May 30, 2026,” said Carr. “The event will be held in Regina and is expected to draw over 450 attendees. After the event, my TEDx talk will be posted on YouTube, where anyone can watch it.”

Love was in the air last weekend, as people celebrated a special Saturday edition of St. Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14). Following the bundles of Valentine’s Day cards that schoolchildren likely brought home the day before, restaurants and retail stores brought out their best specials and decked out their facilities to help get people in the spirit of love. Pictured here, the Thunderhill Ski Area Co-op Chalet sets the mood with their decorations during a balmy day on the snowy slopes.

Roblin’s newly formed wildlife and habitat association hosted the first of what organizers hope will be many more to come annual general meetings.
Around 30 members of the Roblin Fish and Game Club and visitors gathered at the Life & Art Centre, Feb. 4 to hear how the club came into being and what’s going to be on its agenda for the immediate and distant future.
Read all about it in this week’s Review.

The Russell Thrift Shop Volunteers would like to extend their appreciation to the community for the on-going support through donations to and shopping at the store, as we all recycle together to lessen the load of the landfill. Without the continuous donations from the communities and the countless hours of dedication of the volunteers it would not be possible to provide our area with this amazing amount of $60,000 distributed to 33 Clubs and Organizations in 2025.
To all who contribute towards the success
of The Russell Thrift Shop –THANK YOU!

Translated into English, the word Zabava means: fun, entertainment or party. And those who attended the packed house for Yachminka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble’s annual celebration got exactly that.
Since the setback felt by Covid, the club has been growing continuously, growing with no sign of slowing down.
“Our club is growing,” Tyla Betke said. “We have 72 dancers this season from 3 years old to somewhere in their 40s.” Yachminka's instructors this year are Feron Lovas and Tyla Betke, and assistant instructors are senior dancers Bella Potter, Tatum Chuhai, and Ava Melnyk.
And, with their largest group being the Novice level with 20 dancers from kindergarten to grade two, the club is definitely going to grow.
The Zabava celebration featured a mini concert during which all age groups performed seven dances, including two new dances choreographed by club alumni David Fenton.
Of course with any celebration based on Ukraine, there must be very good traditional food.
“Our fundraising queen is Celina Nernberg,” Betka said. “She planned the event, along with Becky Flundra who handled the delicious food - sausage and a perogy bar with tons of toppings.”
After the entertainment and good old feed of perogies, the audience took to the floor filling it until the 1 am closing time to the sounds of High Profile who came here from Winnipeg.
With the highly successful event now over, the money raised will go toward club costs including competition entry fees and costume orders from Ukraine.
The club is now focusing on their competition season, including the Northwest Marquette Festival in Russell along with Ukrainian dance competitions in Regina, Yorkton, Brandon, and Winnipeg. Their local year-end concert will be held on Friday, April 24th.

Every year the staff, students and hockey parents of Major Pratt host their Stick It To Cancer game in February. And every year, it just gets better and better. Over the past 11 years the Major Pratt crew - including the younger classes has donated more than $210,866 to the construction, furniture and equipment for the local Cancer Care unit. This year, as Cancer Care is successfully operational, they’ve switched to the Palliative Care unit in the Russell Hospital. Their efforts this year drew a record number of supporters bringing in a remarkable $25,293.90 for the oh so important Palliative Care Unit here.