Melissa
Martin
Winnipeg Free Press
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press on July 13, 2024. It is as originally published and reproduced with permission. This is part two of a two part series.
In the months after the close call in the Kharkiv region, Luka’s injuries healed and he returned to the front. He got a medal from the Ukrainian military. Austin, who had saved his life, did not, which the guys teased him about sometimes. Austin hated that, they laugh.
“He didn’t stand out and shout about himself,” Craig says. “He never had an ego about it.”
And Luka, who felt a debt he both wanted to repay — “Croatians are like, ‘I don’t want to owe you money, I don’t want to owe you a favour,’” he says — and dreaded ever having to, made a point of joining any mission Austin went on, just in case.
On May 24, 2023, one year to the day since Austin saved his life, Luka called his friend.

“The first thing (Austin) said when he picked up was, ‘I was about to call you also today,’” Luka says. “I was like, ‘why? You saved my ass, you’re not owing me any calls.’”
At that time, Austin was not with the legion. He’d left Ukraine in the fall of 2022, travelling back to Canada to rest. (Unlike Ukrainian soldiers, foreign fighters were able to break their contracts with the military and leave at any time, though Ukraine recently passed a law requiring them to serve at least six months before they quit.) His family held a feast to welcome him back, where an Opaskwayak band councillor gave a speech about how proud they were of his service, and pledged an even bigger feast the next time he came home.

The threat of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) such as zebra mussels is still very much a real threat to northern waterways in Manitoba. Riding Mountain National Park’s Clear Lake has unfortunately been exposed to zebra mussels and have had to take drastic measures of not allowing any watercraft on that lake, so they can try to determine and control the spread.
“The decision by the federal government to ban all public watercraft in Clear Lake this year was a bold move but was important to allow park staff to undertake further testing to confirm the presence or absence of zebra mussels in the lake,” said Citizens Protecting Our Northern Waterways (CPONW) President Chris Smith. “Of note, this additional recent testing confirmed the presence of adult zebra mussels at the boat launch area at Clear Lake that will result in further actions.

The Town of The Pas recently filled the position of a Human Resources Administrator to help with the management of staff and dealing with HR issues. Mubarak Adewumi worked in Human Resources in his home country and furthered his education in that field at Assiniboine Community College (ACC).
“I am a Nigerian national, hailing from Oyo State,” said Town of The Pas HR Administrator Mubarak Adewumi. “I have a strong affinity for culture, music, and football, and in my spare time, enjoy spending time with my nephews and nieces.
“I earned my first degree in education, and most recently, I completed a postgraduate diploma program in human resources management from Assiniboine Community College in Brandon.

Town of The Pas Council held their regularly scheduled council meeting on July 22, at 6 p.m. in council chambers.
Town of The Pas Council received a letter of resignation from Councillor Ward, which Mayor Murphy presented to council.
“Councillor Ward has been a valid member of our community and still is,” said Mayor Andre Murphy. “He’s focused his time and efforts on the betterment of The Pas as a councillor for the last six years or so. Councillor Ward has shown dedication, wisdom, and a genuine commitment to serving the people in our community and the general area as well. He’s always been willing to share his experiences and provided valuable advice that had an impact on our community.
“Despite Councillor Ward facing some personal challenges for the last while, he’s been committed to fulfilling his duties and was dedicated to our community as a councillor and a community. On behalf of the community and the Town of The Pas Council, I would like to thank Councillor Ward for all his service and dedication to the north.”

Della McKay (left) and Jenna McKay (right) took part in the Chamber of Commerce Parade on July 26, which marks the opening of the Northwest Round Up and Exhibition, as part of McKay’s Real Estate and Auction float...

At this year’s Roblin and District Community Foundation’s (RDCF) annual BBQ fundraiser held July 10 a the Bield Community Centre, another great community member was honoured for their contributions.

The event was held in memory of Jim Mitchell, who was not only an RDCF board member but also a man who gave greatly to the community in various ways.

Read more in this week’s Review.

With the zoning requirements now satisfied, work can progress on the development of a new child care facility in Dauphin.

At its regular meeting, July 15, Dauphin city council approved a conditional use application to allow for a 120 space child care facility on Dauphin Recreation Services land at the corner of  Sixth Avenue Southeast and Third Street Southeast.

Dauphin Economic Development manager Martijn van Luijn, who is spearheading the project for the city, said the design process is about two-thirds complete.

“We’re going to get ready for a Class B estimate. That means that the design is finalized, nothing will change, we’re meeting all the regulatory requirements, but now it’s about what nuts and bolts go where. All about the technical details, so that they can go out and tender this,” van Luijn said, adding an online call for suggestions for a facility name garnered about 45 entries and he will consult with the facility operator to decide.

Parkland Campus Kids was selected as the day care operator early in the process and van Luijn said the established child care organization has been instrumental in the design process.

“They’ve played an intergral role to decide which bench is going to go where and which toilet is needed and all that kind of stuff,” he said.

“So it’s been very neat to have them as part of that.”

Once those smaller design details have been finalized, the tender is expected to be issued sometime this fall.

“It’s all about the bid process and how quickly you can find a contractor to build it,” van Luijn said.

While that process unfolds, van Luijn hopes that site preparation can begin this fall to try and keep the project as close to the Mar. 31, 2025, deadline as possible.

“We’ve had some delays and we’re probably going to have to extend that deadline, but we have some flexibility there so we’re not worried about that. We would have loved to been ahead more at this point, but I guess with all the pressures in the industry and not having people available, it’s at a stand still at this point,” he said, adding people should expect to see some activity at the site before the snow flies.

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

Melissa
Martin
Winnipeg Free Press
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press on July 13, 2024. It is as originally published and reproduced with permission. This will be part one of a two part series.

KHARKIV, Ukraine — Luka huddled in the foxhole as the growl of Russian tanks crept closer, their steel tracks chewing at the grassy fields of eastern Ukraine. For over two hours, the 33-year-old Croatian and his fellow fighters with Ukraine’s International Legion had been hunted by the drones that prowled the skies around Ternova, a tiny village just five kilometres from the Russian border. Now they were pinned, with no escape.
Tank shells ripped through the lip of the trench. Shrapnel pierced Luka’s right arm and then his leg. He fumbled to tighten two tourniquets, but couldn’t get a strong twist. Beside him, Michael O’Neill, a 47-year-old Australian they called Taz, lay dead. Luka radioed for help but the rest of his company, he thought, was still far away.

Pick up a copy or subscribe online to get the July 24th edition of the Opasquia Times to read more about a local hero.

Last month, one of The Pas Fire Department’s (TPFD) was recognized by the Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs and presented with a 35-year Fire Service Award. Captain Keven Iles, has been serving and helping the community for longer than that.
“I’m on my 42nd year with TPFD,” said TPFD Captain Iles. “In 1982, a good friend, Ken Gurba, asked if I would like to join the fire department. I was already doing ambulance work with him. In those days you had to be voted in by the whole department.
“It was a natural progression of helping the persons of the community to help the whole community as a whole. As with the ambulance, there was a camaraderie that was unique and there was a lot to learn.

Tim Hortons Camp Day was last Wednesday (July 17) with a host of activities ranging from a bouncy castle, face painting, tic-tac-toe game and tug of war...