Passion 4 Paws board and committee members; (l-r back row): Marg Fraser, Brent Rosnoski, Carrie Burton, Shallon Fowler, Julia Renz, Amanda Drebit, Chantell Senchuk, Erin Hamilton, Cheryl Collins and Kevin Tomsha. (Front row l-r) Andrea Glasman, Samantha Diores, LaVerne Rosnoski Tomsha, Tori Tomsha, Sherry Sabeski and Michelle Gambler had reason to smile as Waywayseecappo First Nation came through with a $50,000 donation to buy a building for a much needed building for a dog rescue centre in Russell. The council of Waywayseecappo is also taking care of moving the building from Altona to whatever land is secured here in Russell. To that end, the committee has asked for the help of Russell Binscarth council in securing land on the vacant property surrounding the Russell Vet Clinic which is owned by the municipality. After their delegation at the last council meeting last week, the board and committee await their reply.

Read the full story in this weeks Russell Banner.

Brayden Dube and his Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL are hitting the golf course this Thursday for supper and a meet and greet, if you’re so inclined.
Dube is the son of the club house manager Christie and her husband Garth and the team is on its way to Brandon for a game against the Wheaties on Friday.
Want to go? Find out what time in this week’s Review.

Since the pandemic took away its customers, Countryfest Community Cinema in Dauphin has been struggling to lure them back and, as a result, is fighting to keep the lights on.

And while the community has not been buying tickets to the same extent it once did, the cinema’s board of directors is asking for a different kind of commitment to help get it through this tough stretch.

As part of a three-pronged approach to raising an urgently-needed injection of capital, the cinema has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise the $30,000 needed to support operations and the $80,000 board chair Ron Hedley said is needed in the long term. The other two prongs are a corporate fund-raising drive and the sale of new monthly cinema memberships.

“The most exciting thing for me, I’ve been trying to do for five years is to have a monthly membership, a $10, $20 or $30 membership. It’s on our website now. We’re just kind of finalizing the touches of it,” Hedley said, adding the program is modeled like memberships to Netflix and other streaming services, which most people already purchase.

“So people can get one seat for $10, two seats for $20 and a family, I think for $39. But the whole idea is that it will help make us sustainable because it’s just going to be a recurring income.”

Hedley said an extra $7,000 to $8,000 per month is needed to keep the cinema viable.

“As far as extracurricular income, like away from the movie screen,” he said.

“If you want a theater, that’s what we need to do.”

Hedley said the cinema was operating smoothly when it was presented with a series of obstacles.

“We were doing well and had some financial reserves and then we were hit with hurdles such as the pandemic, the actors guild strikes in Hollywood, and the rise of streaming services,” Hedley said, adding those reserves were burned through during that period.

On top of operating costs, the cinema has a remaining mortgage of $1.139 million, reduced from the original $2.5 million in 2011, which, Hedley said, represented only half the actual value of the building.

Hedley added he has heard comments that the cinema has always been a  losing proposition, but that simply is not true.

“We’ve held our own for a long time. We just need to get over this little hump,” he said, adding the entire board is committed to the future of the cinema.

“We need a short-term lift to get us back on track. Recently, there are days you can come to the movie theatre and it feels like a private screening. This building was meant to bring people together, but right now we’re struggling to convince people to show up and see a movie.”

As part of the drive, the board has decided to change direction when it comes to day-to-day management of the business and is searching for a new general manager, a task made more difficult by the current financial challenges.

Hedley said existing staff and the board will guide the transition along with some help from City staff.

“We have 13 employees there that we want to look after, so that’s our first priority right now, to make sure there’s enough for them,” Hedley said, adding with the recent moves that have already been made, he is confident the campaign will be a succes.

“It’s a new kind of wave. I like it. A new kind of breath.”

While the Cinema is a non-profit organization and cannot issue charitable tax receipts, there are still many ways to help:

• Donate directly to the GoFundMe campaign online at gofund.me/994e7d428.
• Share the campaign with friends, family and colleagues.
• Reach out to the cinema board with partnership or fund-raising ideas.

“This is your cinema,” Hedley said.

“It’s where we’ve celebrated birthdays, fundraisers, community events, first dates, and countless family nights. If you have ever made a memory here, please help us make sure the next generation can, too.”

To discuss how you can help, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Being a part of 4-H gives youth many opportunities to build and grow essential skills that are needed in everyday life as a part of learning. 4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands and Health, all components which we need for survival. Local 4-H The Pas Helping Hands Leader Cheryl Antonio has been involved with 4-H ever since she was a child and started out as a member whose mother was a 4-H leader.
“My first involvement with 4-H was in the late 70s,” said Antonio. “My mom was a 4-H leader and taught us sewing. My mom is an extremely talented seamstress and it was important to her to pass along these skills to her daughters. Learning something fun was even better when you could do it as a group and thus we attended the 4-H sewing club.”
Watching her mother be a 4-H leader and knowing how valuable the program was led Antonio to also become a leader and her own children became interested in it as well.

The Pas Roadrunners Swim Club hosted a memorable weekend of competition, community, and inspiration at this year’s Brent Lechelt Invitational, held on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
The annual meet brought together swimmers, families, and volunteers from across the tri-community and beyond to celebrate the sport of swimming and honour Brent Lechelt, a beloved member of The Pas Roadrunners family.
This year’s invitational featured strong performances, great sportsmanship, and an atmosphere of excitement and encouragement both on deck and in the stands. Following the competition, swimmers had the rare opportunity to take part in a stroke clinic led by Canadian Paralympic gold medalist Katarina Roxon.

Swan River’s Royal Canadian Legion Br. 39 facilitated one of countless Remembrance Day services on the morning of Nov. 11, honouring those who have fought in Canada’s Armed Forces since World War One. (TOP LEFT) Swan River’s oldest surviving veteran, Max Dick (centre), attends the service, representing the Korean War... 

The Northern Lights were astounding on Nov. 11, as a powerful solar storm provided an impressive display of colours lighting up in the night sky. The Northern Lights continued to be visible days after, but not as bright and vibrant as on Nov. 11.

The Remembrance Day ceremonies at Binscarth school on Nov 10 had a special addition when, after the school event, students and adults walked west from the school toward the cenotaph carrying the absolutely beautiful shroud of 2,100 crocheted poppies.
Pat Orsak who had seen mention of crocheted poppy shrouds in Minnedosa and Niverville along with the grand mat of poppies showcased at the Manitoba Legislature, brought the idea to Toon Cozens this past January. Soon Angela Arran - whose son Darryl had served in the military, Joy Toole and Robin Robinson set about coming up with ways to accomplish the task.
In true Binscarth style, it didn’t take long for the community - including the students at Binscarth school to jump on board.
“People from here in town, and other communities, people from afar who have a connection to Binscarth and school age students from Binscarth School worked and made 2,100 poppies”, Robin Robinson said in the presentation made to the students of Binscarth during their Remembrance service.

Read the full story in this week's Russell Banner .

Members of Roblin Branch #24 of the Royal Canadian Legion hosted the community’s Remembrance Day service Tuesday at the Community Centre to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and to those who served their country during war time and in times of peace.
Goose Lake High principal Kirk Wilson did a great job as emcee and his daughter Maya offered a wonderful rendition of that famous poem “In Flanders Fields”. The Roblin Elementary School Choir under the direction of Rita Collins sang two selections – Light A Candle for Peace and All I Ever Wanted.
Check out our pictorial coverage in this week’s paper.

A new optical place has opened up and is ready to serve the tri-community when it comes to vision needs. Aurora Optical held its grand opening on Wednesday, October 5, at its location in the Otineka Mall.
“When I started exploring the idea of Aurora Optical, I spent a lot of time listening to people who know this community well – organizations like Beatrice Wilson, our local audiologist, pharmacists, and advisors at Scotiabank,” said Aurora Optical Owner and Optometrist Yi Zheng. “They helped me understand not just the numbers, but the lived reality of getting healthcare in and around OCN and The Pas.