Logan Hamilton looks down on his 6’3” tall older brother Lucas standing in front of a 50-foot-tall tree that fell in their yard in the Foxwarren area on the night of June 19th.  This 100-year-old tree was one of countless trees that fell in the yard. As the Hamilton’s lost most of their shingles, Erin says it was raining in their bedrooms, kitchen and stairwell.  And a tree went through the back window of her vehicle.  Fortunately, all the Hamilton’s and their beloved animals were safe in the basement and emerged unscathed. 

-photo by Erin Hamilton

The Parkway Co-op held its annual general meeting via Zoom – and at under a half an hour in length it zoomed right along – Wednesday, with 14 people participating on line. The co-op had another good year, realizing record sales of $61 million and achieving $22 million in member equity.
The Parkway also paid off its loan to build the Roblin Food Store, more than four years ahead of schedule.

When it comes to Indigenous arts and handiwork, local Métis Elder Yvette Bouvier has spent a good portion of her life dedicated to her passion for it.

There weren’t a lot of resources available to learn from when she began so Bouvier developed techniques on her own.

A Roblin teacher has been honoured by Volleyball Manitoba with the 2002 Mary Jean England Development Coach of the Year award.

Josh Braaksma, who teaches at Goose Lake High and coaches several sports, was recognized for taking the 14U Predators club volleyball team to a silver medal at the provincial championships.

The Manitoba government has approved Manitoba’s first potash development, allowing the Potash and Agri-Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM) to start extraction and production near Russell.

The announcement was made June 14 by Premier Heather Stefanson at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto.

Emotions were running high as the members of the Grade 10 Indigenous Studies class at Goose Lake High held the official opening Friday morning of their Reconcilation Park.

Members of the class and their teacher Brenda Neuhofer were joined by First Nation and Métis Elders; their fellow students and teachers; representatives of the San Clara/Boggy Creek and Roblin Manitoba Métis Federation locals, the Municipality of Roblin, and Mountain View School Division (MVSD); and members of the general public who came out to celebrate the occasion.

A well-known and accomplished musician will be making his way to play a free concert this week in The Pas. William McCarthy, former lead singer and songwriter for the band, The Augustines, will be performing a night of acoustic rock ‘n roll at the Royal Canadian Legion thanks to The Pas Arts Council and The Pas Friendship Centre.
McCarthy’s musical career debuted in 2004 when he released the EP All In Time with the band Pela. The band split in 2009 with a half finished album and some heartbroken fans. From there McCarthy teamed up with one of his former band mates to form a three-piece folk music act known as the Augustines.
The Augustines were signed to Votiv Records and released their first debut, Rise Ye Sunken Ships, on June 6, 2011. The album received praise reviews and was named iTunes Best Alternative Album that year. The Augustines did many network televisions performances and toured globally until they amicable disbanded in 2016, due to financial challenges.

For the past 40 years, Ken Gurba has been making a difference in the area of emergency services and on June 9th he was formally recognized for his years of dedication. Gurba is the Manitoba Chairman of Emergency Medical Services Awards Committee, working to ensure that EMS professionals are recognized for their dedication to the profession. After forty years of services himself Gurba was also recognized.
In a ceremony held at Canadian Human Right Museum, Gurba was presented a 40 year double bar. Gurba joined 35 other dedicated EMS personnel receiving awards ranging from 20 years to the 40 year mark. The Exemplary Service Medal recognizes professionals dedicated to preserving Canada’s Public Safety through long and outstanding service. It is part of the Canadian Honors System, administered by the Chancellery, a branch of the Office of the Governor General.
The EMS medal is the newest member of the Exemplary Service Medal Family. Governor General Romeo Leblanc created the EMS medal in1994 and to date over five thousand Paramedics have received this Honor in Canada, including 260 Manitoba Paramedics.

Rozzy and her mom Allexia were just one of the many vendors out at the Russell and Area farmers market.  They’re a summer thing were there’s vendors like Allexia’s new Lii Zoong business selling everything from soaps and bird seed wreaths to farm wives selling breads, jam and jellies and gardeners selling fresh vegetables and herbs. They’re in the courtyard beside the library right on Russell’s Main Street every Friday between 11 am to 2 pm.                                                                            

 - photo by Terrie Welwood

There’s a future leader in the making who is originally from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation (SCN). Zoe Quill is currently studying at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Science and she’s recently been awarded the 2022 Indigenous Award of Excellence for Student Outstanding Achievement through the university. Her academic pursuits in the field of science are opening doors to a promising future for her.
“I was awarded the BMO Financial Group Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship to study at the University of Manitoba in 2018,” said Quill. “I entered directly into the Faculty of Science with interest in pursuing Genetics. Throughout high school, I was always interested in the sciences and wanted to explore these fields more in-depth at university.”
Quill has been contributing to researching internships, which has allowed her to combine her science background and work with Indigenous communities. This has allowed her to start her own journey as an Indigenous leader in the realm of science.
“While pursuing my degree, I have had the pleasure of participating in four research internships,” said Quill. “For two of these internships, I was given an opportunity to combine my knowledge of the sciences and work closely with Indigenous communities. I have come to witness the resilience of Indigenous peoples and their ambition in becoming self-determined in research.
“It was inspiring to my own journey to be able to collaborate with leaders of the community and take part in supporting their success. Indigenous representation is growing among the science community, and I hope to always empower Indigenous scholars and communities through research.”
Quill recognizes the challenges that many Indigenous students face while attending any schooling. She is focused on harbouring and fostering nurturing environments for other Indigenous students by being a leader and mentor to them.
“I recognize that there are barriers that Indigenous students still face and gaps in the supports that are available,” said Quill. “As an Indigenous student, it was important to me to create a positive and supportive environment.
“I achieved these efforts through community involvement. I became a mentor to first-year Indigenous students to provide guidance in facilitating a smooth transition into university life and participated in question and answer sessions as an UN Ambassador, sharing personal experiences to prospective students. I also became the Indigenous Students’ Representative for the Science Students’ Association to advocate and uplift Indigenous student excellence in the Faculty of Science. In this position, I have hosted culturally informed events for Indigenous students as a way to support their well-being.
Quill is persevering in the field of Science and has plans to attend graduate school. She has been determined and dedicated in her research, and gaining experiences that will help her to pursue that goal of obtaining a MD or PhD.
“I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science, Genetics Major,” said Quill. “I have only one more year to go. Since I’m planning on attending graduate school, I sought opportunities to conduct research at both Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the National Microbiology Laboratory of Canada. These experiences will give me the opportunity to explore my interests in Public Health.
“So far, I have gathered four years of research experience in various fields. I have published two peer-review papers and am currently working on publishing three more by the time I graduate.
“I have always had the goal of becoming a doctor and recently, research has become a passion of mine,” said Quill. “After graduation, I’m planning to pursue a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases that combines aspects of Public Health. Then, I will pursue either a MD or PhD. In research, I hope to always incorporate collaboration with Indigenous communities.”
With National Indigenous Peoples Day happening, Quill has been advocating to see more positive changes for Indigenous people. She feels her experience can be an example for others to overcome any obstacles they may face and be leaders for Indigenous people.
“As an Indigenous student heavily involved on campus and in research,” said Quill. “I have had the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who are driven, resilient, and aspire to create changes that advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples. To be part of a community that seeks to empower the next generation of Indigenous leaders, I am always motivated to contribute to these efforts.
“There is evidence that despite the hardships we have endured, we have the power to not only overcome these obstacles but to thrive as a community. I believe National Indigenous Peoples Day promotes a positive message describing this very strength every Indigenous person carries within them.”
Quill realizes that the process has been slow when it comes to the reconciliation portion for Indigenous people in Canada, but she focuses on the Indigenous people who are achieving reconciliation and pushing forward for a better and brighter future.
“I recognize that we still have a long way to go in fulfilling the 94 Calls to Action, but action is happening,” said Quill. “There are many Indigenous leaders in the community whom I met that are breaking barriers in their fields and contributing to the efforts of reconciliation.
“I have had my fair share of hardships experiencing discrimination, but I am motivated to continue to uplift Indigenous voices and support our movements of self-determination.“