Harvest is well under way in the Swan Valley, with farmers seeing the fruits of their efforts and nature’s fortune. Pictured here, Grant Blosha and George Russell combine Rod Blosha’s wheat field south of Durban.

Community filled the Edwards Ave. last Saturday, August 17th, to discover and support local businesses. There were a lot of shops and activities offered to different age groups that showcases number of cultures.

The Manitoba Summer Games, powered by Manitoba Hydro has come and gone and by all accounts it was a resounding success.

When all was said and done, it was Winnipeg Blue which topped the medal count with 103 in total, including 50 gold, 30 silver and 23 bronze.

Winnipeg Gold was second with 30 gold, 26 silver and 26 bronze for a total of 82. Team West was third with 78 medals on 15 gold, 30 silver and 33 bronze.

Team East was fourth, winning 24 gold, 22 silver and 22 bronze for a total of 68 medals, while Team South captured 15 gold, 16 silver and 14 bronze for 48 medals. Team North won a single bronze medal.

Based on feedback from athletes, coaches, spectators and Sport Manitoba, Games co-chair Carla Wolfenden said they are proud of Dauphin.

“It’s been a really great week,” she said.

Co-chair Clayton Swanton said the more than 700 volunteers helped to make the games such a success.

“Just so, so impressed with our volunteers. We know we live in a great community and that’s why we chose to host. We knew we could pull it off, because we know the people of Dauphin. But that was seven years ago when we chose to do that. And Dauphin is still Dauphin. Nothing changed and they came out in spades,” he said.

“And just to echo Carla’s comments, nothing but rave reviews from everybody from out of town about the hospitality in town and what a great week they’ve had. And we certainly had, too.”

It was the efforts of the volunteers which drove the success of the Games.

“We’ve had incredible volunteer support. Quality people every way you turn. Whether it’s in the kitchen or on the field of play, or at any of the venues. And it’s even people saying everyone in the stores in the different businesses have been very friendly and helpful and made them feel welcome,” Wolfenden said.

“So our volunteers are what made this event a success.”

It was pointed out during the VIP reception that many volunteers would work their scheduled shift and then go and lend a hand at other venues.

The local business community was also instrumental in the success of the Games. As Swanton noted, you can’t host an event of this magnitude or create the legacy of venues and projects without sponsors.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

The Swan Valley Sport Fish Enhancement (SVSFE) ran another successful summer of youth fish camps. Several local youth gained angling knowledge and experience at local lakes surrounding the Valley.
“Our fish camp ran a total of 16 days facilitating somewhere between eight and 11 kids per day,” said SVSFE Fisheries Technician Brock Koutecky. “The first eight days were spent at the Red Deer River, while the final eight days were spent at Wellman Lake. Kids can attend each location one time, therefore most kids were able to come two days with one day at each location.
“Once camp registration was open, we were full within the first 48 hours and had kids on the waiting list. After getting a better grasp of demand, we were able to accommodate the kids on the waiting list by finding other volunteers and increasing daily capacity for a few days at each location. In the end, every registered kid was able to come at least one time, and in total, we facilitated a total of 88 different kids in 2024.”
Youth learned a variety of angling skills that they got to test out during the camp. Some of them experienced reeling in their very first catch Master Angler.
“The educational component focuses on all the aspects of sport fishing,” said Koutecky. “Topics include knot tying, safety, fish behaviour, fish anatomy/biology, fish ecology and seasonal movements, proper fish handling techniques, fishing ethics, and of course angling techniques, presentation and bait selection.
“There were so many individual highlights. Many of these include stories about a specific kid catching their first fish ever, or their first Master Angler ever, or their first bass ever for example. There were sure a lot of excited kids experiencing a first and the excitement that came with those moments.”
SVSFE is already planning for next year’s youth fish camps and determining what changes or improvements can be made.
“We are still in the process of making plans for 2025, but at this time we feel that we were able to accommodate demand and will probably make a few adjustments in future years,” said Koutecky. “I don’t think we will expand the program in terms of time, but will likely increase staff and volunteers which will therefore increase daily capacity.”
A lot of work went into planning and establishing the youth fish camps, from funding to volunteers.
“We would like to thank our program funders, The Manitoba Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund, and the Manitoba Government,” said Koutecky. “This program would not be possible without their support.
“Also, a huge thanks to Swan Valley Credit Union (SVCU), the Community Foundation of Swan Valley, and the Paul Olenick Memorial Fund for providing funds to assist with fish camp.
“A big shout out to all the businesses and volunteers who helped in various ways including The Elbert Chartrand FC, Mil’s Grill, Wellman Lake Lodge, 734 Custom Apparel & Promo Inc., Swan Valley Star and Times, Len Thompson Lures, Sticky’s Bait and Tackle, Mitch’s Jumbo Crawlers, Northern Lites Bait, Swan Lake Watershed District, Swan River Title Loans, Manitoba Wildfire Service, Westwood Inn Hotel and Indoor Waterpark, Valley Water, Matt Black, Bruce Taylor, Ursula Taylor, Duane Fleming, Elgin Barnett, Sheldon Branconnier, Jason Vill, Tyler Ashcroft, Norm Bruce, Brian Woloshyn, Todd Yakielashek, Phil Yakielashek, Tammy Webster, and Darren Webster,” said Koutecky.

Strawberry picking season has been in full swing for weeks, with Sweet Acres still offering berries to pick. Cally Ledoux (left), Matthew Wilson (second from left), Passion Zong (second from right) and Charlotte Wilson (right) enjoy their afternoon picking strawberries.

The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) celebrated the grand opening of its MEDOCare Pharmacy in Dauphin with a ribbon cutting ceremony, Friday afternoon.

Vice-president of the Northwest Region and MMF Minister of Health and Wellness, and Early Learning and Child Care Frances Chartrand said the pharmacy has been in the works for several years

“Our Elders and seniors spoke about us having a pharmacy, having our own economic bills, our own economic development. And to also ensure that we provide programs and health services for them,” she said.

“So it’s a reality today.”

Funding, Chartrand said, was provided by the Red River Métis government.

“When we built the government’s office in the centre of the city of Dauphin, what we decided to do was the Elders and seniors talk about their prescriptions. We run a prescription drug program. So then we decided for it to be feasible to be one of our businesses that we would run directly out of our site,” she said.

Located at 422 Main Street South, the entrance to the pharmacy is on the south side of the building facing 5th Ave. SE. It is also wheelchair accessible via a ramp at the back of the building.

For now, the pharmacy is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“And we’re going to look at opening Saturdays or Sundays, but that will be down the road,” Chartrand said, adding the pharmacy is open to anyone in the Parkland.

“I’m so happy it’s in the City of Sunshine. I’m just excited. I just love making sure we have full support from the city. We have support from the RM and we have support from all the citizens in the City of Sunshine and the Parkland area,” Chartrand said.

Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.

A documentary featuring a true story about a woman’s journey through being adopted and reconnecting to her biological family has brought her to Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN). Kristal Parke has put together the documentary Because She’s Adopted, and shared her journey through adoption and reconnecting with her biological family.
“I’ve always known I was adopted,” said Parke. “It was important that my parents be open with me from the very beginning and something I was proud of.
“The narrative that my parents, particularly my adoptive mother imparted to me, was being adopted is a positive thing, that I was chosen, and that my biological mother loved me so much that she gave me a life that she wasn’t able to. It wasn’t until I was an adult and had my children, that I began to explore the challenging aspects of what it meant to not grow up with genetic mirroring, or connection to my biological family and culture.
“It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I began to allow myself to see the ripple effects of relinquishment,” said Parke. “As a mother, it was difficult to reconcile someone being able to relinquish their child. I harbour no judgement, as I know there are many circumstances in which natural mothers feel they have no choice.

The Remembering Kendara Memorial Walk was held again this year on August 6, at 5 p.m., behind UCN. For this year’s memorial walk, the biggest change was the weather, as it rained towards the end of the event. Each year the Remembering Kendara Memorial Walk is held, it grows not only in capacity but in terms of the outreach it has.
“It was the fifth annual KB Memorial Walk this year and it was different than previous years,” said Gloria Ballantyne-Packo. “The biggest difference was that it rained. In the past, it was usually it is scorching hot out. The rain held off until the participants got to the park for the barbeque.

A valley youth has aspirations of being one of the best Ukrainian dancers in Canada and has been striving to achieve that goal.  Kemi Bulycz is only 16 years old and has been active in the world of Ukrainian dancing at a very early age.
“I started Ukrainian Dancing when I was three years old and joined not only because my mom is the instructor, but because I loved dancing and performing around the house,” said Kemi Bulycz.
“My family has always had a member a part of the Benito Vesselli Dance Club since its first year as a club, which has been over 40 years. My Great Grandmother, Lillian Klemetski, helped organize, fundraise, sew costumes, and was a part of the Vesselli Dance Club from the beginning. She spent many hours pinching perogies and helping with its early success.
“Her daughter, my grandmother danced with Vesselli from the beginning of the club forming and later became the instructor for many years, my mom, danced with Vesselli from three years old growing into Vesselli’s head instructor and choreographer,” said Bulycz. “I have many aunts, uncles and cousins who Ukrainian dance, so I guess you can say it’s tradition and one way our family shares our love for Ukrainian culture. My two younger siblings are also a part of Vesselli and one of our favourite dances to perform is our sibling family dance.
“I love everything about Ukrainian dance but if I had to name what I love and enjoy the most it would be sharing my Ukrainian culture with the community.  I also enjoy learning more about the regions of Ukraine and how unique they each are; learning new dances; watching myself and my group and improve every dance season; and my absolute favourite part is performing on stage whether that be at competitions or Malanka, which is our year-end concert or guest performing within the community. I always feel excited and proud when I’m asked to guest perform at events like folk fest, weddings, family gatherings, etc., because I get to share my culture and what I love to do with everyone. 
“My current Ukrainian dance groups are Benito Vesselli Dance Club and Liliya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble,” said Bulycz.  “I also danced with Hudson Bay Cheremka Ukrainian Dance Club for 13 years but performed my last concert with them this spring.” 
Bulycz had the opportunity to attend the Spirit of Virsky this year in Alberta.  The Spirit of Virsky is an annual summer training program designed for all abilities of Ukrainian dancers around the world. Its goal is to push dancers to the highest levels and prepare them to be the best they can be.
“At a competition I attended this spring, one of the organizers from Ukrainian Dance World, who was helping bring the Spirit of Virsky Seminar to Canada, approached me,” said Bulycz.  “He is known in the Ukrainian dance community as an adjudicator, choreographer, advocate for Ukraine, and more. He was the instructor at the Rusulka Dance Camp I attended last summer and has watched me perform on stage at competitions.
“He brought up the seminar and told me that it would be a great opportunity for me to attend and help me grow in Ukrainian dance.
“The Spirit of Virsky Seminar was in Edmonton, AB, from July 15 to 20 and averaged six to seven hours of dance per day,” said Bulycz.  “We were taught by the best of the best in Ukrainian dance with the instructors being Viktoriya Karpenko, Maks Karpenko, and Tania Okseniuk from Virsky in Ukraine.
“We learned classical ballet, barre, jumps, spins, tricks, dance technique, Virsky Choreography and much more.  The experience was amazing and it felt great to walk into the Shumka Studio.”
Being at the Spirt of Virsky for the first time was an eye-opening experience for Bulycz.  She met and danced with Ukrainian dancers from all over the world.
“Being from a small town we typically practice in a school gym or a community hall,” said Bulycz. It was exciting to be in the Shumka Studio which had multiple practice rooms with mirrors and bars. 
“On my first day, I felt a little nervous being taught by the best Ukrainian dancers in the world and learning alongside some of the best dancers in Canada from Shumka, Cheremosh, and Volya, but I quickly got over my nerves and truly enjoyed the experience. Dancers from all over Canada, New York and Australia were there and it was fun to make new friendships and hear about their dance schools.
“In the evenings we enjoyed watching Virsky performances, had pizza parties and bonded over our love for Ukrainian dance and culture,” said Bulycz.  “I honestly enjoyed the whole seminar and every day I was excited to go back, even with tired legs and sore feet.”
There were components to the Spirit of Virsky seminar that Bulycz really enjoyed.  Despite the long hours of dancing, she enjoyed all aspects of it and knows that she will take home this experience and apply it to her future Ukrainian dancing techniques and performances.
“My absolute favourite part about the seminar was learning Virsky Choreography from famous dances like Pleskach and Hopak,” said Bulycz.  “We were taught a total of five Virsky dances over the week along with two warm-up dances. It was intense but a lot of fun and I learnt a lot. 
“On the last day of the seminar, we performed the seven dances we were taught for friends and family. Performing a 30-minute mini concert without any breaks we received a standing ovation and it felt amazing.
“The seminar helped me tremendously with Ukrainian dance,” said Bulycz.  “With the help of the three instructors, I was able to focus on arm, leg and foot positions, strengthen my ballet technique, and dance at a higher skill level than I am used to.
“This will all benefit and help me, and my future in Ukrainian dance. I will be able to practice what I learned at home and in dance practice, and also help my dance group by sharing everything I was taught.”
Bulycz has more plans for the summer with her Ukrainian dancing and will be performing and attending another Ukrainian dance camp this year.  All of this will be more experience she can use to apply to her Ukrainian dancing and achieve her goals of travelling as a professional Ukrainian dancer all over the world.
“I performed my Poltava Solo as well as a Volyn Trio with Vesselli Dancers Ava and Grace Keller at Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin over the weekend of August 3 to 5,” said Bulycz.  “I will be attending for my second year, the Rusulka Ukrainian Dance Camp in Gimli, MB. 
“I’m excited to start a new dance season in September with Benito Vesselli Dance Club and Liliya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.   I hope to one day, join a professional Ukrainian Dance Group and travel the world performing.” 

The Swan River Dairy Queen held their annual Miracle Treat Day, where if a person buys a blizzard, they bring health and hope to local children.