JENNIFER LAVIOLETTE

Building a career out of loving what one does will leave a person richer and more successful than any billionaire listed in Forbes magazine. Striving to work towards becoming the best a person can be in their field and loving what they do is the ultimate reward, for the job never feels like work. This is how former San Clara resident and Winnipeg hair salon operator Edward Carriere has framed his passion for hairstyling with running his own business. “I still see myself as being from San Clara and not some fancy guy,” said Carriere. “I still do what I got to do to get things done and that includes the stuff that requires some hard work.” Carriere didn’t always know he wanted to be a hairdresser when he finished high school. He had a profound admiration for the profession, and his path in life eventually led him to fulfill that calling. “When I went to St. Vlad’s College, a student’s parents were hairdressers,” said Carriere. “I saw how successful they had become in that profession and it had me thinking about it. There was no direct connection with them, but I just saw the success they had built for themselves. “Both of this student’s parents were hairdressers and had opened their salon. I wasn’t necessarily inspired by their salon, but rather by the work that went into becoming successful at what a person does for a living. That was my introduction to seeing someone become successful in hairdressing. I never really thought about it again as I finished my education.

“After I finished high school, I went to Thompson and worked in an open pit mine in Pipe Lake,” said Carriere. “It was a wellpaying job, but the lifestyle of being so rough and isolated with very little else to do was not something I wanted for myself in the long term. At the time I was happy to go to work and earn some money. I worked hard to learn everything I had to in order to do the best job I could out there. “Then they laid off the employees for the winter and I went home to San Clara for a few months. It wasn’t long before I felt the urge to get another job. We were told when we wanted to get back on with the mine, we had to go to Winnipeg and get our name back in on the list. When your name got called, you would have the choice of where you wanted to go and what you wanted to do. “I thought I couldn’t sit around and not do anything, so I headed to Winnipeg to put my name on that list and see what happens,” said Carriere. “When I got there, I was about the 200th person on the list, and I figured I wouldn’t get a job with that many people ahead of me. As I was walking back to my friend’s apartment, I went down Portage Avenue and walked by the Scientific Beauty School for hairdressing. “I was impressed and thought I should see what it was about. There was a sign outside saying to apply and become a hairdresser. I went upstairs to the office and saw all these people dressed in white and could smell the perm solution. I stood there and just watched them as they did perms and talked to people. It was a big commotion so to speak, of all hustle and bustle. Someone came to the desk where I was standing and asked if they could help me. I told them I was checking the school out. “The school’s manager came to talk to me and I grew interested,” said Carriere. “I asked when the next class started. She told me a new class started that Monday, and asked if I would like to enroll. That was on a Friday, and on Monday morning, I returned and went upstairs to class. I had no idea what I was in for.” Carriere had a real learning curve to face as he learned the art of hairstyling, for he never styled a person’s hair before. In his experience, haircuts were a necessity and now this shy young man from San Clara had to step outside his comfort zone to learn and grow as a hairstylist, then to find his place in the industry. “The first part of learning consisted of reading a book and learning all the things a hairdresser had to do,” said Carriere. “Then we started learning by example. The instructor showed us how to do a perm and we started learning how to do perms. It was one step at a time. I didn’t even know how to put a roller in someone’s hair never mind doing a perm. I was absolutely stunned and thought to myself, what was I thinking? It was tough because I had never combed a woman’s hair. “As a kid, my dad would cut our hair, but it was never about styling it.

Growing up, we cut our hair short in the summer and that was that. “At that time, I was a slow learner, because I couldn’t get the perm rods in the hair and couldn’t get the hair to stay in the papers,” said Carriere. “The instructor could see I was struggling and she came over to talk to me. She told me I would make a good hairdresser, I just needed to practice more on learning the basics. “That night I went home, called my cousin and asked her to come over so I could practice putting perm rods in her hair. Every night I would go home from school, and I would have cousins or friends come over and I practiced putting perm rods in their hair. Eventually, I put the perm rods in properly and then went on to putting in rollers and cutting hair. “I had to learn and practice everything, every step of the way,” said Carriere. “I didn’t walk in there knowing how to do any of it. There weren’t very many men as hairdressers in the 1970s. There were only two other men at the school in a class ahead of me. I knew it could be done and so I practiced. The more I practiced the better I got. I got into the mentality of doing whatever it took to get good at it and I kept going at it.” It wasn’t long after that, Carriere got his introduction to working in a salon doing shampoos for clients. He learned very quickly from those experiences as to how a client and employees want to be treated when they come to a hair salon, whether it was to work or get their hair done. “Then the school would get calls from other salons in the city for students to come and shampoo hair on the weekends,” said Carriere. “At the school, we had learned how to shampoo people’s hair properly and then would go out to these salons on the weekends to work. My first time going to a salon and shampooing hair was one in the north end. I shampooed hair all day Saturday and they paid me $10. The next weekend I got another call to go to and do shampooing at a different salon. “This time I walked into an Italian salon. There was no one around, so I sat by the front desk. I could hear all this commotion in the background. Women would walk in, head to the back and get their hair set. I was shy and didn’t know where to go or what to do until finally someone came and got me.

“The following weekend, I got another call to go to a different salon again,” said Carriere. “I was set to go to this new salon, but the other one from the week before had called and requested me to come back because they liked what I did. The more I shampooed, the better I got. I committed to going to this other salon already, so I went. “When I arrived, I was welcomed by the owner and it was such a different feeling from the week before where I sat there and they didn’t even know I was there. I walked into this salon and was greeted, shown around and things were explained to me. I instantly became a part of the salon and it was a great feeling. This led to me accepting a job there, where I stayed for seven years after I completed my hairdressing course.” Carriere was fortunate to find a mentor to work under so early out of school. Despite having a fantastic employer and teacher in the business, he continued cutting and styling hair every chance he got, in an effort to perfect his craft. “The owner, Alphonse, was Belgium and he met his wife, Amy, at a hair salon,” said Carriere. “They got married and opened up their salon together on Stafford Street called Coiffure Caprice. They were the nicest people in the world and I felt so good walking in there and talking to them. “I started just doing shampoos, and then eventually Alphonse showed me how to do perms and colours and had me doing those as well. He was my first teacher after school and was really good. He had me cutting his hair and then I was well on my way to doing all sorts of cuts and styles, growing as I went along. “Every night, when I went home from the salon, I would do haircuts and styles for my cousin and her friends,” said Carriere. “They would come over and let me do their hair. So, I would put in a full day at the salon, then come home to my apartment and do more hair in the evenings and weekends. I set it up in my apartment to practice out of and do hair. I bought an old hair dryer in the corner and a kitchen sink with a hose to wash hair. I washed hair, put rollers in, and did some cuts, colours and perms. I built up a whole little business of doing hair at night. “I would take the bus home from the salon and there would be a lineup outside my apartment door,” said Carriere.

“Eventually, I bought a car, and I started booking clients. I hardly charged any money because it wasn’t about making money, it was about getting better at what I was doing as a hairdresser. “I eventually started offering wine and beer to customers while they waited or were getting their hair cut. It built up so much that I was cutting hair for 10 to 15 clients a night in my apartment after my regular shift at the salon and built it up that way. “Alphonse knew I was going home and cutting hair out of my little apartment in the evening for more practice,” said Carriere. “I had asked Alphonse before I started if that would be acceptable with him because I didn’t want him to think I was stealing his clients. I even offered to do it at the salon after hours, but he didn’t want to be open after 6 p.m., so he was fine with that arrangement.” Carriere would always come back home to San Clara and soon began cutting hair for people when he came for visits. This also helped him grow his clientele base. “Then on the weekends, I would come back home to San Clara and cut my mom’s hair,” said Carriere. “She would have a few friends lined up at her house to have their hair done as well. Whoever came to my parent’s house, I wound up cutting or styling their hair. Then some people I knew in Roblin who found out that I was doing this, asked if I could stop by there and cut their hair before I returned to the city. “This led me to build a clientele in San Clara and Roblin. So, every few weeks I drove back and did their hair on Sundays and Mondays when the salon was closed.”

After seven great years of training and working for Alphonse, Carriere built a strong clientele base and was ready to spread his wings. He opened up Edward Carriere Salon in the late 1970s and has been there ever since. “I left in 1978 to open my own business on Broadway Avenue and Spence,” said Carriere. “I had built a clientele base from working with Alphonse and cutting hair for practice out of my apartment. Even after I opened my salon, I continued to drive back on weekends to my parent’s place to cut my mom’s hair and other people’s as well.” During his career in the industry, Carriere became one of the most soughtafter hairstylists in the city. He was known to be the stylist for many television news anchors and even styled the Duchess of York, Sarah Fergusson’s hair when she came to Winnipeg. To Carriere, it didn’t matter what the client’s status was, for his clients were all like family to him and he believed that everyone should look and feel good when they left his salon. He built his business on that basis and went above and beyond for his clients. “I had a client who lived in Killarney and she was a doctor’s wife who came to my salon in Winnipeg,” said Carriere. “She loved what I did and was one of my regular clients. Eventually, she was diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t come to my salon in Winnipeg. During one of my conversations with her, I told her I travelled to San Clara to do my mom’s hair. So, this client asked if I would travel to her house and do her hair in Killarney. “I didn’t know where Killarney was, but I knew it was near Dunrea, which was where Dollard and Marguerite Mailhot lived. Back in the day, my family lived in the San Clara Hotel and my dad worked for Dollard and Marguerite. I agreed to come and do her hair for her in Killarney and she said she would line up some people to cut hair for as well, so I wasn’t just coming that way to do her hair only. “When I went out there on Sundays, they would serve food and had a nice spread, while I cut hair for people,” said Carriere. “They were the nicest people in the world and sadly she passed away. All the time while I was cutting her hair and the people who came to her home, I built up my clientele through that too. Then those clients came to the city to see me at my salon. “I worked hard and did what I had to do to become better at hairstyling. I aimed to do whatever I could to make a client happy. I didn’t have to drive to Killarney to cut hair, but that client loved what I did and she wasn’t able to continue to come to the salon, so I made that effort for her. It wasn’t about the money, I wanted to do that for her and treated all my clients that way. “My clients were always like family to me,” said Carriere. “It’s a great business and a way to be nice to people and feel connected to them.

Your clients will tell you very personal things as you gain their confidence and trust, which forms a special connection with them. It was never about the money. Now the business has grown so much that we do have to focus on earning money to pay for everything from hydro to staff wages, but still, in my heart, I do it because I love it. People leave the salon and feel and look good.” Carriere has established his salon to have the same working atmosphere and disposition that his mentor, Alphonse instilled in him during his early years in the business. “There are staff that have been working at the salon now for 25 to 30 years, and they too are like family,” said Carriere. “They train the new staff coming up. We have new people working at the salon and they love the atmosphere there and have people who are willing to take the time to train them, which is so important to being successful in a career or owning a business. It’s an ongoing good feeling. When it came to working at the salon, people liked what I did because I made it as comfortable as I could, in terms of a place to learn and work. “I’m slowing down now and only working three days a week. I’m hoping someone will come with the same enthusiasm and spirit I have and want to buy my salon. If they wanted me to continue working for them, I would. This is a job I want to continue doing for the rest of my life and as long as I can.”

BY JENNIFER LAVIOLETTE

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) has been the target of a cybersecurity incident that at first masked itself as a system outage and has carried on to impact operations for the past couple of weeks. The Roblin Review reached out to FCL for comments, but were provided with only the statements issued through social media.
On June 27, FCL issued the following, “Federated Co-operatives Limited, which supplies your local Coop, is experiencing a cybersecurity incident that is impacting some customer-facing systems at local retail Co-op and cardlock fuel locations. As a precaution, we have shut down some of our systems and brought in third-party experts. An investigation is underway.”
Once it became clear that this was not a simple fix, some sites were able to resume through a different payment method.
On June 28, FCL released this statement, “A number of Co-op cardlocks are open for the purchase of clear fuel products. Purchases may be made by Visa, Mastercard or cardlock card. The cardlock sites in Manitoba that were open to this option were in Whitemouth, Ste. Rose du Lac, Gillam, Neepawa, Starbuck, Dominion Side and Winkler Southside.”
Shortly after addressing and working on the cardlock issue, FCL realized the threat had also impacted their operating systems within the grocery channel.
On June 29, FCL issued the following, “Federated Co-operatives Limited is experiencing a cyber security incident. This is impacting some internal and customer-facing systems and could impact our current inventory of certain grocery items. We appreciate your patience and support as we work through this incident.
“To our valued Co-op members, in response to questions regarding your data, Federated Co-operatives Limited has issued the following. We have no evidence at this time that consumer data was compromised. If the investigation determines that consumer data was compromised, we will take appropriate action.
“We regret this outage has occurred and thank Coop members and customers for their patience as our teams work to resolve the issue.”
After the long weekend, FCL released this statement on July 3, “As we continue to deal with a cybersecurity incident, we want to provide Co-op members and customers with an update. We are making significant process in restoring some operations. The cybersecurity incident has slowed down certain aspects of our business, but we are prioritizing key grocery items and consumer goods for delivery to local Co-ops. We are working to recover from the incident but ask for your patience as we continue to build our way to regular operations.
“Co-op cardlock fuel locations were widely impacted by the cybersecurity incident, but our teams continue to get more cardlocks pumping fuel every day. A main priority is to get all cardlock locations back online as soon as possible. We want to reinforce that fuel supply to Co-op retail gas bars has been relatively unaffected and customers can fill up at Co-op retail locations.
“We again want to thank our Co-op members, customers and the public for your patience and understanding. As a member-owned and community-facing co-operative retailing system, we all appreciate your support now more than ever. We will continue to keep you updated.”
Progress was made just before the weekend as FCL was able to restore all cardlocks back to full operations.
They issued this statement on July 4, “As we continue to deal with a cybersecurity incident, we want to provide Co-op members and customers with an update and some positive news. All 398 Co-op cardlock locations across Western Canada are back online. Our team has been working around the clock to recover our cardlock network and we want to thank Co-op cardlock customers for their patience and understanding throughout this process.”

By Derek Holtom
The Waywayseecappo Wolverines have perhaps the best-one-two option in goal in the MJHL this season. Whether it’s Mariko Bercier or Jase Wareham, when the Wolverines enter action, they have a solid netminder with plenty of experience to draw from.
For Wareham, this will be his last year of junior hockey. And like many of his veteran teammates, he feels this is the year the Wolverines put it all together and make the playoff push fans have been longing for since their inception.
“Yeah, I think obviously it’s exciting to get back into my 20-year-old season,” said Wareham, a native of Rivers, Man. “I think we have a really good team. We’ve had a lot of injuries to start the season. We’re right around that .500 mark, but I think we can be even better.
“We have another step to take, and we’re excited to show the fans we have that other level.”
As noted Wareham is platooning with Bercier this year, and both have seen similar number of starts and are posting similar numbers, making either netminder the right choice most nights.
“I think me and Mariko are both very competitive goalies, and we’re also very good friends,” says Wareham. “It’s a friendly competition between us. We both want to push each other. At practice, we’re trying to be the best one there.
“It only makes us both better, and I think it’s good for us.”
Wayway has played a lot of games in the first half of the season against East Division opponents, leaving plenty of West Division games for them in the second half.
“Those games are obviously very important – those are divisional rivals,” he said. “They’re also super fun to play in. You get to know guys, and it’s good to have those battles out there. Those are important games and they’re fun to play in.”
Above all else, Wareham and the Wolverines want playoff success. This is a veteran team built to win now and they know it.
“This team, especially the 20-year-olds, we’re very hungry,” says Wareham. “We want to show the Wayway fans that we can get it done and go far in the playoffs and take it home.”
Last week
Kings 4, Wolverines 2
Wayway’s three-game winning streak came to an end Sunday afternoon in Dauphin as the Kings doubled the visiting Wolverines 4-2.

On December 4, 2025, at approximately 9:45 pm Manitoba First Nations Police Service officers were on a pro-active patrol and conducted a traffic stop in Waywayseecappo to ensure sobriety and proper licencing. Further investigation led to all occupants of the vehicle being detained under the controlled drugs and substances act.
With assistance from the MFNP K9 unit, a search of the vehicle led to the location and seizure of a large amount of suspected methamphetamine, Canadian currency, and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
Murray Brandon Jr, 38, of Waywayseecappo, has been charged and released via a Release Order with a future Court date. He has been charged with:
•Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking (methamphetamine)
•Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
•Fail to comply with conditions of a Release Order
Charles Shingoose, 44, of Waywayseecappo, has been charged and released via a Release Order with a future Court date. He has been charged with:
•Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking (methamphetamine)
•Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
An adult male, 34, from Waywayseecappo, has been released on an Undertaking as per the Criminal Code of Canada and will appear in Court at a later date. He is pending the following charges:
•Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking (methamphetamine)
•Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
If you have any information that could assist investigators, don't hesitate to contact MFNPS Waywayseecappo First Nation Detachment at 204-859-5071 or the MFNPS TIPS line anonymously at 1-833-978-0048 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The MFNP TIPS line is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year, and monitored regularly.

The Manitoba government is contributing $100,000 through its From the Ground Up – Safe Healthy Communities for ALL program to help rebuild the roof at the Foxwarren District Recreation Centre (FDRC), Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard announced last week.
“These critical repairs will help ensure the FDRC remains the heart of the community, providing residents and visitors of all ages with a safe facility for recreational and social events,” said Simard. “From the Ground Up supports our government’s commitment to build safe, healthy communities where individuals, youth and families can thrive. Our investment in rebuilding the roof will benefit the region and help keep kids on the path to a bright future.”
The FDRC is a not-for-profit facility that includes an ice rink and community centre, used by various groups for minor hockey, figure skating, 4-H, agricultural society events, community meetings and celebrations, auction sales and family functions like weddings. Built in 1949 by local volunteers, it is one of the region’s largest facilities and serves the communities of Foxwarren, Binscarth, Birtle, Rossburn, St. Lazare, as well as the Gambler and Waywayseecappo First Nations.
“This provincial grant is a boost to our efforts to complete exterior and interior repairs to meet fire code regulations before opening in summer 2026,” said Mark Wotton, board member, FDRC. “Extensive support from local organizations, as well as personal and business donations, has allowed FDRC to get closer to our goal of raising an additional $200,000, and we have raised $118,000 to date. The board is extremely grateful for everyone’s generosity.”
The From the Ground Up program supports community renewal efforts, community capital projects and youth initiatives. Non-profit organizations, Northern Affairs community councils and municipalities can apply for funding. The program received a $1-million increase in Budget 2025. In 2025-26, the Manitoba government committed more than $12.29 million to support 208 community development projects across Manitoba.

It’s difficult to remember how many years the Family Dance has been part of our Christmas season here in Russell.
Many families have memories of their kids running around the dance floor more than thirty years ago. Then, for reasons not remembered, the Family Dance petered out until it was revived by a new group about twenty years ago.
While there is yet to be a total of the donation to be made to Russell and Area Food Connections determined, with 250 people coming through the doors being the same as last year, it’s expected that the donation will be somewhere near the same amount donated last year.

Get the whole story in this week's issue of Russell Banner.

Olympic Champion and renowned TV host of The Amazing Race Canada, Jon Montgomery is a proud second-generation 4-H’er. His involvement in the 4-H movement began in his hometown of Russell, MB, where he was a youth member of the Russell 4-H Beef Club for four years.
A proud alum, Jon has continued to live and breathe 4-H values throughout his career as an elite athlete, philanthropist, and national TV host. Jon embodies leadership skills, pride in his rural roots, drive to achieve world-class goals, and a ‘can-do’ attitude that parallels 4-H Canada’s ‘Learn To Do By Doing’ motto. These 4-H values have taken him far, including the top of the podium in the sport of skeleton at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. In 2013 he made his television debut on The Amazing Race Canada and remains the beloved host today.
A household name in Canada and around the world, Jon frequently uses his platforms as a motivational speaker on topics close to his heart, including leadership, teamwork, and healthy living. A strong advocate for agriculture, Jon has been a fixture at important ag-related events around the country, including Manitoba AgDays and the GrowCanada Conference.
In 2023, 4-H Canada was proud to have Jon host the virtual 2023 4-H Canada Leadership Awards, where he led the celebration of 4-H youth, leaders, and supporters around the country. In a subsequent interview with The Pledge, 4-H Canada’s alumni magazine, Jon stated, “Life is about teamwork and collaboration, and 4-H teaches that. When you’re working with other kids towards a common goal, you’re caring about the people around you – that’s what we need more of in this world.”
Jon is a true example of 4-H Canada’s mission to support youth as caring, contributing leaders within their club, community, and the world, and we are honoured to present him with the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award.

In a long-awaited and unequivocal decision, the Honourable Justice Richard Mosley has declared the Liberal cabinet’s invocation of the Emergencies Act as not just questionable but outright illegal.
Let’s be crystal clear: the government’s move to enact the Emergencies Act, an unprecedented action taken on Feb. 14, 2022, in response to the Freedom Convoy protests, has been found to be in flagrant violation of not only sections 3 and 17 of the Emergencies Act itself but also Part 1 of the Constitution Act of 1982 and sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Justice Mosley didn’t mince words in his 126-page Reasons for Judgment, stating that the government’s decision lacked reasonableness, justification, transparency, and intelligibility. He made it abundantly clear that the Emergencies Act was meant to safeguard fundamental rights, even in emergency situations where temporary measures might be necessary.
Contrast this with the findings of the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC), which raised serious doubts about the Act’s invocation. On Feb. 17, 2023, Justice Paul Rouleau “concluded that the very high threshold required for the invocation of the (Emergencies) Act was met.” He contended that “cabinet had reasonable grounds to believe there existed a national emergency arising from threats to the security of Canada,” resulting in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declaring the Act. Rouleau’s dubious conclusion was made all the more dubious by this comment: “I do not come to this conclusion easily as I do not consider the factual basis for it to be overwhelming.”
In his finding, Mosley pointed out that the Governor in Council was required by the Emergencies Act legislation to show that “the reasons for its decision” are “reasonable” and “demonstrate ‘justification, transparency and intelligibility.”
Extensive evidence was brought to the court’s attention. This included the testimony of RCMP Superintendent Denis Beaudoin. He conceded that RCMP officers gathered names of citizens whose bank accounts were to be seized and frozen and “did not apply a standard, such as reasonable grounds, before sharing information with the financial institutions.”
Justice Mosley’s ruling exposed significant flaws in the government’s actions, particularly its failure to follow due process when seizing and freezing citizens’ bank accounts. The revelation that RCMP officers didn’t apply any reasonable standard before sharing information with financial institutions is nothing short of alarming.
The government’s attempt to dismiss the matter as moot because the Emergencies Act was revoked on Feb. 23, 2022, was rightfully rejected by Justice Mosley. He ruled that “the Applicants have established that an adversarial context continues to exist and have built a record upon which meaningful judicial review of the decision to invoke the Act and issue the Proclamation … can occur”. The federal court ruled that the POEC inquiry was not a substitute for judicial review.
The applicants who sought judicial review of the Emergencies Act invocation, including former registered nurse Kristen Nagle, the Canadian Frontline Nurses, volunteer firefighter Jeremiah Jost, Canadian military veteran Edward Cornell, retired police officer Vincent Gircys, and former Canadian Armed Forces chaplain Harold Ristau, have been vindicated. Gircys and Cornell had their bank accounts frozen without any judicial authorization or review process, a move previously reserved under Canadian law for terrorists or enemy nations.
Cornell said his experience of having his bank accounts seized was traumatic.
“I broke no law, yet the government seized my accounts and froze my hard-earned money. I am not a criminal. I am not a terrorist. I am a retired Canadian military veteran who honourably served his country… I feel betrayed by my own government.”
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Constitution Foundation have been instrumental in challenging the legality and constitutionality of the government’s actions on behalf of Jost, Cornell, Gircys, and Ristau.
Justice Mosley’s ruling underscores the importance of judicial review in such matters and raises serious questions about the questionable justification provided by the Rouleau inquiry. The POEC was never intended to assess the legality and constitutionality of measures adopted by the Act, and it’s a relief that a judicial review has proceeded despite the government’s control of information and reluctance to disclose it.
Mosley concluded, “If the Court declines to hear these cases, a precedent may be established that so long as the government can revoke the declaration of an emergency before a judicial review application can be heard, the courts will have no role in reviewing the legality of such a decision.”

Ray McGinnis is a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. His forthcoming book is titled Unjustified: The Emergencies Act and the Inquiry that Got It Wrong.

Skate with SANTA is scheduled for Sunday, December 14 from 6:00-7:30pm at the Russell Memorial Multiplex! This a FREE event sponsored by the Municipality of Russell Binscarth Recreation Department. There will also be ornaments to decorate on the concourse! Come join us!
Registration for Session #2 of GYM KIDS is going on now! The new session will start January 7/8! This program emphasizes fun, over-all fitness and fundamental gymnastics skill through various teaching aids, fun props, rock wall, ninja equipment, and obstacle courses. It incorporates fitness activities such as stretching, gymnastics, strength, gross motor skills, sports skills, balance, and agility. Contact the recreation office for more info or to register! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We will be running a St. John’s Certified first aid course on January 8, from 8 am -5 pm! The cost is $125. Contact the recreation office to register! 204-773-2422 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Indoor Walking has started at the George P. Buleziuk Hall in Russell on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30 am-12 noon. Come in from the cold and walk where it is warm and free from the ice and snow! Please bring clean, indoor shoes to walk in. There are chairs provided to sit and change out of your boots.
Pickleball continues at the George P. Buleziuk Hall in Russell on Tuesdays from 1-3pm and on Thursdays from 9 am-11 am and again from 7-9 pm. This is FREE and we provide all equipment needed. Never played? No problem! We will teach you! Come join us!
Our outdoor rink is almost ready! Stay tuned!
We will starting up badminton again in the New Year!

As Manitobans pull their winter boots out of the closet and brace for another Prairie winter, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is reminding everyone that it is just as important to think about what your vehicle is using when in contact with snow and ice. Winter months show the highest number of collisions reported to MPI, and not enough traction is one of the contributing factors. The MPI Winter Tire Program provides low-interest financing up to $2,000 to help Manitobans purchase winter tires.
“MPI is committed to safety and affordability, and our Winter Tire Program addresses both of these issues,” said Maria Campos, Vice President & Chief Customer and Product Officer. “Winter tires reduce collisions by 6.3% and vehicles with winter tires may experience less damage severity in crashes. Winter tires are a simple step Manitobans can take to be safer on the road in winter months. Since the program started in 2014, we have given out 272,000 loans amounting to $362.9 million.”
Investing in a set of winter tires can be expensive, which MPI aims to make more affordable for Manitobans through the Winter Tire Program. Customers can get started by visiting any of the 655 participating tire retailers across the province to apply for the program. Financing terms are between one and four years. The retailer will confirm eligibility and begin the loan authorization process. Manitobans can check their eligibility and learn more about the program at: mpi.mb.ca/win ter-tire-program.
Winter tires should be installed when temperatures stay below +7°C. They are made with flexible rubber compounds for better grip in winter conditions, and they have better traction at -30°C or -40°C than all-season tires.
Many Manitobans believe that all-season tires are sufficient, but tests show a full set of winter tires stop much faster on ice. All-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles should also be equipped with winter tires, as the AWD and 4WD helps with acceleration, not braking or turning corners.