Recently part of the Swan River Personal Care Home (SRPCH) walls got a whole new facelift that reveals a breathtaking view for the residents who live there. Valley artist Melanie Bird has painted a mural for the residents at SRPCH and their visitors to enjoy.
“A family of one of the residents reached out to me to see if I would be interested in doing a mural at the SRPCH,” said Bird. “This family knew me well and knew that I was an artist. They had also seen some of the mural work that my sister had been doing in care homes in Winnipeg and wondered if that was something that I could do as well.
“Once they knew I was interested they got the approval from the SRPCH to proceed.”
The scene painted on the mural had to be something that resonated with the Valley and the residents. It was decided that painting a farm scene would be best suited and draw out the best engagement amongst the residents.
“It was collectively agreed between the family that approached me, the residents, board and staff, that the painting should reflect the scenes of the Valley, as well as be something that the residents would connect to,” said Bird. “Something that would conjure up fond memories for them.
“From there we determined that a farm scene, which included several farm animals, that was set in a valley would be perfect. I did a couple of small mock-ups for them to choose from and with a couple of tweaks and additions, I was ready to get started.”
It didn’t take too long for Bird to finish the mural once she started. She even took extra measures to make sure the mural was well protected and could be enjoyed well into the future.
“It took me about seven days to paint,” said Bird. “Once the paint cured for a few days I did a few layers of a protective coating just to make sure the painting would be something the residents, staff and visitors could enjoy for many years to come.”
The feedback Bird has received about the mural at the SRPCH has been good. The residents enjoyed the process of watching her create it and have been engaged with it ever since.
“So far all the responses have been very positive,” said Bird. “The residents seemed to really enjoy seeing the animals begin to emerge as I was painting, I think that was what they connected with the most. People also commented on how much they liked the vibrant colours of the painting as well.
“It was such a joy to see the residents light up when they would see the painting as it progressed. It was also fun to hear their comments and suggestions along the way. I couldn’t possibly paint all of the things they suggested but it was neat to know that they were connecting with what I was doing and it seemed to be something that they truly enjoyed.
“A few of the residents would sit on their walkers or wheelchairs and watch what I was doing for hours, sometimes even fall asleep as they watched,” said Bird. “One of the favourite things that residents liked to comment on was what colour I was going to paint that tractor. Some thought it should be green and others thought red, in the end, I chose red simply because it stood out better against the green background, but it gave me a good chuckle listening to their opinions on the matter.
“It was also a pleasure to see some familiar faces from the community and connect with people who were once actively involved here in the valley and were now residents at the PCH.”

The annual Garden Walk took place on Monday (July 22), raising money for the Swan River Ladies Golf Club. This year’s walk showcased seven local yards divided between Swan River and the Benito area, featuring man-made lakes, hillside flower beds, lush mixed floral/vegetable garden boxes and beds, and more.

For 59 years Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival has been a beacon of culture, celebrated among those of Ukrainian descent and shared with anyone wanting to experience the colourful, rich traditions of music, dance and food.

And everything is in place to continue the celebration this August long weekend at the Selo Ukraina site at the foot of Riding Mountain National Park, south of Dauphin, said CNUF president Kayla Gillis.

“We’re really looking forward to festival weekend. The ticket sales have been amazing and we are so grateful that patrons keep coming back year after year and they always bring somebody new with them,” Gillis said, adding she is eagerly anticipating a new twist this year that she is sure will delight the crowd.

“Our Saturday night grandstand, we’re doing something we’ve never done before. We’re bringing in a projection screen for a backdrop and Rusulka is coming to perform their show Voda. They are going to be using backdrop projection to be able to help tell the story line of the dance. So we will be utilizing a later grandstand on Saturday evening just so with the darkness, the projector will work better.”

Gillis is pleased that CNUF remains such a strong attraction at a time when other festivals are struggling to attract crowds. In fact, she said advance ticket sales are up about 15 per cent over the last two years.

“I do think it has a lot to do with the community and the surrounding communities that still want to support this cultural festival. I think a lot of it is just that connection that we have to Ukraine,” she said.

“And having a lot of the newcomers (Ukrainian immigrants fleeing the war in their homeland), as well. I do believe that is a factor.”

But even with a 59-year history there are many people who have never attended CNUF.

Come once and you will be hooked, Gillis said.

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 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.