On Saturday (April 1) the athletes at Lidstone Combat Sports Academy (LCSA) competed in the annual Western Kids Open 2023 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship in Regina...

By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

This past year our grandson Syd started Kindergarten.

Since his parents live on a farm near Cartwright, Man., they initially drove Syd to school. Several months later Syd started to take the school bus. It was a big step of independence in the life of a five-year-old boy and it made me think of my school related experiences during my formative years.

The term consolidation meant the joining together of two or more school districts under one board of school trustees with provisions made for transporting students to school. Amalgamating into larger groups would provide many benefits so that children in rural school districts could receive educational advantages more nearly equal to those who attended city schools.

The first consolidation in rural Manitoba occurred in 1905 at Virden and at Holland and in the ensuing years more schools followed suit.

In the Oakburn area consolidation had been discussed as far back as 1915, however, it was not achieved until 1958, following the creation of divisional systems in 1956.

Eleven one-room rural schools with a student population totaling 286 students joined and formed the Oakburn Consolidated School District No. 255 and became part of the Pelly Trail School Division No. 37. That same year construction of a new elementary school began at Oakburn.

It is interesting to note that if one travelled on the gravel road running past our farm, one passed three one room country schools. Each of the schools were located three miles apart. The schools at Rogers and Zaporosa consolidated in 1960 and the school that I attended, St. John, consolidated in 1964.

At this time high schools were located at Inglis, Russell, Binscarth, Angusville, Rossburn, Oakburn and Elphinstone.

Prior to consolidation, attending high school was a challenge for the graduates from the rural one-room country schools. Many students took their Grade 9 courses by correspondence since rural folks had the added financial burden of providing daily rides to school or paying for room and board in town for their children attending Grades 9 to 12.

By 1960 the need to stay in town to attend high school came to an end. That year my father got a school bus route. He took the train to Lethbridge and purchased a yellow school van and drove it home. It was the beginning of daily school bus rides for the high school students from the Seech area.

St. John did not close its doors until 1964. By that time my father was no longer a bus driver. As a Grade 7 student, I officially boarded a school bus that September and amid the chatter and excitement of seeing familiar faces the bus made several more stops to pick up students who lived closer to town. We finally arrived at our destination and entered a modern six room elementary school. We learned to experience the daily routine of learning the three R's with the added challenge of the concept of new Maths and some basic French.

An added bonus included a gymnasium and a large playground that catered to our indoor and outdoor physical activities.

The nine-mile school bus rides to Oakburn continued until Grade 12. For Grades 10 to 12 an extra bus ride was necessary as the university entrance courses were offered at Elphinstone, adding an extra 13-mile journey from Oakburn.

The trips to Elphinstone were always interesting as we were all high school students. We had a lot of things in common.

Discussions often involved the latest rock n' roll music, a great deal of local student “news” and getting last-minute answers to the geometry assignment questions.

Consolidation proved to be a successful venture as we were exposed to a wide range of experiences that were not available in a one-room country school setting.

This included teachers who specialized in subject areas and the option to participate in school sports teams. Our school population was akin to a close-knit community.

As for Syd and his school experiences, he has adapted well to his new role as a student. He recently noted that he looks forward to his rides on the school bus because he has a buddy to sit with.

The Parkland Vipers 14U girls volleyball team won a tournament in Brandon, Mar. 3 and 4.

The Vipers began the tournament, Mar. 3, with a 20-25 and 25-18 split with the Predators, then split with Club West Rage, 22-25 and 25-16.

Another split, this time with Phoenix Flames, 25-18 and 20-25, had the Vipers finishing second in their pool, setting up a quarterfinal match on Saturday against Pirates Gold.

The Vipers came out on top, 20-25, 25-22 and 15-5. The Vipers then defeated Phoenix Aces, 25-13 and 25-8 to advance to the final where they beat Vision Black, 25-9 and 25-18 to win the title.

By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

One day in February 2008, I came home and checked the answering machine.

Ninety-one-year-old Henry Hlady left a message asking for my address as he wanted to send me information of his time spent as a relief worker during the Great Depression in the Riding Mountain National Park.

One week later I met Henry at a senior's complex in Brandon.

At the height of the Great Depression, thousands of jobless men were sent to relief camps. With 10 separate camps, Riding Mountain sustained the largest relief camp operation of Canada’s national parks.

The men were housed in old refurbished buildings or new tar and paper shacks constructed when they arrived. Between 1930 and 1936 the relief workers were responsible for erecting 86 buildings including administration and community buildings, garages, warden and staff headquarters. Others helped build highways and made significant improvements in the campgrounds to attract tourists to Canada’s newest national park.

In 1932, single unemployed men registered at the local employment bureau with the hopes of obtaining work for winter projects. In 1932 Henry was 15 years old when he left for his first relief camp job at Rivers. Using a pick and a shovel, wheelbarrows and two teams of horses, the men built about a quarter mile of road before the first snowfall of the year.

“Two months ago, there was hardly any preparation for the army of men that soon trouped into the Clear Lake district. Huts had to be built to house the men and stores erected to look after provisions needed to feed them. Neither was it planned that all of the men be congregated at one large camp. Smaller units were advisable to better carry out works situated near to the camp sites. Programs had to be provided for the men when they arrived, equipment found for the men to work with.” (January 5, 1932, Brandon Daily Sun)

In October 1933, Henry arrived at Camp 7. The first bunkhouse was an old logging camp hut left over by men who cut ties for the railroad. Several weeks later Henry moved to a new bunkhouse that soon filled up with 30 to 40 relief workers. Located on Highway 19 near Whirlpool Lake, Camp No. 7 was seven miles from the Wasagaming headquarters.

Numerous men complained about the housing as the bunkhouses were little more than tar paper shacks heated by a 45-gallon fuel drum cut in half. Henry slept on a straw mattress and shared a double bed. He mentioned that the food was good and the pay was a package of tobacco and $5 per month. All the winter clothes and boots that were needed were also supplied. Henry’s job included cutting and clearing bush on roadways and cutting logs for fencing and sign posts.

At the central camp at Wasagaming a bath house was available with 13 bath tubs. All men from the 10 camps were required to bathe at least once a week. A camp hospital took care of emergency situations. Sanitary arrangements were made for the men to send out their washing at least twice a month. A recreational room was provided at the Wigwam Cafe where there was a great need for cards and checkerboards. Football and hockey provided an outdoor sports opportunity with inter-camp games being played.

On May 14, 1934, it was noted in the Brandon Daily Sun that the winter program exceeded all expectations.

New roads, new buildings, enlargements of tourist accommodations and facilities were all improved upon. Work included construction of a 700-foot pier and expansion of the tourist camp with new streets and lanes cut in the bush. Danceland was torn down and replaced with a filling station. The new Danceland was now located on the west side of the road.

More than 1,200 men worked that winter. Henry was not one of the 525 men who were to be employed during the summer as he left in May and returned to Brandon. He rode the rails to other parts of the country to seek employment.

It was an honour to meet and talk with Henry who shed some interesting personal experiences of working at a relief camp.

Henry Hlady passed away in 2010.

The Dauphin Citizens on Patrol is out and actively being the extra eyes and ears for our community. 

If you are at least 18 years of age and want a feeling of personal satisfaction knowing you are proactively improving safety in your community, consider volunteering today.

Contact Frank Giesbrecht at the RCMP detachment at 622-5020, Rodney Juba at 204-638-4946 or Richard Ives at the Dauphin CO-OP 204-638-6003 or check them out at the Business Expo April 22-23.

Winnipegosis
By Alice Sahulka

The Winnipegosis and District Health Centre (WDHC) board of directors would like to congratulate Dr. Alison Carleton and Cyndie Blythe on becoming Canadian citizens on Feb 21.

The couple participated in their citizenship ceremony via Zoom, reciting their oath, cutting up their permanent residence card and singing the national anthem with their invited guests.

The next day, board members, staff and residents of WDHC gathered to celebrate the happy achievement with the couple.

Dr. Carleton and Cyndie moved to Winnipegosis in December 2017 and are proud to tell everyone they meet that they have always felt welcomed in the community and they are “living the dream.”

Cyndie and Dr. Carleton have built their dream home on an acreage outside of the community and enjoy all aspects of rural life, thoroughly embracing the moto live, work, play.

They have a home on the river bank, they have work at the Winnipegosis and District Health Centre and they can play right in their back yard, canoeing in the river and farming on their property.

The Royal Purple is supporting a national awareness and prevention campaign in March to raise awareness of the seriousness of brain injury.

The Winnipegosis Royal Purple will be holding information sessions in the Winnipegosis New Horizon’s Senior Centre, the Winnipegosis Elementary School and the Winnipegosis Collegiate to help bring awareness to this important topic.

The Winnipegosis Elementary school children have just completed a Brain Injury Awareness Poster Contest and winners will be announced shortly.

By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

Radio was an integral part in the lives of rural and urban residents.

When my parents got electricity on their farm in 1954, a brown tube radio was purchased for $20 and it replaced the old existing battery-operated radio. As a result, more time was spent by our family listening to CKDM.

“CKDM-1230” officially opened its radio station, Jan. 5, 1951. The station’s slogan, “A community radio station service for 96,000 Manitobans,” was very appropriate.

In 1955, the radio dial tuned to 1050 kHz. Daytime power increased from 250 to 1000 watts. In June 1957, CKDM made its final move to “730 on your radio dial.” In 1958, CKDM, “the heart of Manitoba,” broadcast a wide variety of programs 24 hours a day. News updates occurred 48 times per day.

My older sister recalled rushing home from school to listen to CKDM for news updates on the fate of a missing person near Dauphin. That story captured the attention of many radio listeners.

On the afternoon of Nov. 1, 1957, the missing person’s daughter realized that her mother was missing. The farm buildings were searched and neighbours were contacted. The RCMP arrived at 3 p.m.

The 75-year old missing person was of slight build and weighed 95 pounds. She was last seen wearing a short gray man’s jacket over a blue dress, brown cotton stockings, low felt type boots and a gray bandana.

“A call for volunteers was sent by radio appeal and 300-400 of them searched the immediate vicinity by flashlight until 11:30 p.m.” (Nov. 7, 1957, Dauphin Herald)

Eventually one thousand volunteers, RCMP, three dozen members of the 70th Field Battery, the Civil Defense and four aircraft from the Dauphin Flying Club joined in the search for the missing person.

The organization of the many volunteers took shape on Saturday when a concentrated methodical travel of more likely and accessible routes was made under a civil defense plan organized by Clifford “Bounce” Weir, who took over command of the air observation. Vic Gosman of the Manitoba Good Roads branch provided ground and air maps of the district.

On Saturday and Sunday afternoon small groups were making “probe” searches of specific areas under the direction of the RCMP. Major William McGowan of the 70th Field Battery relieved Mr. Weir on Sunday afternoon as tactical director of up to 300 volunteer and reserve army men.

Police dog Tiny was brought in from Saskatoon. as the Dauphin detachment was temporarily without a dog. The police dog from the Ste. Rose was unavailable as the handler was on holidays.

On Monday and Tuesday, along with Tiny, approximately 75 men divided into groups and went over some of the previously searched areas. After searching further afield, footprints were discovered at Harold Lake about 1-1/2 miles south from the farm.

The all-out search was suspended at noon Tuesday when the last of possibilities, Harold Lake, had been tracked completely around its perimeter. Approximately 70 miles of road and more than 15 square miles of land were searched on foot and a much wider area by plane.

On the fifth day, one of the neighbours, who lived three miles from the missing person’s farm, came home and found the elderly woman in a weakened condition.

After taking her into the house, she called for an ambulance. Suffering from fatigue and hunger, the elderly woman’s condition at the Dauphin General Hospital was reported as fair that evening.

At that time there was nothing definite to go on as there was no indication where she spent five days and nights in temperatures that dropped tas much as 12F below freezing. It was understood that she was without shelter and food the entire period.

Many organizations and private individuals were thanked for donations and preparations of food and coffee. Local businesses also contributed flashlights, batteries, cigarettes and chocolate bars.

Several years later, when I was old enough to appreciate the old brown tube radio, I spent many hours listening to CKDM.

The news reports of the escape of fugitive Percy Moogey from the Stony Mountain Penitentiary in 1960 was something that I followed.

That’s another story.

By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

Once a new semester started at the DRCSS, it was time for the students to receive their textbooks and other books related to their courses.

Some of the novels associated with the English courses that I taught included Great Expectations, The Night We Stole the Mounties Car, Animal Farm, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Those novel titles recently made me think of the times in my formative years when I received my first Dick and Jane reader and learned to appreciate and love the written word.

Our teacher at the St. John one-room country school always read to the Grades 1 to 8 class for 15 minutes right after our lunch hour break. It was a great way to settle us down after we had participated in some vigorous outdoor activities. One year we followed Anne Shirley's adventures in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables novel. Set in Prince Edward Island we were transported into the special world of Anne, an 11-year old orphan adopted by an elderly Matthew and his stern sister Marilla Cuthbert. They wanted a boy not a feisty red-headed girl.

Mrs. Kowalchuk spurred my interest in reading and encouraged us to read the books in our small school library. Lost in the Barrens by Canadian author Farley Mowat and other adventure filled books spurred one's imagination. We didn’t have many text books, however, in Grade 5, Canada Land of the Beaver and in Grade 6, Canada Then and Now gave us some basics of Canadian history. During my high school years, the textbooks relating to British history in Grade 9, the southern continents in Grade 10 and American history in Grade 11 all proved to be full of information for a budding historian.

My father kept well-documented records regarding his income and expenses relating to the farm operation. It is always an informative adventure to peruse those records. Recently in my conversation with my older sister, she remarked that our parents had to pay for textbooks and workbooks while she attended the St. John School and later at the high school at Oakburn.

For example, in 1954, when my sisters were in Grade 5 and Grade 8, an expense for $5 and $10.75 was entered for the cost of textbooks and workbooks. In an era of tough economic times some parents could not afford to pay for the textbooks and workbooks. One year my sister had to share her textbooks and workbooks with a schoolmate.

My friend Gerald mentioned that while attending Oukraina, a one-room country school in the RM of Dauphin, one could sell, buy or trade for used textbooks that were needed for the school year at Weselowski’s Store at Sifton.

Whenever my parents and I travelled to Brandon, one of my favourite stops included the Trade Fair and Exchange Store. Working with a very limited budget, used books were very inexpensive and one could spend a great deal of time searching for Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey westerns, as well as Ian Fleming’s James Bond series to add to my collection. Used comics also enhanced the reading repertoire.

Janice and I made it a habit to read a story to our children every night before bedtime. Today, our adult children do the same with their children. Whenever we have a chance, we read or tell a story to our grandchildren. Published in 1837, The Three Bears is still an all-time favourite.

One day last summer we watched an interview on television where author Jo Jakeman promoted her book, What His Wife Knew. It seemed like an interesting “whodonit” book so during the pandemic, we decided to take turns reading the book aloud to each other. We set aside some time each day to read a chapter and shared the experience of reading a book together. This year we have read The Girl They Left Behind and Tuesdays With Morrie.

From Dick and Jane to classics such as To Kill A Mockingbird, books provide many benefits for an individual.

Literature encourages one to use their imagination and appreciate the power of the written word.

Take note that February is I Love to Read Month.