A local service club celebrated a milestone recently and has developed quite a history in the area.
“The Bowsman Lions Club started on December 7, 1984, and our 40th Anniversary celebration was held exactly 40 years to the date,” said Bowsman Lions Keith Behrmann. “The Swan River Lions Club sponsored us. Lion members Wayne McGimpsey and Garry Mills were instrumental in making this club happen. I believe there needed to be a minimum of 22 people signed up to form a Lions Club in the community. They approached members of the community to form the Bowsman Lions Club.
Behrmann was not a part of the original formation of the Bowsman Lions Club, but he transitioned to the club once another Lions Club in the area had folded.
“I was not a chartered member of the Bowsman Lions Club at that time,” said Behrmann. “First, I wound up being a member of the Birch River Lions Club, which was sponsored by the Bowsman Lions Club. Because of rural depopulation, the Birch River Lions Club folded. At the time, I was away working and when I came back, I was approached by Bowsman Lions member Ken Sutherland to join their club, and so I did.
“I don’t believe you can live in a community and not contribute. I’ve always been active in the community and still am to this day.”
The Bowsman Lions are deeply rooted in the history of the community. A major event that happened in the community, which put the town on the map, also became the inspiration for their logo.
“There is a lot of history for the Bowsman Lions,” said Behrmann. “When you take a look at our logo, it’s based on an event that happened in January of 1967. All the biffys in Bowsman were gathered up and burned because a water and septic system was installed in the community. It even wound up on CBC, so we fashioned our logo after that. Lion member Tyson Boychuk was part of creating the design.”
The Bowsman Biffy Burning made headlines across Canada and some news stations in the U.S. On New Year’s Eve in 1966, a crowd gathered near the new water and sewage treatment plant to watch the burning of approximately 26 biffys in the community.
The Bowsman Lions Club has been active in fundraising, both independently and as a joint effort with the other Lions Clubs in the Valley.
“One of the bigger events was the Bull-a-rama and the catalyst behind it was Lions member Outhwaite,” said Behrmann. “Over the years, that event sort of played itself out and it ran its course. Most of the money raised from that specific event over the years went to medical purposes for purchasing equipment to stay locally. We purchased equipment for eye surgery, maternity equipment and beds.
“We partnered with the golf course and split the proceeds 50/50 and did that a couple of times. Some of the money raised went to the Bowsman Daycare Centre. When the Ukraine-Russia War broke out, the Bowsman Lions put on a Ukrainian supper at the Veterans’ Hall. We were able to raise and contribute $18,000 to the relief fund.
“Last year, we put on another fundraising dinner and raised $16,500 that went towards the new CT Scanner in the community,” said Behrmann. “In 2025, it will be the actual 25th Anniversary of the Billy Beal event that raises funds for medical assistance. This year, we’ve contributed over $18,000 towards Valley residents through each Lions Club in the Valley. Everyone pitches in to make this happen.
“If it weren’t for the Lions Clubs in the Valley, we wouldn’t have cataract surgeries available in Swan River. We also banded together for Kids Sight, which is a handheld machine that goes into the classrooms and can tell if children need glasses or not. Every year, they go in and test this, and about 20 percent of children tested every year need glasses. This early recognition allows them to get a referral to an optometrist to get glasses.
“Other things we do to raise funds are recycling batteries, hosting pancake breakfasts and barbeques,” said Behrmann. “The Journey For Sight has been another big event we raise funds for and we have two members dedicated to that event. There are other things that our club has been in the background doing. It’s a matter of community service and if there Is a need there, we band together to help. There have been some instances where a traumatic event has happened to a family in the Valley and we’ve helped them in any way we could. The Valley community has always stepped up to fill in a need.
“It’s all part of the Lions mantra ‘We Serve’. It requires community-minded people who want to do community-minded things. There are just under 1.3 million Lions members in the world in over 180 countries and all started from the mindset of one individual, Melvin Jones, back in 1917, and has grown into what it is today.”
The Bowsman Lions are still looking to recruit members to keep the club going for more years to come.
“We need some younger members to join,” said Behrmann. “We did have a membership drive last year and had a few new members sign up.”
The 40th Anniversary celebration for the Bowsman Lions had some dignitaries come out for the event and welcomed some new members as well.
“The event was held on December 7 at the Bowsman Legion with a catered supper,” said Behrmann. “We had the District Governor in attendance and two members from Minnesota that were in attendance. We dedicated the evening to former Lions member Mel Brelinski who passed away.
“Lions members Corinna Medwid and Darcy Parsons were inducted as Lions members at the anniversary celebration.

Pursuing a career in acting or music is not an easy feat, for there are many talented people out there chasing that same dream. Former Benito resident Kris Josephson, whose artist name is Kris Anders, has not only been working in the music scene but is now doing some film work as well.
“I was performing as a singer and songwriter in the summer of 2020 at a charity fundraiser in Kelowna, B.C.,” said Anders. “After I was done with my set, I was approached by a talent agent with VA Entertainment. She enjoyed my set and invited me to apply to be part of her agency. I ended up joining her team and shortly after that, I was booked for my first movie. It was a Hallmark wedding film called Planning on Forever, and my role was to play a guitar player in the wedding band. It was quite the experience for my first movie.
“I also decided to try to work more in film. The next one was in February of this year, as a continuity background actor in a Lifetime thriller called Secret Life of my Other Wife. My role was to play a ranch hand with a shady criminal past and I was on set for three days of shooting for this role. After that, the roles kept coming in.
“I played a patron in a restaurant for a movie called A Christmas Less Traveled that was filmed in Peachland, B.C.,” said Anders. “Then I played a pedestrian in a true crime movie called The Girl Locked Upstairs: the Tanya Kach Story. I was also in a movie called The Last Thing She Said, and I was initially booked to just be a patron in a restaurant, however, once on set, I was asked if I could play the chef in the restaurant. My next movie was a Hallmark Christmas movie called Christmas, Love and Fudge, where I played an artisan in a Christmas market.”
This summer Anders had the opportunity to star in another movie in a background role capacity alongside an actress he grew up watching on television.
“In the summer of 2024, I was booked to play several background roles in a movie starring Heather Locklear filmed in Kelowna, B.C.,” said Anders. “It’s a true crime movie called Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: the Ruby Franke Story. There was some controversy over the movie being filmed as the real-life characters had only recently been sentenced to prison. All of which I had no idea of until I showed up on set.
“I ended up in three different scenes as first a pedestrian on the boardwalk, then again as a conference attendee in line for a book signing that erupts into a chaotic scene. Casting called me back for a second day of shooting, where I played one of the men in the support group led by Heather Locklear’s character.
“The director placed me in a chair next to Heather, so I was onscreen for this scene. It was pretty cool to make my on-scene debut next to an actress that I had grown up seeing on TV shows in the 80’s and 90’s. Heather was really nice and friendly while on set, and I managed to chat with her a bit in between takes.”
Being a background actor isn’t as glamorous as one might think. There is a lot of uncertainty, so flexibility in one’s schedule is key to making it work.
“Some of the challenges to this work would be the scheduling,” said Anders. “We are often given really short notice on bookings and even once booked, we rarely know the set location or the times we are supposed to be there until late the night before. You have to be flexible as well. They may decide you’re a better fit for a different role once you arrive.
“We are often responsible for our wardrobe too, so I’ve learned to bring a bunch of different looks to change into if something changes. Background actors are traditionally at the bottom of the pecking order on a working set. Expect long days, often in challenging weather. I’ve had to wear a huge ugly Christmas sweater for a movie that was shooting in August in the Okanagan heat.”
Being in the film industry allows Anders to tap into another creative side. It also gives him the opportunity to network with other aspiring musicians, and has presented more opportunities.
“I love the creative side of it,” said Anders. “Things change rapidly on set, and I like that you never know what you may end up doing that day. I find that now, when I watch movies at home, I am often thinking about how that particular shot was filmed, what the director was aiming for, and how long it may have taken to get that particular shot completed.
“I also get to meet a lot of other folks who are aspiring actors, models, or other musicians like myself who happen to have some downtime in their music career. I’ve ended up working on some side projects with at least two other musicians this way, not to mention being given a reference to other potential opportunities.”
Anders has another movie coming up and is working on getting more into the casting world. He still will perform and write music, with this just being another complementary talent he can indulge in.
“I recently was in another true crime movie called the Regina Smith Story about a serial killer in Dallas, TX,” said Anders. “I play a bad guy and I’m onscreen getting booked into the police station by an officer.
I’m pursuing my Actor’s Union membership and need just a few more days on set to qualify for that. I’ve also had my name added to a Casting Network that seeks out actors for commercials as well as films.
“My main passion is still writing, recording and performing music, so that will always remain at the forefront of my creative work. However, I’ve learned to be open to opportunities that arise and at this point, acting seems to be heading in a positive direction for me. The main networks that film here in the Okanagan are Hallmark and Lifetime channels, so if you happen to be watching any movies, you might see a familiar face in the background.”
Anders accredits all of his different life and learning skills to being extremely beneficial when it comes to being in film. Having a variety of skill sets can lead to opportunities in background acting.
“For anyone with experience in music, skating, ability to ride horses, martial arts, or with firearm experience, these are all valuable skills to have for film work if any of your readers get a chance to audition for background acting, be sure to mention the above,” said Anders.

Travelling to Canada has become a highlight and a must for many foreign travellers. If you recall a story that ran back in March of this year, in the Star and Times, a couple from Chile were travelling from their home country to North America. Macarena Orozco and her family fell in love with the Valley so much that they made Birch River their home. Through connections, they had a friend travel from Argentina to come and visit them while documenting the journey here.
“I’m originally from Patagonia, Argentina, and a couple of years ago, I started a project to restore a 1970s Ford Falcon, which is a vehicle made and very common in Argentina, and undertake a road trip from Ushuaia in Patagonia all the way to Alaska,” said Fabián Viaja.
“I went to Birch River because I knew that a family of Chilean travellers was living there. My plan to reach Alaska is divided into two stages. These Chilean travellers have spoken highly of Birch River and the Swan Valley, so in the past few days, I have been exploring the area and getting to know more about the local community. I have been documenting the entire trip on my YouTube channel, FABIANVIAJA, which to date has nearly 50,000 subscribers.
“The first stage is to reach Canada and leave my Ranchero, that’s what I call my Ford model, in Wadena, Saskatchewan,” said Viaja. “This is where there is another family of Argentine travellers residing and they will take care of the vehicle during the winter. After leaving the car, I will return to Argentina and then fly from Argentina to resume my journey to Alaska when the weather permits.”
Viaja has been on this journey for quite some time and has gone through five countries, from Central America to North America.
“I have been travelling for almost a year,” said Viaja. “My journey has taken me through Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Then, I crossed Central America by boat to Mexico and subsequently travelled through the United States, where my wife joined me to explore various places across the country.
“After that, I entered Canada through Saskatchewan and stayed a couple of days in Wadena at my Argentine friend’s house. Later, I coordinated with La Maca and El Gabo, the Chileans, to reach Birch River and get to know the area. It took me nearly a year to arrive at the Valley.”
There has been so much for Viaja to see and take in as he made his way to Birch River. He has had nothing but positive experiences in his interactions with Canadians.
“Overall, it has been a very pleasant journey without major setbacks, only some mechanical issues that I have been able to resolve along the way,” said Viaja. “I have been pleasantly surprised by Canadians. They have been very kind and friendly. They have shown great interest in getting to know my vehicle, and despite my limited English, I have managed to understand their good wishes for my adventure.
“This is my first time in Canada. Although I have only been here for a couple of weeks, I have a lovely and positive impression. People are truly friendly and always willing to help. They have been very curious about my car and have stopped me more often than in other countries. The forests I have encountered are truly beautiful. While I have visited very small towns in Canada, my stay has been very pleasant, as there is a sense of tranquillity and silence, something highly desired in large cities.
“I have visited many towns and cities that have caught my attention,” said Viaja. “Due to the uniqueness of their landscapes, I could highlight the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Grand Canyon in the United States, and the Canadian Prairies, which remind me of the Patagonia region in Argentina because of their vastness and sense of solitude.
“I have spent very little time in the town of Swan River,” said Viaja. “I have been mainly in Birch River and its nearby lakes. Although it is a very small town, the neighbours have been very kind and affectionate with me. Some have even come to where I have been staying just to greet me and welcome me. Such a lovely gesture!
“Additionally, I have participated in some antique car shows in the United States, where I won the Most Unique Car Award, and also in the Sturgis motorcycle shows in the USA. Regarding Canada, although I have travelled little, the lakes north of the Swan Valley are very beautiful, complemented by their lovely forests with autumn colours.
“In the second stage of my trip, I plan to explore more of Canada,” said Viaja. “My car is not prepared for winter, so I hope to return to Birch River in April next year to continue my adventure when the weather conditions permit.”
Viaja’s stay in Birch River seemed like a short one, but he vows to return next year.
“I stayed in Birch River for one week and then returned to Wadena to prepare my car for the winter, and subsequently travel back to Argentina,” said Viaja. “In Argentina, I will continue with another project I have. I’m remodelling an old Mercedes-Benz motorhome and will be travelling through Patagonia. As winter ends and the good weather returns to Canada, I will come back and visit the Valley again with the Ranchero.
“I hope to return in April to resume the second stage of my journey. Perhaps around that time, you might see the Ranchero parked somewhere in the Valley.”

A Canadian author with local ties to the Valley has transformed her mother’s life story into a National Best Seller. Roxana Spicer is the daughter of Eric and Agnes Spicer and started out as a documentary filmmaker and former CBC investigative journalist. She has travelled to various parts of the world to track down a story, but the greatest story she’s ever uncovered was that of her own mother. She knew from an early age, her mother had a story to tell.
“It seems I’ve been a storyteller all my life,” said Roxana Spicer. “I did my first public reading of original work when I was ten years old, a budding playwright in the village of Netherhill, Saskatchewan. I would take over our family veranda, rig up blankets for stage curtains, and even charge 25 cents a show.
“One new kid arrived on opening night, stayed for the performance, then left without paying. I shot her with my brother’s BB gun loaded with grain. A couple of minutes later, her mom showed up on the doorstep. ‘I understand Jewel owes you 25 cents,’ she said, reaching into her purse and pulling out two quarters. ‘Here’s fifty cents. The second quarter is for you to promise never to play with my daughter again.’ I probably should have been sent to reformatory school for that! But fifty years later, Jewel arrived at this week’s Saskatchewan book launch in Kindersley near Netherhill, laughing about the incident. In fact, she paid for everyone at the table, including my three Spicer relatives who’d made the trip from Swan River.
“In the half-century between these two stage performances, my career has primarily been that of a documentary filmmaker,” said Spicer. “I have travelled the world for all the major Canadian television networks. The story of my mother remains the most compelling story I have ever undertaken.”
This is the first book Spicer has written and published. The story of her mother’s experience in WWII has captivated readers and critics alike.
“The Traitor’s Daughter is my debut into the literary world,” said Spicer. “Since its Canadian launch in late August, my memoir about Mom and our story has remained on the National Best Sellers’ list as one of Canada’s top ten non-fiction books. It has also been included in the Globe and Mail’s Fall book preview of 62 new titles to read this season.
“I first told my mom I was going to write a book about her right around the time I was packing heat in the 80-person village of Netherhill and performing little plays on our veranda in 1965. Mom was a Russian combat soldier fighting Nazis on the Eastern Front during World War Two. She could pitch a handful of kitchen knives across the room and form a perfect pattern around a frying pan hanging on the wall.
“She was the most fascinating woman I ever met. How could I not write a book about her?” asked Spicer. “The Traitor’s Daughter, however, began as a documentary idea for Canadian television audiences shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. It grew into a rich, complex, multi-layered story of a mother-daughter relationship as well as a war story, told through a woman’s very specific point of view.
“Writing a book enabled me to share all those layers with readers. I travelled to ten countries and three continents over thirty years to write this book.
“The Traitor’s Daughter is published by the largest, most prestigious publishing house in Canada,” said Spicer. “Penguin Random House also publishes Margaret Atwood and several other brilliant Canadian voices. It is beyond my literary abilities to describe what a thrill it is to run into Ms. Atwood recording her audiobook in the booth next to mine on the 14th floor of the head office in Toronto.
“The last two years of working with my brilliant executive editor Lara Hinchberger has been the highlight of a fifty-year career. I only wish Lara had been able to join me this week on our book launch in Saskatchewan, back to Netherhill, Kindersley, and Saskatoon, where The Traitor’s Daughter pulled in standing room only crowds. Every book was sold before I stepped onto the stage to read.”
The experience of writing a book, especially one so personal, has been a remarkable endeavour. One that has brought a lot of hard work to life but also something to be proud of, for it was no easy task.
“I have been writing this book one way or the other since I was ten years old,” said Spicer. “The actual full-time writing took seven years; however, I did eight drafts before I was satisfied I’d found the voice’ of the book. It’s a woman’s story, a war story, and the story of Canada’s only officially registered war bride among 47-thousand European women who fell in love with Canadian soldiers and followed their new husbands back to Canada after the war.
“There were two enjoyable experiences in writing this book. My twin brother Victor wrote it was the most profound experience of his internal life to read this gripping, largely unknown story of his mother.
“Then my older brother Harold flew from Calgary with his wife Diana, to be at the national book launch in Toronto, and when I scanned a packed house of book buyers, literary agents, television executives, and Canadian cinema directors, former war correspondents, and a real who’s who of Canadian literati,” said Spicer. “It was the sight of my brother’s eyes welling up and his grin as he stood to join a standing ovation that will remain a real transcendent moment.”
“However, to write a book is to live it. Every minute I was writing about details of my mother’s capture by the Nazis, imagining her terror at the hands of knife-wielding German captors on the Eastern Front during World War Two, relying on her cleverness and resolve to survive, took me into the darkest corners of my imagination. Then, to take these scenes, fleshing out the context of what was happening all around her while resisting the temptation to stray beyond what I knew to be true, to find the right words and to bring the highest standards of journalistic rigour to every sentence, that was a minute-by-minute challenge that lasted seven years.”
Spicer’s novel has been gaining momentum and popularity. Not only is it a best seller, but it has become the topic for many radio and television shows, giving Spicer and her mother an opportunity to talk about it.
“The Canadian public has fallen in love with my mom,” said Spicer. “The Traitor’s Daughter hit number two on the National Best Sellers’ List the first weeks after it landed in Canadian bookstores in late August. The momentum continues.
“The highest-rated CBC Radio program, The Current with Matt Galloway, gave Mom and me half an hour on prime time radio, describing the book as compelling, a page-turner. Zoomer Magazine did a multi-page spread with photos, echoing Penguin’s words: A masterful narration. I appeared on the CBC National, as well as the Bell network radio show, hosted by Richard Crouse.”
Writing this book has been a dream come true for Spicer and the support she has received from people purchasing the book has been overwhelming. The Traitor’s Daughter can be found on bookstore shelves as well as be ordered online.
“The Traitor’s Daughter is now available in all major bookstores across Canada, including Costco,” said Spicer. “Look for it on the Best Sellers’ shelf at Indigo Chapters, as well as McNally-Robinson in Winnipeg and Saskatoon. It’s also available to purchase on Amazon and Penguin Random House Canada.
“Every single book sale keeps Mom’s story alive. This was the promise I made to my Russian mother in Netherhill, Saskatchewan, during the Cold War. Today, it is readers in Swan River and beyond who help me keep that sacred word.”

The art of Ukrainian dance has started up again for the year with the Vesselli dancers enrolled in Ukrainian dance classes. The Benito Vesselli Dance Club has been fortunate to have strong and dedicated instructors to ensure that the art of Ukrainian dance continues in the Valley. Amanda Bulycz and Austin Spencer are both former students of the Vesselli Dance Club and are now instructors.
“I started Ukrainian dancing with Benito Vesselli Dance Club at the age of three,” said Bulycz. “My mom and her siblings danced with Vesselli, and my grandmother was active in the club by sewing costumes, pinching perogies, and volunteering her time with anything else that was needed. My mom later became Vesselli’s instructor, so I guess you can say it was our family tradition to celebrate our culture by joining Ukrainian dance. As I got older, I fell in love with performing on stage, learning more about my culture, and just the overall dance community and dance family with Vesselli.
“As a child, I loved everything about Ukrainian Dance, from performing on stage to getting together with my dance friends every week for practice. I also loved learning new combinations and dance regions. But my absolute favourite part was celebrating and sharing my culture. Ukrainian Dance has this power of emotions and pride behind it that when you experience it, you just want more.”
“I started Ukrainian dancing when I was six years old,” said Spencer. I can’t recall what made me go to my first practice, but I’m sure it had something to do with my mom pushing me to go.
“My favourite part of Ukrainian dance was probably the same as most kids, the competitions. I can remember looking forward to dancing on the big stage at the end of the season. Even though we all got very nervous waiting backstage to go on, the feeling of excitement and pride we felt after a great performance was always an awesome feeling.”
There are so many different styles of Ukrainian dance that can be appreciated. Each style of dance comes from and represents a certain region in Ukraine.
“Every region of Ukraine is so unique and I could list many things from each region that I love,” said Bulycz. “For example, I love the energetic steps, jumps and high kicks from the Volyn region or the fast movements and unique music of the Hutzul region. Every region has its style of steps and music, which keeps not only performing these dances fun but choreographing and instructing each region keeps classes new, interesting and exciting.
“My favourite style of dance would be Hopak. This dance is not only an honour to perform, but I love creating new choreography and instructing Hopak dances. This is one of the main reasons I started my Ensemble: to continue challenging, creating and sharing Hopak with the community. This dance allows dancers to showcase their unique tricks and steps. “You often see male dancers performing incredible acrobatic moves and the female dancers spinning incredibly fast. All dancers move at high speeds, all while being graceful and moving delicately across the stage. Not only is this dance fun to choreograph and perform, it is amazing to experience from the audience as well.”
“For most of my childhood, I enjoyed performing Poltava dances,” said Spencer. “These dances are always high energy with many jumps and kicks thrown into the mix. As I got older, I was always most excited to perform our Hopak. Hopak dances are usually made up of a large group that shows off all the tricks they’ve worked so hard to perfect.”
For both Bulycz and Spencer, the decision to further their Ukrainian dance skills were apparent as they moved on from being the student to becoming an instructor.
“I loved Ukrainian dancing and when I was approached at 16 years old to instruct alongside my uncle with the Hudson Bay Cheremka Dance Club,” said Bulycz. “I knew I wanted to share this love with others. Ukrainian dance is so special to me, and I knew my career wouldn’t and couldn’t end after high school graduation, I wanted and needed to continue to share this love and passion.
“I’m proud to say I have been with Vesselli, whether that’s as a dancer or instructor, since I was three years old and never missed a year. I’m also proud to have been instructing, choreographing and running workshops for many clubs across Saskatchewan and Manitoba for 20 years now, and every year is more exciting than the last.
“Initially, when I started instructing at age 16, I hadn’t taken any courses specific to instructing,” said Bulycz. “I had participated in many workshops and seminars as a dancer but not as an instructor. At that time, everything I knew was taught to me by my past instructors, as well as getting advice from my mom and uncle, who both instructed Ukrainian dance.
“Throughout the years, I jumped at any opportunity to learn and grow as an instructor, whether that’s participating in an Instructor Workshop, studying and continuing to learn more about Ukraine with online courses, or networking with other instructors. Over the years, I have met so many amazing people in the Ukrainian dance world to share ideas, and we learn from and help each other.”
“I jumped at the opportunity to teach dance with the club that I was a part of my whole life,” said Spencer. “I think it’s really important to keep activities like this available in our small communities for all to enjoy. Vesselli gave a lot to my childhood and I’m proud to have the opportunity to pass on the lessons I learned to the younger generation.
“While I don’t have any formal certifications in teaching Ukrainian dance, I lean on my 20 years of experience to help provide instruction. I am hoping to attend some courses in the future to provide the best instruction that I can.”
“I started assisting the younger dancers alongside my Vesselli instructors when I was 14 years old,” said Bulycz. “At age 16, I started choreographing and Instructing with Hudson Bay Cheremka Dance Club and then by age 18, I was instructing Benito Vesselli along with three other dance clubs from Saskatchewan.
“I have enjoyed so many things about instructing Ukrainian dance. I could write a book about the multiple experiences and excitement it has brought. I love creating and choreographing a new dance and watching it come to life. Often, I’m finding music and coming up with new choreography in my living room and you never know if what you are imagining will be able to work with the group of dancers.
“It’s a huge accomplishment when you get to see this come to life on the stage at a competition or year-end concerts,” said Bulycz. “Having dancers receive their highest marks, accomplish their goals, receive scholarships and trophies, their sense of pride and being able to stand backstage and see their faces smiling and beaming as they perform what they’ve been working on all year is a huge accomplishment as an instructor.”
“My first year teaching dance was in 2022,” said Spencer. “At that point, I only helped with the boys in the club, demonstrating technique and helping instruct their boys’ dance. Since then, I have been teaching alongside Amanda each week with the whole club.
“I think my favourite part about teaching dance is seeing how much the kids enjoy performing. It’s hard not to smile while standing backstage and watching them have so much fun and show off all their hard work.”
With the recent events that have stuck in Ukraine, it’s imperative to preserve the culture and representation of the country and its people. Ukrainian dance has traditionally had a strong representation throughout Manitoba and will continue well into the future.
“Just like anything, everything evolves and grows, dancers are performing at higher levels at younger ages,” said Bulycz. “They are accomplishing goals and achieving so much more than dancers before them, but the values behind Ukrainian dance have never changed. We are always learning more about Ukraine and the regions, costuming, steps, styles and more, but the true reason I believe we are all dancing is to share our culture with the world.
“It’s always been important to share Ukrainian culture, but with the war currently taking place, it’s our job to showcase how powerful Ukrainians are and performing any region of Ukrainian dance is one way of doing that. When we step on stage, we are not only representing our club, ourselves, or our instructors, but we are representing Ukraine and showing that we are not going anywhere.
“Ukrainian Dance has always been a huge part of Benito,” said Bulycz. “Vesselli has been around for over 40 years, and while yes we have had our enrolment decrease and increase many times over the years, we are happy to say we currently have 30 children in our club and we continue to grow every year. Not only does Benito have Vesselli for dancers 3 to 18 years of age, but we also have an adult class, Benito Shaker Misto Adult Dancers, which had ten adult dancers last year.
“Also, I have recently started up Liliya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in Benito, which consists of dancers of all ages, many past or present dancers of Vesselli and Shaker Misto. I would say for a small community like Benito, the art of Ukrainian dance will continue for many years to come.

“The support all three groups receive is truly remarkable,” said Bulycz. “Although Vesselli has always performed at Benito’s Malanka event, 2024 was the first year Vesselli hosted Malanka. Shaker Misto and Liliya Ensemble joined Vesselli in performing for the sold-out crowd between the supper and the dance. The community came together to support Vesselli and also made donations to Ukraine with the Cobblestone Foundation. Vesselli will be hosting Malanka again in Benito on January 11, 2025.
“At Vesselli’s annual year-end concert, we filled the school gym, with many audience members standing as we ran out of room for chairs! I am proud to be from a community that continues to support our Ukrainian culture and dance groups.”
Both Bulycz and Spencer are eager to get into this season with all the new choreography and performances the students will have the chance to learn and embark upon.
“I’m excited to create brand new choreography for all my groups,” said Bulycz. “This is something that I feel is unique and I create new choreography every year for every group I instruct. Every dance I choreograph is made specifically for that group of dancers and is created based on their skills and goals. There is the odd time we will keep a dance or combination from the previous year, but often, I’m creating new choreography to keep all dancers challenged and learning.
“I will be starting practices with Shaker Misto Adult Dancers and Liliya Ensemble in October.
We will be preparing all three groups to perform at Vesselli’s Malanka event in January as well as preparing for competitions and our year-end concert in April and May.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone progress week after week,” said Spencer. “We have so many amazing dancers that love giving their all.”

Tyler Carr has found radio to be a medium in which he can connect with people in a powerful way. He attributes his inspiration to being a radio broadcaster to growing up in the Valley. He spent a lot of time listening to music on the radio and calling in requests, which led him to his passion for it. It allowed Carr to be himself and become an advocate by treating people with love and respect. He strives to see less bullying and more acceptance. Carr believes that people should be free to be themselves.
Carr felt like he was different, and that pushed him to venture off to Alberta alone and grow into himself. Unfortunately, at that time, his best friend, Matt Peters, was diagnosed with cancer for the second time.
“When I went to SAIT, I enrolled in a two-year program. It was a lot like high school but without the bullying because the class sizes were very small,” said Carr. “The radio program allowed students after their second year who got a job in the industry to be able to do things in the industry and submit them back for marks, and that’s how I did it. It was a positive experience, even though it was during the time when Matt passed away from cancer. All the teachers in the program and everyone really stepped up.
“It was scary for me to leave Swan River because that is where my family is. I lived with my aunt and uncle for the first year while all my friends stayed in Manitoba, so there were times when it felt a bit daunting. I was also beating myself up for leaving Manitoba at the time because Matt was fighting cancer, and I could have attended the University of Manitoba, been near him and visited him more. Even Matt was telling me he wanted to see me where I was and doing exactly what I was doing. A couple of my instructors made sure I was taken care of and kind of gave me that feeling of being home away from home.
“They even gave me some time to fly back and go and see him,” said Carr. “I’m sure glad they did because that was the last time I ever saw him.”
The loss of Matt made Carr question everything, and he contemplated giving up on what he had started until he attended a Lada Gaga concert. During the show, Carr had thrown a letter on stage and she read it out loud to the audience. The letter was about Matt passing and how hard it had been for Carr. This sparked a genuine interest for Lady Gaga to meet Carr after the show. This helped Carr to reconnect with his passion.
“When I got back into my second year, it was after Matt had passed, I had told everyone around me that I wasn’t going to continue with the program because I was in the heightened stage of my grief,” said Carr. “It didn’t seem like something I had wanted anymore and I felt like I lost my passion for it.
“I just spent the whole summer pouring my grief into this insane, creative way, and when I came back a second year, it was a completely different story for me. All my instructors helped me and walked me through it. They allowed me to have my emotions and found different outlets for me. They gave me everything I needed to redirect my emotions instead of just closing the world out.
“It went from a real struggle to something that I could actually feel like I was celebrating myself for,” said Carr. “Going to the concert, having that letter read, going back to SAIT and finishing the program has incredibly impacted me and continues to every day. It gave me the message I needed and the power of knowing what a person can do for someone. That is how I live every day of my life.”
Carr attended the SAIT alumni awards on September 26, with all of his family in attendance to celebrate his accomplishment.
“When SAIT had reached out to me about this, I was a little hesitant at first,” said Carr. “There was some hesitancy in me because I was thinking, what did I do that was so great; it was some imposter syndrome feeling. The closer we got to the day of the award, the more I felt that my message was that with any hardship in life, including grief, a person can still chase their dreams, and it can be in memory of a person who wasn’t able to chase theirs. I wanted Matt to chase his dreams more than anything in the world, but unfortunately, he can’t, so what better way for me to celebrate his life than for me to live what I am supposed to do. That is how I felt about it as it got closer and closer to me accepting this award.
“When it comes to this award in particular, it allows me to reflect on where I started and the people who taught me the things I needed to learn in this industry, then to be invited back with all your family, friends, and colleagues, is on a different calibre of celebration that I haven’t received yet. I’m humbled, grateful and honoured by it and hope to inspire others through it.”

Valley resident Beggie Palsson has had an extensive career practicing law in northern Manitoba, between The Pas and Swan River. At first, Palsson didn’t set out to become a lawyer, but fate had opened several doors leading him to law school and taking the bar exam.
“I was working in The Pas as a probation and parole officer,” said Palsson. “My territory included Gilliam, Churchill, The Pas, Moose Lake and the surrounding area. Back then, when you worked in that field, the only way to succeed in that department was to have a degree in social work. People who work in the child and welfare, probations or parole fields were trying to get their Master of Social Work.
“I just had an Arts Degree at the time, so I applied to the University of Manitoba to study a sociology course. I applied for that and was going to take the summer off to go to summer school. Before I went, the probation officer from Flin Flon was going to Winnipeg and he stopped to talk to me. He told me he was going to pick up an application for law school and asked if I wanted him to get one for me too. I told him they would never accept me in law school and I was thinking of going into social work to advance in the job I had. He told me he would get me a form, so when he came back, I filled it out and sent it in.
“The day before I was supposed to leave my job and take a sociology course, I got the letter from the law school accepting me into the program,” said Palsson. “Going into law was kind of an accident, but believe it or not, one professor I had in law school who taught an introductory course, said he bet half of us were there by accident. So, lots of people went to law school without originally planning to. It was one of the best decisions I made.
“I loved law school and found everything I studied relevant, and much to my surprise, I did very well in it.”
After passing the bar, Palsson started his legal career by articling for a firm in Winnipeg. From there, he went on to work for Legal Aid and focused on the Child Welfare System. Palsson gained a lot of valuable experience from his time working at Legal Aid.
“After law school, I articled with a private firm in St. James,” said Palsson. “They had the Chapman Building just east of Portage and Ferry Road. They were Chapman, Chapman and Chapman. It was a father, two sons and two other lawyers who made up this law firm. I articled for one of the Chapman boys.
“Then once I got my call to the bar, I went to work in the Legal Aid Office in Winnipeg. They were looking for a child welfare specialist. I never wanted to do much court work and there I was going to court four to five days a week because there were so many cases of child welfare in the system. I was taking on Paul Walsh who had been a very good criminal lawyer and became counsel for the Children’s Aid Society, which in some cases was trying to take children away from their parents. I was up against him four or five days a week. It was a good experience for me.
“I recall one day, one of the judges asked me to come to her chambers when there was a break in court,” said Palsson. “She told me that between her and I, we taught Mr. Walsh a little humility today.”
Palsson recognized early in his law career that family and child welfare law was one of the toughest areas to practice. It was apparent to him that the Child Welfare System was overrun based on poverty and some racial profiling.
“It was a hard line of work to be in because I was watching families being broken apart,” said Palsson. “A lot of it was due to poverty and some racial aspects. Unfortunately, those were mainly the clients of the Children’s Aid Society. Even now, 90 percent of the children apprehended are from low-income and Indigenous families.
“I knew of a lawyer in the legal aid offices in Winnipeg, who was very sensitive. Over time this lawyer left practicing law because of the difficult nature of these case types and the stress.”
After gaining some experience in Winnipeg, Palsson returned to northern Manitoba and The Pas to continue working in Legal Aid.
“Back when I worked probations, there weren’t many supports or lawyers working in northern Manitoba,” said Palsson. “There weren’t very many at all. Thompson had a couple of firms, there was a lawyer in Churchill, and Evans Premachuk was working in The Pas. There were some that I knew of, but overall, there was a great shortage of lawyers in northern Manitoba.
“I ended up going back to The Pas to open a Legal Aid Office for the Province in 1975. I was up there for three years before I came to the Valley. We used to fly in for court and back then I could see the ridiculousness of it. The plane would land and the judge, the Crown Attorney, two other lawyers and a court reporter would get off. The local people were kind of laughing because they knew nothing was going to be solved in terms of justice when judges and lawyers were only there for a certain amount of time.
“One of the guys who came up with me, was just called to the bar,” said Palsson. “I had been practising law for a couple of years before coming back to The Pas to work, which was still not a lot. He was a very outspoken fellow and went on to become one of the top-notch criminal lawyers in Manitoba. His name was Norm Cuddy. He was fantastic and a natural criminal lawyer.
“Norm later went on to Winnipeg with a sole practitioner, where he learned a lot about criminal law. Then he joined one of the top firms and quickly became a partner. He did very well for himself, but then got cancer and passed away at a young age. He was a good guy to work with.”
Once again opportunity presented itself to Palsson and he had the opportunity to leave Legal Aid and get into private practice. This started a new chapter for Palsson and a move to the Valley.
“Once again, my move to Swan River was purely by chance,” said Palsson. “The Crown Attorney, Ed Sloane, from Thompson, who I met once or twice, stopped by my home in The Pas. He asked me if I was sick of Legal Aid yet. At that point, I felt I had done it all in Legal Aid and was repeating it over again, doing the same thing. Sloane told me he felt the same about prosecuting. He found a law practice for sale in Swan River that belonged to Florence Matthews. He had made an appointment to speak with the owner and asked me if I was interested in becoming a partner. It had me intrigued and I told him to check it out and let me know what he thought.
“He came back and told me he felt there was great potential in the firm and that there was a very good practice setup. He felt there was room for two people to work there, so we made her an offer and she accepted. Sloane had been an RCMP officer before he went to law school so he always worked with the criminal side of law, then he became a prosecutor, so he hadn’t done any private law. I had articled with a private law firm and had done quite a bit of law in that area. Sloane went earlier and worked under Florence for a bit, then I came down and we opened up our law firm on May 1, 1978.
“I knew at some point I would go into private practice, but it just came a little sooner and unexpectedly,” said Palsson. “I hardly knew Sloane and just a few weeks ago I thought about why Ed Sloane would have stopped in back then and asked me if I was interested in joining him in practice because he didn’t really know me. Then it hit me. The prosecutor in The Pas was from Clearwater and so was Ed. I’m sure he phoned and asked what I was like, and I know the prosecutor in The Pas would have given him a good report on me. This is likely why he asked me to form a practice with him.
“Working in a private practice is different than working in Legal Aid. You have clients coming in who want certain services that you weren’t doing as part of Legal Aid. Legal Aid is limited because the clients can’t afford legal representation. This can lead to a different type of law being practiced with different expectations. I got to do so much different work.”
Palsson was quick to integrate into the Valley community. He found himself joining some local community groups and volunteered to help make the Swan Valley a better place for everyone. Palsson spent a good portion of his time giving back to the community.
“I joined the Swan River Kinsmen shortly after I moved here,” said Palsson. “Then my banker was a Swan River Rotary Club member and coaxed me to join that group too. I aged out of Swan River Kinsmen when I turned 40 and stayed with the Rotary Club until it disbanded this summer. We have no Rotary Club in Swan River anymore, and that’s unfortunate.
“When I worked in The Pas for Legal Aid, they used to have community committees that were supposed to be advisors to the office to let them know what were things in town that needed to be looked at from the legal perspective. One of the committee members in The Pas was a Captain for the Salvation Army. He got me doing volunteer work for the Salvation Army. One year I collected donations from every business in The Pas by myself. Then when I came to Swan River I thought I was done, but the first call I got was from the Captain from Dauphin. He asked me if I would continue doing that in the Valley, so I wound up looking after the Salvation Army Kettle here on my own for a year or two, until the Swan River Rotary Club took it over. We raised a lot of money for the Salvation Army over the years.
“I was part of forming the Community Foundation of Swan Valley said Palsson. “I can’t say I was the head or idea of it, but I did some legal work incorporating it. That was a fun time and project to work on. I was invited to their Spring Granting Meeting earlier this year, and I believe the Community Foundation of Swan Valley has grown to almost $4 million now, with five percent going out to the community every year. It’s amazing to see how that project started and has grown to what it is today.
“When it came to volunteering in the Valley, I had a lot of help and support from good people.”
Palsson’s partner decided to move on from the Valley and this began to cause a shift in not only the law firm itself, but the type of law Palsson practiced.
“After about six and a half years, Sloane had moved on,” said Palsson. “We had an agreement back when we were in practice that he would take the criminal cases and I would handle the civil and family ones. After he left, I had to oversee them all, but eventually, I stopped going to court. I never enjoyed it and was too busy to be out of the office for a week. We’re still very close friends and he is a great guy.
“My first partner after Sloane left was Roger Gregoire. Roger had been my articling student in The Pas with Legal Aid. After he got his call to the bar, he was lured away by a firm in Flin Flon. He practiced with them until I phoned him a couple of years after Sloane left. I asked him if he wanted to move south and work with me. He moved down within a couple of days and worked here until the Province appointed him as a provincial court judge. He too was an excellent partner and that helped.
“After that, I had a couple of different lawyers work with me,” said Palsson. “I went on to do a lot of mortgages, wills, estates, corporations. After Sloane and I bought the practice and by the time I retired, it had grown to represent and establish over 200 corporations.”
Over the years, Palsson refined his law practice and no longer practiced family law. Family law had undergone too many changes and became so complicated over the years, that Palsson felt it was a field that a lawyer should strictly practice to be good at it and he had so many other clients to represent for different matters, that he wanted to focus on that instead.
“I got out of practicing family law because they had changed all the laws surrounding it and how one got to court,” said Palsson. “I just didn’t have the time to focus on that, and with family law, a lawyer needs to be dedicated to it 100 percent of the time, to be any good at it. Things seem to change so much and it has gotten to be a more stressful type of law to practice.
“I didn’t want to give up the other aspects of law that I was working on at that time, so I let go of family law and would refer people to another firm.”
It’s been over a decade since Palsson retired from practicing the law. He was fortunate to find someone to take over his practice in the Valley. The one aspect of practicing the law that Palsson misses the most and still to this day, is getting the opportunity to see his clients regularly.
“By the time I retired from law, I had been acting legal representation for grandchildren of the clients who first came to see me when I started in Swan River,” said Palsson. “It was grandchildren, not children, who were starting to farm and wanted to buy land. It was so much different. In the beginning, I was forced to do court work and that was never my intention to be in the courtroom that much. Law is made up of barristers and solicitors. Barristers go to court and solicitors do paperwork, and my goal was to be a solicitor.
“I retired from practicing law on April 1, 2014. It was hard for me at first, because I missed a lot of the clients. I had lots of really good clients. I was fortunate to turn over my practice to a very competent and good lawyer, Laurie Oakes. She worked with me for a year and then bought the practice.
“Once I retired, I spent time socializing with my coffee group,” said Palsson. “We go to the Legion every day now to have coffee and visit.
“The people were always nice to work with when it came to opening a business or purchasing land or homes. The clients were the most enjoyable part of my career in law. I met some really great people.”
Palsson and his wife Karen are in the process of saying goodbye to the Swan Valley as they are moving to Winnipeg. They will be greatly missed.

Amara’s Amigos, which consists of family and friends of Amara Campbell continue to fundraise money for CancerCare MB Foundation in memory of Amara, who passed away from osteosarcoma on September 14, 2020, at the age of 15. The money is used by CancerCare Manitoba Foundation (CCMBF) to support youth with cancer, especially rare and hard to treat cancers for children and young adults.
Last year’s garage sale and cookie and lemonade sale brought in $5,400. The silver collection at the Minitonas Stocking Stuffer and Craft sale last December brought in $500. Then earlier this year, the Swan Valley Stampeders Hockey Fights Cancer brought in a whopping $19,050.50. Blair and Lee-Anne Campbell presented a cheque to Patti Smith from CCMBF this past March.
“We are humbled by the ongoing support from our families, close friends and Swan Valley community at large,” said Lee-Anne Campbell. “We have received incredible support since Amara’s cancer diagnosis in 2019.
“Our awareness and fundraising events for CCMBF continue to give us a place to direct our grief and remember Amara before and during her brave 19 months of living with cancer. CCMBF provides critical funding to support cancer research and treatment for all children, with a special focus on children and young people with rare and hard to treat cancers.
“The genetic testing program called PROFYLE (PRecision Oncology For Young peopLE) and all funds that we collect stay in Manitoba, directed to this program, which supported Amara during her cancer treatment,” said Campbell.
“The first fundraiser was led by Amara as the ambassador for the 2019 CCMBF Ride Inside, alongside Blake Wheeler, former Winnipeg Jets hockey captain, and his wife Sam. That was a very special time for Amara. She felt the love of Swan River Valley around her as her team contributed more than $19,000 from the Swan River Valley in her honour. There have been various Ride Inside events every year since, other than 2023. The thank you list is too long at this point but includes our families, close friends, strangers, school staff, arena staff, businesses, non-profit groups, Stampeders group, Star & Times.”
In total, $97,216.21 has been donated to CCMBF in memory of Amara.
The Amara’s Amigos shirts and hoodies were created and sold for cost. There was a huge response from the community and the Campbell family finds it heartwarming to randomly see people wearing them when around town.
“The Amara’s Amigos group and clothing logo were initially created in 2019 by a group of school friends, as a sign of support after her cancer diagnosis,” said Campbell. “The most recent version of the Amara’s Amigo’s logo was a collaboration with the Swan Valley Stampeders Junior A Hockey Team in February.
“We also incorporated a small blue heart with our son’s initials ‘JC’, in memory of our son, Amara’s brother, who also passed away in 2020. He was a gentle, kind support to his sister during her initial year of treatment. Also, his favourite sport was hockey with his hometown buddies.
“It has been heart-warming to see people wearing the purple shirts and hoodies at our events and also randomly in the schools, at the campground, at the arena, on the streets,” said Campbell. “The clothing helps to keep Amara’s memory alive as well as representing support for all kids and families who have suffered from childhood cancer.”
Amara’s Amigos are hosting their annual garage sale this weekend. Another event being planned for November is the CCMBF Ride Inside and then the Stampeders Hockey Fights Cancer Game which will be announced at a later date.
“Annual Amara’s Amigos Garage Sale & Cookie Sale started in 2021, as one step of the fundraising for CCMBF,” said Campbell. “Each year it has been held in September as it is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, also in memory of Amara as she passed away Sept 14, 2020. Family and friends donate their baking skills, time and a variety of gently used items. So far we have not run out of treasures to sell.
“The event provides everyone with a special few days to visit, support each other, remember Amara and fulfill a personal purpose for Blair and me, to support other kids and families living with childhood cancer. Amara’s cousins, grandmas and aunts have taken on the cookie sales as their special project.
“This year’s garage sale and cookie sale is scheduled for Saturday, September 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 215 Parkview Drive Swan River,” said Campbell. “People can also drop off monetary donations to CCMBF that day, and all donations of $15.00 or greater will receive a charitable receipt mailed out from CCMBF.
“We thank every single person who has supported Amara’s Amigos since 2019. We are very thankful and blessed to live in this special community. Please wear a gold ribbon in September in honour of all children and young people who have missed out on precious years of life due to childhood cancer.”

The Swan Valley Fire Department (SVFD) has a recruit who has recently joined their ranks and broke the traditional stereotype associated with it being a male profession. Kristin Linnick is currently the only female firefighter in the SVFD but hasn’t been the first female to join.
“The department has had female firefighters from 2011 until 2022,” said SVFD Fire Chief Darren Fedorchuk. “The last female firefighter in the department relocated in 2022, and is now in the Selkirk Fire Department.”
When she was a child, Linnick was drawn to the world of emergency services and firefighting by watching her father help out with the local fire department.
“My dad had joined the local fire department in the small town that I grew up in when I was about six years old,” said Linnick. “I grew up watching him as a role model and knowing that someday I wanted to become a firefighter just like him.
“Back then, if we were home alone with him when a call came in, we used to respond with him, sometimes still barefoot in our pyjamas. Because when that pager went off, he just had to drop what he was doing and go. A member would stay behind to dispatch at the hall so there were usually several kids in the meeting room waiting while their dads went out to help someone in need.
“I only just joined the Swan River department in the last couple of weeks and haven’t trained at all with their department as of yet,” said Linnick. “I did, however, join the Pine River department about two and a half years ago and have attended training nights with them. I recently completed my class 4A drivers, so I’m able to drive a fire truck.”
Linnick has found the call to serve a very rewarding one and is learning to balance her work and home life, with being an emergency responder.
“You never really know what you are going to encounter when a call comes in, or even when the call might come in,” said Linnick. “So far I find the most challenging to be preparing for what you are about to encounter along with juggling the need to respond with the other family and work-related commitments that I have.
“It’s great to be able to give back to the community. I have three young children and being able to show them how to give back and help others is important to me. I hope as they grow they’ll be able to be proud that their parents are firefighters and can help people in need, just like I had felt looking up to my dad.”
Linnick encourages other women who are interested in joining the local fire department to come out and take a chance on it. They just might find this a very fulfilling and rewarding way to serve the community.
“Everyone has been very welcoming and they’ve all made me feel very included in joining their family,” said Linnick. “I am proud to be able to encourage other young girls that they could be a firefighter one day too, or anything else they dream of being.
“I would tell other women who are interested in joining, that it’s a very rewarding job and that if they put their mind to it, it’s possible for them to do too. I also coach gymnastics in town, so I haven’t a chance to sometimes hear about their dreams for the future. They are all generally surprised to learn that I am a firefighter, so I hope that helps encourage them to believe that they can work towards their dreams even if they don’t look like who you would typically expect to fill a certain job.”
“As with all firefighters, there is a different perspective,” said Fedorchuk. “Every incident is different and at times it requires firefighters with a different view to reach a successful conclusion, but not only in responses, having a different view is important when it comes to other facets in the fire service like training and equipment purchasing.
“The female firefighters we have had in the department in the past, all have excelled as firefighters and were an integral part of the team. Their dedication to providing service to the Valley was not surpassed. Female firefighters are indispensable for the department to flourish and must be able to meet any future demands that may be required of us. SVFD is open to all who are interested and meet the pre-requirements.”
When it comes to women interested in joining the fire department, they go through the same procedures and requirements that any member joining the department would.
“Our process is the same for any firefighter,” said Fedorchuk. “It starts with an application to join which includes submitting a criminal record, Manitoba Child Abuse checks along with a driver abstract. Once the interview process is complete and if an applicant is successful the applicant begins service.
“In the cases where applications are received but staffing does not allow for hiring at that time the applications are kept on file for future reference in the case of an opening within the department.
“Those interested in firefighting and have any questions can stop by the firehall or are welcome to attend our training sessions which are held on the first and third Wednesday of the month from September to July,” said Fedorchuk. “They can also contact me at the office at 204-734-4403 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..”