Hot weather on the August long weekend sounds like the perfect time for people to enjoy nature in lake country, which is exactly what plenty of people did in and on the countless water bodies that are within a relatively short drive from the Swan Valley. Pictured here, Nick Gowler visits from Minnedosa and tries his luck at catching fish in Two Mile Lake on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 3).

Residents at the Swan Valley Personal Care Home (SVPCH) have another beautiful view to enjoy thanks to the talents of local artist Melanie Bird and the financial donation from the Swan Valley Credit Union. This is the second mural that Bird has painted at the care home, with the first one being a scenic farm setting.
“Last summer, I painted a wall for the residents on the north end of the building and so the PCH approached me about doing another mural for the residents on the south end of the building to enjoy,” said Melanie Bird.
“The PCH wanted paintings that reflected the beautiful Valley in which we live. Since many wonderful lakes surround our valley, they decided to choose a lake/wildlife scene for this painting. The painting isn’t necessarily Wellman Lake specifically. It was intended to represent the lakes that surround our Valley in general.
“However, since we have a family cabin at Wellman Lake, the scenes are definitely inspired by that lake,” said Bird. “I tried to incorporate a variety of wildlife that we would typically see at any one of our lakes in the area, including deer with fawn, a mallard duck pair with some ducklings, geese, moose, rabbit and a loon.
“I’m hoping that each resident, no matter which lake they most often visited, will feel a connection to the painting.”
Bird was able to complete the mural from start to finish in just under two weeks, as there were many components to finalizing the mural and ensuring its longevity.
“I started the painting on July 3 and finished it on July 14,” said Bird. “I’m the type of artist who likes to stay focused on the painting until it is complete, so it was a relatively quick project. The actual painting took about four full days of painting and then it needed to cure for a few days before I put a couple of layers of protective coating on, so that it will be enjoyed for years to come.”
The response from the residents and visitors has been complimentary, as many enjoy the new view on the walls. Most viewers respond to the wildlife portrayed in the mural. Bird has enjoyed working on both murals for the care home and is open to doing more in the future.
“Everyone who walked by was always so happy to see the painting come to life,” said Bird. “Some residents really enjoyed commenting on the animals in particular, giving ideas of other animals for me to paint as well. I think they will really enjoy looking at this painting every time they walk by. Having the opportunity just to work at the PCH for those days was richly rewarding for me. I truly loved the interactions I had with both staff and residents.
“I would be more than happy to paint more murals at the PCH if they decide they would like it, but for now, no other plans are in place.”

The Swan River Valley Agricultural Society Grounds were once again bustling with activity as the NorthWest Round-up and Exhibition (NWRE) drew crowds from near and far. Whether it was the shows and races in front of the grandstand, the tastes of the food booths, the entertainment of the midway, or much, much more, the NWRE had a little something for everybody. Pictured here, a view of the grounds from 1,000 feet up.

The Benito Splash Park seems to have taken off with some full-force momentum. The project started as an idea, to raising almost half a million dollars, and now breaking ground for construction. There are still opportunities for people to donate or for local businesses to purchase naming rights.
“We broke ground on Monday, June 23, 2025,” said Benito Splash Park Committee Member Holly Kushniryk. “The ground base is currently being built and then they will move on to creating the mechanics of it all before pouring the cement.
“Construction is estimated to take just over one month, if everything goes smoothly. We are hoping to have the park open and running within the first couple of weeks of August, fingers crossed.
“A total of $420,000 has been raised so far, but we aren’t done yet, so we are asking people to please consider donating,” said Kushniryk. “Every amount helps and tax receipts will be issued. There are also options to have logos and names on water features, or naming the park itself is still up for grabs. Those interested can call, email or find us on Facebook for more information.”
The Benito Splash Park has an assortment of water features that are guaranteed to provide amusement and thrill to all those who use the facility. The splash park is also being made accessible in terms of entry, so that all may use it.
“There are nine main water features, along with several fountains and ground sprinklers,” said Kushniryk. “These features are great for all age ranges, toddlers to teens, and older, if you want to be adventurous.
“There will be a path directly to the splash pad, so anyone with mobility issues will have direct access to the pad and use of the features. This was one of the main motivators for deciding on a splash park when thinking of ways to attract families to the community.”
The support to bring this project to fruition has been remarkable. The community of Benito has been the driving force behind it, but Swan River and the surrounding Valley have also contributed to the success of its creation.
“There has been a ton of support from Benito and the Valley,” said Kushniryk. “Most people are excited to see something new and fun to do.
“Of course, there are always those few who maybe don’t quite fully understand the reasoning behind our decision to build a splash park. And for those people, we would like to say that this project was fully funded through fundraisers created to unite families in a safe, fun, engaging environment. To get kids and adults alike interactive in a world of screens and technology, and an affordable option for an outing for those who can’t necessarily go on a trip to the mountains or have a cabin to go to.
“There are so many proven benefits to splash parks,” said Kushniryk. “I couldn’t possibly list them all. My only regret is not doing this sooner while my kids were younger. I can’t wait to hear the laughter and joyful screams from the children playing in the spraying water!
“Benito is on a burst of growth right now. We’ve had a few new businesses open. We’ve seen some new families move in. And I truly believe that this splash park will be that one extra exciting amenity that will help families decide to settle in our community. More foot traffic from those passing by will also mean more shoppers for our local stores, which will be awesome. All in the plan of boosting the economy of our community.
“And where else will these families head but to the bigger center of Swan River, helping to boost the economy there too, again, which is all in our plan,” said Kushniryk. “It may seem silly to some, how would one little splash park have so much impact, but it’s proven, amenities attract people, people grow the economy and create jobs, and communities grow bigger and stronger. What’s the next big project?”

Much the Swan Valley has been in a lovely state of seasonal golden orange as canola flowers bloom.

“Challenging students through Christ-centred education to pursue a life of Godly character and academic excellence.”
This is the motto of CBF Christian School, which has been educating students with a Christian focus for 45 years now in Swan River.
The journey of establishing a private Christian education in Swan River began in the late 1970s when a group of families felt that they were being called by God to start a Christian school. This group consisted of Jake and Doris Reimer, George and Elsie Braun (the pastor of Community Bible Fellowship at the time), Ben and Alma Dyck, along with Doug and Gena Reader (the pastor of Little Woody Baptist Church) and the Earl and Shirley Reader (members of Little Woody Baptist Church).
“For my parents – Jake and Doris – this desire was not a reaction to anything bad that was going on in the public schools,” said Melanie Bird, who was one of the first students in the school when it was established in 1980, joining when she was 11 years old. “They were quite happy with the schools in the Valley and were not entirely convinced that starting a Christian school was what God wanted them to do. But, God nudged them to continue on with the pursuit of investigating what would all be involved.
“This was a very busy time in my parents’ life. They had just finished building the church (which was in a building on Ross Street at that time), they had three school-aged children and my father had a growing construction business. Neither of my parents had completed Grade 12, so starting a school was definitely outside of their comfort zone.
“In the process of investigating what would be involved to start a school, my parents would take our family on road trips to the USA to visit other Christian schools,” Bird continued. “Christian schools were a relatively new idea here in Canada at that time. It was during this time that both Mom and Dad grew in their conviction that this was what God wanted them to do. They saw the opportunity to include God’s truth in the daily education of children. This was not a way to protect children from worldly influence so much as it was to equip them with God’s Word and to teach them from a Christian perspective.”
Once the idea of developing a Christian school gained traction, several Swan Valley churches showed their support, with members from many different churches joining the initial board.
In the first six years, the school was merely a series of cubicals mounted to the walls along the perimeter of the church sanctuary, designed to be folded down during the week and folded up for Sunday morning service. Each student worked at their own pace and teachers and educational assistants were there to offer guidance as needed.
A more suitable church and school building was eventually erected in 1986, which is the building where Community Bible Fellowship (CBF) and CBF Christian School stands now on Hwy. No. 83. The current building incorporates a full classroom setup with school on one side of the building and church on the other.
High school classes were also eventually brought in the mid-1990s, starting with Grade 9 and eventually growing to include 10, 11 and 12. More classrooms were built as well to accommodate. At it’s peak during these high school years, the school had 92 students in the student body.
In 2005, the high school classes ended up closing as too many students desired to pursue the greater opportunities at the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School and was difficult for a much smaller and resource-poor school to compete.
“We were one of the first schools in the Valley to have Junior Kindergarten,” said CBF Christian School Board Chair Tracy Burick, who has been involved in the school since the 1990s.
The Swan Valley School Division eventually incorporated Junior Kindergarten soon after, but by the time the COVID-19 pandemic rolled around, Junior Kindergarten was no longer sustainable for anyone.
To date, the school now has 37 students enrolled between Kindergarten to Grade 8.
“Everything we teach is Manitoba curriculum, and we just bring it from a biblical lens,” said Burick. “Like, if we’re teaching science or math, we say God created these concepts and this is how we’re teaching it.
“We do have a Bible class on top of it where we’re teaching bible in place of where another school might have French class or band.”
Burick noted that some of those electives that other schools might offer might not be available at CBF Christian School, but they do still have sports programs and music programs that round out the school experience.
Burick highlighted the importance of teaching the same materials as a public school would – especially because their students would most likely move on to the only secondary school in the Swan Valley – but still adding the Christian Biblical perspective on those same materials, and not leaving students isolated away from secular viewpoints.
“Our heartbeat has always been that we want to include Jesus in the students’ school day,” said Burick. “We want the children to be grounded, we want them to understand, we want them to know, we want them to serve God and that’s what we want for them educationally, adding life skills and moral character.”
Burick emphasized the addition of note only praising students for academic achievements, but also character achievements, in a way that encourages personal development as educational development.
Some of the biggest challenges in running a private Christian school is finances, as a portion of funding comes from a provincial grant and the rest comes from tuition, which the school does their best to keep as affordable as possible. When there is fundraising, it’s often a parent-led initiative raising money for a specific project like a playground structure.
“It’s a balance, and people who can or can’t afford the tuition in a small community is always taken into consideration,” said Burick. “At the same time, we can’t pay our teachers what the (Swan Valley School Division) can pay, so that doesn’t make us as attractive to everyone because of that. To our teachers, it’s a ministry, and they come knowing full well that they’re not going to be able to be paid as much, and they do it because they believe in why they’re doing it.”
The school has also received support from many people from many different Swan Valley congregations over the years. While the school doesn’t regularly receive significant donations from other churches, many of the staff, board members and parents come from outside of the CBF congregation.
Students like Bird grew up to raise her own family and send them to CBF Christian School, and see them receive the benefit that she received when she was a young girl. Bird has essentially remained involved in the school in one way or another since she attended.
“I had the privilege of being the school secretary for 11 years, teach art, and now I sit on the school board,” she said. “I’ve gained a greater appreciation for all the passion, dedication and hard work the staff, teachers and board have for CBF Christian School.
“But, most importantly, I am truly in awe of what God has done here. From prompting those young parents in the late ‘70s to pursue starting the school, to providing financially through many different challenging times, also providing so many excellent teachers, staff and principal, and finally providing families that continue to see the value of what CBF Christian School is doing and desire to be a part of it. With confidence, I believe He will continue to provide as long as He desires to do so, and none of this would have been possible without Him.”

The bison of Bison Conservation Ranch in the RM of Mountain approach close to the roadway as they wander among the hundreds of acres they have access to in the southern part of the municipality.

The Rural Municipality of Dauphin will soon have a new Chief Administrative Officer.

Grady Stephenson will take over the position effective, July 28. He is currently the CAO for the Town of Carberry.

“It was a different challenge,” he said of accepting the position with the RM of Dauphin.

“I come from a small town and a rural municipality is going to be a different challenge for me. That would be a good opportunity for some growth and to help out the RM and the community out there,” he said.

Stephenson has been CAO in Carberry for about 5-1/2 years and worked in the public works and parks and recreation departments before that, giving him   11 years of experience in municipal work.

Among the challenges Stephenson expects is going from an urban setting to rural.

“It’s a little bit different for me and coming from basically the desert to somewhere with challenges with water in the springtime and flooding will be new to me,” he said.

“But I know there is some great staff there that are going to be able to guide me through that and help me out to get my feet wet, no pun intended. I think there’s going to be other challenges, too, but we’ll cross those bridges when we get there. I think it’s going to be good.”

Stephenson is looking forward to the opportunity and getting to know the area.

“I’m an outdoors guy, so I look forward  to some of the fishing and hunting opportunities up there, as well,” he said.

RM of Dauphin reeve Ernie Sirski said Stephenson conducted himself well in his interview with council.

“He brings a lot of municipal experience to the table, which is something that we rated very highly. He handled himself very well and we liked what he offered for us,” he said.

There will be an adjustment period for both parties as they get to know each other.

“The first thing is to get to know us. He’s got to get to know the council. He’s got to get to know the staff,” he said.

“When you come into this kind of position from outside, it’s going to take a little bit of time. So I think that’s the first thing we’re going to try and do, is get hm to know us, so that he can start doing his job in the best possible way.”

Council, Sirski added, is looking forward to Stephenson’s contribution to the RM in helping lead the municipality in a direction that is positive for the RM.

“We’ve done a new strategic plan and we’re looking at rolling that out, but we want to make sure that we roll it out properly and that he knows what the strategic plan is and what it contains, as well as the council has a good understanding of it,” he said.

“And, of course, a whole bunch of other files that we’re dealing with at the same time. So we’re looking forward to his help in those regards.”

Local Canadian Ranger Sergeant Terry Fullerton, Swan River Patrol Commander has spent six years on the Swan River patrol, and his involvement with the Canadian Rangers has taken him through tasks and locations that he never would have expected.
His continued involvement and volunteering for bigger and better adventures has led him to be recognized by his superiors, who awarded him with a King Charles III Coronation Medal and a Ranger of the Year award, showing that Fullerton has indeed done some outstanding work with the organization.
Fullerton received both honours during an exercise held at the Edmonton Garrison from April 7-11, where he was surprised from being presented both.
“When I went up to get Ranger of the Year, the Lieutenant Colonel told me to take my time because this was really important,” said Fullerton.
He was subsequently honoured at the regimental banquet by sitting at the head table and meeting the division commander.
The King Charles III Coronation Medal is intended to recognize those that have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, region or community, highlighting outstanding volunteer efforts.
“(Fullerton) was selected for his community involvement as well as his involvement in the Canadian Rangers,” said Warrant Officer Wade Jones, Canadian Ranger Instructor of the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group. “He’s always volunteering to take on additional tasks and courses.”
Likewise, Fullerton was also recognized as the Ranger of the Year for similar outstanding efforts as a Canadian Ranger.
“He stands out a bit more because of his involvement and his willingness to volunteer for different activities and different events we have going on,” said Jones. “Because he’s willing to do that, we see him quite a bit more than a lot of other Rangers. Terry is what we hope all the Rangers can get to at some point. He communicates very well and he’s active in Canadian Rangers both in the unit and in the community.”
Fullerton’s recognition also has earned him the privilege of participating in an exchange trip to Australia, where he will train with Australia’s NorForce, an infantry regiment of the Australian Army Reserve similar to the Canadian Rangers. The exchange program will see select Canadian Rangers spend a few weeks in the northern territory of Australia and learn local survival strategies and other exercises. Likewise, NorForce will then visit Canada at some point to experience the wild lands in our country, led by Canadian Rangers. Canadian Ranger Paul Hrabarchuk from the Swan River patrol went on a similar trip in 2023.
Fullerton’s experiences with the Canadian Rangers has taken him from the wild lands of Manitoba’s north, to the extreme northern climes of the Canadian Arctic, to the sacred steps of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa.
Fullerton joined in the Swan River patrol six years ago, soon after the patrol first formed, and he didn’t expect that his involvement would take him where it has.
“After being involved in management so long (with my job at Merv’s), my idea was to be the kid at the back,” said Fullerton. “Then, due to good opportunity and good support from my guys here, the opportunities became available, and once I retired, I was extremely fortunate to have the time and to take advantage of these opportunities and participate. Every time I did, it seemed to open up more doors for me.”
Fullerton is now a patrol commander and wilderness first aid instructor who gets to travel all around the country, and eventually beyond to the opposite side of the globe.
“I was quite apprehensive my first six months (with the Canadian Rangers),” said Fullerton. “I didn’t know if I was going to stay in it, but we have a good team in Winnipeg and that’s part of what made the difference. My Ranger instructors are all half my age, but the attitude they have towards everything is so cool and they’re good people that are easy to work with.
“I can’t imagine being retired and merely sitting around and reading a book. I’m all over the place, and the stuff we do is sometimes physically very challenging. I’m doing things I never thought I’d be capable of doing. It’s very rewarding and I’m having so much fun. And, it’s benefiting a lot of other people, directly and indirectly, and having a good team makes a huge difference.”
Jones echoes the sentiment that Fullerton is a great colleague.
“Although I’m his instructor, I don’t see myself as his boss,” he said. “I haven’t been in this role long, but I can tell that he’s going to be a joy to work with and the rest of the Swan River patrol.”

Benito held some activities to celebrate Canada, including hosting a classic car show at Buffalo Junction on July 1. Brad Kushniryk checks out some classic cars on display. Benito also held a pancake breakfast and supper to celebrate the 158th birthday of Canada...