At long last, the SVRSS Cultural Arts Centre is officially open for use, with the grand opening being celebrated on Saturday (Jan. 24).
Among those in attendance were Swan Valley School Division staff and students, alongside council and band members of Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation (WSFN) and Sapotaweyak Cree Nation (SCN), municipal leaders, and provincial government representatives.
Keynote speakers for the grand opening included Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Nellie Kennedy, WSFN Chief Elwood Zastre, and SCN Chief Nelson Genaille, as well as guest speaker Caroline Quill, an elder from SCN who played an important part in the design of the facility.
Other dignitaries who were in attendance were Manitoba Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations Glen Simard, Swan River MLA Rick Wowchuk, Lac du Bonnet MLA Wayne Ewasko, and Northwest Metis Council Minister Peter Fleming.
SVSD Board Chair Gary Wowchuk took the audience on a journey through the historical timeline of the project, beginning from the days of the Glacial Lake Agassiz and the evidence of Indigenous peoples living on the shores of Lake Agassiz in what would now be the Swan Valley, all the way through the days when Treaty 4 was signed and how the culture of the Indigenous people of Manitoba informed the design elements of the space, and made room for traditional ceremonial practices that were otherwise lacking on the campus of the SVRSS.
The day started by making use of the new facility for that ceremony, with Firekeepers doing their best to keep a fire going outside in the fire circle on a morning that may likely be the coldest morning of the year. A pipe ceremony was also performed inside the space behind the main formal stage, a space that incorporates significant symbolism of Indigenous culture.
In his message, Kinew acknowledged the bus crash that stunned the community of Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, the Swan Valley, and the entire province, which happened just over one week prior. Kinew had visited the three students that were sent to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.
“We’re definitely going to be praying for these communities and for the broader community in the region,” he said. “We should also be grateful for resilient young people all across Manitoba.
“Let’s keep providing a good education and investing in wonderful facilities like this, and let’s build up this Province of Manitoba even more into the place we’re so proud of today, so our children and grandchildren can inherit a place that they’re proud of in the future.”
Following the program, the Cultural Arts Centre was open to the general public so anyone could come and view the much anticipated end product.
The $16.6 million investment into the project brought a 4,200 square foot cultural arts centre featuring a large auditorium with a raised stage, a 2,100 square foot multi-purpose room and an outdoor teaching area located adjacent to the cultural arts centre.
The space was developed in consultation with Indigenous community leaders to incorporate Indigenous learning and cultural practices. The cultural arts centre will celebrate Indigenous histories, cultures, languages, traditional values and worldviews, and will feature programming that incorporates oral traditions and storytelling, land stewardship and resource management presentations, medicine wheel teachings and smudging. Programming will also include jigging, drumming, powwows and hand drum singing.
“As mayor, I’m proud to see this investment in Swan River Valley that strengthens both education and community,” said Town of Swan River Mayor Lance Jacobson in a follow-up press release. “These new spaces will not only enrich student learning but also provide opportunities for cultural expression and collaboration that benefit the entire region.”

Local snow sculptor Derryl May continued his work on his latest front-yard piece on a frigid Saturday afternoon (Jan. 24). In about a week’s time, he expects the final piece to be revealed.

Representatives from Dillon Consulting and the Province of Manitoba visited Swan River on Tuesday (Dec. 16) to present information on the roundabout design that is currently being planned for the intersection of Hwy. No. 10 and Hwy. No. 83, as well as collect feedback from residents and businesspeople and address the concerns from locals.

Normally, when Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) plans on spending millions of dollars in your area, there usually is appreciation that the provincial department is spending part of their capital budget in your area.
In the case of a major improvement to the intersection of Hwy. No. 83 and Hwy. No. 10, MTI is being asked to pump the brakes and consult the community before continuing on with the planned design: a single-lane roundabout that is intended to accommodate the large, heavy traffic that exists in our logging and agricultural community.
A consultation that at first was being left up to the Town of Swan River, before MTI decided at last to organize an Information and Education Session today from 4-8 p.m. at the Veterans Community Hall to share the detailed designs and project plans directly with the people in the region.
“The process of the Town requesting a change to this intersection began well before I got on council, going back maybe 20 years or so,” said Town of Swan River Mayor Lance Jacobson. “Council was lobbying on behalf of citizens that were complaining about the intersection that was unsafe for turning vehicles.”
Part of the safety concerns is the lack of a left-turn priority on a four-lane intersection, where it becomes difficult to see sufficiently down two lanes of traffic when turning left heading north or south and facing a larger vehicle.
Once the traffic studies were done to see if the flow warranted a significant improvement to the intersection that falls under the jurisdiction of MTI, potential solutions began coming up after 2018.
“During the time leading up to that, council was saying we wanted a turning lane,” said Jacobson. “In our minds, that seemed pretty clear that a turning lane or a turning light was the easiest thing. We see them in a lot of different cities, outside of Manitoba as well. Just have a blinking arrow that blinks for a little while to allow some traffic to move before clearing up the intersection and allowing everyone else to move forward.”
Jacobson added that council learned that adding a mere left-turn signal to the existing intersection would not meet the current MTI engineering standards for an intersection of that type and that level of traffic.
In 2020, council was presented with two design options to choose from for what the eventual improvement could look like: four lanes reduced to three with the middle lane being a left-turn lane, protected by a concrete median that would extend back far enough that the businesses adjacent to the intersection would be blocked off from left turn access, such as downtown traffic travelling to Qwik Stop on the north-west corner; or, a single-lane roundabout that still had concrete medians extending into Main Street, but shorter, and provided better left-turn access to adjacent businesses.
“At the time, council said they supported the roundabout,” said Jacobson. “But, in our minds at the time, we thought there was going to be a public consultation.”
At the time, EngageMB posted a voluntary survey to gauge public opinion on the intersection improvement. The Town did not feel the information was presented fairly enough, and conducted their own survey, which came up with different results that saw most public support going towards a mere left-turn signal with no protected left-turn lane, as in no concrete median.
MTI was planning to continue with designing a roundabout as initially recommended, and Town council felt this needed another look. On May 3, 2022, Town council passed another resolution requesting MTI to hold a public consultation regarding the roundabout, especially if installing a non-protected left-turn signal was off the table.
“We felt that was key because we didn’t want to be making that decision,” said Jacobson.
Fast-forward closer to present day, two years after an election that sees a government change and another minister in charge of infrastructure, council was assured that a consultation would be held, even if the roundabout was the option that was currently being pursued, a consultation that has finally arrived today, which promises to show details on the dimensions and how significantly large traffic can be expected to navigate it successfully.
Jacobson noted that council was never really a fan of either option that was initially proposed, but remains on the record for recommending a roundabout design, with the caveat that MTI should earn the trust of the people with a public consultation.
“I know a lot of people still say something needs to be done with the intersection, but (MTI) is the one that does the traffic analysis and setting goals to be sure the highways are safe and that traffic keeps moving. It might come down to saying that maybe we don’t do anything and put this on the shelf for the next 20 years.”
Jacobson also sees that this intersection affects more than just the Town of Swan River residents, but affects the neighbouring communities and all traffic that comes through Swan River, especially considering that Hwy. No. 10 is one of two major highways in Manitoba that leads to the North.
However, Jacobson noted that a discussion of the intersection improvement has never been officially discussed at a G4 meeting amongst the Town of Swan River, Municipality of Swan Valley West, Municipality of Minitonas-Bowsman and RM of Mountain.
“I’ve had a conversation with a few of the Reeves, but I’ve never said my position on it,” he said. “I’ve just said that we’ve had a conversation with MTI and have been lobbying to make it a safer intersection.”
Jacobson also noted that he has not made recommendations to his fellow elected council members outside of the Town as to what they should be advocating for regarding the intersection improvements, despite some publicly stated suggestions from Municipality of Swan Valley West Reeve Bill Gade that Jacobson asked them to oppose a roundabout.
“That’s absolutely false, and anyone that says that is not telling the truth,” said Jacobson. “I have never spoke with a member of any municipality or councillor to say that they should oppose it when they get a chance to speak with an MTI representative or minister. They have their own minds and can speak with their own mouths.
“If they choose to voice their opinions, they have the opportunity to do the same at the public meeting or directly with the Infrastructure Minister.”
Jacobson also said that the scope of this project is quite large and construction could be disruptive for one or two years, according to the information he has been given. Some residents may recall a Main Street renewal project that saw part of downtown Swan River torn down to gravel for a significant time more than 15 years ago.
However, projects of this type are expected to be an investment that serves the needs of a community for decades, and not necessarily just what is needed at this exact moment.
“This consultation is part of a process, and it’s not a slam dunk,” said Jacobson. “MTI is going to do their consult, take it back to their engineers and share the feedback from Swan River, (the Town) will provide their feedback, and the government will make a decision from there.
“Some people think that the shovels are going into the ground in the spring when the project hasn’t even gone to tender. This has to go through the consultation period first. There was talk that perhaps it might start next summer, but it hasn’t been put to tender but it’s possible it might not start until 2027.”
The opportunity to speak about the project in person takes place at the Veterans Community Hall tonight from 4-8 p.m.. If you’ve missed that window, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Lisa Naylor’s contact information is 204·945·3723 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Deputy Minister Ryan Klos’ information is 204·945·3768 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Snowmobilers and others that like to traverse the north trails of the North Mountain Riders in the Porcupine Hills will soon have a brand new warm-up shack on one of the best look-out spots of that entire trail system.
A project that has taken two years to gain approval from relevant parties, such as Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation, Manitoba Conservation and Manitoba Historical Society, the North Mountain Riders have successfully fundraised for and are well on their way to building a warm-up shack at the Bellsite Look-out, only four miles from Hwy. No. 10 on their trail system, not far from the community of Bellsite.
“From there, you can see the community of Bellsite, all the farmland, all the way to Swan Lake and Lake Winnipegosis,” said North Mountain Riders President Bert Sutherland.
“This is an important shelter to have because it is in a pocket where we didn’t have anything else closeby for people to enjoy themselves. The next shack was at Olsen Lake and from Olsen Lake to Mafeking is an hour and 20 minutes. Now we have this gem in the middle of nowhere.”
The Bellsite Look-out shelter ended up costing the club only $66,000 in donations, sponsorships and grants to put it together, plus lots of donated materials. Labour to put it all together has been completely free and likely could have cost close to $90,000 if someone got paid to build it.
“I’ve probably put 80+ hours into it myself and I’m just one man,” said Sutherland.
Lots of the materials were hauled up prior to the spring melt, leaving the builders to get to work come spring time. As of the end of June, the exterior structure was done, with the next steps to be putting on the roofing material and weather wrapping the outside walls. Well on their way, the club’s plan is to have it weather sealed by fall and finished well before snowmobile season comes around.
And, this is not just some thrown-together shelter. In addition to the standard features of the warm-up shelter such as a wood stove, gas barbecue, AM/FM radio and a few places to sit down, the interior will be finished with tongue-and-groove pine boards, LED lights powered by solar panels, 110-volt electrical system that can be powered by a generator, fire pit and seating outside, and enough space to seat 30 people inside, roughly 480 square feet of room inside and another 480 square feet between the two attached decks.
“This will be our biggest shelter,” said Sutherland. “Our next biggest is our Whitefish Shack at 320 square feet.”
With the layout of the windows and doors on the front of the shelter, it will feel like it’s almost entirely glass, letting lots of light in.
“This has been something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” Sutherland added. “I know the community of Bellsite has a lot of interest in it. They’ve shown really good support. We’ve helped them with their poker derby before and this will bring a little more attention to their little town.”
While the project is coming along well, Sutherland also noted that more hands are always needed to do everything that needs to be done on the work. Even if you aren’t a carpenter, helping keep the place tidy or doing other tasks is appreciated.
“We can use all the help we can get,” he said. “We need bodies with gloves.”
If interested in volunteering for the project, contact Bert Sutherland at 204·734·0184.
Once the project is complete, the North Mountain Riders will plan a grand opening with any community members welcome to join, with a plan to provide a shuttle to the top of the hill for those that don’t have their own snowmobile. Keep an eye out in the late fall for an announcement for that.

It’s a year of infrastructure changes and more on the Swan River Valley Agricultural Society (SRVAS) Grounds as the board and volunteers prepare for this year’s upcoming NorthWest Round-up and Exhibition, taking place from July 25-28.
In addition to the previously announced repainting and refurbishment of the main grandstand – which also includes repair of the fencing at the top and installment of a new wheelchair ramp on the south side – one of the big projects this year is a brand new light horse arena to replace the old one. The costs were covered by a yet-to-be-announced corporate sponsor.
“We’ve had lots of volunteers come in to tear down the old one and put the new one in,” said SRVAS President Lesley Sembaluk. “The new design has more of a multi-purpose use which can be used for 4-H events, gymkhana and different activities.”
Sembaluk added that the posts and gates of the arena will be painted to match that of their corporate sponsor.
Some other upgrades and improvements will be to the heavy horse barn, to accommodate the horses and riders that will be arriving for the Musical Ride of the RCMP.
“They won’t be here in time for the parade on Friday morning, but they will be arriving Friday and performing Saturday and Sunday afternoons after the rodeo,” said Sembaluk.
Because costs of things like providing hay for the horses needs to yet be covered, people are able to Adopt a Horse for the Musical Ride and have their pictures taken to be displayed in the stalls of the heavy horse barn.
Sembaluk also noted that the Musical Ride of the RCMP is something that some of her committee members have been working on for several years, and is pleased they were able to bring it to this year’s event.
Relating to that theme, this year’s Swan Valley Chamber of Commerce parade will also be themed RCMP Musical Ride. The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Friday (June 26) and usually includes dozens of businesses, families and organizations driving their vehicles and floats down Main Street and back up Second Street North towards the SRVAS Grounds.
There will not be bouncy castles this year, due to the need to accommodate the Musical Ride of the RCMP, but Sembaluk added that they have brought in an outfit that will be providing a pony ride ring and a petting zoo, a new addition to the grounds this year.
There will be no Saturday night dance or musical performance this year, and the Friday night dance will see a departure away from Ken Thompson’s usual talents, as he was unavailable this year. Instead, Friday night will be more of a coffeehouse style event.
“We’re making it into a community showcase,” said Sembaluk, adding that a band will still be available, and liquor will still be served, but it will have more of that coffeehouse vibe, which proves to be a popular event in the area, often held at various locations in the Swan Valley.
Those that would like to sign up for the Friday night coffeehouse are welcome to contact 204·734·0940. Performers can also sign up at the door. It will take place at 8 p.m. at the Veterans Community Hall. Tickets are $10.
And, what often proves to be the biggest show of all and one of the biggest attractions of the NorthWest Round-up and Exhibition, this year will see the second ever Western Canadian Chuckwagon Championship and Western Canadian Junior Chariot Championship, which sees some of the best wagon and chariot riders in Western Canada competing every evening during the four-day event. Chariots are scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. every day, with chuckwagons at 6 p.m..
Entry to the grandstands is included with the one-pay gate admission to the Grounds.
Tickets to the North-West Round-up and Exhibition are $25 for adults, $15 for youth ages 6-17 and free for children five and under.
Adult and youth weekend passes are also available for $75 and $45.
Until July 19, early bird pricing is also available with discount code SAVE2024 at eventbrite.com or by purchasing at the SRVAS office located on the Grounds.
A historic noteworthy thing about this year as well is Sembaluk is the first ever Indigenous president of the SRVAS. As such, a Metis flag that was presented to last year’s president Austen Anderson by Northwest Metis Council Vice President Frances Chartrand will be erected on the grounds to fly all weekend long. The Metis flag, along with the Treaty 4 flag, the Manitoba flag and the Canadian flag will be flown during the opening ceremonies.
“Cree Star Gifts is going to be on site again this year,” said Sembaluk. “They were here last year and they were a big thing.”
Sembaluk also noted that a local organization will be starting up the Bingo booth again for the first time in a few years, highlighting that the money will be staying within the community.
More information on the NorthWest Round-up and Exhibition can be found on northwestroundup.ca or on the Swan River Valley Agricultural Society Facebook page.
“We’ll see how this year rolls out,” Sembaluk concluded. “There’s a lot of good changes.”