By Marianne Curtis

Years of planning recently came to fruition when theprovince announced a partnership with Niverville Holdingsand South Eastman Health that will see the construction ofa new 80-bed personal care home in Niverville. On June 30, representatives from the province, includingLa Verendrye MLA Ron Lemieux, were personally on handto announce that Manitoba Health will provide $1.7 millionin new operating funds to support the project. This includesfunding a special-care unit for residents with dementia,aggression and other challenging behaviors. “This new facility will address the need for additionalpersonal-care home beds as the population ages, while

reducing the disruption of services and the effects on thelives of residents by moving the facility to a location lesslikely to be affected by flooding,” stated Lemieux. The current personal-care home in St. Adolphe was builtin 1906 and a new facility is needed to continue to providequality personal care for area residents over the long term.The community-owned Niverville Heritage Holdings, whichowns the personal-care home in St. Adolphe, plans to replacethe existing 42-bed facility with a new 80-bed facility inNiverville. When Niverville Holdings initialized the projectseveral years ago, it was estimated to cost $11.5 million. Gord Daman, Board Chair for Niverville Heritage Holdings,said it was an emotional day to finally announce this project

Niverville Nursing Home Gets Nod

Gord Daman, from Niverville Holdings, shows La Verendrye MLA Ron Lemieux the plans for a new personal care home that will be constructed inNiverville so that the group can relocate current beds from St. Adolphe and expand services in the region.

Continued on page 3

By Marianne Curtis

As of July 1, residents in the RM of Ste. Anne no longerhave access to curb side recycling thanks to a decisionmade by the municipal council. The RM of Ste. Anne council has decided that insteadof looking into options to expand or improve theirmunicipal recycling program, they cancelled it completely,leaving it up to residents whether to not recycle or haulmaterials to drop off sites on their own. Reeve Art Bergmann says that it seems “harsh” but themunicipality is not prepared to pay for a service they hadpreviously received for free. Until seven months ago, Blue Sky Recycling, has pickedup materials and not charged the municipality. The non-profit organization was run by Dawson TrailOpportunities using subsidies from the governmentbecause it was providing employment opportunities forhandicapped individuals. However, when the provincestepped in and shut down Dawson Trail Opportunities,the recycling service was also affected. Réal Sarrasin of R&R Pickup holds the garbage pickupcontract for Paradise Village. He says that he picks upgarbage on a per user basis and as a courtesy, he startedpicking up the recycling that people also put out.

RM of Ste. AnneDitches Recycling

Program

The Gardenton Ukrainian Festival is gearing up foranother weekend with two days of activities for all ages. The two-day event, which celebrates the rich Ukrainianheritage of the area, will kick off July 9 with a traditionalUkrainian supper and dance. Tickets are $15. Gates open on Sunday, July 10, at 10 a.m. for a day filledwith traditional dancing and tons of local entertainment.Admission is $10. Performances include entertainment by the Fraser RiverBoys Orchestra; Jayden Chornoboy; Zoloto UkrainianDancers; Mahutney Ukrainian Dancers; Bill Scherbatiukand Anne Pleskach and Vita’s own Susydka Dancers. While there visit the community’s museum, whichincludes an original thatched roof house from 1899 andan original community school house from 1909.

Continued on page 2

Ukrainian FestivalSlated for Gardenton

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!2

“As of November, Dawson TrailOpportunities was unable to pick uprecycling anymore, so we startedpicking it up – but we could not doit for free,” Sarrasin explained. “Weasked for $2 per household and wepicked it up as the same time as wewere picking up their garbage.” Initially, he says the municipalitydragged their feet because they didnot know how they would chargeresidents then he was sent a letterfrom the municipality saying theyshould not have to pay for recyclingwhen they used to get it for free.After doing his homework, he cameback with an annual fee of $25 perhousehold that could have beenadded to residents’ property taxes. Laurie Evans, deputy reeve for theRM of Ste. Anne confirmed thatSarrasin had been taking up the slackbut the municipality did not find itfeasible to keep it going. “There is a significant number ofpeople that do not have garbagepickup contracts so to do amunicipal wide service if they are notalready getting pickup it was notfeasible,” explained Evans. “Wesupported him at $1,000 per monthbut it was not expanding the service,it was keeping the service that wasalready there.” Evans is disappointed to see theprogram come to a close.

Continued from page 1

No Recyclecontinued...

“I would like to see a programdeveloped but I do not see how it isgoing to float on a municipal-widebasis – the money we get from theprovince is minimal and it would costtoo much to get to every individualhome.” Putting up bins or setting up dropoff sites was also looked at, butaccording to Evans, “there is nointerest” that he is aware of to putup bins or provide pickup service. “I think residents understand thedilemma that we are in, but we don’tsee any alternative at this time,”Evans concluded. Each year the Manitoba ProductStewardship Program paysmunicipalities a fixed funding figurefor recyclables collected within theirboundaries. Funding is providedbased on how much recycling hasbeen collected. Each year, the RMof Ste. Anne has fallen to the bottomof the list when it came to how muchrecycling comes in per capita. On thelast municipal report card issued in

2005, 22,820 tonnes a year wascollected. Sarrasin claims that sincehe took over the program inNovember that number hasincreased to up to 12 metric tons amonth which will now be hauled tothe Steinbach Landfill unlessanother solution is found. “We need over fifty percent of theresidents in the RM of Ste. Anne tocome forward if they want to maintainor improve recycling in themunicipality, otherwise there is notmuch we can do,” concludedSarrasin. Paradise Village, because it is aprivate 55-plus community hasnever been included in the “reportcard” figures. Before the recyclingpickup was cancelled, 90 percent ofresidents did recycle. If this figurewas included in the statistic, theresult for the rural municipality couldhave presented a more positivefigure. La Verendrye MLA Ron Lemieuxwas cornered at a meeting in Richerrecently by concerned residentsfrom both Richer and ParadiseVillage asking for help to restore theprogram. “Kids today are educated torecycle. It is a very positive thingthat has been part of school for manyyears,” said Lemieux. “This seemslike a step backwards but there isalways another side of the story.”Lemieux assured residents he wouldbring up the topic at a meeting hehad with the RM of Ste. Annecouncil in the next few days to see ifthere was anything the provincialgovernment could do to re-establishthe recycling program. He also toldresidents he would speak to hiscolleagues to see what programswere available.

By Marianne Curtis

Local car club enthusiasts are being encouraged to show up en masse ata rally on July 8 along Broadway Boulevard in Winnipeg. The event, called Collector Appreciation Day, is being planned to showthe province and other government organizations that car clubs are notgatherings of punks or car collectors but are more about people who areinterested in using their passion for vehicles to better their communities. Sam Slobodesky, a car enthusiast and member of the Steinbach LionsClub, is encouraging collectors or anyone that belongs to a car club toparticipate in the event. “I am encouraging all car clubs or car enthusiasts to join this event sowe can show up in force,” explained Slobedesky. “We need to keep ourpassions alive and not let the governments push us off the roadways.” In recent years, owners of classic cars have been painted in a negativelight due to activities that take place in Winnipeg, usually on Sundaynight cruise night. With media focus on the negative side of the hobby,less attention seems to go towards the community work that car clubs do.For example, the Steinbach Lions club and local community car enthusiastsraise thousands of dollars each year with the Wheels of Hope car show,which takes place annually in Steinbach at the beginning of June. Moneyraised at the event is used to purchase mobility equipment for residentswithin the southeast. Bob Chubala, Chairman of the Manitoba Association of Auto Clubs,explains further, “This is not a car show – it’s a showing of cars,” statedChubala. “We want to show politicians and the general public what collectorvehicle organizations do for the community and far beyond.” The event will encompass Memorial Boulevard, Sections of BroadwayAvenue, the Provincial Legislature grounds, and Memorial Park. The timeof the event is 3 p.m. until 11 p.m., with opening ceremonies to take placeat 6 p.m. in front of the Provincial Legislature Building. Local organizations who are participating by bringing in cars are alsobeing encouraged to use the event for further fundraising for theircommunity organizations or causes. For more information on the event, contact Deb Kozeluh, member of theManitoba Camaro Club. Especially confirm attendance atdkozeluh@shaw.ca or (204) 633-5537.

Local Car Clubs Fight toKeep Passion on Road

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 3

is moving forward. “This facility will allow us to create special care so that individualswill be able to stay in the community and have the one-on-one carethat they require,” stated Daman. “This unit will ensure that the specialneeds of not only residents in the southeast but south Winnipeg willbe met in a holistic care setting.” The board of South Eastman Health is pleased with theannouncement added John Stinson, South Eastman Health CEO. “This new facility will go a long way towards reducing wait timelists in our region,” Stinson noted. The new facility will be built next to the Niverville Heritage Centre,an 80,000-square-foot complex that is home to a primary health-carecentre, a medical clinic, physiotherapy and dental clinics, a daycareand an event centre. It will also be next to the Niverville Credit UnionManor, an assisted-living and supportive-care residence for seniorsand people with disabilities. While Niverville Holdings is excited about opening a facility inNiverville, Daman said they are still working with the RM of Ritchoton a plan for the existing facility or site in St. Adolphe. “When the new facility in Niverville is completed, we will announcewhat kind of housing we will have for the seniors in St. Adolphe,”Daman continued. Construction of the new facility in Niverville is expected to begin inthe fall with an expected completion date in 2013.

Continued from page 1

Nivervillecontinued...

By Marianne Curtis

At the end of May, the SusydkaUkrainian Dancers added the colorGold to their costuming when theytook home four medals aftercompeting in the Teulon UkrainianDance Competition. Over the weekend of May 28 and29, Vita’s Susydka Ukrainian Dancerscompeted in the 23rd annual VeselkaUkrainian Festival. While there, thegroup was among 16 different danceclubs competing in approximately 80competitions over the weekend. Larissa Bodz, President of theSusydka Ukrainian Dancers, isthrilled with the wins. “The club entered a dance fromeach class and we won four medals,”stated Bodz. “Our dancers are rankedhighly and represent our communitywith pose and grace.”

Vita Dancers Shine inTeulon Competition

Jacquie Humphreys, Tyra Bodz, Nichol Adolphe, Jeanine Brandt; Kayla Adolphe, CaitlynCuré, Seaira Shewchuk, Sydney Ludtke won gold dancing the Pol’iska Polka (average age11).

Above: Winning gold for performing the Musiky from Poltava Region (under 7 years ofage): Back Row – Shandelle Monastyrski, Johnathan Bially, Taylor Bially, Riley Shewchuk,Rebecca Thibodeau, Dayle Bially. Front – Cheyenne Curé, Michael Thibodeau, Erin Adolphe.This group also received the one of the highest marks (95 out of 100) at the competition.

Above: The gold winning Cossaky (average age 14) was performed by Logan Bodz, BrentMarynowski, Jared Tymofichuk.

Right: Group 4 performed the Dvudensivka(age 15-17) Larissa Bodz, SamanthaTymofichuk, Tanisha Witnicki, CassandraCuré; Jeanine Brandt, Tyra Bodz, NicholAdolphe (missing Megan Nickel).

By Marianne Curtis

On June 15, South Eastman Health announced thatthe province has named John Stinson as the healthauthority’s new chief executive officer. South Eastman Health board chairperson GuyLévesque was pleased to announce the appointmentof Stinson as Chief Executive Officer effective June20. “John brings sound knowledge of the RHAoperations and understanding of the complexity ofhealthcare to the position,” stated Levesque. “Weare confident that he will lead South Eastman Healtheffectively towards achieving wellness and the bestpossible health for all residents of theSoutheast.” Stinson has spent over 25 years in health care andsocial services, including as vice president of AcuteCare and Planning for South Eastman Health. Whilein this position he was responsible for strategic andhealth planning, acute care, capital planning,diagnostic services, quality and risk assessment andreporting for the health authority. “There are unique challenges to providing healthcare in this fast growing and incredibly diverseregion,” Stinson stated. “I see my role largely as beinga facilitator who brings together the knowledge,passion and commitment of our board, staff andpartners to continue providing the best possible careand services to residents in the region.” He has also worked as a health educator andcommunity facilitator, worked as a policy advisor andmanager for Health Canada, and worked as a seniorhealth executive in both private and public sectors.He was Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate andProvincial Program Support for Manitoba Health. Stinson’s appointment makes him the third CEO thathas led the board of South Eastman Health since itsconception. He follows the footsteps of MoniqueVielfaure Mackenzie and Reg Toews. Both havemoved on but continue to work within the health caresystem.

New CEO for SouthEastman Health

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!4

The Dawson Trail Dispatch is a monthly newspaperdistributed free of charge to

50 Southeastern Manitoba communities.Published by: One One Consultants Inc.

Box 308, Richer, MB R0E 1S0 Phone: (204) 422-8548 Fax: (204) 422-9768

Dan Guetre, Managing EditorOne One Consultants Inc., Publisher

News Writers: Marianne Curtis, and Dan GuetreColumnists: Lee Guetre, Peter Friesen, Anni Markmann, Peter Martens,

Production/Design: Dan Guetre, Myriam Dyck,Linda Bennett and Wilma Priebe

Advertising: Karen Jorgenson and Dan Guetre

For Advertising Call:Phone: (204) 422-8548

Fax: (204) 422-9768Email: sales@dawsontrail.ca

Serving the communities along the historic Dawson Trail and beyond.

Subscriptions: $29.95 annually plus GST for Canadian Subscriptions.$52.95 annually for International Subscriptions

Canada Post AgreementNumber 42079020

I am pleased to announce thatMinister of Health Teresa Oswaldand I were able to attend agroundbreaking ceremony held inthe town of Ste. Anne for amultimillion-dollar expansion andrenovation to the Ste. Annehospital, which will soon benefitcommunities in the surroundingarea. The Ste. Anne Hospital plays acritical role in providing servicesto the ever-growing population ofthe southeast area, this hospitalexpansion will deliver more healthservices closer to home for patientsand families in the community. The construction and renovationwill start in the coming weeks andis expected to be completed byDecember 2012. Once completed,the hospital will be able to offermore surgical services with morethan four times as many surgicalprocedures, up to over 2,000 from450, being conducted by 2014. Thisincrease will give area residents thehelp they need sooner withoutneeding to leave their community. The hospital’s square footage willincrease by 60 percent. Newfacilities will include two rooms forsurgeries, one room for scopeprocedures, a dedicated andadjoining post-anesthesia careunit, a suite of medical devicereprocessing rooms for cleaningand sterilizing of all reusablehospital items, a family room, staffchange rooms, and new electricaland mechanical space.

As the discomfort of the wetseason subsides and the mentalpicture of noisy “ski-doo riding” andsnow drift shoveling fades frommemory into another bright sunnyday with a magnificent green lushlandscape from horizon to horizon,it is difficult to suppress a smile ofcontentment. Of course, I come from an agewhere this yearly green explosion of rebirth was viewed as a childhoodrite of passage. A time of life where Mark Twain held as much or more swaythan the new fangled invention called TV. A time long ago when immigrantswere falling over each other to assimilate as opposed to the new politicalcorrectness that requires that I compromise. Now, this is a fast new and improved age. Forethought and principlesare fraught with compromise. Now, there is perpetual transfer of electronicnoise, phone, IPad, texting, tweeting, etc. Fast is the important and onlycriteria. I find myself ducking the noisy aspects of the grandchildren’s life. Here is where I need you to picture a canoe slipping through the quietwaters of a Canadian lake. Loons are serenading. What is a loon? Oh hell,son, you’re too young to know. I fail to see the appeal of cross country motorbikes, ATV’s and a wholeslew of noisy contraptions. The knowledge that accidents will happenand grief will follow is, of course, a concern, but whom else but I worriesthat the disturbance of nature is sacrilegious. Ah, but I’ve adapted somewhat. I moved to the edge of the forest. I findthat I must spend more and more time in self-imposed isolation, or shouldI say blessed isolation. Recuperation time is moving way north of thesmall doses as required. My wife is still more in need of the company ofgrandchildren, so I will have to build a drawbridge on the well-defendedmoat I’m contemplating, with perhaps skill testing questions needed tolower this link to depravity. Alas, perfection can’t last. This summer I will hit the road. Exploring the great outdoors and theodd, obligatory one or two cities in construction season. Off to see anotherpart of Canada, knowing full well I love nature armed with only a fishingrod, but my wife loves what glitters, including gold and, heaven forbid,crowds! There will be bruising and pain which I will endure stoically,knowing full well, when all is said and done, I will have experienced moreof this great land which is beckoning to be explored. Wish me luck. This will be a growing experience. My wife’s only lessonin navigation is arm waving, and sometimes very fast, especially when I’mconcentrating totally on heavy traffic, and a new member of our family, asix month old poodle puppy. Maybe I could teach our poodle to bark oncefor right and bark twice for left and don’t, under any circumstances, blockthe right hand mirror with the map. Oh yes, I almost forgot there will be BBQ’s (fish or burgers) and ice-coldbeer and “OFF” after my hard day’s work. Can’t get more Canadian thanthis.

Canadians from coast-to-coast-tocoast gave us a strong mandate inthe May 2nd election to secure oureconomic recovery and implementour low-tax plan to create jobs andeconomic growth. That is why our Government hasre-introduced and passed the NextPhase of Canada’s EconomicAction Plan. In choosing a strong, stable,national, majority Conservativegovernment, Canadians can expectour government to finally makesome steps forward on the manybills that were previously delayeddue to incessant Oppositionbickering. By the end of this session, thelist of measures passed by theHouse will include:- The Next Phase of Canada’sEconomic Action Plan;- The Supporting VulnerableSeniors and Protecting Canada’sEconomic Recovery Act;- An extension of Canada’s

Glorious Summer ‘11Looking Ahead

involvement in the United Nations-sanctioned, NATO-led mission inLibya- The Fair and Efficient CriminalTrials Act – also known as Mega-trials legislation; and,- The main and supplementaryestimates for the services theGovernment delivers to Canadians We have also introduced other keypieces of legislation, including thePreventing Human Smugglers fromAbusing Canada’s ImmigrationSystem Act, and The Senate ReformAct. We have taken action to protectour economy by introducinglegislation to put an end to workstoppages.

And finally, in September, ourGovernment will move forwardquickly with legislation on additionalpriorities, including legislation toscrap the wasteful and ineffectivelong-gun registry. Our Conservative Government doesnot believe in treating law-abidinghunters, farmers and sports shooterslike criminals. We have consistently opposed thismeasure, which does nothing to keepguns out of the hands of criminals. Now that we have been given amajority mandate by Canadians, ourGovernment will end the long-gunregistry once and for all. Please feel free to contact my officeif you have any concerns or issuesyou would like to discuss. You maycontact my office toll free at 1-866-333-1933 or at (204) 326-9889 or in Lacdu Bonnet at (204) 345-9762. You maywrite my office at 8 - 227 Main Street,Steinbach, MB R5G 1Y7, by fax at(204) 346-9874 or by e-mail attoewsv1@parl.gc.ca.

$14.1 Million to Ste. AnneHospital Expansion,

Renovation Another one-third of the hospitalwill undergo renovation includingthe existing operating rooms, whichwill be renovated and converted toprovide 5,800 square feet ofadditional staff support areas. The project is expected to cost$14.1 million, which includes a 10percent contribution from the Ste.Anne Hospital Foundation. Many community members havedone much to support this hospital,which offers critically importanthealth services to families across ourregion and they should becommended for their sustainedefforts and vision.

$7.8 million for Villa Youvilleexpansion

I am also happy to report thatconstruction on the $7.8 millionproject of the Villa Youville, a newaffordable housing project forseniors, is now underway. The 24units will enhance housing qualityand accessibility for seniors in Ste.Anne. The project involves thedemolition of an existing obsoletepersonal care home and itsreplacement with twenty-four unitsof affordable, supportive housing.Twelve of the new units will berented on a rent-geared-to-incomebasis, and the remaining at MedianMarket Rents for the area. Inaddition to working with existinginfrastructure and service supports,this project introduces supportivehousing into the community of Ste.Anne. The project will use

geothermal heating and cooling andincludes a chapel, and expandedkitchen and dining room fundedthrough community fundraising. Our goal is to bring affordable,accessible housing to seniors in ourprovince. The construction of VillaYouville means more seniors cancontinue to live independently,remain in and contribute to thecommunity they call home. This willhelp alleviate the growing demand forseniors housing by providing seniorsin the Ste. Anne area with moreaffordable housing options, allowingthem to stay close to their friends andfamily and continue to contribute totheir communities. This announcement builds on thework of the Age-Friendly ManitobaInitiative to support seniors in leadingactive, socially engaged,independent lives that contribute tohealthy aging. The goal of theinitiative is to make Manitoba themost age-friendly province in Canadaby working with the communities andthe federal government to enhancethe programs and services thatbenefit the well-being of all seniors. As always, I appreciate hearing yourcomments and thoughts on these andother provincial initiatives. Iencourage you to contact me by e-mail (rlemieuxmla@mts.net), by phone(878-4644), or by mail at 101-1309Dawson Road, Box 517, Lorette, MBR0A 0Y0 and together we cancontinue to move La Verendrye andManitoba forward.

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 5

This spring brought Manitobansa very different kind of blizzard thanwhat we have become accustomedto in our climate. This blizzard camein the form of News Releases andannouncements from the provincialNDP government desperate to holdon to power as a fall election drawsnear. Because of provincial electionlaws, those announcements will endin the first days of July as arestriction on governmentannouncements 90 days prior to theOctober 4th election date kicks in.Contained within the literallyhundreds of announcementsreleased just prior to the deadlineare some good projects andinitiatives that should never havetaken 11 years to finally become apriority for the NDP. There are also a number ofimportant initiatives that the NDPhave rejected over their time in officeand only now, faced with an election,are they supporting them. One ofthose is a law to end MPI benefitsto car thieves who are injured inaccidents after they crash stolenvehicles. In 2007, ManitobaProgressive Conservatives pleadedwith the government to end thesepayments from MPI to car thieveswho had willingly put themselvesand others at risk. The NDP government rejected andvoted against legislation to endthese payments. They said it wouldbe “mean spirited” to cut off benefitsto car thieves. Every NDP MLAvoted to keep paying car thievesMPI benefits. Only in the last coupleof months have they reversed theirposition and reluctantly ended thesebenefits, knowing it would be anelection issue. Another announcement was adecision by the NDP to reverse theirprevious decision to cut funds for

Blizzard of Announcementson Election Eve

therapy to kids with autism. Whilethe decision to continue supportingtherapy for children with autism iswelcome, it seems that it only cameas a result of a pending election anda government desperate to hold onto power. Also this past month, the NDPpassed legislation that I introducedfour years ago that will providefunding support to help battle childpornography. Under the legislation,those who are involved in childpornography will pay to support thevictims of this horrendous crime.Unfortunately, the NDP governmentvoted against this legislation for fouryears, only now accepting itbecause an election is coming. The blizzard of announcements bythe NDP government just prior toan election contained some goodinitiatives. Unfortunately, so manyof them had been ignored or rejectedby the NDP over the past 11 years itmight leave many Manitobans withthe feeling that they are just gettingsnowed under by a governmentdesperate to cling to power. I appreciate your comments andconcerns. If you have anycomments on these or other issues,you can contact me by writing, #3 –227 Main Street, Steinbach, MBR5G 1Y7, by phone at (204) 326-5763,by fax at (204) 346-9913, by e-mail atkelvin.goertzen@leg.gov.mb.ca orby visiting my website atwww.kelvingoertzen.com.I look forward to hearing from you.

The City of Steinbach is happy to report that in a mere five hours, nearly6,000 litres of used motor oil was kept out of the landfill during a one-daycollection event. On June 8, the City of Steinbach invited residents to bring in their usedoil to the community’s Eco Center, which is located at the communitylandfill. “In five hours, the staff at the Steinbach Landfill took in 5,971 liters ofused oil,” confirmed Ed Wallman, on behalf of the Solid Waster Department. In exchange, residents received a free liter of oil for every five liters ofused motor oil that was brought into the depot. A total of 757 liters of freeoil was distributed.

A young boy from Steinbach hada dream come true when hediscovered that he was the winnerof the City’s Share the Road bikecontest. Seven-year-old NathanielGillings responded to the news ofhis win with a hop in the air, a largesmile, and an exclamation of‘awesome!’ Although it may be ayear or two until Nathaniel fits hisnew bike, he was confident hewould grow into it. The City of Steinbach’s PublicWorks Department had a Share theRoad booth at the Summer in theCity Festival with a free draw towin a new bike. The City waspromoting safe cycling thissummer for both cyclists anddrivers alike through thecommunity’s Share the Roadprogram.

Oil Collection CleansUp Community

Nathaniel poses on his new bike with Councillor Jac Siemens (left) and Public Works Dept.Head, Randy Reimer (right)

7-Year-OldWins Bike

A truck driver from Niverville wasone of five finalists that earned theright to represent their industry inthe National Professional DrivingChampionship in the fall. On June 25 John Klassen, adriver for WM Dyck and Sons, wasone of the five finalists that wereamong 39 drivers competing to berecognized as one of the province’stop professional drivers. He wonthe award for being the top driverin the category of single tandem,an award that he has earnedbefore. At the event drivers competedin six classes – step van, straighttruck, single-single, single-tandem, tandem-tandem and SuperB Train – participating in threedifferent tests. These included awritten test, pre-trips/defects andthe track throughout the course ofthe day. Klassen and the other drivers willrepresent Team Manitoba at the2010 National Professional TruckDriving Championship held thisyear in Calgary, September 8 to 11. Also recognized at the event wasMarc Cohen from Big Freight inSteinbach. He was recognized asa First Time Entrant.

ProfessionalDriver Wins

Award

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!6

By Marianne Curtis

South Eastman’s Regional SuicidePrevention Committee is ecstaticover the success of their first “Outof the Blue Campaign”. At the endof May, the organization hosted the“blue gala” where schools,communities and individuals wererecognized for doing their bit inraising awareness on suicideprevention. The South Eastman RegionalSuicide Prevention Committee wasbusy during the month of Apriladdressing suicide prevention. Theobjective of the program is toincrease awareness and developbroad-based support for positivemental health. A variety of activitiesand programs were launchedthroughout the region to bringawareness in suicide preventionwhere it is needed most. At a special gala, 225 guestsdressed in blue came out to celebrateas awards were handed out to anumber of groups and individuals. Deb Taillefer, Regional MentalHealth Program Manager with SouthEastman Health, said that whilemany people were recognized duringthe evening, the real winners werelocal residents. “The real winnersare all the residents of the South Eastas we take huge leaps towardbreaking down barriers and reducingstigma attached to mental health andmental illness,” stated Taillefer. “The

Local Schools and CommunitiesSweep the Out of the Blue Awards

Excited students lined the blue carpet during South Eastman Health’s recent “Out of the Blue” Gala event.

campaign was supposed to getpeople talking about mental health,promote help seeking behaviors andspread hope. Given theoverwhelming success of ouractivities we are confident that we’vemade progress within the region.” Ecole Saint-Joachim in LaBroquerie and Shevchenko School

in Vita were the stars of the evening,taking home many awards incategories like Blue Video, BlueLunch, Blue Expressions and manyothers. Individuals from thecommunity were also awarded prizesfor literary and visual contributions.Businesses, including SunshineGreenhouse (Steinbach) and Shop

Easy Foods (St-Malo), andcommunity groups like St-Pierre enBoom also were winningparticipants. South Eastman’s RegionalSuicide Prevention Committee isalready reviewing the campaign andpreparing to launch an even biggerproject next year.

The Steinbach Humane Society is celebrating a success after hosting their second annual “Paws in the Park”.The one-day event took place on June 4 at AD Penner Park in Steinbach. According to Lisa Rogal, spokesperson for the Steinbach Humane Society, the event was both a success infundraising and participation. “This is our second annual Paws on the Path walkathon and Pets in the Park event and it was a huge success,”stated Rogal. “A huge thank you to everyone who was in any way a part of the Paws on the Path. We had a greattime and raised $2,011 for a wonderful cause.” Money raised at the afternoon event will go towards paying the organization’s vet bills at the Old Country Vet. The Steinbach Humane Society hosts as many fundraising events as possible in an effort to keep their bills ata manageable level. The organization operates through the efforts of a small group of volunteers supported by a number of fosterfamilies that help house pets until they are adopted. The group hopes to have a permanent location for operationsbut have been struggling to gain support from the community and area residents. The next scheduled fundraiser will be the 2nd Annual Paw-sta Night which will take place September 17.

Paws onthe Path

SuccessfulSteinbach Humane

Society Raises Funds

By Marianne Curtis

Several hundred people areexpected to come out to Richer tohelp the community raise funds forthe local historical site whileenjoying a day filled withentertainment and activities. On July 10, the fifth annualCelebration Thibaultville will takeplace at the Enfant-Jésus HeritageSite in Richer. The event has been held yearly forthe past few years to regroupmembers of the community, theirfamilies and friends and to raisefunds for the maintenance of theEnfant-Jésus Heritage Site. Lastyear’s event drew people from allover Manitoba and as far as fromAbbotsford BC. According to Marcel Gauthier theevent is usually a huge success. “The goal for this activity is tooffer an afternoon of friendship andleisure with the community whileraising money for the heritage site,”explained Gauthier. The one day event will take placeon the Church grounds starting at1:00 p.m. Through the course of theafternoon, there will be a horse-drawn wagon shuttle, a silentauction, a 50/50 draw, food, andseveral free activities for children;clowns with balloons, a fishpond,face painting, and pony rides. Therewill be food, music and a dance withmusic by Michael Audette and TheReal Deal Band, and the DutiaumeBrothers. Attendees could also take a guidedtour of the historic church to viewthe many visual displays of artifacts,photos and historic documents andenter a superb door prize. The annual event has been namedCelebration Thibaultville in honor ofthe first priest to celebrate mass inthe region, Fr. Jean-BaptisteThibault, in 1847. Admission is $10.00 at the gate –children 12 and under free. All profitsfrom this event will be used formaintenance and renovations to theEnfant-Jésus Heritage Site. For moreinformation, contact Yvonne at 422-9369 or Marcel/Patricia at 422-6880.Details can be found online atwww.rc.net/canada/stboniface/enfant-jesus/.

Four Steinbach Regional HighSchool students received medals fortheir participation at a national skillscompetition at the beginning ofJune. The four high school studentsparticipated in an Olympic styleSkills Canada National Competitionthat took place June 1 to 4 in QuebecCity. The Steinbach RegionalSecondary School students werepart of a 63-member team of studentsthat represented Manitoba in the 4-day event. Bringing home gold medals wereDaniel Block in Cabinet Making, CarlHyatt in Car Painting and IngridWieler in IT Software Solutions.Jocelyne O’Brian earned a bronzemedal in Hairstyling.

HundredsExpected to

Attend RicherCelebration

Local Students ShowWell in Quebec

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 7

EMAIL YOUR COMMUNITY EVENT TO EDITOR@DAWSONTRAIL.CAOR FAX 204-422-8548

COMMUNITY EVENTSSt. PierreThe 42nd Frog Follies & Agricultural Fair will be held on a new date, July 14-17. This non-profit event brings together peoplefrom all over for a fun-filled, action packed weekend. Some of the featured activities include one of Manitoba’s premieragricultural exhibition displays and fair, numerous children’s activities, slo-pitch tournament, a parade, fireworks, Sundaynight DJ social, and of course, the Canadian National Frog Jumping Championship. For more information contact Sebastienat 433-2888 or go to www.frogfollies.com.

St. MaloThe St. Malo and District Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday offering a perfect opportunity to buy local. Make it your Saturdaymorning habit! Contact Diane at 204-347-5976 or email dadiki@mts.net for more information. Located behind the St. MaloHotel, 123 St. Malo Street.

NivervilleNiverville Recreation News - In addition to the fun summer camps on July 5 we will have a Mom and Baby yoga and SunriseYoga will start. On July 6 evening yoga will be starting. Then on July 9 our Zumba classes will begin. We invite everyone to comeout and enjoy our outdoor education class on essential gear on July 12. The next day, July 13 we encourage you to come andtry Ultimate Frisbee. We will have another outdoor education class on July 21, which will cover “critters”. On July 23 we will learnabout Geo-caching, on the 26th knots will be covered. On August 6 our outdoor education class will be talking about LandNavigation, Weather Prediction / Trail Side Shelter, and Wilderness Survival Skills. Aug 17 please come and try Ultimate Frisbee.Then on Aug 30, Tuff-N-Up Bootcamp will be starting. For more information, please visit the Recreation and Wellness websiteat www.NivervilleActiveLiving.com and click on the “classes, courses and more”, or call the Recreation and Wellness Director,Donna Watts, at 388-4600 ext 110

MitchellMitchell and Area Fun Days, Friday, July 8 to Saturday, July 9 - Lots of free activities for the whole family, pancake breakfast,wagon rides, barrel rides and evening entertainment. Fireworks on Saturday at 10:45 pm. Events take place at Stahn Field,Mitchell.

KleefeldKleefeld Farmer’s Market - The Kleefeld Recreation Association is looking to add vendors for our 1st season Farmer’s Market.Our season will kick off Tuesday, July 19th from 3pm - 7:30 pm and continue every Tuesday into the middle to end off September.We have on site facilities, public washrooms and great public accessibility for our vendors. We also have pop up tents that canbe yours to use on a first come bases, so sign up early and secure your tent. If you have bread, brownies, butter, buns, cakes,cookies, fruit, honey, jam, jelly, muffins, pickles, pie, preserves, vegetables just to name a few off the top or anything else wewant YOU at the Kleefeld Farmers Market. For further information, questions or to register please contact Anna, Market Manager,at 377-4394 or email firstgear@mts.net.

St. LabreJoin us July 16 -17, 2011 for the 3rd annual St. Labre 200, a go-kart build off competition where 12 teams build their own go-karts within 24 hours. Each team hopes that their go-kart, initially a pile of metal and scraps, can be built within 24 hours tobe fast enough and tough enough to endure the grueling 200 quarter mile laps (50 miles) on a roughly groomed dirt track toclaim the St. Labre 200 trophy. People are invited to cheer on their favourite teams and enjoy some of the many activities andlive bands. For info contact Joel Grenier - 429-3241 or Francois Grenier - 424-9068 or go to www.stlabre200.ca.

RicherMark your calendar for our annual community Celebration Thibaultville that will be held on July 10 on the Church Grounds, 1:00to 6:00 p.m. Music and dance by Michael Audette and The Real Deal Band, & the Dutiaume Brothers. Once again, we will havehorse-drawn shuttle from the parking lot, food services (BBQ pork on a bun), silent auction, 50/50 draw, door prize, as well aspony rides and many activities for children. We look forward to seeing you there. Admission is $10.00 at the gate – children 12and under free. All profits from this event will be used for maintenance and renovations to the Enfant-Jésus Heritage Site. Formore information, please call Yvonne at 422-9369, Marcel/Patricia at 422-6880 or visit our website bulletin board for moreinformation on this event: www.rc.net/canada/stboniface/enfant-jesus

SteinbachThe Benefit Ride for Backstage is a Bike Trip to raise funds for YFC Steinbach. The Bike Ride takes place on Saturday, July 9 withregistration from 9 am - 11 am at SAR on Main Street in Steinbach. The route takes riders from Steinbach to Gimli via a plannedscenic route on paved roads. A barbecue lunch will be served in Gimli. The ride ends in Steinbach at the Canadian Tire parkinglot with a fabulous Corn Roast, Barbecue and Concert. The registration fee is $30 per bike plus $20 per rider. In addition to theregistration fee, riders can also contact sponsors for pledges with prizes awarded for various achievement levels. Sponsor pledgeforms are available by calling the YFC Office at 326-4366.

MCC Manitoba’s 9th annual golf tournament is being held on July 13 in support of literacy and education in Afghanistan. Lastyear’s tournament at the Links at Quarry Oaks raised more than $34,000, helping 5,575 Afghan children access education.Tournament format is Texas Scramble with on-course challenges including putting and chipping contests. Registration cost:$160. A tax receipt will be issued for $80. Register at manitobamcc.org/golf. Registration is limited to 144 golfers.

The 43rd Annual Pioneer Days Parade will take place on Main Street in Steinbach. All are welcome. For more information, pleasecontact the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce at 204-326-9566.

Steinbach and District Farmers’ Market Co-op is up and running for another wonderful year! Visit us at Clearspring Centre parkinglot every Thursday afternoon. Any new vendors are welcome! For more information, contact Brenda, market co-ordinator at 204-424-9494.

Canadian Blood Services has added several clinics in Steinbach to ensure an optimal blood inventory this summer. Some of theseare extremely low in booking and we are asking for you to rally to save lives this summer by donating at one of these clinics,and encouraging others to as well.  160 donors are needed at the Thursday, July 7 clinic. This will take place at the SteinbachE.M.C. 422 Main St. It will run from 12:30 - 3:30 & 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. There are 180 donors needed Thursday, August 4. The hourswill be 12:30 - 3:30 & 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. There are 135 donors needed for Thursday, August 18 from 12:30 - 3:30 & 5:00 - 8:00p.m. These clinics will all take place at the Steinbach E.M.C. 422 Main St. Please call now - 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236 6283)

GardentonThe Gardenton Ukrainian Festival will take place in Gardenton on July 9-10. On Saturday, July 9 come out for an old time danceat the Gardenton Park in the dining hall.   Music will be by Ambrose Bros, Orchestra, and a hot lunch will be served.  Therewill be a Silent Auction. Tickets are only $15.00.  Dance is from 7:00 pm - 12:00 am on Sunday, July 10. Admission is $10.00.Church service at the park at 10:00 am and a stage show at the park begins at 1:00pm. Delicious homemade Ukrainian cuisinewill be available. Visit the Museum, see the original thatched roof house from 1899 and original school house from 1909.Entertainment includes the Fraser River Boys Orchestra, Jayden Chornoboy, Zoloto Ukrainian Dancers and  Mahutney UkrainianDancers. Also performing will be Bill Scherbatiuk, Anne Pleskach and the Susydka Dancers. For further details contact 222-0180 or 425-3501.

By Marianne Curtis

The population of Steinbach swelled by a few thousand people when the cityhosted the 3rd annual Summer in the City Festival on June 17 and 18. The two-day community event showcased local arts and entertainment with headlineperformances by rock group Trooper on Friday and Canadian country star GeorgeCanyon on Saturday. At the opening ceremonies on Friday Mayor Chris Goertzen congratulated thecommunity for doing such a good job with the festival. “This is a big deal for our community,” stated Goertzen. “Steinbach is a growingsuccessful city and we have a lot to celebrate here.” Keith Unger, Chairperson for the Summer in the City Festival, was optimisticthat this year’s event will exceed the success of last year and that is exactly whathappened. “The weather cooperated and we had a lot of people on the street,” statedUnger. Dozens of food vendors, artists and crafters lined Main Street in Steinbach,starting at noon on Friday. The entertainment hit the big stage Friday followingthe opening ceremonies at noon. Some of the events included a Friday night Show n Shine, midway, a streethockey tournament, along with the returning festival of food and showcase oflocal arts and entertainment. There were also tons of children’s activities, skateboardand sporting demonstrations and emerging cultural entertainers. Music loversgathered for a huge concert including “Elvis” Corny Rempel, Cracked Egg Shell,Dormant Ember and Sweet Water Creek. At the end of the night, Trooper tookthe main stage. The festival wrapped up on Saturday night with a huge concert, including localtalent Mackenzie Road, Mike Blair and the Rafter B and Jason Kirkness. At theend of the night, George Canyon took to the stage and performed for a crowd ofseveral thousand people.

Steinbach’s Chamber of Commerce is very pleased after their first ever“Sales in the City” proved to be a huge success. The promotion, formerlyknown as “Sidewalk Sale Days”, went through a re-branding process thisspring to breathe new life into a long-standing community tradition. According to Kyla Murray, Chamber of Commerce spokesperson, a totalof 45 businesses participated in the event which took place June 17 and 18.This is more than double the number of merchants that participated insidewalk sale days last year, she noted. “We’re really impressed with the support from the business community,”stated Murray. “It is great to see our businesses support the festival, andnow that Sales in the City is an official Summer in the City event. I think weare going to see the numbers grow in the future.” Murray added at the Chamber of Commerce is already brainstorming forideas to make next year’s event bigger and better.

Third Annual Summer inthe City a Huge Success

Dancers take to thestage at this year’sSummer in the City.

Sales in the City Huge Success

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!8

I attended a breakfast meeting for The South Eastern Woman inBusiness group (womansbiz.ca) on June 8th. I sat listeningattentively to the guest speaker/member, Dr. Catherine Carter.She is a local chiropractor and spoke on office ergonomics. Shedemonstrated and explained how to sit correctly, when/why/how to take mini stretch breaks and how toprevent common health complaints. As I sat (properly now) I realized it really is up to me to take responsibility for preventing physicalproblems. I will work endless hours doing what it takes to run my business and make sure I spend sometime to do the things my family and friends expect of me. I look after the car, business, family, house andoften others, putting Raylene at the bottom of the list. Was this my wake-up call? My shoulders and arms were fatigued and my body was sore from supercleaning the inside of the car (squeezed in the night before, even though I knew I was tired). Funny…when I finished cleaning the car, I had thought to myself, “Wow, this looks like a brand new car.” The careven appeared to drive better. Yup, if you look after things they look and run better. What is so darndifficult about applying this concept to myself!? I must learn to devote good maintenance habits for thehealth and productivity of my body, mind and soul. I must learn that I will perform better and look/be healthier if I put “me” first. I have heard that unless youare healthy and happy, you can’t give what work, family and life need. Yet it appears that most of us thinkwe can produce and stay healthy with little effort to maintain good health. I suggest that all of us rewriteour daily “TO DO” list with the words “ME” at the top and write in the things to do to make our healthhabits a priority. Things like...don’t forget to eat a super charged healthy breakfast, today I will ministretch every 20 minutes while I’m on my pc., take my vitamins with a meal and turn the TV off an hourbefore bed, etc. My weekly “TO DO” list should have exercise, quality time with the family, a massage,soak in the tub, evening walk, etc. Make sure you are the priority on that list. Funny, now I know why, when I say good-bye to my clients, guests and friends, I always say, “Takecare.” It really is just a reminder of their health responsibilities. The human body can have high productivity,but only if it is treated with utmost respect. So I say to you, “It’s never too late. You can’t get another body… IT’S ALL YOU’VE GOT!!!” Raylene Snow is the owner/operator of Raylene’s Wellness Spa, located between Ste. Anne andGiroux.

By Marianne Curtis

Construction and renovations atthe Ste. Anne Hospital are expectedto begin shortly, now that theprovince has announced the $14.1million project. At a groundbreaking ceremonythat took place on June 3, ProvincialHealth Minister Theresa Oswaldannounced that the long awaitedproject would begin within weeks. “Once completed the hospital willbe able to offer more surgicalservices; we expect to see more thanfour times as many surgicalprocedures, up to over 2,000 from450 by 2014,” Oswald said. “Thisincrease will give area residents thehelp they need sooner withoutneeding to leave their community.” The $14.1 million project includesexpanding the current hospitalspace by 60 percent. The newfacilities will include two surgicalsuites, one room for scopeprocedures, a surgical recovery unit,sterilizing room, family room, staffchange rooms and new electricaland mechanical space. Another one-third of the hospitalwill undergo renovation includingthe existing operating rooms, whichwhen renovated and converted willprovide 5,800 square feet ofadditional staff support areas. Guy Levesque, Chairperson forSouth Eastman Health, is glad to seethe project finally moving forward. “This project will solidify the

It’s All You’ve Got

Emergency Room Construction Kicks Off in Ste. Anne

By Marianne Curtis

At the beginning of the schoolyear, the Hanover School Divisionfound itself in the midst of acontroversial situation when theyconstructed a smoking shelter at theregion’s largest high school. While the Hanover SchoolDivision defended their reasoning

Health Minister Teresa Oswald, SoutheastHealth Authority board chair Guy Levesque,La Verendrye MLA Ron Lemieux and CecileDumesnil Chair of the Ste. Anne hospitalfundraising committee discuss drawings ofthe new facility.

partnership between the healthauthority, community and provincialgovernment,” stated Levesque.“This centre will serve [not only] thepeople of our region but the rest ofthe province as well.” To ensure the project would moreforward the Ste. Anne HospitalFoundation raised ten percent of themoney needed for the expansion.The money was successfully raisedthrough a variety of fundraisingefforts that included online auctionsand golf tournaments. The construction and renovationis expected to start in the comingweeks and expected to be completedby December 2012.

Stop Smoking Program Working in SRSSfor erecting the shelter at theSteinbach Regional High School,the Province stepped in anddemanded that it be removedbecause it contradicted the mandatethat school property remain “smokefree”. After removing the shelter, theschool division launched a smokingcessation program in an effort tohelp students quit smoking insteadof giving them a safer place toindulge in the habit. Angela Stoesz ran the smokingcessation program at the SRSS. Shesaid that the program was started toseek out the smoking population ofthe school and support studentsthat wanted to quit smoking. “Surprisingly, or maybe not sosurprisingly, considering that over

80 percent of smokers have voicedthe desire to quit, a strong majorityof those offered help at the SRSSare really trying to cut down andeventually to quit,” stated Stoesz. The program developed was basedon the Stages of Change Modelwhere students come to a realizationfor themselves why and how theywant to quit smoking. The first stepof the program was to establish a“Free Lunch break” where studentsare invited to listen to a quittingstory from staff, enjoy a slice of pizzaand discuss coming up with aquitting plan. “Several students from each lunchgive permission to be contacted andthen the snowball effect takes placeas they suggest other students that

would be willing to come in and chatabout a plan for their own smokingcessation,” Stoesz added.“Sometimes it only takes oneconversation with a student, andthey are at a place where they arealready changing and just need alittle support to make a quit date areality.” “The hope is that they will bestrong in their resolve, use theirstrategies, and make this a lifelongcommitment for the betterment oftheir health,” Stoesz noted. “At leastin the case of smoking, you gottalove a quitter.” By the end of the school year, fourstudents had successfully achievedtheir goal to quit smoking whileseveral others had set quit dates.

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 9

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!10

If you have any questions call Travis Olifirowich at 371-7223 or EileenLewis at 371-0255 at Prudential Riverbend Realty.

In today’s swirling world of blackberry, iPad, Playbook, desktop, laptop,4G, wifi…you may ask yourself “Is this all really necessary?” Well, no…all of this is not necessary. However, there is a balance ofwhat is needed to keep pace with the current business world. A blackberryis a very handy tool for a real estate salesperson. A blackberry receivesand sends email, text messages (SMS), and connects a person to theinternet. When out on the road and a salesperson needs updated information it isgreat having the tools at hand to help. We can connect to our system “on the go”. There have been occasionswhen out on an appointment we drive by a sign that a client may have anenquiry about. We can take out our blackberry and connect to the realestate website and get the information – right there. We can tell you price,the number of days on the market, square footage, number of bedrooms,and more. Yes, technology can make life a bit cumbersome. Gone are the “good oledays” when life was simple. With all the changes, we need to embrace thechange (sometimes). We don’t have to carry all the new gadgets, goodthing, because there is no end to “new” gadgets. Thinking about upgrading your technology? Do some research.Investigate what is out there. What are the capabilities? What are yourspecific needs? Do you need wifi? Do you know what wifi is? Wifi lets youconnect to the internet without the need for a certain locale to connect tothe internet. So, for instance, you could purchase an iPad (which is ahandheld computer tablet) and with the first generation it is capable ofbeing wireless, but you have to be at a location where the internet isavailable (such as in internet café), or the next generation of iPad has theoption of being wifi, which carries the capability of connecting to theinternet anywhere (there is a monthly fee for that service – of course). Don’t worry about getting the very latest – it changes so fast. Get advicefrom someone you trust. Ask questions – remember there is no “dumbquestion”! Till next time!

By Marianne Curtis

In the middle of June constructionof a new $7.8 million affordablehousing facility kicked off in Ste.Anne with an official sod turningand celebration. On June 20 the project, whichinvolved the demolition of anexisting personal care home, willsoon be replacing the previouslyobsolete facility with 24 units ofaffordable, supportive housing wasofficially launched. The 24 unit housing facility isexpected to enhance accessibility forseniors in Ste. Anne. Twelve of thenew units will be rented on a rent-geared-to-income basis, and theremaining at Median Market Rentsfor the area. In addition to working with existinginfrastructure and service supports,this project introduces supportive

Construction Starts atVilla Youville

Provencher MP Vic Toews, Noella Gaultier and La Verendrye MLA Ron Lemieux dig in deepto kick off construction at the Villa Youville in Ste. Anne.

housing into the community of Ste.Anne. The project will usegeothermal heating and cooling andincludes a chapel and an expandedkitchen and dining room fundedthrough community fundraising. Provencher MP Vic Toews was oneof the speakers at the event. “At Villa Youville, the constructionof these units is creating jobs – moreimportantly, it means that lowerincome seniors will continue to haveaccess to quality affordable housingthat meets their needs,” statedToews. South Eastman Health ChiefExecutive Officer John Stinson waspleased to be part of theproceedings, which took place onhis first day on the job. “We will be able to provide supportfor homecare and other servicesfrom the home – it will be a real

benefit to the people living in thefacility,” explained Stinson.Residents will be able to move intothe assisted living portion and asthe need arises, make a smoothtransition from supportive housingto long-term care. “This is a realpositive model for our region.” Stinson added that while thefacility will greatly benefit the area,there is still a large demand for long-term beds. He said the healthauthority will continue to addressthe aging population growth withinthe region over the next 15 years. The federal and provincialgovernments are contributingequally to an overall investment of$176 million for the creation ofaffordable housing under theamended Canada-ManitobaAffordable Housing ProgramAgreement.

Technology! What a Topic!

At approximately 2:38 a.m. on June 3, Steinbach RCMP responded to acommercial alarm at the La Broquerie Golf Course. On route, police were informed that culprit(s) might still be inside thebuilding. Upon arrival, police could not locate anyone inside or within thevicinity of the golf course area. Police Dog Services attended and it isbelieved that the culprit(s) left the scene in a vehicle. Entry was gained viathe Golf Pro Shop. Extensive damage was incurred to the Golf Pro Shop, also to the upstairsof the golf house. It appears that the culprit(s) left with a cash box that waslater recovered in the area. Liquor also appears to have been taken. Thereis no estimate of damage at this time. Police continue to investigate with the assistance of the RCMP WinnipegForensic Identification Services. Anyone with any information regarding this matter is asked to contactthe Steinbach RCMP at 326-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS)or www.manitobacrimestoppers.com or text “TIPMAN” plus your messageto Crimes (274637).

Thieves TargetLa BroquerieGolf Course

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 11

Things are a little quieter at the Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre in July.Our office will be closed until July 8. We will re-open on July 11, our hourswill be 9 a.m-12 p.m., 1-5 p.m.

Summer Art Day Camps Have the best summer ever! 4 & 5-day camps for kids ages 5-12 years,running from July 11- August 26. Experience activities in music, dance,drama, visual arts and sports/recreation, swimming, and physical arts.Camp themes: Blast from the Past, Topsy Turvy Holidays, A Pirates Lifefor Me!, Sporty Camp, Heritage Hunt, Year 3000.

Dance Camp Summer Stay in Shape Dance Camp, July 18-22, by Sasha Smith for 7-12years. Learn new techniques, develop your personal dance style, andcreate your own choreography.

Fall Programs Now is the time to sign up For Fall Programs at the Steinbach CulturalArts Centre – ages 3-99! Southeast School of Dance offers: Dress Up Song 7 Dance, Hop N Bop,Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Ballet, Creative Tap, Urban Ballet. ForTeens: Youth Pops, Pop Dance, Jazz, Hip Hop. New Classes includeTechinique, Jazz and Irish Dance. Backyard Theatre offers Actors Playhouse, Dress Up Drama, ActingExploration, and Extreme Acting. Visual Arts: Photography, Teens art, Animation, Watercolour, Pottery,Jewelery Making, Acrylics, Play Date with Art, Art Exploring, Art Fusionand more! Other Community Programs include: Arts for tots Pre-school, Frenchand Spanish languages, Social Dance, Social Dance, Belly Dance, Kids inthe Kitchen, Creative Cooking, Photography Club. Wellness Classses: Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Body Pump, Stability Ball. Music classes: Manitoba Conservatory of Music offers lessons in voice,piano, theory and violin. User Groups: Southeastern Manitoba Music Teachers, SoutheasternManitoba Festival, Eastman choral Association, and XCOMPANY – hiphop, wushu, breakdance and more! www.xcompanydsf@yahoo.ca

Concerts in the Park Don’t miss the last concert... KR Barkman Concerts in the Park runs atKR Barkman Park on Main street, Steinbach Bring a lawn chair and enjoythe fabulous music. July 5 – McKenzie Road & Corny ‘Elvis’ Rempel 7p.m.

Arts for Tots Only a few spaces left for Arts for Tots Preschool Program – Earlyregistration for Fall 2011. The most creative way to learn early childdevelopment through dance, theatre, music and visual arts – for ages 3-5.Instructors: Miss Carol & Miss Pam Mon & Wed; Tues & Thurs 9 – 11:30a.m. & 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Looking for Board Nominees Serve on the Steinbach Arts Council Board of Directors for the 2011-2012 season. A willingness to support community programs, an interest inthe arts, and ability to give a little time to this policy making board isrequired. Call 346-1077 for more info, or emaildirector@steinbachartscouncil.ca

Become a Season Ticket Holder It’s that time again! Reserve your seats NOW for the 2011-2012 season.We have another line up of new and exciting concerts. Makes great gifts– birthdays, retirements, anniversaries. For more details:www.steinbachartscouncil.ca 346-1077

To adopt this pet or one of the many adorablepets that are looking for homes contact theSteinbach Humane Society atcanines@steinbachhumanesociety.com Hi there, my name is Hunter. I’m a one-year-oldmale Corgi Chihuahua blend with lots of smilesand kisses to offer. I enjoy playing and learningnew things, and I make friends very easily, thoughI’m a little bashful at first. I’m happy, healthy and ready for my forever familyto come and find me. If you are looking for a furbaby with unconditional love and acceptance, I’myour pup – well, I hope I will be. Please rememberme when you are ready to adopt. I’ll be a good boyfor you if you just give me a chance. My adoption fee is $250 and includes my first vetcheck, first vaccinations, first deworming, neuterand tattoo and lots of kisses. You can emailcanines@steinbachhumanesociety.com if youwould like to meet me. I’d sure like to meet you.

Adoptable of the Month

Did you know that all dogs andcats over the age of 6 months arerequired to be licensed in Niverville? Pet licenses are to be renewedannually – license fee is $20.00/pet.

Pet LicensesRequired inNiverville

Please remember to bring in yourvaccination records when applyingor renewing a pet license as rabiesand distemper shots are a licenserequirement. Not sure when your renewal isdue? Contact the office at 388-4600or emailreception@whereyoubelong.ca andthey will be happy to check therecords for you. For more information on By-law691-10 visit the websitewww.whereyoubelong.ca.

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!12

By Marianne Curtis

On June 24, the community of St.Malo celebrated the grandreopening of the St. Malo Museumwith a special ribbon cutting andopen house. The St. Malo Museum, which islocated at the gateway of the St.Malo Provincial Park along BeachRoad was originally a housingfacility attached to the Dufrost RailStation. The grand opening officiallycelebrated recently completedrenovations, several displays, andtourism information. Visitors toured the museum, whichincludes local displays and artifacts,an inventory of the secrets along theCrow Wing Trail, and 2011-2012Travel Manitoba VisitorInformation. Guests were alsotreated to a light supper andrefreshments. The museum will beopen in July and August and is arural Travel Manitoba InformationCentre. The museum is directly on theheritage pathway of the Crow WingTrail – home to Manitoba’s longestsection of the Trans Canada Trailand is a prime location for familypicnics and sightseeing. In addition,

One of the exhibits that visitors can view during their visit.

St. Malo MuseumOpen to Visitors

RM of De Saleberry Reeve Ron Musick cuts the ribbon to officially open the St. MaloMuseum to the public.

beside the museum is the St. MaloGrotto site – home to a century oldshrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. Staffing for the St. Malo Museumfor summer 2011 was made possibleby “Manitoba Works”, a uniquepartnership between EmploymentManitoba and four non - profitcommunity organizations in St.Malo. The Crow Wing TrailAssociation, the Friends of St. MaloProvincial Park, the St. MaloMuseum Committee, and the

Economic Development Office, RMof De Salaberry are sharing anemployee to assist with a variety ofcommunity based projects andactivities such as membershipdrives, fundraising, hosting specialevents and supervising the St. MaloMuseum. Future plans for the museuminclude more renovations,establishing a business andstrategic plan, fundraising, and aninteractive exhibit.

By Marianne Curtis

On the first weekend of June, the community of Gardenton grew grow by a few hundred people when thisyear’s annual mud bog and demolition derby took place. On June 4, the Gardenton Demolition Derby and Quad Mud Bog took place at the back of the museum grounds.The annual one-day event drew spectators from both sides of the border for an exciting afternoon full of big cardemolition derbies, quad mud bog and obstacle course. Organizer Sheila Arseny was pleased with another successful event under her belt. The annual event takesplace at Gardenton Park and money raised is used to support the facility. “It was a very fun day and it was a great show,” stated Arseny. New this year was “truck football” where trucks were used aggressively and defensively to push a football orin this case a car across a goal line. This year’s event drew participants and visitors from communities throughout the region, including Ste.Anne, Zhoda, Sundown, Tolstoi, Grunthal, Lorette along with Selkirk and Winnipeg.

Gardenton Hosts Derby and Mudbog

The big winners of the day were a father son and grandfather trio from St. Clements. In first place was son Dean Sanclemente, followed byhis father Rob Sanclemente in second place and grandpa Wayne Sanclemente finished in third.

Photo by Marianne Curtis

Thousands of people from across southern Manitoba drove to Nivervilleover the weekend June 10 and 11 for the annual Niverville Old TymeCountry Fair. The weather was perfect when gates opened on Friday with a show andshine, midway, street market, live music and blackout fireworks. A full day of activities followed on Saturday, capped off with countryband Emerson Drive and a pyrotechnics display. The Juno Award-nominatedband from Grand Prairie, Alberta played for a little more than 90 minutes toa packed Main Street as revellers set up lawn chairs and filled the bleachers. Organizers moved the intimate stage to the other side of the street thisyear to accommodate a larger crowd, which seems to be growing annually.

Emerson Drive WowsCrowds in Niverville

Thousands of music lovers packed the streets when Emerson Drive took to the stage inNiverville.

Photo by Marianne Curtis

One hundred and sixty two Manitoba Housing Units in the communitiesof Niverville and Steinbach will soon see some significant renovations. In the middle of June, the province announced $19 million in joint fundingfor renovations in about 7,600 housing units throughout Manitoba. Locally,six housing units in Niverville will see renovations estimated at $14,500.While in Steinbach, $227,514 will be spent upgrading 156 units. Repairs that are eligible for funding include general improvements, energy-efficiency upgrades or conversions, and modifications to support peoplewith disabilities. The funding will be used for the replacement of exteriorcomponents such as roofing, siding, windows and doors, and interiorcomponents such as flooring, drywall, doors, kitchen and bathroomcupboards, counters and fixtures such as tubs, sinks and showers. The investment will significantly extend the life of these structures.

Manitoba HousingUpgrades Slated in

Niverville and Steinbach

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 13

By Marianne Curtis

Hundreds of athletes of allages turned out for the 16thannual Multisport Weekend,which took place in St. Malo onJune 25 and 26 at the St. MaloProvincial Park. The two-day event offeredtriathlon events and distancesfor youth, novices andexperienced triathletes. Eachrace consisted of competitionswith various lengths ofswimming, biking and running. “This is the highest number ofparticipants in this event to dateand the most junior athletescompeting at one race,” sayorganizers. On Saturday, 109 childrenparticipated in the Kids of Steelcompetitor’s race, starting withthe Tykes and Trikes, age fiveand under. Following this warm-up event, the rest of the Kids ofSteel competitors, age six to 15,took to the racecourse. The dayended with the Try-a-Tri eventfor those athletes just startingout with the sport. This day’sactivities served as the EastmanRegional Qualifier for the 2008Power Smart Manitoba SummerGames, which takes place inCarman in August. Sunday saw 260 adultscompete in Olympic and SprintTriathlon and Duathlon races, aswell as an open water swim event.

Rotary has donated $2,000 from a dinner and wine pairingthey hosted at the Brass Lantern to the Southeast SuicidePrevention Committee’s Out of the Blue campaign. Out of theBlue is a mental health awareness project that culminated itsinaugural campaign last week. David Rafeedie, President-elect of the local Rotary Clubindicates: “The Out of the Blue Campaign was a natural fit forour involvement. We already fund the D. A. R. E. (Drug AbuseResistance Education) Program for the RCMP and saw theOut of the Blue campaign as another local project that canhave a great and long lasting impact for good in the lives ofstudents, their families and for the whole community.” The Rotary Club of South Eastman is dedicated to servingthe community and is among the many groups involved inthe campaign. The Southeast Suicide Prevention Committeeand South Eastman Health/Santé Sud Est thank the RotaryClub for their leadership and for their generous donation.Marcelle Falk, interim Regional Mental Health ProgramManager said, “It’s thanks to dedicated community groupslike the Rotary that we can continue to provide quality mentalhealth services to achieve wellness and the best possiblehealth for our community.”

100’s of AthletesCompete in St. Malo

Athletes compete in the run portion of events.

Athletes varied in age from 16 to 70+and highlighted the lifelong sportpossibilities of triathlon. The St. Malo Triathlon has become apremium event for Canada’s top

triathletes. This year 60 of the country’sbest triathletes participated in the eventin an effort to accumulate enoughcompetition points towards spots onthe 2016 Olympic team.

On June 6 between 8:00 p.m. and 9:30p.m. the Stahn Field Ball Park buildingin Mitchell was broken into. It isunknown if there is anything missingbut there was some damage done to theinside of the building.

Mischief inMitchell

Anyone with information is asked tocontact the Steinbach RCMP at 326-4452,Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS),at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com, or text“TIPMAN” plus your message to Crimes(274637).

Rotary ClubGenerosity

Photo Courtesy of South Eastman Health

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!14

More Provencher students will have an opportunityto gain valuable work experience and earn money forthe upcoming school year thanks to a Government ofCanada initiative that was announced by Vic Toews,Member of Parliament for Provencher. “This year in Provencher, the Canada Summer Jobsinitiative is investing $201,331 which will result inapproximately 52 agreements being signed withemployers,” said Toews. “Not only will thisinvestment create summer jobs that will enablestudents to gain the skills and experience they needto compete in today’s labor market, it will also benefitour community and local economy.” Toews announced that the federal government haspermanently increased the budget for the CanadaSummer Jobs initiative by $10 million, beginning in2011. The additional funding will create as many as3,500 additional jobs for students across Canada thissummer.

Government ofCanada CreatesSummer Jobs in

Provencher

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 15

Well, summer is here and it feels great! The sunshine, the heat andthe awesome thunderstorms are making for a wonderful time. With the end of spring, so too is the end of my little boy’s soccerseason. This was his third season of chasing the black and white balland he’s loved it each year. I can still remember his first year ofplaying. Imagine a group of eight to ten little children playing soccer. Theball would be kicked one direction and, as a flock, all the childrenwould race in that direction and surround the ball. Eight to ten littlefeet would be kicking away (thank goodness for shin pads) until theball would somehow escape from the pack and roll away. Once theyrealized that the ball had gotten away, the group would once againrace over and commence pummeling the ball with their tiny shoes. Occasionally, there would be children that wouldn’t feel tooconfident and would need a parent to be in the game with them. I didhave to step in a couple of times with my boy his first year. This wasactually much harder for me than it sounds. The first reason was because when my son and I raced after theball, I would have to be very careful that I would not knock down orstep on any of the children. Quite the challenge when you’re a giantin the land of these tiny athletes. Especially since they will veer inwhichever direction they feel, whether the ball is actually in thatdirection is mostly irrelevant as they zip all over in the field. Another reason is that as the ball comes near to me I had to resistthe urge to give it a good, solid kick. While kicking the ball into thenet would have increased my enjoyment, it would have been frownedupon by the coaches and by the parents of whichever child wouldhave accidentally stepped into the path of the speeding ball. All in all, I must say that the sport of soccer has gotten a goodfoothold in our community and in the lives of me and my family. Until next time, take care and keep your world spinning.

Over 30 people gathered at both the St. Pierre Museum and the St. Malo Museum recently to learn how theycan nominate their favourite community trees in the Amazing Tree Quest. On June 13 the Amazing Tree Quest kicked off in St. Pierre Jolys and on June 16th in St. Malo. Those inattendance learnt tree identification, measuring and also how to use GPS units so that they could participate inthe event. The Amazing Tree Quest is running from June 1 to September 12. The quest encourages people to go out andfind heritage trees in their community that may be unusually large or tall; perhaps planted by early settlers orpioneers; or have a distinctive shape or even an entirely different form than normal. Once a tree is identified, participants measure, identify and tag the tree, along with a photograph and recordby GPS of the tree’s exact location. Winning historical trees and their history or significance will be announcedduring National Forestry week during the third week of September. For more info go to www.riverswest.ca. GPS Units are available on a sign out basis at the Economic DevelopmentOffice, RM of De Salaberry, 466 Sabourin Street, St. Pierre Jolys MB – 433-7406 or emailingles@rmdesalaberry.mb.ca.

Three years after introducing The Justice for Victims of ChildPornography Act, Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen is pleased that hislegislation, the first of its kind in Canada, was passed unanimously in theManitoba Legislature on the last day of the session and likely the lastbefore the fall election. This historic bill allows the provincial government to sue in civil courtindividuals who have been involved with creating, possessing, accessing,or distributing child pornography. Monies received will go directly tovictims where they are known and where the victims are unknown it willgo to assist other victims of child pornography and help combat the crime. “This legislation is the first of its kind in Canada and will assist incompensating the young victims of this horrible crime as well as combatingchild pornography,” Goertzen said. “We need to take every legislativestep possible to protect children and I am glad this unique legislation hasfinally passed.” Previously, individuals who made, distributed, published or possessedchild pornography could face criminal charges under the Criminal Code ofCanada but it was often difficult for civil action to occur because victimsin the images were unknown. Goertzen’s bill allows the Manitobagovernment to sue on behalf of both the identified and unidentified childvictims. “This law is one more tool to help children and combat this awful crime.While it took three years to get the Bill passed in the legislature, I am gladit is now law in our province,” Goertzen said. Since being elected, Goertzen has introduced a number of other initiativesthat have been passed in the legislature including ending welfare paymentsto criminals with serious outstanding warrants, allowing parents to getdrug treatment for their children under 18 struggling with addiction, andending MPI benefits for car thieves. “Throughout the time that I’ve had the honor of being elected, I’ve triedto bring forward different ideas to increase the safety of Manitobans andchildren in particular. I’ve grateful that this bill was supported by all threeparties and every member of the Legislature,” said Goertzen.

By Marianne Curtis

Farmers throughout the province are struggling this year after the springflood has managed to prevent the seeding of nearly 5 million acres ofcropland throughout Manitoba. Not only does this affect the day-to-dayoperations of area farmers but it has also affected organizations such asthe Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Harold Penner, CFGB Manitoba Resource Coordinator, said that the storyof 2011 will be the difficult seeding season. “Given some numbers, our total potential this year in my region was over4,900 acres and we have 67 percent seeded to date,” stated Penner. “As oftoday some projects have given up trying to seed this year, some are stillhoping to do it this week, and some crops are up nicely and have beensprayed for weeds.” Despite the discouraging start, Penner is grateful to the many farmersthat tried to participate this year. “Thank you to all who help make this a success and that includeseveryone, even if they can’t grow a crop this year,” Penner continued.“Perhaps we should say thanks especially to those who have tried andtried but not been able to harvest a good crop in recent years and thanksto those who are struggling along but still help in the work of endinghunger.” Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) is a partnership of Canadian church-based agencies working to end hunger in developing countries byincreasing and deepening the involvement of Canadians in an effort toend hunger. Through the CFGB, a number of grain producers in the regiondonate portions of their crops, or planted specifically to support theprogram. The southeast is known to be a generous area. Last year five of the 25grow projects that were conducted across Manitoba were from thesoutheast. Nationally the CFGB has delivered over $515 million worth ofprogramming and shipped over a million metric tonnes of food and seedsto 76 countries around the world.

Flooding AffectsFoodgrains Projects Amazing Tree

Launched in St. Pierre

A few dozen people recently came out to find out how they can mark a historical tree in the RM of De Salaberry when the Amazing TreeQuest kicked off.

SoccerSeason

Goertzen’s Private Members Bill to ProtectChildren Passes on Last Day of Session

Three daycare center projects inthe region are among 16 projectsrecently announced as a part of $3million in new funding for earlylearning child-care centers in localschools. Thanks to the announcement,three new early learning centers willbe developed in the region. Two arelocated in Steinbach and the thirdwill be located in La Broquerie. Kinder Korner Early LearningCenter is receiving money to createa new center in the ClearspringMiddle School. The second will belocated within the new SteinbachHigh School. In La Broquerie, a newcenter will be established by theTreasure Keeper’s Children’s Centerwithin Arborgate School. These projects are a part of theManitoba government’s five-yearFamily Choices agenda, which willdevelop 54 new early learning andchildcare centers.

On June 2 at 7:45 a.m. RCMPSteinbach Detachment memberswere dispatched to a collisionbetween two vehicles at the junctionof Highway 311 and Road 35E in theRM of Hanover. A vehicle traveling Eastbound onHighway 311 struck a vehicle

Fatal MotorVehicle Collision

traveling southbound on Road 35E. The passenger of the southboundvehicle was pronounced deceasedat the scene. The adult female driverof the southbound vehicle wastaken to hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries. The adultfemale driver of the eastboundvehicle was also taken to hospitaland her condition is listed asguarded. All persons involved arefrom the Steinbach area. Alcohol was not considered acontributing factor.

Hanover,Seine RiverSchools Get

DaycareCenters

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!16

The recent federal budget was tabled early June. It is mostly a repeat ofthe budget that was announced in March before our recent election. Therewere a few items announced that will affect some of us individual taxpayersfor 2011 and in the future. Here’s a quick summary about them. Morequestions for me to ask of you next spring during the 2011 tax season!

Guaranteed Income Supplement The Guaranteed Income Supplement for very low-income seniors will beenhanced. This measure will provide a new top-up benefit of up to $600annually for single seniors and $840 for couples. This measure will improvethe financial security of more than 680,000 seniors across Canada.

Children’s Arts Tax CreditThis is a new non-refundable tax credit based on eligible expenses paid forthe cost of registration or membership of your child in a prescribed programof artistic, cultural, recreational or developmental activity. You can claim expenses up to $500 per year for each child under age 16(under age 18 if the child is eligible for the disability tax credit). If youspend $500, you can reduce your taxes payable by 15 percent or $75. Theprogram must be at least eight consecutive weeks.So ask for and keep your receipts for any art programs, piano lessons,scouts, cadets, etc. If you are not sure, keep the receipt and we can figureit out next spring.

Family Caregiver Tax Credit This is a new credit for an infirm dependant that will provide up to anadditional amount of $2,000 for each of the following non-refundable taxcredits: spouse, eligible dependant, amount for children under age 18,amount for infirm dependants age 18 or older; and the caregiver amount. So if you are already claiming one of these credits, you can claim thisadditional credit if the individual is infirm (likely already has the disabilitytax credit on file).

Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit There is a new credit based on an amount of $3,000 for volunteerfirefighters. To qualify, you must be a volunteer firefighter in the year andyou must complete a minimum of 200 hours of eligible volunteer firefighterservices with one or more fire departments in the year. A certification from a fire chief or delegated official within the firedepartment may be requested to verify the number of hours of eligiblevolunteer firefighter services you performed for the department. (Fire Chiefs:get this information ready and keep track of the hours of your volunteers!) The “services” include responding to calls, attending meetings, andparticipating in training. The credit of $3,000 could lower your taxes payable by $450. As a volunteer firefighter, you may be eligible for an income exemptionof up to $1,000 if you received a payment from a government, municipality,or other public authority for carrying out volunteer firefighter duties. Ifyou choose to claim this exemption, you will not be eligible for the newVolunteer Firefighter Tax Credit. Next year when you have your taxes done,figure out which one is better for you!

Canada Child Tax Benefit – Notice of Marital Changes For a change in your marital status that occurs after June 2011, you willbe required to notify the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) by the end ofthe month after the month in which the change occurs if you are receivingCCTB. It used to be 90 days before the CCTB would be changed. If the change in marital status results in a change to your CCTB, yourrevised entitlement will be effective in the first month following the monthof the change in status. You will receive a notice of redetermination advisingyou of your revised entitlement. So if your marital status changes, contactCanada Revenue Agency the following month!

Hiring Credit for Small Business This is a one time credit of up to $1,000 based on the increase in anemployer’s employment insurance (EI) premiums paid for 2011 over thosepaid for 2010. A small business whose total employer’s EI premiums paidfor 2010 was $10,000 or less and whose total premiums increased in 2011 iseligible for a credit. The credit is calculated as the difference betweenthese two amounts up to a maximum of $1,000. The CRA will automaticallycalculate the credit when an eligible employer’s 2011 T4 information returnis filed. For those of us that have one or just a few employees it should bea bit of a credit. Anni Markmann is an independent financial planner and taxprofessional working, living, playing, and volunteering in ourcommunity. Contact her at 422-6631 or annimarkmann@mts.net or at107 Central Avenue in Ste Anne.

The Steinbach RCMP is making it easierfor locals wishing to provide police withtips by launching the first dedicatedpublic tip line in the province. The new tip line is designed to directtips coming into the Steinbach RCMPDetachment by funnelling calls directlyto the local General Investigations Unitfor follow-up. Constable Andrew Jurcina, with theSteinbach RCMP, was charged withthe task of developing the local inputproject. “I decided that it was best that wecome up with more opportunitiesfor the public to contact andcommunicate with us,” he stated.“We developed the Steinbach Tipline and we also developed anonline version.” Jurcina assures the public thatthose using the tip line, whetheronline or on the phone, will beable to give information to thepolice while remaininganonymous. “They can leave a namewhen submitting tips butthey are not expected to,”Jurcina added. The local tip line can beaccessed by calling 320-8229or by visiting Steinbach.ca and clicking thelink on the left side that will direct you to theSteinbach RCMP Tip form.

The LatestFederalBudget

Steinbach RCMP LaunchNew Tip Line

Those wanting to report an incident to the SteinbachRCMP directly while remaining anonymous can now doso through a dedicated phone tip line or online by fillingout this form.

By Marianne Curtis

Programs in 12 communities throughout the southeast were among 140 non-profit community sport andrecreation organizations, community clubs, sporting associations and community facilities receiving fundingthrough the province’s new First Sports Program. The First Sports Program provides grants up to $10,000 to sports and recreation projects that are expected tobe used to improve youth participation in sports and provide access to the programs. Across the province, $1million is being dispensed with a total of $100,100 slated specifically to programs within the southeast. The equipment and supplies these grants will provide to local teams and clubs are expected to get more kidson the field, improve training opportunities and kids’ overall experience in their sport. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 will assist programs in a dozen communities, including Blumenort,Falcon Lake, Gruthal, Lorette, Otterburne, Richer, St. Pierre, Ste. Genevieve, Steinbach, Vassar, Vita and Whiteshell. At the top of the list, Lorette Curling Club is getting $10,000 for curling equipment. Park improvements inRicher, arena renovations in St. Pierre, diamond repairs in Grunthal and a sports equipment purchase in Ste.Genevieve are projects all receiving $9,500 each. Vassar’s rec centre and the establishment of a cross-country ski program in Whiteshell are each getting$9,000. The Steinbach Flippers are getting $8,200 for new gymnastic equipment; Blumenort gets $8,100 for anew backstop and a trail and range improvement project in Falcon Lake will get $7,000. The curling program in Otterburne is getting $5,800 to purchase junior curling rocks, while Vita’s club get$5,000 for upgrades.

Twelve Local SportsPrograms get Grants

The RM of Tache could be one-step closer to the construction of anew municipal building, includingpublic library, after it was recentlydecided to hire an architect to beginwork on the project.

Tache HiresConsultantto DiscussBuilding

At a recent meeting, themunicipality’s building committeemet to discuss a number of issuesrelated to the construction of a newmunicipal office and public librarycomplex. Part of the discussion includedlisting possible locations, includingat the Lorette Community Complexgrounds, the existing office locationin Lorette, other property frontingHighway 207 and even commercialproperty in Landmark. The committee also looked at thescope of the project including thefuture needs of the public worksdepartment and the LUD of Lorette.It was decided to recommend

council proceed with the project asintended as a municipal office andlibrary complex. The RM of Tache council agreedto follow the committee’srecommendation by hiring LMArchitectural Group to undertakethe work required for design andconstruction of the project. While an exact project has yet tobe unveiled, the RM of Tachecouncil laid out plans in their 2011budget to construct a $3.6 millionoffice building with $1.1 millioncoming out of capital reserves and$2.5 million through a borrowingbylaw.

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 17

Steinbach 55 Plus offers programs, activities, services and volunteeropportunities, striving to promote healthy and active living for older adults of thesoutheast region. For more information, call the center at 320-4600.

Special EventsBus Tour Neepawa Lily Festival: Friday, July 22. Depart Steinbach 55 Plus7:30 a.m. Return approximately 9:00 p.m. Registration deadline: July 22nd. Cost:$65 members, $70 non-members. Minimum requirement of 30 people for a definitedeparture. Tour includes: Morning coffee at Herman Prior Senior Center Portagela Prairie, Tour of the Beautiful Plains Museum, Lunch Time to browse LilyShow, Crafters & Vendors on Main Street, Bus Tour of Neepawa including thepicturesque Riverside Cemetery, Tour of The Lily Nook including lily fields, stopat Tim Hortons/McDonalds/Subway in Portage la Prairie for coffee/supper.Afternoon coffee/dinner is at your own expense.

Monthly ProgramsSingle Ladies’ Night Out: The first Friday of the month at 5:00 p.m. Enjoysupper out at a local restaurant. Call the center for place to meet.Foot Care: The first and third Tuesday of the month from 9:00-3:00 p.m. Run bya professional foot care nurse. Cost: $25. Bring your own towel. Call the center tobook an appointment.Pot Luck Supper: The second Thursday of every month at 6:00 p.m. Main dishand beverages are provided. Cost: $5.00 per person. Bring along a casserole, salador desert. Call the center to reserve your seat.Birthday Party: The first Wednesday of the month. All members with a birthdayare invited for complimentary cake and coffee. Guests are asked to pay $2.00.Entertainment provided.Perogy Bee: The first Monday of every month.Beltone Hearing: The third Friday of each month. Call 1-800-661-2653 forappointment.

Weekly ProgramsMonday 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Fitness Class with DVD

1:00 p.m. - Canasta7:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. Tai Chi

Tuesday 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Adult Day ProgramWednesday 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Fitness Class with DVD

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Tai Chi1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Cribbage1:30 p.m. - Floor curling

Thursday 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Bridge and WhistFriday 8:30 - 3:00 p.m. Adult Day Program Noon meals are available Monday through Friday. Cost $5.00. Call 320-4605by 9:00 a.m. to reserve your meal for that day. Purchase your meal ticket at thereceptionist desk before noon. Monthly menus are available at the office or in thenewsletter. Bring a friend. Billiards: Monday to Friday 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Computer Lab: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. - 12 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.Cost $1.00. There are lessons with Alex Cupples on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Call the center for more information. Volunteer Opportunities include perogy making, decorating and setting tables,birthday party hosts, food preparation and serving, clean up, greeters, receptionists,etc. We welcome new volunteers. Membership at Steinbach 55 Plus is only $20 per year. Memberships are duein January of each year. Membership is for those 55 years of age and older.Benefits include reduced program rates, a voice in business meetings, voting rights,and eligibility to serve on the board or committees. For more information on ourprograms, activities or volunteer opportunities, drop by the Center Monday toFriday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., call 320-4600, or go towww.steinbach55plus.com.

By Marianne Curtis

Local students participating inMusic for Young Children have onceagain successfully collected enoughpennies to raise $2,659.41 for the FireFighters Burn Fund in Manitoba. According to Marilyn Unrau,Coordinator for Manitoba/NWOntario, the group of students thatparticipate in the program took partin “Pennies for Practicing”. The BurnFund – which focuses on burnprevention and education, as well asimproving the quality of life for burnsurvivors – was chosen as therecipient because of the character

Did you know that residents ofNiverville are eligible to use a FREEprovincial library service called“Open Shelf” as they do not have alibrary within the town at this time? All you need to do is simply call 1-888-243-1196 or emailopenshelf@gov.mb.ca in order torequest a client id & pin number.Then visit: library.gov.mb.ca/redirect/openshelf.html, search, andrequest the books you would like toorder. They will be mailed to yourhouse in a burlap bag from theprovincial library in Brandon. Whenyou are done with them, simply mailthem back with the label provided. This service is absolutely free andreally easy to use! Business books,books for your children, family, etc.are all available through thisprogram.

The Town of Niverville has agreed to an agreement in principle that could see Ducks Unlimited helping themdecommission the community’s old lagoon. Town council recently met with Ducks Unlimited to discuss turning the old municipal lagoon into wetlandsinstead of undertaking traditional decommissioning methods. “This alternative approach to treatment of closed lagoons is being considered due to capacity of wetlandshigh rate of biological activity to transform common pollutants in conventional lagoons into harmless byproductsor essential nutrients,” noted council. Two years ago, a concept study was conducted, organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and other environmentaland government agencies were consulted, and it is agreed that a natural wetlands could be created as anextension of Hespler Park. The town of Niverville council noted that not only would the project be good for the environment, it wouldalso benefit the community financially. It would be cheaper to turn the old lagoon into a wetlands site than toundertake traditional decommissioning. Council agreed to provide an agreement in principle to enter into a long-term relationship with Ducks Unlimitedand the University of Manitoba for the project.

Niverville to Pen Agreementwith Ducks Unlimited

Music Students Fundraiseto Help Other Kids

“Fireman Fred”, the name given torepresent the F key on the piano. “This international event was heldthroughout North American and hasraised $26,354.56 since 2005,”explained Unrau. From Lorette, Arlene Schulz,Music for Young People teacher,said she is proud of her studentsfor both their dedication topractising and helping other childrenin the process. “This is a huge accomplishmentfrom our music students,” addedSchulz. “Some of the studentscollecting money for other kids wereonly three years old.” To raise the money sponsors

were sought and asked to pay thestudent one penny for every minuteof practicing done over a period offour weeks. In many cases, theteachers matched the funds raisedby the students. As reward for their hard work, thegroup was invited to join a 32member choir that sang bothnational anthems at a recentWinnipeg Goldeyes game. Music for Young Children is aprogram that teaches small groupsof adults and children music skillsand includes piano instruction,singing, rhythm ensembles, sight-reading, ear training, theory andcomposition.

This group of eager fundraisers learned to practice their music while supporting theFirefighter Burn Fund. Left to right: Rebecca Ronald from Grande Pointe, Gabrielle Thomas,Domain, and Emilie Vachon, of Ile de Chênes, along with Tatyana Tymchen and CarmenTymchen of Landmark, and Katarina Hein from Ste. Anne hang with Goldie at a recentWinnipeg Goldeyes game.

Historically, St. Pierre’s annual Frog Follies takes place on Augustlong weekend, however, this year the event has been moved forward bya couple of weeks. This year the community will celebrate tradition, family and communitywith the 42nd Frog Follies & Agricultural Fair on a new date, July 14-17.The non-profit event brings together people from all over for a fun-filled, action packed weekend. In celebration of the new date, thecommittee is offering free gate admission. The committee is also hosting a “name the mascot” contest to namethe event’s two mascots. Three lucky finalists were chosen on July 1and the winner will be announced during the Frog Follies. Some of the featured activities include one of Manitoba’s premieragricultural exhibition displays and fair, numerous children’s activities,slo-pitch tournament, a parade, fireworks, Sunday night DJ social andthe Canadian National Frog Jumping Championship. There will also betons of live entertainment including Ça Claque, Dust Rhinos, Jerry Sereda,The Dusty Roads Band, and Diamond Disc Dogs. Volunteers are still needed for various duties over the weekend and toorganize some of the events. Those interested can contact Sebastien at433-2888.

LibraryService

Available

Is the future of Recreation in Niverville important to you? Make your voice heard by completing the Recreation Survey – in your mailboxesand available in the community. It is also available online atwww.surveymonkey.com/s/NivervilleRecreationSurvey. Your participation is critical and your input will shape the future of recreationand wellness in Niverville! The survey results will be presented at a public meetinglater in the year.

New Date, Eventsat this Year’s Frog

Follies

NivervilleRecreation

Survey

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!18

While Manitoba has a lot to offer in urban and rusticholiday spots, if you insist on traveling afar, try some ofthese great idyllic vacation points of Canadian interests…

* Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy is a 170-mile oceanbay that stretches between New Brunswick and NovaScotia. Visitors can enjoy a guided beach walk and stickaround for outdoor theater that’s performed in French orEnglish. And be sure to catch the view at Cape Enrage, aview some insist is the best in all of Canada.

* Jasper & Banff National Parks. Outdoor enthusiastssimply must take in Alberta’s Jasper or Banff nationalparks. Waterfalls, pure emerald lakes and flourishingwildlife characterise both parks, which are part of the RockyMountains. For those who want to witness something manyin the world never will, be sure to take a heli-tour of theColumbia Icefields. This is where the summit of theSaskatchewan Glacier marks the “hydrographic apex” ofNorth America, the point on the continent whereheadwater streams flow into the Pacific, Arctic and Atlanticoceans.

* Georgian Bay. Located on the eastern edge of LakeHuron in Ontario, Georgian Bay is home to the world’slongest freshwater beach. Visitors with an adventurousstreak can explore a labyrinth of caves carved deep intoBlue Mountain or dive among the shipwrecks at FathomFive National Marine Park.

* Eastern Townships. The Eastern Townships of Quebec atKnowlton on Lake Brome provide visitors with endless viewsof mountains, lakes and fields. Camping afficionados cancamp at an altitude of 840 metres (2,756 feet) at Parc

Canadian Tourist Destinationsd’environnement naturel Sutton. Those whoappreciate a great bottle of wine will no doubt loveLa Route des Vins, which links 16 vineyards inBrome-Missiquoi, the mainstay of Quebec’srenowned wine region.

* Okanagan. Located in south-central BritishColumbia, Okanagan is another ideal locale forwine afficionados. Often referred to as BritishColumbia’s “Napa of the North,” the OkanaganValley is home to Canada’s first Aboriginal-owned-and-operated winery. Those who enjoy nature’saesthetic appeal can fall in love with Okanagan,which features lavender farms that bloom in wavesof white, pink or soft purple. Orange sunsets areknown to reflect off the 136-metre-high (449-foot-high) Helmcken Falls, one of Canada’s highestwaterfalls.

* Labrador. One of the world’s largest wildernessregions, Labrador is tailor-made for outdoorsenthusiasts. Fishermen will love angling forspeckled trout and Northern pike near LabradorCity, while bird watchers can visit the Gannet IslandsEcological Reserve, which is home to the largestrazorbill colony in North America and 38,000 pairsof puffins. A network of more than 1,931 kilometres(1,200 miles) of trails crisscrosses Labrador, andthe North West River Beach Festival and LabradorCanoe Regatta annually attracts thousands to thelakeshores for music, dancing, sports and fun.

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 19

By Marianne Curtis

The owners of a Richer areabusiness that has already provedto be successful in attractingtourists to the area is excited to adda new draw to attract visitors –miniature golf. Since opening their new 18-holeminiature golf course merely weeksago, Sandy and John Cote havealready seen over three hundredenthusiastic competitors take ontheir challenging new feature. Thecourse, which was designed andput together by Harris MiniatureGolf from New Jersey has beendrawing in locals and travellersalike, which is exactly what theCote’s wanted. “We’ve been getting a lot ofpeople that are driving by andstopping to play,” John explained.“There are so many campgroundsaround here and theentertainment in this area is nil –locals are coming and people onthe way to the lake are stoppingto play.” What started as a toy makingbusiness appropriately namedGeppetto’s has evolved over theyears to become a seasonalsuccess. For the Cote’s, theaddition of a miniature golf courseseemed a great way to expand theiralready thriving summer business. “I started by making toys, butthen the kids did not like anythingbut battery operated and noisy

Geppetto’s Brings on Entertainmenttoys – so we started hauling stuff in and makingfurniture,” John added. The couple opened Geppetto’s in 1993, afterthe former electrician lost his job. “This was twenty-five years ago and work forelectricians was not what it is today,” Johnexplained. “We were both on employmentassistance and took part of a government selfemployment assistance program, came up witha business plan and we got the business going– out of a class of twenty-five, we are the onlyones still in business.” The store offers an array of unique items,including cedar lawn furniture and structures builtonsite. There is also an old fashioned style burgerstand that offers a vast menu of homemadegoodness including slow cooked BBQ ribs andpulled meat sandwiches.

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!20

For years doctors and safety experts havepreached the importance of being smartabout sun exposure. Considering skincancer is the most common form of cancerin Canada according to statisticspublished by the leading cancerorganizations, many people have longheeded the warnings. Although many ofthe precautions remain the same, thisseason individuals may want to payattention to some of the newer informationabout sun safety.UV Rays and the OzoneLayerThe sun is responsible for life on theplanet as we know it. Without sunlight,plants would fail to thrive and there wouldnot be adequate warmth to heat up theplanet. Still, the sun is a double-edgedsword. The warming rays responsible forlife can also be detrimental. A primarycomponent of sun rays — ultraviolet rays— can cause skin and eye damage.

UV rays come in three types:1. UVA: These rays cause skin aging andwrinkling and contribute to skin cancer,such as melanoma. They are the mostcommon UV rays to reach people.2. UVB: These rays are also damaging, butthe ozone layer blocks much of them frompassing through. Some do make it throughand can be harmful.3. UVC: These rays might be lesser knownto the general public, but they are the mostharmful. These rays are blocked by theozone layer in the atmosphere and don’treach the earth. Although the ozone layer filters much ofthe harmful ultraviolet radiation, the thinning of the ozone layer due to greenhouse gases and other effectsof human life poses a problem. Some portions of the ozone layer are depleting. Contrary to what somepeople may think, thinning of the ozone layer is more pronounced at the poles of the earth rather than inthe equator region. There is a large area of thinning over Antarctica, which some scientists believecorrelates to a weather phenomenon called a “polar vortex.” This is when air is blown around the planetand atmosphere and is isolated over Antarctica during the winter. This air contains global pollutants, whichbreak down the ozone layer.

Changes to Sun Protection Guidelines Although very thin patches in the ozone layer are sparsely located at the poles, the overall concentrationof ozone in the stratosphere fluctuates. Thinning resulting from chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, and nitrogenoxides in the air has compromised the ozone to the point that greater precautions may be necessary toprotect the body from UV rays.

* It is widely known that the sun is responsible for producing vitaminD in the body. That vitamin D works in concert with calcium toproduce strong bones. Vitamin D is sometimes known as the“sunshine vitamin.” Three-quarters of teens and adults are deficient invitamin D. While the old way of thinking was to get 20 minutes ofunprotected sun exposure a day to generate vitamin D, new thinkingoffers that supplements and fortified foods are the safest way to getvitamin D, especially for those who are deficient.* Err on the side of caution when applying sunscreen. It’s not just

about applying some and reapplying a half-hour later. Because the level of dosage cannot be adequatelymeasured, it’s best to play it safe and apply a thick coat of sunscreen. Apply as frequently as you’d like,especially if you have been swimming or sweating and feel that the protection could be waning. Pay specialattention to the back of the hands, back of legs, neck and where swimsuits can bunch up skin to createhigher points that the sun will touch first. And use the highest SPF you can find. This way if enough isn’tapplied, it still may offer better protection than a low SPF.* Sunscreen alone may not be enough. People should think about wearing clothing that also offers sunprotection. A thin cover-up or T-shirt will not offer protection. In fact, the sun can get through and it is likewearing nothing at all. Look for special clothing that offers an SPF.* Some dermatologists also advise wearing a sunblock and an antioxidant-enriched moisturizer. The suncan cause free radicals that break down elastin in the skin, causing wrinkles and drying. A moisturizer canhelp combat this.

* There has been a long-standing rule that tanning bedsare not a safe way to get a tan.That information has notchanged. Tanning beds dish outharmful UVA and UVB rays.They’re not a safe way to developa “base tan” to make skin lesssusceptible to burns. Staying smart about sunexposure means keeping abreastof the changes to sun-safetyguidelines. People should putcaution first when venturing outinto the great outdoors thiswarm-weather season.

Sun Safety GuidelinesGet an Update

Guidelines for being safe when out in the sun are evolving.

Err on the side ofcaution when

applying sunscreen.

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 21

CurlManitoba’s Annual General Meeting has approved a significantchange in the organization’s membership model. As a result of theapproval of new by-laws at the June 4 AGM in Winnipeg, theindividual curlers who participate in the sport across the provincewill now be recognized as members of the organization. In the past,the members of the Manitoba Curling Association (akaCurlManitoba) have been the various clubs around the provincewho provide the opportunity to curl in their facilities. The new model of membership carries with it a $4 per participantmembership fee. In the past, membership revenue to the organizationwas based on a per-sheet-of-ice formula, which varied across theprovince. The formula was a direct cause of some clubs in smaller ruralcommunities making the decision to withdraw from CurlManitoba.In smaller facilities, the per person cost of the old formula meantindividuals were paying over $25 each while the figure was closerto $2 each in the larger centres like Winnipeg. What does this mean for curling clubs in Eastman? The new Membership Model is one of the best ideas CurlManitobahas implemented that positively affects many Curling Clubs in theEastman Sport Region. There are many small but still active CurlingClubs in our region that have a small number of curlers. This allowsall Clubs to affordably become members of CurlManitoba. We hope to entice Clubs like Vita, Piney, Dominion City, SevenSisters, Whitemouth and others to be part of CurlManitoba, enjoysome benefits and become a voice in the provincial association. Clubs will pay only $100 to join CurlManitoba, plus $4 per curler.Very affordable. Joining the Canadian Curling Association, paying their fees, andreceiving their benefits are now an option, not a requirement. Curling Clubs who have not been a member of CurlManitoba ever,or for a very long time, are encouraged to find out more by contactingthe CurlManitoba office in Winnipeg, or myself as their regionalrepresentative. Anni Markmann is a long time curler with the Ste Anne CurlingClub and current Eastman Rep for CurlManitoba. Contact her at204-422-6631 or annimarkmann@mts.net

With the end of the school yearand the start of summer holidaysmany students are now looking forwork and the Manitoba Youth JobCentre (MYJC) in Niverville is readyto help them out. Keanan Byggdin is the officemanager at the local MYJC this year. “There are 45 centres across theprovince and the program has beenrun by the Manitoba governmentsince 1975 so we’re certainly an

The RM of Hanover recentlycelebrated the arrival of a new graderto add to the municipality’s arsenalof public works equipment inKleefeld. Reeve Stan Toews and CouncillorHenry Funk, along with themunicipality’s public worksdepartment, were all on hand toaccept the keys of a brand new 2011Caterpillar Motor Grader. This is the first Caterpillar motorgrader that Hanover has purchasedand increases the Municipal fleet tofour motor graders. The motorgrader cost $249,160 and themunicipality will be adding a frontplow and wing to the machine priorto winter.

By Marianne Curtis

South Eastman Health has been given the green light to tender out the long awaited emergency room expansionat the region’s largest hospital. On June 3, Manitoba Health gave South Eastman Health the go ahead to tender the redevelopment andexpansion at Bethesda Hospital in Steinbach. The project that has been approved by the province is substantiallylarger than the health authority originally proposed. According to South Eastman Health CEO John Stinson, the health authority has spent the last few weeksgoing through a pre-qualification tender process. “We want to make sure that the companies that receive the final tender invitation are qualified to undertakethis project,” explained Stinson. “This is a huge project and we are eager to get it going.” While the original proposal from the South Eastman included a 3,800-square-foot expansion to the emergencydepartment, meetings with hospital staff and a review of community needs led to the full development plan,which will now see an expansion of 45,000 square feet and 24 additional patient treatment and examinationspaces. This space includes an expanded emergency department with new private admitting and triage areas, amental-health examination room and a new observation unit. The expansion project also includes the additionof a new dedicated special-care unit. Stinson is optimistic that if all goes well during the tendering process, construction may begin in Septemberand could take two years to complete. During the construction period, the current emergency room will berelocated to a temporary space on the main floor of the Community Services Campus.

The St. Pierre Jolys RCMP Detachment is requesting the public’sassistance in connection with vandalism to two residences in Niverville. Between May 13th and May 16th two residences under construction onKirkdale Drive were broken into and multiple windows and doors weredamaged where spray foam and black adhesive glue was used. The damageis estimated at $12,000. Police are asking anyone with information regarding these incidents toplease contact the RCMP St. Pierre Jolys Detachment at (204) 433-7908. Ifyou wish to remain anonymous, call Manitoba Crime Stoppers toll free at1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

On June 26 Steinbach RCMP received a complaint of a Break and Enterat a residence in the RM of La Broquerie, South of Steinbach. The suspectgained entry to the residence and stole several guns, some antique money,two harmonicas, jewelry and a lap top computer. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Steinbach RCMP at326-4452 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or at 1.www.manitobacrimestoppers.com or text “TIPMAN” plus your messageto Crimes (274637).

Hanover Gets New Grader

RM of Hanover reeve Stan Toews and Councillor Henry Funk, along with the municipality’spublic works department, celebrate the arrival of their new municipal grader.

Bethesda Emergency RoomProject Up for Tender

Job Centre Eager to AssistYouth, Employers

established asset that both youthand employers can count on yearafter year,” noted Byggdin. The MYJC registers students aged12-29 with their job referral programand offers assistance in such areasas creating resumes and Manitobalabor standards. For homeownersand employers looking to fill casual,part-time or full-time positions,Byggdin also takes job orders andthen matches them with qualifiedcandidates. “We’re a great networking andconnecting tool for both employersand youth,” Byggdin said.“Whether you just want someoneto mow your lawn or you needworkers to fill shifts at your businessright away, we’re eager to help. Allof our services are also free so that’sdefinitely an added bonus!” The Job Centre is open untilAugust 10 and serves thecommunities of Niverville, NewBothwell, Landmark, St. Adolphe,Lorette, Ile-des-Chenes, GrandePointe and Glenlea. Byggdin encourages anyoneseeking work or workers to call himat 388-6793 or visit him inside theTown of Niverville office from 9-5on weekdays. Youth or employersseeking bilingual services in the

Southeast can visit the MYJC inSt.Pierre-Jolys.

On June 6 at 6:00 p.m. RCMP inSteinbach were called to a residenceon Ellice Avenue in Steinbach whereit was reported a 26-year-old manwas in possession of a firearm. The man threatened to harmhimself or police with the firearm, ifconfronted. The man was last seenleaving the residence but with tipsfrom the public, an area near theresidence was contained. With the assistance of SpragueRCMP, St. Pierre RCMP and Ste.Anne Police Department the manwas located and apprehendedwithout incident. The firearm waslocated near the man and confirmedto be an imitation or “replica”handgun. The man remains in police custodyas the investigation is ongoing.Firearms related charges arepending.

Keanan Byggdin is the 2011 officemanager for the Manitoba Youth JobCentre in Niverville.

Man ThreatensHimself with Gun

CurlManitobaApproves NewMembership

Model

Residence Targeted by Thievesin RM of La Broquerie

On June 19 at about 2:00 p.m. RCMP were notified of the discovery ofhuman remains in a pond adjacent to Highway 75 about 4 kilometers southof the Perimeter highway in the RM of Ritchot. The deceased has been identified as a 42-year-old man from the City ofWinnipeg. At the request of the family, the name of the deceased will notbe released. An autopsy has been completed and while police continue to investigatethe circumstances surrounding this death, at this time investigators donot suspect foul play.

Vandals Sought by RCMP

Body Discovered inRM of Ritchot

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!22

Isaiah 40:30-31. 30) Even youths grow tired and weary, and young menstumble and fall; 31) but those who hope in the LORD will renew theirstrength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not growweary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV) When you take a boat ride on Lake of the Woods you can watcheagles soar high above the water ever so gracefully, just riding thewind. They seem to be totally in harmony with nature. Not a care in theworld as they sail through the air, always watchful, but always up highabove the blare and turmoil of the world down below. Sometimes I wish I could be like those eagles. There are times when Iam just worn out, even my bones feel tired and I feel totally exhausted.Ever get that way? When I get like that, I kind of feel ... you know ... abit irritated with life. It is during those times that I can get really upsetwith other folks around me and perhaps a bit short-sighted too. Eventhough I am a Christian, I need to be as watchful as those eagles ondays that I am not running the Christian race very well. For those of you who are my age: remember when you were younger?You did not get tired, did you? You seemed to have an inexhaustiblesupply of energy. However, even Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet,says that young people have struggles with weariness at times. Some ofus have forgotten that. Yes! We did get tired when were younger, butwe bounced back so quickly. We thought we could go on forever. Nowthat we are older, we have to behave in a more grown-up way. In fact,we must “act our age” because our bodies cannot handle more! Wecannot do the things we did when we were younger because everythingwould hurt, and those things that won’t hurt do not work anymore. How do we tap into that inexhaustible supply of God’s storehouse ofenergy? Verse 31 tells us that God is here to help us make our day, helpus get through those difficult times; past all the distractions andcommotions of this life. It seems so simple, but yet so tough to do. Allwe need to do is put our trust and hope in Jesus Christ. Invite Him intoour hearts, and He will supply that energy level we need for this life. There is a person in the Bible by the name of Esau who sold hisbirthright when he was physically and mentally exhausted. We may notsell our birthright, but we do other things that cause us grief later in life... things that feed that weariness in both body and soul. When ourenergy is drained and we are totally beat we do things that we wouldnot normally do. However, when we put our hope and trust in God, wegain strength from God’s strength. He allows us to exchange ourstrength for His. We never need to fear that our struggle is too big forHim. So if this is the case would it not make sense to make our relationshipwith God the highest possible priority of the day? We are told that Godis able to restore our weary soul with His strength if we are but willingto wait for Him to act. There are so many things that demand ourattention, our time. We must not let the noise and clatter, the pull andtug of this world, rob us of our daily time with the Lord. We are to trustin Him. When we do, we will draw strength from Him. It is in these dailytimes of drawing on the eternal storehouse of God’s resources that weare given the strength to live for Him. Would you pray with me ... Heavenly Father, you know my heart. Iacknowledge that I am a sinner. I now invite Jesus Christ to come intomy heart to forgive all my sins. I want my life to change. Many times mythoughts and attitude are not that great, please help me to have apositive attitude and good thoughts. I pray that Your Holy Spirit willhelp me to be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.I pray this in Christ Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The AGLOW ministry and Ste. Anne Prayer Group are having two specialguest speakers coming to Ste. Anne this summer. Jim Isakson has a unique blending of the prophetic gifting coupled withthe compassion of Jesus for the body of Christ. Combining these giftingswith practical teachings provide the saints with encouragement and themuch-needed instruction for the impartation of their God-given giftingsso they can fulfill their destiny in Christ. He will speak on July 26, 27 and28 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily at the Seine River Banquet Centre (Legion),A-80 Arena Road, Ste. Anne. Joan Hunter will speak on equipping believers to take the Healing Powerof God beyond the four walls of the church to the four corners of the earth(The neighbourhoods, the marketplace, our families and stores). She willmake her presentations on August 8, 9, and 10 at 7 p.m. daily. It will be heldat the Day Spring Fellowship Church, 20 Finnigan Road in Ste. Anne. Everyone is invited.

Higher!!Much Higher

Than anEagle

Christian SpeakersComing to Ste. Anne

July 2011Dawson Trail Dispatch More Than Just News! 23

Why do we enjoy the music thatwe listen to? What keeps usinterested when we encounter mediatexts? Dr. Nicholas Greco, AssistantProfessor of Communications andMedia at Providence College,addresses some of these questionsin his new book, “Only If You AreReally Interested”: Celebrity, Gender,Desire and the World of Morrissey,published by McFarland Press. “One of the keys to the enduringpopularity of the British singerSteven Patrick Morrissey (who mostoften goes by his last name only andwas lead singer of the band TheSmiths from 1983-1987) is hiscarefully crafted enigmatic persona,”says Greco, who is both a scholarand fan. Greco’s book examines the role ofenigma in the celebrity’s public life,exploring how a level of mystery ismaintained through television

Pam Rudy, principal of Dawson Trail School,was awarded the Crocus Award for her leadershipin the field of literacy. A reception and ceremonywas held at the Victoria Inn on Thursday, April14. Rudy was presented her award by thechairperson of the Manitoba ReadingAssociation, Carol Adamov, and she respondedby reinforcing her beliefs about the tremendousdifference literacy makes in a child’s life.

Three students in the Seine River School Division were recently namedas this year‘s Citizenship Award winners. The school trustees established the SRSD Citizenship Award in 2004 torecognize students who have made positive contributions to their schoolcommunity. The SRSD trustees believe that every school has exceptionalstudents who volunteer countless hours for the betterment of ourcommunities. Simon Laplante, Assistant Superintendent, enjoys recognizing deservingstudents with the awards. “It is remarkable to see that students as young as grade 2 have alreadycommitted themselves to a life of service to their communities,” LaPlantestated. Any member of the school division, staff or community can nominate astudent and the board selects three recipients form the early year’s, middleyear’s and senior year’s programs. The winners, their school and a charitableorganization of the recipient’s choice each receive a monetary donationfrom Seine River School Division. This year’s Early Years Award was presented to Stephan Bell fromArborgate School in La Broquerie. The Middle Years award went to MeganGauthier from the Dawson Trail School in Lorette and for the Senior Yearsaward was given to the entire Lorette Collegiate Student Council. At the June 14 Board meeting a plaque honoring all recipients since 2004was also unveiled.

A grade 12 graduate from Ecolecommunutaire Réal Berard in St.Pierre is one of a dozen studentsrecently honored with the Premier’sHealth Living Award for Youth. At a special ceremony at thebeginning of June, Premier GregSelinger presented graduatingstudent Natalie Dearborn with theaward. The award is given tostudents that show a willingness tohelp others, show outstanding

Author AddressesMusical Leanings inNew Morrissey Book

interviews, videos, reviews andconcerts, as well as through hismusic and lyrics. Greco presents thecase of Morrissey, using it toilluminate how celebrity functionsand how fans engage withcelebrities that they like. The bookexplores both the nature of ourdesiring and how enigma affectsnotions of traditional masculinity. “Of particular interest is the wayin which enigma stimulates interestand desire in his audience,” saysGreco. “And how the artistmanipulates traditional modes ofmasculinity and the conventions ofpop music to further cultivateenigma or a mystique.” While the book focuses on theBritish singer Steven PatrickMorrissey, the concepts it exploresare applicable to many celebrities inmediated society. “Morrissey is a fascinating

celebrity, one who maintains hiscelebrity through enigma, a constantstate of mystery,” says Greco. “It isimportant to understand howcelebrity works and how we as fansengage with celebrity.” Nicholas P. Greco is the author ofnumerous articles, including workon David Bowie, U2 and theCanadian rock band Rush, as wellas the television shows of creatorJoss Whedon. He is a foundingfellow of the Canadian Institute forthe Study of Pop Culture andReligion.

Students Receive Awardsin Seine River

DawsonTrail

PrincipalHonored St. Pierre Student Wins Award

leadership skills and have adedication to healthy living. Dearborn is a volunteer danceteam leader at the Kids Churchprogram at St. Pierre Bible FellowshipChurch. She also volunteered as acabin leader at the Manitoba PioneerCamp and at the Girls’ Night Outprogram for girls aged 12 to 15 at theSt. Pierre Youth for Christ drop-incentre. Winners received a medal andcertificate for their achievements, aswell as a letter of congratulations

from the premier. “These young citizens areoutstanding role models for otherchildren and youth,” said Selinger.“They make our province a betterplace to live and they are trulyinspiring.” The Premier’s Healthy LivingAward for Youth builds on theexisting Manitoba Youth LeadershipScholarship Program that recognizesGrade 12 students who haveengaged in meaningful volunteeractivities that promote leadership,citizenship and healthy living in theirschools and communities.

The Community DevelopmentCorporation (CDC) of Ste. Anne isexcited to announce the Farmers’Market will again be held Fridaysfrom July 22nd to September 9thbetween 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. atPetro Canada parking lot. Vendors include vegetableproducers, strawberry and raspberrygrowers, honey producers, bakers,preservers and crafters. There are several signs in andaround town on market day to guidevisitors. The Town of Ste. Anne is a goodlocation for those traveling along theTrans Canada Highway or Hwy 12to cottage country every weekend.A quick stop in Sainte-Anne for theirfresh produce and other goods isvery convenient. Travelers will alsolikely stop for other items includinga snack, fuel, or other groceries.Interested produce farmers, bakers,preservers, and crafters can contactAnni Markmann at 422-6631.

Farmers’Market

July 2011 Dawson Trail DispatchMore Than Just News!24

La Verendrye MLA Ron Lemieuxcongratulates Yvonne Fontaine-Godard on the work of the RicherComite des ami.e.s de la priere Inc.Fontaine-Godard accepts a chequefor $17,000 from the CommunityPlaces Program for the restoration ofthe church roof.

In the early morning hours of June 11Steinbach RCMP received multiplecomplaints of vehicle thefts fromSteinbach and the RM of Hanover. The investigation revealed that the firsttheft was a vehicle stolen was fromSteinbach. The keys had been left insideand it was unsecured. It was crashedinto a ditch in the RM of Hanover westof Steinbach where nearby, a secondvehicle was stolen. The second vehicle also had the keysleft inside. This vehicle was crashedabout one mile away where a thirdvehicle was stolen from a garage anddriven to Winnipeg. All of these stolenvehicles were Dodge Ram pick-uptrucks. With the assistance of the WinnipegPolice Service, Donovan Michael Weiler(19 years old) of the RM of Hanoverwas arrested in connection with severalvehicle thefts. Steinbach RCMP have now chargedWeiler with three counts of theft over$5,000.00, three counts of Possessionof Stolen Property, two counts ofBreach of Probation Order, and onecount of Break and Enter in connectionwith this investigation. Donovan Weiler was held in custodyat the Winnipeg Remand Center.

As of the beginning of July residents in Steinbach andneighboring municipalities planning to haul their garbage to theSteinbach landfill will be required to secure their loads or facehefty fines under the Highway Traffic Act. According to the City of Steinbach’s Solid Waste Departmenthead Eldon Wallman, the new regulation is in accordance to theHighway Traffic Act Section 61 (2). HTA section 61(2) states: “No person shall operate, or permitto be operated, upon a highway any motor vehicle or trailerunless the load that the motor vehicle or trailer is carrying isfirmly bound, sufficiently covered, or otherwise secured orloaded, in such a manner that no portion of the load may become

Raisingthe Roof

Face Fines if Garbage Not Securedislodged or fall from the motor vehicleor trailer” “All bulky loads must be tarped andlarger items secured with adequate tie-down straps or rope,” confirmedWallman. “We will be enforcing thisregulation.” Effective July 1 failure to properlysecure loads entering or exiting theSteinbach Landfill will result in a $10surcharge over and above regular fees.For residents who do not have a tarp tosecure their loads, the landfill staff willprovide 6' x 8' tarps and four bungeestraps for the price of $10 until July 30. This regulation will apply to pickuptrucks and trailers of any size and isexpected to improve road safety byeliminating the risk of loose and flyingdebris from unsecured loads. Violatorscould receive a fine is $231.50 if stoppedby the RCMP.

Once again, Bibliothèque Ste.Anne Library is gearing up for theSummer Reading Club. The Theme for this year’s programis “Splash”. Every summer kids can improvetheir reading skills and reducesummer learning loss while havingfun. Kids ages 4 to 12 who registerwith the Summer Reading Clubreceive a poster, stickers and anactivity book, all free as a part oftheir reading kit. Prizes are awardedthroughout the summer. Childrencan pick up their awesome readingkit when they register. Register in person or call 422-9958.

RCMP LayCharges in

Multiple VehicleThefts

Read, ReadRead!