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The Rotary Club of Dauphin and Pathways Funeral Services have joined together to bring warmth, remembrance, and community spirit to the City of Sunshine this holiday season.
The Gift of Lights is back for the fifth year, first starting in 2020. You can visit Luke Macmillan at Pathways or any Rotarian and purchase a tree for $250.
That tree will be lighted, and you will get a sign with your loved one's name on it, and these trees will be placed at CN Park to light up the city.
"It's gone well every year. We have sold out our trees every year," said Macmillan. "We try to make 40 trees our goal, and we've done that pretty consistently. It's a good fundraiser for the Rotary Club and the projects they work on in the Parkland."
The trees will be up for everyone to see on the first weekend in December.
This initiative is community spirit at its finest. Macmillan says it's a pleasure to be a part of.
"I like to see people come together and remember their loved one," ended Macmillan. "I think people find it meaningful. Everyone has a memory with their family at Christmas time. This is one more way for people to honour their loved ones during the holiday season when they're having a tough time."
The deadline to order your tree is November 30. You can also reserve your tree online.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Canadians will take time on Tuesday to remember those who have protected our country in past wars, and those that are serving in our Armed Forces today.
Norma Johnston with the Dauphin Legion has details on the local Remembrance Day service in our city.
"Our service is at Credit Union Place at 10:45. We ask people to be there by 10:30 to honour our veterans and those that served us."
Johnston feels it is important to take time out to honour our veterans.
"We honour our veterans who have served and gave the ultimate sacrifice of their life. But also those that are still living. And also our current veterans who are defending our country for the support to give us our freedom."
Following the service, there will be a ceremony at the Cenotaph on Memorial Boulevard beginning at noon.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Following the resignation last month of town councillor Corinna Medwid, the Town of Swan River is looking to fill her seat at the council table.
Nomination packages are now available at the Town office on Main Street in Swan River.
Completed packages can be turned back in to the office between November 26th and December 2nd, during regular business ours.
They must include the candidate's declaration of qualification, as well as signatures from at least 25 eligible voters.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Travelling to the northern parts will become more feasible if you have an electric vehicle in the near future.
Manitoba Hydro has chosen communities where electric vehicle charging stations will be located. There will be six charging stations between Winnipeg and Manitoba. They include Lundar, St. Martin, Grand Rapids, Ponton, Wabowden, and Thompson.
While Manitoba has hundreds of EV charging stations, many are limited to major highways and southern communities.
Peter Chura is the media relations officer with Manitoba Hydro.
"This bridges a gap in coverage," said Chura. "It also allows us to partner with First Nations. It could also unlock some tourism potential by making it more possible for people with electric vehicles to cover that distance between Winnipeg and Thompson."
Manitoba Hydro is in talks with vendors, suppliers, First Nations, and communities where the chargers will be to determine the exact location. The six-charger network is expected to be fully operational by the spring of 2027.
"Most of the chargers will be able to accommodate four vehicles at a time and take 20 to 30 minutes per vehicle," ended Chura. "Part of our priority in placing these stations is making sure they are in place where there are other amenities. Washrooms, a restaurant, or another gas station. Some places people can utilize while they wait for their vehicle to be charged, especially in the winter."
The chargers will align with market prices. A typical commercial charging session costs around $20 an hour.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
A an adult female was sent to the hospital after a two-vehicle collision in Swan River on Friday.
At 8:45 a.m., RCMP responded to the collision where a Buick Encore was travelling eastbound on Main Street and tried to turn north onto 9th Avenue North. When the vehicle entered the intersection, it was struck by a westbound van.
The adult male of the van was uninjured. The female was sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Icy conditions are suspected to have been a factor. With the return of winter driving conditions, the Swan River RCMP is urging everyone to be extra cautious.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Shoal Lake and area Food Bank will be the benefactors of this year's Stuff A Bus campaign in that community.
From 10 to 2 on Saturday, members of the Shoal Lake Lions Club will be driving the Handi-Van around that community, filling it with donations.
Among the items they are looking for are non-perishable foods such as canned goods, dry items like pastas, cereals and crackers, and condiments and baby food.
Unused toiletries, cleaning supplies and laundry soap will also be accepted, as will monetary donations.
Residents in Shoal Lake are encouraged to leave their donations at the end of their driveway on Saturday to be picked up by the Lions club members.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
There is a new man at the top of the Dauphin Ag Society.
George Panko was named the new president of the organization at their Annual General Meeting on Thursday night.
Panko replaces Terron Stykalo, who stepped down after four years as President.
He will stay on with the group in the role of Past President.
Rounding out the executive will be Jason Beyette as first Vice President, and Brenda Boyd as second Vice presidentt.
Also at last night's meeting, the Ag Society reported profits for its two signature events of the year.
The fair turned a profit of just over $49,000, while Farm Outlook was $10,000 in the black.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A 53-year-old woman is dead, and another faces manslaughter charges following a stabbing in Binscarth earlier this week.
Russell RCMP were called to a home just before 11 pm Monday over a report of a unresponsive woman.
The victim, suffering from a life threatening stab wound, was taken to hospital where she died from her injuries.
53-year-old Sheila Mills of Binscarth was arrested by police on Thursday.
Mounties say the victim and suspect knew each other.
Mills remains in custody until a future court appearance.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
66 years ago, Leonard Grywacheski, picked up a pair of clippers for the first time.
The rest is history. Leonard was a barber in Ste. Rose for 64 years until his recent retirement.
"My mom kind of talked me into it," said Grywacheski. "I thought maybe I would give it a try. Then I ended up doing it for decades."
Grywacheski learned to become a barber in Regina and briefly worked in Thunder Bay.
With some help from his parents, Leonard moved back to Ste. Rose and purchased his shop space. He says his favourite haircut was the traditional brush cut.
Now he's looking back at decades of memories.
"Pretty well all the time, it was great, or else I wouldn't have lasted that long," commented Grywacheski. "It treated me very well. I tried to treat the customers as well as I could."
Leonard remembers visiting the hospital in Ste. Rose frequently to cut patients' hair. He says those are some of his fondest memories.
After he finished cutting a child's hair, he would give them a piece of bubble gum. He still has plenty left and will continue sharing with those near and dear to him.
Grywacheski says his loyal customers meant everything to him. Without them, he wouldn't have been able to cut hair for 66 years.
"I value my customers very much; they supported me very well over the years," commented Grywacheski. "I'm very pleased with the people in this community. They gave me such good business for many years. I have nothing but great things to say about all of them."
Leonard says one word sums up the past 66 years as a barber, and it's happy.
"Now that I think about all of the years as a barber, I am very happy that I went through with it," he ended.
Leonard is now looking forward to kicking up his feet and enjoying time with his family and friends.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
A boil water advisory is now in effect for the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation.
The advisory was put in place due to higher-than-normal turbidity (cloudiness) in the community's water supply. Turbidity means there are tiny particles like dirt or sediment in the water. While there may not be germs present, it does make it harder to properly disinfect water.
Until further notice, bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before drinking, using for cooking, brushing teeth, or washing food.
You can still bathe and do laundry as usual. Avoid swallowing any water.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
He grew up on a small farm in the RM of Abernethy, which, for those who aren't sure where that is, is about 3.5 hours from Dauphin in southern Saskatchewan.
He went to the University of Regina and met his wife, Jennifer, in Saskatoon while working at Dominos.
They moved in together in Edmonton, and he worked for three different Canadian Tire stores within the city of Edmonton.
His journey has included being the general manager at the store in Camrose.
Years later, Jeff Bonnor and his family now call Dauphin home. On July 24, Jeff became the new owner of Canadian Tire in Dauphin.
"That was the call I was waiting for. I had completed dealer training in March," said Bonnor. "It was pretty great, we had a family reunion that weekend, so I was able to share all the great news with my extended family about where we're heading and what lies in store for us."
Jeff and Jennifer have two kids. 10-year-old Nolan and seven-year-old Devon. The family moved to town at the beginning of September, and Nolan and Devon have since enrolled in school here.
Jeff's first day at Canadian Tire was on Friday, October 17. He says the first few weeks have gone very well.
"There are always new and interesting things that pop up, and interesting challenges that we get to deal with every day," said Bonnor. "The main thing that both Jennifer and I are committed to doing is getting a little bit better every day. We can start to see it, and we're hoping the people can start to see and feel it in here as well."
If you haven't visited Canadian Tire in the past few weeks, Jeff invites you down.
He does ask for some patience and leeway as they transition the store into something special and a must-visit for folks in the area.
"We would love to have everyone in the Parkland come here to shop. We understand we might not be the largest Canadian Tire, but we do have access to the full catalog of assortment that Canadian Tire carries," continued Bonnor. "From somebody growing up on the prairies, this is home. If you want to experience the hometown service that you love and deserve, come on out and give us a try."
Since taking over a few weeks ago, Jeff says it's been a true pleasure getting to know customers.
"These are some of the friendliest people that I have ever encountered," commented Bonnor. "Everyone here has been super welcoming. We are privileged to be in such a great part of the country, and I want to say thank you to everyone for being so welcoming to me and my family."
On another note, there has been plenty of talk over the years about a new building for Canadian Tire. That is something that Jeff is unable to comment on.
"What I can tell you is we are committed to making the facility that we're currently in the best that it possibly can be," ended Bonnor. "Anything outside of that is outside of my scope. We'll make the current facility the best experience that we possibly can."
There's a new owner in town, and Jeff Bonnor and his wife are looking forward to making your next visit to Canadian Tire the most enjoyable one yet.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
