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The temperature in Riding Mountain National Park is about to heat up this weekend.
In more ways than one. We can expect a high of minus 14 on Friday. Then on Saturday and Sunday, highs of minus 4 and plus three are forecasted. The weather will be gorgeous.
On top of that, Friends of RMNP is hosting its 21st annual Winter Adventure Weekend from Friday to Sunday. George Hartlen is the CEO of Friends of RMNP.
"After the week and a half of deep freeze temperatures, these rebounding temperatures are creating lots of excitement for getting people outdoors," said Hartlen. "We've had lots of interest in different activities. People are just excited to get outside to enjoy the weather."
The festivities open on Friday with the Onanole and Area hockey tournament at the Onanole Rec Centre starting at 6:30. There is live music at the Lakehouse at 7:00, then again at 8:30 at the Elkhorn Resort Buffalo Bar. The hockey tournament and both concerts are free.
"We'll be doing things like a hot dog BBQ fundraiser on Saturday," added Hartlen. "We've got winter scavenger hunts. There will be a group snowshoe and snow carving. There will be live music in the Klar-So snow pavilion."
There will be a social on Saturday night starting at 9:00 at the Onanole Rec Centre. On Sunday, there's public skating at the Rec Centre, a chili and bun fundraiser, and kids' snow painting.
Hartlen says this is always a weekend that many circle on their calendars.
"This is one of the big events that happen here during the winter season," continued Hartlen. "It's a great opportunity to get outdoors and to embrace winter. There is so much planned here."
Regardless of whether you're five or 95, there's something for you. A majority of the events are free.
So whether you're taking a solo trip or heading down with the family, the Winter Adventure Weekend in Riding Mountain National Park is ready to welcome you.
"Yes, exactly. It's for little kids to seniors, and everything in between," ended Hartlen. "Get outside, have some fun, and enjoy everything that RMNP has to offer."
You can see a full weekend schedule here.
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The Snowtraxx Snowmobile Club has been around since 1997 and is based in Foxwarren.
The Club is a not-for-profit that grooms and maintains 385 kilometres of trails from Birtle to Russell to Rossburn, and many areas in between. The trails are groomed weekly, and there are 50 members.
"There's a core group, and then some come and go," said Alan Butler, president. "It's a pretty active group. We normally groom about four to five thousand kilometres of trails per year. That includes all the signage on those trails."
Over the weekend, 50 snowmobilers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and one from the United States took part in the Ride around the Mountain to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Snoman. The ride started last Thursday with minus 31, with the snowmobilers split into two groups of 25.
Riders passed through 14 communities. This included Dauphin, who, as a group, spent the night before returning to their home base. Riders also visited Neepawa, Grandview, and Minnedosa.
When the crew returned to Russell on Saturday, there was a feast, and many great stories were shared.
"It was good. It averaged about 600 kilometres in total for each rider," added Butler. "Saturday was better at minus 13. There were no accidents and no problems; that's what it is all about. Everyone had a lot of fun."
The Club has four groomer operators. They're responsible for maintaining the trails. Two operators are based in Birtle and two in Rossburn. If you have a snowmobile and are interested in what the Snowtraxx Snowmobile Club offers, Alan says they always welcome new members. You can message them on Facebook.
Butler said it's a great social outlet. They manage six shelters that are spread throughout the trail system. They're stocked with wood.
"It's an opportunity for people to get on their sled and go a long way or for a short ride," commented Butler. "It's a good way to enjoy the winter and make some new friends."
From an economic point of view, the Snowtraxx Snowmobile Club is a driving force in the region for local businesses.
"It's good for the communities. Many of the small communities in the winter months are stagnant; there isn't much going on," ended Butler. "Restaurants and service stations do very well with our snowmobilers. I believe they keep some of them open during the winter months."
The Club is also giving a big shoutout to the students at Birtle Collegiate who did the artwork on the handout bags given to snowmobilers during the ride.
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It will take nine years to fully build out new wind farms that Manitoba Hydro is relying upon to increase its generating capacity, the provincial Crown corporation states in a new plan to ensure it has enough power to meet consumer needs.
But the same plan calls for gas-burning turbines in Brandon to be fully built by 2030, soon enough to allay concerns about mid-winter peak demands for power exceeding the available supply.
This week, Hydro published its new integrated resource plan, which lays out how the provincial Crown corporation plans to both save and generate more electricity over the next 10 years.
What's officially known is the plan calls for Hydro to make 1,760 more megawatts of electricity available to consumers within 10 years through a combination of energy-saving measures and new infrastructure.
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The provincial government is set to host several town halls across Manitoba, giving the public a chance to provide input on the 2026 budget.
The closest one to the Parkland will take place February 13th at The Backyard on Aberdeen in Brandon.
Town halls will also be held in Winnipeg on Feb. 10, Flin Flon on Feb. 19 and Gimli on Feb. 26.
There will be two telephone town halls — one on Feb. 11 and another on Feb. 17.
Participants have to create an Engage Manitoba account to register for the meeting they plan to attend. Engage Manitoba is a public engagement platform for the provincial government.
The province has also invited Manitobans to share their priorities for this year’s budget through an online survey, which is open until Feb. 28.
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A 46-year-old from Swan River was arrested after fleeing from the RCMP.
On Monday at 2:30 a.m., Swan River RCMP attempted to pull over an SUV on Main Street for a traffic stop. The driver sped up.
The vehicle hit the curb on 9th Avenue North, and the occupants exited the vehicle and attempted to flee. The officers caught the suspect on foot and took him into custody.
A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of cocaine, meth, and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
The suspect, who remains unnamed, faces charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and property obtained by crime under $5,000.
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If you are driving around the city's downtown this afternoon, you will want to take note of this.
Due to a watermain break, 1st Avenue NE between 2nd Street NE and 3rd Street NE is currently closed to traffic.
Crews are on site completing repairs, and the closure will remain in place until further notice.
Please use alternate routes where possible.
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The Russell Snowmobile Club got $700.
Through the canteen, the Angusville Community Centre received hundreds of dollars. Last year's Russell Snow Drags went off without a hitch.
"We had probably 100 entries, we run 23 classes," said Bret Nahirniak, who runs the event. All the way from Ontario to Fort McMurray, and everywhere in between, we have people coming to compete and check it out."
The event is run annually on the first Saturday in February. This year, it's on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. If you want to compete, you can register your sled starting at 8:30 on Saturday morning at the Russell Inn.
Proceeds from the event will go towards the Snowmobile Club again. There will be a canteen open, with the proceeds going to Passion4Paws rescue in Russell.
"One of my friends brought this forward, and I told her she would get all the profits from the canteen," ended Naherniak. "She's doing most of the donation herself."
Even if you don't compete, Naherniak invites you to check it out. There were over 100 spectators last year.
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As Rod Carberry looks to transition out of his director role at Dauphin's Countryfest, his full focus will soon become fishing.
As Carberry has been instrumental in helping revive the Intermountain Sport Fishing Enhancement group, he's looking to help develop the next generation. With that, Anglers Education was born.
Over the past two years, Carberry has wanted to visit schools in Dauphin and educate the younger generation. What does Anglers ED look like?
Carberry and his crew ran their first-ever Anglers ED at MacKenzie Middle School in Dauphin. They welcomed the group and explained why they're doing what they are.
"We talked about it being peaceful, there is a providing factor, and the thrill of the chase. We talked about going through the motions," said Carberry. "Fishing can be very successful, and it can be very frustrating at times."
There were six grade seven classes. That's 136 students who gained knowledge and the basic know-how. Dawn Dutchak, the school's principal, wants this to be an annual occurrence for students.
"We think it went very well. We had a lot of interest," said Carberry. "I made contact with Bass Pro and took one of the buyers from a local division. She stepped up big time and provided us with crates and crates of samples from Bass Pro. We provided them to the kids."
The students all received baits, tackle, and the knowledge to own the water. As the Parkland is a hotbed for fishing in the province, Carberry hopes Anglers ED in Dauphin will have more kids wanting to be on the lake.
Fishing has long been a passion for Rod, and it's a big part of his life.
"I always enjoy launching my boat and seeing kids on the dock casting. That was me when I was a kid," commented Carberry. "I'm eager to get this going."
Carberry's ultimate vision is to create a competitive fishing league at the high school. Every year, more than 1,000 kids compete in the Manitoba High School Ice Fishing Championship. Last year, it featured 60 schools and 1,300 kids.
Carberry says he would love the DRCSS have a competitive league within it.
"This is kind of grassroots, and we want to develop it," ended Carberry. "Once we can get things underway, we hope to partner with the high school to develop this high school league."
If you ever have any fishing-related questions, you can get in touch with Rod here.
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Laverne Rosnoski-Tomsha has run the Passion4Paws rescue in Russell for just more than two years.
She has worked in rescues for more than two decades and started Passion4Paws. In the over two years of operation, Laverne has rescued more than 200 dogs and a select number of cats. She rented a spot off the Vet Clinic, but that didn't pan out.
Laverne and her rescues had to leave, and she's now running the rescue out of her home.
She said it's been challenging at times, but worth every moment.
"It's the most rewarding thing. It's my passion, I've done this all my life," said Rosnoski-Tomsha. "To be able to do it now with people helping. The people in Russell have been incredible. They've done fundraising events to help me pay for things."
Students from the high school want to help out at the rescue. The students would get credits. Some of the elementary kids who are struggling with reading want to read to the dogs. Adults suffering from mental health issues have also expressed their interest in volunteering.
Laverne recently purchased a 16x30 building in Altona. She plans to move that to Russell when she gets the land, and then wants to add onto the building. The cost was $50,000. For four years, Laverne has been working with the Waywayseecappo First Nation.
She has done four spay and neuter clinics and vaccine clinics on the First Nation.
As a token of their gratitude, Chief and Council stepped up to purchase the $50,000 building. Once Laverne can purchase land, Chief and Council have said they'll help her get the building to Russell.
"Oh my god, it was life-changing. I've been trying to work with the First Nation for years," added Rosnoski-Tomsha. "I was so proud of them. I think I cried for 30 minutes before I could even say thank you."
Laverne currently has one Cane Corso mom and her five puppies. She also has an adult mixed dog and three puppies.
Recently, she took the animals to the Personal Care Home. She notes that when she arrives, the seniors are half asleep.
"With an hour, all the seniors are bending down, throwing balls, exercising, and playing," ended Rosnoski-Tomsha. "Their memory all of a sudden sharpens up. They start telling me about their dogs and the past. They get talking amongst each other. It's heart-warming."
Dogs are known to provide numerous benefits to human health. They help reduce stress and anxiety. They alleviate loneliness and help improve your mood.
If you're interested in adopting a dog from Passion4Paws rescue or finding out about volunteer opportunities, head here. If you don't have Facebook, you can contact Laverne at 773-0287.
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The Coldest Night of the Year Walk is just a few weeks away.
It'll happen on Saturday, February 28. Fundraising locally has gone very well, and it's the Rotary Club of Dauphin that is leading the charge.
Led by team captain Kathy Bellemare, the Rotary Ramblers include Christine Harapiak, Darren Eddie, Jean-Louis Guillas, and Trina Mathison. All funds raised this year will go towards the Dauphin Friendship Centre's Food for Thought program.
The program feeds registered children during the school year with a hot meal on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bellemare shares why the Rotary Ramblers are taking part.
"Some Rotarians have volunteered with the program, and we understand the value," said Bellemare. "We also deliver meals for seniors on Friday. It's about the community service."
25 days until the walk, the Ramblers have already raised 79% of their goal. They hope to raise $4,500, and have already raised $3,533.30. Bellemare leads the way, raising $1,150.
"It's pretty humbling that people are supportive and willing to step up," added Bellemare. "I'm so happy to see that people in the community see the value of this program."
Locally, 10 teams have raised more than $9,000 as of publishing. The Northwest Metis Council, led by Shannon Genaille, has raised the second-most at $2,445. The DFC Frostbite Fighters, led by Audrey Klyne, have raised $1,035 and are in third.
That's already thousands of dollars worth of hot meals to serve registered kids in the community.
"The whole idea of Coldest Night of the Year is important. That particular program is near and dear to my heart," continued Bellemare. "I've seen kids lining up at Barker School when I was working there. The enthusiasm and all the smiles. It's a mom thing, too, you like to see kids fed."
If you'd like to donate to the cause, head here.
As Bellemare and the Rotary Ramblers eye down their $4,500 goal, Kathy tips her hat to the community for stepping up.
"Thank you for your support and generosity," ended Bellemare. "We still have a few weeks, so hopefully, many more people step up to donate. If you're not comfortable donating online, get in touch with anyone on the team, or me. There are ways for me to take financial donations."
In Canada, 4,906 teams are registered for this year's walk. That's 19,233 walkers. That's 33,303 donors across 223 locations. Rotary International has raised $76,382. In all, more than 5 million dollars has been raised nationally.
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Radon is an odourless, radioactive gas that seeps into homes and buildings from the soil.
Long-term exposure to elevated radon levels is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada. It's responsible for more than 3,200 deaths each year. In Manitoba, 43 percent of homes exceed the national radon guideline of 200 becquerels per cubic metre.
On Thursday, the Gilbert Plains Municipality will be hosting a radon information session in the Gilbert Plains EMS boardroom. It's at 7:00. You can learn about the health effects of radon and why it's a concern in the area.
Courtney Roehl says everyone is welcome.
"We're having a representative from Health Canada come out and do the presentation," said Roehl. "The representative will answer any questions. We're going to be giving away 10 free radon testing kits.
If your home reads between 200 and 600 becquerels per cubic metre, it's recommended to remediate it within two years.
Roehl says now's the time to educate yourself on the effects of radon.
"It's a radioactive gas that has no taste, it's odourless, and invisible. You can't tell if it's in your house or not unless you test," ended Roehl. "Learning how to mitigate radon in your home is very important."
If the radon reading is greater than 600 becquerels per cubic metre, you're encouraged to remediate within a year.
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