Submitted by Jayne Leadbeater: Beginning Day for some dedicated musicians, who are members of the Swan Valley Community Band, occurred this past 17 September 2025. There was some excitement this September with new members choosing to join us. To the delight everyone, 4 new people have expanded our numbers. Invitations to dust off instruments and […]

ValleyBiz Story | A large number of vintage vehicles made an appearance at the Chamber of Commerce parade held on Friday, July 25, 2025 as part of the kickoff to the 2025 Northwest Roundup and Exhibition. Below is a gallery of entries in all their former glory. Click any picture for a larger version.

ValleyBiz Story | There was something for everyone at the Northwest Roundup and Exhibition hosted by the Swan River Valley Agricultural Society on July 24-27, 2025. From the parade on Friday morning, fair rides, local exhibits, horse shows, the Down on the Farm petting zoo and great local food booths, there was an abundance of […]

ValleyBiz Story | On the morning of Friday July 25, 2025 rodeo weekend in Swan River kicked off with one of the largest parades in recent years. The theme of this year’s parade was “Canada: True North Strong and Free” and was fittingly led by the RCMP, Swan River Legion and Swan River Canadian Rangers […]

Pictured above: Cindy Ghostkeeper-Whitehead from James Smith Reserve in SK. All those who were able to attend the Jamboree were blessed. The crowd was smaller than usual, but we heard some reports of people not being able to attend because of the smoke. Maybe this also kept others away that we have not heard of. […]

Submitted by: Jayne Leadbeater On Wednesday, the 14 May 2025, the SVRSS CAFETERIA had an audience of almost 100 people enjoying the performances of the Swan Valley Community Band and guests, the Swan Valley School Division’s Tour Band. This group is comprised of Grade 8-12 Band students from ESRSS, SVRSS, and Minitonas School. Because our […]

Submitted by: Chantelle Moshenko The Minitonas PAC held their 2nd annual Spring Coffee House on Friday May 9, 2025 at the Minitons School. The Coffee House was held to raise funds for our school needs such as a storage shed, and an outdoor volleyball court. We thank everyone who showcased their talent, and everyone who […]

Submitted by: Renate Wille The Little Woody Art Show held May 3, 2025 was a success. Like every year we had a good number of people coming out to enjoy the art and the fellowship time over coffee and good food. The exhibitors were: Naomi Nemez Wilma Barkman Barb and Terry Filuk Melodie Hunt Julie […]

Submitted by Phyllis Friesen | The Swan Valley Community Choir held their spring concert on April 24, 2025 at the St Andrews United Church in Swan River. The evening included a guest performance by the Benito School. Following the concert, attendees visited over coffee and dainties.

Submitted by: Savanna McKay | The Dolyna Ukrainian Dancers held their annual year end concert on April 12, 2025 at the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School gymnasium. There was a great turn-out of family, friends and community members to enjoy the impressive display of athleticism, choreography and culture. The event began with the procession of […]

Submitted by: Tracy Mychalchuk Benito Vesselli Dance Club hosted their second annual Malanka Event on Saturday January 11th, 2025. Guests were greeted by Vesselli Senior Dancers as they entered for cocktail hour. A delicious and filling supper with Vesselli’s deep fried perogies, cabbage rolls, meatballs, roast pork, dessert and more was catered by H&M Catering. […]

ValleyBiz Story | The annual Community Carol Festival took place at Temple Baptist Church on December 1, 2024. A variety of musical selections by groups and individuals filled the air with Christmas Spirit.

Submitted by: Violet Plett Barrows Gospel Jamboree was again a blessing to all who attended. Due to the unstable weather we have had, we had to run the whole event inside the hall, instead of outside at the outdoor stage. Some were disappointed it was inside, but most adapted well, and some even said we […]

Submitted by: Gillian Mcgrath | Swan Valley FolkFest took place May 31 and June 1, 2024. The event was attended by around 500 kids from the schools free of charge on Friday with an additional 780 people attending on Friday and 750 on Saturday. Swan Valley FolkFest was an opportunity to celebrate our Valley’s diversity […]

Submitted by: Laurie Evans Thank you to everyone that came out to the first Minitonas School PAC Coffee House on Saturday May 10, 2024. It was a great turnout and the performers did not disappoint with their wide range of music from country to opera and everything in between. It was a true showcase of […]

Submitted by: Jayne Leadbeater On the May 8, 2024, in the SVRSS Cafeteria, the Swan Valley Community Band performed their “Spring Thunders In!” Concert for over 100 in attendance. Included in the audience were the many faithful patrons who have enjoyed being entertained by the Community Band for the last 30 years. There were also […]

Submitted by: Gloria Stesenko Benito Drop In Centre had lots of activity on Saturday, May 11, 2024 with the Mother’s Day Quilt Show and Tea. There were 24 beautiful quilts on display. Tracy Kerr and Brenda Forman did a wonderful job of serving with Vickie Atkinson helping in the kitchen. A big thank you goes […]

The Benito Vesselli Dance Club With a sold out crowd, the club was overwhelmed with the support from the community and surrounding area. Guests were entertained with live music played by Bill Macooh as they entered the hall for cocktails. All 28 Vesselli Dancers gathered to welcome everyone to Malanka 2024 and say Grace. A […]

Submitted by: Donna Leming | An inspirational Christmas program was held on Dec 16th at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The program featured various talents from members of the Swan Valley. Pastor Bob Lewis shared his testimony titled “By the Grace of God. The evening ended with a delicious meal. A big thank you to all […]

Submitted by: Jayne Leadbeater, PR/Secretary/Communications Under the Direction of Julie Kooistra, the Swan Valley Community Band presented their Christmas Concert on Wednesday December 7, 2023 that was held in the SVRSS Cafeteria. The “Halls were Decked with Music” for almost an hour. Over the last 29 years, which also include those dreaded Covid19 ones, our […]

Submitted by: Community Foundation of Swan Valley “A Magical Evening,” hosted by the Community Foundation of Swan Valley (CFSV) left guests spellbound in a night of celebration and community support. The event, held at the Veterans Community Hall, was a testament to the power of community spirit and a night that will be fondly remembered. […]

Submitted by: Lloyd Gilchrist | The Valley Stage Players presented their annual dinner and dessert theatres this past weekend, November 24-26 with their production of “Farce of Nature” by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. The play was set at a struggling fishing lodge in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas which was surprised with […]

Submitted by Rose Kovachik | The annual Cowan Trail Celebration was held on August 26, 2023, keeping its traditional date of the fourth Saturday of August. On Friday, the night before the main event, as usual, the Cowan Hall parking lot slowly filled with RV trailers and horses. Campsites also slowly speckled the area with […]

Submitted by: Brent Erlendson A crowd of 140+ enjoyed a great meal and entertainment at the Swan River Legion Clubroom Friday August 25, 2023 Dinner was served starting at 6:00 pm followed by Steve Hillis playing an excellent, energetic tribute act to many great country and classic rock performers. For the remainder of the evening […]

Pictured above: Jeff Reimer family from Ridgeville Submitted by: Violet Plett | We had a great weekend of listening to Gospel Music, and visiting with neighbors and friends, and meeting new friends. The attendance overall wasn’t very big, but we did count about 60 people there at one point. We had several bands and others […]

Pictured above: The SVRSS Senior Band is joined by special musical guests, The Swan Valley Community Band ValleyBiz Story | There was music in the air on June 7, 2023 as the SVRSS Concert Band and Grade 9 Band presented their summer band concert. Pictured above: Grade 9 Band The program began with the Grade […]

Submitted by: Tanya Staniland Mamma Mia! A huge SUCCESS! What can 40+ students, 20 community members, and 25 SVRSS staff members do…..put on one heck of a show! This production was full of drama, song, live music, and talent! Over 900 people were entertained from Thursday to Sunday for the SHORT 3-hour production. Saturday night […]

Submitted by: Renate Wille | The Little Woody Baptist Church Art Show took place on May 6, 2023 at 1:00 pm. It was a beautiful event with nice weather and a lot of people enjoying the Art and coffee time. Exhibitors were: Naomi Nemez, Barb Labbe, Suzanne May, Wilma Barkman, Julie Kooistra, Candace Balbo, Melanie […]

Submitted by: Jayne Leadbeater | Wednesday Evening, 3 May 2023, the Swan Valley Community Band performed its annual Spring Concert “NOTES OF SPRING” at the Ecole Swan River South School Gym. The audience enjoyed a repertoire of 10 concert selections depicting different genres. This included music representing a number of countries, like Norway, Canada, and […]

Submitted by: Ara Bartel The Swan River Dolyna Dancers held their year end Ukrainian Dance concert on April 22. The dance concert was a huge success with dancers of all age groups. The crowd enjoyed 22 dances including a special guest performance by the Dolyna adult dancers. Refreshments and danties were enjoyed by all. There […]

Submitted by: Phyllis Friesen The Swan Valley Community Carol Festival rang in the Christmas season with a variety of musical selections at Temple Baptist Church on December 11, 2022. The community gathered to enjoy the music of the season performed by many talented musical artists from around the Valley.

Submitted by: Jayne Leadbeater (Minish) After 3 long Covid19 years, the Swan Valley Community Band was back in full swing with their annual Christmas Concert held Friday, 9 December 2022 at the Ecole Swan River South School. A substantial number of people enjoyed “Music for Christmas” from our group. And, to round out the evening, […]

Pictured above: Highly Strung, Ladies Ukulele Group Submitted by: Donna Leming, Pictures by: Linda McCullough A big thank you to everyone who braved the cold weather on Saturday, Dec 3, 2022 to attend and participate at the Seventh-day Adventist Christmas Hymn Sing. Several enjoyed the light lunch and fellowship following the program. Proceeds from an […]

Submitted by: Kimberley Knowles | Valley Stage Players were excited to get back into the swing of things with the production of “Deputy Jan” by playwright Richard Gremel. All three productions were a success and the crowds enjoyed the play! The proceeds will go to the Swan River Valley Ag Society! Thanks to everyone who […]

Submitted by: Community Foundation of Swan Valley (CFSV) The CFSV Annual Gala took place on Saturday November 12, 2022 at the Veterans Community Hall. It was a beautiful night to gather together as a community and celebrate the important work the foundation has done over the years. This year’s Gala featured delicious hors d’oeuvres and […]

Pictured above L-R Karen Kosolowski (Flute), Lorraine Malcolm (Tenor Sax), Julie Kooistra (Director, French Horn, Trumpet), Kim Kosokowsky (Trumpet) Submitted by: Jayne G. Leadbeater (Minish) On Wednesday, 21 September 2022, the Swan Valley Community Band had their Beginning Day after a forced Covid19 hiatus. Our numbers are small, but mighty! Our Group is hoping for […]

ValleyBiz Story | The streets in Swan River were lined in anticipation as the Swan Valley Chamber of Commerce Parade returned on July 29,2022. The parade and the Northwest Roundup had been cancelled the last 2 years due to the pandemic. The parade theme was Horsing Around sing 1902 – Then and Now and some […]

Submitted by: Violet Plett The Barrows Gospel Jamboree, June 10,11,12, 2022, has come and gone. Everyone that we talked to enjoyed the weekend. At the last minute, a couple of the invited singers were unable to attend. Ivan Chartrand had to work, and Carl Crane got sick, so we started the weekend a bit short […]

ValleyBiz Story | On Saturday June 18, 2022 the SVRSS Gender & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) hosted Pride in the Park, the first Pride event in the Swan Valley. One of the GSA members, Brooke, explained the importance of the GSA and Pride event. “The SVRSS GSA is a small student run organization that unites the […]

ValleyBiz Story The Swan Valley Regional Secondary School Drama Class presented “Remembering Stuff” by Elanor Harder on On Friday, June 10, 2022 in the SVRSS Cafeteria. The play focused on a group of high school drama students given the assignment to share the memories. The audience was entertained by light hearted and humorous recollections of […]

Submitted by: Candace Balbo The Swan Valley Historical Museum’s season opener was held with the Spring Supper on May 29th 2022. Vernice Eggie and her capable crew served up another delicious roast beef supper. Musical entertainment was provided before and after the meal by the ladies of “Highly Strung”. Altogether it was a good evening […]

Submitted by: Nicole Clouson | The Dolyna Dancers held their year end concert on May 14, 2022 at the Veterans Hall. The dancers were pleased to perform in front of a crowd once again and put on an entertaining afternoon. The program started with a procession of the dancers, followed by Oh Canada and then […]

Submitted by: Renate Wille | On Saturday May 7, 2022 local artists displayed their work during the art show at Little Woody Church. To make it quite clear, this Art Show is not a fund raiser for the church. We, that is a group of Artists who use the space to paint on Mondays in […]

Submitted by: Swan Valley Communities That Care We hope you had a chance to visit the Swan Valley Communities That Care (SVCTC) Halloween Family Event on October 16th. It was an amazing event, which offered a Halloween experience for all ages. There was an outstanding attendance at the Halloween Event at the SV Historical Museum. […]

ValleyBiz Story | The Swan Valley Historical Museum held their annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, August 29, 2021. People waited patiently to sample the fresh bread, hot out of the clay ovens. This is always one of the tastiest attractions at the event. Live demonstrations brought historical equipment to life and provided a glimpse into […]

Submitted by: Rachael Stober | The CBFCS Parent Advisory Council put on another Dessert Night/Duelling Pianos/Silent Art Auction Fundraiser on Saturday, February 15. This was the second time the PAC held this event. The first one raised funds for the multi-sport pad that was successfully built in 2018. This year the event raised just over […]

Submitted by St. Andrew’s United Church Our Loving Hearts Supper and Entertainment was held on February 1st. 120 folks enjoyed an evening of visiting, great entertainment and a delicious supper catered by Julie Nahnybida. The Entertainment kept toes a tapping with the Ukelele group singing a few songs and strumming their hearts out, followed by […]

Submitted by: Violet Plett | The Kene and Milly concerts, held in the Swan Valley from January 21-23, 2020, were a very big blessing to those who attended. People in each location (Barrows, Sapotawayek, Birch River and Swan River) told Kene and Milly how much they appreciated them coming. Each evening the singers sang many […]

The Swan River Dolyna Dancers held their second annual Malanka Concert January 13, 2020 at the SVRSS Cafeteria. Each dance group performed a dance in front a full audience of family and friends. The Sadochuk, Beginner and Junior groups started the evening off with each group dancing a Poltava. This was followed by an intermission […]

Pictured above: Nigeria was represented by the Ojo and Omosebi families Submitted by: Donna Leming | A multicultural Christmas program was held at the Seventh-day Adventist church on Saturday December 7, 2019. Each group sang a Christmas Carol and shared how they celebrated the birth of Jesus and traditions in their country. Czech Republic was […]