Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Council of the Rural Municipality of Swan River, held in the Council Chamber at 216 Main Street West, Swan River, Manitoba on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Present: Reeve Lorne Henkelman Councillors: Glen Foster, Don Machan, Terry Neely, Earl Hrappstead, Brian Burick, Richard Barteski participated via […]

Submitted by: Bowsman Lions Club The Bowsman, Minitonas and Swan River Lions Clubs proudly present the 15th annual Billy Beal Classic Ice Fishing Derby Saturday, March 17,2012 12:00 Noon to 3pm Whitefish Lake 28 INCHES OF GOOD ICE! $20,000 in Gifts, Prizes, Raffles, and Cash to be Won! 1st – $10,000 2nd – 4,000 PSI […]

Submitted by: Micheline Carstairs The Swan Valley Fine Arts Festival Association, Dance Festival began on Thursday evening at the Friendship Centre with the Dolyna Dancers and Benito Vesselli Dancers rivaling it out for top marks. Click any picture for a larger version. It is very interesting to watch all the traditional dances of Ukrain but […]

Submitted by Sharron Carpenter Spring is coming soon and with it thoughts of no more snow, baseball, seeding, warm days and many other things we wait for all winter. Some of us also wait for festival season too. The Fine Arts Festivals gives many people an opportunity to perform on stage. To do this, the […]

Swan Valley (G-7) Regional Municipal Agenda Monday, February 6th, 2012 Minitonas Community Hall Minitonas, MB **MEDIA VERSION** OPENING: Mayor Henry Barkowski opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with a brief introduction and welcomed those in attendance. DELEGATES: Carolyn Baldwin & Mel Edmunds – Thunderhill Ski Club Kevin McKnight – Parkland Regional Health Authority Thunderhill Ski […]

Submitted by: Nelly Mills | Thursday, March 15, singer songwriter, Martha Scanlan, from Montana will be playing a show in Minitonas. Martha originally hales from Tennessee and is known for her Appalachian style of vocals, and her fiddle & guitar talents. She is a real story teller! Tickets $20 Doors 7:30, show 8pm Refreshments Call […]

Province of Manitoba Media Release ValleyBiz file photo Rapid response will protect Manitoba elk from chronic wasting disease: Mackintosh Manitoba Conservation officials are using plane and helicopter surveillance over part of western Manitoba this week to find and remove up to nine escaped farm elk from Saskatchewan that could threaten to spread chronic wasting disease […]

ValleyBiz Story | The Swan River Skating Club presented Broadway on Ice, Sunday March 11, 2012 at the Swan Valley Centennial Arena. Click any picture for a larger view. The older skaters did a great job presenting their routines with the flair and personality of true Broadway performers. There were “No Worries” as the little […]

PRHA Media Release | Working together with industry partners, the Parkland Regional Health Authority (PRHA) continues efforts to strengthen its Aboriginal health strategy. In conjunction with Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, Manitoba Employment and Training and Manitoba’s Office of Rural and Northern Health, the PRHA will be establishing a Human Resources Office for Aboriginal Employment in […]

A friendly reminder from ValleyBiz that Daylight Savings Time begins tonight. The official time to set your clocks ahead 1 hour is: 2:00 am Sunday, March 11 Set your clock to: 3:00 am Each year, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

The Council of the Town of Swan River met on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers with Mayor McKenzie presiding and Councillors Bobick, Jacobson, Friesen, Whyte, and Delaurier present. Absent was Councillor Sakal. 1. RESOLVED that the minutes of the February 28th, 2012 regular meeting of Council be adopted […]

On March 2, 2012 at about 1:45 pm the Swan River RCMP executed a CDSA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) search warrant at a residence in Birch River, Manitoba. Investigators discovered approximately 27 grams of marihuana, a number of prescription pills, various drug paraphernalia, and $750.00 worth of cash. The drugs seized has an estimated […]

PRHA Media Release | The Parkland Regional Health Authority (PRHA) is pleased to announce that the cataract surgery program, slated for Swan Valley Health Centre in Swan River, will begin Monday, April 16, 2012. PRHA CEO Kevin McKnight stated that the surgeon, Dr. Robert Beldavs of Winnipeg, will be in Swan River to perform cataract […]

The Council of the Town of Swan River met on Tuesday, February 28th, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers with Mayor McKenzie presiding and Councillors Bobick, Jacobson, Friesen, Whyte, and Sakal present. Absent was Jason Delaurier. Delegations Kathleen Sterma, Secretary-Treasurer, North West Regional Library reviewed the proposed 2012 Budget and answered questions […]

Minutes of Council meeting held in Bowsman Council Chambers on February 15, 2012 at 7:45 p.m. Present were Mayor Leanne Hutman and Councillors Daphne Currie, Joyce Readman, Courtney Densen and Garry McFadyen. DELEGATIONS 8:15 Ann Dandeneau & Shauna Klekta – Economic development 9:00 Stan Giles – Maintenance Report, Fire Department CALL TO ORDER ADOPTION OF […]

Submitted by: Micheline Carstairs Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9 is the yearly Dance Festival put on by the Swan Valley Fine Arts Festival Association. This year’s adjudicator: Tamara Topsnik Hicks Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical Instructor, R.A.D.R.T.S. Dance Festival Schedule Thursday, March 8 ~ 7pm Friendship Centre Dolyna Dancers & Benito Vesselli Dancers Friday, March […]

ValleyBiz Story | The Minitonas Figure Skating Club presented their annual figure skating carnival, “Disney on Ice” on Friday, March 2, 2012 at the Minitonas and District Arena. Click any picture for a larger version. The evening was full of endearing Disney songs and characters: From the country flair of Toy Story To the Hawaiian […]

Submitted by Derek Sagert The Swan Valley Snowmobile Association held their 5th Annual Vintage Snowmobile Ride on Saturday, March 3, 2012. It was a beautiful day for all to enjoy. We had a great lunch, lots of laughs, visiting and many great memories. Over 40 vintage machines dated prior to 1990 attended the event.

Province of Manitoba Media Release | Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship recently completed two aerial surveys in west-central Manitoba that show the moose population in the Porcupine and Duck mountain regions remains low but stable. Several factors can influence the number of moose seen during surveys such as snow depth, temperature and time of year. […]

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Council of the Rural Municipality of Swan River, held in the Council Chamber at 216 Main Street West, Swan River, Manitoba on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Present: Reeve Lorne Henkelman Councillors: Glen Foster, Don Machan, Earl Hrappstead, Brian Burick Richard Barteski participated via conference call […]

Regular Meeting of the members of Council of the Rural Municipality of Minitonas, held in Council Chambers, in Minitonas, Manitoba this 22nd day of February, 2012 A.D. at 7:15 pm. Present: Reeve McIntosh, Councillors: Pacamaniuk, Klekta, Eisner & Rinsdorf C.A.O.: Carolyn Gordon Delegations: 7:30 pm Ann Dandeneau – Re: Economic Development Additions to Agenda: 3.4 […]

Submitted by: Leona Sweetser | The 33rd Annual Bellsite Poker Derby took place on Sunday, February 26. There were 179 driver hands sold and 297 ghostrider hands sold. Click any picture for a larger version. 1st prize 20% of total Best Hand 4-8’s to Claudia Sutherland $834.00 2nd prize 15% of total Best Hand 3-A’s […]

Submitted by: Leona Sweetser | The first annual Porcupine Bash, started out with a guided snowmobile ride, with approximately 20 people. There were more sledders that chose to ride on their own. Click any picture for a larger view. Fire and Ice, had about 60 people stop in for Chilli and a bun. The home-made […]

Submitted by: Shanna Schroeder | Pictured here is our Minitonas Sharks Team after their second win of the day. Click the picture for a larger version. Left to right, front to back: Jake Bartel, Nate Immerkar, Brooke Foster, Kristen Moshenko, Ella Hart, Sammy Moshenko, Logan Grandfield, Callie Immerkar, Cayden Kovachik, Brayden Bartel, Trae Bateman. Coaches: […]

Submitted by: Derek Sagert The Swan Valley Snowmobile Association will be holding their 5th Annual Vintage Snowmobile Ride: Saturday, March 3, 2012 Wellman Lake Trail Warm Up Shack Staging Area Available at Westwood Inn Approximately 35 mile round trip Group leaving at noon to shack Vintage Registration – 1990 and Older: Wellman Warm Up Shack […]

ValleyBiz Story | A fully licensed and inspected commercial kitchen meeting Provincial food safety standards, will soon be available in Swan River on a fee-per-use basis. The Food Processing Centre is an initiative of the Veteran’s Community Hall with funding from the Government of Manitoba and will be available for use by entrepreneurs looking to […]

Submitted by: Louise Schabert The 5th annual Benito Open Mixed Bonspiel took in 32 rinks.  An age range of 11 to almost 80 participated in the events of the week at the Benito Rec Centre.  A terrific time was had by all. First Event Winners sponsered by the Swan Valley Credit Union L to R […]

RCMP Media Release | On February 20, 2012, at about 4:00 pm the Swan River RCMP executed a CDSA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) search warrant at a residence in Swan River, Manitoba. Investigators discovered approximately 198 grams of marihuana, various drug paraphernalia, a prohibited weapon (brass knuckles), and $22,000.00 worth of cash. The drugs […]

Submitted by: Shanna Schroeder Minitonas Sharks IP Tournament Saturday, February 25, 2012 Minitonas Arena Tournament Schedule   9:00 Swan River White vs. Minitonas 10:30 Swan River Yellow vs. Winnipegosis 12:00 Swan River Black vs. The Pas   1:30 Swan River White vs. Winnipegosis   3:00 Swan River Black vs. Swan River Yellow   4:30 Minitonas vs. The Pas Come […]

ValleyBiz Story | Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our local snowmobile clubs, and with a little help from Mother Nature, the Swan Valley is buzzing with excitement as we share our snow with sledders from the snow-free parts of the Prairies. We are fortunate to have two snowmobile clubs in the Swan […]

Story by: Nancy McLennan | February of 2012 appears to be a turning point for Valley House Concerts. Since the House Concerts began in 2008, over 900 people have attended the shows and professional musicians have earned almost $13,000 in revenue. Pictures by Micheline Carstairs (Click any picture for a larger version) On Wednesday (Feb […]

Submitted by: Leona Sweetzer | North Mountain Riders will be holding their 1st Annual Porcupine Bash February 25 & 26, 2012 Ride the best of the Porcupine Mountains in the Swan River Valley. Saturday, February 25, 2012 Guided Rides Leaving at 9am and 10am from the Westwood Inn Hotel parking lot Trailside lunch provided by […]

Submitted by: Barry Waito | The Boots in the Backcountry Introductory session on Monday Feb 13th at 7:00 pm attracted 34 registrants. Of these, 27 were able to make the meeting with the balance requesting to be kept up to date with further sessions. The meeting started with Barry Waito introducing himself, talking about the […]

Submitted by: Florence Gray The Luthern and Anglican ladies got together at the Luthern Church to make quilts for Luthern World Relief. Over the 3 day span (Feb 13-15) about a dozen women worked together using donated material, thread and wool to make 38 quilts. Click any picture for a larger version. First, one team […]

Submitted by: Shelley Cotten Part II of the Swan Valley Human Library took place last week at the Northwest Regional Library in Benito. Tuesday, February 7th, the 5th-8th grades came over from the school and checked out several books. Click any picture for a larger version. Both the “books” and the “readers” seemed to enjoy […]

A Regular Meeting of Council of the Village of Benito was called to order at 7:00 pm on Tuesday February 14, 2012 in the Village Council Chambers. Present – Mayor Meadows; Deputy Mayor Scouten; Councilor Schneider; Councilor Offenberger; Councilor Zebinski Chief Administrative Officer – Pat Ellingson Mayor Meadows called the meeting to order at 7:00 […]

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Council of the Rural Municipality of Swan River, held in the Council Chamber at 216 Main Street West, Swan River, Manitoba on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Present: Deputy Reeve Don Machan Councillors: Glen Foster, Richard Barteski (left the meeting at approx. 10:20 a.m.), Terry Neely, […]

Regular Meeting of the members of Council of the Town of Minitonas, held in the Council Chambers, Minitonas, Manitoba this 1st day of February, 2012 A.D. at 7:00 p.m. Present: Mayor Barkowski Councillors: Robb, Caruk, Bartel & Windsor C.A.O.: Carolyn Gordon Delegations: 8:00 pm B. Waito re: Local Business 8:30 pm M. Leslie re: Public […]

Submitted by: Janine Stewart | Swan River will soon have a new option for licensed school age child care services. Photo by Caitlin Stewart Heyes Child Care Centre Board of Directors: Kim Kuruliak, Crystal Ross, Robyn Eisner, Janine Stewart, Michelle Eisner (click for a larger version) Heyes Child Care Centre hopes to open its doors […]

The Council of the Town of Swan River met on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers with Mayor McKenzie presiding and Councillors Bobick, Jacobson, Friesen, Whyte, Friesen and Sakal present. Variation Order Hearing: Variation Order No. 1/2012 was called to order by Mayor McKenzie who advised that the purpose […]

ValleyBiz Story | When Gerry Stevenson moved here from The Pas 13 years ago, he turned his passion for sled dog racing into an annual community event. The 13th Annual Birch River Sled Dog Race took place this weekend with 9 teams participating. Click any picture for a larger version. Following a circuit that includes […]

RCMP Media Release | UPDATE – February 17, 2012: On February 15, 2012, 48-year-old George Louis LAMIRANDE of Pine Creek F.N. was arrested and charged with 2nd Degree Murder. He remains in custody pending a February 21st court appearance in Dauphin. LAMIRANDE and the victim, identified as 26-year-old Steven Ray GENAILLE of Duck Bay, were […]

Submitted by: Kamshi Kanavathy | “No boys and no donkeys allowed, go away!” and so did David Copperfield’s Aunt Betsey open the 200th Anniversary Celebration of Charles Dickens at the North-West Regional Library in Swan River last night. Click any picture for a larger version. An entertaining and spectacular portrayal of Aunt Betsey was played […]

Submitted by: Service to Seniors | Service to Seniors were very pleased with the turnout for the Telehealth Heart & Stroke presentation they hosted on Monday, February 6th at the Swan Valley Health Facility. 33 people attended the session that dealt with the signs and symptoms of what has been termed “The Silent Killer.” The […]

Submitted by: Shelley Cotten Swan Valley Human Library Part II The Human Library is happening as a result of the partnership between the Northwest Regional Library and Swan Valley Settlement Services. Come be a part of this “novel” event!! Saturday, February 11th 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Benito Branch of the Northwest Regional Library See […]

Submitted by: Barry Waito | Free Introductory Session on Adventure Hiking (day trips, weekend or longer) Are you interested in hiking? This session will provide useful information about hiking for novice to advanced hikers, including; how to plan for a hike, tips on clothes and equipment, food and packing tips, and safety and environmental awareness. […]

Regular Meeting of the members of Council of the Rural Municipality of Minitonas, held in Council Chambers, in Minitonas, Manitoba this 25th day of January, 2012 A.D. at 7:00pm. Present: Reeve McIntosh, Councillors: Pacamaniuk, Klekta, Eisner & Rinsdorf C.A.O.: Carolyn Gordon Additional Correspondence: Vacation Request E. Rinsdorf – C. Eisner RESOLVED THAT the Agenda be […]

Submitted by: Kamshi Kanavathy 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens; the author of popular classics such as Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Oliver Twist. Many of his books have been made into movies! To celebrate the life and works of this world renowned author, we will be […]

Submitted by: Doreen and Doug Windsor St. James Anglican Church hall was filled to capacity on Saturday afternoon, February 4th for its’ very successful Valentine Tea Tasting event. Click any picture for a larger version. Much laughter augmented the fellowship which was enjoyed by each and everyone after they chose from a wide selection of […]

The Sarah Kirsch concert scheduled for February 4, 2012 has been cancelled due to sickness.