January 2019 – MASTER OF NONE

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 38 – Part 3

***Original published in South Mountain Press, December 21, 2018***

Onanole Family Dwelling Total Loss After Fire

Last Friday evening, December 14, at 5:00 pm a passerby reported smoke issuing from an Onanole single family residence located on 70 East Avenue. The Onanole Fire Department responded to the call to battle the blaze.

According to Onanole Fire Chief Dwight McMillan, as the incident progressed it was determined that more manpower was needed to put down the fire, so both Sandy Lake and Erickson Fire Departments were called in to assist.

As the structure was a seasonal residence there were no occupants in the house and there were no reported injuries.

As to the cause of the fire, Fire Chief McMillan said that a full investigation will be conducted by the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

There are unconfirmed reports that the fire may have begun in a crawl space possibly due to a heater or heat tape being used to keep water pipes from freezing.

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 38 – Part 2

***Original published in South Mountain Press, December 21, 2018***

A RCMP Christmas

While most families will be enjoying themselves opening presents with the kids, visiting with relatives, and enjoying Christmas festive meals, many professions such as your local RCMP detachment will be running normal operations on Christmas Day.

Acting Corporal Paul Morissette of Elphinstone Detachment and Staff Sergeant Dave Porter of Shoal Lake Detachment kindly shared their experience when it comes to RCMP members celebrating Christmas.

Q. What is your police force history and how often have you worked Christmas Day?

A. A/Cpl Morissette has been a member of the RCMP since June, 2006 and over that time period has had approximately five Christmases off, three of which he took vacation time. S/Sgt Porter is a 31 year veteran of the force and has worked the majority of Christmas days.

Q. Many RCMP members are posted in from other provinces. How often do they get home for Christmas?

A. S/Sgt Porter is originally from New Brunswick and has not been back home for Christmas since 2012. Unlike the military which provides Christmas flights and monetary compensation for service members to visit next of kin, the RCMP does not provide any special compensation for Christmas travel back home. The time and expense of returning to the Maritimes with his wife and three kids has limited the S/Sgt’s Christmas visits.

Q. If you work Christmas, do you get New Year’s off or what sort of rotation happens?

A. If you work Christmas you may have News Year’s off, it depends on where your rotation on the schedule falls. This year A/Cpl Morissette has Christmas and New Year’s off. He believes that is only the second time in his career that it has worked out this way. They are currently on a rotation of five shifts on, and three days off over a nine week schedule. Over at the Shoal Lake Detachment, they are doing a seven on/seven off schedule that doesn’t change because of holidays.

Q. For the officers with children, especially young ones, how do you celebrate the day?

A. If you are scheduled to work on Christmas you are put on call, so that you can spend time with your family members. For those members that are single and who do not have family in the area, a fellow member will invite them into their home so that they are not alone over Christmas. Also, most single members are good for volunteering for a shift swap so that those officers with young families can be together.

Q. What sort of shift do you do for Christmas Day?

A. Our scheduled shifts don’t change over Christmas. We attend to calls for service as required. As a senior member, S/Sgt Porter will be available on call.

Q. Although a serious incident could happen at any time, how busy is the day for call outs and what are the normal incidents that you expect to see?

A. It is rare that we receive many calls on Christmas day, as most people are celebrating with loved ones. On a few occasions the detachments have responded to motor vehicle collisions, stranded motorists, and even domestic assaults when the subjects of complaint have had too many celebratory beverages.

Q. Is there anything special that you do at the station or in the community on the 25th?

A. There is nothing special that we do on the 25th at the station. Some of the members have attended a local Christmas supper, whether they are on or off duty.

Q. What is the size of the Xmas crew, does staffing change for the day?

A. Normally we have a skeleton crew on Christmas day, with our minimums as per our unit policy allows. If required there is usually additional members in the area that could be called out to assist if a major incident were to occur.

S/Sgt Porter would like to remind motorists to have alternate plans in place while they are celebrating the holiday season after enjoying alcoholic beverages or marijuana. The Holiday Checkstop Program will be running throughout the province checking for impaired drivers.

New as of December 18, a new Federal law comes into force which allows police to demand a breath sample from any driver they lawfully stop — not just if they suspect a driver has been drinking. In addition, although the Yellowhead detachments are still in the process of acquiring and implementing devices and training for marijuana use detection, they are still able to determine is a driver is drug impaired.

So while you are enjoying your presents and Christmas meals, give a little thanks to the dedicated professionals who are serving your community and helping to keep us all safe. Grandma won’t have to worry about help arriving if she gets run over by a reindeer.

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Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 35

The results of an improperly secured load of straw bales

***Original published in South Mountain Press, December 21, 2018***

Remember to Properly Secure Bale Loads

Due to this summer’s drought and the wet fall, area farmers are short on their usual stocks of hay and straw for their cattle productions. Area residents have probably noticed an increase in truck and trailer traffic hauling large round bales to local farm operations. Motorists may have also noticed an uptick in lost loads resulting in straw or hay debris hopefully ending up in the ditch versus a bale exploding in front of their vehicle.

Under Section 61(2) of the Manitoba Highway Traffic Act ‘No person shall operate, or permit to be operated, upon a highway any motor vehicle or trailer unless the load that the motor vehicle or trailer is carrying is firmly bound, sufficiently covered, or otherwise secured or loaded, in such a manner that no portion of the load may become dislodged or fall from the motor vehicle or trailer.’

Further in the Traffic Act, it describes how it is an offence if a highway is damaged by an unsecured load leaving a vehicle. Then under the Criminal Code of Canada if a spilled load causes injury or death, the person could be charged with criminal negligence.

Now if a police officer notices an obvious problem with a vehicle’s load, the vehicle would be pulled over and ticketed. For example, fines have been levied against Manitoba drivers for driving with excessive snow piled on their vehicles. If a semi hauling straw bales was losing them all over the highway, they could also be ticketed.

But thankfully, motorist’s encounters with spilled loads rarely involve injury or death. According to the Manitoba Public Insurance Traffic Collision Statistic Reports, the five year average (2011-2015) for accidents caused by loads shifted/spilled only resulted in 2 injuries and 17 Property Damage Only (PDO) incidents. Although there was a bit of an uptick in the 2017 numbers to 3 injuries and 34 PDOs, the totals only represent 0.05% of the over 68,000 Manitoba vehicle collisions.

As for clearing up a spill of straw or other material, the adage of ‘you messed it up, you clean it up’ applies. In the case of large bales, especially straw bales, they tend to explode upon impact with the ground and can make a huge mess. Even if the bale remains intact after falling off, equipment to reload the bale would rarely be available. In those cases, the most expedient and practical remedy for clean-up is to just light the bale on fire. Of course, lighting anything on fire next to a highway can cause numerous other problems such as obscuring smoke, burning debris, and out of control grass fires.

In the cases where the offending driver has just left the mess, the responsibility for cleanup falls to either Manitoba Highways or the Rural Municipality depending on the jurisdiction the road falls under.

Losing the load that you are transporting can end up being expensive and dangerous. Drivers need to take the extra time to ensure that they are operating safely.

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Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 37

***Original published in South Mountain Press, December 14, 2018***

Four Winds Partnership Stays Strong Despite Harrison Park Resolution

Although it was not entirely unexpected, the RM Council of Harrison Park recently passed an important resolution which will result in deep ramifications for the Four Winds Waste Management regional partnership.

The Four Winds Waste Management and Recycling project became a hot button issue over the summer when former Councils started holding Public Information sessions. Strong opposition coalesced in the RM of Harrison Park over a number of issues related to the project and in particular to the proposed siting and its proximity to the Little Saskatchewan River. It would not be too much of a stretch to say that the whole handling of the project was a major contributor to the almost complete wholesale change of leadership seen in the RMs of Clanwilliam-Erickson and Harrison Park.

The voice of the people demanded that the proposed Four Winds site was ill considered and should not go ahead at the chosen location. To that end, Harrison Park Council unanimously passed Resolution No. 2018/286 which resolved that ‘Council does not move forward with the location of the proposed Regional Waste site.’ It further reads that Council does wish to continue cooperation with Rolling River First Nation, Keeseekoowenin First Nation, and the Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson with respect to the Four Winds Environmental Management Project.

The opposition group against the Four Winds site was pleased to hear that their efforts had been rewarded. When contacted a main spokesman opined that ‘Common sense has finally prevailed. The old Councils were irresponsible and the voters punished them for trying to sneak their plans through. The present Council was sent a very clear message and we are glad they have listened.’

As for recommendations for going forward, the concerned citizens group feels that the stakeholders should slow down the process and get things right. They feel that options such as a gasification plant like the one proposed for the Evergreen Waste facility should be explored possibly with other RM partners. As for the federal money being offered through Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Councils should not be bribed into doing the wrong thing or rushed into a bad decision just because that money may be taken off the table.

While attending a Four Winds stakeholder’s working group meeting in Erickson on December 5, Reeve Jason Potter clearly laid out his RM’s position to the rest of the partners. ‘Harrison Park RM and I believe firmly and strongly in the partnership and we are willing to keep an open mind. But the proposed siting is a non-starter with my constituents and I would not be able to go back to them in good conscience with a recommendation to go ahead as planned. The site that was picked is just too close to the Little Saskatchewan.’ Moving forward, he acknowledged that Council will still have some difficult decisions ahead with this project but they are prepared to make them.

Representatives from Rolling River First Nations and Clanwilliam-Erickson RM were also supportive of continuing with the Four Winds partnership and valued the cooperation to date. They understood the concerns brought forward by Harrison Park RM and were open to the idea of taking a step back to explore options despite the challenge of lost time and added costs. But as a Rolling River Elder said, ‘Water affects all of us. It will take all of us working together and money to deal with our garbage. I want to see this happen.’

Now that the stakeholders are being forced to take a step back on the project, different options are back on the table. An obvious first step to be looked at is to take a fresh look for suitable parcels of land or determining if an existing waste site could be made to work. The idea was brought up in regards to expanding the partnership to other RMs and seeing if a site could be found with them. Contracting to private companies or export of waste to facilities such as Evergreen were also brought up. Good work was already completed in the previous two years of the partnership so the new Councils will not have to return straight back to square one.

Of course, delays and mid-course corrections, come at a cost. Both RMs under the previous councils put down $25,000 deposits on purchasing the quarter of land out by PTH 250 and Montcalm Road. Representatives from the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) warned that the funding through Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) was not going to be available forever. The attending engineer from Neegan Burnside Ltd. who did the original feasibility study, cautioned about associated costs and time delays if a geotechnical study was needed for a new site. There was also the warning that a future solution may still end up causing severe public backlash and result in being scuttled again. Future Council sessions will have to deal with some hard financial and moral decisions as they move forward.

Reeve Potter realizes that their RM has dealt a setback to the Four Winds project but he is firmly committed to minimize delays and cost overruns as a result of his Council’s decision. His hope is cooperation and communication will create success with dealing with all their shared issues with garbage and recycling. Plus hopefully, this partnership will foster more shared cooperation on future projects of mutual interest.

All of the stakeholders echoed his sentiment and seem willing to keep working through the challenges. Everyone agreed that with some hard work, transparency, and public engagement, the region will be able to work through their common garbage and recycling issues for all their shared benefit. Moving forward, they feel they will sort out a solution which will satisfy all parties.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – CROSSROADS THIS WEEK, VOLUME 16, NUMBER

Jay Toews addressing a large crowd at Shoal Lake Information Session

***Original published in Crossroads This Week, December 7, 2018***

Shoal Lake Environmental Assessment Open House Well Attended

The Shoal Lake Community Hall was packed to capacity last Friday night to listen to a presentation by Jay Toews of Toews Environmental Ltd Consulting and Aquatic Sciences regarding the progress of the environmental assessment of the town’s lake. Mr. Toews, the senior scientist of the team that has been studying the lake for the past year, gave a detailed accounting of their findings to date and recommendations for going forward.

For people unfamiliar with some of the main issues regarding Shoal Lake, they include discussions on optimal lake levels, algae and weed growth, phosphorus loading, fish populations, recreational boating access, and shoreline erosion.

As Mayor Merv Starzyk of the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead explained, the Council has been working on some of these latest lake issues for over a decade. The project has reached the point where Council is seeking a license from the Province in order to control the water level of the lake. In order for that license to be granted, Manitoba Sustainable Development required an environmental assessment to be completed.

‘Everyone wants a healthy lake and although Council has spent a significant amount of money on this study, we feel that it is tax payer funds well spent in order for us to move forward with proper management of the lake.’

The environment assessment started in earnest after last February’s Open House on the subject. As Mr. Toews said, ‘We are conducting a proper four season study of the lake. In addition, along with keeping local residents informed on the project, my team is seeking to gather input and as much local knowledge as possible.’

As for this interim report from Mr. Toews, it was very detailed and dovetailed with local observations of long time area residents. The assembled crowd received a crash course on topics such as hydrology, bathymetry, limnology, turbidity, and aeration. A layman unfamiliar with the science could have been overwhelmed but Mr. Toews managed to keep his report and recommendations relatable.

Specifically, Toews and his team came up with the following recommendations:

In order to eliminate the ‘too low’ levels of the lake which creates poor summer boating, weed growth and fish winter kill, the lake should be kept above 1794.6 ft Above Sea Level (ASL).
In order to eliminate the ‘too high’ levels of the lake which creates shoreline erosion issues, the lake should not be kept above 1796 ft ASL.
The recommended ‘just right’ target level of the lake is 1795.3 ft ASL. This level would create the best balance between all the competing interests with regards to managing the lake’s health and recreational use. This level could be achieved by keeping just one stoplog in the water control structure at the south end of the lake.
During the spring runoff or large weather events, it was recommended to add more culverts to the east-west running #93 Municipal road at the south end of the lake plus also a spillway for the beach road in that area. Water levels during those events literally cover the control structure, so the road acts as a dyke to hold the water at excessively high levels. At those high levels, a large wind event would cause significant shoreline erosion so it is imperative to lower the water as soon as possible.
The lake’s water gauge needs to be lengthened as it goes underwater during very high levels and no data can be collected.
The aerator at the north end of the lake is doing an adequate job of keeping the stocked fish alive during winter. Oxygen levels were measured last winter and found to drop off outside of one kilometer. Outside of that zone, fish like pickerel have a difficult time of surviving. But fish are smart and know how to keep from suffocating. So for the existing fish population, the one aerator is sufficient for now. It is critical for it to remain in operation otherwise algae and lake sediment would deplete the oxygen levels to a point where fish would not survive.
There was some observed leakage through the lake’s dykes and control structure. It was recommended that engineering studies and possibly repairs should be made on the infrastructure.

Although the meeting was specifically geared towards the optimal level of the lake, Mr. Toews did touch on phosphorus issues when questioned. So far while studying the lake, it was no surprise that they observed high phosphorus levels. Surprisingly, the levels at the north end of the lake were ten times the expected amount. An obvious, likely culprit is the town’s lagoon which back in the 1980’s was found to contribute 10 to 12% of the lake’s phosphorus loading.

A RM Councilor mentioned that a solution will be put in place to mitigate that particular problem as some marsh land just to the east of the lagoon has been purchased and the plan will be to send lagoon water that direction instead of into the lake.

Meanwhile, Mr. Toews plans to continue studying how to identify and control the sources of phosphorus coming in, how to control the amounts that are already there, and how to determine and mitigate the levels of algae growth. So there is plenty of work yet to be completed in order to keep the lake healthy for all interested parties.

Mr. Toews summed up his talk with an anecdotal quote from a long time resident, ‘The Lake went up and the Lake went down with Nature, nobody tried to control it.’ Well decades ago, local government started to try and tame the Lake in order to mitigate flood events. The process will continue but with science and public discussion helping to direct the flow of progress in order to mitigate unintended consequences.

The full body of the environmental assessment report and its recommendations will soon be available to the public through the Yellowhead Municipal Office.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

January 26, 2019January 26, 2019

STUDENT FARMER – PART III

A Manitoba Ice Rainbow viewed from the farm yard

An Almanac of Farming – A Series

This is a continuation of a series of notes to myself on farming that I would like to share with those who are interesting in the subject.

When placing bale rings back onto a bale, make sure a calf is not caught on the back side of the ring.
When dumping bales into a ring with a partially eaten bale, make sure young calves are not hiding in the hay.
Moldy bales or ones full of foxtail grass are hard on cattle, especially calves. If you have to feed one, push it around so that the mold will fly out before the cows get into it too much.

Occasionally, cattle will experience a prolapsed rectum or uterus due to a variety of causes. The ailment needs swift attention or the animal will die either of blood loss or infection. The animal should be treated in a chute to contain their movement. Movement should happen sooner than later or they may become too lethargic. Treatment consists of a freezing shot in the tail head to prevent further pushing, then thorough washing of the exposed tissue. Once the freezing has taken effect, attempt to re-invert the rectum/uterus within the animal. This is apparent once it occurs. Then the anus needs sewing with very heavy stitching around the outside circumference, then tied off. The opening needs to be sufficient for excrement to pass but hopefully small enough to keep the tissue within the animal. Of course, the animal needs treating with a good dose of antibiotics and monitored until the stitching can be removed. Hopefully, the tissue remains inside the animal. One note, even though it may be severely cold outside, your hand and arm will stay warm enough when it is up inside the animal’s ass.
If a cattle beast is moving slow and not up with the rest of the herd, there’ is something wrong with it. The drooping of their ears is a dead give-away. Take a look at their demeanor, look how they move, compare their girth to the others to see if they’ are losing weight. They could be huffing or short of breath. Further along into the sickness, snot and blood will be in their nostrils. Antibiotics can be a life saver and will turn the animal around if you get them onboard quick enough. If the animal has been suspected of ingesting metal that is irritating their internal organs, a magnet can be given orally. The magnet will hopefully attract the piece of metal and keep it from damaging the animal further. When working with the animal, they will easily drop due to exhaustion. You might have to give them a minute or two to rest or you might have to motivate them to get moving again. Also, as they are probably disoriented and out of sorts, they will not react normally. An animal can turn on you and could take a run at you for no reason, so it is best to be on your guard.
If a cow is starting to act weird and aggressive when nearing calving season, they are probably starting to calve. It will be a premature birth and will end up with a ‘slipped calf. There are any number of reasons for aborted fetuses such as carrying twins, sustaining an injury, or there was something wrong with calf. There is not much you can do with the situation but determine which cow it was and probably just sell her as a cull cow.
Never trust that an animal that has been snared is actually dead unless it is really obvious. They could be playing possum and a little poke with a stick could save you from being nipped by a coyote.
When the weather gets particularly cold, make sure to keep up on the bedding for your bulls. Their testicles can freeze and result in infertility.
One extra sign of a calving cow, look for a telltale kink in their tail.
Cattle can get fooled into thinking they are going to give birth. If the calf is moving around a lot or if the animal is having strong false labour pains, they may exhibit the signs of calving.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 35

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 30, 2018***

‘The Meadow’ Safe from Development – For Now

The new Harrison Park RM Council dealt with their first major, contentious issue at the last Council meeting on November 20 during a heated Public Hearing concerning development of an Onanole area known as ‘The Meadow’. A company, Riding Mountain Estates, had petitioned to have the Victor Avenue property reclassified from “RG” Residential General Zone to “RMH” Residential Mobile Home Zone.

A five person delegation representing Riding Mountain Estates and Grandeur Housing of Winkler laid out their plans for the undeveloped green space which is located 1 km west of Highway 10 on the south side of Victor Avenue. The proposal was to create a 100 plus unit modular home park. The homes would be a minimum of 20 feet wide, trucked in, placed on pads, and sold for $130,000-$180,000. The Grandeur representative gave a slideshow presentation of some of their model homes and stated that they would be built with skirting and no hitches, there would be some variety, and they would be four season ready. A real estate agent with the group gave his opinion that these would be good entry level houses that were well built by a reputable, experienced company. The main pro argument advanced by the delegation was the economic benefits and spinoffs that would be gained by the local community.

But the packed crowd of 35 plus concerned citizens attending the Public Hearing outright rejected the plan. In fact, there was not a single shred of support from the local community presented during the hearing. It took an hour and a half just to read into record the 33 letters opposing the by-law change. The Grey Owl Estates Board of Directors sent a letter against the proposal. Another five concerned citizens gave verbal rebuttals to the plan. Also, if you take a drive in the Victor Ave/Meadowview Drive area you will see ‘Save the Meadow’ signs in front of just about every home.

The main reasons for the ‘Say No’ campaign centered on the following main points:

There is already a glut of undeveloped lots from Riding Mountain Estates directly across from the Meadow on the north side of Victor Ave. They should be developed first before more building gets started.
Traffic concerns on Victor Ave were a main concern. The road has no shoulders and there would be problems with entry onto Highway 10. The commensurate addition of foot and vehicle traffic would drive up an increase of accidents and noise pollution.
No one was in favour of a ‘trailer park’ that was not going to fit in with the general development of the area. The existing homes are mostly high-end, custom builds on large lots. There has been a long standing stipulation from former Councils that the area would have low density housing that fits into the surrounding environment. There are RM bylaws governing esthetics, size and colour of homes, and limitations on development of land for mobile homes. People felt it was unfair that the rules that they abided by for their home construction were not going to be followed by this developer.
Environmental and infrastructure factors were also a major issue. The neighbors did not want to lose their wildlife corridor and green space. They had questions about water, garbage, and sewage plans for 100 extra homes. They wanted answers to watershed and erosion risk queries before development started.
The last major argument against the plan was a general belief that property values would decrease due to the presence of a ‘trailer park’ in their community.

The considerable assemblage against the proposal were not against development of the Meadow per se. But they were definitely against this type of housing plan which in their opinions did not make any sense.

In the face of the community’s strident opposition and after a brief period of deliberations, Council unanimously defeated the proposal put forward by Riding Mountain Estates.

When contacted for comment, a representative of Riding Mountain Estates said he was disappointed with Council’s decision. When the organization held preliminary discussions with Council during a June 5, 2018 in camera session, there seemed to be a general acceptance for their preliminary site plan proposal. If there was public opposition, the group was willing to retool and work with Council and the affected neighbors.

In fact, the representative believed that had a planned Public Hearing for October 9 had gone ahead, the proposal might have passed. Perhaps the former Council had started to hear the rumblings of disapproval and felt pushing the matter over to after the election was more prudent. The abrupt cancellation of the planned agenda item definitely hurt the proposal’s chance of succeeding.

There was also an issue with a leaked site plan document from that first meeting back in June. According to Riding Mountain Estates, those plans were confidential and preliminary. But they got out and subsequently showed up on social media. Consequently, this helped to stir up opposition which had time to build with the extra six weeks to get organized. The representative was upset with this development and has not ruled out legal action in order to recover financial losses.

As for future plans for the Meadow, Riding Mountain Estates is exploring options to tender for sale both parcels of land on either side of Victor Ave. The property will be advertised to local and foreign buyers and all reasonable offers would be considered. As the representative put it, ‘If the neighbors want to save the Meadow, then buy the Meadow’.

So for now, local residents will be happy that the Meadow is safe from development until new investors take over.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 34 – Part 2

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 23, 2018***

Endow Manitoba Holds 24-Hour Giving Challenge

Local area residents had an opportunity to stretch their donation dollars this past weekend during Endow Manitoba’s 24-Hour Giving Challenge on November 17. All local monies raised are earmarked for area organizations and for every $5 raised, the contribution was boosted by the Winnipeg Foundation and Manitoba government by a loonie a piece up to separate maximums of $2000 per foundation.

Endow Manitoba is an overarching foundation that includes all community foundations in Manitoba that are members of Community Foundations of Canada. It was created by the parent Winnipeg Foundation and its purpose is to provide other foundations with tools and resources to help them flourish in their communities.

For the RM of Clanwilliam-Erickson, the larger Killarney Foundation helps to manage the municipality’s Endowment Fund. To date contributions raised total in excess of $82,000 and disbursements for the last three years have totaled $9377. Recipients for 2018 include the Erickson & District Recreation Association, the Clanwilliam-Erickson Child Care Initiative, and the Comfort Drop-In Center.

Quinn Greavett, the Chief Administrative Officer for Clanwilliam-Erickson, reported that this year’s fundraising effort for the RM’s Endowment Fund was a huge success.

“This has been the 2nd year that Tami Johnson, Jackie Greavett and myself have organized the Artisan Market in an attempt to create awareness for the Clanwilliam-Erickson Endowment Fund, while showcasing some talented merchants of the area. The whole idea behind the endowment fund is to support our community by investing funds back into the community through local programming, activities, or events that create a benefit for the people that live here. We thought the market would be a “win-win” idea. The fund grows, local merchants have an opportunity to sell their products, it’s a social opportunity, and a facility in town gets another use (the market is held at the Legion). We also received fantastic support for our pie table, with 34 delicious pies donated from different people, and of course all of them went!

Between the 50/50 Draw, Table Fees, Pie Table, and Lunch sales, the event took in 1643.75. After the expenses of the hall rental and food supplies, the event profited $1,131.25 for the Clanwilliam-Erickson Endowment Fund, which we are very pleased with.

We took advantage of the 24 Hour Giving Challenge as well to grow our fund and promote the Artisan Market. Jackie spent a few hours on the 17th at the Erickson Co-op receiving donations for the giving challenge which she received $1,440.

All in all, it was a successful weekend for our local endowment fund. On behalf of the three of us, I’d like to express our thanks to everyone who participated in the event by way of attendance, donation of their time, dollars or pies. Every little bit helps.”

For the RM of Harrison Park, the Onanole Foundation and the Sandy Lake Area Fund are the local affiliated organizations. The Onanole Foundation operates on its own and has managed and distributed community funding since the mid-60’s. The original seed money was contributed from the development of Grey Owl Estates.

The Onanole Foundation’s mission is ‘to build an endowment fund to be distributed for the betterment of the Onanole community.’ To that end, for 2018, the Board granted monies totaling $2750 split between the Wasagaming Arts Council, Erickson Palliative Care, Services to Seniors, Serving Onanole, Erickson & Sandy Lake, and the Onanole & District Fire Department.

The Sandy Lake Endowment Fund is associated with the larger Killarney Foundation and came into being from an original donation of $25,000 from Sandy Lake resident Earl Symonds. To date, the Fund has received contributions of $300,000 and has disbursed over $37,000 to deserving Sandy Lake projects.

More information regarding the Onanole Foundation, Sandy Lake Endowment Fund, and the Clanwilliam-Erickson Endowment Fund can be found at the following websites:

http://www.endowmanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/onanolefdn_brochure_2016.pdf

http://www.sandylakemanitoba.com/endowment-fund.html

http://www.ericksonmb.ca/endowment-fund.html

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 34

The new Council for the RM of Clanwilliam-Erickson

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 23, 2018***

New Clanwilliam-Erickson Council Meets

The new Council for the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson Council met for the first time on November 14 and got right down to business. The Council has a good mixture of seasoned municipal council veterans with some new blood mixed in.

Just like other RM Councils all over the province have been doing for the past couple of weeks, several boilerplate but necessary items needed to be dealt with during this initial meeting. Council was quickly sworn in, minutes and financial statements were accepted, and numerous committees were staffed by Council members. The wheels of governance depend on these necessary details.

Delegations from the Services to Seniors Board and the Ditch Lake Co-op Board gave presentations on the history of their organizations and how the RM has interacted and/or supported them in the past. To the outside observer, it may seem boring but it can be vital for Councilors to hear about what is happening in their constituency. If you are a senior regularly using the Erickson Drop-In center or a recreational fisherman using the Ditch Lake boat launch, it would be reassuring to know that people are forward thinking about these services.

Head of Council Victor Baraniuk brought up a few pressing issues which will need more serious discussion and solutions. Some items needing resolution include working on the general state of PTH 262 sooner than later, dealing with the disposition of the Four Winds Waste Management project, and grappling with the fact that the Province is not providing infrastructure grants at the levels of previous years.

As for the Four Winds project, the Council reaffirmed their commitment to continue cooperation and partnership with the RM of Harrison Park and the First Nations of Rolling River and Keeseekoowenin. There was a general consensus that waste and recycling in the RM needed to be dealt with and that it was beneficial to pair up with other local governing bodies. Mayor Baraniuk reiterated the statement of Reeve Jason Potter that the partners needed to work on the best possible solution for the residents of their constituencies. Further discussion amongst the various stakeholders will take place in Erickson at the Crossroads center on December 5.

One last major item that the new Council worked on was who would be attending the Annual Convention of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) taking place in Winnipeg from November 26-28. The newer Council members will be able to take advantage of a Pre-Conference for Newly Elected Municipal Officials. Delegates will be treated to keynote speaker sessions that will include Premier Brian Pallister, CFL legend Mike “Pinball” Clemons, Fort McMurray’s Fire Chief (Ret’d) Darby Allen, and the ‘Man in Motion’ Rick Hansen. RM representatives will also be working on numerous AMM resolutions related to various Provincial and Federal issues.

As Mayor Baraniuk pointed out, certain AMM resolutions such as ‘Increase Operating Grants for Small Rural Airports’ and ‘Farm Property Assessment’ are of vital concern to the RM. There are plenty of farmers in the Clanwilliam area whose property values keep increasing while their farming receipts remain at static levels. Erickson receives good benefit from having their small airport but infrastructure issues cannot be put off indefinitely. Attending these larger provincial events such as the AMM Convention allows local Council to get their concerns and voices heard on issues where otherwise they might be ignored. It also allows them to find allies with similar concerns and possibly change provincial or federal policy with their weight of numbers.

For those people interested in attending to observe local government in action, Clanwilliam-Erickson Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. Their next regular meeting at the Erickson Municipal Office will be on November 28 at 9:00 am. News regarding the RM, meeting dates, upcoming events, Council meeting minutes or documents, and contact information for your local representatives can be found at http://www.ericksonmb.ca/

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January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 33 – Part 2

Kathy Levandoski with one of her creations

***Original published in South Mountain Press and Neepawa Banner, November 16, 2018***

Kelwood Artist Opens Art Exhibition in Portage

Well known artist, Kathy Levandoski of Kelwood, recently opened her latest art exhibition titled Riding the Edge: the next generation at the Portage & District Arts Centre (PDAC). A sizeable crowd of art enthusiasts were on hand to view Kathy’s newest creations.

Instead of like most people in their late 50’s thinking about retirement, this ambitious woman returned to school in 2009 to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours degree through Brandon University. This latest show picks up from her 2013 thesis show and the original Riding the Edge production.

Kathy has long been a driving fixture in the rural Manitoba art scene and has recently based herself in the village of Kelwood. She was already heavily involved in the local music festival, the town’s arboretum, running the annual summer quilt show, and hosting Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous house concerts. Large examples of her ‘barn quilt’ art adorn numerous Kelwood structures. Kathy is a fantastically artistic, energetic lady and has added significant flair and culture to the town.

As Kathy explained to her appreciative fans, it was her quilting background coupled with her fascination with the local topography that started her on her present artistic path. Many of her pieces such as ‘Doug & Janie’s Canola Field’ in the medium of oil on canvas, depict the rolling hills of Riding Mountain as seen from the No. 5 highway. Along with oil, she creates with textiles, thread on water soluble fabric, and graphite. She is a strong proponent of utilizing non-traditional mediums to bring out the beauty of her local rural setting.

Kathy is humble about her talent but glad that she has a venue and outlets to show off her work. She is passionate about art and feels that you can find just as much creative inspiration in rural Manitoba as you can in the art centers of New York or Paris. Everyone from school children to farmers can appreciate art and she enjoys using her talent and abilities to brighten her little corner of the world.

Riding the Edge: the next generation will be on exhibit at the PDAC until December 1, 2018. Meanwhile, Kathy is already planning her next artistic venture entitled Searching for Luminosity.

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Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.