A full crowd of 250 people lined up early for their chance at the Legion’s Chase The Ace
***Originals published in South Mountain Press & Neepawa Banner, September 21, 2018***
Kelwood Legion’s ‘Chase The Ace’ Pot Won
The village of Kelwood has been gripped with ‘Chase the Ace’ fever that finally broke on September 15 when Kelwood Legion #50 President Larry Henton was able to hand over a winning check. Roxanne Lesanko of Dauphin was the lucky recipient of $34,297.
Legion President Larry Henton presenting the winning check
When the Legion started their first ever ‘Chase the Ace’ just over a year ago with $100 up for grabs, no one in their wildest dreams imagined that it would come down to the final card in the deck or that the progressive lottery was going to grow so large.
Funds raised will be shared between the Legion, the Kelwood Playground Committee, the Kelwood Skating Rink Committee, and the Riding Mountain Hall Committee. It was all hands on deck to keep up with the maximum capacity crowds over the last month.
President Larry Henton wanted to thank everyone who came out to support the Legion and the fundraiser. ‘It has been good seeing the community coming out to socialize and have some fun down at the Legion.’ He said that with the structural collapse of the old skating rink and the loss of revenue from rink events, the Legion needed the financial boost to carry them through until the new facility opens.
Legion Secretary/Treasurer Cindy Hafner described the wild ride. ‘I’m exhausted and at times it was almost overwhelming but it was exhilarating being part of something special like this. The odds of the Ace of Spades being the last card drawn was 1 in 54 (the two jokers had been added to the deck) but to have the Legion get down to the last card on our very first go was incredible.’
Don’t worry if you missed out on your chance this time around, the Legion is restarting their game this Saturday starting with $2000 in the pot.
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.
***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 21, 2018***
When you speak of mushrooms to the average Manitoban, they think of three things: the washed out, tasteless stems and pieces from a can; the ‘magic’ ones that come from BC or; heaven forbid, do not eat any wild ones because you will poison yourself.
But after speaking with Head Chef Chris Bevan over at Clubhouse 204 located at the Riding Mountain National Park golf course, I gained a new appreciation for the range and variety of different fungi available year round in our Manitoban fields and forests.
Before you go running into the bush and start popping mushrooms into your mouth, there are a few important caveats regarding these delectable, floral fruits of the woods. There are thousands of varieties of fungi in Canada and rules of thumb cannot be relied upon. Chris’s advice is to concentrate on a couple of types in order to keep from running afoul of the poisonous ones.
Thankfully there are only a few deadly varieties found in Manitoba, such as the Amanita virosa or Destroying Angel. This toxic mushroom is described as extremely common and can be mistaken for the white button, store bought mushrooms or edible wild puffballs. It has been reported that just half a mushroom cap can kill a healthy adult.
Other non-edible mushrooms could result in severe gastrointestinal stress. Some cannot be consumed while drinking alcohol. There are a few that will cause liver damage. Some like Comb Tooth or Coral Fungus varieties grow on dead wood when normally it is live wood fungi that are edible. There are plenty of toxic imposters that are labelled ‘False’ such as False Morels or Chanterelles that masquerade as the edible variety.
The insect killing toxin in the Amanita Muscaria, or Fly Agaric, needs to be boiled out a couple of times before it is edible. As a side note, there is a traditional Russian practice of just pickling this mushroom and later drinking the liquid as a type of alcohol.
The moral when it comes to morels or all the rest of these fascinating products of nature is to take your time, do your due diligence, and use multiple sources for reference. Be 100% sure of your fungi identification and method of proper preparation before consumption.
Chris had the following suggestions for the novice wild fungi forager: Enlist the aid of people who know more than you; Chris first developed a love of foraging while with his grandpa who started pointing out what to look for. Use multiple sources of reference; Chris uses several mushroom guides such as Mushrooms and Other Fungi of the North America, Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada, Common Mushrooms of the Northwest, and a phone app called Roger’s Mushrooms. Always start slow, be 100% sure of the species, and keep on top of what new information becomes available.
Chris serves wild mushrooms to his diners and he is 110% sure of what is going on the menu. For example, the Lobster mushroom develops from a parasite which attacks another mushroom variety and turns it into a highly sought after, delectable treat. Supposedly, this zombie fungi parasite can even transform a toxic mushroom into one that is edible. Chris does not take chances with his guests so he makes sure the original host mushrooms were edible in the first place.
So once you have yourself a good sampling of treats from the woods, what do you do with them? According to Chris, the tried and true light frying in butter can never be a bad choice. The earthy, floral, savory (umami) tastes of an early spring morel, summer King or Red Cap Bolete, or fall Oyster mushroom can be enjoyed au naturel. Just remember to start slow with small portions because most people’s systems are not used to wild produce.
For those cooks who are more adventurous, mushrooms such as Puffballs can be cut into cubes, dehydrated and then added to soups or stews similar to bouillon cubes. Considering in a good year Puffballs can be almost a foot-wide, that could be a large cauldron of soup!
When it comes cooking with these woodland delicacies, you are only limited by your imagination and Chris regularly uses them for soups, cream sauces, risotto, and his schnitzel recipes to add a unique, flavourful zing.
Generally, Chris is tromping around in the woods or the fields finding his fungi quarry from early spring to late fall until the first real killing frosts. He is hoping for a nice wet fall to kick start a late crop. But even in the dead of winter there is fungus to look for.
Chaga, from the Russian word for mushroom ‘чага’, is a parasitic growth that can be found on birch trees. Indigenous Russians of the Ural Mountains have used chaga tea for thousands of years for its health benefits. Surprisingly, it tastes like chamomile tea with hints of vanilla. It takes years for a chaga growth to develop on the side of a birch tree and if you are lucky enough to spot one, then you are in for a pleasure.
Happy foraging and even if you come up empty, you will get some exercise and fresh air out in beautiful, fall Manitoba.
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.
***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 14, 2018***
Local Artist Spotlight – Route 10 Collective
Fresh off their latest gig at the Kelwood Harvest Sun Music Fest, I caught up with Murray Evans of the Onanole band, Route 10 Collective, to see how their summer play list was going.
Route 10 Collective could be best described as a Classic Rock Tribute Band. Their repertoire has included Joni Mitchell, The Beetles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and for Kelwood it was their rendition of songs from The Grateful Dead. The band operates with a year-round core group of musicians of 6 to 7 which can swell up to 18 in the summer months when members are in the area. The band usually has two main August performances and will be celebrating their 10th annual Onanole Community Center concert next year.
Murray described how the idea for a cover band emerged from a Winnipeg get-together and a chance look at another cover band’s play list for ‘The Last Waltz’. ‘The Last Waltz’ was a concert played by the group The Band in 1976 and has inspired numerous tribute bands. Once he returned to Onanole, Murray gathered up fellow musicians, pitched the idea for the band and started playing.
Since the population of Onanole and Wasagaming explodes each summer season, there is no shortage of musicians to fill out the Collective. Some of the players have formal music training and others are just natural musicians. They have even had inter-generational families coming out to play. Some of their members are already accomplished artists with albums to their credit. Others, like Murray, have other projects on the go like his published book on his Asian travels. But the thread tying them all together is a strong passion for live music and performing in front of an audience.
Each summer, The Park becomes a unique microcosm of worldly culture, which Murray says positively buzzes with live music. When musicians are already in the area for temporary summer work or holidays, Route 10 Collective gives them a venue to keep their ‘musical chops’ in tune.
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.
***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 7, 2018***
Talented Folk Artist at Home in Lake Audy
Recently while in between concert venues, I was able to catch up with the talented singer/song writer, Carly Dow. This poised, self-confident, young woman who uses her wooded Lake Audy property as her inspirational center point, is quickly making her mark on the Canadian Folk music scene.
Carly performs a self-described music genre called ‘wildcrafted folk’ using her haunting tones, potent lyrics, and the twang of a clawhammer banjo. She began her singing career in earnest back in 2013 by entertaining audiences literally coast to coast while riding the rails as an onboard Via Rail entertainer. Her career propelled forward in 2015 with her debut album Ingrained which received critical world-wide acclaim and placed on Top 10 Canadian charts in the folk/roots/blues category. Carly’s singing will undoubtedly continue its upward trajectory with the launching of her Kickstarter funded second album, Comet, with a debut concert at the Winnipeg West End Cultural Centre on October 19. This will kick off a promotion tour which will continue with a stop in Onanole then more shows out in BC.
The young artist candidly shared her story of being a young teenager dabbling in poetry writing who underwent a metamorphosis to develop her skills and natural singing talent into a burgeoning singing career. Although she is from ‘The City’ and majored in Environmental Studies at the University of Manitoba, she and her family frequented Wasagaming for the summers and the wildness of the region was always her true home. The landscape, natural beauty, and concentration of artists that populate the region became the inspiration of her songs, so four years ago, she bought a Lake Audy property to come home to.
According to Carly, her audience is comprised of an even split of the genders in the 25 to 55 year old age range. Her fans generally identify with her music due to their connection with the land and nature. She has really clicked with audiences in Alberta, BC and up north in the Yukon. She had a superb experience while on her 2017 European tour that included venues in the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, and Scotland. The connection in Europe was different because she was the crazy Canuck who hung out with the moose and bears and then sang folk songs.
Any messages in her artistry stem from her experiences in the untamed wilderness and the majestic imagery offered by backwoods Canada. Check out a few of Carly’s powerful music videos available on YouTube and you will see her deep connection to Nature and the world that she surrounds herself with. While attending a 2016 Canadian Wilderness Artists Residency in the Yukon, she recorded Something Lost while canoeing the Yukon River. The beginning of Constellations starts with shots of her home bric-à-brac featuring skulls, bits of crustaceans, and pebbles that she has probably randomly gathered during her adventures. Anyone familiar with the Park will recognize the atypical Manitoba parkland region featured in clips interspersed within So Long/Goodbye.
‘I don’t make any political statements. I just put things out into the world and people will either hear what is relevant to them or hear what they need to hear at the moment. Because of my background, I sing and write from a woman’s narrative, ecological sustainability and about personal stuff related to my life or that of the people I know. I sing so that people can connect with themselves from their own perspective. My audience will figure out what they want to take from my music for themselves.’
Taking advantage of technology, Carly’s newest album will be available first to her Kickstarter backers and then on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, and Google Play for the general public on October 19. Keep track of her upcoming tour dates at www.carlydowmusic.com.
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.
Stormy weather over proposed Four Winds Waste Management site off of PTH 270
***Original published in South Mountain Press, August 31, 2018***
Heated Discussions over Proposed Waste Management Site
Last week from 22 to 24 Aug, the Four Winds Environmental Management Board held a second round of public information sessions in the communities of Erickson, Newdale, Onanole, and Sandy Lake.
In order to better answer the public’s specific concerns over the waste management site proposal, the board brought in technical experts from Neegan Burnside Ltd., the engineering firm that conducted the feasibility report for the project. The report’s author and Lead Technical Specialist (Landfills), Kent Hunter and Project Manager, Kris Sewgoolam were on hand to answer specific technical questions related to their company’s report and the subsequent proposed waste and recycling site. Mr. Hunter is a Professional Engineer licensed in Manitoba and Ontario with 30 years of landfill project experience.
It seems that for the general population of the area, there is not that much concern over the issue. One of the main stipulations of the process to begin with was that levels of waste service would remain the same or improve. The existing six landfill sites already in use will be converted to transfer stations, so instead of a burn pile and dump pit, area residents will place their trash into portable bins instead.
But there is a significant group of about 50 concerned citizens with specific concerns over the project and in no uncertain terms, they are demanding to be heard.
The one item everyone agrees on is that something needs to be done with the area’s waste. But the main sticking point is the site that has been picked for purchase, located at NW 4-17-20 on PTH 250, is unsuitable due to the proximity of the Little Saskatchewan River valley just over a mile away.
Local residents contend that surface and sub-surface water in that area will carry contaminants into the Little Saskatchewan subsequently affecting downstream communities such as Minnedosa and Rapid City. When asked to address this contentious issue, the Neegan Burnside Ltd. representatives said they were confident that landfill development technology is sufficient to prevent this type of scenario.
As Kent Hunter explained, any issues with sub-surface water being contaminated by waste will be dealt with by a properly constructed leech aid-evaporation lagoon. The waste storage pit will be built with a High-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner, covered with select waste that will prevent puncturing, then it will be continuously tested and monitored throughout the landfill’s lifecycle to ensure that it is not leaking. The HDPE material is at a minimum designed to last for the 30 year projected lifespan of the landfill pit.
As for sudden influxes of surface water from spring run-off or heavy rain storms, Mr. Hunter contends that the design of the facility will keep the clean water separated from any polluted water. Although not required by current regulations, the site will be over-engineered to handle a one in one hundred year flood event.
Another hot topic brought forward was the cost and acquisition process of the site chosen. Lloyd Ewashko, Reeve of Harrison Park RM, declared that he is standing by the decisions that have been made leading up to the purchasing of the $500,000 ¼ section of land. Due to provincial regulations, the process of developing a landfill facility requires that the physical site already needs to be in possession of a RM before the process can move forward.
Another major concern raised dealt with comparisons between the proposed Four Winds site with the Evergreen Environmental Technologies Waste Facility located between Neepawa and Minnedosa. The fear is that although the Four Winds site will be initially run as a Class 2 operation accepting a maximum of 5000 metric tons/year that it will be converted later to a Class 1 operation. Although this scenario was discussed in the Feasibility Study as an option, the engineers did not recommend it and the Four Winds Board members say that sort of proposal is not under consideration.
The Board is confident that their solution for the area’s projected waste requirements of 130,000 metric tons over the next 30 years will be managed with their current proposal and subsequent facility.
Moving forward, the next step for the Four Winds Board, as laid out in an August 7th mail-out to area residents, is the completion of a project business plan. Then by the end of October, after a tendering process, they expect to accept a site design. With completion of an engineering design, environmental licensing can be sought through the Manitoba Sustainable Development department. Monies supplied by Indigenous Services Canada will pay for capital construction costs and operations at the site should begin in the fall of 2019.
A key factor to ensuring the success of the new waste site will be the recycling component. General attitudes and habits regarding garbage and recycling are going to go through an upheaval if the 60% waste diversion rate aimed for by the Four Winds Board is to be realized. For example, the RMs of Harrison Park and Clanwilliam-Erickson have an abysmal 3% diversion rate. Riding Mountain National Park is at the provincial average of 17%.
Surprisingly, the best diversion rates in Canada do not happen in the dense population centers like Toronto or Montreal or out in environmentally conscious BC. In 2017, according to Statistics Canada, PEI led the country in diversion rates. After Halifax implemented their clear bag policy for garbage removal in 2015, in two years waste dropped by 24% and recycling increased by 13%. Small changes of habit and waste policies can reap immediate dividends and the RMs and First Nation Band Councils have been studying other jurisdictions to determine what innovative strategies can be adopted for the region.
The Four Winds Board welcomes the input and level of attention concerning the project that has been received to date. Although aspects of the process can be contentious, waste is a hard fact of life. Federal and provincial regulations and laws governing municipalities and their mandated responsibilities vis-à-vis waste management are steadily becoming more onerous.
For more information about the Four Winds Environmental Management Facility’s progress, contact your Municipal or First Nation offices. Also, keep an eye out online for the soon to be released Four Winds website.
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.
***Original published in South Mountain Press, August 24, 2018***
A New Approach to the Vacation Home
Tucked up on a knoll overlooking spacious, luxury, holiday houses, sprawling horse pastures, and deer meadows is the newest home to the Onanole Mountain Estates neighborhood. The proud owner, Steven Sobering of Dauphin, gave me a tour of his vacation house being built by Onanole contractor Eric Bjornson, President of Sundial Building Performance.
The two bedroom, 800 square foot, high efficiency home is designed as a low footprint, environmentally friendly, housing option. But as Steven explained, this was not the driving factor that convinced him to become the first KITHOUSE Premiere owner. ‘It’s important to me to live within my means. But this two bedroom house gives me the chance to have quality at an affordable price’. At about $200,000 all in, he feels that the cost of this vacation get-away is a bargain.
The builder certainly does have an eye for functional quality while sourcing local and Canadian materials where possible. The interior walls are finished with high quality plywood that is esthetic and gives the building structural integrity. The thick cut beams for the cedar deck were sourced from recycled hydro poles cut by a company in Laurier. The interior has 640 square feet of living space and is hypoallergenic. The exterior is finished with a stylish shiplap vertical wood siding and the steel roof will need little maintenance.
If Steven’s lot location had been better suited, he could have opted for roof solar panels and his home would have been a truly net zero energy home. Even without creating his own electricity, the projected yearly utility costs are only $1000. The key to the energy savings is the foot thick, cellulose insulated walls and an airtight construction giving the house a R50 rating. A small heater of about the wattage of a hair dryer is all that is needed for winter heating.
One of the main advantages the builder wanted to offer with the KITHOUSE concept was the ability to pack all the necessary components in a cargo container. The house can then be trucked into remote locations where local tradespeople or the owner can construct the building. All of the specialized construction takes place in the company’s Winnipeg factory. Once the materials arrive at a prepared site, the building time is only on average 30 to 40 days.
For those customers looking for something more spacious, Mr. Bjornson has plans in the works for a three bedroom bungalow, a two story home, and even multi-unit apartments. The province and other government organizations are gradually bringing in legislation and incentives to encourage new home energy efficiency. Mr. Bjornson is hoping that home owners will choose his innovative and stylish home options.
Perhaps Steven Sobering is leading a trend away from the lavishness of some of his Mountain Estate neighbors. His new home is proof that Reduce, Reuse, Recycle does not automatically mean a product that is either too expensive or too shoddy.
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.
Clear Lake – Located in Riding Mountain National Park
***Original published in South Mountain Press, August 3, 2018***
Clear Lake Summer Report
Is it my imagination or has anyone else noticed that Clear Lake seems warm for this time of year instead of the usual anatomy-shriveling frigidity that I recall from my childhood?
Sean Frey, the Geomatics Coordinator for Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP), has studied and measured various metrics in the lakes of the Park. He was able to comment on their general state compared to historical norms.
Q1. Am I right to think that the water temperature of the Lake seems quite warm for this time of the year? Are there any identifiable trends in temperature, salinity, the thermocline, pollution, algae, water levels or parasite (The Itch) count between years past and now?
A1. The lake temperatures this year are warmer than usual. In the past ten years we haven’t observed June surface lake temperatures above 20°C (see the graph below) and this year they passed that mark. You can see on the graph by the dashed linear trend line there has been a general increase in May – August surface water temperatures on the lake in the past 10 years.
This appears consistent with longer term trends in climate in the area as the dates for ice off and ice on for Clear Lake show in the graph below.
Compared to records from the 1960s and 70s, the ice free period on the lake now appears to be earlier in the spring by over a week on average and later into the fall by over a week.
The good news so far is that trends in algae appear to be stable as the graph of Chlorophyll a Levels below illustrates. The levels were beginning to climb in the 1980s and 90s and have since stabilized possibly due to improved sewage and nutrient management.
As for water levels, they are lower this year than they have been in the past 20 years, though within a historical range of variation as shown in the graph below.
Q2. As for the other RMNP lakes, has there been the same type of scrutiny as Clear Lake and has there been anything particularly unusual that’s happened with any one of them compared to what’s been going on at the main lake?
A2. Riding Mountain monitors a suite of six backcountry lakes and four streams, although none has received the level of scrutiny afforded to Clear Lake. The most recent report indicates “Overall the backcountry lakes and streams in Riding Mountain appear to be in good health.” (Baird 2018). There is a detailed report graphing nutrients, turbidity, and temperature and oxygen profiles for the various lakes if people are interested.
Q3. Zebra Mussels are a great concern and the Park has extensive programs to keep them out of the water. But Whirlpool Lake is closed to the public due to a possible Zebra Mussel outbreak. Could you comment on the Park’s efforts so far and do you think you’ll be successful with keeping this invasive species out of the Park? One side effect of the bivalve molluscs in the Great Lakes was the filtering out of the pollution and actually cleaning up the water. Why is it so important to keep this species out of the Park?
A3. In managing national parks, Parks Canada maintains or restores ecological integrity, and provides Canadians with opportunities to discover and enjoy them. Parks Canada staff are working closely with visitors to keep aquatic invasive species (AIS) like Zebra Mussels out of park waters through watercraft inspections and strict decontamination procedures. The cooperation of watercraft operators is essential in preventing this threat to Park waters. 100% compliance is necessary to ensure the ecological integrity of Park waterways, as it only takes one contaminated watercraft to transport Zebra Mussels and other aquatic invasive species into the park.
Zebra Mussels are potentially the greatest threat the aquatic system in Riding Mountain has ever faced. While it is true that they filter and clean the water, they also irreversibly change the ecology and recreational value of the lakes and streams they take over. As a National Park, Riding Mountain has the mandate to protect representative plants and animals in their natural environment in a way that lets them persist for future generations of all Canadians.
If Zebra Mussels were to become established in one of the lakes in the Park, that lake would be permanently changed to a degraded ecological state and the Park would be unable to fulfill its mandate for that area. The community of fish, plants and other aquatic organisms in the lake would be changed and it is possible that some native species would disappear entirely from the lake. There is evidence that Zebra Mussel infestations can cause declines in fish populations and increase toxins in game fish.
We do not know of any treatment that is effective in eliminating Zebra Mussels, therefore the change would be permanent.
If a lake in RMNP were to become contaminated with Zebra Mussels it would threaten the integrity of all downstream water bodies and aquatic ecosystems, including streams that feed the Assiniboine River and Dauphin Lake, since the larval form of Zebra Mussels can float downstream and gradually colonize downstream waters. The risk of infestation downstream is considered very high and the watershed covers much of southwest Manitoba including many other water infrastructure and industry.
Zebra Mussels will attach to most hard surfaces and would be expected to interfere with irrigation systems at the Clear Lake Golf Course, impair water services within the community of Wasagaming including the neighboring Elkhorn Resort and portions of the RM of Harrison Park. Municipal infrastructure and services, including water services, could be impacted due to the disruptive effects of Zebra Mussels. The cost to mitigate this would be in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
That is why the Park is devoting so much effort in trying to make sure Zebra Mussels do not become established here through our inspection program and monitoring of lakes. Monitoring determined that environmental DNA of Zebra Mussels was present at Whirlpool Lake so we have closed that lake, and enhanced our monitoring there. So far results are encouraging that Zebra Mussels haven’t become established there but we are continuing to make sure.
Unfortunately it is all too easy to unknowingly transport Zebra Mussels in water from an infested area via boat ballasts, bilge water, and water in the end of a canoe, kayak or paddleboard and perhaps even in a beach toy. It is our responsibility to do all we can to protect the park as it is and encourage people to help us with our conservation efforts for the future.
For more information on the Park’s efforts to halt the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species and their watercraft inspection and permit program, you can visit the RMNP website: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mb/riding/visit/moto-boat
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.
Storms gather over the proposed landfill site in Harrison Park Municipality
***Original published in South Mountain Press, August 3, 2018***
Stormy Start to Four Winds Waste and Recycling Public Sessions
Call a municipal meeting to announce the building of a new school or hospital and councilors would be greeted with cheers and praise. But make a general announcement that your regional representatives are planning an oversize garbage landfill and the reception can be less then cordial especially from the people in the immediate neighborhood.
On Friday, July 27, representatives from the Municipalities of Harrison Park and Clanwilliam-Erickson, Rolling River First Nation, and The Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) held Open House sessions in the communities of Newdale and Sandy Lake regarding the proposed Four Winds Regional Solid Waste and Recycling Facility. The information meetings were meant as a forum for the region’s residents to voice their queries and concerns directly to committee members involved with the project.
Discussions over the new waste facility turned out to be a contentious issue and the sessions were well attended. Newdale’s Drop-In Center was full with close to 50 people present and Sandy Lake’s Community Center had about 70 interested residents for the afternoon session.
Lloyd Ewashko, Reeve of Harrison Park Municipality, took the lead to describe where the two year effort to create the new Class 2 Waste facility was at and the proposed direction it was headed in.
It had already been identified long ago that the region’s waste management was going to become an issue. Pending provincial legislation and the fact that all of the region’s smaller landfills were approaching the end of their lifespans dictated that planning needed to start. To that end, starting about four years ago, a partnership was explored and created between Band and Municipal councils. Then when the Federal government announced their 2016 budget, the innovative Native/Municipal partnership was already poised to take advantage of monies available via Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). A ballpark figure of $6 million is earmarked to be used to cover the capital costs and other related expenses of the Four Winds project.
The process started moving forward in earnest mid-2016 after Neegan Burnside Ltd., an Engineering and Environmental consulting company, was hired to provide a Feasibility study to identify suitable locations within the region. Five sites were identified as possible locations. The owners of the parcels of land were approached and two sites became available for water flow testing. Then after contracting a realtor to negotiate the terms of sale, the selection was narrowed down to a parcel of land known as NW ¼ 4-17-20 (the South East corner of property adjacent to PTH 250 and Montcalm Road).
During a June 8, 2018 Harrison Park Special Meeting of Council, an evenly combined deposit from the two involved Municipalities of $50,000 was put down on the agreement to buy the land for $500,000.
The projected timeline for the Waste Facility to be online is still a year or two away as there are several steps to be completed. Some of the major hurdles yet to be cleared include an environmental licensing process through the Province, the development of a business plan to run the facility, and the creation of a final facility design.
As Reeve Ewashko pointed out, this project will create significant benefits to the region. The immediate advantage will be that the region’s population of about 4000 will have a state of the art facility with a 5000 ton/year waste reception capacity. Presently, the region generates between 3300-3500 tons of waste per year. The injection of ISC money will create construction jobs and later a projected 5 to 6 employment positions for Facility staff. All of the existing smaller waste facilities will be converted to Transfer stations thus spinning out their lifespans. Costs to shut down those sites have already been estimated at $1 million each. The modern facility will be more efficient then present sites and will allow for technology innovations such as gasification or incineration once or if those technologies become viable.
Also, as pointed out by Don Huisman, a Councillor for Erickson, the economy of scale of the facility will allow the region to move towards its goal of a 60% diversion rate. Quantities of compostable, recyclable, and reusable waste that have been filling the existing landfills will be able to be diverted due to scalability at the larger facility. As an example, mattresses are recyclable but without a proper storage facility or quantity, it was not feasible to have a truck from Winnipeg to come out for a regional pickup.
At only a 3% rate, the region is woefully behind the 17% recycling provincial average. As Councillor Huisman described, an ongoing Erickson pilot project regarding compostable materials has determined that each household is generating 12 pounds of ‘waste’ per week. For the entire town, that would work out to 60 tons per year that could be kept out of the landfill and put to better use.
As can be imagined, there were significant public concerns over the project and its management to date. Generally, it would be hard to find someone who at first would be enthusiastic to learn that a 30 to 40 acre ‘dump’ was going to be built nearby. So even though it was recognized that something needed to be done reference the region’s future waste management, the main question was why exactly was this site chosen and already negotiated to be purchased?
As Reeve Ewashko explained, the Management Committee relied heavily on the Neegan Burnside report to identify potential sites and as the process continued this parcel of land came out as the leading candidate. Then in order to move forward with the Province’s environmental licensing process, the land needed to be in the possession of the Municipalities.
The Reeve understood the environmental concerns of the residents such as the proximity of the Little Saskatchewan River and reassured the public that the land still had to pass a strict environmental licensing process and the facility would be built to proper environmental standards.
Another main complaint from those present was the scarcity of information regarding this potentially hot button issue considering it has been in the works for a number of years. The Committee took it under advisement that they could have done a better job communicating to the local residents regarding the project and took suggestions on moving forward.
Lastly, a group of concerned citizens delivered to Reeve Ewashko a written demand that the final sale of the parcel of land be conditional on successfully passing the environmental licensing process. They were adamant that the Municipality should not be on the hook for their $250,000 share of a chunk of land that could end up being unsuitable as a landfill site. The Reeve explained that unfortunately due to the licensing process potentially being a lengthy procedure, such a clause would be unworkable.
The next occasion for the public to voice their concerns and queries on the proposed Four Winds Waste and Recycling Facility will be on the 13, 14, and 15th of August when the Management Committee and the Neegan Burnside engineer will be available for questioning. Those times and locations will be publicly announced shortly and will address specific technical concerns that the Committee was not able to answer during the Open House sessions.
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.
Custodian Toby Kondratiew is getting Onanole Elementary ready for another school year
***Original published in South Mountain Press, July 27, 2018***
A School Custodian’s Job is Never Done
As the classic Alice Cooper song goes, School’s out for summer but School is (not) out forever. When the children of Onanole Elementary School return to their classrooms this fall, one of the staff happy to see their return will be the school’s custodian, Toby Kondratiew.
While teachers and students have been enjoying their summer vacation, Toby has been giving the entire school a thorough scrub down and polish. When school is in session, he normally will split his 6 hour work day between opening up the facility at 7:30 and returning at 4:00 for the regular cleaning routine. But when staff and students are not around for the summer break, it gives him a chance to ‘deep’ clean areas of the school that have to be put off. Toby has been busy with larger projects like polishing floors, washing windows inside and out, and arranging for contractors to attend to the carpets. Plus he has had a chance to spruce up all the flooring. For anyone who has stripped and polished floors, you know that it can be a multi-day project and you do not want anyone tromping all over your work while it is in progress.
Summer is also a time for any major building renovations that need to be completed. Onanole Elementary is a relatively young 30 year old school compared to the sixty plus years of some of the other 12 schools in the District, so Toby gets a break from too much disruption to his summer routine this year.
Fred Scott, the Maintenance Supervisor for Rolling River School Division, coordinates the schedules of the Division’s 22 custodians. He had nothing but praise for Toby’s efforts and work ethic. “Whenever I say I am headed to the north of the School Division, I am asked if I am visiting that ‘Clean’ school in Onanole. Toby gets those floors so shiny, I usually need my sunglasses.”
Mr. Scott explained that the custodians are the front line for maintaining the Division’s valuable infrastructure. The number of employees is based on a formula of one person cleaning around 2000 sq/ft per hour each day of a five day work week. If there is a building emergency such as flooding during the middle of the night, the custodian gets the first call to check on the issue. After winter storms, they are at the schools early to start the snow clearing operations.
It is helpful to Mr. Scott to take into consideration the direct input from the custodians who intimately know the buildings. For example, one of the initiatives that Toby brought to the job was to recommend installing Chair Slippers on all the feet of the student’s chairs. They are bright blue, pre-cut tennis balls that help prevent scratches in the classroom floors when the chairs slide back and forth.
As Toby explained, he was grateful that the job of Custodian for the Onanole Elementary came open seven years ago. He has lived in the area all of his life and for two years he was taught in the one room Clear Lake School No. 2135 that was located a few miles west of town. After consolidation in 1962, he was moved to the new Elementary school, No. 2402, in Onanole. Later, his main vocation in life was carpentry but after a lifetime of hard work, his body needed a break. The custodian job keeps him active, engaged, and employed in the area.
Toby had this to say about his position. “Everyone knows your name and there are good kids here and I like working with the Principal, Pam Ryznar. It can be a little challenging during the school year when the kids are not as thoughtful as they should be when making a mess. But I enjoy them all being able to pronounce my last name by the end of the year!”
He was not the only Kondratiew to walk the halls of Onanole Elementary as it was also his daughter’s elementary school. He proudly pointed her out in the school photos hanging in the main hall and there was not a speck of dust on any of those frames!
When Toby is not busy at the school, he is active with his Quarter horses and supporting his daughter’s goal of becoming a Veterinary Technician.
The Rolling River School Division Superintendent, Mary Anne Ploshynsky, commended all of the Division’s Custodians hard work no matter the time of year. She sees them as integral parts of the education system and wanted to acknowledge their dedication.
For more information about the Rolling River School Division and Onanole Elementary, visit www.rrsd.mb.ca.
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.
Prayer Walkers Jacquelyn, left, and Creedance near Onanole, MB
***Original published in South Mountain Press, July 27, 2018***
Indigenous Prayer Walkers Pass Through South Mountain Region
Early on the afternoon of July 24, two members of Da-namaamin moseyang giw-ganchigaazjig kwewag could be seen walking along Highway 10 South of Onanole. While Creedance carried their Aboriginal Eagle Staff, Jacqueline was happily waving to honking motorists.
The name of the group translates to ‘We will walk in prayer for those murdered women.’ The stated goal of this grassroots Indigenous-led Prayer Walk is a ‘means for us to respond to the murders and disappearances of Indigenous women, girls, and future generations. Our journey across Turtle Island (Canada) is a way to heal ourselves and revitalize our traditional roles as Women, Men, and Two-Spirit People.The Prayer Walk is also a way for us to show women, girls, and victims’ families that we care. We believe our Indigenous nations must take the lead in healing within our communities. To this end, we advocate for increased support for Indigenous-led solutions to end violence against Indigenous women and girls.”
The Prayer Walkers began their journey at The Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, Cape Croker, Ontario on December 21, 2017. The core group of walkers have varied between three and seven. The team pairs take turns walking 5 km for a total of 50 km per day. One person carries the Eagle Staff and the other provides company and safety. Frequently, as they pass through, supporters from various First Nations walk with them for encouragement and solidarity.
The sight of the pair’s Eagle Staff definitely causes motorists to take a second look as they drive by. An Eagle Staff represents various Indigenous meanings, spiritual entities, nations, clans, languages, medicines and healing. The staff can be compared to a country’s flag or to a military unit’s battle honours which makes it a sacred symbol. One imperative stressed by Creedance concerning the staff was that the person carrying it must constantly be moving. It made for an interesting interview that covered about half a miles worth of walking!
Each day, the group dedicates their walking to honour and remember an Indigenous murdered or missing woman or girl. Mildred Flett, age 51, was the person being remembered on this particular day. ‘Millie’ Flett, aka Mildred Nelson, went missing in Winnipeg on June 8, 2010.
The plan for the remainder of this ambitious walk is to continue north to Swan River, cut across through Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, head west through Edmonton up into the Territories and Yukon, circle through BC and then all the way back through to the East Coast before returning home to Ontario.
Along the way, the group has been receiving a warm reception. They have frequently been asked to speak at different venues about their efforts to bring awareness to the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) issue. On the evening of July 23, they were guests of the Rolling River First Nation who held a powwow for them.
The non-profit group is primarily conducting the Prayer Walk to continue the healing process related to the ongoing tragedy of MMIWG as opposed to fund raising. But they are happy to take donations related to their efforts. Any monies donated will mostly go towards caring for their aging 1982 Winnebago Brave. The RV acts as their support vehicle and home while they are on the road. Mechanical issues already caused a three month delay earlier in the year.
If people are interested in following Da-namaamin moseyang giw-ganchigaazjig kwewag’s progress as they crisscross Canada, they can follow their progress via their Facebook blog. Their daily videos detail where they are at and gives details about the particular woman or girl that they are dedicating that days’ worth of walking to.
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.
