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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January 14, 2019January 14, 2019

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

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 16, 2018***

New RM Councils Tackle Thorny Local Issues

As voters are well aware, there was an almost wholesale changing of the guard in the Rural Municipalities (RMs) of Harrison Park and Clanwilliam-Erickson with this last Municipal election. After the dust settled, it was obvious that a change in leadership had been called for.

The new Councils will be facing a steep learning curve as many of the fresh faces at the table have never previously been involved in politics. But the job of running an RM does not pause due to inexperience. At the Harrison Park October 30 Regular meeting, the new Reeve and Councilors held a brief swearing in session conducted by the Chief Administrative Officer, then it was straight down to the responsibility of governing the municipality.

The first major order of business was to decide on and divvy out the numerous vacant committee positions. A municipality has a surprising amount of organizations that require representation from Council. Rest assured that the rate payers will be getting their money’s worth out of their representatives.

Then along with the mundane issues such as listening to routine reports or holding conditional use hearings on such things as lot resizing, the new Councils will have some pressing contentious issues to cope with. High on the agenda will be decisions regarding the proposed Four Winds Waste Management facility that was to be located on PTH 250 between Newdale and Sandy Lake.

The interested parties are wasting no time on the Four Winds file. In fact, a special stakeholders meeting was already held at the Erickson Crossroads Community Centre on November 2. The main stakeholders that make up the Four Winds Waste Management Group are the RMs of Harrison Park, Clanwilliam-Erickson, and the First Nations communities of Keeseekoowenin and Rolling River. Riding Mountain National Park’s Town Site manager was also in attendance as the Park will act as a customer of the Four Winds facility.

The intent of the meeting was to have representatives of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) and Manitoba Sustainable Development bring the new members of the Councils up to speed on the project and to gather input from the various stakeholders as to its disposition.

The process of building the new waste management and recycling site had reached the stage of tendering for a business plan. According to one of the former Four Winds management team, the tender was put on hold until the results of the election were known.

The meeting was amicable and the representatives of Keeseekoowenin and Rolling River First Nations reiterated their desire to continue a working, mutual aid relationship with the RMs with regards to their shared waste management issues. But as the Keeseekoowenin Band Chief stated, since there was so much new leadership, it would be good for everyone to huddle up in their corners and then determine what changes may be needed in order to go forward.

The new Reeve for Harrison Park, Jason Potter, agreed with the Chief’s sentiment. He understood that there was a substantial sum of money available from Indigenous Services Canada to get a local waste facility up and running and if there was too much delay, then that money would probably end up off the table. But in his opinion, when you are dealing with tax dollars on a major project like this, you want to ‘hit a homerun’ for the tax payers. He acknowledged that many of his constituents had significant concerns particularly with the proposed siting of the waste facility.

So for a short period of time, the disposition of the Four Winds Waste Management and Recycling Facility will be up in the air. The Councils will go back to their communities, see what positions they want to take, and then return in early December to hash out a plan on moving forward on the issue.

Meanwhile, regular Council meetings and the important task of governing RMs and listening to the concerns of their citizens will continue. For those people interested in attending to observe local government in action, Harrison Park Council meets every third Tuesday at the Onanole Municipal Office with the next regular meeting scheduled for November 20 at 9:00 am. The new members of the Clanwilliam-Erickson Council will hold their first regular meeting at the Erickson Municipal Office on November 14 at 9:00 am. Their meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.

News regarding the RMs, meeting dates, upcoming events, and contact information for your local representatives can be found on their respective websites: http://www.harrisonpark.ca/ and http://www.ericksonmb.ca/

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January 14, 2019January 14, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 32 – Part 2

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 9, 2018***

Remembrance Day 2018

By Blair Gilmore, SLt (Ret’d), CD

This Remembrance Day marks the 100^th Anniversary of the end of World War I, also referred to as the Great War or the War to End All Wars. The sheer barbarity, senseless loss of life, and abject futility associated with the entire enterprise which basically ended up as a stalemate shocked the entire world into an abhorrence of military ventures and a pledge to ‘Never Again’.

Of course, just over a generation later, the world was plunged into the maelstrom of World War II. Then only a few short years after the end of that titanic struggle, the Allies were dragged into the Korean War. The world probably would have continued this cycle of unbridled, wholesale barbarity if not for the threat of worldwide nuclear annihilation.

These three conflicts were brutish, inhuman, nightmarish examples of industrial warfare of the likes never witnessed before by humankind. Europe, the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and China were facing existential threats to their populations and very way of life.

During WWI, our fledgling nation plus Newfoundland contributed 7% of the nation’s population to uniformed service. A full one million out of eleven million Canadians and Newfoundlanders donned a military uniform during WWII. Plus there were the countless thousands of civilians working tirelessly on the home front contributing to the war effort. Canada, along with the rest of the Allied forces, were on a total war footing and the men on the front lines were not coming home until the job was done.

Traditionally, it has been those hundreds of thousands of dead or maimed Canadian service personnel plus the living veterans of the two World Wars and Korea whom we venerate every 11^th month of the 11^th day at the 11^th hour for two minutes of silence. They were willing to give the ultimate sacrifice no matter the cost.

Thankfully, Canada and her military have not experienced those past levels of wholesale slaughter since the World Wars. Sadly but inevitably, the last of these veterans are passing away due to old age. But that should not lessen the importance or gravitas placed on Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Should there be a difference between 128 families mourning the deaths of their loved ones after the 1944 torpedoing of my great uncle’s ship, HMCS Athabaskan G07, and the 6 families grieving an aircrew’s fiery deaths in the Quebec 1998 Labrador helicopter crash? Unlike many of his shipmates, Able Seaman Bill Trickett survived the sinking and a year as a German POW, then returned to Canada to raise a family. My good friend, Flight Engineer Master Corporal David Gaetz left behind a wife and three young children. Another colleague, Search and Rescue Technician Sergeant Mark Salesse, died during a 2015 Banff ice climbing exercise. A friend of mine held his LAV squad mate while he bled out from a femoral artery wound caused by an IED hit in Afghanistan. The ultimate sacrifice is the same no matter the era.

Then just because bodies are intact does not mean that veteran’s minds and souls were not broken. WWII vets rarely if ever spoke of their battle experiences. But were the horrors they witnessed any less than those seen by the Medak Pocket or Rwandan vets? In Rwanda at the height of the genocide, it got to the point where young children were cut down in front of the Canadians and they were helpless to act. A significant number of those vets have committed suicide and if you have ever met Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) Roméo Dallaire it is obvious that he is carrying 800,000 ghosts on his shoulders. Although the name of the disorder has changed from shell shock and battle fatigue to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Operational Stress Injury, a broken mind is still a broken mind.

When the young men of 1914 and 1939 left Canada for war, there was no fixed date for their return. Unreliable mail service was typically their only contact with the home front. Thankfully, today’s Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel do not go years between returning home. But they still spend years away from their families. The Afghanistan war ran from 2001-14 and 40,000 CAF personnel served in theatre. At various points there would be 2000-3000 Infantry and 5-6 Royal Canadian Navy ships stationed in the war zone. Communication with home was slightly better with a few minutes of satellite phone privileges per day. The typical training/deployment cycle has a sailor or soldier away from home for 12 months out of 18. Was there really a difference between the 1939 young wives and mothers with their modern era counterparts whose husbands were doing five or six tours in the Sandbox or on constant patrols of the Arabian Sea?

Even regular, ‘benign’ peacekeeping CAF deployments are not casualty free. From the 1956 Suez Crisis to the recent so-called ‘peacekeeping’ deployment to Mali, 130 CAF peacekeepers have been killed. Considering the state of Mali’s security situation, it may only be a matter of time before a Canadian flag draped coffin is rolled across the 8 Wing Trenton tarmac.

This year alone, the CAF will conduct 8-9 domestic operations/exercises, 3 large multi-national/NATO exercises, and 19-20 major worldwide operations. For 2018, about 6000 aircrew, sailors, and soldiers will be out ‘doing the business’ on behalf of Canada’s interests. About 1000 CAF warriors are in the combat zones of Iraq and Mali. Today’s world is not engulfed in total war but it is not safe. Thankfully there are still Canadian citizens willing to volunteer to do what needs to be done.

Death is death, sacrifice is sacrifice, and duty is duty no matter the era and no matter the magnitude. Contemporary serving CAF members, veterans, and dead deserve no less gratitude, remembrance, or reverence then those of a century ago. Thankfully the sacrifice suffered by Canada’s military has drastically reduced but the sentiment of ‘We will remember them’ should never diminish.

At sunset this Remembrance Day, there will be a nationwide tolling of the bells commemorating 100 years after the Armistice ended WWI. Please keep our present Canadian guardians in mind while reflecting on Canada’s past military sacrifices.

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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 14, 2019January 14, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 32

Anhydrous Ammonia tanks idle for the season

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 9, 2018***

Farmers Persevere Despite Challenging Fall Weather

In spite of inclement fall weather conditions, Shoal Lake area farmers are not too far behind with their usual field work for this time of year. Farming is difficult at the best of times but some long hours during the dry spells between the snow and rain falls got most farmers caught up.

Then once harvest is in the bins, farmers usually like to get a jump on fall field work before freeze up forces them to push it into next spring. For farmers growing crops such as wheat or canola, the practice is to apply nitrogen in the form of anhydrous ammonia by deep tilling and injecting the fertilizer into the soil. During those brief October dry spells, highway motorists would have noticed the numerous large white anhydrous ammonia (NH3) trucks shuttling back and forth to replenish the farmers out on their fields.

Shoal Lake Shur-Gro Manager Wes Arnfinson says that although there is still some harvest left to be brought in, his company is seeing normal demand for fall fertilizer application. Their customers are mostly applying NH3 this time of year along with some granular nitrogen. Since the area does not have enough heat units to support good soybean growth, their outlet does not see much demand for phosphorous or potassium at this time of year.

Other local Ag Supply companies are also reporting close to normal levels of business for this time of year. Over at Richardson Pioneer, Senior Director Gerald Bryson says they are seeing, ‘A slightly less than average fall fertilizer season taking place. Volumes would be around 90% of average and it may not be done yet based on weather.’ His company is keeping up with the usual fall surge of demand for NH3. Dry fertilizer blends were also applied in normal quantities and supply was less of a problem.

As for Federated Co-op Limited, they should be getting caught up on suppling local Co-op Agro Centres with propane for farmer’s grain dryers. Back on October 9, the company released a statement stating that it’s been ‘impossible to keep up’ with demand. The company alleviated the situation with the hiring of more drivers and re-distributing its trucking fleet.

Of course, Mother Nature is not finished with the farmers yet. Unseasonable cold weather is moving into the area and as soon as the ground freezes down a couple of inches then fall work will grind to a halt.

As for the rows of downed canola or the fields of flattened wheat, it may have to wait to be combined after a full freeze-up or into next spring. Unfortunately, quality and quantity of those crops by that point will have degraded to the status of animal feed.

Either way, crop insurance reps will be busy with the expected numerous crop insurance claims being filed due to this fall’s poor weather.

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 5, 2019January 5, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 31 – Part 2

Ukrainian Catholic *Church of St. John the Baptist* located in Rackham, MB

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 2, 2018***

Forgotten Manitoba Communities

For those of us who have been away from Manitoba, upon our occasional return to the Rolling River area it is starkly apparent that despite some growth and vigor, many former robust settlements have just slowly faded away. But communities and individuals are doing their best to fight the slow march of rural entropy and occasionally there is evidence of sparks of life that are keeping the home fires burning.

One such community that used to regal in prosperity and former glory is Rackham, MB. Sadly, when the town’s buildings started to close down in the early 60’s, the community began its inexorable slide into irrelevance. Today, there are only ghosts of a prosperous past and thriving community which rivaled the nearby towns of Erickson, Sandy Lake, and Onanole.

Even just finding the village can be a bit challenging. There is no sign on the gravel road telling you to take the sharp 90˚ turn to continue along PTH 270. Then the only indication of the old settlement is a faded sign at a north/south intersection directing you one way for the cemetery and the other for the church. The railway tracks are long gone and habitation is limited to just a handful of homes tucked down in the trees.

But after a little bit of exploring, you can tell that the original Ukrainian settlers picked a pleasing site to settle down on. The location is on high ground surrounded by vistas of wetlands on all sides. On a Google map, you can see how the main east/west road passing through town would have been the main road before the 45 highway was built. The land would have been fertile for farming and there would have been abundant wildlife and fish.

It would be interesting to learn how the name of the town was picked. The Rackham surname is Anglo-Saxon in origin and is a habitation name from Sussex, England. The most notable Rackham was the infamous John Rackham. ‘Calico Jack’ plundered ships in the Bahamas during the early 18^th century and his progeny are scattered throughout the Commonwealth. Perhaps descendants of the nefarious pirate made their way to Manitoba before the larger immigration of Ukrainians.

Back in the early 1900s, Western Canada saw large influxes of Ukrainian immigrants flocking to the prairies to take up farming. The Rolling River area brought in their share of like-minded newcomers who wanted a better life. In 1925, there was enough of a need in Rackham to build a one room school that housed six original students. Thirteen years later, they built a second classroom onto the school. But by 1962, the school had lost most of its students and was forced to close. An old crest with the school’s motto ‘Work Will Win’ hangs in the town hall. Other than that, a cairn and school model on the original site are the only visible testament of the presence of a former place of learning.

The town must have begun an upswing during the build up to WW2, as by 1941 the corner stone to the jewel of the community was set. The inscription of ‘церкоь сь ноана хрестнтеля 1941’ declares the town’s place of worship as Church of St. John the Baptist. The Ukrainian Catholic congregation was very active and created a magnificent place of reverence that is a marvel to behold. Regular services were held from 1943 to 2003 and on special occasions thereafter. The hymnals of the John Chrysostom Divine Liturgy are sitting out ready for the return of the faithful. Time and decay have been temporarily halted and it is obvious that the few remaining parishioners care deeply about their local church and its heritage.

The loving care and attention that keeps the church and next door community hall from falling into irreversible disrepair has mostly been provided by the Wozney family for the last couple of decades. Calvin Wozney is the current caretaker of the facilities. His father had originally bought the old church hall about 20 years ago when the church needed funding for a re-roofing project. The church itself is still papal property and is in excellent condition except for one corner of the main floor where the fir beams have rotted under a section of the pews.

Calvin feels that it is important to keep the church and the hall available for use. He and his five brothers were all altar boys at the church and he recounted how each month there would be a large church supper and dance. The hall itself is quite large with a 150 person capacity in the upper portion. The spruce strips lining the wall add a warm, homey touch to any gathering. Also back in the day, Calvin recalled how everyone would gather for a shared meal and more than a few drinks down in the lower bar and dining area. Local musicians would play fiddles and accordions for entertainment. Plus next to the bar, there is a convenient crawlspace where the beer was kept cool for the revelers. Calvin fondly remembers those days of family and friends regularly gathering together and is happy to offer the hall as a venue for events such as the latest Carly Dow concert.

Perhaps rural decay can be stalled for a bit longer in the tiny village of Rackham. The Wozney family is helping to keep a small prairie treasure alive and if you are interested in Ukrainian Catholic church history, take a drive out on the old 270 to discover some Manitoba heritage before it disappears.

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 5, 2019January 5, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 31

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Nov 2, 2018***

What’s the Local Buzz with Marijuana?

Canada embarked on a brave, new path last week with the legalization of cannabis thus becoming the first major country in the world to do so. So what if anything has changed in the local area during these first heady days after close to a century of ‘weed’ prohibition?

Despite the ease of ordering online, it is important to note that it will be at least a year until marijuana edibles become legal in Canada. Meanwhile, it is legal to create your own with your combustible buds and oils.

At first blush, there has been very little buzz within the local RMs and First Nations over legalizing cannabis. RMs such as Minto-Odanah and Rosedale were pro-active and the councils had voted to prohibit the sale of cannabis. But under the Province’s ‘The Safe and Responsible Retailing of Cannabis Act’, councils should hold plebiscites to either prohibit or repeal the prohibition of the local sale of cannabis within the municipality. They have until January 1, 2022 to pick a plebiscite date if they choose to hold one and thereafter any general vote on the matter can be held during regular municipal voting days.

When contacted, the Chief Administrative Officer of Minto-Odanah says that now that regulations on cannabis have been enacted, the Council has backed off from their earlier stance on the subject. There are no plans to hold a plebiscite for or against and in their opinion if anything was going to happen regarding sales, nearby Minnedosa would be the likely spot for a retail outlet.

Remarkably, there has been very little discussion over this contentious subject especially in light of the Municipal election season. At the Candidate forums for Yellowhead and Harrison Park, there was a grand total of one question asked about cannabis. Neither of those RMs have changed their policies other than looking at some amendments to their workplace rules.

Even queries from businesses regarding licensing to sell in a particular RM have been almost non-existent. According to Councilor Don Huisman of Clanwilliam-Erickson, the Council there says, ‘We won’t oppose an outlet in the community. In fact a lot was bought in town specifically as a dispensary.’ Considering the licensing hoops retail stores have to jump through, it might be awhile before Erickson residents see a brick and mortar marijuana shop in town.

Hamiota, Oakview and Rossburn RMs have not seen much interest for or against marijuana from their residents. In general, these RMs will just amend their policies to reflect the legalization. The general approach will be with regards to health and safety it will be treated like smoking, with regards to intoxication it will be treated as drinking.

This is the same approach that Rolling River and Keeseekoowenin First Nations are planning to take in their jurisdictions. For example, in Rolling River, there are already setback zones for smoking cigarettes in certain areas, so marijuana smoking will be treated the same. As for cultural considerations, marijuana does not have any importance to their traditions unlike tobacco.

Paul Tarleton, a spokesman for Riding Mountain National Park, had this to say about their response to legalization. “We want to give the Park’s visitors the best possible experience. Rules and regulations with respect to cannabis use in Federal parks will in general reflect those of the province they are in. For Riding Mountain, we will basically treat marijuana use similar to that of alcohol consumption.”

For example, at the Clear Lake campground, marijuana use will cease in accordance with alcohol use between the hours of 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. No marijuana use will be allowed in public areas or on hiking trails. For people who transgress, both RCMP officers and Park Staff are authorized to ticket offenders.

The Park differs from provincial parks because the latter will be a no-go zone for pot use. As Paul explained, their approach takes into account that cannabis is a legal substance that people would be able to use in their own home. While camping, people are in their residence and as long as they enjoy themselves responsibly, then there should not be an issue. Down the line, the Park will monitor how their policies work out and they will adjust accordingly and as the province dictates.

Although Paul knew of no immediate plans for any marijuana outlets in the town of Wasagaming, he knew of no reason why pot could not be sold in the Park if the business had the proper certification through the province to sell the substance.

So officially, there were no seismic shifts in the local area with regards to cannabis legalization. Unofficially, the status quo regarding black market sales and supply to local users probably has not changed substantially either.

You would be particularly naïve to think that ‘weed’ has not already been in use by a significant portion of the local population. Local illegal pot prices are about $5 per joint while the few legal Manitoba outlets are selling their marijuana for closer to $12 for the same amount.

But as licensing and supply issues gradually shake out, new stores will slowly start opening up and lower prices should result. As time goes by, we will see how levels of use respond to the new, legal availability and if it will be effective at choking out the black market supply chain.

A full list of the rules and regulations related to cannabis in Manitoba can be accessed through the website: https://www.gov.mb.ca/cannabis/index.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.

December 9, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 30

Carly Dow playing at the Rackham Community Hall – Photo by Dandy Denial

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Oct 26, 2018***

Local Upcoming Star Plays in Rackham Community Hall

Life was breathed back into a forlorn, forgotten church hall in the tiny hamlet of Rackham Saturday night when a sellout crowd of at least 150 came out to enjoy the second stop on local singer/song writer Carly Dow’s latest tour. The musician was back home promoting the October 19 world wide release of her latest album ‘Comet’.

Although Carly is diminutive in stature and modest about her burgeoning success, there is nothing small or restrained about her strong, throaty lyrics or her signature style on her acoustic guitar and clawhammer banjo.

Carly’s brand of music easily appeals to a broad cross section of people. The twang of her banjo and solid downbeats thoroughly entertained an eclectic mix of fans that ranged from dancing children to toe tapping grandmothers. Farmer flannel intermingled with hipster skinny jeans. New Age lifestyle fused nicely with the homey atmosphere of a rural social that came complete with song, dance, wine, craft beer, veggies, and venison sausage. Her upbeat songs concerning Nature, lost relationships, and plain everyday life strike a common chord across all spectrums.

As Carly played through her repertoire of songs, she gave some insight on where she gets her inspiration for her music and video projects. She already had a strong link with the Manitoba backwoods from her summers spent up at the Park, majoring in Environmental Studies at the U of M, and subsequent employment with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Her Lake Audy property, encounters with wildlife (or the occasional errant Canadian goose), and the wildness of rural Manitoba feature strongly in her lyrics and videos.

Also, unique to the new method of raising capital for projects like a song album, Carly sang ‘Prairie Mountain Sisters’. She wrote the song as a pledge reward for the Kickstarter campaign that made her sophomore project possible.

Glennis and Garth Dow, Carly’s parents, were in attendance and proud of their daughter’s success. According to her mother, Carly’s talent for music started to blossom when she first started playing guitar back in Grade 9.

‘Carly is her own creation’, was the response from Glennis when asked if their daughter took after someone else in the family. Garth was glad that his daughter’s hard work was gaining recognition and admired all of the effort that she has put forward to get to this point.

Carly made the permanent move to the Lake Audy area about four years ago. The appeal of the Park also convinced her parents to make the move away from the Big City at the same time. Mom and Dad had already been running the Chocolate Fox in Wasagaming since 2008 and it has worked out that the whole family is out this way.

Garth pointed out that this latest album was pretty much an all Manitoban production. Most of Carly’s published music videos are shot in and around the Lake Audy/Onanole area featuring the wild Manitoba landscape and locals volunteering their time. ‘Cut and Run’ from the new album features an older Sandy Lake couple and their VW ‘Peace’ van out enjoying life by Clear Lake and the Wishing well area. The video ends with Carly playing at a dance over at Poor Michael’s Emporium in Onanole. The musician expressed her humble gratitude for all of the support and appreciated the chance to ‘give back’ by performing a show for her home crowd.

Carly will continue promoting the new album with a month long Western Canada tour of 20 venues that will take her to Vancouver Island and back. If you want to follow her progress and sample some of her unique ‘wildcrafted folk music’, look her up at www.carlydowmusic.com or on her Facebook profile.

For tech savvy fans, her album is available for download via iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, & Google Play. If you are an audiophile, ‘Comet’ is also available on vinyl featuring design work by Roberta Landreth and artwork by Gabrielle Funk.

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.

November 24, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 29

Long time RRSD bus driver Ed Zatylny – Photo Credit Brenda Wood

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Oct 19, 2018***

The Wheels on the Bus go Round & Round

Now that the school year is well into October, everyone including the Rolling River School Division (RRSD) Transportation Department has gotten back into their regular school routine.

Getting approximately 920 RRSD students safely back and forth each day throughout the school year falls to Transportation Supervisor, Cam Woodcock and his team at the District’s Transport Department. Cam is in charge of the process that smoothly ensures bus students are picked up and delivered home safe and sound each school day.

Here are some numbers associated with the RRSD Transport Department:

RRSD buses about 920 students of the total 1760 student population
The SD has 29 buses plus 8 spares for their 29 routes
There are 29 regular bus drivers plus 26 spares
Each day, the District’s buses travel 4154 km
The longest run is for Lake Audy high school students who transfer in Onanole on their way to Erickson

Each bus driver has a Class 2 drivers license or higher plus a special school bus endorsement certification.

Ed Zatylny is one of the SD’s long time drivers and a regular driver on the Lake Audy to Onanole route. Ed described his daily routine as, “I leave the yard at 7:05 then make my first pick-up at 7:30 in Lake Audy for the trip to Onanole. Then in the afternoon, I do a short trip with 7-8 students from Onanole and back to the school for the return trip. After driving 200 km for the day, I return to the yard by 5.”

When asked what he appreciates the most about the job, Ed really enjoys seeing many of his riders grow up from Kindergarteners to High School graduates. Over a couple of decades of service, he has had the pleasure of transporting hundreds of great local kids.

As to his greatest challenges associated with driving the bus, it has been poor weather that causes Ed the most problems. The Lake Audy run usually receives more snow and ice compared to the rest of the SD, so Ed plans accordingly. “I leave early and take my time. Safety of the students is my first priority”.

Safety and forward looking at the weather forecast are also uppermost on the Transport Supervisor’s mind. Snowfall events like the early fall storms that passed through the area recently are carefully monitored for severity. As Cam explained, he and the Superintendent keep a close eye on the weather in order to decide if the buses will be cancelled.

To begin with, each driver always has the option of not driving their route if they feel the road conditions are not safe. Cam regularly makes calls to drivers like Ed to determine local conditions.

Then by 7:15 in the morning, if inclement weather warrants bus cancellation or school closure, the word will go out via radio stations, the SD’s website, and an automated call out system to parent’s phones.

But the weather can be tricky and although Cam said it has not happened under his watch, there is a plan in place on the off chance that students end up storm stayed in town. On the annual school registration form, parents can designate a ‘Storm Billet’ who is able to take a student in during a severe weather event.

The professionals of the SD Transport Department enjoy keeping the ‘wheels of the bus going round and round’ and work hard to ensure the safety of their charges.

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November 24, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 27

RMBR Chair Jim Irwin introduces a presentation by the Lake Winnipeg Foundation

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Oct 5, 2018***

Local Water Conservation Groups Meet

On September 20, the Lake and Stream Health Working Group of the Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve (RMBR) hosted a presentation afternoon at the Crossroads Community Center in Erickson. Stakeholders representing local water conservation organizations were on hand to hear presentations from the Lake Winnipeg Foundation (LWF) and Manitoba Sustainable Development.

Jim Irwin, Chair of the RMBR, convened the session to pass along information to help address water quality problems in the area’s lakes and streams. To that end, Alexis Kanu and Chelsea Lobson of LWF, gave an excellent presentation and Q & A session on their water quality efforts that have been underway since 2005. The Foundation’s focus has been on improving the health of Lake Winnipeg through the efforts of freshwater research experts and citizen volunteer scientists all working in collaboration with private and government stewardship organizations.

The main contaminant bringing all these groups together to compare notes is the chemical element phosphorus. Phosphorus is an essential building block for animal and plant life. It is found naturally in mineral deposits, and in human and animal waste. It is also in high demand by the world’s farmers as a vital plant fertilizer.

But when too much phosphorus is present in warm Manitoban waters, it helps to promote the growth of blue-green algal (cyanobacteria) blooms. These blooms may only appear to be unsightly and smelly but the real danger is their possible life threatening toxicity. Whether or not a particular batch of algae is harmful can only be detected by water sampling. Boiling or adding chlorine does not remove algal toxins from the water. Blue-green algae represents a clear threat to human and animal populations and should be avoided.

So back in 2016, increasing cases of algal blooms spurred the LWF to start a volunteer citizen based water sampling project. The aim of all the water testing is to create a credible provincial phosphorus data base. Once there is enough data, then the Foundation can identify hotspots. If a specific source is pinpointed, then the process of mitigating or stopping the contamination can begin.

The program has grown from humble beginnings and now has close to 50 volunteers sampling water in over 100 sites. Sampling takes place in the period from the spring freshet to winter freeze up. In order to ensure quality assurance, Chelsea Lobson, the Foundation’s Community-based Monitoring Co-ordinator, trains the volunteers with specific, standardized water kits using rigorous shared protocols. She performs regular field audits and the water is comparison tested with different labs.

The use of volunteers is key to the success seen by the LWF project. They have found that phosphorus spikes occur during spring runoff and significant rainfall events. Numerous citizens scattered throughout the province are nimble enough to respond quickly to sources of high water flow such as after a heavy rain shower.

Chelsea Lobson of LWF shows off some of the water sampling gear volunteers use for water testing

After learning a relatively simple protocol, a volunteer can complete a water sampling test in about 10 minutes. The PVC sampler kit costs about $6 to manufacture. The vision is to keep expanding sampling sites and to attract and gain the help of more volunteers and conservation groups. When there is an adequate water sampling apparatus in place, the next logical step will be to pinpoint what is causing the phosphorus hotspots in the first place.

For the moment, when it comes to the phosphorus culprits, everyone is pointing figures at each other. Friends of a lake community blame the cottagers with their faulty waste holding tanks. Farmers blame the cities and towns for their raw sewage dumping. Activist groups blame hog farmers with their ‘factory’ pig barns and liquid manure spreading. But other than some deductive speculation, it has been difficult to pin down exact sources if the origin of extra phosphorus is not obvious.

To that end, the Foundation has been partnering with organizations such as Agriculture Canada and the University of Manitoba. At the U of M, research is beginning that will use isotope technology to determine exactly where a particular phosphorus sample originated from.

Ag Canada will look at the Foundation’s data and if changes are needed, they can work on developing best practice recommendations for producers.

If the residents of larger communities realize that significant amounts of their sewage is causing problems, then political pressure can be applied to improve infrastructure.

Water quality is vital and important to all Manitobans and we all have a vested interest in this precious resource.

If concerned citizens or conservation groups are interested in the RMBR Lake and Stream Health Working Group or the Lake Winnipeg Foundation water sampling project, they can contact the RMBR Chair Jim Irwin at jimirwin@ridingmountain.ca or the LWF at info@lakewinnipegfoundation.org

For more information on the dangers of blue-green algae a detailed information sheet can be found at the following provincial website:

Click to access algal_blooms.pdf

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October 27, 2018October 27, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 26

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 28, 2018***

Remain Fire Smart even in Fall

It was a hot, dry summer in the local region and thankfully the RMs and RMNP did not have to contend with any major blazes. But just because the evenings are cooler and there has been a bit of fall moisture does not mean that area residents can let their guard down.

John Braschuk, Erickson’s Fire Chief and RMNP’s Fire Management Officer, Reade Tereck explained how their organizations prevent and respond to fire incidents.

RMNP and the surrounding area got tinder dry this summer and seemed primed for another fire event like the 1980 fire that swept through the Park. What have the fire agencies done to mitigate damaging fires?
John Braschuk: We have said this for years, it could happen again. But with controlled burns and some smaller fires in past years and now some fire guard management around the area and within the Park does help.
Reade Tereck: The Park practices Landscape Level Management using prescribed burns in areas designated for rejuvenation. Where parts of the Park have matured to 30 years or more, and after taking proper precautions, our staff will conduct a burn like the one earlier this spring close to Lake Audy.

How can the average person be ‘Fire Smart’ and how do fire departments prepare for larger incidents?
John Braschuk: There are so many ways for fire to start and we can only do so much prevention. We need support and cooperation of all area residences to be fire smart. That being said, obey fire bans please. That’s bonfires also and that includes all cottage areas when the ban is on. Also keep wood piles far away and eavestroughs clean of debris. Consider in high hazard areas a tin roof for your next roof replacement and keep trees away from your home if at all possible. In Onanole, Sean Frey is our go-to guy for the ‘Fire Smart Program’ and he has done some videos for the area on Youtube and has received training a couple years ago. We also cooperatively place fire bans with other jurisdictions. There can be fire hazards or accidents from farming machinery or construction equipment catching fire and lightning strikes are very common. Of course, careless humans light bonfires when fire bans are on and quads can cause fires. The risk is always a possibility and we depend on all agencies when it does happen from near and far.
Reade Tereck: The Park only had to deal with 4 minor fires so far this season. But if conditions created a larger event, we were ready. We regularly conduct table top exercises and mutual training with the various agencies.

How do the various fire departments respond when there is a major fire?
John Braschuk: We experienced this during the spring of 2017 in the Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson. Along the Park line, we had a major wildland fire that also went into RMNP. We all worked together and we had 6 fire departments including Parks Canada and the Office of the Fire Commissioner and a water bomber on standby if it was required within the first 1-2 hours. Manitoba has a great system and support group. With Mutual aid and working with Parks Canada and their fire crew, we are very well prepared and equipped. But as with any incident, we could be limited for resources as a hot, dry day can produce multiple fires. Resources throughout the whole province this spring were out in full force. For example, out of 9 local departments only 1-2 departments were left to respond to any incident in the whole district. That is an area from Oak River to Rivers, north to Sandy Lake and Minnedosa to RMNP South boundary.
Reade Tereck: Local area fire departments and Parks Canada use the concept of Unified Command when a major fire involves several jurisdictions. The role of incident commander is shared by two or more individuals and we have found that it works well when numerous stations are involved.

Most of the country’s attention and resources were focused on the BC forest fires. If a significant fire started in the area, are there enough resources such as heavy equipment and water bombers available to deal with it?
John Braschuck: We do have equipment from all fire departments and Parks Canada fire crew and we rely on heavy equipment such as caterpillars, loaders and track hoes from our local contractors and expand farther out of our area as necessary.

How long would it take to bring these resources to bear?
John Braschuck: With the resources and preparation all agencies do, we can deploy backup immediately and heavy equipment if needed within hours. We do this on a regular basis and have very good results with local contractors responding to our heavy equipment needs. They know they may be needed and have given fire departments priority for years and we are very thankful.

Where would the fire fighters/water bombers get their water from?
John Braschuck: In our RM, Otter Lake is our go-to lake if needed.
Reade Tereck: If there is a need for water bombing, a Bird Dog plane determines the best lake for the bombers to scoop from. Otter Lake runs east-west so it would not be suitable if there were strong north or south crosswinds and they might have to utilize Clear Lake instead.

How does the RM or Park determine if there will be a fire ban and when does fire season end?
John Braschuck: Weather is very unpredictable. A good rain can help but a few days of hot dry winds can return us to an extreme hazard very quickly in the spring or fall seasons.
Reade Tereck: The Park Fire Management team monitors the weather and uses fire indices to determine the fire risk and levels of restrictions which may include closing down the back country in extreme circumstances. Fire season used to run from April 1^st to November 1^st but there has been an increase in the length of that period and we are seeing more of a Fall fire risk. We do not let our guard down until the first major snowfall.

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