Erickson – MASTER OF NONE

May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 51 – Part 1

Trinity Nylen posing with Premier Brian Pallister and MLA Greg Nesbitt at the Gala Supper Awards

***Original published in South Mountain Press, April 5, 2019***

Erickson Student to Receive Premier’s Volunteer Service Award

Trinity Nylen, a Grade 12 student from the Erickson area, has been chosen as one of the recipients of Manitoba’s 36th Annual Volunteer Awards. Trinity will be presented with a Premier’s Volunteer Service Award during a Winnipeg gala dinner on April 11^th.

According to Volunteer Manitoba, the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award (Youth Category) is meant to honour the efforts and dedication of outstanding volunteers in Manitoba. The youth leadership category recognizes young Manitobans (under 25) who have made considerable contributions to their schools, organizations and communities through volunteer work. The young volunteers serve as role models, encouraging other young people to give of themselves for the betterment of the community.

Trinity will be one of only four young Manitobans to receive this year’s prestigious honour.

Trinity says she is excited about the event and is glad she can share the experience with her parents. The self-deprecating, young lady has a bit of trepidation at the prospect of attending such a fancy event. After a lifetime of growing up on a farm, she is more comfortable wearing coveralls and crocs and not particularly used to a fancy dress and heels. But her mantra has been, “Be willing to put yourself out there for better results. Don’t be scared to try new things or to meet new people. Try to say ‘Yes’ as much as possible.”

Trinity’s life philosophy has served this 17 year old well and she has accomplished more in a few short years than many people will do in a lifetime. The Performance Benchmarks section of her Curriculum Vitae would contain: Has dedicated extraordinary efforts to raise awareness in my community about discrimination in its various forms and has shown leadership in affecting change. Has committed time in two different high schools to various committees including the Erickson High School Gay Straight Alliance, Student Council, C.H.A.N.G.E. (Citizens Helping All Nations Grow Equally), Model UN, Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E (Please Respect Your Diverse Environment) and causes such as ‘Dressember’.

The Overview portion of her resume would read as: Passionate about social justice issues and has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn about human rights, including attending conferences on the topics of LGBTQ+ issues, mental health, and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. As part of the Erickson Gay Straight Alliance during grades Nine and Ten, involved in organizing two Human Rights Conferences for the entire Rolling River School Division.

During the Grade Ten Conference, the guest presenter was so impressed with Trinity that they invited her to Ottawa to attend the 2016 ‘Allyship in Action!’ Conference organized by the Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

As for hobbies and other interests, Trinity would list: Active in school sports, playing on the soccer, rugby and basketball teams. Balances all my activities while maintaining a job at a service station. Has also taken on positions to help in the community, such as assisting with volunteering for the Erickson Junior Curling program plus the ice-making, and cleaning at the town’s campground.

In her own words, Trinity explained the catalyst that caused her to become so passionate about advancing social justice issues. “I grew up in a small conservative community in rural Manitoba, one day in the fourth grade a boy in my class was being bullied because he was acting ‘gay’. At the time I did not know what that meant, however, I knew how those words made him feel. That night I came home from school asking my family at the supper table, what it means to be gay and why it would be so upsetting to my classmate. My parents explained to me what it meant to be gay and clarified there was nothing wrong with being gay, it just isn’t very common where we live. I didn’t know it then, but this first real interaction with discrimination sparked a passion within me that would lead me to help others.”

As a Group Leader for the Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E. student group, Trinity explained the importance of helping to provide a community for students struggling to learn some of life’s ‘hows and whys’. She feels strongly about helping to provide an environment and awareness where it is okay to have other views. To her way of thinking, people should not be afraid to be different.

In a few months, after graduation, the plucky teenager will be participating in a six month SWAP Canada Exchange to New Zealand. Upon her return to Canada, Trinity would like to obtain a Bachelors of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba.

More information on Volunteer Manitoba and a full list of this year’s Volunteer Awards recipients can be found at https://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/awards

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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.

May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 50

***Original published in South Mountain Press, March 29, 2019***

Local Small Town Rinks Finish on a Strong Note

If you had to point to an iconic piece of Canadiana, it would be the image of folks enjoying a skate at the local arena. From the tiniest Atoms trying to figure out hockey to grandparents lacing up for a Sunday Family Skate, Canadians coast to coast have a strong affinity with the public ice rink. Indeed, for the smallest of communities, the local rink becomes the winter soul and focal point of the town.

The Erickson Recreation Centre and Skating Rink has the largest facilities in the area with artificial ice and a four sheet curling rink. The town held two major hockey tournaments and a large bonspiel this year. As reported by Quinn Greavett, the Eli Shannacappo Memorial Tournament in February was well attended and raised $1800 for the rink. The skating rink was a regular host to several hockey teams from Erickson and surrounding locales.

As everyone connected with these facilities are well aware, they are not cheap to run. Plus it takes the efforts of countless volunteer hours to keep the doors open. Erickson’s skating ice is put in by the Antiques hockey team and local resident Kris Koversky takes care of it for the season. All the scheduling, cleaning, maintenance and canteen operations are run by volunteers. Fundraisers, canteen sales, and the Sunday morning community breakfast raise the bulk of the yearly funding.

Annual costs for Erickson’s winter recreation facilities run about $60,000/year. One of the main expenses is hydro which just for the curling rink sits at $16,000/year. Unfortunately, over the last three years, that bill has climbed by over $3,000 which makes it difficult to concentrate on other areas in need of upgrading or renovations.

Thankfully, as Scott Gray from the Curling Committee explained, they have been able to stay ahead of the maintenance curve for the facilities. The committee tries to spend about $15,000/year on upgrades. The curling rink kitchen is their next big project and over at the skating rink, Quinn says they would like to upgrade to LED lights for the ice surface. Both of the facilities are holding their own and in fact the skating rink turned a bit of a profit this year.

It is nice to have these ‘fancy’ recreational facilities close at hand for competition between communities at an easy driving distance. But the smaller rinks in Onanole and Sandy Lake are just as popular. Old fashioned ‘natural’ ice and the whims of Mother Nature keeps these facilities running. Plus of course, there is that same small army of dedicated volunteers giving their time to the well-being of their respective communities.

As reported by Onanole Recreation President, Scot Shellborn, their rink’s ice went in early this year at the end of November. With the current warm spell, there will not be any more flooding but the ice should remain usable for several weeks to come.

Plenty of skating talent has come out of Onanole’s little community. Scot is proud to say that along with the hockey teams the ice is almost in continuous use by kids just out for a skate. In addition, the rink attracts plenty of adults. The Oldtimers team has picked up a couple of ringers, Reeve Jason Potter and Councilor Craig Atkinson. Then next year, after Councilor Wade Sholney returns from back surgery recovery, the Erickson Antiques will be crying the blues!

Like all the other facilities in the area, Scot says despite the costs of operation such as $1900/month for hydro, their rink is doing okay. In recent years, they were able to afford some improvements to the roof and insulation. The committee’s next major goal would be the installation of a cement floor to facilitate dryland training when summer visitors arrive to the area. Also, if they had a dry floor, the rink area would be able to accommodate functions for up to 400 people.

Smaller communities, who are just keeping up with facility operation costs, have a difficult time raising the funding for ambitious expansions or renovations. In the event of a major incident like a plant failure or a structural collapse, the community would probably just lose the facility forever. A decade ago, Onanole’s two-sheet curling rink collapsed due to snow and there was no real push to replace it. Over at Sandy Lake, although it is nice to have an ice surface for family skating, if something catastrophic happened, the community would not be able to afford to replace their rink.

Last year, the Federal and Provincial governments made a big deal out of announcing the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) and the $1.1 billion portion for Manitoba. Unlike the usual funding formula of each government level taking a third of the cost, the two higher levels will be covering upwards of 90% of the project funding. This will take the pressure off of the smaller communities who may not be able to raise the funds for a larger project.

Our smaller towns and villages are having a hard enough time fighting rural entropy. Given the importance of the community ice rink and the precarious nature of their continued well-being, perhaps some of these precious tax dollars should be directed towards these most Canadian of winter activities and facilities.

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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.

May 8, 2019May 8, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 46

Erickson’s Flying Club has fought hard to keep the airport viable

***Original published in South Mountain Press, March 1, 2019***

Plans to Repave Erickson’s Airport Runway Ramp Up

With the anticipated Infrastructure Canada grant window expected to open sometime this spring, the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson is busy marshalling all efforts towards snagging their piece of the monies earmarked for rural infrastructure spending. Specifically, the Municipal Airport runway is in desperate need of repaving.

For those readers unfamiliar with the story of Erickson Municipal Airport (aka Neilson Field or by the Canadian aerodrome identifier CKQ6), here is some background on the facility.

In 1974, the quarter of land for the airport was bought through the Erickson Chamber of Commerce from Mrs. Ethel Sloane (née Neilson). A 2800 foot runway was built and the rest of the quarter grew canola and alfalfa. Interesting note, the proceeds from the agriculture sales were enough to pay off the property loan. Also that year, the Scandinavia Community Club transferred the old Scandinavia school (built in 1925 and closed in 1968) to the airport where it is still used as the Administration building.

Since the opening, the airport has been run by Flying Club members with oversight from the Airport Commission whose representatives come from the Club and Council.

In 1984, a Transport Canada grant was used to create the present 3000 by 75 foot asphalt, East/West oriented runway, taxiway, apron, and lighting.

With time, facilities at the airport grew to include aerodrome lighting upgrades, seven hangars for several private aircraft, on-site aircraft fueling and tie downs, and admin services for visiting pilots.

Presently, the Flying Club has 25 members and a Club Piper Cherokee. One of the highlights of the year is when the Club holds their long running Father’s Day Fly-In Breakfast held in conjunction with Erickson’s Little Valley Jamboree. Average attendance is about 300 people and up to 30 aircraft.

The Flying Club members volunteer many hours to keep the airport operating. They receive a small, yearly $2,400 Manitoba Airport Assistance Program grant to assist in the continued maintenance and operation of the airport. They own and operate the fueling facilities and provide fuel call-out services free of charge. Up until recently, they were also doing the grass cutting and snow clearing but the RM has started helping with those duties.

Now since the runway has not received much in the way of surface maintenance other than some crack filling through the RM, in 2017, it was recognized by the Airport Commission that the runway would need a major rehabilitation. September 2017, RM Council authorized WSP Engineering Services to study the issue at a cost of $9,786 + GST. The report came back recommending full replacement of the asphalt and sub-surface. Failure of the present runway was described as ‘imminent’ and the cost to replace was pegged at $1.2 million.

So here is the literal Million Dollar Question. How does a small RM come up with the cash to fix a runway that is already reported to be damaging aircraft propellers and fuselage?

First, the RM does have an Airport Reserve Fund that is sitting at approximately $50,000.

Next, the RM at their last Council meeting, discussed funding formulas in order to raise a $100,000 debenture to help pay for the project.

Also, surrounding communities have been asked for help and support. For example, last week a 10 person Flying Club delegation make a presentation to Harrison Park Council. They asked for and were promised a Letter of Support from Council. They also made the argument that since Onanole and area receives indirect economic benefits due to the airport, then perhaps it would be in the Harrison Park’s interests to also put a sum of money into the repaving project. Council is deferring that decision until after upcoming budget deliberations.

Another avenue that has been pursued, was to enlist the help of the local MLA, Greg Nesbitt. Mr. Nesbitt was a long time member of the Shoal Lake Airport Authority before his political career. In 2017, he was instrumental in helping that airport with their $342,201 runway rehabilitation.

In Mr. Nesbitt’s words, “I will endorse Erickson’s airport runway project with political support and my expertise. The project will need government funding and I can help the RM navigate the process. But they have to realize that government monies are meant as a hand up, not a hand out. There needs to be local buy-in and backing.”

But even with local goodwill and fundraising, the cost of the runway project to the RM would be prohibitive. The bulk of the funding will have to be borne by higher levels of government. This is where Infrastructure Canada and the Province can assist to keep the prop spinning.

Last summer, the Province announced the signing of a bilateral agreement that will provide more than $1.1 billion in federal funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) for infrastructure projects. It is a cost-shared program that will support infrastructure needs throughout Manitoba over the next 10 years. Also last summer, they called for Manitoba RMs to submit infrastructure Expressions of Interest (EOI) in order to prioritize infrastructure projects for 2019 to 2023.

The RM was able to submit an airport related EOI last fall as the runway rehabilitation would be eligible under the program’s Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream (RNCIS). The projected funding formula would be up to 60% Federal Funding, up to 33.3% Provincial Funding, and the balance covered by the RM.

After contacting the Infrastructure Canada Ottawa office, they did not provide a timeline for when the 2019/2020 grant application process would commence. The last word was the vague indication of sometime this spring. Depending on the timing of all the pieces falling into place, it might be challenging to catch this year’s construction season. Plus there is zero guarantee of the project making the cut and receiving either Federal or Provincial Funding.

Sadly, if the situation is not rectified soon, the runway pavement will continue to deteriorate until it becomes unsafe and unusable. At that point, Erickson’s aviation community and associated economic benefits will sputter and stall.

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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.

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 41

Scott Gray, member of the Daycare Board, at the new Daycare site in Erickson

***Original published in South Mountain Press, January 25, 2019***

Erickson’s Little Hands Early Learning Center Nearing Completion

In just over a month, Chrystal Shellborn’s vision of an Erickson professional daycare center should be up and running. Remarkable progress has been made by this young lady and her dedicated volunteers who have only been working on the project for the past year with the opening of the ‘Little Hands Early Learning Center’ projected for March 1st.

About a year ago, when Chrystal returned from vocation training with a young family in tow, she realized there was a desperate need for daycare spaces in the Erickson, Onanole, and Sandy Lake area. After enlisting support through an appeal on social media, other young mothers came to her aid and planning began for building a daycare facility.

A non-profit organization called the Clanwilliam-Erickson Childcare Initiative was formed to oversee planning, fundraising, and implementation of the project. The group is comprised of Chrystal as Chair, other interested young mothers, and former local RM Councilors Scott Gray and Tami Johnson.

Working closely with the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson, the Childcare Initiative was able to secure monies to help with start-up costs, property purchase, and renovations. During a Special Meeting of Council on May 15, 2018, a $15,000 grant was awarded to assist with the organization’s start-up costs. In addition, the Council agreed to serve as security and guarantor for the Childcare Initiative’s Royal Bank $100,000 loan for the purchase and improvements to the vacated Erickson Royal Bank property on Main Street near the Co-op.

According to Scott Gray, the former building’s owners were very reasonable with their selling price once they became aware of what the property was going to be used for.

As Chrystal describes it, ‘The Clanwilliam-Erickson Childcare Initiative started with concerned mothers who were frustrated with the lack of childcare availability in rural Manitoba – specifically the area of Erickson and the surrounding communities. This group is dedicated to the rural communities and want to revitalize our little towns while benefiting the children. Not only will daycare help to keep and attract new families, it will also make strides in our economic growth to keep our ‘tiny’ Manitoban towns alive. Also, by locating the daycare center in one of Erickson’s vacant business buildings, we can help revitalize the town’s business district and economy.’

Currently, the old bank building is undergoing $150,000 of renovations in order to convert the former teller, office, and vault spaces to play, learning, and rest areas for infants and toddlers. Local contractors are well on their way to finishing the new kitchen and children’s areas. They are also busy replacing the building’s old propane furnace and adding washroom facilities. At the rear of the building, a fenced play area will be created.

Chrystal says that the space will be able to accommodate four infants and twenty two toddlers. Hiring interviews for a Director, Early Childhood Educators, and Childcare Assistants have recently begun and a waiting list for the first ‘Little Hands’ has been created.

An ambitious undertaking such as this would not have been possible without significant financial and volunteer support from the community. Chrystal and the other members of the Childcare Initiative appreciate the generous financial support from the following organizations: the Lions Clubs of Erickson and Sandy Lake, the Erickson Compass Credit Union, the Erickson Heritage Co-op, the Community Development Corporation, and the RM of Clanwilliam-Erickson.

Once the daycare is up and running, it will become eligible for government operating grants. But that process can take up to two years for monies to be awarded.

Meanwhile, in order to keep the fees associated with running the daycare reasonable, Chrystal and her volunteers plan more fundraising activities. They plan a repeat of a successful ‘Paint Nite’, a Casino Night plus chocolate and meat sales. Also, the Childcare Initiative group would appreciate the donation of a gently used washer and dryer for the facility.

For people unfamiliar with what a ‘Paint Nite’ is, it is a fun way for aspiring artists to learn how to paint while enjoying a beverage or two.

For more information on the progress of the Little Hands Early Learning Center’s renovations or to contact the Clanwilliam-Erickson Childcare Initiative visit their Facebook page.

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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.

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 39

Clanwilliam-Erickson Council started off the New Year serving breakfast at the Rink

***Original published in South Mountain Press, January 11, 2019***

Building Community Spirit One Breakfast at a Time

This past Sunday morning, the Clanwilliam-Erickson Council members were taking their turn at serving up hearty meals at the weekly Erickson Curling and Skating Rink Breakfast fundraiser.

Scott Gray, a main organizer of the community breakfast, was happy to see so many familiar faces back supporting the event after the holidays. When you get a full plate of food and bottomless coffee for $7.50, it is easy to see why there is a loyal group of regulars making the breakfast part of their Sunday morning routine.

Over the years the two rinks, which had been built back in the 70’s, were occasionally short of operating funds and volunteers to keep them running. Scott explained that 10 years ago, the town’s Skating and Curling Rink Committees came up with the idea of serving the Sunday morning breakfast as a fundraiser. Thousands of breakfasts and countless pots of coffee later, the fundraiser has generated $27,000 that has gone to help cover the two facility’s operating expenses.

The current funding being raised for the Curling Rink is earmarked for renovations to the kitchen area.

In Scott’s opinion, the rinks represent part of the heart and soul of the Erickson community. He feels that the Sunday breakfasts not only raise a bit of money for the rinks but they also act as a focal point to bring members of the community together.

The long standing event would not have lasted for a decade without many helping hands. As such, numerous Erickson community organizations have stepped up to volunteer their time to run the fundraiser which runs from November to March.

In addition to the local RM Council, the following organizations volunteer their time: the Erickson Curling Rink Committee, the Erickson Skating Rink Committee, the Erickson & District Lions Club, the Erickson & District Wildlife Association, the Erickson Heritage Co-op, the Erickson Men’s Hockey team, the Erickson Kiddie Kollege, and the South Mountain Archery Shooters & Hunters (SMASH).

The Sunday morning breakfasts will continue to be served 9 to noon at the Erickson Curling Rink until the big Mixed Bonspiel held on the first weekend of March.

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.