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Phyl Friesen grew up in a small community west of Brandon.
She moved to Brandon for high school. After high school, she started working at MTS on 18th Street. She got married. In 1974, Phyl and her husband packed their bags and moved to Swan River.
She has also enjoyed being involved. During her time in Swan River, Phyl has coached girls' softball and was on the curling club executive. She was on the library board, helped with youth programming, and she's on the museum board.
Phyl is also heavily into the local music scene, and she started a ukulele group four or five years ago. Phyl and the group play at the Personal Care Home and at the lodge at the hospital. They've also performed at Folk Fest.
"I do the stuff that I enjoy. These are things that don't take much time away from my home," said Friesen. "My husband is retired and is at home. My kids are both grown up. I enjoy going out and doing those things."
Friesen has embraced living in the valley, saying it's easy to make friends and is a very welcoming place.
"It's home. It feels good to get out and do stuff, I don't do the things I don't enjoy," said Friesen. "I know I get appreciated, which is what the recent certificate showed."
Recently, Phyl was recognized for all her contributions. She was presented with the Heart of the Community award through the Community Foundation of Swan Valley. The Heart of the Community award shines a light on those making a positive impact in the community.
"As my daughter said, you were actually speechless. I was. You know when you get a lump in your throat, and you can't talk? That was me," added Friesen. "I couldn't even voice thank you. I waved at everyone and sat down. It felt so good, it really was an honour."
Paired with winning the award, Phyl had the chance to grant $3,000 to a charity of her choice. She decided to split it between three groups. The Swan Valley Animal Protection League, the Swan Valley Crisis Centre, and the Swan Valley Food Bank will all receive a portion of the funds.
"That's my way of giving back to these groups. I don't belong to those organizations," ended Friesen. "The other organizations I give back with my time, but since I don't give my time to those groups, I decided to give them money."
Friesen says she thanks everyone in the community for being so welcoming.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
It's not the news that winter-weary Manitobans want to hear.
Manitoba Merv, a groundhog puppet at Oak Hammock Marsh, saw his shadow as he gave his yearly prediction Monday morning.
According to folk lore, that means at least six more weeks of winter.
Since 2000, Manitoba Merv has had a 73 per cent success rate with his predictions, the highest success rate among Canadian groundhogs.
Out east, Shubenacadie Sam and Lucy the Lobster in Nova Scotia, Wiarton Willie in Ontario, and Fred la Marmotte in Quebec, all projected early springs by not seeing their shadows.
Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania saw his shadow.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A man hunt for an escaped prisoner from the White Spruce Training Centre in Yorkton has come to a successful close.
Brandon Police arrested Robert Racine last Saturday in the Wheat City.
He had been wanted to an arrest warrant from Yorkton RCMP for being unlawfully at large after escaping the facility on January 14th.
A court date for his Saskatchewan charges has not yet been set, but he is scheduled to appear in court on Monday in relation to charges from his arrest in Brandon.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Summer isn't too far away, and that means camping season will be here soon.
Riding Mountain National Park is getting ahead of the game. Camping reservations are now open if you're looking to book a trip this summer.
To stay at the Wasagaming campground, an unserviced site is $34, while an electric site is $40. A site with water and electricity is $43.75. A full-service site is $47.25.
Scot Shellborn is the visitor experience supervisor at RMNP and says the Wasagaming campground is always a hot spot.
"It is such a beautiful one. It's not just a flat site on a field," said Shellborn. "It's within walking distance to Clear Lake, Wasagaming, and all of the stores. The tennis courts are right there. It's the perfect location."
Another hot choice is the oTentik's. It's a unique blend of a tent and a cabin, offering warmth, shelter, and comfort. They sleep up to six people with a table and seating. There's also access to a shared cooking shelter.
"Even in the winter, we have a certain segment of them fully winterized," said Shelborn. "It's absolutely amazing down there right now, it's like a Winter Wonderland."
The cost for an oTentik is $147.50 per night. They also have two-person Yurts and MicrOcubes, which are one-room cubic cabins with a large window and a bed. They also have outlying campgrounds, which are first-come, first-served.
If backcountry camping is what you're looking for, RMNP has you covered.
To book your camping trip, head here.
Riding Mountain National Park is ready to welcome you. Whether you've been to the park before or not, Scot says you're in for a treat.
"I call it a bubble of happiness. I don't know how better to describe it to people," ended Shelborn. "People who have been here before, when they see that Riding Mountain sign, all their worries and cares go by the wayside. They feel at home. We're hoping to inspire that feeling in new visitors as well. There isn't a part of the park that isn't breathtaking."
The Canada Strong Pass will return from June 19 to September 7. The Pass gives you free entry to the park and discounted camping fees.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Dauphin RCMP have charged a trio from the Ebb & Flow First Nation after a crime spree earlier this week.
On Wednesday at 9:40 a.m., the RCMP got a report that a truck was taken without consent from a home on the Ebb and Flow First Nation. At 12:40, they received another report that multiple bottles of liquor were stolen from the Dauphin Liquor Mart.
Less than 30 minutes later, at 1:05, officers received a report of an armed break-and-enter at a rural property in the RM of Ochre River. Officers spotted the suspects who were in the vehicle, but they fled.
The officers deployed a spike belt on the vehicle on Highway 5, near Ste. Rose Central Road. The vehicle continued until it became stuck on a boulevard. After a short foot pursuit, three suspects were taken into custody.
28-year-old Wade Garret Houle faces 10 charges, including theft under $5,000 and theft of a motor vehicle.
43-year-old Ernest Beaulieu and 39-year-old Martin Houle are charged with flight from police and resisting arrest.
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Saturday is the deadline to purchase tickets for this year's Canada's National Ukrainian Festival at early bird pricing.
As of Sunday, the price for a weekend pass will go up from the current $140 to $165.
Festival board member Coty Lafontaine says you get a lot for that one ticket price.
"I think for a lot of people, the highlight is the talent competition. It depends on how many entries there are. Sometimes we hold it over two days, and sometimes over three days. But it gives a lot of local entertainers an opportunity to perform as well.; Then there is the evening Zabavas, the polka parties, and all of the entertainment on the grandstand."
Festival president Kayla Gillis explains how you can purchase tickets.
"You can go online to cnuf.ca, you can come in person to our office in the Dauphin Marketplace Mall, or call 622-4600 and Kayla will help you."
The festival runs from July 31st to August 2nd at the Selo Ukraina site south of Dauphin.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
If you like snowshoeing or cross-country skiing and you're in the Gilbert Plains area, now is your time to shine.
The trails at the Gilbert Plains Country Club will be complete this weekend.
Councillor Kristen Rubeniuk will be spending plenty of time on the trails this winter.
"Finally. I'm very excited," said Rubeniuk. "We've had some cold snaps here, but the weather looks great next week. I'm looking forward to utilizing the trails for the rest of the winter."
The trails wouldn't be possible without a groomer. Kristen's son, Corbin, has stepped up this year to groom them.
"Very appreciative. I truly love going cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at the golf course; it truly is beautiful," she added. "I'm very thankful that he's agreed to do this for us."
On Sunday at 7:00 p.m., you can join Kristen for a moonlight snowshoe. A mix of sun and cloud with a high of minus nine is expected. Toss in some hot chocolate, coffee, and a cozy bonfire to warm up after.
It will be a beautiful way to end the weekend.
"We did that two years ago, and it's so beautiful to snowshoe down there in the moonlight," ended Rubeniuk. "It's very beautiful."
If you need a pair of snowshoes, the Gilbert Plains municipal office has you covered. They have a few pairs of adult and kids' sizes to borrow. You can call them at 548-2326 to reserve yours.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Grandview Agricultural Community Centre is looking to win up to $250,000 through the Kraft Hockeyville campaign.
It's the 20th anniversary of Kraft Hockeyville. The campaign awards one Canadian city $250,000 to go towards arena upgrades, $10,000 of youth hockey equipment, and an NHL preseason game to be played in their city. This year, they are also awarding $50,000 to an arena in each province and territory.
Alia Marcinkow told us how important the arena is to the community.
"When I moved to Grandview 11 years ago, the first place my friends took me was to the hockey rink," she said. "The Grandview Comets at the time were playing, and it was amazing to see that there were people from babies up to ninety watching the local team play. It really is a community centre first."
The GACC needs a new ice plant, new boards, and new bathrooms.
The community centre will be hosting an info session on Saturday from 9:00 to noon and on February 6 from 1:00 to 2:30 at the rink.
To help, follow the link to Kraft Hockeyville, answer questions, and tell your story to earn points for the GACC.
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- Contributed by LJ Burke
A 30-year-old man faces charges after he was seen smashing building windows and vehicles with a weapon.
On Wednesday at 4:25 a.m., Dauphin RCMP responded to the incident on 1st Avenue NW in Dauphin.
The man was holding a large pipe and wearing only socks and underwear. He refused to drop the pipe, which resulted in officers deploying a taser to take him into custody.
He was admitted to the hospital for treatment of exposure-related injuries. As the charges are not yet sworn, his name can't be released.
He faces charges of mischief under $5,000, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and resisting a peace officer.
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VIP weekend passes have long been sold out.
Fisher premium camping, the heritage campground, and upper camping are all sold out. The countdown to Countryfest 2026 is on.
Duane McMaster, president, says they're thrilled with how ticket sales have gone.
"Things have been going very well. We had strong sales out of the gate, and tickets are still being sold every day," said McMaster. "We are pleased that three campgrounds are sold out. There are still some great spots left."
Jelly Roll, Nate Smith, Tyler Hubbard, Brett Kissel, Cameron Whitcomb, the Hunter Brothers, and Owen Riegling. Those are a few of the entertainers that'll have festival goers partying all weekend long.
Toss in Blackhawk, Alli Walker, and Hailey Benedict. It's set to be a weekend to remember just south of Dauphin.
"I think this is going to be one of our better ones. It's been a while since we've had this big of a lineup," added McMaster. "It's been a while that we've had this many tickets purchased, and we know ticket sales will continue as we get closer."
A four-day weekend pass is $397.95. Weekend parking is available for $84. You can also get lower camping with two general weekend passes for $978.60.
"What you're getting for your dollar is amazing out here. I know people would spend upwards of $500 to see one person in the city, then you still have to travel, and all the costs on top of that," added McMaster. "Here, you get it all. There are 50 plus bands throughout the weekend on three stages. Our main stage, without a doubt, is the best place to watch a show in Canada. You can see it all."
If you were planning on waiting and purchasing single tickets, you'll be out of luck.
"There is no intention to sell day passes," ended McMaster. "Our weekend passes are still selling strong. We anticipate selling them all as weekend passes."
You can purchase your tickets and see the full lineup for the party of the summer here.
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The Swan River RCMP arrested two people after a traffic stop on Wednesday.
On Wednesday at 10:30 p.m., they pulled over a truck with four people inside. A 22-year-old female had an outstanding warrant and was arrested.
Officers then located and seized a .22-calibre firearm and ammunition. Both the gun and ammunition were in reach of the people inside the truck.
Officers also arrested a 32-year-old male, while the remaining two people in the vehicle were not arrested. The 32-year-old faces weapons-related charges.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
