The Sam Waller is gearing up for the holidays. On December 9th, a paint night will be happening, and on December 16th, a Christmas ornament workshop will take place.

Enya Barbeau, museum director, shares details about the latest exhibit coming to the museum.

"Our next exhibit that we're getting in is going up for this weekend.  It's called Awake Tasha Shi, which is a Dakota word meaning not forgotten.  It's by an artist named Jessie Janus.  

"And this exhibition she uses a bunch of different techniques including beating dream capture technique, hide and sinew to look at the intergenerational effects of residential schools."

There is also a raffle currently with the Friends of the Sam Waller Museum, and for 20 dollars, you can win an in-depth tour of the museum and its extensive collection.

Tickets can be purchased at the museum open daily from 1 to 5 pm.

Operation Red Nose kicked off over the weekend, offering safe rides for you and your vehicle home during the holidays.

Over the first weekend, the program gave 31 safe rides home and more than 300 kilometres were traveled in combination with the 19 volunteers that were out.

Operation Red Nose will be in service again over the weekend, from 9 pm to 3 am.

The number to call if you need a safe ride home is 623-3300.

There is still a need for more volunteers, applications can be picked up at the RCMP detachment.

The services will be offered every weekend leading up until Christmas and then again over New Year's.

Tomorrow and Thursday the Community Futures Cedar Lake Region will be hosting a free CPR and first aid training course at the library.

The program will run from 8:30 to 4:30 on both days.

Sandra Shapiro with Community Futures talks about this and other programs they handle:

"It's an amazing course.  They're doing first aid CPR and a ED training.  We've been very, very fortunate.  We received a lovely grant from TPCRC which enabled us to put on this course.  We did a food handler's course.  

"Last week, we've done bookkeeping cash flow management seminars.  And then separately, we also did another workshop with um indigenous women entrepreneurs."

Shapiro noted that this class is already full but you can get on the wait list for any upcoming CPR and first aid classes that will be offered.

The community futures is also still offering grants for community development and you can apply for grant funding for their "Investing in our Future" program by Shapiro at 204-627-5452.

Last Wednesday The Pas RMP received a report of a stolen vehicle from a residence on Crossley.

The vehicle was equipped with GPS and officers were able to locate it.

The truck was pulled over shortly after it was seen running through a traffic stop sign on Cathedral Avenue.

Allen Knight, a 24-year-old from Swan River was arrested and transported to the RCMP detachment in The Pas where he was observed uttering threats and assaulting an officer.

Knight is facing numerous charges including assaulting a police officer.  He remains in custody.

“Be a Santa to a Senior” is back and The Pas Community Resource Center is encouraging everyone to get involved.

Holly Lajambe, TPCRC program coordinator, talks about the program:

"We partner with local organizations and we find seniors in the community who are isolated, maybe they can't leave their homes, maybe they don't have families, etcetera.  And we place Santa to that senior. 

"So we take donations from the community.  We put them all together in gift bags and then we take them out and we deliver those to those organizations.  And it's done very discreetly and so they know that someone cares about them during the holiday season."

The TPCRC relies on contributions from the community to make this possible and you can support by picking a gift idea off their tree this weekend at the Festival of Trees and then providing a gift which will be given to seniors in need discreetly.

Those not attending this weekend’s event who want to get involved can contact the TPCRC and gifts for seniors can be dropped off there.

Last year the program contributed to over 80 seniors receiving a gift during the holidays.

The OCN Government Services Branch Fire Department’s second annual fireman’s ball will be happening this weekend.

The event is a fundraiser in support of search and rescue.

There will be live entertainment with Highway 373, Detour and DJ Derek Dick performing

The Fireman’s Ball runs this Saturday night from 8 pm to 2 am at the OCN Veterans Hall. 

Tickets are available at the OCN payment center in the Otineka Mall, and Operation Red Nose will be available to help give safe rides home.

All week long The Pas Regional Library is hosting Crafternoons.

They are inviting the community to come down to the library to help decorate ornaments for their display at the upcoming Festival of Trees which is running this weekend at the Ecole Opasquia School.

The Library also hosts weekly game nights on Wednesday evenings. Storytime runs on Saturday afternoons, play group is on Tuesday mornings and next week Monday they will host an Artist card night.

For more information on these or other events at the library call 204-623-2023.

The Pas Kinette’s will be hosting a gathering tomorrow night at the Kin Center.

The group is looking for more members; Krista Tooley tells us what it means to be a Kinette.

"So Wednesday at the Kin Center 7 o'clock to 9 o'clock, we are hosting a kind of an open house just like to come out.  See what the pockets are all about.  

"If you're over 18 and want to know what we're about.  It would be a great opportunity to come out and interact with some of the members that are already part of the club.  Ask us questions, see what's going on.  

"There's going to be some snacks and refreshments.  So definitely come and see what we're about.  We're a fun group who likes to have fun and, and give back to the community, which is really what we're all about.  We are all about serving the community's greatest needs."

The group helps fundraise with meat draws.

They were heavily involved in the donation collection process for Northland Ford Scares Hunger.

And are currently selling raffle tickets for cheer for a year one of their annual events.

To learn more about the group and how to get involved head to the Kinette’s meeting tomorrow night at the Kin center at 7 pm

The Festival of Trees is coming up this weekend, and the Ecole Opasquia is proud to be able to bring back its evening of elegant desserts.

Jen Mathews, with the Ecole Opasquia, shares event details.

"We're very excited here at Opasquia School.  This fundraiser is going to go towards our swim lessons for our students.  So any money raised will go towards that.  We are very excited that we're bringing back the Elegant Dessert Evening, which is going to be happening on Friday.  It starts at 7:30 we'll run till nine o'clock."

There will be live entertainment from Le Pas De Dance, The MBCI Jazz Band, the MBCI Small Ensemble, and others.

Raffles, a kid's carnival, holiday entertainment, trees and gingerbread displays will be displayed, and children can get photos with Santa. 

There is still a need for volunteers; you can contact the Ecole Opasquia to help.

Visit the school on Saturday, November 25th, from 1 - 4 pm for the annual festival of trees.

The UCN Sustainability Committee will host a hazardous waste collection event at The Pas Fire Department this Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Here, Dr Anderson Assuah talks about household materials that may be considered hazardous.

"When we talk about hazardous waste, we will say that type of waste or kind of waste, which has properties that make them very dangerous to human health and the environment.  

"And they could come in a solid form, a liquid form or a gaseous form.  And so you see when you have these products, you normally see a diagram or you have a note that says it's corrosive, it's flammable or it's explosive or it's toxic."

Some of the household items that may be hazardous could be household cleaners, solvents, pesticides, aerosol cans or anything that may contain mercury.

All acceptable items should be contained with lids and labels.

To learn more about acceptable items, visit productcare.org or email SustainabilityCommittee@ucn.ca.

Early Saturday at 12:15 am, RCMP responded to an assault in Easterville.

When officers arrived on the scene, they located a 56-year-old male with life-threatening injuries.

He was rushed to the Easterville nursing station and later transferred to the hospital in The Pas.

Investigations determined that the male was attempting to remove unwanted guests from his property when a 16-year-old with a machete attacked him.

The youth fled the scene and was later located.

He was arrested and remanded into custody on charges of aggravated assault and failure to comply with a release order.

A local band is heading to Nashville to record an upcoming single.

Low Budget Rockstar featuring Kenneth Henderson, Harley Whitehead, Marshall Bignell, and Terry Constant will be recording with renowned artists Crystal Shawanda and Dewayne Strobel.

The song “Cotton Candy” will be recorded in the studio over three days in January.

Here, LBR Founding Member Kenneth Henderson talks about the recording process.

"What happens is whoever the producer is at the time.  You know, they'll usually have their own way of starting a session off, and usually it starts with the drums.  Get that down and then you build around that, and so when once the music is finally in place, then you you go lay some vocals on it."

Low Budget Rockstar was officially formed in 2019, but the group has played together for over 15 years.

A fundraiser is happening this weekend at the New Avenue Hotel, with shows on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 9 pm.

Tickets will cost 10 dollars at the door; raffle tables and support tickets will be available.

Smile Cookies are back but with a holiday twist.

This week, Tim Horton's will be selling Christmas-themed smile cooking in support of the Skate park to help finish landscaping the area.

Fifty percent of the proceeds will go towards that, and the other 50 percent will go towards Tim Horton's Camps.

Here, Tim Horton's manager, Kathryn Sanderson, talks about the cookies being sold.

"Tim Hortons introduced a new Smile Cookie campaign.  It's just extra to the other smile cookie that we will have in May.  This one is a sugar cookie with red, green and red sprinkles.  

"And from the 13th to the 19th, we are selling Cookie Smile cookies at Tim Hortons and all the proceeds are being locally donated."

There is a need for volunteers.

To help, you can contact our local Tim Horton's at 623 - 1480.

The University College of the North will start offering Health Care Aid programs next year.

Helga Bryant, UCN’s Dean of Health, said the program represents a first step towards a “rewarding healthcare career journey.”

The 20-week program will start in February next year and run in Thompson, The Pas, and Swan River.

The program will feature a combination of theory and clinical instruction and, when complete, will leave students prepared to enter various clinical jobs in the health care system.

Healthcare aid vacancies are as high as 50 percent in some areas in northern Manitoba, which has resulted in reduced services.

The UCN also offers rotating health care aid programs running through the north upon request, with discussions on providing the program in Flin Flon next.

The Sam Waller Museum has a new curator, Jaxon Baker.

Baker brings a master's degree in Museology from the University of Montreal.

He has worked in museums in Fredericton and across New Brunswick.

With about a month in the community now, Baker said this when asked about plans with the Museum.

"So we had our board meeting and, you know, presented a few things.  Don't really wanna say anything set in stone at the moment.  But yeah, I have a few plans for really, like I told the town council, I really wanna bring the museum to the community.  It was really the biggest thing and how that gets done is really what's in the works at the moment."

There is a display at the Museum called Manitoba Wildlife Imagery, featuring pieces from artist Brian Longfield that run until the month's end.

The Sam Waller also has a fundraising raffle coming up where the winner will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum and it’s over 70,000 pieces.

Samaritan’s Purse has kicked off their annual Operation Christmas Child initiative.

Pat Tonn, one of the local organizers for Operation Christmas Child explains what the program is.

"Operation Christmas Child is It's a big thing that people in "have" countries like Canada can send gifts to Children in countries where they don't "have". Countries that have been torn apart by war or a natural disaster or just poverty."

Tonn says that the shoeboxes can be filled with hygiene items, school supplies, and toys like stuffed animals and balls.

However, she says that due to customs, shoeboxes should not have liquids or toothpaste, candy, or war-related toys.

In addition to the shoebox, people are also asked to give a ten-dollar donation to cover the shipping fee.

The collection deadline is fast approaching, and boxes can be picked up and dropped off at The Pas Regional Library up until Friday and at The Pas Alliance Church until Sunday. 

Tomorrow, the community will be recognizing the contributions of Indigenous soldiers and veterans to Canada’s military service.

Veteran Affairs Canada states over four thousand Indigenous people served in the First World War.

Then in World War II, over three thousand First Nations members, along with an unknown number of Metis, Inuit, and other Indigenous recruits volunteered and served in uniform.

Many Indigenous soldiers brought valuable skills with them when they joined the military such as stealth and marksmanship, which helped them, become successful snipers and reconnaissance scouts.

Gatherings will take place tomorrow at the OCN Veteran’s Hall.

The Aurora House's annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event is coming up in The Pas, a men’s march to stomp out domestic violence.

The event will be held Thursday, November 9^th at 6 PM at the Otineka Mall.

To pick up registration forums you can contact the Aurora house at 623-7427 and you can start collecting pledges now.

The Aurora House is a non-profit women’s crisis shelter located in The Pas and is currently looking for board members to provide community input and act as ambassadors to the shelter.

The Aurora House is always looking for more members to join The Pas Committee for women in crisis, contact them for event details and volunteering needs

At the 11^th hour on the 11^th day, we honour our veterans and take a moment of silence to remember all those who have served.

This year the Royal Canadian Legion has updated their poppy campaign and started making a variety of items available through the local branch all in support of Canadian veterans.

Some of the items available include hats, mitts, bags, signs, and more all to show your support.

Canvassers will be going around town collecting donations, and poppy boxes will be set up at businesses.

This weekend the Legion ladies will host their annual Remembrance Day Tea, which will have bake tables, cake walks, and other goodies to help support local veterans.

The Tea runs from 1 to 3 on Saturday.

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch number 19 encourages everyone to wear a poppy in support.

High school students from across Northern Manitoba will be in The Pas this weekend for the Norman Jazz Festival.

The event on Sunday will play host to jazz bands from Thompson, Flin Flon, and The Pas.

This will also give students an opportunity to take part in jazz concert clinics that will be running.

MBCI’s Band director Heather Gibson talks about the event:

"This is the first that we've been able to offer it since 2019.  Thanks to the pandemic.  So this is an excellent enrichment weekend for our jazz band students in the north.  Over the course of the weekend, our students will work with seven professional jazz musicians and educators from the Winnipeg Brandon area.

"And the students will have the opportunity to learn about some jazz performance, jazz improvisation instrument specific instruction, arranging and working within their ensemble."

The Norman Jazz Festival is unique because it happens early in the season, and runs as more of a workshop to promote musical growth.

The event runs for students through the entire weekend and will culminate with performances open to the public on Sunday at the MBCI at 2:30.

Following this week’s council meeting Mayor Andre Murphy spoke about a new assistant superintendent that will be joining the team at the town offices.

Tanvir Shahrier Mahmud brings experience in civil engineering, budgetary experience, and most notably waste management experience as he’s helped improve landfill and waste collection operations through data-driven strategies.

Mayor Murphy talks about other new town employees who joined in at this week's meeting.

"So we've got our new youth counsellor, Josh Santala.  He's our new youth counsellor.  We're excited that he's joining us and bringing any of the ideas from our youth.  And as well as we got introduced last night to our new museum director, Jackson Baker.  We welcome those two individuals to the team."

Other concerns that were brought up at this week's meeting included issues with town dumping.

Members of the destination marketing committee spoke about operations.

And plans that were discussed to improve upon discarded needles in the community would include more disposal spots and more education.

Find minutes from bi-weekly council meetings at townofthepas.ca.