On March 23rd, Amaranth RCMP Reported a two-vehicle collision on Highway 50 north of Gladstone.

It was determined that a vehicle travelling southward entered the northbound lane, resulting in the crash.

The driver of the northbound vehicle, a 35-year-old woman from Sandy Bay, was pronounced dead on the scene; her passenger, a 36-year-old from Langruth, was transported to hospital with serious injuries. 

The driver of the southbound vehicle, a 19-year-old from The Pas, was transported to the hospital and later passed away from injuries; his 2-year-old passenger was properly secured in a car seat and sustained minor injuries, later released from the hospital.

Investigations continue.

The Pas Regional Library will be hosting Green Time tomorrow.

The event targets young gardeners who want to start early this spring.

The children will paint planters, start seeds, and learn about plant care.

Programs are running for the ages 3 to 6 and 7 to 12.

The event runs tomorrow from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for the younger group and from 1 to 2 p.m. for the older group.

Adults are required to stay with children during the event.

The Library also runs an artist’s trading card club, makers circle, wool club, storytime, games nights and more.

The 2024 Northern Arts and Food Workshop starts today.

The UCN in the Pas will host the Workshop, giving creators in the north a network, building a creative community, and boosting northern Manitoba's creative and food sectors.

Local artist Greg Personius will MC the event and accompany Kenneth Henderson, Caitlin Armstrong, Jared and Medow Hynes, and others.

Today, the event will host a development session geared towards northern artists, and Tuesday and Wednesday will host the main conference.

There will be a variety of breakout sessions running during the event that will help with skill building, resource gathering, knowledge, techniques and support. 

To learn more about the Workshop and apply, go to UCN dot CA Slash N-A-W.you can find a full schedule of events at creative Manitoba dot ca

The Northern Juried Art Show is running this weekend, featuring artwork from all over Manitoba.

The show will feature artwork from all over Northern Manitoba, coming from as far as Churchill.

The Event is running at the UCN all weekend long.

Elma Dean, event coordinator for the Northern Juried Art Show, talks about this year’s entries.

"There's 100 and 45 pieces of art.  45 adults and 24 youths have entered and it ranges from painting and sculpture to fiber arts and beading.  And our jurors have made their decisions who the winners are."

An opening reception was held last night to honour the winners and welcome the jurors and everyone who submitted art.

The show is free to attend today from 9 to 8, tomorrow from 10 to 3, and Sunday from 1 to 3, but a silver collection will be taken at the door.

Earlier this week, the UCN was named one of the top 25 employers in the province in the annual competition that named Canada's top 100 employers.

The UCN strives to make all its facilities in Manitoba grow and thrive.

A big part of that is thanks to the staff and educators involved with the facility.

March is also nutrition month, and the UCN offers a state-of-the-art facility for those interested in the field.

Rob Gemmil, Culinary Arts Director with the UCN, talks about the program they offer.

"You just go to the front office or call into the school.  I usually take students for a day.  If they're really keen, just come and spend the day with us in the kitchen.  I'll throw an apron and hat on you and I'll put you to work.  It's that simple.  We have a good program.  I have great staff.  So those kinds of things are well taken care of."

You can learn more at ucn.ca for potential students interested in enrolling.

The Young People's Elders Gathering is an extension of the Truth and Reconciliation Conference that UCN has hosted for the last seven years. 

The event runs today and tomorrow at the legion in Thompson, bringing together young people and elders to share their experiences and work towards healing as a community.

Karl Laubmann, cultural coordinator with the UCN, has more.

"The young people's elders gathering.  It's called stoking the embers connecting Generations.  The whole purpose behind a conference is to start developing reconciliation for our young people in Northern Manitoba to carry the message forward and how they can go about being part of that."

Jennifer Wood with the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation will present today, and breakout sessions will run this afternoon featuring a "fireside chat" with Brady Keeper, economic reconciliation, and health and wellness.

Tomorrow's sessions will include a "fireside chat" with JR LaRose and Ken Bighetty, which will be a continuation of today's sessions.

Learn more about the event at UCN.ca/events.

OCN CFS is hosting a youth gathering starting today and running till Thursday at the Veterans Hall.

The event will host many inspirational speakers, including indigenous actors, artists, entertainers, and motivational speakers.

Halliday said the session is running to gain input from the youth and provide information about this law.

The team hosting the event values youth input highly, and they are encouraging all OCN youth to attend.

Mayor Andre Murphy says the town is addressing the problem of improperly disposing of sharps in the community.

"So we had another meeting yesterday and this group has been meeting monthly now for the last, oh, I would say six months or so more or less monthly, and we're coming up with them.  They're coming up with more plans on how to deal with Sharps in our community, making sure that people understand the hazards of sharps."

There will be an education event in April to help address the issue.

The town is also working on community safety, and there have been collaborations with the OCN.

The interview process for the community safety officer position the town has been actively trying to fill is now underway.

The next council meeting will be on March 25th.

The final budget presentation will be on April 17th.

Getting Better Together is running here in the community, and the Northern Health Region is encouraging health-conscious habits for those with chronic health issues.

The program is coordinated by the Wellness Institute out of the 7 Oaks General Hospital in Winnipeg and implemented in the north by The Northern Health Region.

Russell Thorne, Community Health Developer with the NRHA, says the program is designed to help manage chronic health conditions.

"The Get Better Together program is designed for individuals with any type of ongoing health issues.  It can be from arthritis, asthma, cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure.  Basically, you're looking at any ongoing health issue that a person is dealing with."

During the six-week program, participants will discuss various topics, including physical activity, healthy eating, stress-reducing techniques, pain and fatigue management, communication skills, problem-solving, medication use, and working with healthcare teams.

The program starts on Wednesday, March 27th, at The Pas Primary Health Care Centre and will run till May 1st.

The class is free and will run from 6:30 to 9 pm.

Tansi,

Last month saw the return of the 77^th Annual Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival as hundreds gathered in The Pas for this year’s festivities. The warmer weather did not stop us from enjoying our outstanding food, rich traditions, and each other’s company. I commend everyone who participated in this year’s festivities and let their spirit soar in 2024!

This year I was honoured to be joined by my NDP colleges Glen Simard, Diljeet Brar, Logan Oxenham, and Rochelle Schott, each of whom expressed deep gratitude for our northern hospitality. It was a great opportunity for my fellow MLAs to learn about Northern Manitoba and to celebrate alongside us. The Torchlight Parade was particularly fantastic with its elaborate floats, wide smiles, and joyful cheers.

Our team also spent time with students, staff and faculty at University College of the North, learning about the unique strengths of our programs and exploring opportunities for further collaboration with the province.

I am proud of our community. It is an honour to represent you in our provincial government. Every year Trapper’s Festival reminds me of how much we have so much to offer our fellow Manitobans.

If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to reach out to my office by emailing amanda.lathlin@yourmanitoba.ca or calling us at 1-204-623-2034.

The Pas Community Renewal Corporation hosts weekly makers' circle events at the center.

It's designed to allow everyone to work on various projects in a quiet and mature setting.

Holly Lajamb, Event Coordinator with The TPCRC, teaches a variety of beading at the event and always welcomes others to join in.

She said one thing that led to the creation of the circle was that others were asking for advice on their projects, which she is always happy to share.

"It started out with just kind of a beading circle and it went from there,  it's just a drop in session.  Everyone is welcome.  If you’re 12 and under, bring an adult. "

"You can drop in at any time on Saturdays between 11 and 1.  We have water and tea and we have a good visit and you can bring whatever project you're working on."

You can share your advice, expertise, or encouragement with others at the event, and everyone is encouraged to do the same.

Anyone working on any artistic project can join the makers' circle from 11 to 1 pm on Saturdays.

The Book Fair is running this week for students in the Kelsey School Division.

Children at both the Kelsey Community School and Ecole Opasquia Schools will be able to take part.

During the event, classes will be able to look over the available material and purchase something to take home.

Parent-teacher conferences will be held this week at the schools as well.

The book fair will be open to families attending conferences on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

There will be books for readers of all levels, games, toys and other goodies for the kids.

Cash, credit, and debit will be accepted, and funds raised will support school projects and events.

Last week, The Pas Handi-Vans annual pledge show on CJAR was a huge success.

The event raised just shy of $20,000 to support the van and the services offered in the community.

Representatives from the Handi van are picking up last-minute donations.

Val Miron Shares details on how you can contact the offices and the van driver, Dean Zorn.

"So if you want to try calling Dean to pick up your donation: 204 620 2584.  Or leave a message on the handy van office: 204 623 2036."

Miron went on to say that donations from the community are the main reason the services continue to be offered at such an affordable rate.

The Jimmy Jackfish, ice fishing derby, runs tomorrow at the Rocky Lake east shore boat launch, and there is still time to purchase last-minute tickets.

The event is family-friendly. First place will receive prizes of up to 15,000 dollars, and the anglers who pull the 13 largest fish from the lake will all receive prizes.

This year, a side pot has been set up for the largest walleye.

The 50/50 costs 10 dollars, and if no walleye is pulled, a draw will be made from all the names entered.

Everyone is reminded to bring a chair, fish pail camera and all the weather-appropriate essentials.

The Derby starts at Noon and runs till 3 pm.

Tonight, the Kelsey School Division will host an open house division budget meeting at the Scott Bateman Middle School from 7 to 8 p.m.

Public participation and input are required as the Division looks toward program upgrades and improvements.

Recent provincial funding announcements for schools mean a larger budget for the upcoming school year; Cheryl Sinclair, the board trustee, shares more.

"Many of the public may know that recently the education funding was announced and our school division actually did get an increase from the provincial government.  So we're thankful for that funding announcement. 

"And we also discovered that for the 24/25 fiscal year, we're under the same education framework."

Sinclair said that the school board will need to make tough decisions as inflation drives up costs.

For those unable to attend there, you can email K-S-D Budget at K-S-D Dot MB Dot Ca to receive updates about the budget.

The UCN’s Early Childhood Education program is growing to accommodate the need.  

The UCN Recently received a 5.5 million dollar grant to expand services.

The 40-hour program has already been upgraded in The Pas, Swan River, and Thompson, and distance options are now available.

Laura Ayres, ECE Program Coordinator, talks about the different levels of the program.

"We start with our 40-hour course in the fall and winter.  This is required for all childcare assistance.  During their first six months of working in childcare, you can then step up to our two-year diploma program that leads to a provincial EC2 designation.

"And then after about 1 to 2 years of experience, you can take our 18-month evening distance program that will lead to an EC three designation with the province.  And this is suggested for all directors of childcare facilities."

UCN’s ECE Programs will be extended to Grand Rapids, Norway House, and Pukatawagan, and they are still looking for one more community to host the program.

To learn more about the program or to apply, go to UCN dot ca.

During last summer's ground search at the Guy Hill residential school site, ground penetrating radar found 241 anomalies.

Starting today and running tomorrow and Thursday, OCN will host a ground search information gathering.

At the gathering, all information involving the ground search and some of the work that has been done in preparation to search other areas will be shared and discussed.

Dr. Emily Holland, a forensic anthropologist from the University of Brandon, will lead a team through the excavation process along with the RCMP and the government of Manitoba's research branch on the first day.

Together, the team will discuss various aspects of the search.

On the event's second day, a team from the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation will help with the processes.

On the third day, Gordon Ratt, an elder, will speak about the cultural ceremonies component of the search.

During the event, Guy Hill Residential School survivors will be attending and sharing their insights on the search, and the event is open to the public.

The gathering is in the Bignell room in the Kikiwak today and tomorrow from 9 am to 4 pm and on Thursday from 9 am to noon.

The Pas Handi-Van's annual pledge show is coming this Thursday and Friday.

The event runs to support the non-profit organization's efforts to provide transportation services to individuals with mobility issues.

The services are offered to those in The Pas, OCN, and RM of Kelsey for a small user fee.

However, the costs associated with maintaining and operating the vehicle can be demanding.

Val Miron explains:

"Annually, our budget runs in the mid $80,000 range.  So when we did up our budget this year, that's basically what we're looking at again.  We really try to keep our cost at the essentials, but there's nothing we can reduce costs on anymore. 

We just operate, you still have to pay wages, you still need fuel, you still need Hydro, et cetera.

So those are all the costs that we do incur."

For anyone interested in donating, the pledge show runs this Thursday and Friday from 8:30 to 10:30 am; pledges will be accepted at the CJAR offices during the event.

A meeting in regard to the community safety plan will happen at the OCN veteran's hall on Wednesday, March 6th.

A community meeting was held last week, and there was a request from the community to come up with a safety plan.

Diane Pelly, executive director for OCN Government Services branch, shares more:

"We know that there's a high increase in our community in terms of drugs and gang violence.  And it's happening everywhere.  We realize that what we're tasked to do at government services and in partnership with our leadership is to establish what that community safety plan looks like."

A group is working on that plan but is looking for community feedback, which will be addressed at this meeting.

The group will discuss preventative measures and how they would like to work directly with the schools to provide information using the GREAT model for Gang, Resistance, Education, and Training.

The meeting occurs next Wednesday from 10 am to 4 pm at the Veterans Hall.