Rural Roundup — June 1, 2023

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This article was published 01/06/2023 (1044 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VIRDEN

The Arts Mosaic board of directors has temporarily closed the Virden arts centre.

During April, the gallery was open on reduced hours to allow viewing of Virden Music and Art Festival entries that were displayed and judged in the gallery.

Board chairperson Joanna Watt said operating hours have been an issue for people, and it’s important for the CP Historic Centre, which houses the arts centre, to be a child-friendly public space.

Watt said the board has several ideas for how to make this happen.

“We’re kind of excited to work through those and put together something better for the community. All of us on the board are really excited to provide the community with a space that’s creative.”

Watt, an artist and art therapist with Pipestone Art Therapy, said the purpose of the centre is to help people learn and to express their own creativity. She expects Arts Mosaic to reopen early this month.

» Virden Empire-Advance

DAUPHIN

The Dauphin and District Community Foundation announced 13 grant recipients at the state of the city address, hosted by the Parkland Chamber of Commerce last month.

The spring intake allowed the foundation to hand out $73,738 in grants to 13 groups and organizations. Recipients include:

• Almost New Store: $15,000 for front door repair, including replacing cement footing.

• City of Dauphin: $2,500 for a digital kiosk to provide customers with accessible and low-barrier tools.

• Dauphin and District Handivan: $7,500 to assist with the conversion costs of a van to accommodate a ramp allowing larger wheelchairs.

• Dauphin Church of Christ: $6,687 for the Whitmore School food program for the weeks before and after the Food for Thought program is running.

• Dauphin junior recreation hockey: $2,116 for goalie equipment.

• Dauphin Neighbourhood Renewal: $10,000 toward the repair of the DNRC auditorium roof.

• Dauphin Pickle Ball Club: $1,500 toward the purchase of nets, equipment and school rental.

• Dauphin Pottery and Ceramics Club: $4,083 to replace two 50-year-old potter’s wheels.

• Loray Manor (Parkland assisted living): $7,000 for security panel repair.

• Mackenzie Middle School: $4,352 to replace disposable dishes and cutlery with sustainable products.

• Mountain View School Division: $3,000 toward rent for the alternative education program.

• Maamawii Park: $5,000 part of DDCF’s $30,000 commitment over three years.

• South Parkland Healthy Child Coalition: $5,000 to establish an indoor playground and family room at Parkland Crossing for child programs, family resources and parent education.

» The Dauphin Herald

NEEPAWA

Jason Young, superintendent with the Beautiful Plains School Division, says having a new school in Neepawa will help meet the needs of the town’s growing population.

Neepawa will have a new school joining the ranks of its elementary, middle and high schools in the future, after the province released details on plans for nine new publicly funded, owned and operated schools to be constructed by September 2027.

The need for a new school in Neepawa has been discussed since 2018, Young said.

The school board has chosen the site they’d like the school to be on and have received approval from the province.

“We’ve engaged with the Town of Neepawa about services and some of those things,” Young said.

The location the school division has chosen can’t be made public until a deal is officially in place, but Young did say a minimum of 15 acres of land would be required, but that the board would prefer 25 acres.

“We want to make it so its aesthetically pleasing. We don’t want it to be crowded. We don’t want congestion. And we want room to be able to expand there in the future if we need to,” Young said.

Young estimated the building itself could be around 100,000 square feet. The Neepawa Middle School, for reference, is 46,000 square feet.

» Neepawa Banner and Press

RIVERS

The Rivers Collegiate grades 9 and 10 woodworking class are working on a project called the “Plywood Challenge.”

Working individually or in pairs, students will create projects out of one sheet of four-inch by eight-inch plywood. The theme this year is “Kids and Critters,” and students are given free reign over what they build to fit within that description with a few limitations on added materials.

The classes are held every other day, and the shop is very busy as students work on doghouses, puzzles and more. The creations will be raffled off on June 6 at the school’s band concert.

» Rivers Banner

The Manitoba Good Roads Association has awarded the Riverdale Municipality with the title of Best Maintained System of Rural Municipal Roads for District 4.

The award means the rural roads in the district are cared for and looked after to a high standard, including distributing gravel evenly, giving the roads a proper crest and enabling good drainage and safety for all drivers.

» The Killarney Guide

MINNEDOSA

A historic building that was once the home of the Minnedosa Tribune newspaper will soon be used for commercial space.

The building, which was erected in 1883, once housed the province’s longest-running newspaper until it shut down in April of last year.

Local entrepreneur Steve Langston is currently renovating the main floor of the building and plans to use it to house two or three businesses. The second floor of the building will be made into three suites for short- or long-term rentals.

Langston said that despite the building’s age, it is in great shape. He hopes the new space will allow more local entrepreneurs to find success.

“The major barrier for many people starting a business in a small town is a lack of affordable, properly renovated commercial space, and that is what we aim to provide,” he said.

» Minnedosa Tribune

KILLARNEY

Thanks to a last-minute offer of a field, the Killarney Growing Project has put this year’s crop into the ground.

The group, made up of local producers and volunteers who grow a crop for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank each year, said strong commodity prices made it hard to find a field to rent this season.

“We didn’t have anything lined up. This all came together suddenly,” group member Myron Peters said.

Mitch Dyck, a young farmer who rents 300 acres of land Peters’ land, said he would offer 100 acres of it for the project.

“The fact that we were able to get this chunk of land is awesome. Every bit will help the Foodgrains Bank,” Peters said.

In the third week of May, Dyck prepped and seeded the field with Starbuck red spring wheat. The yield of the field will be sold and the proceeds donated to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank for use overseas. The federal government will match the money on a four-to-one ratio.

The Killarney Growing Project will once again be creating a large map of the field, and for $250, donors can “buy” an acre of the plot. They then get to name it after themselves or another person at a lunch in the field event during harvest time.

» The Killarney Guide

Jane Ireland, who has served as the administrator at Killarney’s Heritage Home for the Arts for the past five years, has left her position to manage the Oak and Owl Café.

Ireland, who starts her job this month, said she thinks the new role will be a good fit for her.

“The arts centre and the café have been partnering on a number of wonderful recent events, including concerts and the sold-out Women of Distinction Event,” she said.

Not quite ready to bid a complete farewell to the art gallery, Ireland plans to continue to stay active as a member of the arts council.

“It is bittersweet. I have loved my role here at the art gallery, but it’s not the end. My heart is still here.”

At press time, a candidate for Ireland’s former position at the arts centre had not yet been selected, although a temporary replacement was in place for the interim.

» The Killarney Guide

BOISSEVAIN

The Boundary Co-op has found a new way to give back to its communities with a tree donation initiative.

The program involves the donation and planting of 800 seedling trees to local projects and green spaces in its trading areas, which includes Boissevain, Deloraine, Hartney, Waskada and Killarney.

“This is something new we have started this year,” Boundary Co-op marketing manager Cheryl Rushing said. “People could apply to receive trees for free and Boundary Co-op team members could help them plant them as well, if they wanted some help.”

Giving back through the tree-giving program is just another way to support their communities, Rushing said.

“Our plan is to plant trees and build on the environmental sustainability piece, and looking towards the future and making sure that our communities stay green.”

Rushing said she was very pleased with the number of applicants the co-op received over the past weeks.

“We saw a lot of applications from groups that are looking to do some improvements on their property, or in public spaces. So, I think a lot of our communities can expect to see a little bit of extra greenery in the next few years,” she said.

At press time, planting of the new seedlings was expected to take place within the last weeks of May.

» DiscoverWestman.com

Work continues on the new aquatic centre in Boissevain with the pouring of concrete taking place last month.

The multimillion-dollar project includes a new pool area, upgrades to the existing change-room building and construction of a new mechanical building.

The project was awarded a $300,000 grant through Manitoba’s Building Sustainable Communities program.

Boissevain-Morton’s Head of Council Judy Swanson said council is delighted to get the grant.

“We’ve been very fortunate to receive two of these grants on for Phase 1 and one for Phase 2 of the pool. We’re really thankful because that would have been another $600,000, we’d have to come up with somewhere now,” she said.

The new aquatic centre will have deep-end swimming lanes, two water slides, a lazy river, a tot’s slide and the gradual entry. The new pool will be almost twice the size of the old pool that served the community for more than 65 years.

» DiscoverWestman.com