SANDY LAKE

More than 60 people participated in a presentation on anti-scam and anti-fraud safety at the Sandy Lake Drop-In Centre on April 21.

Hosted by the Harrison Park Age Friendly Initiative Committee, Const. Christopher Joven from the RCMP Crime Prevention Services Department in Winnipeg gave the presentation.

There are currently a variety of scams and frauds happening in Canada, with new ones being invented every day, Joven told participants. These scams often attempt to imitate government services in order to gain access to personal and financial information of their victims.

Scammers often claim to be from Service Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canada Border Services or other official agencies. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has even received reports of scams targeting people wishing to donate to Ukrainian aid efforts. The scams primarily originate from social-media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, and ask people to donate via e-transfer.

If anyone suspects they have been a victim of fraud, they are encouraged to contact police and report the crime and to also report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

» Minnedosa Tribune

MINNEDOSA

Five Westman curlers have been inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame Museum, including Ray Orr, Dennis Peckover, Brian Manns, John Mendrikis and Bob Manns.

The Hall of Fame inductees dinner and ceremony was held May 7 at the Victoria Inn in Brandon. Teams honoured at the event include Kelly Robertson’s Neepawa team, which won the 2011 Canadian Senior Champion and 2012 World Silver Medal, Canadian Masters Champion team Martin Bailey of Heather, Doug Armour of Souris, Ray Orr of Minnedosa and Joyce McDougall of Brandon.

This marks the first Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame induction for all members of Orr’s team, who are all from Minnedosa. While they’ve won some and lost some, Orr said they’re still having fun and enjoying the game.

“I will always be grateful to this team,” Orr said.

» Minnedosa Tribune

GLADSTONE

The Neepawa-Gladstone Co-op is planning to construct an 18,000-square-foot travel centre on and around the land where the current Co-op Gas Bar is located in Gladstone.

The new facility would include the Co-op’s food, home and building centres in one location and extend its service hours until 11 p.m., seven days a week, management said.

Other highlights of the proposal included parking for up to 100 vehicles; room for 30 semi trucks, an RV dumping station; securing a national fast-food partner; upgraded gas pumps and card lock stations; and a possible Beer Store and motel.

Due to the facility being moved further away from Gladstone’s downtown, the Co-op is considering implementing a transportation shuttle to pick up those who are unable to drive to the new store.

Brian Hedley, the Co-op’s general manager, said the time is right to improve the Gladstone store.

No timeline has been confirmed for any physical work to begin, but Hedley said he hopes work will start as quickly as possible once the proper pre-build consultations and required paperwork have been taken care of.

» Neepawa Banner and Press

NEEPAWA

Neepawa’s Sadie McIntosh finished second overall in the Fittest in Manitoba circuit training event, held in Winnipeg on April 22 and 23.

The 21-year-old competed in the intermediate women division, her first solo event. She was beaten by a competitor with three event wins and six top five finishes.

McIntosh said she went into the competition with no expectations on how things would play out for her.

“I just wanted to test myself, and that’s really what this sport is about. I wanted to see what potential I had, but it’s not really about you versus someone else. It’s you challenging yourself.”

McIntosh said she will likely participate in more solo events in the future, though her current focus is getting back to the team aspect of circuit training. She and other athletes from Whitey’s Fitness Body Shop competed in a CrossFit-style event during the first weekend of May.

» Neepawa Banner and Press

The Neepawa Area Community Choir is making its big return this month after a three-year hiatus.

The group will perform on May 20 at 7 p.m. at Neepawa’s Knox Presbyterian Church. They had been on a break during the COVID-19 pandemic but began holding meetings again last October.

In addition to the upcoming concert, the group will also recruit new members in September. Anyone living in Neepawa and the surrounding area, including Minnedosa, Arden and Eden are welcome to join, regardless of experience level. Would-be choir members can contact conductor Blair Chapman at 204-476-2359 or conductor Susan Salmon at 204-368-2375.

» Neepawa Banner and Press

RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Dream Ride, a fundraiser for children facing life-threatening illnesses, is happening in Neepawa on July 8.

According to organizers Gary and Marsha Forgue, organizers and participants are gearing up for this to be the best event yet.

In the past three years, Dream Ride has raised more than $100,000 to make Manitoba children’s dreams come true. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Manitoba-based charity, Dream Factory, raising money for the cause. This year, organizers are hoping to exceed a fundraising goal of $40,000.

Participants of the 2023 Dream Ride event can register for either a 50-plus-kilometre bike ride, a 15-km ride or a 15-km walk. The available routes will take bikers and walkers through Riding Mountain National Park.

This year, participants will be walking or biking for three-year-old Kendall Walker of Plumas, who was diagnosed with an aggressive pediatric cancer last year, and nine-year-old Cain Burgess of Minnedosa, who was diagnosed with an aggressive tumour on his right tibia bone in 2021.

Walker had her last high dosage chemotherapy treatment in February, and is now undergoing a six-month treatment of maintenance chemotherapy. Burgess finished his chemotherapy last October, and is now in remission.

At press time, 29 people had already signed up to take part in this year’s Dream Ride.

» Neepawa Banner and Press

MCCREARY

Last month, family and friends gathered at the Alpine Manor in McCreary to celebrate the birthday of Eva Fedak, who turned 100 years old on April 5.

Fedak and her husband Bill were married in 1951 and farmed just southwest of McCreary for more than 60 years. Their farm is still owned and operated by their children and grandchildren.

Fedak left home at the age of 15 to do farm work for nearby family members, later moving to Winnipeg, where she worked at Canada Packers and in a sewing factory. She would go on to do housekeeping and child care for Winnipeg families.

In between jobs, Fedak returned home to help her parents John and Irene Puhach on their family farm in the Glenhope district, east of McCreary.

After he returned from military service in the Second World War, Eva and William Fedak were married and bought a mixed farm where they raised their three children.

For many years, the couple milked cows and shipped the cream to the local creamery in Neepawa. Eva Fedak also raised poultry and sold processed chickens and eggs to many people in and around McCreary.

Fedak was a member of the Ladies Legion Auxiliary and has always loved gardening. At her home in Alpine Manor, she tends a raised garden bed on her patio where she grows vegetables. She also enjoys taking care of several indoor plants.

In 2021, Fedak became a great-grandmother. The birth of her second great-grandchild is expected this summer.

» Neepawa Banner and Press

KILLARNEY

Killarney photographer Jaime Knight has had a number of her works selected for exhibition in a national salon celebrating the best of Canadian professional photography.

A panel of expert photographers judged the best works submitted by professional photographers from all across Canada and accepted a selection of outstanding images for exhibition at the 2023 National Image Salon of the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC).

“I had some good fortune at a recent national image competition, with four of my images selected,” Knight said. “They were all in different classes — conceptual illustration, fine art, pictorial floral and animal.”

The salon was revealed April 22 at Canadian Imaging in Canmore, Alta., the annual conference of the PPOC. The contest featured entries from across Canada in 23 different categories, including press, portrait, architecture and fashion.

» The Guide

HOLLAND

After a recent trail camera captured a cougar in a bush north of Holland, the well-known presence of the cats in the area was once again confirmed.

Lorelie Mitchell, a retired veterinarian who has an extensive background in nature study, said cougars sighted in southern Manitoba may cover a huge territory in their movements across the Prairies.

“The males will have a larger territory than the females, possibly going from Manitoba to North [Dakota] and South Dakota to Montana and into Saskatchewan and Alberta,” Mitchell said.

Cougars have been known to go up to the Spruce Woods Park area and into Riding Mountain National park as well.

A cougar’s main source of food in this area is white-tailed deer, a prey that is in great abundance in the hills north of Glenboro. Mitchell said cougars prefer forested areas or tree lines to travel rather than wide-open spaces.

Trees also play a key role in their hunting practices, Mitchell said.

“They catch their prey often by leaping on them from a hidden spot. They are very good at camouflage.”

While cougars can be dangerous for humans, humans are more of a threat to them, Mitchell said. The best way to avoid a cougar attack is to travel with a companion and make plenty of noise, especially along a park hiking trail. If worse comes to worst, jumping and hollering at the animals might scare them off, she said.

Parks Canada’s website says that if visitors should use the same safety precautions they do for bears — travelling in groups of three or more, keeping dogs on a leash and making noise.

Any danger cougars pose to farm animals is currently low, Mitchell said, due to the large population of deer in the region.

» The Gazette