Rural Roundup for Nov. 13, 2025

VIRDEN

A $1.6 million expansion project has crossed the finish line at the Virden Animal Hospital.

A ribbon cutting was held in late October. New medical equipment was added to the facility, as well as exam rooms, and three new operating rooms were outfitted.

A 20-year loan was signed with the Virden Veterinary Services District Board as well as veterinary partners. The board has a yearly budget of about $60,000. The board receives $6,000 yearly from nearby municipalities, $22,000 from the province, and charges customers a few dollars.

The expansion could not be funded outright, but there is a plan for loan payments put together.

The animal hospital is currently staffed with nine veterinarians, and there is a plan for new graduates to come on board within the next year.

» Virden Empire Advance

DAUPHIN

A long-awaited child care centre development will proceed after the province allotted new money to the project.

Prairie Park Place Child Care Centre was delayed after the facility’s design exceeded the funding allotted by the province. It was originally planned to be completed this past March.

Dauphin was informed recently by the provincial minister of education and early childhood learning that the city will receive an additional $1.06 million to help fund the centre. The centre is planned for the corner of Sixth Avenue Southeast and Third Street Southeast.

Complications in the tendering process pushed the project back about 24 months behind schedule, the economic development manager for Dauphin said.

The additional money announced by the province will bring the project’s total budget up to $6.56 million. The city expects this will cover the project costs.

The new timeline for completion is set for Mar. 31, 2027.

While the city will soon proceed, there is not expected to be much action at the sited prior to next spring. The work is expected “as soon as the snow melts,” the economic development manager, Martijn van Luihn said.

» Dauphin Herald

KILLARNEY

A major new addition to the local fire hall line-up will give fire fighters a big boost.

A gleaming M2-106 Plus fire pumper truck rolled into town recently following a road trip of more than 600 kilometres from Central Butte, Sask.

Deputy fire chief Sean Phillips said he was “very happy” with the addition, and that it will make a difference for firefighters. Technology on the truck will also help the team fight fires when they have fewer fire fighters, he said.

The price tag was a hefty $775,000. Phillips said it was necessary to keep in line with federal requirements, as one of the department’s pumper trucks is over-aged, and the other is soon to be over the 10-year point.

The deal was done a year and a half ago, and that wound up being a very fortunate fact for the municipality, said deputy mayor Rick Pauls. With new tariffs and inflation, the cost would have been $1.1 million had it been purchased today, he said.

The fire department hopes the new toy will attract some new firefighters. The members are down to 18 at this time. Phillips said the team is hoping to attract five new fire fighters.

» Killarney Guide

NEEPAWA

From multiple winless seasons, and a football program hanging on by a thread, the Neepawa Tigers have produced a monumental turnaround capped off with the ultimate last minute triumph.

The Neepawa Tigers closed out their Rural Manitoba Footbal League season with an incredible 27-20 win over the Transcona Nationals in the Murray Black Cup at the end of October.

At half time, Neepawa held a 13-12 lead. Transcona tied it at 20-20 going into the fourth quarter. And in the final quarter, a blocked field goal attempt, as well as a solid Tigers defence, nearly ran out the clock.

With minutes left in regulation, the Tigers’s running back Daxton Brock broke through the Transcona coverage to score a touchdown. This was his second of the game, as he accumulated 203 yards rushing on the day.

The Nationals were down to three minues of regulation to tie things up. They drove the ball down the field and tossed a touchdown pass in the last minute… or so it seemed.

The Nations were called on a holding penalty, taking the points off the board and giving Neepawa another chance to hold the line. The Tigers carried their lead through the end of regulation time and wond the Murray Black Championship, their first banner since 2022.

This season has been a huge step forward for the Neepawa Tigers, who had been winless in their previous two seasons. The squad went 5-1 for the year for regular season, and then won a pair of playoff games to closed out the impressive turnaround.

Tigers head coach Lucas Clark said he forsees the success staying around for another season at least.

“It took us a couple years to get this going, but now that we’ve set a culture here of putting in the work, leading by example and working towards the goal together, I think we’ll see a sustained program at this level for quite a while yet,” he said.

The win was a massive team effort, including quarterback E.J. Clark, who threw 128 passing yards on the day and a touchdown, a defensive line that brought in three sacks and multiple knockdowns, and an offensive line that bought the team time and made several receptions.

The Tigers were the only team to defeat Transcona for the season.

» Neepawa Banner & Press

OAKVIEW

The Rural Municipality of Oakview is excited to announce the future arrival of Michell Weighell, a nurse practitioner who will begin services to both Rapid City and Oak River in November.

“Opening a clinic has been a dream of mine for a very long time and I hope to address the needs of our communities who currently have no health care provider within the RM of Oakview,” Weighell said. “Leaving Rivers Clinic is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made.”

Weighell comes with the ability to prescribe medication and make referrals, a skillset that will streamline care and reduce wait time for residents. She is equipped to serve every age group within the community, from seniors to prenatal care.

The addition of Weighell to the community is the result of multiple meetings and productive discussions focused on enhancing medical care for all residents.

Michelle was set to hold two public meetings in October, one in Rapid City, and another in Oak River, to meet the community and discuss how she will provide services in her practice going forward.

» Rivers Banner