One of the most famous historic buildings in the country is in danger of structural damage because of leaks. Hillcrest Museum has a leaking roof that was first apparent in 2019 and the museum board did what they could at the time to mitigate damage. It was not enough and now they are faced with a big bill for repairs, and a race to save the building.
“This has become a very serious issue and we must fix it as soon as possible,” explained Karen Kempe, who is a new member of Hillcrest Board. “There is extensive damage to the Butterfly Room and also seems to be some to the adjoining toy room and while we have a estimate on the roof, we aren’t exactly sure what we’ll see when it’s opened up.”
The preliminary estimate that Kempe is referring to is for the replacement of two roofs, and is upwards of $80,000, bearing in mind this is not knowing the damage that may be discovered as the old roof is removed.
Thanks to a Manitoba Fire Protection Grant, the Boissevain-Morton Volunteer Fire Department will have some new equipment for their all-important work.
The municipality recently got word they were receiving $112,779.51 from the province for a new rescue van. Head of Council Judy Swanson said they applied for the money, which came from a total of almost $10 million for various projects in Manitoba.
“We were fortunate to get it,” Swanson stated. “I think it’s an amazing thing. Our people can go out and get some new equipment from this.”
Hello Southwest Manitoba, I hope everyone is doing well.
I have been on hiatus since I last wrote this ag column that was called “Fenceline Forum”. In fact, it has been at least 15 years since I wrote for our local papers in the SW Corner. So, I am very thankful to have this opportunity to share once again some of my thoughts and experiences in this wonderful world of agriculture. Considering there were only three farmers and my grandmothers that read my column in the past I will introduce myself once again:
I grew up at Dand, Manitoba and I started farming there with my Dad (David Day) in 1989, at the same time I became the rookie Ag Rep in Killarney. I moved to become the Ag Rep in Boissevain in 1995, the same week our daughter Alex was born, who is now at Memorial U taking a biology degree.
Although some might be surprised by the site, many will be pleased there is a replacement for the aging Boissevain Arena on the horizon.
This week, Council for Boissevain-Morton revealed they had chosen a site for a new skating rink in the community, to be on the east end of town. A new arena has been discussed heavily in the past, with a committee struck and basic drawings done. It might not be a completely back to the drawing board situation, but plans are still fairly different than what had been previously proposed.
Head of Council Judy Swanson said council has been working on research for updating recreation facilities in the community quietly behind the scenes. As she explained, facilities in Boissevain were all built at more or less the same time, and are starting to get beyond their lifespan.
It might be a few months later than originally scheduled, but Boissevain School is now operating high school classes at the Legion Hall.
Due to COVID-19, there have been a number of changes at schools in the province to educate students while keeping safety protocols in place. Keeping students two metres apart meant smaller classes and schools attempted to find different ways to accommodate their numbers. For some time in some schools, this meant part-time classroom, part-time distance learning. At Boissevain School, once Prairie Mountain Health was moved into Code Orange in the fall, they began work to move classes into the Legion Hall on North Railway Street. A lot of preparation went into the move, including sorting out Wi-Fi logistics and making sure staff and teachers could rotate back and forth between the school and the hall. Before the move could be made, however, the province switched everyone over to the restrictive Code Red, eventually moving older students to distance learning.
The development of the assisted living facility in Boissevain continues to be the good news story in the community during a period of turmoil.
The construction for the structure began in the spring of 2020, with planning and fundraising beginning many years before. The parent organization, Southwest Senior Housing Inc., is more than pleased with the progress thus far and are looking at a completion halfway through this year.
“Things are going really well,” said George Heide of SWSH. “There have been a few hiccups here and there, but things are moving forward, with really good progress. The guys are not short of work.”
The building is right next to the Boissevain Health Centre along Highway #10. When completed, there will be 35 suites of different amenities, which will allow seniors to live semi-independently, while having access to services like meals and laundry. It would be a great boon to the area, allowing seniors to stay in or close to their home communities.
Since the Province of Manitoba moved to Code Red back in mid-November due to the rapid rise in COVID-19 numbers, prohibiting businesses from selling non-essential goods in-store, it has been tough on everyone. New orders on January 23 kept the province in Code Red but they lifted the restrictions on non-essential sales. This was good news for businesses in Souris and indeed all of Manitoba.
The Souris Pharmasave, operated by Lorie and Duane Davison is one of those businesses that are now able to serve all their customers and the change was welcome.
“Oh, it’s wonderful that we are able to open up to regular sales again,” remarked Lorie Davison in a phone interview January 27. “We are following all the guidelines to meet the province’s restrictions but it’s just so nice to see people coming in again.”
After months of remote learning, high school students in Souris headed back to class on January 18. The difference is they are attending school in the Souris Community Hall. Grades 9 - 12 began arriving by foot, by car and by bus trying to get back to a semblance of normalcy as they met for classes at the hall.
Complex manager Carole Williams says that there has been quite a buzz of activity leading up to first day as the hall was set up to accommodate students and teachers. Wi-Fi has been installed in the facility to make it easier for them to connect to their devices.
Community spirit at its finest is evident at Hasselfield Lake. Bob and Ann Betts made the lake their home in 2012 and started what has become a yearly tradition - a ready-made outdoor rink on the lake. Each year the rink has evolved - getting bigger and better. This year’s additions include a fire pit and benches. In 2018 Scott and Debbie Dunn moved to the lake and joined forces with the Betts to create the outdoor venue.
“We’ve become great friends and each year we dream up new ways to make the rink better and more inclusive,” said Scott. “It’s really become a community project. People are always dropping off things to help with the rink. This year it is a regulation size rink - 80 ft. wide x 200 feet long and includes blue lines, red lines – it’s very authentic.”
In order to help a major business in Boissevain grow and prosper, Council for Boissevain-Morton is looking to close part of a street and transfer ownership.
On January 21, 2021 at 10:00am, the municipality will be holding a public hearing in the Civic Centre to discuss shutting down the northernmost portion of Egan Street. According to Head of Council Judy Swanson, this came from one of the biggest employers in the community.
“This is a street they were using,” Swanson explained. “It is a piece that runs through their lot. The idea is it is important for them to own it, so instead of just closing it off, we are looking to actually sell them the piece.”
The area in question is about a block long, and would run from the lane just to the south of the laminating business to Buckingham Street to the north. Swanson said there would be a caveat on the sale, giving the municipality access underneath the street so they could do repairs to the water and sewer system when necessary.
Jock and Lois Carr of Melita will reach an amazing milestone on December 29, 2020 when they celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary.
Lois was born in Portage la Prairie to Samuel and Sarah (O’Reilly) Fonger. Her dad worked with CPR as a train dispatcher, which meant several moves for the family. From Portage they went to Starbuck where Lois completed schooling until grade six. From there it was on to Altona where she finished high school, and onto Success Business College before her 17th birthday. Lois was hired by the Canadian Surety Co. as a filing clerk.
“I never liked the city or my job, so went home to work as a ‘permit teacher’,” Lois said. “During the war in 1940, teachers enlisted in the army as was better pay, so anyone with college or high school could apply for a country school.”
When her parents moved to St. Claude, Lois moved home and applied for the job at Arbroath School north of Treherne. The next career move for Samuel was to Napinka and this is where Lois and Jock’s love story began.
When long-time Southwest Cougar supporter Grant Moffatt passed away earlier this year, his loss was felt deeply, not only within his circle of family and friends, but also within his larger family, the hockey world. Moffat’s loss was profound and the Southwest U18 Cougars felt that loss even more than any other organization. His work with the team was a great love in his life and the feeling was mutual.
You don’t have to go very far to find someone who will share a story or discuss exactly what Moffat meant to them. Debbie Butler is a second cousin to Moffatt and she also had two sons come through the Cougar system, and acted as co-manager for a year.
A growing focus on her work will allow the larger community to see the talents of an emerging Boissevain artist.
Lisa Joelle Heide is starting to get some serious attention for her artworks. She has sold several and will soon be seen by the many who support the Boissevain Lions Club annual calendar project, as her painting “Belong” will be featured on their 2021 edition. This has been a lifelong passion, but more recent emphasis on developing her painting has brought it more into the limelight.
“I’m surprised, very happy,” Heide said. “I wasn’t expecting the reaction I have received and the support.”
Heide said she has been painting all her life. For her, it is not just about the final product, but also the creating itself.
Boissevain Bakery may not be able to celebrate 40 years the way they want to, but they will celebrate nonetheless.
Ron and Sharron Fikkert took over the bakery in town on December 1, 1980. From that time onward, they developed their presence in the community, and gained a well-deserved reputation for quality that is known in Boissevain and outside. The physical place may have moved a couple of times, but the Fikkerts have remained a major part of the Boissevain business scene.
Ron Fikkert said when they first came, they did not have four decades on their mind.
The year 2020 will go down in history around the world as the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the community of Waskada, the year 2020 will be remembered as the time two landmarks were demolished. The Municipality of Brenda-Waskada hired Tim’s Backhoe Service to knock down the hotel in April, and this month they hired Jaytan Excavation and Transfer to bring down the old skating/curling rink structures.
The rinks were officially opened in December 1948. The two-sheet curling rink was created from two agricultural barns in 1943 and an outdoor rink was added on the north side. That rink was used for five winters. The last time there was ice in the rinks was the winter of 2015-2016.
“We made ice for the fall of 2016 in the new facility and were granted our occupancy permit January 2017,” said Diane Woodworth, CEO for the Municipality of Brenda-Waskada. “Jason Hofer did an awesome job of dropping the old rink,” she added.
The Municipality of Grassland will miss the headman at the council table, one of the longest serving and dedicated members in the area.
Blair Woods passed away on November 7 after a battle with cancer. He had served as Reeve of Grassland since its inception, and his municipal service began in 1986.
If there’s one thing people have learned in 2020, it’s how to adapt to new and changing situations due to the pandemic. Remembrance Day is no exception. The usual services and programs in the schools and communities have been either cancelled all together or adapted.
Community services:
The Deloraine Legion will host a community service, but it will be a pared-down version. The short service will be held outside by the cenotaph outside of the Legion clubhouse at approximately 10:45am. There will be no singing, no remembrance roll call and no luncheon. Community members are welcome to attend but they must social distance themselves on the street.
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Residents and visitors to personal care homes in the region will be seeing some changes very soon.
New visitor pods have already appeared in Deloraine and will soon be functional. The idea is for the structures to be an avenue for care home residents to visit loved ones during flu season and the pandemic.
“Visitor structures are designed to enable a single Personal Care Home (PCH) resident to visit up to five individuals at one time,” explained Prairie Mountain Health CEO Penny Gilson, “however, actual number of visitors will be determined by individual PCHs in accordance with screening and safety at the time of the visit.”
She added visits are required to be scheduled to allow structured access to the room and sufficient time for cleaning and room turnover between visits.
It’s a small world after all. Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Mark Pazdzior’s talent and expertise are in demand locally, nationally and internationally.
Pazdzior, a resident of Deloraine, owns and operates Border Aircraft Maintenance Ltd. at the Deloraine Municipal Airport.
In July, Pelita Air Service of Indonesia requested Pazdzior for training, to have its aircraft engineers validated to carry out maintenance towards the Air Tractor 802 FuelBoss. Theoretical training was carried out in Jakarta and the practical training occurred in Tarakan off Borneo, Indonesia. The training is part of the Indonesian National Strategic Program. The goal is to assist in attaining a countrywide same price for fuel program, whether fuel is purchased in populous cities or remote villages in Papua, Indonesia.
Another important piece of Boissevain history has now passed.
Jack Douglas Houston passed away in Kelowna, BC on Tuesday, October 13. Long a part of the Boissevain community, known for his service to the town in many capacities, he will be missed by those who remember his broad smile and friendly manner.
Houston was born to Doug and Ethel Houston on May 23, 1936 in Bowsman, Manitoba. The Houston’s moved to Boissevain in 1945, where Jack finished his secondary education before moving on to study pharmacy at the University of Manitoba. This was following in his father’s footsteps, as Doug had purchased Gamble’s business when moving to Boissevain.
For all farmers, harvest 2020 was a whole different situation than harvest 2019. This was no different for the charitable field at Fairfax.
The Boissevain, Morton and Whitewater Growing Project held their harvest on Thursday, October 1. Organization President Darren Peters said the date came up pretty much at the last minute, but they did get good participation.
“We just had the people driving the trucks and the combines this year,” Peters explained. “We had 12 combines, 12 trucks and one grain cart. We got started about 12:30pm and were done by 4:00pm, so it didn’t take too long.”
Usually, there is a community lunch on the outskirts of Fairfax prior to the combines hitting the field. This year, due to COVID-19, it was scuttled. Peters said it was definitely a little lonelier at the site.