A Boissevain roper will be able to continue on with his rodeo dream once he is out of high school.
Reid Armstrong, who graduates this year, will be moving on to Dodge City Community College in Kansas. The 17-year-old has participated in numerous rodeo events with the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association, including trips to provincials and nationals, and will be joining Dodge City’s rodeo team.
“I went on a trip last month, three weeks ago to choose a school,” Armstrong stated. “I visited four and ended up choosing Dodge. I liked it the most.”
At the end of the week, he will be heading to Dodge to officially sign with the rodeo team and have a media day. He will be going out in August to start his college rodeo career.
Although everything seems to be moving quickly, this was not a long-term plan. Armstrong said that when he qualified for National High School Finals, he was not thinking of college. While there, however, he checked out the college booths. He said they all offered such great programming with rodeo opportunities. Dodge was one of the schools who reached out to him and his first visit was there. Then he went to a pair of Texas schools and one in New Mexico. Dodge made the biggest impression on him. Economics were one reason, with all of their fees merged into one. All of the amenities were great. Of course, there was the rodeo program. He said they have the best coaches. Both Jacob Perky and Colton Valente went to great schools, are young and have the most ambition.
“When I went down there I was welcomed with open arms. I felt very at home there, they wanted me to come out there and check it out.”
Armstrong added he felt Dodge appreciated his good, positive behavior when he arrived, which showed they were looking at the right things.
“I think I made the right choice,” Armstrong said.
For Levi Nadlersmith, his upcoming support appearance at the Paralympic Games is a logical outgrowth of his lifelong competitive sport background.
Nadlersmith, a native of Boissevain, has long been known for his prowess in cross-country skiing. Now he will be helping another competitor, Jesse Bachinsky, compete in the event in Italy. At the beginning of the week, he was in Austria preparing for the days ahead, being thrilled at the chance.
“Absolutely,” Nadlersmith, who has lived in Golden, BC since 2021, stated. “It’s an exciting opportunity. The Paralympic Games are the pinnacle of para sport, being named as a guide for Team Canada is a huge honour.”
The story begins several years ago, when Nadlersmith was home for a visit. In 2017, he was asked to guide the then 16-year old Bachinsky in a race at the International Peace Garden. The local boy filled in for a race, and has been guiding him off and on ever since.
“It definitely grew out of my competitive skiing background. Having race experience and strong technical skills is essential, so it was a natural transition.”
Jesse Bachinsky is a visually impaired athlete from Winnipeg. He has competed on the World Cup circuit since 2017, and placed fifth in an event in Canmore, Alberta, which was one of the selection events for the Paralympic games.
Upgrades at the airport in Deloraine-Winchester received a very tangible vote of confidence from the Manitoba government.
On February 12, Municipal and Northern Affairs Minister Glen Simard was at the airport outside of Deloraine to announce the municipality would be receiving $1.49 million in GRO funding for the replacement of the airstrip and lights. In front of members of not only Deloraine-Winchester Council, but also Boissevain-Morton, Brenda-Waskada and Two Borders, as well as others involved in the airport, Simard explained the reasoning for the grant.
“This is a strategic investment in the safety, connectivity and long term strength of the entire southwest region,” Simard stated. “Rural communities deserve the same level of emergency access and medical support as any major centre. Upgrading the runway and lighting systems ensures year round, reliable access for medivac services, Canada Border Services, aerial surveillance, flight training and aerial application services.”
“When someone’s life is on the line, minutes matter. These upgrades will save time and potentially save lives.”
Simard added that upgrading the status of the airport from rural to regional recognizes the airport’s status as an area hub. It serves all communities the entire southwest, he said. So many aspects of the area, from agriculture, to medical services to regional trade and investment are served by upgrades.
“Communities like Deloraine-Winchester are central to the province’s economic and social fabric,” he continued. “Investments like this ensure rural communities have the infrastructure they need to thrive, infrastructure they deserve, not just for today but for decades to come.”
Simard gave kudos to local leaders for the work they did to help make this come to pass.
Deloraine-Winchester Reeve Kelly McMechan said he was grateful as well to the community for coming together to advance the project. Looking back, he thanked the local Deloraine Flying Club for putting in a paved runway many years ago, before they knew there would be farm chemicals spread by air or life flights from the area. He also gave credit to the many people, from the municipal council, to staff, to Peter Downey of the airport. McMechan added the announcement was only the start of the process, with a community meeting set for March 19 in Deloraine, in which they would kick off the fundraising for their part of the work.
The project at this point is to resurface the runway and add new lighting, although more could come in the future.
As McMechan explained prior to the official announcement, the runway needed serious work. Many years ago, in part due to the climate of the area, cracks had developed on the tarmac. Government engineers at the time said to cut out a spot two feet wide and dig it down, fill and repack it. Every spot where that was done created a dip and eventually made it a rough runway. Planes do not like using it, whether they are life flight or crop dusters. Time has come to resurface the area. This will be costly.
“It’s a big pill to swallow for a municipality,” McMechan explained. “The province has covered almost one and a half million as their start, then we will start fundraising for our part.”
He added they would be looking for help from the federal government as well as other local contributors.
McMechan said it might take time to get the work done. They have to raise some more money, and they would also like to coordinate with asphalt companies who could be in the area to work on Highway 21 so they can come and lay out the runway at the same time. There is no doubt it will be done as soon as they can, however Simard said part of the reason the province wanted to move on the funding so quickly.
“I have a lot of confidence this will happen in short order,” Simard stated.
This is because it is such a well-used airport. Air ambulance flights from STARS land there, as well as regular medical transfers, aerial crop applications and most recently, Black Hawk helicopter flights for border security refueling. Downey said they have a reputation of being a 24/7/365 airport for the area. The closest airport of this type to the west would be Estevan, to the east Morden.
“This airstrip is more than a runway. It’s a lifeline for medical transport, a gateway for agricultural and business activity, and a critical piece of infrastructure that supports safety, mobility and economic opportunity for our communities,” said McMechan. “When people talk about rural resilience, this is exactly what they mean: the ability to connect, respond and grow.”
“We feel this region is positioned to have extraordinary growth in the upcoming years, this is why we are making these investments,” Simard stated.
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff
With a new doctor on board, health care in Souris is looking good. The Souris Glenwood Health Professional Recruitment & Retention Committee is working to keep it that way into the future.
Dr. Jake Yuriy has most recently been added to the health care team in the community. According to recruitment committee chair Darryl Jackson, his arrival has been a couple of years in the making. Jackson said the doctor had been in Souris while he was in Brandon, and liked the clinic. Yuriy had commitments in the Wheat City and Dauphin to take care of first, but eventually they were able to make a fit.
“It is not unusual for it to take months if not years to get all of the ducks in a row,” Jackson stated.
Yuriy is originally from Dauphin, beginning medical school in Winnipeg in 2019 before moving to Brandon to complete his medical training in 2021, also taking his residency there. According to Prairie Mountain Health, he always expected his work would be based in western Manitoba.
Right now, Souris Health Centre has five doctors and a nurse practitioner. Prior to Yuriy, Souris was able to add a new doctor in the fall of 2025, with Dr. Rilwan Azeez, originally from Nigeria, coming on board. Jackson explained that although it might seem they are blessed with physician riches, they do cover a very wide area. Their doctors spend a couple of days a week in Hartney and there are some patients from Brandon who cannot get a family doctor in the city.
For Sean and Kristi-Lyn Buckley, Deer Meadow Farmacy is about providing food with the best nutrition, produced the best way in a complete and health conscious fashion for all to benefit from.
The Oak Lake farm operation takes a slightly different path to producing meat to market. It takes the soil, plants and animals, as well as the consumer into account, creating a more whole product and system.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to raise pastured protein in a way that benefits the land, the animals, and the people who eat it,” explained Kristi-Lyn Buckley. “The shift to farming the way we do now wasn’t a single decision, but a gradual process shaped by several practical and philosophical reasons.”
She said her story started on her family’s farm near Virden, which was founded in 1881. She began farming with her father in 2012, building her own cattle herd. In 2018, she decided to relocate her herd, and needed to go elsewhere as the land prices were too high. That year, Sean, who came from a farming family although he did not grow up on the land, joined her and they located in the Oak Lake area.
The story moves to its present from different directions. They could not purchase additional land, so they had to make the best use of what they had to grow their herd. This meant high quality forage, and Buckley said they learned healthy forage started with healthy soil. That came from diversity in plants and animals.
With a growing customer base, a drive to expand the knowledge of producers and an industry with mostly untapped potential, Impact Tile Drainage is looking to continue to move upward in the farm water management business.
Brothers Hudson and Taylor Mealy are the owners of Impact Tile Drainage in Minto. They started the business in 2022 with the purchase of some equipment like GPS and an excavator, but it took a bit of time to get everything completely moving. However, according to Hudson Mealy, everything is going in the right direction.
“It’s good, we just finished our second full season completely on our own,” Mealy explained. “We did more work the second year than the first. We’re still growing and I think we will continue to grow. We’re covering a big area, bringing in more customers and employees all the time.”
Impact got its start when the brothers were in university. They both wanted to work in agriculture, but knew the family farm would not have enough acres for them. Both were looking at a business of their own and started researching tile drainage. They started getting equipment together, and subcontracted to a couple of companies in the Winkler area. From that they gained experience and began branching out on their own.
“I think we both like the mix of farming and construction. We looked at it as a definite, growing thing. When you look at the land prices today, a lot of farmers are looking at improving their land rather than just buying more.”
With the resounding success of the new middle years playground, the Boissevain School Parent Advisory Council is eager to be moving onto Phase Two of the Playground Project, set to be completed this summer.
Phase two will include re-purposing the old, unused outdoor tennis courts at Boissevain School to create an inclusive and accessible community court space. The space will include a custom size basketball court complete with two full size three-point lines. With a generous donation from the Boissevain and Morton Foundation, two sets of five tier, 15 foot aluminum bleachers have been purchased to create a space for people to sit and socialize. One set of bleachers incorporates a central opening, ensuring individuals using wheelchairs can sit among their family and friends, rather than being segregated to sitting on the end.
Seventy years ago in January, Wayne Pringle and Laverne Harper made a trip into Winnipeg that started some fresh sports history for Boissevain.
The two members of the Boissevain intermediate hockey team headed into the city to pick out some new jerseys to go with a new name. Although the squad had been around a while, there was not a clear identity.
“When I started playing, probably I was about 16 at the time, 1955, we had white and green uniforms with a big ‘B’ on them,” Pringle remembered. “I think it was white with a green ‘B’ if I recall. That’s what we used to use, when I started. We didn’t have a name, just Boissevain.”
Pringle said they came up with “Border Kings” for the obvious reason Boissevain was sitting right on the US border. He added there was another Border Kings team in Saskatchewan at the time.
Pringle remembered the trip to Winnipeg, before Pringles’ were “in the uniform business”. After Pringles’ Men’s Wear was established, they would make sure all BK teams would be well outfitted.
He said he did not really remember how they came up with the original colours of yellow and blue. It might have just been samples they were shown. However, it does make for royal colours. It made a good impression.
“Obviously, it caught our eye.”
Hockey Day in Ninga allowed the community to celebrate 30 years of the Silverwolves program and the family that gave it its name.
On Saturday, January 24, the many teams that make up rec hockey in the village came together to hit the ice and despite the elements being somewhat unfriendly, it was a fine day in the Ninga Arena.
“The event went really well,” said Dustin Pugh, one of the organizers.
“It was definitely cold and may have held a few people back, but overall it was very well attended. We wanted to have a day where all of the Silverwolves teams played and all of the families were together at the rink. Each age group had two slots on the ice for games. Three teams came down from the Alexander Rec Program, we had two intrasquad games, one riveting game against the Moms, and concluded the day with the High School Team playing the “Had-Beens”. This was a mix of N.H.L. (Ninga Hockey League) and Silverwolves alumni along with some parents.”
There were on ice skill competitions and contests for prizes. Alma Reimer’s famous cinnamon buns and Ninga community ladies’ pies brightened up the canteen.
Members of the Deloraine community were able to get a first hand look at what the new spillway project will achieve at the Turtlehead Creek Dam.
On Wednesday, January 21, members of Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure were on hand in the community with information regarding their structural rehabilitation work at the Deloraine Dam, south and east of the town. According to a provincial spokesperson, meetings like this are an essential part of the process.
“MTI engaged with stakeholders throughout the design phase and recently held a public open house in Deloraine on January 21,” the spokesperson stated. “The open house presented the proposed upgrades to the dam, the proposed construction schedule and the benefits of the project. The phased construction plan will minimize short term impacts to the nearby golf course and other nearby properties, while the project provides long-term benefits to the area.”
The work on Turtlehead Creek is estimated to cost $16.8 million. It will include repairs to the low-level conduit of the dam and reconstruction of the spillway.
“These upgrades will have a minimum service life of 50 years and will improve water security for the area, reduce flooding impacts and improve drainage.”
Although there is some work needed at the Avalon Theatre in Souris, the hope is they can reopen during the inter
On January 15, the theatre board announced they were closing for an undermined time period. According to Avalon Board Chair Debbie Butler, they were unsure how long they would have to close their doors.
“We’re really not sure how long it will be,” Butler stated. “We noticed it in August that the roof along the stage was leaking. At that time of the year it was rain, and now it is snow. We had some thawing and are now having some plaster coming down on the stage. We had to close.”
Right now, they are waiting for someone to come and take a closer look at the roof, but Butler said it would need major repairs, perhaps a whole new roof.
The Avalon was built in 1928, and according to the Manitoba Historical Society, opened the next year. It was operated by many owners over the decades, and continued in private hands until 1994. At that point, the Town of Souris took it over and was run as a community initiative, with a board created.
Butler said there are many uses for the theatre. There is the weekly movie schedule, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Like many theatres in smaller communities, the children’s movies are the popular moneymakers. The cinema aspect of the building is predominantly run for the people of Souris-Glenwood, but Butler said they do get a few people who come out from Brandon. Although they do get movies a little later than the Wheat City, they are not too far off, and the prices are quite a bit lower.
“Because we are a volunteer theatre, we can keep our prices low. The people who come from Brandon can’t believe how much cheaper it is. They can come have dinner at our restaurants, pay for gas, and it’s still cheaper.”
For seniors on both sides of the border, the International Peace Garden will be brightening up your winter Wednesdays very soon.
Free Senior Wednesdays at the border attraction have begun, where those 55+ can come in and enjoy the Conservatory without charge. Starting February 11, there will be specific programming for visitors every second week until the beginning of April. According to Peace Garden CEO Tim Chapman, they are looking forward to getting the ball rolling.
“We’re pretty excited,” Chapman stated, “Last year was the first year we did this. To be able to continue this program is a way for us to give back to our communities.”
He explained that the idea arose from the unique situation at the garden. With their conservatory of cacti and succulents, they have an oasis of green during a period of white and grey. This gives it a special role in keeping people’s spirits up, particularly during long winters. He added they are fortunate to have Deb McCallum as their program coordinator. Her education background is perfect for creating short programs to keep people engaged.
“It’s a blast to see people come out here in the winter time, and we hope to share this with more people. Each year it picks up steam, and with the rapport we build with seniors homes that have buses to come down, the better it will be.”
A Boissevain family received a boost from an important Westman agency.
The Wilsons received a trailer to help with one of the children with additional support needs from Westman Dreams for Kids. The trailer was received on November 1 of last year, and has already made a big impact on family mobility.
“We were nominated by Victoria Neufeld,” explained mom Laura Wilson. “She nominated Clay to Dreams for Kids and we are really grateful.”
Clay Wilson has cerebral palsy, developmental delays, seizure disorder, vision impairments and is non-verbal. There is a lot of equipment needed to allow him to be able to move around and participate in the community. Wilson said they were looking into a wheelchair accessible vehicle. When meeting with Dreams for Kids, they discussed different options, as they do not handle vehicles. Instead, they settled on a travel trailer.
“They chose that to fulfill.”
The coming of the Arts West Travelling Gallery to Boissevain Morton Library is giving a local artist a chance to show a special piece to her home community.
Faith Kroeker has a painting, “Madame Koi and her son”, in the show, which will spend much of January in the library. Kroeker said she heard of the travelling gallery from fellow Boissevain artist Christina Guenther, and decided to enter the juried show in April of 2025. She did it mainly for fun, she said, and to get her art out there. She entered two pieces and “Madame Koi and her son” was picked and started traveling last spring.
“I started painting when I was a little kid,” Kroeker explained. “I pretty much loved doing art. I think mostly I find it relaxing to be painting and I like the creativity and making something I can see. There is such freedom and creativity with it.”
Deloraine-Winchester has made a move to make sure medical professionals in the community are not left out in the cold.
At a meeting in December, council passed a resolution to purchase a home at 512 Morton Avenue West to use as housing for those working in the health care facilities in the town. According to Deloraine-Winchester Reeve Kelly McMechan, this is not a foreign concept in the community.
“This isn’t new, we have had medical housing in the past, and sold one to the last physician,” McMechan explained. “That physician has now left, and has left a medical housing void.”
He said they have been working on this for a while, as they recognize the need. As McMechan explained, they do not want any health care people leaving because there is a lack of housing.
“Just want to make medical professionals feel as welcome as possible.”
A small increase in Boissevain-Morton water rates will help the utility’s solvency and the municipality prepare for the future.
Residents recently received a letter from Boissevain-Morton outlining the uptick in water costs. The new rates began on November 1, 2025 and will make their first appearance on the February billing. According to Head of Council Judy Swanson the move was a necessary one.
“The problem is, and with the water especially, if you ever get behind, you’re in trouble,” Swanson stated. “We had that happen about 10 years ago. We would rather do small increases once in a while, rather than a big one.”
As she explained, a municipality cannot run a deficit in utilities. This means what is charged for water and sewer must cover costs. Swanson said they had been looking at this situation earlier in 2025 and came to the conclusion an increase was necessary.
Normally, it can take a fair bit of time to do this. A water rate study must be done and a long process with the Public Utilities Board ensues, which usually includes a public hearing in which PUB members attend and explain the increases. The study is often done by outside sources, mainly to save staff time. It can be pretty involved, and sets rates for several years at a time.
This year, Boissevain-Morton instead simply made a water rate application. Swanson said council received word of this option in 2025. Because their rate increase was small, they were able to simply open their books to PUB and make an application.
As 2025 fades into memory, we remember a year of political and economic turmoil. A new but old president was shown into the White House, one who had already put Canada in his tariff sights. A Canadian prime minister stepped down and an election brought his successor, as the year went on, tantalizingly close to a majority. A trade war, one that did not help with the affordability crisis, rocked the country while people put “elbows up”. Two wars went on unabated, and the year ends with disheartening terror attacks.
Locally, some of these events impacted the area directly, but there was also the reality of daily life. Here we look at a few pieces of news from 2025 in our region, at a glance backward.
January
Deloraine welcomed Cst. Katherine Muir to their RCMP detachment.
The Melita Library celebrated its 65th anniversary.
Age Friendly Manitoba provided a $10,000 grant for a ramp at the Melita Legion Hall.
Deloraine Winchester Historical Society received a new permanent home, formerly where Susan Howe’s art studio was located.
Deloraine Winchester had a pleasant surprise when they found their new aquatic centre came under budget by $426,000.
In an effort to deal with White House concerns regarding border security, RCMP Black Hawk helicopters began patrolling Manitoba border.
Deloraine-Winchester was working on the rates for a new special services plan.
More...
Boundary Co-op’s expansion of its Parade of Lights to Deloraine was a successful addition to the Yuletide season.
On Thursday, December 4, the cooperative held their inaugural parade in Deloraine, following their second one in Boissevain on December 1. According to Boundary Marketing Manager Cheryl Rushing, all was positive.
The Christmas Community Supper was another successful example of Senior Services celebrating with all of Boissevain-Morton.
The annual event brought the community together at Boissevain Legion Hall on December 7. With around 190 people served, Bill Dougall of Senior Services of the Turtle Mountain Area was very pleased with how it worked out.
After 14 years of service in Deloraine, Olson’s Liquor and Water, owned by Jamie and Tammy Olson, has been sold to Boundary Consumer’s Co-op. Starting November 19, liquor and water are being sold out of the Deloraine Co-op Home Centre.
Since 1988, Jamie has been well known in the community through Olson’s Realty. It was started by his parents John and Derlene Olson, then he and Tammy purchased it in 2001. The business expanded to include general insurance sales and Autopac, and the couple purchased the liquor and water business from Don and Myrna Teetaert, all of which were operated under one roof.
With the important fall convention over, the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and its corporations can look back on success, and begin work for the future.
Held from November 25 to 27 in Winnipeg, the annual event brings together municipal representatives from across the province to one site to learn, lobby and network with each other. The AMM is the “union” of municipal corporations that help the most grassroots level of government work with the higher levels to achieve important common goals. According to AMM Executive Director Denys Volkov, the fall convention went well.