A local community member has recently been awarded a 2026 Manitoba Mosaic Award under the Indigenous Bridge Builder Award. Shawn Charlebois has dedicated his time and efforts to bridging gaps between different socioeconomic groups. This began with his vision for Red Road Compass: creating a safe place for marginalized people while connecting them to their culture and identity.
“Red Road Compass has been active in the community for about seven years,” said Charlebois. “Within that, I’ve really focused on four fundamental principles: affordable housing for people who are marginalized in our community, where I had two apartment buildings that were clean, safe, secure and low in rent. I’ve now left that fundamental because of the increased use of methamphetamines; the whole dynamic of the business wasn’t economically sound. I wasn’t charging more than I needed to; however, the damages were beginning to accumulate, and I could no longer afford it.
“The second fundamental was around food, and I felt that people wouldn’t think about healing if they were hungry. We started a soup kitchen in partnership with CMHA. We started it as an organization that we paid for out of our pockets. It was from contributions and my own personal earnings. All of a sudden it grew to a hundred meals a day. There was no way one person could sustain that. So CMHA stepped in and then that had to close because of certain circumstances around insurance.
“The third fundamental was land-based and how do we get people connected back to the land,” said Charlebois. “We placed them into an environment that just allowed them to breathe and relax, to feel safe, sit by the fire or water. The trees, clouds and water don’t judge people, so we did lots of that. However, this flood has impacted our setup, so now that is under reconstruction.
“The fourth fundamental was employment and training. One of the things I really wanted to do back in my previous role with PMH was to come up with creative ways to engage community members to seek employment in healthcare. I really tried my best, but there was so much opposition on so many fronts. When I retired in November 2025, I was able to find some freedom to sit down and reflect on our community and how do we help people in a more intimate way.”
The fourth fundamental is what led Charlebois to discover a way to help marginalized Indigenous people find employment, but also a sense of purpose and connection to the land.
“Employment is one of those things and it just so happened that many moons ago, working with WSFN Elder Buddy Brass, he took me up to The Pas and introduced me to an individual who came up with this initiative called The Non Timber Harvesting Initiative,” said Charlebois. “There are so many other things in the bush other than timber that have value on the international market.
“This person would go to communities and do an environmental scan to identify what plants had value on an international market and teach Indigenous community members how to harvest sustainably, process it, bring it to market and get fair market value. This was shared with me a long time ago, and then this person contacted me about three years ago and said he followed what Red Road Compass had been doing.
“He told me he was reaching a point in his life that he wanted to pass this initiative off and asked me if I wanted to do it,” said Charlebois. “After a whole bunch of conversations with him, I felt really interested in it. He had harvesters on the land coming to him, but I immediately thought of that population of people who were coming to the soup kitchen who would tell me they didn’t know what to do, so they did stuff that increased the probability of getting into trouble. These people would share this with me at the soup kitchen, where I would sit with them, listen to and counsel them. So often I would hear the same thing from many of them and that was that they were lost and didn’t know where to go.
“So he put me in contact with the international buyers, and they interviewed me to see if they wanted to do business with me in the same capacity.
“It was important to me that if I was going to do this, people would have meaningful employment, be paid what they were worth, as opposed to being taken advantage of,” said Charlebois. “Initially this company was paying $13 a dry pound for High Bush Cranberry Bark. High Bush Cranberry Bark is referred to as Cramp Bark, and it’s used as a women’s medicine for menstrual pains or urinary tract infections. I felt that it’s a lot of work to harvest this plant and that was not very much money.
“So I went into negotiations with this company and shared my vision with them. I pitched to them that there is a group of individuals in our community who are marginalized, good people with damaged spirits. My plan is to provide them with an opportunity to connect with the land and their culture, in a way that rekindles the Seven Sacred Teachings in them. As well, it would recognize the work they are doing and pay them accordingly that would allow them to feel pride and be able to support themselves. After negotiating with this company, they agreed to increase the price from $13 per pound to $31.47 per pound.
“What was interesting was that this company went to their buyers and told them about this initiative and how it would engage marginalized people who were underemployed, struggling with mental health issues, limited education, criminal charges that would have excluded them from employment,” said Charlebois. “These buyers then offered to pay more because they recognized the value in the community.”
The Non-Harvesting Timber Initiative has employed people who were often on the streets of Swan River, struggling to find the right pathway to supporting themselves and finding employment. Not only has this initiative helped these individuals earn an income, but it has also taught them a lot about respect and being stewards of the land.
“This is the third year the Non-Harvesting Timber Initiative has happened out of Red Road Compass,” said Charlebois. “The first year was a handful of us learning the process and making sure that we could meet the requirements of the buyers and get our shipping in order.
“When the second year came along, we got a few more harvesters, and then this year we just boomed. I suspect this year we had 15 harvesters and I think they harvested about 1,000 pounds of High Bush Cranberry Bark in a sustainable way.
“So how it works is that Red Road Compass is paid $31.47 per pound of High Bush Cranberry Bark by the purchaser, but Red Road Compass pays $26.47 per pound to the harvester,” said Charlebois. “Red Road Compass provides all the bags, and there are certain bags that have to be used, and then we do all the shipping. It removes the barriers for the harvesters to do this.
“We have had conversations with Natural Resources and High Bush Cranberry Bark is a plant that really does well when it’s trimmed. Red Road Compass teaches the harvesters how to use the tools and how to harvest the bigger stalk from the root site and leave the smaller ones. The smaller ones don’t have a thick enough bark yet and have less value.
“Then we teach them to snip off the little branches, which are like willows, and you stick them into the ground and it repopulates,” said Charlebois. “In essence, they are farming in a traditional way and are sustaining the land so they can harvest again next year. And if it’s done properly, they can harvest even more next year. The harvesters absolutely get it and Natural Resources loves this initiative.
“In talking with Employment and Training, they also support it because their clients are receiving employment training and skills. Then, Red Road Compass started working with Employment Income Assistance to help document what each harvester earned and got paid. Last year, an individual made $200 more than what they were getting on EIA.
“Some people will ask, well, what do they use the money for,” said Charlebois. “I have to say, I’m not naive and I’m sure they are using their money for whatever purposes they want. We can’t control that. Red Road Compass is providing support and we recognize that drug use is a coping mechanism for a deeper injury or trauma.
“We are providing this person an opportunity to remove themselves from a possible hostile environment, be on the land, harvest in a sustainable way, be surrounded by other people who are trying to make a positive change in their lives, follow guidelines and rules and then get paid fair market value. When we go through the process of making up their pay, we have scales and each harvester gets to see the weight of what they harvested. Everyone is part of the process in complete transparency.
“The other part of the win is here are people who are often not involved in business type transactions or conversations,” said Charlebois. “Now their opinions are being asked for and their words are being listened to. They are part of a community of harvesters and are being treated with respect and dignity. They connect themselves to memories of family who harvested and the feeling that comes with it, and that is hope.
“Now at the warm-up shelter, these individuals are no longer perpetrating lateral violence towards one another, but instead are sitting around, talking and healing, by sharing a common bond in harvesting. There is a sense of pride now within these folks and they feel like they are contributing to the larger picture.”
Charlebois knows how hard it can be when it feels like the deck is stacked against a person. This is an example of how building trust and adding kindness can go a long way in helping others to get back on their feet and find a sense of purpose.
“The very first thing that is the most difficult when working in community is establishing trust,” said Charlebois. “There’s a defence mechanism, especially with marginalized people because in many ways the system hasn’t been kind to them.
“They also take great satisfaction in knowing that the plant they are harvesting is helping people to get better. When we stopped harvesting the High Bush Cranberry Bark on Aug. 17, it was only a day later when these individuals came back to ask if there was something else they could do or another job they could work on.
“One of the misconceptions in our community is that people who are marginalized, homeless, dealing with addictions or mental health challenges are bad people,” said Charlebois. “I have been treated with nothing but kindness and respect by these individuals. I in turn show them nothing but kindness and respect back. I recognize they have value and they are not defined by their addiction. These people are human beings and extensions of my community.
“What I would love to see and find out is that in June, July and August, when our harvest was the most active, was there a reduction in shoplifting and minor crime in Swan River? Since we have stopped harvesting, there seems to be a slight uptick in those activities in Swan River in regards to break-ins and thefts.”
Whenever a new concept comes in and it is focused on helping individuals who are homeless or suffering from addictions, there is always criticism and skepticism of whether these initiatives are truly beneficial. Charlebois feels that despite some of the negativity this initiative has faced, there has been so much more positive that has come from it.
“We did have a couple of situations where someone in the community reported to the RCMP that harvesters going to the museum area,” said Charlebois. “The RCMP followed up on it and spoke to several of them.
“Another one of the criticisms I’ve received is that people shouldn’t be harvesting medicines for sale. I was raised that way too. Red Road Compass processes bear grease and other stuff away as gifts. It is all about what the definition of medicine is. I believe that harvesting in this capacity- giving people an opportunity to get away from critical environments, instilling purpose and meaning and creating part of a positive community- it all sounds like medicine to me.
“Never did I ever think that this cottage-industry could have the positive impact that it has had on people who in many ways have been deemed as hopeless by others,” said Charlebois. “The Non-Timber Initiative will resume harvesting of High Bush Cranberry in the spring.”

The municipal elections aren’t the only races that are happening in the Swan Valley, with the Thunderhill Ski Area hosting the Thunderhill Harvest Classic on Sunday (Sept. 27), featuring a 5K, 3K and 1K Fun Run, as well as a 3K Mountain Bike course, all roaming through the trails of the autumn-coloured Thunderhill. Pictured here, the participants of the 1K Fun Run take off from the starting line.

By Derek Holtom

I’m happy to report solid crowds up and down the MJHL on opening weekend, as they attempt to continue to build off the momentum from last season.

The defending league and Centennial Cup champion Niverville Nighthawks attracted a solid crowd of 729 to see their banner rising.

I was also heartened to see a solid crowd in Swan River watch the Stampeders on their opening night. A total of 450 fans turned out, bringing some normalcy for three hours to a community still cleaning up from the two floods this summer.

Dauphin was also hit with flooding this year, with waves lapping up to the steps of Credit Union Place. They drew a solid crowd of 974 fans.

Other impressive crowds include Winkler attracting 974, Portage bringing in 723, Neepawa getting 659, and Waywayseecappo getting 416 fans.

The second-most fans on opening night was in Virden as they attracted a great crowd of 1,037. Amazingly that number still pales in comparison to the top crowd from the weekend – 2,053 fans attended to watch the Steinbach Pistons beat the Winkler Flyers.

That’s a staggering amount of fans to watch a MJHL game. For comparison, when I used to cover the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in the late 1990s, they would aver­age 1,800 to 2,150 fans a game.

It’s a great success for the Pistons for sure, but one has to wonder are they becoming too successful for the MJHL? We’ve seen all sorts of movement in junior hockey leagues, especially since the NCAA started to accept players from the WHL. One wonders what the future holds for the Pistons, and what that might mean for the rest of the MJHL?

That’s all speculation for now – today the MJHL has to love seeing full rinks.

• The opening weekend MJHL Stars of the Week saw all three winners score four goals to help their teams.

Swan Valley’s Dylan Ruff had a hat trick opening night and one more the next night, as well as two assists, to earn his honour.

Noah Paulsen from the Selkirk Steelers also scored four goals – one shorthanded – as well as an assist in two games to earn his award.

The final winner is Neepawa’s Addison McIntosh. He scored all four of his team’s goals in the second game to help the Titans to a big win over the rival Portage Terriers.

• On the trade, front, the Waywayseecappo Wolverines shipped forward 2006 born Rhett Perrin and a player development fee (PDF) to the Portage Terriers for 2008 forward Jonah Lemoine. Perrin rejoins the Terriers after being dealt to the Wolverines back in the 2024-25 season. Perrin had eight goals and 13 assists in 34 games last year. Lemoine had nine goals and 17 assists last season with the Terriers.

The Winkler Flyers shipped defenseman Parker Henderson to Fort Frances of the SIJHL for a PDF.

And the Neepawa Titans sent forward Tyler Wamboldt to the Portage Terriers for a PDF. Wamboldt had seven goals and 10 assists last season with the Titans.

• Opening weekend saw a pair of suspensions as well.

Teagan Wrolstad from the Selkirk Steelers was hand­ed a one-game suspension after being assessed a board­ing major.

Also, Swan Valley’s Karson Connelly was handed one-game suspension after being assessed a cross checking major.

There was also a pair of one-game suspensions, hand­ed out on different nights, to players for taking part in one-man fights. Sitting for one game as a result is Justin Belanger from the Winkler Flyers and Ryder Heaphy from the Neepawa Titans.

Kayla Gillis will carry the Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative banner into next year’s provincial general election as the party’s candidate in the Dauphin constituency.
The PCs announced the nomination last week, citing Gillis’ high profile across the Parkland and beyond for her lifelong contributions to local economic development and community-building efforts, as the driving factor behind her nomination.
Gillis served 15 years on the board of Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival - 11 as board chair - in addition to her work with Dauphin’s Countryfest, Dauphin Tourism, and numerous other organizations.
In those roles, Gillis has helped lead some of Canada’s most notable cultural events, playing an instrumental part in spurring tourism in the region and the province as a whole.
Gillis also takes keen interest in the needs of Manitoba’s agricultural producers and the multitude of challenges faced by the sector today.
Beginning with her upbringing on a farm, she went on to graduate from Assiniboine College’s agribusiness program, served as vice-chair of the Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference, and spent more than a decade working in Manitoba’s agribusiness sector. She continues to support families, farmers, and businesses today as a leading financial service provider in the community.
“My parents taught me at a very early age that we should always strive to help others and make our community the best it can be,” Gillis said.
“That value has empowered me throughout my life to seek out any opportunity to give back to my community. Being able to advocate for the needs and concerns of our constituency at the provincial level is just that kind of opportunity.”
An enthusiastic community builder since her early years volunteering for the local 4-H Club, Gillis’ efforts have earned her the One to Watch Alumni Award from Assiniboine College’s Parkland Campus (2022), both a Global Citizen Award and a Community Leadership Award from the Royal Bank of Canada (2023), and the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025).
She was also a 2024 nominee for the Community Leadership and Social Action Award as part of YMCA Westman’s Women of Distinction Awards.
“From the recent flooding and hospital closure, to the economic fallout of tariffs, to every day cost-of-living pressures, Dauphin families have gone through a lot in a very short amount of time. Now more than ever, they need an optimistic path forward with real, practical solutions,” Gillis said.
“I’m ready to deliver that leadership as part of a Progressive Conservative team.”
The 44th Manitoba general election will be held no later than Oct. 5, 2027.

Police are hoping for the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect involved in a recent armed robbery at a Dauphin convenience store
On Sept. 14, at approximately 6:25 a.m., RCMP responded to a report of an armed robbery that had occurred at a business on the 100-block of Main Street South.
Responding officers learned a man had come into the store wearing a mask and carrying a crowbar.
He threatened the store employee with the crowbar, then walked behind the counter and stole several packs of cigarettes. He then ran to the front of the counter, grabbed several bags of potato chips and a drink from the fridge, then fled the store.
The suspect was last seen fleeing down an alley.
Officers, with assistance from RCMP Police Dog Services, searched the area following the incident, but were unable to locate the man.
Police are asking for help indentifying the man, who at the time of the robbery was wearing a white sweater, black pants, white shoes, a black ski mask and gloves.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dauphin RCMP at 204-622-5020, Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or to submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
• • •
A local cyclist was sent to hospital last week following a report of a collision with a vehicle.
The incident occurred on Fourth Avenue Southwest and Main Street in Dauphin. Upon responding, police learned a truck turning right onto Main Street was struck by a cyclist riding on the wrong side of the street.
The cyclist, a 33-year-old woman, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle, a 39-year-old woman, was uninjured.
No charges or tickets are expected.
• • •
Two people are facing numerous firearms charges after police executed multiple search warrants at residences in Dauphin and on the Pine Creek First Nation as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
The first search warrant was executed at a home on Hwy. 272 by the Manitoba West District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team (CREST), with support from the Manitoba West District General Investigation Section (GIS), Police Dog Services and Winnipegosis and Dauphin RCMP detachment members.
Once inside, officers found five firearms and some ammunition. Neither resident had a valid licence to possess firearms, with the man being prohibited via court order from possessing guns. The firearms were seized.
Further investigation led RCMP to writing and executing a second search warrant at a residence on King Street in Dauphin later that day.
Fifteen firearms and ammunition were seized from that residence.
As a result, Ernest Chief, 41, of Pine Creek First Nation is charged with two counts each of unsafe storage of firearms, unauthorized possession of a firearm and disobeying acourt order.
In addition, Natasha Chief, 36, of Dauphin is charged with two counts each of unsafe storage of firearms and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
• • •
During the morning of Sept. 16, Dauphin RCMP observed a man wearing a mask and gloves, while they were assisting paramedics at a medical call on Second Avenue Northeast.
A witness at the scene then directed officers to a knife and a cannister of bear spray that the man had just discarded.
The officers arrested him, at which point the suspect provided a false name.
Soon after, officers identified the man who was wanted in connection with a Sept. 11 incident in which a man had gone into the home of someone he knew, threw stuff around and damaged their television.
James Fredrick Ducharme, 22, of Duck Bay is charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and mischief under $5,000.
He was remanded in custody.

Although they lost both games over the weekend, there were plenty of positives the Dauphin Kings can take from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s opening weekend.
In a back and forth season opener, the Kings fell 6-5 in overtime to the Selkirk Steelers, Friday in Selkirk.
In Saturday’s home opener in front of 904 spectators, the Kings dropped a 3-2 decision.
Kings head coach Bryan Kromm felt the Kings did a lot of good things in the two games.
“With a young group, it’s about consistency. And I thought we played well on Friday and tonight, we weren’t really consistent with our game for a full 60,” he said.
“So when you don’t play hockey that way, the right way, for that amount of time, obviously, you’re going to end up on the wrong side of the scoresheet.”
Kromm was pleased with the compete level he saw, noting the team is working on its resiliency.
“Obviously, there’s ups and downs. And again, with the young group like we have, they’ve got to figure out how to handle those ups and those downs and stay level headed throughout it,” he said.
The injury bug has hit teams to start the season with four players missing Friday’s season opener and Kurtis Kinoshita leaving that game.
Every team, Kromm said, goes through injuries at some point in a season.
“You’ve just got to deal with it. There’s no excuses, right?” he said.
Also missing from the lineup was veteran Dylan Miko, who served a two-game suspension for a checking from behind major he picked up in game four against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in last year’s quarterfinal series.
Kromm expects to have everyone back by this weekend, when the Kings host the Swan Valley Stampeders, Friday, at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the teams faceoff in a rematch in Swan River, also at 7 p.m.
Kromm said there is still a lot of things for the team to work on, noting it is a work in progress.
Kings court: After recording four points in 18 games last season, defenceman Sam Swanton registered four assists in Friday’s season opener and added a fifth helper Saturday. Counting the preseason, forward Collin Friedrich has seven goals in six games. He scored four times in four preseason contests and has three goals in the first two games of the regular season.

A large turnover of players has resulted in a young Dauphin Clippers football hitting the field in the Rural Manitoba Football League, this season.
And, although they lost the season opener, 48-0, to the St. Vital Mustangs, Sunday in Dauphin, it was a good learning experience for the young squad.
“I think it was huge. We had so many things that we didn’t have a chance to work on. In fact that was our first time on the football field,” said Clippers head coach Nathan Thacker.
“We do all our practicing off to the side, because we don’t like to damage the field. So spatially, it was a lot of learning that had to go on.”
Despite the lopsided score, Thacker was pleased with a lot of aspects of the game.
“When you look at the fact that at the end of the game, we still had kids clawing for every inch on offence and running their butts off on defence trying to make tackles. Not shying away from contact,” he said.
The coaches, Thacker said, can work with players who maybe miss an assignment or aren’t quite sure what they’re supposed to be doing.
“You learn a lot about your kids in a game like that. Who wants to play when they’re down? Who gives up early? And we didn’t see a lot of people that gave up early. And we saw a lot of people that wanted to play at the end. So that means a lot,” he said.
The Clippers, who have plenty of things to build on for the next game, will now get ready to host the Swan Valley Tigers, Sunday, at 1 p.m.
“Defensively, we had a few people who wanted to spectate, because when the older kids are making plays, you step back, but they know what it takes now,” Thacker said.
“And then offensively, we saw the things that we struggled with, which was mainly timing. And we knew that. But when you’re not executing on offence, you make your defence pretty tired.”
Thacker added this is the happiest he has ever been after losing a game by 48 points.

The Terry Fox Run, Walk, Skate, Roll, Bike event took place this past Sunday (Sept. 20), with registration outside the Swan River Centennial Arena. The event was attended by all walks of life, as well as all ages, to help raise awareness and support cancer research. Pictured, The event gets underway with numerous Swan Valley residents setting out on the route.

The Terry Fox Run, Walk, Skate, Roll, Bike event took place this past Sunday (Sept. 20), with registration outside the Swan River Centennial Arena. The event was attended by all walks of life, as well as all ages, to help raise awareness and support cancer research. Pictured here, Andrew Pidskalny signs the No Matter What sign that was placed outside for everyone to view and sign.

After listening to the views of Manitobans on seasonal time changes, the Manitoba government has decided to remain on daylight saving time (DST) permanently, Premier Wab Kinew announced today.

“We heard from Manitobans loud and clear – no more changing the clocks in Manitoba,” said Kinew. “Permanent daylight saving time is good for our health, good for business and good for parents. For families, especially those with young kids, that one-hour shift can disrupt sleep and routines for days. This change means one less adjustment families have to deal with each spring and fall. That’s why this November, your clocks won’t be changing.”

This change means Manitobans’ clocks will not revert to standard time on Nov. 1. Manitoba joins several other provinces and territories that have adopted or are moving toward a permanent time including British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

In May, Manitobans were asked to share their views on the future of time changes and nearly 72,000 votes were submitted. A total of 92 per cent of Manitobans surveyed wanted to see an end to seasonal time changes. A majority of Manitobans (58 per cent) preferred to stay on permanent DST, while 34 per cent voted to eliminate the time change but stay on standard time.

The Manitoba government is working closely with organizations, businesses and industry partners as it works to implement permanent DST, the premier noted.

“Permanent daylight saving time is good for Manitoba businesses,” said Loren Remillard, president and CEO, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. “More daylight in the evening means more opportunity for restaurants, retailers, farmers, and communities across our province to make the most of the day. Ending the twice-a-year clock change reduces friction for companies working across provincial borders and offers all Manitobans greater predictability and stability. The Winnipeg Chamber welcomes this practical step to make doing business in our province a little easier.”

An analysis by Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care concluded that eliminating time changes would be better for population health than maintaining the status quo.

The full report is available at: https://manitoba.ca/asset_library/en/proactive/20252026/time-policy-factsheet.pdf