The Board of Directors of the Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival (NMTF) are ushering in the 80th year of Trappers’ Festival with the release of this year's logo. The logo is unique and vastly different from logos of years past. According to NMTF Chairperson Lorie Stevenson, for years the NMTF logo has been created by Honorary Trapper Riel Berard.
“Reil has been a strong supporter of the festival and as an artist and naturalist, has brought to life Trapper imagery every year in a creative and fun way,” said Stevenson. “We are very thankful for the work Riel has done each year on our iconic logo.
Berard has been creating the logo for NMTF since 1973 and was bestowed the title of Honourary Trapper title in 1975.
“For 53 years we have had our logo created by Riel and each and every year he produced a logo that reflected some aspect of the NMTF and northern living,” said Stevenson. “He is a remarkable artist and we are thankful that he chose to keep creating our logos.

The countdown to Manitoba’s quintessential country music festival is on. Dauphin Countryfest kicks off June 25 and with an eclectic and iconic mix of artists set to hit the stage, it is going to be legendary.
The four-day music festival takes place in the idyllic Selo Ukraina site just five minutes south of Dauphin, and according to organizers, not only is the festival an economic boost to the community, it is more importantly an opportunity for country music fans to build community.
“The togetherness it creates in our community, the sense of pride it gives us to host such a large event is immense,” said Countryfest First Vice-President Bob Gilroy. “The economic impact for a rural Manitoba community like Dauphin does not go unnoticed with an event the size of Countryfest. In its initial years, Countryfest was similar to many rural community events - small and with little financial input and a lot of volunteer blood, sweat and tears. Over the past 37 years, the festival has grown to the point that one cannot ignore the economic boost it provides Dauphin directly and by extension the Parkland region.

Midwest Karate The Pas has shown that hard work and dedicated training lead to success. Students in the club attended the JKA National Championship in Winnipeg, where they came home with several medals. The tournament is held annually in the spring and tests the athletes’ ability in both kata (patterns) and kumite (sparring).
"Our students did exceptionally well. I am always proud when they take part in a tournament as it can be challenging," said The Pas Head Instructor Sensei Jodie Kuhl. "Our athletes did bring home a number of medals, which is fantastic. I'm also very proud as an instructor and coach, regardless of the medals. The students work hard and put themselves into competition, not knowing how it will go. It takes a lot of nerve to compete at the national level. Each athlete who attended made our club proud."

May 10 marked World Lupus Day, a time to bring awareness to a complex and often misunderstooddisease that affects many Canadians. In recognition of this day, Lupus Canada issued a national challenge from May 1 to 10, encouraging Canadians to complete 1,000 repetitions, whether it’s running, cycling, swimming, or another physical challenge, to raise awareness for lupus. Why 1,000? Lupus is often called the Disease of 1,000 Faces because it affects everyone differently.
Kelly Petryk, a dedicated coach with The Pas Roadrunners, has been living with lupus for 14 years. Determined to raise her voice and make some waves, she took the challenge to heart with a goal to swim 1,000 laps over 10 days.

Canada Post has received strike notices from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), for both Urban and RSMC (Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers) bargaining units. The notices indicate that CUPW intends to begin strike activity on Friday, May 23 at midnight local time.
Our operations continue as usual at this time.
A labour disruption would affect the millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on the postal service and deepen the company’s already serious financial situation. It is critical that both parties focus their energies on resolving issues to reach negotiated agreements.
In the event CUPW initiates rotating strike activity, Canada Post intends to continue delivering in unaffected areas while working to reach negotiated agreements. Canada Post will work to minimize service disruptions, but customers may experience delays.

On March 4, 2025, the residents of the St. Claude Health Center started a Playoff Support project. The residents picked their favourite team and coloured their logo. Lyla Thevenot, a Red River Métis citizen, cheered for the Northern Manitoba Blizzard. She loved the north and had an extensive knowledge of the history of the land and people. She was an ambassador for Métis culture to all she knew, teaching beading, making moccasins, and playing the fiddle. Her musical talent was known by many in the Métis community through singing, playing guitar, banjo, and piano. She was well known for her hospitality.

Each year, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League announces a Community Ambassador Team that includes one player from each team in the league.
Players are chosen for their outstanding citizenship and sportsmanship on the ice as well as off the ice, with a dedication to volunteering within their home team community.
With the support of RBC, each player can donate to an organization of their choice.
Alex Andre, from Northern Manitoba Blizzard, chose to donate to Opasquia School. Alex has played a major role in many of our after-school clubs, including Science, Lego, Pow Wow and Sports with the Blizzard. He has also volunteered for school-wide events when his busy schedule allowed him.
Alex, you are a true role model for our students, showing them how hard work, dedication and helping others go a long way for our community.