Selkirk doctor says he never wanted to leave the community

Dr. Lamin Benshaban is temporarily working at the Leila Medical Clinic in Winnipeg. The Red River Medical Clinic, which he ran for the last five years in Selkirk, closed at the end of June but the doctor says he never wanted to leave the city.

By Austin Grabish

A Selkirk doctor, who abruptly closed his walk-in clinic’s doors in June, says he didn’t want to leave the city and is desperately looking for a way to come back.

Dr. Lamin Benshaban was the primary physician at the Red River Medical Clinic, which shut down suddenly on June 28.

Benshaban said he had to close his clinic because his lease with Towers Realty Group, which owns Selkirk Town Plaza, was up and mall management wouldn’t let him renew it, instead they offered him a chance to rent the space on a month-to-month to basis.

Benshaban said he declined, citing uncertainty as a concern, and in July started working at a clinic on Ellice Ave. in Winnipeg, before moving to the Leila Medical Clinic.

“I told them I can’t go for that space just after a month you ask me to move again, that doesn’t make any sense,” Benshaban said.

Benshaban is a father of four and lives in Winnipeg but insists he never wanted to leave Selkirk despite the daily commute.

“I’m still hoping to go back,” he said. 

“I felt I am connected to the people there and I have hard time to quit that clinic.”

Benshaban had worked at his Selkirk clinic for five years before it closed in June.

The clinic was technically a walk-in, but the majority of patients were regulars of Benshaban’s who couldn’t find a family doctor, he said.

The doctor estimates he would see 40 to 50 patients in his clinic on an average day.

He estimates the Red River Medical Clinic has at least 3,000 patient charts and some belong to longtime patients who were there before he took over the clinic in June 2010.

The files remain in Selkirk, but Benshaban admits he doesn’t have a timeframe of when he could be returning to the city.

“For the last two months I’ve been in a dilemma,” he said. “You don’t know what you have to do, because something happened without plan to do this move.”

Benshaban said Towers Realty offered him a different spot in the mall, but the estimated $40,000 in set up costs for him to move was too expensive.

Property manager Linda Muron said she couldn’t comment on the matter, because she didn’t handle the file. However, she did say leases and their length vary and depend on both the person coming forward and agents who handle the contracts.

“It just depends on what the individual wants and if the landlord and owner is prepared to accept it,” Muron said.

Benshaban said he is still exploring other options that would let him re-open in Selkirk, but warned if nothing happens soon he may not come back to the community.

“If it’s going to take too long, I’m not sure,” he said. “I’m going to establish patients here (in Winnipeg).”

Benshaban said he is welcoming patients in Winnipeg, in the meantime and can be reached at the Leila Clinic by phone at 204-953-2787. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition August 20 2015 p.11

Selkirk shelling out thousands to defend $25 parking tickets

RECORD PHOTO BY BRETT MITCHELL

A ticket for a parking violation sits on a vehicle on Manitoba Ave. in Selkirk Monday morning. The City of Selkirk is spending thousands on legal fees to defend $25 parking tickets it has issued.

By Austin Grabish

The City of Selkirk is spending thousands on legal fees to defend $25 parking tickets it has issued, but is still retaining a hefty amount of revenue from the fines.

Documents obtained by the Selkirk Record through a Freedom of Information request show the city spent a total of $7,127.20 on legal fees associated with defending the tickets over the last two years.

Despite the cost, the city still managed to pull in $25,100 from parking fines during 2013 and 2014, leaving the city with nearly $18,000 in revenue from the tickets.

The legal costs stem from fees the city incurs when a lawyer represents them in court and when the city receives legal advice on parking ticket related matters, the city’s CAO Duane Nicol said via email.

Currently, formal parking ticket challenges can only be made in a provincial court.

A ticketed driver can plead not guilty, or guilty with an explanation, and a provincial judge then determines if the person is guilty and what fine, if any, should be paid.

On July 15, at least two ticketed drivers pleaded guilty with an explanation in Selkirk traffic court.

Both offered explanations for why they violated parking rules, but were ultimately found guilty by a provincial judge.

The City of Selkirk’s legal counsel was asking for $200 fines to be upheld in each case, but the judge only ordered the original ticket amount of $25 to be paid, saying $200 was too outrageous for a parking ticket.

Nicol said the city sees the current expenses as reasonable and necessary given current provincial legislation that requires tickets be fought “formally” in court.

He said people have the right to challenge a ticket outside of the city’s own appeal process and added when the city gets proper legal advice and representation, it has a better chance of getting the fine paid.

Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson said the cost of a lawyer is necessary because the city has to do its due diligence and make sure parking tickets get paid.

“If we didn’t do anything on it and just left it up to people’s good faith to come in and pay them, I really don’t think we would see very many parking tickets paid,” Johannson said.

Nicol said while the city is retaining revenue from the tickets, there are other costs to consider like the salary of a bylaw enforcement officer.

“The purpose of our enforcement activity is achieving public compliance with the by-law, not issuing tickets,” he said.

Parking tickets in Selkirk are $25 if paid within 11 days, they then rise to $50 if paid within 20 days, before finally going up to $200.

The tickets are placed on vehicles parked in no-parking zones, time-restricted areas, loading zones, and fire hydrants, for example.

After 30 days, an unpaid ticket is defaulted and can be handed over to a collection agency, and the city also has the authority to place a lien on a vehicle.

The city wasn’t able to provide the total number of parking tickets issued for both years and couldn’t say how many were contested in court, because it doesn’t track that information, Nicol said.

Breaking down the numbers...

• In 2014 the city spent $3,917.20 on legal costs associated with parking tickets and collected $12,900 from tickets that year in revenue.

• In 2013 the city spent $3,210 on legal fees associated with parking tickets and collected $12,200 from the tickets the same year.

- Information provided by the City of Selkirk

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition August 20 2015 p.2

Water drainage woes upset Lockport Road residents

St. Andrews resident Jim DeVries stands in front of a culvert on Lockport Road hidden behind sediment and untrimmed vegetation. He wants the RM of St. Andrews to clean out drains like this on the road to reduce overland flooding.

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

St. Andrews residents living on Lockport Road have complained about drainage issues and overland flooding for years, but now there’s renewed home something may finally be done about the issue.

A meeting organized by St. Andrews council on June 23 drew some 60 residents, who voiced their concerns over flooding and a lack of maintenance on their streets.

Residents from both Donald and Lockport Road attended the Rossdale Community hall for a meeting with St. Andrews council.

“It was an excellent meeting,” said Coun. Joy Sul.

Sul said drainage issues have plagued Lockport Road residents for decades.

“They have a big issue with overland flooding,” she said.

Resident Jim DeVries has been complaining to the RM of St. Andrews about drainage issues and overland flooding for the last decade.

His home is on higher property and hasn’t flooded, but his neighbours’ homes have, and just a few years ago, a pump had to be brought in to save his garage from flooding.

He said ditches on the road get anywhere from three – four feet of water every year from the snow melt, but the water doesn’t move as quickly as it could, because drains are plugged with sediment and vegetation like cattails, which then causes overland flooding. 

“It just fills up,” he said.

“The issue is the municipality has done nothing in this ditch to improve the drainage.”

The RM of St. Andrews has spent thousands on studies to determine what is best for the street in recent years.

A newspaper article from 2005 shows an estimated $1.4 million was to be spent over a five-year period by the province and RM of St. Andrews to address drainage issues on Lockport Road. 

Sul said this year alone there is $90,000 in total allocated in the RM’s budget for flood monitoring on the street. 

But she agrees with DeVries that better maintenance needs to happen on the street. 

“It would appear there’s been (a) lack of maintenance,” she said. 

She said the street and residents’ concerns about it have gone unanswered for too long.

“It’s not a question,” she said.

Sul said she plans on proposing a maintenance schedule for the road at council. 

The vow by Sul is relief for DeVries who feels his concerns about clogged drains and overland flooding have gone unanswered for years. 

“They just need to clean the crap out,” he said. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 23 2015 p.11

Councillor claims she's being excluded from meetings

Rookie St. Andrews councillor Joy Sul claims she has been excluded from municipal business relating to governance and personnel issues, matters that are dealt with by a committee she chairs.

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

Rookie St. Andrews councillor Joy Sul claims she is being excluded from municipal business relating to governance and personnel issues, matters that are dealt with by the very committee she chairs.

Sul made the claim at last Tuesday’s council meeting, and asked Mayor George Pike for clarification on what exactly her role with the committee is. 

She told council she had no committee report to present, yet again, and claimed to be excluded from recent maters related to the committee.

“It just seems like every meeting I’ll be saying no report,” she said. 

“I have been excluded from certain meetings.”

She cited the recent hiring of a mechanic as one example of her being kept in the dark. 

“I had no idea,” she said when referring to the new hire.

She added she was only informed a day before Tuesday’s meeting about an employee’s reclassification that was handled by another councillor. 

“I would very much appreciate to know if I am chair of this committee or not,” she said.

Pike told Sul she is indeed the chair of the committee and that particular issue was being addressed by Coun. Rob Hogg, because the matter related to the transportation department, which he is responsible for. 

“Some of the areas overlap,” Pike explained.

Pike said information relating to the new hire was discussed with all members of council at a regular meeting.

He added only two people applied for the job, and one lived out of town and couldn't make it to the interview when answering Sul’s question why she wasn't informed of the interview process. 

Sul pressed Pike as to why she wasn't informed or part of the interview. 

“My question is why am I not being advised of these meetings if this is what I’m chair of?” she said.

Pike said council took note of Sul’s concern and would be kept in the loop in the future. 

“We’ll make sure you're included,” he said. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 23 2015 p.10

History buffs to assess war memorabilia

Matthew Rothenberger, a Parks Canada interpretation co-ordinator,
dons a helmet, binoculars, and a Second World War soldier's uniform.

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

The stage is being set for stories behind First and Second World War relics tucked away in basements and attics to come alive this Sunday at Lower Fort Garry. 

Historians are going to be on site evaluating war memorabilia and family heirlooms as part of an event entitled ‘We’ll Meet Again.’

The history buffs won’t be giving the estimated financial value of items, but will rather tell the story behind the relics. 

“It’s simply to tell people the story behind the item that they bring in,” explains David Lavallee, a Parks Canada spokesperson. 

Lavallee said everyone is being encouraged to check attics for old war items like medals, pieces of uniforms, or soldiers’ badge’s, and bring them on Sunday to the Fort to learn about the item’s history. 

“We will have a team of experts who can look at the items and tell people the story behind them,” he said.

“Our people will be able to tell you about it.”

Sunday’s event is part of a broader effort by Parks Canada to commemorate both World Wars, and is being made possible due to partnerships with organizations like the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum.

“It’s a collaborative effort and we’re hoping to see a lot of people out there that day,” Lavallee said.

The event’s name ‘We Will Meet Again’ is borrowed from the famous 1939 British song by Dame Vera Lynn, which at the time resonated with many since so many soldiers didn’t get to meet their loved ones again after the war. 

Vintage military vehicles will be display on Sunday, and there will also be war-themed women’s fashion show, as well as live music from a jazz band that will perform war-dated tunes. 

“There’s lots of different stuff for people to enjoy even if they don’t have a family heirloom from either of the wars that they can bring in,” Lavallee said.

We’ll Meet Again takes place this Sunday at Lower Fort Garry from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

Regular admission fees to get into the fort apply. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 23 2015 p.7

Meet Eddie, the crime-fighting canine

“He’s my buddy. He’s like the best friend a person could ever have.”

Sgt. Kent MacInnis and his four-legged bomb-detecting dog Eddie are a new crime-fighting duo based in East St. Paul. 

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

A new crime-fighting duo has set up shop in East St. Paul, and the six-legged team has already been kept busy on their four paws and two feet. 

Eddie, a three-year-old German Shepherd, along with partner Sgt. Kent MacInnis, transferred from Dauphin to the RCMP’s East St. Paul detachment in June. 

The dog is one of eight crime-fighting canines Manitoba Mounties have on their roster, and is the police force’s only Manitoba-based dog that specializes in finding bombs.

His nose has been put to good use recently – responding to calls of potential explosives and locating a missing person, all since coming to East St. Paul. 

Together with MacInnis, the duo covers the entire Eastern region of Manitoba right up to the Ontario border. The two also respond to calls in Saskatchewan as needed.

“It’s a large service area,” said MacInnis, who is the non-commissioned officer in charge of eight police dogs in Manitoba. 

The dogs are all trained to track suspects, missing persons, search for evidence, and some like Eddie, can even make arrests. 

“They’re a vital tool in police work,” MacInnis said. 

Eddie takes all of his direction from MacInnis and is trained to detect threats against his partner.

He comes across as playful, but on just one command from MacInnis, Eddie will turn around and apprehend a suspect by biting if needed.

“Dad what do you want me to do,” MacInnis says his dog asks.

Eddie, 3, is the RCMP's only bomb detecting dog in Manitoba.

“When he comes out of his kennel he’s always trained to look to work.”

Eddie spends day-in and day-out with MacInnis and the two live together. “He’s my buddy. He’s like the best friend a person could ever have,” MacInnis said.

Yet, the dog isn’t a pet to MacInnis. “He is my partner.” 

“He’s always looking to work and that’s the distinction as opposed to a pet that can lay down and lay beside you on the couch. My dog will not do that,” he said. 

MacInnis said even during playtime outside the dog wants to work, and that’s the result of rigorous training he has undertaken since he was a pup.

Chosen because of his good health, learning ability, and drive to work, Eddie has had a successful first 15 months on the force since being sworn in last March. 

His success is credited in part to his former four-legged mentor Rev, who was MacInnis’ first police dog.

He was put down in 2013 after being badly injured in a car crash. MacInnis and Rev were left in critical condition after being T-boned near Saskatchewan while driving home to Manitoba from a conference in Edmonton. 

Eddie was in the car at the time of the crash, but survived. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 23 2015 p.14

Clinic closure leaves patients in limbo

RECORD PHOTO BY BRETT MITCHELL

The Red River Medical Clinic inside Selkirk Town Plaza abruptly shut its doors on June 28. 

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

A medical clinic in Selkirk has abruptly closed its doors leaving patients who depend on the care its sole doctor provided in limbo.

The Red River Medical Clinic shut down on June 28, and provincial health officials are not sure if it will re-open or what will happen to the clinic’s patients.

The walk-in clinic located in Selkirk Town Plaza appeared empty last Friday and had a sign on the door apologizing to patients. 

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,” the sign said. 

Dr. Lamin Benshaban runs the clinic and has had his practice in the mall since 2010. 

He was previously a doctor in Gimli, and news of his clinic’s closure wasn’t taken well by at least one of his patients.

St. Andrews resident Debbie Kars has diabetes, high blood pressure, and Shingles, and has been a regular patient of Benshaban’s for over three years. 

She said he told her shortly before the clinic closed he had no choice, but to shut down his practice because the space was being taken over by another tenant.

“I went to him and said ‘why are you closing where are you going?'” she said.

“I wanted to know what’s happening.”

Kars said the doctor has been instrumental in helping her manage her diabetes over the last of couple of years, and fears not having a regular doctor to now go to. 

“There’s a lot of people that are upset that he’s gone,” she said. 

Last Friday, a Manitoba Health spokesperson said the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority contacted the clinic about its closure, but had yet to receive any kind of response. 

The spokeswoman said the clinic is a fee-for-service practice meaning any physicians who work in it are under no contractual obligation to the RHA.

The spokeswoman said former patients of the walk-in clinic can go to the Selkirk QuickCare Clinic on Manitoba Avenue if they require care.

But the clinic is staffed only by nurse practitioners, and Kars said she would prefer to see a doctor for specialized care.

“I would rather have a doctor’s opinion not just a nurse’s opinion,” she said.

The Record reached the property manager of Selkirk Town Plaza briefly on the phone last Friday, but the manager wouldn’t get into details about the clinic’s closure or say if a new tenant was taking over the space. 

“I can’t comment on that,” she said. 

Kars said the clinic’s closure is another blow to a city already suffering from a doctor shortage.

“Selkirk does need doctors and we need them badly.”

“I feel like Selkirk has lost a good doctor.”

The Record was unable to reach Benshaban for comment.

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 9 2015 p.3

Derelict vessel removal bill sinks in House of Commons

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

A private member’s bill that would have made the federal government responsible for the removal of derelict vessels is dead in the water after a 145-133 vote in the House of Commons.

British Columbia MP Jean Coward put Bill C-368 forward late last year, and the bill sunk at its second reading in May.

Coward’s bill would have made amendments to the 2001 Canada Shipping Act, which would have made the Canadian Coast Guard responsible for all of the country’s abandoned vessels including the MS Lord Selkirk II.

Currently, the Coast Guard only deals with abandoned vessels if they are in the way of something or are an obstacle to navigation.

Crowder argued the majority of abandoned boats across the country don’t pose an obstacle to anything and are therefore left to rot.

She recognized there is often a fight over who should pay for an abandoned vessel’s removal between the different levels of government, and which federal department should deal with the wrecks.

“Part of the reason I brought this bill forward is that what we have out there is a jurisdictional quagmire,” Crowder said. 

St. Johns South MP Ryan Cleary supported Crowder’s bill saying derelict vessels are a growing problem across Canada.

Cleary said in 2012 the number of derelict and abandoned vessels was pegged at 240, with the majority of those boats on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

The abandoned boats have been eyesores for residents across the country including in Selkirk.

The MS Lord Selkirk II was abandoned in 1990 and efforts to have the ship removed from the slough it’s been rotting in have repeatedly gone unsuccessful. 

Conservative MP Ed Komarnicki from Souris, Sask. said the Tories didn’t support the bill, because it did not address the bigger issue – the prevention of the abandonment of vessels. 

“This private member's bill is a sincere attempt to address the issue of abandoned vessels and wrecks. 

“However, when we look at the facts, we see it is clear that the bill does not provide the proper mechanisms needed to respond to the issue,” Komarnick told the House. 

He added the bill could have unintended consequences, like encouraging boat owners to abandon their vessels relying on the federal government for their disposal. 

“This cannot become so here,” he said. 

The Tories' stance on derelict vessels mirrors one long echoed by Selkirk-Interlake MP James Bezan.

Bezan doesn’t believe taxpayers should be on the hook for removing the ships and reiterated the Tories hardline stance on the issue in a phone interview last Friday. 

He said in the case of the MS Lord Selkirk II, legal action should be taken against the ship’s owner, who although has filed for bankruptcy, may be held accountable for the rotting beast. 

A spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada said the MS Lord Selkirk poses no further threat of hydrocarbon pollution so its work with the ship is done.

The Coast Guard raised the vessel in 2014 to remove hydrocarbons from the ship.

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 9 2015 p.9

Online petition calls on feds to remove rotting ship

RECORD PHOTO BY BRETT MITCHELL
An online petition started by Selkirk resident Lois Wales is calling on Selkirk-Interlake MP James Bezan and the federal Tories to pay for the removal of the MS Lord Selkirk II.

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

A new online petition is calling on Selkirk-Interlake MP James Bezan and the federal government to pay for the removal of the rotting MS Lord Selkirk II and remediation of toxins lurching in water beneath the vessel. 

Selkirk resident Lois Wales started the petition on change.org last Friday.

The petition lists a string of contaminants a toxicologist found in water around the ship last year.

It says the federal government has breached its responsibility to remove the ship from the slough it’s been sitting in since 1990.

By Monday afternoon, it had garnered the support of 275 people, many from Selkirk, but some from as far away as Cochrane, Alta. 

Wales wants the federal government to pick up the entire bill for the ship’s decommissioning, which latest estimates show will be around $500,000.

The City of Selkirk has awarded tender to have the boat removed, but is waiting on a cost-sharing agreement with the province before it can move forward.

Mayor Larry Johannson wants a 50/50 split between the two levels of government. The feds have said they will not chip in for the venture.  

Wales said the ship is a huge environmental issue the federal government and not the City of Selkirk should be dealing with.

She is displeased with Bezan and his fellow Tories’ stance that paying for the ship’s removal would set a dangerous precedent allowing other vessels to be abandoned with taxpayers picking up the cost of their removal.

“I think it’s important he realizes the citizens of Selkirk are not happy with this situation,” Wales said.

“Waterways and lakes are a federal responsibility.”

In an interview with the Record last Friday, Bezan said the feds shouldn’t be on the hook for irresponsible owners who abandoned their watercrafts.

“You got to remember that there are derelict vessels right across this country not just the Lord Selkirk,” Bezan said. 

“Ultimately it is the responsibility of the owners of those vessels to be held to account for the impact on the environment,” he said.

There has been a debate for years over who is responsible for the ship. 

In cases where abandoned vessels have no legal owner that can be found, the Receiver of Wreck can get involved.

But Bezan said that hasn’t happened because the MS Lord Selkirk does have a legal owner, and despite the fact the company has filed for bankruptcy, they could be held accountable.

“The Lord Selkirk ship is held by a company in New Jersey that right now is currently in creditor protection, but there is a known owner, and for that reason the Receiver of Wreck and Transport Canada rules it does not need to intervene,” Bezan said.

Wales said the feds should have dealt with the ship when it was abandoned 25 years ago.

“The city has inherited this problem because of their inaction to actually do what they could under the Navigable Waters Act,” she said. 

“It will be a costly remediation and I do not believe that should be left on a city of 10,000.”

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 9 2015 p.9

Lake St. Martin Grade 9 grads told to stay in school

Five students overcome challenges, gear up for high school

Lake St. Martin Grade 9 grads Danis Pelletier, Elizabeth Ross, Bryden Sinclair, Jody Ross, and Kristen Summer throw their graduation caps at the end of their grad ceremony in Winnipeg June 18. 

By Austin Grabish, The Express Weekly News 

It’s unusual for a solemn tone to blanket a graduation ceremony, but for five students from Lake St. Martin First Nation this year’s convocation was like no other.

Donning red and black cap and gowns, the small group of Grade 9 graduates paraded to the front of Lake St. Martin School’s theatre in Winnipeg to receive graduation certificates and listen to the prospects of what’s to come during an hour long ceremony on June 18. 

As they sat down, Danis Pelletier, Bryden Sinclair, Kristen Summer, and Jody and Elizabeth Ross received words of encouragement and were told to keep their heads up high, because a new challenge lies ahead. 

Principal Lillian Ross and 2014 Maples Collegiate grad Emily Pruden encouraged the graduates to stay in school. 

Pruden, 19, told the grads she knows that will be a challenge since it’s one she just overcame last year.

“It will be tough, but if I can do it so can you.”

The number of dropouts from the flooded-out First Nation has soared in recent years. 

Staying in school was something soft-spoken Pruden and others begged students to do.

“I went to school in a trailer, and in the first week of school there was almost 20 (students) and in the end, only five of us had graduated that year,” Pruden said. “Why? Because most of them lost their hope along the way and they stopped coming.” 

Some 100 students from Lake St. Martin have been shuffled around Winnipeg ever since being flooded out of their Northern Interlake community in the spring of 2011. 

The students didn’t finish school that year, and few have gone on to graduate since coming to Winnipeg. 

“There’s a lot of them actually,” said Pruden. “They basically dropped out because they weren’t ready for it.”

The students have had constant interruptions to their learning and have been shuffled around various buildings in the city including the Salvation Army, and their current school in St. James, which was abruptly closed and later re-opened in 2012 due to failed safety standards. 

Valedictorian Kristen Summer said she knows going to a high school in Winnipeg will be different than the small class settings she and her peers have become accustomed to. 

“I heard school isn’t like the way it is here, but I’m willing to try to make the best of it. I know there is still a lot more to learn in life and I’m ready for whatever is thrown at my way,” Summer said. 

“When September comes I’ll walk through this new school with a smile and I’ll stand proud.”

Danis Pelletier takes a selfie before walking into Lake St. Martin School's Grade 9 grad ceremony. 

Elder Betty Traverse congratulated the five students for sticking it out this far. 

“I’m a very proud grandma,” she said. 

There are no high school grads from Lake St. Martin this year, but Ross hopes this year’s group will change that in a few years.

Just last week, the First Nation had a groundbreaking ceremony on new land the band plans to re-build its community on. 

A new high school is to be built on the land, and Ross is optimistic once students return home to their traditional lands they will stay in school. 

“I think I have a lot of hope more than worry,” Ross said. “I’m just hoping these kids keep going.”

Pruden told a reporter it was her favourite comic book character Superman that kept her going. 

“He was my icon,” she said. “He told me to keep going.”

Bryden Sinclair is the only boy to graduate from Grade 9 at Lake St. Martin School this year. 

 -- First published in the Express Weekly News print edition July 2 2015 p.18 

'The tassel is definitely worth the hassle'

Selkirk Class of 2015 valedictorian Connor Tompkins. 

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

Finishing Grade 12 and graduating high school is surely something many students mull from the time they're young, and now it's something 357 Selkirk graduates can add to their list of achievements. 

A sea of blue filled the Selkirk Rec Complex as the class of 2015 took to their seats on Monday afternoon for the school’s graduation ceremony. 

Outfitted from head to toe in blue with a trim of white and a pinch of shiny gold on their grad caps, the Class of 2015 was recognized for more than a decade’s worth of hard work. 

A few thousand friends and family members filled the stands and listened to special remarks before grads lined up one-by-one to receive their high school diplomas. 

Principal Jerret Long said the students have a lot to celebrate, but he wanted to remind the graduating class that life wouldn’t always be easy. 

“You will go through seasons of uncertainty and tough times, but ... I want you to remember that you made it here. That you did it,” Long said during his address to the grads. “It was because of commitment. 

“It was because you put your mind to task and accomplished it.” 

Long said if he had to offer one piece of advice to students it would be to go out and make the most of every success and failures too. 

“Because we learn and grow from both,” he said. 

Lord Selkirk School Division chair Jean Oliver said students in the division have made several meaningful contributions to the local and international communities during their tenure at the Comp and the division’s adult learning program. 

She said whether it was building schools overseas or volunteering at Our Daily Bread Soup 

Kitchen, the community should be proud of the accomplishments students have made. 

“I stand in awe at the philanthropic actions you have performed,”Oliver said. 

Valedictorian Connor Tompkins added some humour to the ceremony in his address to the graduating class. 

He said it seemed like it was only yesterday he was writing his speech, adding procrastination is a common habit for high school students. 

But he recognized that although some teachers may accept students’ assignments late, the real world will be a bit more challenging. 

“Employers aren’t looking for someone who shows up half an hour late and doesn’t put in an effort,” Tompkins said. “However we are and should take pride in what we accomplished today because man do we have something to be proud of.” 

He said it was funny a diploma, just a single piece of paper, would represent students’ work from the last 13 years. 

“This glorified piece of tree bark embodies our achievement (that) we’ve graduated from high school,” he said. “The tassel is definitely worth the hassle.” 

Tompkins reminded his peers to thank their parents for doing all the little things over the years like making lunches. 

He said he did the math and figured out parents made 2,730 lunches for them while they were in high school. 

He closed by reminding grads the future is in their hands. 

“Choose to do what you love and don’t let anything stop you,” he said. “Be happy with who you are ... happiness is the key to survival out there so remember stay happy, stay humble.” 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 2 2015 p.2 (GRAD PULL-OUT)

Co-op nursery hoping to re-open after school program

William S. Patterson parent council chair Vivian Desjarlais, Interlake Co-op Nursery director Cheryl Longley and William S. Patterson principal Glen Jede are happy with plans for a new before and after school program. 

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record 

A before and after school program in Clandeboye that was slated to close its doors for good last week may re-open under new management in September. 

Interlake Co-op Nursery plans on taking over the childcare program at William S. Patterson School and is already taking registration forms from parents who want to enroll their kids in it. 

Director Cheryl Longley said the organization still has some red tape to cut through, but if all goes well, the program will be up and running by the first day of school in September.

The organization already has a nursery school on Highway 8 and had been considering taking over the before and after school program ever since the YMCA announced it was pulling the plug on the program. 

Longley said because preschoolers who go to the nursery school will eventually attend William S. Patterson it only makes sense for the group to take over the program. 

She said the group is trying to keep the YMCA’s program intact and parents should notice little difference this fall.  

“We’re trying not to make too many changes to it so you know hopefully it’ll just be business as usual come September,” Longley said. 

Under the current government subsidized program, as many as 15 students from kindergarten - Grade 6 can come for two hours before school and stay for three in the evening. 

Longley said in September as many as 20 kids could be allowed into the program.

The YMCA announced earlier this year it was closing the program indefinitely, because it was no longer financially viable for the organization to keep it running. 

The announcement came after the Y stopped allowing kindergarten students into the program, a move highly criticized by some parents.

William S. Patterson Parent Council chair Vivian Desjarlais said it was discouraging to see the only licensed childcare program in the area shut down. 

“It was removing a very important staple of our community,” Desjarlais said. 

Principal Glen Jede agreed.

“We were quite concerned as there were a number of kids that do use that program,” Jede said. 

Longley said the Lord Selkirk School Division has been very supportive of takeover plans and a lease has already been signed.

“We’re just so thankful that they’ve come along… because it is a valuable program that a lot of our families really rely upon,” Jede said. 

Longley said once Interlake Co-op Nursery hires an early childhood educator and gets through some red tape with the province, the program can resume.  

“There’s lots of paperwork that goes along with that,” she said. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 2 2015 p.10

Family of murdered paraplegic relieved killer denied bail

John Shachtay holds a photo of his granddaughter Victoria and great-granddaughter Destiny. Victoria was killed in 2011 after opening a bomb disguised as a Christmas gift.  

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

The family of a disabled single mother killed by a bomb disguised as a Christmas gift was relieved to find out the man convicted of killing her will stay behind bars, at least for now. 

An Alberta Court of Appeal judge denied convicted murderer Brian Malley, 57, bail pending a fall appeal last month. 

Malley was found guilty of first-degree murder in relation to the 2011 killing of Victoria Shachtay in February. 

The disabled single mom was killed after opening a pipe bomb disguised as a Christmas gift left on her Innisfail, Alta. doorstep in 2011. She was 23. 

Shachtay’s father Victor was visiting family north of Selkirk in Libau, Man. when he heard the news.

He said the murder of his daughter was a senseless tragedy, and he is glad Malley will stay behind bars. 

“That piece of scum should never be let out of jail as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Court of Appeal Justice Jean Côté said Malley has good reason to skip bail.

The former Alberta financial adviser is currently facing an $80 million class-action lawsuit from clients who allege he lost an estimated $50 million in their retirement savings. The allegations have not been proven. 

At Malley’s murder trial, court heard Victoria Shachtay had entrusted him with more than $500,000 she received in a settlement from a car crash that left her wheelchair bound.

The Crown successfully argued Malley killed Shachtay to cut his losses. 

Victor said his life has never returned to normal since losing his daughter, but he has learned to deal with the loss. 

“I can sleep at night. I came to terms with it, because of the experience before hand when she got into the accident and almost lost her life,” he said. 

He remembers the day of his daughter’s bombing well. He was at his home in Didsbury, Alta. when he learned of the death from his other daughter. 

“She told me that they killed her,” he recalls. 

Victor said Victoria’s daughter Destiny, who was seven-years-old at the time of her mother’s killing, was her life.

“She was a very loving and caring mother,” he said. 

“That’s what she wanted. That’s what her whole life was about.”

Victoria’s grandfather John Shachtay was also pleased with the result of Malley’s bail hearing.

He said he wants to warn the public not to open strange packages they may receive. 

“When they get the parcel don’t open it,” he said. 

Victor said bombs serve as horrible murder weapons, because they can kill anything they come in contact with. 

“There’s no way of telling who a bomb’s going to kill. Bombs have no eyes, no compassion for anybody or anything,” he said. 

When his daughter was killed, her live-in caregiver was home at the time of the bombing, but was not injured from the explosion. Destiny was not home when the explosion took her mother’s life.

Malley’s appeal is scheduled to be heard by a Calgary court in September. 

Brian Malley. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition July 2 2015 p.2

City one step closer to removing rotting ship

The clouds on a sunny day may make the MS Lord Selkirk II look not so bad, but Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson says the ship has to go, and soon. Johannson said the ship could be removed this summer if the province chips in $250,000 in funding for the vessel’s decommissioning. 

By Austin Grabish,  The Selkirk Record

The City of Selkirk says it's one step closer to having the rotting MS Lord Selkirk II removed from the city’s slough for good.

It awarded tender for the ship’s removal last month, but still faces a major funding hurdle though Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson hints a special announcement could be coming soon. 

Johannson said crews could start cutting the ship up as early as July.

“It will be as soon as we have all our ducks in a row and we’re getting close,” Johannson said.

“It’s going to be a major event.”

The city has set aside roughly half of the estimated $500,000 cleanup cost, and is banking on the province to fund the remainder.  

“We’re waiting on a little help,” Johannson said, noting he has had discussions with Finance Minister Greg Dewar about the ship’s removal.

A provincial spokesperson confirmed the province has been working with the city on the issue, and also hinted an announcement regarding the ship could be coming soon.  

“The province is aware of the situation and has had productive discussions with the City of Selkirk. A positive outcome that will address this safety issue is anticipated, and more details should be available in the near future,” read an email from the spokesperson.

“It’s just been awful there,” Johannson said.

The MS Lord Selkirk II has been in the Selkirk Slough since 1990, but this isn’t the first time the city’s tried to remove the ship.

Johannson has been relentless in pushing for the ship’s removal in recent years.

In an interview last week, he admitted the boat wasn’t on his list of priorities when he came into office two terms ago, but said that changed after vandals set in on fire in 2012 leaving an even greater eyesore for nearby residents.  

In 2012, the city hired Global Scrap Solutions to remove the vessel, but the company faced bureaucratic hurdles and the boat stayed rotting.

Then last year, the coast guard was brought in to pump out dangerous liquids on the ship after a sweeping toxicologist report revealed the ship had been leaking a long list of contaminants including arsenic.

When asked what the city would do if the province doesn’t come through with funding Johannson said:  

“I got a plan b but I’m hoping I don’t have to open that envelope.”

“We’re getting close. I don’t want to jinx anything because this has been 26 years in the making.”

“The administration has worked very hard on this,” he said.

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition June 25 2015 p. 15

Lawsuit may have added to club's financial woes

 

 By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

 

A community club already riddled in a financial mess may have spent more than $62,000 on wages a former employee sued for after he was told to either quit or be fired from his job as icemaker and facility manager. 

Darren Zembik stood at the helm of the St. Andrews Community Club for nearly three decades before being told last March he had to quit or be fired. 

Zembik, a St. Andrews resident and Olympic torchbearer, although reluctant at first opted for the first option and quit his job last April. 

And now the Record has learned Zembik sued his former employer for lost income after he quit.

Court records obtained by the Record show Zembik sued the community club for $62,022.78 shortly after his departure from the club. 

A statement of claim, which has since been discontinued, alleged the community club breached a contract with Zembik that said he would be employed until September 2019.

Documents state Zembik would be paid $50,944.55 a year plus GST with an annual increase of two per cent per year starting in 2009. 

The documents also say Zembik would be paid an additional $3,500 plus GST seasonally to make outdoor ice. 

A statement of defence filed by the community club denied a contract between Zembik and the club contained “any terms of employment,” but admitted Zembik was paid to supervise maintenance at the club and deal with emergency situations. 

The club also denied there was any separate employment agreement relating to outdoor ice. 

The lawsuit was discontinued on Sept. 29, 2014, but Zembik never returned to work. 

Community club finance chair Patrick Gordon refused to comment on the matter, citing a non-disclosure agreement that prevents information from the lawsuit from being shared. 

“We’ve settled that and there was a non-disclose signed so that’s pretty much all we can say,” Gordon said.

Zembik also said he couldn’t discuss details about the lawsuit, but in a text, said, “I’m pleased with the outcome.”

Zembik is no stranger to the St. Andrews community. 

In 2009, RBC recognized him as being one of Canada’s most devoted hockey volunteers for the hundreds of hours he gave to hockey in his community. 

He was also recognized in the Hockey Hall of Fame, carried the 2010 Olympic torch, and RBC donated $10,000 to a local hockey cause in his name. 

Hundreds of residents rallied in support of Zembik last year when he was told he would be fired if he did not step down from his job. 

A Facebook page and online petition that called for Zembik to keep his job and the dismantling of the community club’s board, garnered hundreds of signatures and “likes.” 

Former St. Andrews Mayor Don Forfar told the Record last year he was inundated with calls from concerned residents who didn’t want Zembik to leave. 

The RM of St. Andrews provides thousands in funding to the club, but an independent board runs the organization. 

The club’s finances have been in ruins in recent years, and are currently the subject of an RCMP probe that will determine if any criminal wrongdoing took place at the club. 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition June 11 2015 p.4

New rules clear up fog surrounding e-cigs

RECORD PHOTO BY AUSTIN GRABISH

Selkirk Fat Panda Vape Shop manager Phil Bouchard smokes from an electronic vaporizer daily.   

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

The manager of a local vape shop is welcoming proposed provincial legislation on e-cigarettes that would see minors banned from buying the products, but Phil Bouchard fears tougher unfair rules could come next.

The province introduced legislation last Monday that would prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, ban their use in most public places, and place restrictions on advertising.

If the legislation were passed, e-cigarettes would be treated under the same rules as regular tobacco products.

Bouchard said it’s good the foggy area surrounding the devices is finally being cleared up, but his store the Fat Panda Vape Shop, already doesn’t sell or advertise to minors.

 “That’s all stuff that we’ve implemented from day one,” Bouchard said.

The Manitoba Lung Association said the short and long-term health risks of e-cigarette use are still unknown.

Its executive director Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon, said regulating the sale of the devices is “simply prudent”.

"As an organization focused on improving lung health, we don't want to repeat past health policy mistakes through inaction,” Bernhardt-Lowdon said.

The proposed legislation would ban the devices from public places where smoking is already prohibited like schools, hospitals, malls, indoor workplaces, and restaurants.

People would still be able to test out the products at vape shops under the legislation, but if that changed Bouchard said "that would be a step too far."

Bouchard said his company’s biggest concern is that the products could be banned from public view and have to be sold from behind a closed curtain like tobacco.   

He said newcomers who have never vaped before would be lost and wouldn’t know what to buy.

He noted many smokers come to Fat Panda wanting to quit, but need help finding devices and the proper product.

Healthy Living and Seniors Minister Deanne Crothers, said there are many unanswered questions surrounding the safety of e-cigarettes.

"Our goal is to find a balance that minimizes possible health risks to children and other bystanders, while acknowledging that some individuals use these products to help them quit smoking,” Crothers said.

The new rules are expected to be in place by the fall.

 

 -- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition June 11 2015 p.7