u The promise of The Pas Continued from page 1
Northern Manitoba Sector Council, and a member of the apprenticeship and trades certification board, he is fully conversant with the labour needs of northern en- terprise.
What about tourism?
Margareta and Anthony Maskus turned a small farm into a major enterprise.
The Carrot Valley is a flood plain, so there are years such as this one when it’s too wet to put in a crop, but for the most part the land is incredibly productive. Thanks to a flood-mitigation network of dykes and pumps that was first put in place by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Authority after the big flood of 1948, most years are flood-free.
The riches here were no secret to those who have farmed this land going as far back as 1754, when North West Company explorer Louis de la Corne planted a crop of barley and wheat. This was the first European grain grown in the West, predating the farms of the Selkirk settlers by some 64 years. The growing season of 110 days is about the same as that of Portage La Prairie, but the rich soil, the longer days in mid sum- mer and the intensity of light, make crops even more productive. The land is stone free, fertile and easy to work.
Farming here is lucrative. Just ask Tony Markus, who now farms 16,000 acres (about 25 sections), growing red wheat, canola, barley – whatever is in de- mand – and raises close to 1,000 head of pure bred, black Angus cattle on the farm his father started on a quarter section back in 1956. His beef is eaten at 529 Wellington in Winnipeg and the CN Tower’s 360 Restaurant in Toronto.
People of The Pas
The area is also rich in people, being home to the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), one of the most ad- vanced and forward-thinking indigenous communities in the province. Currently, Jamie Wilson, a member of OCN, is the deputy minister of Growth Enterprise and Trade under minister Cliff Cullen.
The current chief, Christian Sinclair, is co-chair of the premier’s Look North Strategy along with another home-grown luminary, Chuck Davidson, the CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. The OCN has been operating Otineka Mall since
1975. It is the only shopping mall in the district. The First Nation also owns and runs several other enter- prises, including a hotel, a hockey team and three parks. It is the second largest employer in the region. The on-reserve population is about 2,850, many of
Gigantic farming equipment is needed to work the vast acreage.
whom work in the various enterprises on reserve or around town.
In spite of this, there is a shortage of labour to meet the demands of the agricultural industry, as many of today’s youth are looking for less physically demand- ing work. This opens up tremendous potential for im- migration, not just to fill the farm labour needs, but to invest in the agricultural industry itself. Regional farm- ers are getting older and their well-educated offspring have moved on to other pursuits. There are farms for sale, although none as large as that of the Markus fam- ily.
Education
One of the town’s assets is the University College of the North, which has campuses in several north- ern communities but is headquartered in The Pas. It offers instruction in arts, business, science, trades and technology as well as education and health. Its new president, Doug Lauvstad, is brimming with excite- ment over the possibilities. As the former head of the
Tourism is a magic word in Manitoba today and much ink has been laid down about the glories of Churchill, but that there are many reasons to visit the rest of the land north of the 53rd parallel. Most southerners know about The Pas Trapper’s Festival, which has been going since 1916, and the World Champion Dog Sled Race, but these claims to fame can be misleading since they leave an impression of a northern frontier community. While celebrat- ing the past is wonderful, it is more relevant to know about the astonishingly beautiful local scenery, the crystal clear waters of nearby Clearwater Lake and the lakefront properties that are available here for as low as $50,000 with tax incentives to sweeten the pot. Do people know about the fascinating and beautiful, moss-covered caves on the shore of this lake? What an opportunity to bring in Asians who would love to explore this stunning land. Packages could be rounded out with side trips to magnificent Lake Winnipegosis, one of Manitoba’s largest lakes. People could be ex- cited to look for the legendary Winnipogo, our own Manitoba lake monster.
Indeed, the farms themselves would be an attractive
lure to Europeans, who would marvel at the vast acre- ages and the gigantic equipment needed to farm them. The Pas is a secret treasure trove for Manitoba, but we must encourage people to take a second look and explore the potential. If we let the secret out and loosen our foreign investment rules, we could attract billions of dollars here, helping solve our deficit and debt, and offering a richer, more satisfying way of life for the folks who live there, 75 per cent of whom are indigenous.
What’s holding us back? Let’s open our doors and ask the world to drop by. This is an exciting place and it deserves to be discovered.
The caves at nearby Clearwater Lake are a well-kept secret. An opening to one of the caves. u Canada Summer Games turn 50 Continued from page 1
the 2017 Canada Games Host Society. “The games are a sporting event but the festival is a cultural event and this year Winnipeg will host the hottest summer festival in half a century.” A little history
The very first Canada Games were held in Quebec City in 1967, and were organized to celebrate Canada’s centennial. This first Cana- da Winter Games saw a total of 1,800 athletes from 10 provinces and two territories come out to compete in 15 sports. The games have been held every two years, alternating between summer and winter events. Since 1967 over 75,000 athletes have com- peted in the games with hundreds of thou- sands taking part in their provincial or terri- torial try outs and qualifying events. Coaches, officials and over 6,000 volunteers help to make the event happen, along with the host city. A collaboration between the government of Canada, provincial/territorial governments, host municipalities, the private sector and the Canada Games Council make these events pos- sible.
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Building tomorrow’s athletes The Summer Games are our country’s larg- est, multi-sport event for young athletes. Some of the athletes may have competed at national or international events but for many this will be their first experience attending a multi-sport event with their provincial or ter- ritorial team. Canada Games exposes youth to elite-level competition, inspiring them to reach further, train harder and maximize their own potential.
Performing well here has proven to be a stepping stone to greatness; this year’s stars may very well become future national or in- ternational professionals, or even Canadian Olympians. Watch our future stars as they compete for the Canada Games Flag and Cen- tennial Cup. Opening and closing ceremonies promise to be amazing and include past alumni. Even if you are not planning to attend a sporting event, you won’t want to miss the parties cel- ebrating culture and the success of past and current athletes.
This year’s mascot, Niibin, is a magical creature who lives in Manitoba’s Spirit Sands desert born from the summer heat. Photo courtesy of the Can- ada Summer Games.
August 2017
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