“It’s just amazing. It is kind of a little surreal that it’s here now,” said Gisele Harding, a theatre board member. “Kids will have a place to come.”

On Dec. 20, board members cut the ribbon on the volunteer-run theatre, which theatre occupies a corner of the Millennium Recreation Complex. About 40 people from the community came to celebrate with them.

The original Tivoli Theatre opened in 1945. After the owners retired in the early 90’s, a volunteer board took over the still-popular theatre.

But in 2010, it was tough to get 35mm film for the projector system and the building was falling apart. That September, the theatre showed its final film – the animated flick Despicable Me – and closed the doors.

To reopen the theatre, the town of between 600 and 700 people had to raise about $385,000.

“We went from running the movie theatre to [being] a fundraising group,” said board member Heather Brewster.

Why it matters: Pilot Mound’s community leadership shows resilience when, statistically speaking, small communities are shrinking across Canada.

She recalled countless fundraisers, from chocolate “movie mice” at Valentine’s Day to a ladies’ night with an Elvis impersonator, and countless community barbeques.

“Anything we could think of to make a buck,” Brewster said. “We had so much fun.”

They got some grants, and collected a larger chunk of change when they won “Manitobaville” in 2017. The contest, by Bell Media, invites small towns to submit community projects for a chance to win $25,000.

Still, this June they were $48,000 short. The board put out a call in the community, and within about three weeks they’d raised the money.

“People really showed how much they wanted it,” said Brewster.

A young brother-sister duo even grew and sold vegetables to donate money to the theatre.

By mid-September, the board was posting pictures to Facebook of them learning how to use the new projection equipment.

Brewster and Harding said seeing trailers playing on the screen was surreal.

“You could feel your heart just go fluttering,” Harding said. “Ah! I can hear. Listen to this.”

The old theatre’s sound system could barely compete with the furnace, Brewster explained.

Board chair Sharon Currie commended her fellow members for their endurance. Most of the eleven-member board has stuck out the entire nine years, with only a couple leaving because they’d moved or passed away.

“We have a lot of strong people,” Currie said.

“We’ve had so much encouragement and support from the community and the surrounding communities,” she added.

Currie said she hopes the theatre, added to their thriving recreational complex, will encourage more people to move to, or stay in Pilot Mound.

“We want it to just be a place where people can gather together,” she said. “We’re looking at our young people, you know, allowing them a safe place for them to come and enjoy each other’s company.”

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“Great Tastes of Manitoba” began when a committee of representatives from various producer boards and associations conceptualized it in the spring of 1990. The first show went to air in November of 1990, and it has been on the air ever since.

Thirty seasons later, the show is watched by more Manitobans than anything on the Food Network, according to information provided by the show.

The majority of “Great Tastes of Manitoba” viewers are the primary grocery shoppers in their household, a group the show says has been historically difficult to reach for the ag sector.

The show reaches an average of 27,800 adult viewers in Manitoba each week, and is one of only four Canadian-made shows (aside from broadcast news) to land in the top 40 television rankings with female audiences age 35-plus in Winnipeg, they said in an August 22 news release.

The majority of “Great Tastes” watchers are also the primary grocery shopper in their household, according to the news release. It added that this means “Great Tastes” is reaching an audience that the agriculture industry often struggles to connect with.

Regular folks in a kitchen

“I’m a bit of a foodie, and I’m a farmer, and I’m a TV producer,” said show producer Donalee Jones, speaking on the phone from her family grain farm near Cartwright.

She said she was an avid cooking show fan before she signed on as producer of “Great Tastes of Manitoba.” They helped her feel comfortable in the kitchen.

As a producer she tests the recipes to make sure they work in her home kitchen. That means they can’t be too “cheffy” she said.

Jones said simplicity and accessibility is the mandate. The ingredients have to be affordable and readily available in grocery stores.

“People are watching more food television than ever before, but they’re cooking less,” Jones said. She added it’s more important than ever to get folks in the kitchen.

“If you can read a recipe, you can cook,” said Susan Riese, manager of public relations and consumer marketing at Manitoba Pork.

Riese has been a contributor on the show for 13 years. She also develops the recipes that Manitoba Pork contributes to the show.

She has no culinary training — quite the opposite. Riese laughed as she recalled boycotting ‘home economics’ in Grade 7 in favour of shops class.

“I did not want any part of it,” Riese said. “So it’s really, really funny and ironic that I’ve kind of come back to it as an adult.”

Riese said she leans on more than 35 years of home-cooking experience, and a lot of trial and error.

“The whole point is to not have to be a chef to make the recipes,” she said.

Highlighting farm families

In celebration of their 30th anniversary, “Great Tastes of Manitoba” will introduce viewers to Manitoba farm families through video episodes on their website.

“The family farm is more than a concept to me,” said show host Dez Daniels. “That was my whole beginning.”

Daniels, who is known in Winnipeg as a veteran radio host, grew up on a mixed farm east of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. There she milked cows before and after school from age 6 to Grade 11.

She said she appreciates the dedication it takes to farm, and is glad they can focus on rural, farm living.

Riese said during her time on the show, she’s seen its focus shift toward a more farm to food message, incorporating more facts about farms and farmers.

“People want to know where their food comes from,” Riese said.

“Food is the great unifier,” Jones said in a news release. “I think if we can connect with consumers over those times around the table, the shared love of food, often it involves family tradition, I think we can really make an impact and in turn build their trust.”

“I think ‘Great Tastes of Manitoba’ was ahead of its time. It was trendy when local wasn’t trendy,” said Ellen Pruden, a contributor with the Manitoba Canola Growers. “Now with social media, it’s so cool that Manitobans can connect with their local food expert and farmer to know more about the ingredients that they purchase in the grocery store.”

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Dec. 4 the rolling party was in Brandon and photographer Sandy Black stopped by to capture a few images. There was a half-hour musical performance and local charity Samaritan House benefited to the tune of an $8,000 donation.

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Solange Simard, the 16-year-old daughter of Rene and Tanya Simard, was named the winner of the Yorkton radio station’s event, with the finals held as part of the Yorkton Exhibition.

“It was quite a surprise to be named the winner of the competition held for its 28th year, as my goal was only to pass through the semi-finals, as previously I didn’t make it through,” said Simard. “After my performance I was feeling confident and optimistic to see who was going to be selected. It was one of the best performances I did overall in the singing competition so I felt there was a possibility.”

Her voice, talent, drive and determination stood out, and she took home a number of prizes including a Montana Silversmith belt buckle, a Washburn acoustic/electric guitar, recording of two songs, and a limited-edition GX 94 Star Search jacket.

Simard said she will be recording two of her own compositions.

Singing since a child, Simard has participated in music festivals, along with voice, theatre, piano, and dance competitions. She has passionately shared her natural talent with family and friends over the years, while attending Ecole Saint Lazare.

French is an important language to the Simard family. Participating in a French National Music competition in Quebec in 2017, the high school student’s voice was chosen to cover one of its songs on a CD.

As a soloist, backup singer, or lead vocalist, Simard shares her musical drive with her three siblings, who are also very talented.

“My oldest sister plays the piano and sings, too. My older brother plays all sorts of instruments with strings including guitar, bass, ukulele, and my youngest sister is starting to play piano and she also loves to sing,” said Simard. “Taking it one step further, the four of us have made our own family album, recorded by our music teacher and friend.”

Backed by the support and loyalty of her parents, one day her name may be on music festival lineups. If so, taking a front row seat will be her parents, as their pride makes the St. Lazare prodigy strive to do her very best.

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The band consists of four brothers and a brother-in-law: Robert Thiessen (lead singer, guitarist), Joseph Thiessen (mandolin), Russell Thiessen (vocalist, percussion), Michael Thiessen (bass) and Curtis Szakács (piano).

They were nominated for New Artist of the Year and Southern Gospel/Country Music Album of the Year and were in attendance at the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of Canada’s 39th Annual Covenant Awards ceremony in Edmonton this past January. In spite of not winning an award they are thankful to be recognized.

Prior to becoming Prairie Joe in 2015, the group played gigs for four or five years as a family band.

“As the band developed and the need came up for better-quality music and the gigs we got became more formal, we worked a lot harder on our harmonizing,” said Russell Thiessen.

“As self-taught musicians we were involved in church music growing up, so it was ‘just natural’ to keep performing as adults even though we all have day jobs,” he said.

The group’s rise within the Canadian music industry all began through involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys.

“Our primary focus and most of our invitations come for help with cowboy church services. That’s where everything started; serving at cowboy church services at different rodeos and such,” Russell said. “From there, it’s gone on to full concerts as well as helping with fundraisers and stuff like that.”

Experience gained at the GMA award ceremony will enrich the group members as they travel across the Prairies, with 30 shows booked so far for 2018.

They begin a tour this month starting in Melfort, Saskatchewan, that continues throughout southern Manitoba.

Additional information, tour locations and dates are posted at prairiejoe.com or on facebook.com/prairiejoe.

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These aren’t merely collections of curios, tools, books and other things donated by local pioneer families, says Monique Brandt, executive director of the Association of Manitoba Museums.

They’re tangible connections to local history. But many face an uncertain future.

“They’re struggling to stay open,” Brandt said.

Some face the very real possibility of closure and collection dispersal one day.

“We’re hoping that this maybe opens eyes up to people a bit more.”

‘This’ is the “The End of Our Memories,” a documentary released this summer for the Manitoba Telecom Service series “Stories from Home.”

It was co-produced by Gimli-based filmmakers Andy Blicq and Huw Eirung and premiered in July at the Gimli Film Festival. The 25-minute documentary takes viewers to locales throughout rural Manitoba where volunteers describe their struggles with dwindling volunteers and next to no cash to make upgrades or develop programs to boost revenues.

Blicq said he was personally touched by their troubling tales which he says are really a bellwether issue about what’s going on in rural Canada.

“It’s a symptom of much larger issues around change,” he said, adding that small museums are falling through the cracks as demographics shift.

“Populations are aging and shrinking. People are very busy. It’s difficult to find people to volunteer and it’s a lot of work. It’s difficult to make these museums run anymore.”

Blicq said he hopes this film also shows why more people should care about what’s happening to these sites.

“The museum is a repository of the community’s memories,” he said. “Lose that and that connection to our past is gone. So is a fundamental way of telling a story all Canadians, including those with no connection to Canada’s pioneer past, need to hear.

“You’ve always been able to come to Canada with nothing, and work hard and find a future for your family.”

He hopes the film can start a more urgent conversation about the issue.

In the film several volunteer museum operators are interviewed about what they do and why they persevere to keep one going, including St. Malo’s Edmée Gosselin, the museum’s proprietor and last board member. She talks about the significance of the historical artifacts to the community, but also the very real prospect having to close up the site permanently.

“I’m tired,” she says in the film.

The documentary also tells the story of the intense grief residents felt when an arsonist destroyed the St. George museum in 2014.

National museum management expert Pat Bovey is also interviewed, and says the woes of small-town museums are by no means a Manitoba phenomena, but a problem right across the country.

But she sees not “the end of an era” but “time for a quantum change,” in how museums are operated.

That view is echoed by Peter Cantelon, executive director of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden. He speaks in the film about Morden deciding to focus on its very specific collection, as well as concentrate on giving museum visitors more hands-on experiences.

“It’s difficult to simply be a large space that people walk through and leave,” he says in the film. “You can’t be in what some people see as a maintain mode or a good enough mode because there isn’t any such thing.”

Small-town museums in search of their future must know their target audience, develop a business plan and market a focused experience to funders and the public, he stresses.

Brandt says that’s what more would like to do, but often it’s simply a lack of people to do these things.

The story of small-town museums isn’t entirely bleak either, however.

The film also describes sites doing well, including the 13-acre Arborg Multicultural Heritage Village site on the edge of the north Interlake town. There they’ve found new and innovative ways to engage and keep volunteers, including offering a complimentary fall supper on site to those buying an annual museum membership.

It’s a way to keep loyal volunteers happy, explains the museum’s manager Pat Eyolfson in the film.

Brandt says all their association can do to help those struggling is to share ideas and advice and point museum committees to potential resources. The status of this province’s approximately 200 small-town museums does vary from place to place, she added.

“There’s some doing really well and some that are dying or dead,” she said.

The Association of Manitoba Museums hopes to help distribute “The End of Our Memories” as a DVD so it can be made widely available to the public.

The association hosts its annual general meeting in Boissevain September 22 to 24.

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The main front-page news that issue was Manitoba Pool Elevators directors recommending that the Pool convert to a “line” company. Unlike the other two Prairie Pools, which were centrally owned from the start, each MPE elevator was owned by a local association. The decision was later approved by delegates, but a few individual points decided to remain independent into the 1990s.

Seeding was reported to be virtually complete west of a line from Portage to Gretna, but in the east and Interlake was only 70 per cent complete.

Another story reported wheat exports were at a five-year low, which was a premonition of the stock buildup which led to the LIFT acreage-reduction program in 1970.

The issue carried a five-page feature with stories on the Interlake, which had been receiving assistance under the Fund for Rural Economic Development (FRED) program.

Another page featured that year’s Brandon Exhibition. Headline entertainers included actor and country singer Rex Allen and comedian George Gobel.

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Manitoba Co-operator reporter Allan Dawson spoke with DEKALB agronomist Bruce Murray June 23 about Monsanto’s new Roundup Ready Xtend soybeans. Monsanto’s technical development representative Allan Froese also demonstrated how different nozzles affect spray droplet size.

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Doug Wray, an Irricana, Alta., cow-calf producer and president of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, talked to Manitoba Co-operator reporter Allan Dawson June 10 about his conversion from a mixed farm and the need for rain.

Additional video footage provided by Laura Rance

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In other brief news notes in that issue:

• A number of farmers spoke highly of the Adams Burning Cooking Stove, recently on display in Winnipeg. “In a country where wood is so scarce, it is certainly a great boon to farmers to be able to utilize straw.”
• However, the next item read: “Within the last few weeks several farm buildings have been burnt chiefly through careless and unskilful burning of straw within close reach of the premises.”
• At the North Oak’s sale in May, J.J. Hill sold 37 pedigreed Shorthorns at an average price of $388, with the highest cow making $1,550.
• Mr. Alex Taylor of Carberry had sold his farm on Big Plain in 1885, but after two years of travelling California, Oregon and B.C., had returned to Big Plain and bought another farm for $8 per acre, “which he thinks is a bargain.”
  “Mr. Taylor’s objection to Manitoba in the first instance was the cold winters, but he finds on thorough investigation that these countries have as many if not greater objections.”

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