MWI mourn passing of lifelong member Marion Fulton

Marion Fulton was passionate about the Manitoba Women’s Institute and its work on behalf of rural Manitobans

She was determined to improve the lives of rural women and their families, and she focused her entire life volunteering with an organization she believed could do that. Marion Fulton of Birtle was a longtime member of the Manitoba Women’s Institute. Her passing, at the age of 92 on Nov. 4, is being mourned by



Provincial office mergers to save $1.49 million annually

MAFRI offices in Treherne, Stonewall, Shoal Lake, Neepawa and Boissevain will be merged with the ones in nearby communities

The Manitoba government has announced a new wave of consolidations in rural areas and Winnipeg in a move it says will save $1.49 million annually. “In this time of economic uncertainty we are committed to finding responsible ways to reduce spending by improving and modernizing service delivery,” Finance Minister Stan Struthers said in a release.

Asessippi Archery Club

From the likes of folk heroes like Robin Hood, William Tell, and Cupid, to the modern-day sportsman, archery has captured both the romantic imagination and desire for competition and discipline of many generations. In addition to its timeless appeal, archery — as highlighted by the Asessippi Archery Club in the Shoal Lake Community Hall last

Agriculture Hall of Fame

Five Manitobans were honoured for their contribution to agriculture and their community at an induction ceremony for the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame July 12. The Co-operator is featuring each in consecutive weekly editions

Ed Tyrchniewicz was born on January 20, 1941, and grew up on a farm at Prairie Grove, just outside of Winnipeg. He attended a one-room, one-teacher school up to Grade 8. Following high school at Provencher Collegiate in St. Boniface, Ed attended the University of Manitoba from which he obtained a degree in agricultural economics


Horse expedition to raise awareness

Two horsemen riding along a ditch in this neck of the woods may not be out of the ordinary, however, the two Albertans on horseback who passed through Shoal Lake in early June were on a mission. Leaving Edmonton on May 9, Alick Brooke and Guy Bourassa, passed the 1,000-km mark as they reached Russell

Pastures vary widely amid topsy-turvy spring

While the east side battles forest fires, the normally dry southwestern 
pastures are poised for lush growth

Pasture conditions around the province this spring seem to be a mixed bag of sorts, ranging from lush to bone dry. In a topsy-turvy turn of events, the southwest, where drought is the rule rather than the exception, ample rains have set the stage for good pasture conditions, said Jane Thornton, a pasture and rangeland

The challenge of civility

Awareness days, weeks and months are a rapidly growing phenomenon in the modern world, a bid by groups with a special interest to flag down our fast-moving society for just a few moments to consider their cause. They can be altruistic, as in World Food Day, observed by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization every


Youth award goes to Russell siblings

Two Russell youth who started a fundraiser to help reunite immigrant families in their hometown are the 2012 winners of the Rural Youth Achievement Award presented last week in Brandon at Capturing Opportunities. Ayla Hamilton, 13 and her brother Van Hamilton, eight, were recognized for their extraordinary effort to start a “Kids Helping Kids” initiative

MWI touched by Russell children’s effort to reunite Filipino families

A young brother and sister in Russell started fundraising to help raise money for airline 
tickets to help reunite new residents, formerly of the Philippines, with their children

The room was spellbound as 13-year-old Ayla Hamilton told her story to the Manitoba Women’s Institute convention here earlier this month. She and younger brother Van, now eight, had come home from Mother’s Day brunch at the Russell Inn last spring with heavy hearts. She explained how their mother Rheanne, who works at the hotel,