Dawson Trail Dispatch
Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!
Ritchot’s Annual Lemonade Contest Celebrates Creativity and Community Spirit
The RM of Ritchot’s Annual Lemonade Contest once again turned communities into a vibrant display of refreshing beverages and creative entrepreneurship. Photos courtesy of Wornstar Media and the RM of Ritchot
By Angelique Forest The RM of Ritchot’s Annual Lemonade Contest once again turned communities and their streets into a vibrant display of refreshing beverages and creative entrepreneurship. With 18 lemonade stands participating this year, the event mirrored last year’s turnout despite a few last-minute dropouts. The competition, which saw over 800 votes cast on ritchot.com, involved a rigorous selection process. Winners were determined by a combination of scores from RM-appointed judges and online voting. Winners across wards were in Grande Pointe with the prize going to “Inside Out 2” located at 256 Petryk Terrace, run by Mia Gosselin, Josephine Earl, and Max-
ime Pereira, Ile des Chenes’ “The Lemonade Stop” at 16 Bonneteau Ave, managed by London and Lincoln Rohulych, who took home the top spot, Ste. Agathe with “Squeeze the Day” at 157 Joyal Place, led by Castiel, Emma, Rayna-Mae, and Georgia Taylor, taking first place and in St. Adolphe the grand prize winner, and overall contest champion, was “LemonAid” at 16 Willow Lane, run by Rusnaam Samra. Rusnaam Samra, the grand prize winner, had an inspiring story behind her stand according to Gillian Potvin, the RM of Ritchot’s Communication Director. “Our overall winner, Rusnaam, had the most amazing story. She was supposed to participate last year but was sidelined by an unfortunate accident that required
a hospital visit,” explained Potvin. “This year, she dedicated her theme to her experience and even included a write-up at her booth. Her generosity extended beyond the contest as she’s donating a portion of her winnings to the Victoria Hospital.” Rusnaam’s stand not only impressed with its heartfelt theme but also captured the community’s attention with its creative presentation and commitment to a good cause. Each winner from the four wards received $200, with Rusnaam taking home an additional $300, totalling $500 for her outstanding effort. The event was praised for its creativity and community engagement, making it another successful chapter in Ritchot’s annual celebration of local youth entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity.
September 2024
ER Wait Times in Manitoba Rising The Official Opposition is calling on the NDP government to immediately address rising emergency room wait times in Manitoba, and to release a public report on data collected from their crossprovincial healthcare “listening tour.” “ER wait times in hospitals across the province are climbing under Wab Kinew’s watch,” said Lac du Bonnet MLA Wayne Ewasko who is also Leader of the Official Opposition. “After almost a year in office, the NDP have not brought forward any tangible action to reduce wait times for emergency services. If the listening tour is the NDP’s plan to improve healthcare in Manitoba, the public should be able to see behind the veil on what is influencing NDP decision-making.” According to Ewasko, new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows that Manitoba has among the worst ER lengths of stay in the country. Likewise, median waits for hospital admission from ERs are the second worst in Canada at nearly 22 hours. Meanwhile next door, Saskatchewan leads the nation with median waits under ten hours. Manitoba’s discharge times for non-urgent cases are the worst in the country, and are second worst for urgent cases he added. This data builds on trending increases in wait times for Winnipeg ERs, which have risen by nearly an hour since the NDP took office,” said Ewasko noting that in late August, a St. Boniface ER doctor sounded the alarm on the status of emergency departments in the city.