DELEAU – The busy calving season has arrived at the Decock family farm, bringing the need for overtime to safeguard the fruits of the family’s labour.

A total of 230 calves are expected at the farm west of Souris before summer arrives. The “onslaught” of calving season is underway — a four week period until late April where Michael Decock, the lead farmer, expects roughly six to 10 calves per day.

It means that he is due to provide constant supervision, health checks, vaccinations, and the odd emergency-room looking procedure to steward the business.

On a busy Monday afternoon in mid March, Michael, 58, appears wearing rubber gloves over plastic, shoulder-length tubes taped around his arms, and a rubber smock over his chest. He positions himself behind a mother cow, and uses half of his forearm to confirm there is a healthy, live calf in the womb, positioned correctly and expected to enter the world any day now.

Assiniboine College applied researchers and a population control group are teaming up to expand efforts of invasive pig tracking in the countryside this summer.

Squeal on Pigs, which searches for invasive pigs and euthanizes them, invested roughly $60,000 last year in a DNA program to upgrade its pursuit of invasive pigs, said project co-ordinator Wayne Lees. The organization partnered with researchers at Assiniboine College to prepare technology that tests water features, such as streams, for pig DNA.

The organization hopes that the program will allow staff to track swine in remote locations where sightings may never take place. Squeal on Pigs has relied on reported sightings as the jumping-off point for population control efforts in the past.

“We want to be able to determine if there are likely wild pigs in an area where not many people tend to inhabit or live,” Lees said. “This is a way that we can screen areas that are a bit more remote to see if we can identify if wild pigs are likely to be there.”

A new mural project at Sunnyside Personal Care Home in Birtle is helping residents feel more at home while making it easier for them to find their way.

The “Adopt a Door” initiative, part of Prairie Mountain Health programming, has seen personalized murals installed on resident room doors throughout the facility. The project aims to create a more welcoming environment and support wayfinding for residents, particularly those living with cognitive challenges.

Sunnyside recently marked the project’s completion with an open house, inviting family members and community residents to tour the updated space.

“We were very excited to see our residents’ family members and members from the community attend our open house,” said recreation workers Tracey Howe and Ashley LeFranc. “The residents really enjoyed seeing everyone.”

Sports fans may consider team mascots to be: a) entertaining; b) annoying; c) hilarious; d) adding to the game experience. Whatever your view, their existence in sports today is no laughing matter. Mascots are big business.

It’s almost mandated that every professional sports team must have a mascot to fire up the fans. Their efforts help to get the “Go Team Go” chants going, to help start the wave around the seating area, to tussle some youngster’s hair so Mom and Dad can get a picture, and in some cases, bang a drum so loudly that some fans go home with a headache.

There are endless mascot stories, but my favourite is when Harvey the Hound, the Calgary Flames’ mascot, got too close to the Edmonton Oilers bench in a 2003 game at the Saddledome and had his tongue ripped out by Oilers’ assistant coach Craig MacTavish, who then waved the piece of red felt in the air before tossing it into the crowd behind him. No penalty was called by the officials, who didn’t even give him a tongue-lashing.

As mentioned earlier, sports mascots are big business. The person who answers to Gritty, the smiling, scary, big-eyed, orange Philadelphia Flyers monster, recently signed a contract that pays him/her an annual stipend of $250,000 U.S. Pretty good dough, but not sure how the job description would look on a resumé.

Dauphin Citizens on Patrol spent part of last month promoting personal safety and community awareness during an outreach event at the indoor walking track at Credit Union Place.

Volunteers handed out free personal alarms to visitors at the facility, devices designed to attract attention and help deter unwanted approaches during emergencies.

Richard Ives, coordinator of the Dauphin Citizens on Patrol program, said the volunteer-led initiative works closely with the RCMP and other local organizations to help strengthen community safety.

“Citizens on Patrol is a volunteer-led program that works closely with the RCMP and local organizations to help keep our community safe,” Ives said. “Our mission is simple but powerful: to be the eyes and ears of law enforcement.”

Snow or no snow, March is a good time to start spring cleaning. Our homes accumulate a lot of stuff throughout the work and school year, and a household refresh is good for the house and for you.

Some rules about cleaning have been around forever. For example, gravity is a thing, so start from the top and work your way down so you aren’t messing up what you just cleaned. Make sure your cleaning rags and tools are clean to start. Do your bedroom first so you have the reward of a fresh bedroom at the end of the day. Do your bathroom second so you have a clean place to shower before you get into bed. Do your kitchen third. These are your priorities. They allow you to function.

The internet abounds with helpful pointers and demonstrations. Try Youtube channels run by pros like Brandon Pleshek, a third generation pro janitor/custodian at Clean That Up, or Angela Brown, a pro cleaner, trainer, speaker, and author at Angela Brown Cleaning. These folks demonstrate good practices and safe-to-use products.

The first rule of order is … order. A checklist will help you plan and track and as a bonus you get a little hit of dopamine when you complete a task and put that checkmark on the paper. Free printable checklists are available online.

Registration is open for two more weeks for Camp Bridges, a summer weekend camp organized by Prairie Mountain Health to help children grieve loss in their lives.

Applications are being accepted until April 7 for the free camp to bring together bereaved Manitoban children and teens, between the ages of seven and 15, who are grieving the loss of someone significant. The camp is returning for its 18th year from June 5 to 7 at Circle Square Ranch in Austin.

Hope Roberts, bereavement co-ordinator for Prairie Mountain Health, said the camp’s return sends a strong message.

“The fact that the camp has continued into its eighteenth year speaks to the need for such programs and opportunities,” she said in an emailed statement to the Sun. ”Campers come from all over the province; parents, teachers, social workers, are often reaching out before applications are made available because they have witnessed the benefits.” 

NEEPAWA

A Neepawa-based track and field athlete has become the first Manitoba Bisons female to win gold in an individual event at nationals three consecutive seasons.

The athlete, Lara Denbox, competes in high jump for the University of Manitoba Bisons. She cleared 1.73m on her first attempt at nationals, winning first place.

Denbow and another Neepawa-based athlete, Daxx Turner, had history making weekends in March while competing at the U-SPORTS Track and Field Championships.

A southwestern Manitoba medical clinic says the addition of a new physician will help improve access to timely care for patients in the region.

The Deloraine Medical Clinic recently welcomed Dr. Zarar Alam to its medical team. The clinic says Alam is now offering same-day and walk-in appointments Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinic officials say the expanded service will allow patients of all ages to receive care for a range of acute issues without needing to wait for a scheduled appointment.

Alam provides treatment for common illnesses such as colds, flu and minor infections, as well as care for minor injuries including cuts, sprains and strains. The clinic says patients can also visit for prescription refills and help managing urgent symptoms.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is launching a national advocacy strategy to challenge the federal government’s decision to shutter agricultural research stations across Western Canada, including a long-standing facility in Portage la Prairie.

Joe Masi, Portage la Prairie city councillor and Manitoba Director for the FCM board, informed Portage council that the national organization has instructed staff to research the economic and agricultural impacts of the closures. The move follows a coordinated effort by municipal leaders from Manitoba and Saskatchewan to bring the issue to the national stage.

“I’m pleased that the board of FCM is going to get involved,” Masi said. “We need to try to restore or reverse that decision of cuts because it’s a loss of jobs and an impact on our community.”

The Portage la Prairie site is a hub for grain, oilseed, and conventional crop research. It also serves as a primary centre for Manitoba’s fruit, vegetable, and potato sectors. Beyond the scientific loss, Masi highlighted the immediate blow to local employment, noting the cuts include a research economist, two technicians, and multiple seasonal and student positions.