The following is an overview of four different events that have taken place in Snow Lake over the past several weeks.
Firstly, 18 or so competitors took part in Chris Chell’s “Show Up or Shut Up” truck mud bog, held on the afternoon of Aug. 19 at the community’s old gravel pit/paintball course. It was a sign of redemption for Chell after the previous weekend’s ATV/UTV Bogs fell flat with limited attendance. It was also a sign of appreciation … everyone who takes part in the competition or the spectacle of it knows the hours Chell and those who help him put into the yearly event.
Prior to the bog beginning, Chell advised that he was employing a new electronic timing system for this year’s bog. He added that the system was developed to time Jack Russell terriers. He didn’t know if they also raced those puppies through the mud.
When the last bit of water was displaced, winners in all events were: stock – first Tim Richard, second Aaron Cable, third Chris Chell. Super stock 8-cylinder – first Roland Becker, second Rudy Pegg, third Chris Chell. Modified 8-cylinder – first Kelly Kopeechuck, second Kirk Trachsel, third Keelan McNeil. Powder Puff – first Brittany Holmgren, second Cherie Murie and third Kiana Hancock.
It was a nice day with a bit of a breeze and there looked to be approximately 80 people out for the event.
Secondly, members of the Snow Lake Royal Canadian Legion Branch #241 gathered in front of their building on the morning of Aug. 19 to present the keys to a spanking new mobility scooter to local veteran Brian Hicks.
Branch president Sharon Stubbs stated that the Legion was pleased and proud to be able to help Mr. Hicks get around more freely. Hicks in turn thanked the Legion and proudly showed off the options on his new ride. Those in attendance besides Ms. Stubbs and Hicks were: first vice-president Lois Charron, veteran Brian Hicks, second vice-president Grace Chrapun and sergeant-at-arms Bill Pleasance.
Third, noting that Snow Lake appreciates what a great gang of emergency firefighters we have in Snow Lake, the Snow Lake Motor Inn’s Roxane Lamontagne advised that her husband Gerard recently donated one of the old pool tables from the Snow Lake Motor Inn to the workers out at the Wekusko Falls Helitac Camp. “They keep us all safe from evacuation due to wildfires and they are an awesome, respectful, hardworking group of young people,” said Roxane. “They came and picked up that heavy behemoth, took it out to the base, fixed it up, and are now using it out there in their free time.”
The helitac crew was extremely appreciative of the gesture and sent the motor inn a card they made themselves to prove it. As well as an amazingly lifelike rendering of the crew at play on the table, they said the following: “The crews and staff at Wekusko Falls Helitac Base would like to express our sincere thanks to the Snow Lake Motor Inn for your generous donation to the base this summer. The pool table has become very popular on base and a favourite after-work activity for crews. Given its popularity (and extremely heavy weight) the table will be a fixture for years to come. The crews renovated the table and installed new felt and it looks like new! As young seasonal workers, we feel very fortunate to be a part of the Snow Lake community. Your contribution to our base is so appreciated. Thank you very much!”
Finally, rock doctors Ernie Guiboche, Bill Salahub Jr. and Dennis Merber were taking new patients during the Snow Lake Mining Museum’s eighth-annual Rock Doctor Day. Twenty-two of the young attendees brought their own rocks, consulted the docs, and played Toss the Copper in the Hopper to win a prize. Fifty-eight people in total visited the museum for the occasion.
The day was set up with the intention of getting young folks interested in geology and in the industry that fuels the local economy. Children bring rocks they have found, which piqued their interest, and the geologists on hand tell them what the makeup of the rock is … and in many cases, exactly where it came from.
Door prize winners were Kolby Bogdan, Ryder McMechan and Calyn Lobert. All prizes were courtesy of Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade - Resource Development. Cupcakes were courtesy of museum curator Dori Forsyth.
