as they hunt across North America chasing everything from teal to geese With lots of laughs and fantastic hunting action While there is plenty of gloom to complain about these days regarding habitat and waterfowl populations it's sure a thrill to experience such a bright spot emerging in our sport on the Great Lakes It was a good omen. The effluent coming out of the stack at the Michigan Sugar Beet plant in Sebewaing overlooking Saginaw Bay was trailing straight up toward the sky. Guide Mike Martin admitted he hadn’t seen very many days like this in the fall of 2020 “It’s been blowing for about three weeks straight,” he bemoaned “It’s nice to finally see some decent weather.” Hunters Kyle Treadwell Bruce DeShano and myself seconded the observation as we readied our gear at the boat ramp and loaded it aboard Martin’s 621 Ranger for the 13-mile ride to the middle of the bay Temperatures the night before had dipped into the low twenties and a skim of ice over the channel crackled and tinkled like broken glass at our intrusion leading from the Sebewaing marina to the Bay We hunkered down adjusting Velcro closures hoods and pulling our hands into thick gloves to shield exposed skin from the icy winds that would greet us when we hit the end of the channel The layout boat strapped across the gunnels of Martin’s Ranger made the craft resemble a star fighter in the Star Wars trilogy and in the back of my mind I had visions of the boat taking flight once Martin put the hammer down Once we reached the end of the ½-mile long no-wake channel Martin slammed the throttle forward and we were speeding across the slick surface Pushing 50 mph made the run short in duration Martin kept glancing at his GPS and making slight corrections as we sped though the darkness before finally throttling back and drifting to a stop Daylight was still but a rosy promise to the east Martin told us to look for long-tails beginning to stir and it wasn’t long before we spied singles doubles and small pods begin to trade on the horizon headed towards shallow water on the inner bay and the feeding grounds We watched anxiously as the number and frequency of sightings increased It was almost full-blown daylight when a black cloud of thousands of long-tails rose up off the water a mile or so distant and then pitched back to the surface to the north of us Another mass that resembled black smoke a little farther towards the mouth of the Bay did the same thing “They’re still here,” observed Martin quietly Known as old squaw for centuries, the moniker of the duck was changed a little over a decade ago to "long-tailed duck". Clangula hyemalis existed in relative obscurity within the waterfowling fraternity, especially among hunters around the Great Lakes A medium-sized sea duck commonly found along the east and west coast of North America long-tail duck populations have suddenly exploded on the Great Lakes and hunters have taken notice Long-tails nest in the western Hudson Bay region coastal islands in the northern reaches of Canada and all across the Arctic Their traditional wintering grounds on the coasts now include the Great Lakes Diehards that made long excursions to the Atlantic to harvest trophy birds can now travel to the Great Lakes to get their fix ‘The number of long-tailed ducks on the western Great Lakes has exploded over the last decade and the area has become a hotspot for them,” shared Greg Soulliere USFS Regional Science Coordinator for the Upper Mississippi/Great Lakes Venture “We’re seeing increases in the number of long-tailed ducks on all the Great Lakes We saw those increases on Lake Ontario prior to Lake Michigan Lake Ontario has a long history of long-tailed duck sightings.” Lake Ontario’s proximity to the coast and the northern breeding grounds may have something to do with that I grew up on Saginaw Bay and don’t remember ever seeing long-tailed ducks on the Bay The reason might have been that hunters like myself never ventured out into the middle of the Bay where long-tails typically mass There was no need to when you could shoot a limit of better-eating greenheads closer to shore I do remember seeing long-tailed ducks in the spring on Lake Michigan while charter fishing The one thing that has changed since then is mussels Species of non-native mussels were discovered in the late 1980’s but native mussels are not as efficient as invasive mussels Native mussels take 3 to 5 years to mature; zebra mussels mature in one year on the Great Lakes has provided a newfound food source for long-tails They have found the waters of the Saginaw Bay the ideal dinner table The only duck to use it wings for propulsion when diving long-tails have been recorded diving to depths in excess of 200 feet to secure food The shallow waters of Saginaw Bay must seem like a wading pool to them The depths of Saginaw make it easy for the aptly gifted long tails to gorge on mussels Why go searching for food when you can just belly up to the buffet Milder winters in recent years have made places like Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay more than hospitable to long-tails With open water and a preponderance of food long-tails have no reason to migrate farther south to Lake St Migratory bird hunting activity and harvest data from the 2018 and 2019 seasons shows that there were no long-tail ducks harvested in Ohio Michigan waterfowlers harvested 3,346 in 2018 and 6,019 in 2019 with the vast majority of the ducks taken on Saginaw Bay That number probably more than doubled in 2020 due to increased effort and targeting of long-tails Wisconsin hunters killed 810 long-tails in 2018 and the total doubled to 1,645 in 2019 The total harvest numbers for long-tails in the entire Mississippi Flyway was 4,164 in 2018 and 7,886 in 2019 waterfowlers in New York accounted for 10,515 in 2018 and 11,058 long tails in 2019 Atlantic Flyway hunters in 2018 harvested 24,203 and 27,439 in 2019 Numbers from the Great Lakes may soon surpass those numbers Luke Fara has spent a good portion of his adult life studying long-tailed ducks as a biologist at the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Service Center in LaCrosse “There’s this misconception that long-tails ducks are something new on the Great Lakes and on Lake Michigan in particular,” Fara said “There are records from back in the 1950’s of commercial fishermen finding long-tailed ducks in gill nets set in 200 feet of water on Lake Michigan.” Estimates were that as many as 50,000 long-tails were caught in nets each year “The Eastern Great Lakes have a long history of long-tailed ducks traversing from the Atlantic to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie during migration We don’t see those birds on Lake Michigan,” claimed Fara Fara said the population estimates for long-tail ducks in North America places them in excess of 1 million birds “There was an estimate a few years back that the population on the Great Lakes was estimated at 25,000 I think that number is extremely low considering the changes in distribution we are seeing I  also think this is due to a lack of surveys on the open water of the Great lakes Some surveys have occurred in recent years (2010) but extrapolating a population estimate from those is difficult.” Fara said some Christmas bird counts in the 1960’s indicated that more long-tailed ducks were observed in Milwaukee harbor than the entire state of New York Most people don’t see long-tail ducks because long-tails don’t come close to shore During the radio telemetry studies Fara conducted on Lake Michigan he rarely saw long tails in depths of less than 70 feet and most often the birds would spend their nighttime hours roosted in 300 feet of water more than 7 miles off-shore Data compiled from marked birds showed the average distance to shore during daylight hours was 3.3 miles with the average depth of 73 feet Mike Martin and Bruce DeShano put some muscle to the layout boat and it slipped of the gunwales of the Ranger like a fried egg out of a Teflon pan Martin began to feed out the mother line with the decoys attached to the layout boat out of a leaf bag that had been hidden under the boat A wind-driven spinning wing decoy painted like a drake long-tail perched on a post attached to a circular float marked the end of the line The decoys were a mixture of scoters and long-tailed drakes “Do you shoot many scoters out here?” I queried but the black scoter decoys stand out much better,” he replied Later from a distance it was obvious he was right A second line of a dozen decoys was added about 15 or 20 yards to the left of the layout boat Long-tails buzzed the spread the whole time we were setting decoys His quest for a bull long-tail had spanned several years and we agreed he should get first opportunity Martin explained that getting in the layout boat was kind of like falling off a horse Just roll on to your side and into the boat Treadwell accomplished the feat without incident and we handed him his gun Martin’s unwritten rule was a box of shells or a limit and then it was time to change hunters Most hunters never managed to kill a limit with a box of shells Shooting from a bobbing layout is not easy The wide-open spaces make judging distance difficult and long tails are speedy and elusive We pushed off wishing Treadwell good luck and shut the motor down about 80 yards away Martin instructed us to load our guns because hunters on the tender usually got some shooting He also told us if a crippled long-tail had its head up shoot it immediately because as soon as it dove you’d never see it again The tender boat hadn’t come to a complete stop when we looked up to see a white stud of a long tail headed towards the layout rig shuddered and then angled around the end of the line of decoys It was almost slow motion as we saw Treadwell come to a sitting position Martin pointed the Ranger towards the spread Treadwell pointed to where we could see the duck bobbing Another snowy white long-tail was taking the same path as the first and Treadwell dropped that one on the second shot He now had two stunning trophies from which to choose Long-tails strafed the layout rig non-stop but occasionally a knot of a half dozen or more long tails would skirt the outside edge of the decoys Martin said for some reason they never land in the decoys so don’t wait for a feet down posture Treadwell continued to hammer away and we retrieved three more for him before he called on the radio “I’ve got two more shells left,” he advised just as we could all see another duck zeroed in on the spread Treadwell lurched to sitting position; we could hear the reports from the gun and the bird wheeled towards Linwood to live another day DeShano insisted it was my turn in the layout boat Being a candidate for the lead in the commercial where the person claims “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” I was leery about the transfer a box of shells and the radio and wished me good luck Bird sightings had gone from non-stop to every 10 or 15 minutes by then I snuggled down into the layout and immediately realized I couldn’t wear my glasses with bifocals Everything was a blur when I looked at a low angle through the glasses I stuffed them in a pocket before a bird appeared The gunwales of the layout seemed to catch you right in the middle of the neck when you were scrunched down into the boat like you should be I hadn’t been in the boat 10 minutes and I had my trophy long-tail DeShano’s turn in the boat produced similar results The stream of long-tails had slowed considerable from first light but DeShano had no problem going through his shell allotment One of the birds he killed was a mature hen The hen was in striking contrast to the garish drakes we’d been targeting The rich brown and buff tones reminded me of a drake gadwall; reserved but beautiful Martin said it was one of the nicest specimens he’d ever seen Franchi upgrades their well balanced and efficient Affinity 3 Semi-Auto shotgun balancing Italian craftsmanship and American passion in their latest duck-killer Skip Knowles and Jim McConville visit the rice fields of Louisiana for early season teal hunting with Rob Hansen of Leg Iron Outfitters They are joined by waterfowling legend Terry Denmom of MOJO Outdoors Skip Knowles and Jim McConville are in the rice fields of southern Louisiana hunting early season teal with waterfowling legend Terry Denham of MOJO Outdoors Terry discusses motion decoys and their best use and practices while everyone gets humbled by fast flying teal Skip Knowles and Jim McConville from Wildfowl magazine are hunting early season teal with Rob Hansen of Leg Iron outfitters in the Louisiana rice fields They get a chance to pick Rob's brain about how to best setup a blind and decoy spread for teal and get into some good afternoon action once the birds are on the move Skip Knowles and Jim McConville from Wildfowl magazine wrap up their hunt in the rice fields of Louisiana chasing early season teal They delve deep into the nuances and intricacies of a proper spread for decoying ducks and pick their outfitters brain about all things teal Skip Knowles and Jim McConville head north to the Canadian province of Saskatchewan to chase sandhill cranes from the endless agricultural fields This is Jim's first time to hunt decoying sandhill cranes and he has come with all the tools required for such a hunt From his shotgun and loads to even night vision Jim is ready for his first experience with the “Rib Eye of the skies” Skip Knowles and Jim McConville are in Southeastern Saskatchewan hunting specklebelly geese and mallards from the farm fields that spread from horizon to horizon This is their first chance at big ducks in the fall of 2024 and strong winds have the birds on the move Skip Knowles and Jim McConville from Wildfowl magazine are in the fields of Saskatchewan chasing sandhill cranes with Christian Hogg from Fiocchi ammunition Having an expert in the blind leads to all sorts of insights about waterfowl loads and the best way to hunt using either bismuth or steel depending on the situation It's action packed and information packed as well About the only thing Skip Knowles like as much as chasing wild game is eating it Especially when that game is a rare treat like sandhill crane-known to hunters as the “rib eye of the skies” Skip puts together a nice plate of sandhill's using the basic ingredients around camp and gives Jim McConville and Fiocchi's Christian Hogg a taste of all their efforts on the hunt The adventure moves on to Michigan and the big marshes of Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay Skip Knowles and Jim McConville hit the big water in brushed in boats in search of big ducks and they take a look at what their shotgun loads are actually doing with a day on the range Skip Knowles and Jim McConville look back on the first season of Inside the Blind and all the adventures they shared across North America From the rice fields of southern Louisiana and the endless fields of Southeastern Saskatchewan it's been a full season…Inside the Blind New tools in your toolbox for duck and goose hunters: Fiocchi shares exciting news for waterfowlers with their new Golden Waterfowl Bismuth a plated steel load that comes in #4s and #6s See All Other Magazines See All Special Interest Magazines Get the top Wildfowl stories delivered right to your inbox All Wildfowl subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine Get Digital Access Subscribe Now By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use Access KelownaNow using your Facebook account Privacy Policy A group of around a dozen residents of Holiday Park Resort just north of Kelowna airport have showcased their national pride in a very Canadian way they took their snow shovels onto the frozen-over Duck Lake (Ellison Lake) and went to work creating a giant Canadian Flag over the course of around three hours Heather and Stu all teamed up to produce the patriotic work of art They put together a video and slideshow to showcase the hard work that went into it made just in time to celebrate National Flag of Canada Day on Saturday is a whopping 320 feet wide and 150 feet tall The goal was to make it an acre in size and they managed to go slightly bigger than that at 48,000 square feet “It is positioned on the northeast corner of the lake in the flight path of planes landing at Kelowna airport so (it) should be quite visible from any plane on the landing approach,” Stuart Sutton explained in the caption of the video he shared to YouTube The Kelowna forecast calls for continued cold and not much snow so this massive tribute to Canada could very well be seen from planes for several days If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform ▲ Back to Top ▲ Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation 6 May 2025 0:11:14 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); In what could arguably be the most Canadian expression of national pride a dozen Okanagan residents took to Duck Lake with their shovels Thursday and left a distinct one-acre wide mark “We built a Canadian flag,” organizer Stuart Sutton said He said it’s a celebration of flag day but more than that it’s a celebration of the country he loves Sutton said that he didn’t want to get political but the show of national pride felt right given the current climate When he made a call to his fellow residents at Holiday Park to get out onto the ice on a bright and sunny afternoon the notion was met enthusiastically by others which he and his uncle happily embarked on so I had to go and build some more with binder twine and then we had to measure out where all the flag points were going to be,” Sutton said “We spent about two hours getting that ready the day prior we all went out on the ice and executed the plan.” He and the remaining dozen retirees shovelled and etched a maple leaf for three hours the weather was really nice yesterday — it was -4C plus sunny and no wind — it was a perfect day but also it almost seemed like karma to have a day like that.” Thanks to the long cold stretch in the Okanagan the ice on the lake is pretty sturdy so Sutton thinks it will stick around for a while That means that anyone flying overhead may get a good view of his handy work and maybe have a bit of a boost in their day “People who are arriving (in Kelowna) via air can see the flag on the lake—it's right on the flight path of planes landing," he said he and a few friends may gather around their creation again VancouverNewsMassive Canadian flag on B.C. lake created as show of pride amid Trump threatsBy Lisa SteacyPublished: February 16, 2025 at 2:30PM EST Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved Canadian pride was shown by some residents of Holiday Park as they worked to create the Canadian flag on frozen Duck.. What was intended to be a heartfelt and local expression of Canadian pride has crossed international borders A week ago, Stuart Sutton and a dozen of his friends and neighbours made their way onto Duck Lake and etched an acre-wide Canada flag onto the icy surface Countless people took in the sight both by the air "I thought it was going to be more of a local community rallying cry and then it was picked up by almost all the national news (outlets)," Sutton said "It was way more than I expected." Sutton even heard from people he hadn't spoken to in 50 years who saw him on the news and reached out via social media to tell him how they approved of what he was doing The Canada-homage then crossed national borders when passengers aboard flights headed into Kelowna took snapshots of the flag which later had the words "proud and free" added above and shared them online to their social media accounts Sutton heard that people in both the US and Mexico took note of the sight and it was more impactful than he could have imagined "There are a lot of Canadians that have said we are on board with saving our country and maintaining our identity in the world'," Sutton said "I'm happy that it's done what it's done Sutton said he didn't want to be too political but his spirit is buoyed when he hears how this acre-wide effort resonated and is added to stories about how Canadians are using their buying power to show support for their countrymen and women It has all spoken to the strength of Canadian identity and the importance of maintaining it "We've stood shoulder to shoulder with our friends south of the border for years and I suspect in the future we will do the same," he said "That's been established for decades one or two people to break that trust." How much longer it will last remains to be seen SaskatoonNewsMeet a Saskatchewan ghost hunterBy Stacey HeinPublished: October 30, 2024 at 8:39PM EDT If you're looking to check out Duck Lake at The Pearl Island Duck Lake is nestled within The Pearl Island's residential buildings and is located right beside Beach Centrale This park is open to all and features a large lake with fountains There's an elevated viewing deck with benches at Duck Lake where visitors can relax while getting the best view of the lake The deck is also accessible as it is installed with ramps Witness ducks of different colours and sizes swim around There's something so captivating about watching them go about their day Paddle boats are available for rent so you can join the ducks in exploring the lake There are different coloured boats in the shape of swans and ducks If you want to rest and get out of the sun for a bit there are several shaded seating areas covered in greenery The lake is surrounded by a 1,000 m running path perfect for those who want a cool place to jog Get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures If you have anything you want to share with us, send us an e-mail at [email protected] Want to send a tip? Drop us an e-mail at [email protected], anonymity is guaranteed! You have successfully registered your account! How ajeeb was that!? Thanks for contributing to our community! Your post will appear after we take a quick look! Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page A remarkable piece of property came on the market recently in the Rural Municipality of Duck Lake but the Scrimshaw acreage is not your ordinary property The Scrimshaw acreage boasts 127 acres of what real estate agent Sheri Willick calls “wilderness paradise” and a one-of-a-kind waterfront home Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience “The acreage is attractive in its entirety,” says Willick adding some of the features include “the sheer land size beautiful custom built home and access to amenities in both Saskatoon and Prince Albert.” We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentLocated just off Highway 11 the lovingly maintained home is less than an hour’s drive from Saskatoon and 35 minutes to Prince Albert the home incorporates a 1920s church and manages to keep much of the charm of the original structure “While lots has been updated to make this home fully functional many original characteristics remain to make it truly unique and even working church bells,” explains Willick The main entrance to the home is through the 1920s church doors which would make a great office space or playroom for the grandkids The family room has a wood-burning fireplace and garden doors to a patio space The large kitchen features dark cabinetry and stainless steel hardware and is open to the dining room and great room The entire living area has beautiful views of the water there is a large walk-in pantry for storage By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Afternoon Headlines will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The homeowner’s suite includes a beautiful view of the lake 2,854-square-feet home has an open concept with lots of postcard views of the water The home also offers a distinct piece of Saskatchewan’s art history — a large ceiling mural in the great room painted by artist Glen Scrimshaw Wild Prairie surrounds the property with plenty of walking trails wildlife and many types of berries — Saskatoon berries Pretty vistas and peaceful surroundings will make the property ideal for someone looking for a private year-round getaway Artists will savour the opportunity to be close to nature with the wide-open spaces and sky transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account SaskatoonNewsSearch underway in Sask. after inmate escapes federal prisonBy Hayatullah AmanatPublished: August 16, 2024 at 12:46PM EDT As the communities of Duck Lake and Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation struggle to find health-care providers “It’s having a ripple effect on our community,” said Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation Chief Edwin Ananas from the legislature Thursday “People who don’t have access to go to the city to see a doctor It’s causing so much hardship in our community.” Ananas was joined by other delegates from his community and the nearby town of Duck Lake to speak with Tim McLeod who’s the provincial minister of mental health and addictions The visitors are calling for a game plan to address what they referred to as a critical lack of physicians and nurses in the area “It’s a serious issue and for it to go as long as it did unnoticed is unacceptable to me as a leader,” Ananas said after question period The reserve lost its family doctor last summer 1,000 of 1,600 people living on the reserve do not have access to one we see empty beds in a long-term care home at a time we desperately need to ensure those beds are filled,” said Opposition Leader Carla Beck While the town of Rosthern is relatively close to both communities the hospital has faced multiple closures in recent months due to shortages of doctors and nurses The next issue of Headline News will soon be in your inbox “It’s been an ongoing issue for First Nations people,” Ananas said “It’s only getting worse because of the shortage.” With the departure of the Beardy’s family doctor he said the Opioid Agonist Therapy program abruptly stopped resulting in a number of community members falling back into addictions is operating at a third of its total capacity with only eight beds says they’ve had a shortage of doctors for over two years and suggests the provincial government get “creative” with a solution “A nurse practitioner or a doctor’s assistant would do the trick for us,” he said Gauthier said at one point they were notified that two physicians would be available at Rosthern but it was too late because the physicians were fully booked McLeod said he was sorry that correspondence sent by the communities in January went unanswered by the ministry “We were already working on it and continue to work on it,” he said adding he would provide more information to them in a meeting that was scheduled for Thursday afternoon McLeod highlighted ongoing work being done by the Saskatchewan Health Authority to restore and stabilize staffing shortages “as quickly as possible.” A recent survey from the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses revealed that 85 per cent of nurses in the province feel a lack of staffing is putting patients at risk with 58 per cent saying they are considering leaving Saskatchewan’s health-care system anamato@postmedia.com This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy The third annual Residential School Survivors Walk journeyed from Wahpeton to Duck Lake and the former site of St Michael’s Residential School in Duck Lake said she started the walk when the unmarked graves were discovered in 2020 in Kamloops “I was sitting outside my place here and I was saying my morning prayer and I thought about them and I started to cry The discovery set her mind to finding a way to help the word ‘walk’ came to her mind I’m gonna walk from Wahpeton to Duck Lake so I didn’t know how to go about it.” She received assistance from her niece and her sister to do the first walk three years ago “This was our third year and that first year I said “I had to do it for the children that are lost the children have suffered in the student residential schools all across Turtle Island I went to the max thinking about all these children I don’t want to see it publicized,’ because the this is sort of a personal journey that I needed to do to help spiritually We went to traditional ways of doing things we didn’t do The only thing we asked was the RCMP to walk us through town,” The first year the walk took place on a rainy day and Buffalo appreciated all of the support she received “I really felt bad all the walkers that supported me that first year but they were okay with it The only thing that was really bad was they had blisters on their feet,” Buffalo said The second year the RCMP escorted them through town again the walk began on Saturday morning at Wahpeton Band Office residential school survivors and supporters to participate in the walk the walk got as far as McDowall before continuing the next morning to Duck Lake The group arrived in Duck Lake around 5 p.m “But yesterday (Sunday) we just kept on walking,” Buffalo said The walkers took turns walking and some completed the entire walk the 15 walkers still made Buffalo happy for the support she received There must have been about 15 taking turns walking,” Buffalo said Buffalo said that she didn’t expect a whole bunch of people “I put my poster out and I invited all the bands that went to school to St Michael’s,” she said “There were a few of them that showed up that went there But they came and they helped and then towards the end there’s a lady that got on her scooter and she rode all the way to Duck Lake to the site “I am grateful to all who supported (and) those people who did smudging and carrying staffs and walking.” she will have shirts made to give away for the walk Buffalo thanked everyone who donated everything from food to gas for the journey Buffalo said that she walked for the survivors as well “A lot of them have a hard time dealing with what happened to them at the school and those are the ones I walk for,” she said “My heart goes out to all the students because I know each and every one that has a story and I will not repeat them because it’s not my story.” Buffalo said that she walks for the survivors because what they are dealing with is hard they are able to deal with it and get on with life we’re going to leave everything over there to start a healing,” she said The plans for next year’s walk is to go in reverse from this year and start at Duck Lake and walk to Wahpeton “Although we’ve been healing all along we know for to say goodbye and not look back,” Buffalo said Prince Albert's only locally-owned daily newspaper moving water accompanied by black water seeping out of the swamp doesn’t necessarily lead to subpar bass fishing results This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access. Walker duo set to engineer bass success at LSU You can’t beat Caddo Lake for bass fishing sacked huge bass on April 24 at Toledo Bend.[…] May is an easy fishing month at Toledo Bend as bass and crappie enter the post-spawn period and bream start bedding up in the shallows.[…] Walker High School Fishing Team member Hunter Holland wants to complete his four-year run as a high school bass angler on a high note.[…] ©2025 Louisiana Sportsman, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Employee Information (WXYZ) — Two men have been hospitalized and are in critical condition after part of a tree hit their vehicles during yesterday's severe weather Investigators tell us the driver of a Hino box truck was heading south on South Duck Lake Road during the storm caused part of a large tree to break off and land on the cab of his vehicle it ran off the west side of the road and into some trees That same falling tree also struck the roof of a Ford F150 pickup truck driven by a 23-year-old Highland Township man Both men were transported to area hospitals where officials say they are in critical condition Both men were wearing selt belts at the time and alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash Sign In Register Early in 2021,  the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) released a survey to assess how the community felt about the RMOW’s new direction when it comes to the trail system in and around town and the increased funding to the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) the Recreational Trail Strategy community engagement survey which had 800 responses—the most engagement seen in any community survey—wanted feedback on “certain trails like the One Duck Jane Lakes and those kind of loops,” according to Councillor Ralph Forsyth who sits on the RMOW’s Recreation and Leisure Advisory Committee (RLAC) “[We found] that [the community is] generally supportive,” said Forsyth “But then specifically, the One Duck Lake [trail] is going to be really good because now we have access because the municipality bought the adjacent property.” Forsyth acknowledged that there are concerns from residents in the Emerald neighbourhood over how busy the trail might become but “I think having legitimate access that’s not trespassing is a big win for the community.” the RMOW said the new access to One Duck Lake which was previously lost due to the trail being cut off by new developments “will be achieved through a property that has been purchased by the RMOW” and is “intended to serve local residents primarily.”  The statement continues: “Signage improvements to facilitate this access have been made over the course of 2021,” and trail access will be completed by this fall While WORCA doesn’t have anything to do with the access trail to One Duck Lake the rest of the survey’s results were “as expected,” particularly when it comes to the major increase in funding WORCA received this year according to executive director Trevor Ferrao “Most people thought that was of really high importance for the trail strategy,” he said “Sustainable funding is something that has been a big issue for us so we’re glad to see that everyone recognizes that needs to be tackled long-term “People want to see a mixture of trails and different difficulties throughout the trail network and things like that so it confirmed a lot of what we already knew.” The survey also asked questions about three new trail builds proposed by WORCA two of which—Mystic Function and D’Arcy Burke Memorial Trail—Ferrao believes will be approved by the RMOW “Mystic Function is from Into The Mystic [trail] down to Function Junction So the idea behind that is to make better use of the whole trail that takes you up into the alpine,” explained Ferrao ““This will be like a lower elevation part ...  That will basically allow that [trail] to be used for a lot longer period.” The D’Arcy Burke Memorial Trail is planned for the Jane Lakes area which doesn’t see a lot of use right now If these new proposed trails are approved by the RMOW the next step would be for WORCA to apply to the province for permission to start building it could take upwards of three years to get approval to start the build We love a fluffy chickadee or a baleful owl we’ve compiled a list of five small ducks you can see in winter in Canada and we hope you can get out there and see them in the wild Not all ducks leave the country when cold weather comes to Canada’s forests Many ducks simply migrate to their winter homes—often along the ocean coasts or the shorelines of big lakes small flocks gather in ice-free openings where industrial or power-generator processes are releasing warm water in winter Buffleheads weigh about a pound.* They’re small but mighty divers and they like to eat their fish and invertebrates underwater In winter, you can see them bobbing in the waves on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts Goldeneye ducklings weigh about an ounce* when they hatch but they soon leap from the nest cavity to follow mama to water In winter, you can see them eating mollusks and crustaceans on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts Merganser drakes weigh less than a pound-and-a-half* but they’re fancy all the same They swim past with their eye-catching crests held high to entice a hen she’ll soon set up a tree cavity nest and use her own feathers to make it warm In winter, you can see mergansers swimming low in the water in the southern Great Lakes and southern British Columbia Harlequin ducks hang out on rushing rivers and rough coasts they’re tossed by waves so big they may even break bones in the rough terrain In winter, you can see striking groups of the sociable birds on saltwater shores The nesting pairs start to fly inland in late March Cinnamon teal weigh less than a pound* They all look much the same for much of the year—except for the males’ red eyes Then midwinter comes and the males grow new feathers emerging all dressed up in red for mating season In winter, you may see them in southwestern British Columbia including Vancouver Island measurable impacts for wildlife populations simply by becoming a member of Ducks Unlimited Canada Quebec carver’s artistic skills are tied to the beauty of waterfowl and the conservation efforts that sustain them Landowners may find themselves in the middle of a duck and predator conflict - here's how to lower the risks Everyone should experience freeze-up at a marsh and wildlife for the generations of tomorrow Donate Help us improve our website by providing feedback Submit Website Feedback For more information, click here. He leaves behind a broken-hearted family: his girlfriend Ellen Pearson; and his little sister many friends who became extended family to Dillon He would always put everyone else before himself and welcomed anyone new that he met with open arms always asking Mindy and others if he could help when it was needed he loved drawing and cooking (sushi was his favourite) His eyes would light up when he was on his skateboard He was passionate about skateboarding; every time he went to shred he yelled out I want you to be proud of me!” He loved chasing sunsets and teaching us about astronomy he was so smart with the sky and stars and moon Ellen will always remember staring up at the clear skies full of stars He said he wanted to ride a bull before he died; but His adventures will live on in our memories Your brother is your first male friend in your life No one will ever understand your craziness like your brother Even if you don’t get together or talk as much as you’d like your brother will always be in your heart for a lifetime please join the family online by Livestream at the time of the service (see below) a recording will be made available to view shortly thereafter please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences” Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions Interment will take place immediately after the service at Duck Lake Cemetery lunch will be served at Winfield Memorial Hall » Condolences sent through this page can be seen by the public. If you wish for your condolence to go to the family privately, please send it to: " + EmailId +" » Condolences sent through this page can be seen by the public. If you wish for your condolence to go to the family privately, please send it to: contact@springfieldfuneralhome.com Sorry for your loss and for the pain you are experiencing We will miss your warm hugs!Your huge kind heart… ❤️ lots of love to Alley and Family ❤️❤️❤️ SENDING LOVE FROM YOUR COUSIN SUE AND JESSIE SIMPSON ❤️ ♥️ 💖 Rest in peace Dillon SIMPSON » To share your condolence on this page please fill out the requested fields click the 'Choose File' button and select a photo from your computer » Your email is never published or shared NOTE: all messages will go through an administrative process before being posted Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Everything was so organized and pertinent to what we needed courteous and very helpful during our emotional and challenging time They were so prompt on answering any questions and changing things They were prepared and respected any religious decisions The process was so seamless and made easy in such a high stress situation In the past 2 years Springfield has helped us through the death of my Mother and my Father Their response and help allowed us to focus on the remaining family rather than worrying about details of the funeral and all the notifications that are required upon a death The atmosphere has been nothing but professional during times of grief the staff coached me on the next steps and looked after filling in all the government forms that I needed to sign which took a huge burden off my mind at the time From the time I called to the completion of all the services There was a sense of caring from each staff member I was turning over my Mom to their care and I felt very comfortable with everyone I felt heard and never felt pushed into any decision I have always found the team at Springfield Funeral Home to be VERY caring I have and will continue to recommend them to anyone who asks which funeral home would I suggest they use No other funeral home I have dealt with even comes close to Springfield Funeral Home I was made to feel as if I was the only one they had to serve Everything that was arranged for us was perfect Thank you for making this difficult time a little more acceptable via your staff’s obvious caring and respect I liked the personal treatment given to my mother who is 97 years old I found Springfield employees pleasant and sincere was that the funeral home would help me get through the paperwork need at this time Since this was my first experience (with a funeral home) everything was above and beyond what I expected Thank you to your team for your kindness to me at a very challenging time You have now taken care of both of my parents with professionalism and care Springfield Funeral Home is always professional We appreciate that you have dedicated staff for all needs from planning the service to completing government paperwork I am not sure there was anything you could have done to make a very intense emotional time less stressful Although we hadn’t expected Ken to want a service when he said we needed to have one for us not him Your sincerity and compassion meant everything to us your compassion and professionalism is truly amazing super professional and caring as each guest arrived Keep up the good work that you do as it is such an important service you provide It is still the most difficult time in a person’s life We appreciated the peace of mind that everything was being looked after You provide a wonderful service for people going through a traumatic time The kindness and professionalism shown by the staff at Springfield Funeral Home was exemplary SaskatoonNewsSask. rural community calls for 'creative' solution to long-term care bed closuresBy Stacey HeinPublished: April 08, 2024 at 7:39PM EDT Sign In Subscribe Now An Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) referendum to commercially designate the Duck Lake reserve is happening now OKIB members can vote in favour or against designating 52 acres of Duck Lake lands in Lake Country for the purpose of building a business park which the band would be able to lease for economic benefit The OKIB has put together a video of an information meeting with Chief Byron Louis and representatives from Indigenous Services Canada and other groups The video explains the designation and how members can vote “This is a very important initiative that’s being undertaken … when you look at how important economic development is in our community and having these types of opportunities available,” Louis says in the video Designated lands are lands that band members agree to lease for economic development purposes or other purposes which are voted on by the members according to the rules of the Indian Referendum Regulation The designation doesn’t affect the land’s reserve status A full list of potential uses, pending the land’s designation, can be found on the OKIB’s website “This isn’t the company that’s a stand-off from our community This is the Okanagan Indian Band Group of Companies that is set up specifically for us,” Louis added that is something that we desperately need In all studies and statistics that we had with membership before economic development was at the highest priority of our band.” conceptual designs have been produced which include commercial and residential uses and OKIB Management Services LP secured $2.2 million from the National Business Park Infrastructure Fund for the project the results will be submitted to the Minister of Indigenous Services for final approval OKIB members can deliver their ballots in person at 1240 Westside Road by bringing the ballot they received in the mail along with their ID For information on how to fill out your ballot, view this OKIB online resource READ MORE: Construction begins on new Lake Country business park READ MORE: Okanagan Indian Band seeks nominations for upcoming election Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Clark's Crossing Gazette A little sunshine is being brought into the lives of residents at the Goodwill Manor (GWM) Special Care Home in Duck Lake as families reconnect in a COVID safe environment thanks to the efforts of the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) A significant contribution from the MN–S government is going toward a sunroom/cultural room built onto the south side (front) of the home providing a beautiful space that will allow for private family gatherings and traditional cultural ceremonies Gauthier Foundation’s project at GWM and felt compelled to pursue the possibility with MN–S “This will provide a safe visiting space and multi-purpose family sunroom for our elders and their loved ones and enable them to maintain their important family connections,” DeBray said “Métis Nation–Saskatchewan has been actively creating partnerships and relationships focused on health and healthy living We did not hesitate at this opportunity for cross-cultural partnership buildingand direct improvement for our elders’ wellbeing.” the staff of GWM recognize the need to provide social and cultural opportunities and teaching events to all of the residents which include approximately 50% of their residents identifying as Indigenous The sunroom will provide the opportunity for residents staff and visitors to participate in rich Métis traditions and ceremonies Cheryl Prediger GWM Site Lead and Director of Care explained “The goal of our resident’s home is to provide holistic care that encompasses the spiritual emotional and mental well-being of our residents This generous gift from MN–S gives GWM that safe multi-purpose space not only out of respect for our Indigenous residents but all residents and their families now and for our resident community in the future.” Métis people have helped shape Duck Lake to be the vibrant community it is today The MN–S contribution is an allocation of COVID-19 relief funds and covers approximately 75% of the sunroom/cultural space Gauthier Foundation will lead the project which is to be completed this fall Access to the southeast end of Duck Lake has been reopened the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area announced this afternoon “After some maintenance today to remove excess vegetation that has grown up it was determined that the dike had dried sufficiently and is stable enough to allow vehicle access at this time,” said an email sent by the CVWMA to interested parties Parts of the wildlife area were closed in late June due to high water levels The Summit Creek/Leach Lake area and the trails around the Wildlife Interpretation Centre were reopened to foot traffic earlier this month The Duck Lake dike took a bit longer to dry out sufficiently and while the CVWMA expects it to remain open there will continue to be ongoing inspections to ensure that the dike remains stable and safe for public access,” the email continued “This spring was definitely an exception to the norm due to the extremely high water levels we’ve experienced; however we’re cautiously optimistic that we’ve passed the crisis period.” HIGHLAND TWP.- A tree that fell as storms ripped through the township and southeast Michigan on Wednesday struck two vehicles The incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m south of Livingston Road when the storm caused a large tree on the west side of the road to topple according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office The tree first struck a 2015 Hino box truck which was being driven south on Duck Lake Road by a 35-year-old Columbus The truck then ran off the west side of the road and into trees The tree then struck the roof of a 2018 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by a 23-year-old Highland Township man Highland Township Fire Department paramedics transported both men to area hospitals where they were in critical condition as of Thursday afternoon Both men appeared to be wearing seat belts at the time of the crash and alcohol did not appear to be a factor Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com or 517-281-2412 Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAPACHE-SITGREAVES NATIONAL FORESTS (AZFamily) — A slow-moving wildfire has burned approximately 31 acres in eastern Arizona since its start last week The Duck Lake fire was discovered on July 5 near Forest Roads 116 and 72 in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Forest Service officials say it was sparked by lightning The area where the wildfire is burning has a significant number of dead trees the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says the fire will most likely consume dead and down fuels that remain in the burn site of the Wallow Fire from 2011 Two fire engines have been dispatched to help fight the blaze Crews hope to keep the fire within the designated perimeter and reduce the amount of dry fuel it consumes from the landscape but visitors are advised not to camp in the area AZ Department of Forestry and Fire Management said that smoke may be visible No homes or buildings are threatened at this time See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description The mood was bittersweet in the Town of Duck Lake office on Thursday afternoon politicians and residents gathered for a funding announcement regarding the Duck Lake landfill Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment has informed the town that their landfill must be closed by June 30 of next year the provincial and federal governments have conditionally approved $277,157 for closure costs The money comes from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) Premier Scott Moe announced his plans to reduce the amount of landfills in rural communities Saskatchewan has more landfills per capita than any other Canadian province the province had 229 operational landfills While residents celebrated the funding over coffee and cake the town continues to ponder unanswered questions “It’s a service that is expected and is rightful You can’t just have them throw it out on the side of the road someplace that’s what happens,” said Mayor Donna Piche She said Loraas collects household waste and recycling on a biweekly basis will come when residents need to dispose of items like fridges or tires like we just had an old fridge that we used in the basement so now we have to take it out to the landfill and after it’s closed We have to determine what happens with stuff like that.” The landfill is located approximately six kilometres north of Duck Lake according to administrator Michelle Zurakowski which will go towards an Environmental Site Analysis (ESA) and a closure plan they’ll need to haul out the waste and monitor the area Zurakowski was concerned about illegal disposal “We just had someone cut the chain out there and dump their stuff just recently “We…need to have a little bit more information of what the options are.” She said she’s hoping to have a meeting with the R.M of Duck Lake in November to discuss how they’ll monitor the site Zurakowski is grateful the government is helping cover the cost Batoche MLA Delbert Kirsch attended the announcement on behalf of the Minister of Government Relations He said the government does feel obligated to pitch in for the landfill closure there were no environmental standards,” he explained “Now (we have) to catch up to that all and to build a system where all (these) environmental things are met now send them to Saskatoon and they grind them up.” He described Duck Lake as “a town that will not give up (and) keeps on working and building.” Residents of Duck Lake do not pay to use the landfill but contractors and people outside of the town in the R.M 22: At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 21 inmate Norman Cardinal was apprehended by the Saskatoon Police Service This inmate had been unlawfully at large from Willow Cree Healing Lodge, a minimum security federal institution CSC is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident 5: Correctional Services of Canada Prairie Region has issued a release stating an inmate has gone missing from a healing lodge staff members at Willow Cree Healing Lodge discovered that Norman Cardinal was not accounted for The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) immediately contacted the Rosthern detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and a warrant for his arrest has been issued He is currently serving a sentence of two years two months and one day for possession of property obtained by crime (x2) possession of weapon contrary to prohibition order unauthorized possession of prohibited / restricted weapon in motor vehicle assault peace officer with a weapon/imitation possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose obstruct public/peace officer and dangerous operation of a conveyance Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Norman Cardinal is asked to contact the police CSC will investigate the circumstances of this incident and is working with the police to locate the offender as quickly as possible On March 27, two members of the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club met with representatives from Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area to explore the idea of improving anglers’ access to Duck Lake via the Sirdar access The objective of the proposal is to build a single lane vehicle access road from the existing parking lot down to the water’s edge to allow anglers easier boat access People would have the ability to drive their vehicles down but be required to park in the designated parking area only permitted boat storage is allowed at the point Users not wanting to store their boats at that location need to unload their vessels at the parking lot and drag them down a fairly steep hill; going down is one thing This new road would also provide safer foot access for ice-fishing enthusiasts during the winter months The lane would be closed to vehicles in the winter would be approximately 230 meters in length and four to five metres wide To ensure minimum impact to sensitive species an environmental assessment is being conducted at the site The road location was selected to minimize the grade and amount of vegetation disturbance during construction The proposed completion date is October 2013 contact the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area at office@crestonwildlife.ca Supreme Court has finally ended a staggering act of trespassing that saw developers brazenly erect a trailer park on Okanagan Indian Band land and operate it for nearly 30 years Justice Gary Weatherill said the dispute was the result of a bitter family feud a skein of complicating court orders and the Byzantine rules governing reserve land The ruling ended a three-decades-long squabble over the 40-acre mobile home park just east of Highway 97N on the Duck Lake Indian Reserve No A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox “Without a valid head lease in place (662777 B.C and Braunfel Construction Ltd.) have been operating Creek Run Park illegally,” the justice said the companies have habitually failed to properly compensate (those who had rights to the land) have failed to maintain the Creek Run Park in accordance with safety and have taken advantage of the Simpson family.” Weatherill maintained the lengthy suit was a prime example of the importance of complying with the complex processes protections and rules set out in the Indian Act when non-band members seek to do business on reserve lands arrangements and interim agreements over the past 26 years the companies have never obtained a registered head lease from the minister of Indigenous Services (as it is now called) on behalf of the federal Crown authorizing the Creek Run Park to operate on the lands,” Weatherill concluded He ordered the companies removed and the Simpson family — members of the Okanagan Indian Band — compensated although that is unlikely “In classic fashion of someone who sets up a business to siphon the money and profit “You can see from the decision they didn’t provide financial documentation they had multiple different numbered companies to try and avoid the consequences of this the family is really happy with the result tangled roots — hundreds of documents provided the chronology and the parties filed a detailed agreed-statement-of-facts about the saga that began in late 1989 While Indian lands are held for the band as a whole lots of reserve land may be granted to band members through a “certificate of possession” issued under the Indian Act after a decision by the band council and the Crown’s approval he and his daughter Maureen Ziprick reached a deal to share it between them though the court concluded the one-half share given to Ziprick was actually a trust for her and her three sisters — Leona Each sister held a one-quarter share of the half interest and Herbert executed a will leaving his interest to two of Karen’s children The complications began in 1993 after Simpson and Ziprick signed a letter of intent with two brothers from Alberta a valid lease required input from the band and the Crown’s approval The father and daughter fell out over the $30,000 down payment because Ziprick thought it too low In November 1993 she resiled from the letter of intent and sought an injunction to stop BECL from proceeding shares in BECL were transferred to a related firm The companies were sold in 2011 to Gordon DeFehr and BECL’s name was changed to Braunfel Construction Ltd DeFehr reputedly paid $2,500 down for the trailer park and promised to pay the balance of the $1.2-million purchase price from rent receipts almost tripling its size to its current 81 lots DeFehr argued the park was developed based on assurances from the Simpsons Weatherill said the initial development should never have proceeded: “The original discussions that took place between Herbert and (BECL) in 1993 resulted in a tentative buckshee agreement at best.” DeFehr shouldn’t have got involved without ensuring a lease was in place DeFehr is the author of his own misfortune It should come as no surprise to him that sooner or later He awarded $250,000 plus interest in damages for trespass and loss of the use of the lands but Kidston held out little prospect of collecting given the financial sleight-of-hand Weatherill found DeFehr ran the park into the ground and siphoned off as much money as possible pending the predictable outcome of the suit “It is apparent that the companies have no assets and are effectively judgment proof,” Weatherill pointed out “It’s quite likely in the short term there are going to be no changes but we don’t know what the plan will be for the whole area at this time,” Kidston said This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy The Commonwealth Road Improvements project will develop preliminary design for improvements at the Highway 97/Commonwealth Road intersection and through Lake Country Town Centre.  These improvements were identified in two recent planning studies conducted in the area: The preliminary design will consider opportunities that will enhance the livability and inclusivity of residential and commercial neighbourhoods that are situated along the corridor This project is currently in the preliminary design phase This phase is scheduled for completion in spring 2025 Extensive engagement will take place throughout the preliminary design process with: Enter your email address to subscribe to updates of this page Email addresses are collected under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, for the purpose of providing content updates. Questions about the collection of email addresses can be directed to the Manager of Corporate Web weather and road conditions and plan your route Phone403-813-7582Emailthomas.labrecque@gov.bc.caEmailCOITN@gov.bc.caDid you find what you were looking for?YesNoThe B.C Public Service acknowledges the territories of First Nations around B.C and is grateful to carry out our work on these lands and concerns of all Indigenous Peoples - First Nations and Inuit - respecting and acknowledging their distinct cultures We can help in over 220 languages and through other accessible options. Call, email or text us, or find a service centre A dynamic police incident ended in a bold attempt by a man wanted Canada-wide to swim across Duck Lake (Ellison Lake) in the middle of the night to flee police It didn’t take long for him to think better of his idea and turn around at which point he was arrested without incident back on shore It all began around 12:30 am today when RCMP officers spotted a 2002 Dodge Ram truck that was believed to have been involved in a break and enter theft of a travel trailer on Wednesday Police followed the truck and saw a man driving with another man and woman inside as passengers and determined they were all known to police the trio was spotted breaking into a business in the 7800 block of Hwy 97 North in an attempt to steal another travel trailer from a compound Several officers and the police dog unit quickly converged on the suspects at which point one of the men and the woman tried to flee in the truck and they were arrested without further incident But the second man fled on foot and found himself at Duck Lake where he jumped in and began his daring attempt to swim across the body of water he didn’t make it far before turning back towards shore where he was arrested without incident by waiting officers It was then that the RCMP determined the man was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant “This is another example of the excellent collaboration of several RCMP units to make an arrest of these suspects,” said Cst “These three individuals clearly have no regard for the property of others attempting to steal two travel trailers within hours of each other.” Police are recommending charges against all three individuals who will now appear in court to determine their fate A five-day gathering on the former site of the St. Michael’s Indian Residential School for survivors has come to an end Keith Burns was hoping to meet up with some old friends and classmates “mainly because I wanted to be in contact with my friends from back then I hadn’t seen a lot of them and I sure would like to see them again,” says Burns ran from 1894 until it closed its doors in 1996 Burns didn’t meet up with too many past classmates but he did give his input on what should be done with the site “They should build some kind of healing lodge here to help with residential school because it doesn’t just happen with us like it’s going to go for generations,” Burns tells APTN News.  He came to the gathering and shared his own personal family tragedy “I came on my own as part of my healing journey to talk about the loss of my late mom’s brother who was not told about her parents were – not told about it until months later and we still don’t know where he’s buried,” says Omani He’s been searching for answers for many years and hopes that when the Catholic Church provides the records they can start searching the area for unmarked graves and his uncle’s grave can be identified “He’s buried someplace here I tried in 1990s to find his unmarked grave I could never find it so I am glad they are going to do the scanning on this grounds,” he says “They will be able to find unmarked graves and hopefully the catholic church will  disclose the records.” many children were renamed by the church while attending residential school “We don’t know what the Catholic Church named him his first name and second name we do know his Dakota name,” says Omani he was given that name because he had such a high-pitched voice when he sang our Dakota ceremonial songs.” Omani says even though the nuns and priests told his grandparents that his uncle died from an illness students told another story when they arrived home from St The gathering wrapped up with a healing walk on the last day to help survivors and descendants on their healing journey This gathering was an opportunity to get survivors’ input on what areas need to be searched Signup to our newsletter and receive this week's top stories every Saturday morning HERON LAKE — The southwest corner of Minnesota has seen substantial flooding with last week’s rains but perhaps one of the hardest-hit communities is Heron Lake Between the beginning of last week to Saturday the Jackson County community received up to 20 inches of rain “Some people are displaced right now,” said Heron Lake City Clerk Marlys Olson on Monday friends or whoever right now until they can get back into their houses "One of our additions down on the south side of town has been really hit We’ve got a couple houses that are probably not ever able to be lived in until they’re fixed … that whole street was flooded all day Saturday and it started to go down yesterday and today it looks a lot better.” While the town’s south side is slowly starting to see relief Olson said the north side of the city could soon be subject to flooding as water levels in the nearby Duck Lake begin to rise “The north side of Heron Lake probably might get more flooding in their basements and houses,” Olson said “We have the expressway right off the highway they put up a fanned levee around it to help protect it from flooding The water’s right up to the outside of that levee right now "We have Minnesota 60 going north closed," she added we can’t do that and then going north out of town Windom and other areas from Heron Lake are closed with many people having to “zigzag” the countryside on gravel roads to get to other communities Lakefield has already begun diverting out of the city’s streets to help keep them clean and its residents safe “We have six extra (sump) pumps for all of the city parks some pumps are at some intersections to get some relief off 17th Street they’re pumping water away from that and several other places in town just to bring an ease to what’s going on,” Olson said that’s completely flooded so we’re trying to pump out as much water (as we can) so we can keep things safe.” Olson said while there have been sandbagging efforts by some residents on their private property “Our grounds are just so saturated," she said "Your sump pumps are just running continuously because it has no place to really go Some people in the height of it had five or six sump pumps going all at the same time to try to keep up with it.” Heron Lake is getting assistance to address the flooding from Jackson County and was visited by the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Sunday Those agencies delivered buckets for local residents to access for cleaning up wet basements “We have an emergency mitigation plan we have with the county,” Olson shared “There have been issues as well in Jackson so our emergency management contact has called for help from the Twin Cities to help direct us on what to do because we want to do it right the first time." the American Red Cross opened a shelter for displaced residents in Jackson executive director for the American Red Cross serving southwest Minnesota said the shelter will also be serving meals to those sheltering in addition to providing other resources “We have a shelter in Jackson that is open and ready for anyone who needs a safe place to stay,” she said “We also have food and snacks available and then we can connect them to other resources or assistance as they need it.” While there are already some resources from the Red Cross available she said more will be made available as the situation develops in the early stages of this,” Pockrandt said It could include cleanup kits and other resources like that Pockrandt’s advice to people as the flooding continues is to be alert “Keep an eye on the weather and rising waters that are near you,” she said “Make sure that you have a plan to get to a safe place do not go around city or county barricades of any kind We want to make sure that people are practicing safety when they’re out and about and they’re making sure that they and their families are in a safe location.”