Latest news with #PelicanLake
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Resident captures video of dangerous interaction between family dog and wild bear: 'We didn't know what to do'
Resident captures video of dangerous interaction between family dog and wild bear: 'We didn't know what to do' The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department confirmed two black bear sightings near a popular recreational area in mid-June, sparking concerns among residents. What happened? As Keloland News reported, the bears were spotted roaming along the shores of Pelican Lake, located near Watertown, about an hour-and-a-half north of Sioux Falls. A video shared by local David Dalke showed one of the bears getting dangerously close to his dog, but he said the bear merely seemed curious rather than threatening. Nonetheless, it was an unsettling situation, considering bears weigh hundreds of pounds and can easily hurt or kill smaller animals. Luckily, though, both animals walked away unharmed. The bear was spotted again further down the lake at the end of a dock where locals were fishing. Thankfully, a boater passed by and called attention to the bear before it had a chance to do any harm. "He saw us for sure," local Alexis Rowland told Keloland News. "We didn't know what to do." Once again, the bear walked away shortly after. But the group was shaken up and shocked to see a bear at the lake, as black bear sightings are quite rare in the area. "In my 40 years, I've never heard of a bear around here," Watertown resident Keith Pietz said, per Keloland News. Why are black bears in South Dakota concerning? While black bears are not considered highly dangerous to humans, they are still wild animals and can act unpredictably, especially when protecting food or cubs. And if people feed them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, they can become accustomed to seeking out food near human habitats and put both people and pets in danger. When bears and other wildlife become conditioned to human food, it may force officials to euthanize them, which is sadly happening more often as human-wildlife conflicts increase. Population growth, habitat destruction, and resource shortages caused by the changing climate have made it more difficult for animals to survive, leading them to seek out urban environments for resources. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. All across the globe, residents have reported an uptick in bear sightings in residential areas, including in people's driveways, gas station parking lots, and campgrounds. As humans continue to encroach on bears' territory, it puts more pressure on the animals and limits their food availability. In this case, it doesn't appear that the bear was searching for food, but the fact that it didn't seem too fazed by humans is concerning. Luckily, black bears in South Dakota are still quite unusual, according to South Dakota GFP regional wildlife manager Nick Rossman. "Black bears in our area are not common in northeast South Dakota, but occasionally we have seen similar juvenile-aged bears wander through the area," he explained to the Watertown radio station KXLG. How can you protect yourself and bears? The GFP recommends keeping pets and children under supervision when bears are sighted nearby and cleaning up any food that has been left out. In the broader context, however, taking steps to conserve bears' habitats would benefit both wildlife and humans, as conflicts would likely be significantly reduced. Helping bears thrive in their natural habitats is crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems, as they regulate populations of other animals and contribute to overall biodiversity. Participating in community-based conservation programs can help ensure bears have a safe and healthy environment, thereby reducing the likelihood of them venturing into human territory. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Ninette Fair to mark 70th anniversary this weekend
The Ninette Fair is marking a major milestone this weekend. June 13 and 14 will mark the 70th annual Ninette Fair. It will be an event that has something for everyone to enjoy while showcasing the fair's history. 'When you look at fairs nowadays, you look at small towns, communities, everything seems to be shrinking and it's getting harder to put these events…When you can hit something like 70, 75 (years), it's amazing. Not only for the people that are putting it on, but for the community as a whole because it means that in a community of a couple hundred people, it's surviving,' said Bryan Podworny, the president of the Pelican Lake Ag Society, which hosts the fair. Podworny said when the fair started, it was an agricultural fair, focused on everything from livestock to growing crops. That trend will continue this year with nine different horse competitions as well as a youth cattle show. Games like the three-legged race and an egg toss will just be a sample of the entertainment that people can enjoy. Ninette Fair A horse racing event at the Ninette Fair. Uploaded June 11, 2025. (Bryan Podworny) There will also be bounce houses, musical acts and a kids exhibit, which will showcase all the kids' talents, from art to cooking. Friday night will feature a teen dance and the traditional roast beef dinner will also be making a return, as it was sidelined during the pandemic. 'The other cool thing that we're bringing back again, a little nostalgic as they used to do it, is the king and queen farmer. We're calling it this year the Ag Olympics. People are going to have to muscle up and do some farm chores and (compete) for some prize money.' It wouldn't be a fair without a parade as well, with Podworny noting the parade was amazing last year and he expects much the same this time around. Ninette Fair Parade Bagpipers playing the in Ninette Fair Parade. Uploaded June 11, 2025. (Bryan Podworny) Gates to the fair open up at 4 p.m. Friday and getting onto the grounds is completely free. Podworny said the only things people have to pay for are food and beverages. He thanked all the volunteers who have put in so much hard work to make this event possible and he is excited to see everyone show up to enjoy it. 'If it wasn't for the volunteers, we would be nowhere. So a massive thank you goes out to them for helping us out.'
CBC
23-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
'1 lake, 1 boat' policy intended to keep invasive species out of Pelican Lake sparks concerns from businesses
Social Sharing New boating regulations at Pelican Lake are raising concerns among some business owners, who say the changes may drive visitors away from the southwestern Manitoba region during the crucial summer tourism season. Dorothy Bright, who co-owns a gas station in Ninette, says her business has already taken a hit since the Rural Municipality of Prairie Lakes introduced new rules aimed at preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species like zebra mussels. She said she's seen a 31 per cent drop in sales compared to this time last year. If things continue to get worse, she doesn't know if her business will survive. "They've locked up our lake," she said. "The tourists aren't coming because they've heard." The RM's new "one waterbody watercraft" bylaw means boaters who want to use Pelican Lake can't use their watercraft in other bodies of water without inspection and decontamination. The municipality's aquatic invasive species prevention plan includes a $100 seasonal fee for motorized watercraft and $25 for non-motorized vessels for residents, who will receive a decal that will "confirm that the watercraft is declared a one-waterbody watercraft," the bylaw says. Visitors will have to pay a $40 inspection fee before they're allowed to launch boats on the lake. To enforce the new system, which officially came into effect May 5, more than 20 lake access points have been blocked, and an inspection station has been set up in Ninette. Boat launch gates are now open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The municipality says the rules are necessary to protect the lake's ecosystem and the long-term viability of tourism. But Bright worries the fees will drive people to visit other lakes, where they can access the province's free aquatic invasive species inspection program. "None of the other lakes are locked down," she said. "We are the only ones with this exorbitant fee." Lake health a priority: reeve Prairie Lakes Reeve Darren Seymour says the RM has spoken with other regions impacted by aquatic invasive species, and found that prevention is key. "We certainly don't want to impact our businesses locally. We don't want to deter travel," Seymour said. "But if we were to contract [invasive species], that would be detrimental to our businesses as well, and it would be detrimental to the ratepayers around the lake who own the cottages." Invasive species like zebra mussels have become a concern elsewhere in the province. North of Pelican Lake, Parks Canada has banned the use of motorized watercraft on Clear Lake this year, in an effort to curtail the spread of the invasive species, which was first discovered in the province in 2013. Zebra mussels have since been found in Cedar Lake and Lake Manitoba, as well as Clear Lake. Seymour said there's no sign of zebra mussels in Pelican Lake yet, but the RM is monitoring for them. He said there's been buy-in from the Prairie Lakes community on preventing the spread of invasive species in Pelican Lake, with 219 permits for motorized watercraft and 182 for non-motorized vessels sold locally. The program is currently being paid for entirely by the fees paid by lake users, and will cost an estimated $120,000 to $140,000 for inspections, staffing and infrastructure, including a newly built inspection shed and barrier installations, said Seymour. The initial work to get the program off the ground has relied on a volunteer group, Friends of Pelican Lake. Seymour says the members of the group have not been publicly named due to personal attacks on social media. "We're doing everything we can to keep the cost down for the fisherman that's travelling here, to protect the businesses. We're doing everything to keep the cost down for the local ratepayer as best we can," Seymour said. But not all municipalities around Pelican Lake are on board with these plans. The RM of Killarney-Turtle Mountain, which borders about a third of one side of the lake, has declined to participate in the access control program. Two boat launches fall along the boundary between the two municipalities, but Seymour says the risk of non-compliance is minimal. "Is one or two boats going to get in, or a few boats going to circumvent the program and get in at those locations, possibly?" Seymour said. "One or two boats is a small fraction of the boats that are adhering to the program and going through it." The RM of Killarney-Turtle Mountain said in a statement it supports aquatic invasive species education and prevention, but is not prepared to implement access restrictions on the lakes within its jurisdiction. Economic fallout Meanwhile, businesses like E&J Bait say they're feeling the effects. Owner Eric Evans says business has dropped dramatically compared to last year. From May 1 to May 20, sales of seasonal boat launch passes were down 85 per cent, daily passes were down 89 per cent, and overall sales dropped over 80 per cent, he said. "With the chains and gates up, it has a bad outlook on the town, and it's potentially keeping people away and causing them to go elsewhere," Evans said. He believes education, rather than restrictions and fees, would be a more effective solution. "I just feel like this, the whole mitigation plan, is going to affect the town more than I think they realize," Evans said. Bright agrees, saying the municipality should find a way to make the program free to encourage more people to participate and learn how to prevent the spread of invasive species. She wishes the community had been a bigger part of the conversation before the program was implemented. "The community as a whole is, they're supportive, they understand that the lake is important, but we also understand that economically this hurts," Bright said.
CBC
16-05-2025
- CBC
2 charged with manslaughter in case of missing Sask. man
The disappearance of Kebo Bear, who was last seen in January 2024 at Pelican Lake First Nation, is now being investigated as a homicide. Police say they have charged two people, aged 35 and 30, with manslaughter. Bear, 30, has not been found. Pelican Lake First Nation is about 230 kilometres north of Saskatoon, although police say their investigation indicated Bear may have travelled to other areas including Spiritwood, Prince Albert, Saskatoon or an area off Highway 945 known as "Clearwater." RCMP said in a news release they are committed to finding Bear and shared a statement from his family. "Kebo has been missing for a long time, and we want him to come home. We are asking anyone who might know anything about where he is or what happened to please call and say something. Our family misses him every day," the statement reads. "He has a mom and dad, brothers and sisters. Most important, he has children who don't understand what happened and why their dad doesn't come to see them anymore. Please call and say something if you know anything at all. Our family needs answers and closure. Please help us and Kebo have some rest." Bear is about five-foot-eight and 130 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair in a buzz cut. He also has a tattoo of a bear paw on his left arm, a ring tattoo on one of his right fingers, and ear and lip piercings. He was last seen wearing a black winter jacket, black pants, a black hat and red shoes.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
New book about hockey team from Pelican Lake Indian Residential School set for Thunder Bay launch
The story behind Pelican Lake Indian Residential School's hockey team 5 hours ago Duration 4:38 Social Sharing Beyond The Rink: Behind The Images of Residential School Hockey is a new book that tells the story of the championship hockey team from Pelican Lake Indian Residential School near Sioux Lookout, Ont. It's set to launch in Thunder Bay on May 21. The authors say the book reveals the complicated role of sports in residential school histories, commemorating the team's stellar hockey record and athletic prowess while exposing important truths about 'Canada's Game.' Janice Forsyth is co-author of the book and a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation. She spoke with Mary-Jean Cormier, the host of Superior Morning, about what she hopes readers take away from it. Forsyth said the survivors of residential schools are finding the language to tell the stories so that other people can understand more about their experience. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Mary-Jean Cormier: What an amazing and oftentimes heartbreaking book. Can you tell us more about this story? Janice Forsyth: The story started with a series of photographs from the National Film Board that I saw with one of our co-authors, Kelly Bull at his home in Timmins many years ago. It started to unfold from there because I wondered what was the National Film Board doing taking these really professional photographs of those residential school hockey teams on this tour of Southern Ontario, because you don't just send the National Film Board on a tour like that. So, over the years, I wondered what did the photographs mean? What did the boys think about that hockey experience, especially coming through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission [TRC], the whole era of litigation and thinking through their own histories? What did they think about the future, not only for Indigenous youth, but for Canadians more broadly? So, the pictures sparked some really important conversations on a whole range of important issues. MC: This is a project that's happened over time, correct? JF: Yes, more than 20 years ago, which really goes to show how long some of these projects do take. I think sometimes people believe that these "research projects" can be carried out in the span of a year or two years. And you see this often with government funding or some types of research funding, but the really good stories take a long time to tell. They will often change in the retelling as people think more deeply about things and as time passes by and other events that shape their understanding of life take place. MC: You collaborated with three surviving members of that championship hockey team for the book, can you tell me a bit about those men and what it was like hearing their stories first hand? JF: There was actually a much larger team that was part of this research. Over the years, the number of people kind of came and went. A couple of student theses were written about the project. Fatima Baba did her MA thesis initially interviewing two of those survivors. And then Braden Te Hiwi, who is also an author on this book, wrote a history of sport and recreation at Sioux Lookout Indian Residential School. And then Alexandra Giancarlo, who is really the first author on this book, she worked with the three survivors, doing in-depth interviews over a couple of years with them to try and kind of suss out their story now that we are well past the TRC. So, I really only knew Kelly Bull. He's one of the three survivors and he's kind of been in my life for many, many, many years. My mom knew him when we were all living in Timmins, Ont., and she used to support his coaching and sport and recreation endeavours in northern Ontario. He actually helped me get into North American Indigenous games way back in 1995, so he's been a mentor in my life and so I can really only speak to knowing Kelly. What's really important for me is just how deeply Kelly and the other survivors think about their experiences in the residential school system. I think a lot of what the public thinks about the TRC and the Indian Residential School system is told from a particular angle, which is often what they see in the media and the abuses that they suffered at school. And that's very true because that definitely happened, without a doubt. But they think about it also in so many more complex ways and in this case, it's about the role of hockey in particular in shaping his identity as an Indigenous person and trying to make sense of that experience in the context of residential school. How do you take this experience where he formed friendships and had experiences that he didn't otherwise have, and yet reconcile that with an education system that was hell bent on changing him and erasing him from his identity? That's really heavy stuff to think through. So, I think it really goes to show that the residential school survivors really have a lot more to offer in terms of thinking about the future of Indigenous life in Canada and about, you know, Indigenous relations with Canada more broadly. MC: You mentioned that there was a photographer from the National Film Board that accompanied the team on their tour and those images are part of what drew you in. What was that like when you first saw those pictures and started to hear bits and pieces of the story? JF: That's how the book opens up, and I still remember it, although I recognize memory is fallible. But I still remember the feeling of sitting at his kitchen table and he was looking through these large photographs. Kelly would flip through the pictures and I was of two minds because I was busy looking at the pictures. I was really struck by the clarity and the quality of the photos and I knew right away that they were professionally taken. But also just the way in which the kids were posed. Some of them are really creepy, to be honest. In one case there's this photograph of them in Ottawa and Parliament Hill and their heads are cleanly shaven. They've been dressed in these shiny uniforms and they're posed looking up at this kind of parliamentarian who's playing what I think is a recorder — almost like a pied piper kind of photo where the focus is really on the man who's playing the little flute and the kids are there looking up at him adoringly. He wasn't talking about the photographs like we might talk about a photograph, he was actually talking past them about something much bigger. There's other photos that are staged where there's these images of "Indianness" in the background, like this massive totem pole where the kids are kind of looking at this man who's pointing up at the totem pole as if he's teaching them about their past, even though totem poles would not have been part of Cree or Ojibway culture. So you go through all of these photos that are clearly educative, they're meant to tell a story, but they're meant to tell a story from Indian Affairs point of view because at that time, Indian Affairs could hire the National Film Board to take photographs for your own department, especially if they were in service of telling a nationalist narrative. I also remember Kelly looking through the photographs and my head was kind of just lost in the photographs at the same time that I remember him talking about the photographs. He wasn't talking about the photographs like we might talk about a photograph, he was actually talking past them about something much bigger, about the erasure and all of the different types of abuse that were happening in school. So, it was almost like he wasn't mindlessly flipping through the photographs, he was almost using them as touchstones. So, that's where I realized there was something much bigger going on here and so began the whole project, if you will, with him and with the team over the years because they ebbed and flowed to try and tell that story, like what is really going on here? What really happened in 1951? Why were those photos made? What are the residential school survivors now able to tell us about those photographs and what do they hope for the future? MC: What do you want readers to take away from this book? JF: All of the different authors will tell you different things, which I think is a beautiful part about stories because they're all equally true. For me, I think, because I've been doing research in the residential school system, focusing on sports and games for more than 20 years, I just really like to emphasize how deeply residential school survivors think about and try to talk about their experiences, and rightly so. For many years the focus has been on a fairly particular story about trying to tell the story of abuse and about coloniality from a certain angle to do the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports. But I think now that we're 10 years past like the TRC, residential school survivors now think more deeply about their other experiences trying to tie in things like sport and recreation, and not just talk about it as a positive experience. I think they themselves are trying to reconcile how is it that they really enjoyed these moments of freedom and other moments of expression knowing that those same activities were actually integrated into the school system to try and erase their identities? How is it that you can actually find meaning in these genocidal activities? And what do you do with that now? So, I really think survivors now are thinking much more deeply. They're finding the language and we're helping them to try and find the language and tell the stories to tease out those threads so that other people can understand what their experience is about, and so the second generation survivors, communities and Indigenous nations and even Canadians more broadly can address those underlying tensions, especially in the space of sport, physical activity and recreation. That to me probably is the most important thing and the thing that I talk about most.
