catch and release!

It’s getting close to that time of year again… Yup, you guessed it: the ever popular, big prize event … The Lac du Bonnet Ice Fishing Derby!!  WHOOOOPWHOOOOOOP!

Mid morning on Saturday, March 13th, fisherfolk from far and wide will descend on LdB with buckets of minnows and rods ‘n reels in hopes of taking home  awesome prizes while making cheer and long-lasting memories (and fish stories?!).

In honour of the high school students who prep and pre-drill holes for the contestants, and for all the wonderous volunteers who help make this event a success, as well as the many sponsers and community supporters, I have prepared a little ditty that all entrants can use to help reel in ‘the big one’.  Try it out (I did at the Erickson Shack this last weekend and it worked pretty good!)

‘Fishey, Fishey under LdB ice, bite my minnow and take it nice;

I’ll reel you up and praise your size, then I’ll serve you up with slaw and fries!’

Now, of course the aim of the derby is catch and release, with all fish swimming away gleefully after taking a closer look at the sun…however I thought this wee mantra might help inspire some great cheer and fanfare to keep the festive mood a runnin’ !

Even Cooper, my supremely awesome and fish lovin’ Wonder-Dawg, can hardly keep his excitement in check!

Good Luck to all Derby Folk ~ and HAVE FUN!!!

I just wanted to thank all of you for your unwavering support during this most awesome SongQuest contest from CBC Radio2!!  It is the last day of voting, and I have just finished entering my votes for all the provinces and territories.  The competition was fierce, the campaign road long and arduous…but I am truly honoured that Lac du Bonnet, MB, was included in the list for voting.  Without all your support, our journey would have ended long ago.

To all hopeful winners…GOOD LUCK!  There are many new beautiful places to go to on my travel list now, thanks to your blog, photo and video campaigns.

Win or not — I LOVE Lac du Bonnet.  It is home, it is where my soul finds respite from the hectic life in the city; it is where I always feel welcome by family and friends.

All the best,

 Karla    xoxoxox

Well LdB fans, we are on the second last day of voting for the CBC Radio2 SongQuest contest…get your votes in NOW!  www.cbc.ca/radio2/songquest

While we are all recouping from the horrible fire that took Dancyt’s Foods, one cannot lose vigilance.  Lac du Bonnet is our little Manitoba gem and we must let everyone in Canada know about the LdB magic.

Lac du Bonnet is a town rooted in history.  Explorers, immigrants and entrepreneurs ventured here, set up homesteads, and helped shape LdB into the vibrant community it is today.

Show your LdB pride by voting for Lac du Bonnet.

Elsewhere in Canada…though all nominees from each province are spectacular, the following is a list of places that really stand out (blog campaigns included where found) :

• Tofino, BC;
• Hoodoos/Badlands, AB;
• Good Time Charlies, SK http://plainshotelandgoodtimecharlies.blogspot.com/
• Grand Bend, ON http://missgrandbend.blogspot.com/
• Gaspesie, QC;
• Hopewell Rocks, NB
• Carter’s Beach, NS http://cartersbeach.wordpress.com/
• Singing Sands Beach, PEI;
• Dildo, NL http://lhalbo.blogspot.com/
• Dawson City, Yukon;
• Tuktoyaktuk Pingos, NWT;
• Road To Nowhere, Nunavut http://susanography.wordpress.com/

It has been a great journey thus far, and this contest has really got the country buzzin’!  Good luck to all nominees!!

Early this morning, a fire tore through Dancyt Foods in Lac du Bonnet.  Fire crews worked tirelessly for hours to put out the flames, however the family-owned grocery store was entirely destroyed.

CBC story: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/10/20/mb-fire-lac-du-bonnet-manitoba.html

Lac du Bonnet Leader story: http://www.lacdubonnetleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2137994

Our thoughts are with the Dancyts, and hopefully a re-build of their business comes soon.

Thank you to all firefighters, from Lac du Bonnet, Pinawa and Bird River, for their hard work.

I would like to thank host Marilyn Maki, of CBC’s 89.3 fm Radio Noon Manitoba, for the wonderful interview today! It was a pleasure being able to share my love for LdB with your listeners, and I had a great time!

I know there are more ‘LdB Lovers’ out there, so fill out a comment – share your affections for Lac du Bonnet on this blog!

Vote Lac du Bonnet!  Vote every day! 

Go to www.cbc.ca/radio2/songquest, click on the picture of Manitoba, then click to vote for Lac du Bonnet!

I’d like to thank each and every one of you for your nominations and votes to help Lac du Bonnet become immortalized in song for CBC’s SongQuest! 

Also, check out the cool write up in the Lac du Bonnet Leader at http://www.lacdubonnetleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2134193.  Thank you Marc Zienkiewicz…the support is overwhelming!

We made the Top 5 for Manitoba, so all Lac du Bonnet needs is for you to keep voting at www.cbc.ca/radio2/songquest.

Let’s show all of Canada why LdB rocks!

Lac du Bonnet – breathtaking and beautiful, as always!

It proudly boasts the title of a ‘four-seasons playground’ for good reason: there are gorgeous courses for golf; fireworks that amaze every inner child; a farmers market; festivals that support local artists; camping and bonfires; fishing year-round; snowmobile trails that are groomed and maintained for great riding; hockey and curling tournaments. The list can truly go on and on and, from additional activities put on by the LdB Community Centre, the Lions Club, the Pioneer Seniors Club and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #164, there is always something for families and folks to get involved in.

The natural beauty that surrounds Lac du Bonnet is a permanent delight to both locals and tourists. Boreal forests and prairie farms meet here, and granite rock outcroppings lie along the banks of the clear, cool river. Black bears, cougars, deer, and a vast array of birds and fish also call Lac du Bonnet home. The night sky comes alive with the most brilliant view of stars and aurora borealis, and trees explode in colourful hues of green, then gold and amber.

It is, however, the people of Lac du Bonnet that truly make it unique and wonderful. Every weekend, the Coffee Crew meets at Drifters for their round table sessions over steaming cups of java to spin yarn about the past and discuss world issues. The BlackCoat Cowboy walks along the roads in his trench coat, his winding walking stick dotting tracks in the dust. The smiling folks at Casey’s Motor Inn gather for ‘Meat-Draw’ on Saturday afternoons, and the welcoming group at the Glenn Howard Inn serve fresh pickerel in the summer. Christy’s Dairy Bar dishes up tasty delights, and the aroma of fresh baked goods envelop you as you enter the Waterview Bakery & Coffee Shop. Peels of laughter sound out from the town dock as children take swimming lessons, and float planes from the Ministry of Natural Resources hum as they glide off the water taking sight seers to new heights. One of a kind designs from local artisans are found in the jewellery shops, and you can literally step back in time while wandering the antique shops. Mrs. Lucci’s Resource Centre gives the community support through its training and development programs, and the Lac du Bonnet Blues hockey club unites the town in cheer every season.

Lac du Bonnet is : its people, its natural wonder, its traditions.

Lac du Bonnet is … beautiful.