COLUMN: Carillon Flashback – Carillon Flashback June 19, 1969 – Russian church delegates visit EFC in Steinbach

Five members of a Russian and Mennonite church delegation gave glimpses of what religious life is like in an atheistic country to several hundred people at a special service in the Emmanuel Free Church, through short greetings, messages, and replies in a question period.

The visit to Steinbach was one of two stopovers in Manitoba on a cross-country tour by the group, jointly sponsored by the Baptist Federation of Canada and the Mennonite Central Committee.

Members of the delegation included two former presidents of the All-Baptist Union, a director of the Baptist Union’s foreign department, a liaison between the Baptist and Mennonite congregations in Russia and the secretary of the Baptists’ Moscow office. The four men in the delegation are also ministers.

Only one of the delegates was Mennonite. Victor Kruger, speaking in German, moved listeners with his brief, well-delivered and emotion-filled sermon.

Driver treated in hospital and ticketed for crash

The 25-year-old Steinbach driver of a Nissan Versa was treated in hospital for non-life threatening injuries and given a pair of tickets for his role in a collision on May 12. RCMP say at about 11 a.m. Sunday, the male driver was eastbound on North Front Road when he proceeded when it was unsafe to do so and collided with a Chevy Silverado driven by a 52-year-old male from Blumenort who was travelling north on Industrial Road. The driver of the truck was not injured. The driver of the car was given tickets under the Highway Traffic Act for proceeding while unsafe to do so and driving with a learner’s licence with no supervising driver.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1971: Habs outlast Braves for second MEHL title

The Centennial Cup remains in La Broquerie for another year, following the Habitants’ stunning triumph over the St Pierre Braves, before some 1,800 fans at Steinbach Arena.

Beginning the clutch performances that brought home championship honors last season, the coach Ray Gariepy’s crew came back from a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven Manitoba Eastern Hockey League finals to deny the title-hungry players from St Pierre, who had the momentum throughout the playoffs, but lost it when the chips were down.

La Broquerie needed to win Friday night at home to stay alive in the series, after St Pierre continued the home-team victory trend Wednesday night to close within one victory of the championship.

The Habitants scored early Friday, and although St Pierre narrowed the gap to 2-1 in the second period and 3-2 in the third frame, La Broquerie held the upper hand throughout, and won going away 5-2.

Prawda water project doubles in cost in Reynolds budget

Reynolds is raising mill rates 10.9 percent, but only residents of Prawda will have to pay the RM’s $600,000 portion of the $1.2-million Prawda water project if it goes ahead.

The RM presented its $2.26-million budget to a full gallery at its office in Hadashville Monday night.

Total budget expenses are up 1.9 percent or just over $43,000 from last year’s budget. More money needed to come from taxes because less was coming from money saved in reserves and surplus.

A home assessed at $200,000 paying municipal tax on 45 percent of its market value will now pay $697 per year, up from $628.

COLUMN: Village News: Steinbach’s first families – Franz & Margaretha Kroeker

This week we are beginning with our deep dive into the first families of Steinbach. For the historians reading, this is merely a brief overview and I encourage you delve into the many great texts on local history, many of which can be purchased at the Village Books & Gifts here at MHV. On May 24, MHV is celebrating its 60th anniversary at our annual Spring Gala, please consider purchasing tickets or a table sponsorship and come enjoy the event!

The name of the new village of Steinbach, established in 1874 with the arrival of Mennonites between July and August of that year, came from the connection many of these families had with their home village of Steinbach, Borosenko, Chortitza. They generally arrived on three sailings of two ships bound for Quebec; the S.S. Austrian (July 17), the S.S. Hibernian (Aug. 27), and another sailing of the S.S. Austrian (Aug. 31). The majority of these families were of the Kleine Gemeinde Mennonite group, and the few families who were from other congregations, such as the Defehr’s, struggled to find a foothold in the community and moved on within a few years.

Due to their arrival late in the season and settling an unfamiliar country, these Mennonite settlers engaged with the Métis neighbours to purchase goods and contract expertise. Cornelius Toews of Gruenfeld (Kleefeld) wrote: “Many of us have purchased our cattle, potatoes, and other goods from [the Métis]. Everyone who has had business with them praises their hospitality. Indeed, you can take it, that truthfully, these people often put us to shame. We engaged a [Métis man] as a surveyor during the establishment of our settlement, who marked out the boundaries for us, and who shared his instructions with us to inform us regarding anything necessary for us to learn. A wonderful man who was eager to work.” Peter Toews of Blumenort wrote in 1875, “Trips are often made to [Ste Anne], where a brisk trade is going on. And if one goes from house to house to buy peas, chickens or cats, one is compelled to stop a little at each place, and if it is meal time, one is invited to join in, so much that one can hardly decline.” Unfortunately, these early connections started to lessen as the Mennonite settlers became more self-sufficient and suspicion of the Catholic faith of the Métis and francophones due to persecution in Europe created divides.

The village of Steinbach was comprised of 20 quarter-section lots, sold to the head of a household for $10, and two of the first Steinbach residents (Klaas R. Reimer and Franz Kroeker) purchased an extra quarter-section at the cost of $1/acre ($160 total). Eighteen families settled these 20 wirtschaft (“household”) in this new community, and their specific eccentricities contributed to Steinbach becoming the unique community it is today!

WHL teams turn to region for first-round picks

It was a banner year for Eastman players in the 2024 Western Hockey League draft, with two selected in the first round. St Adolphe’s Graeme Pickering and Steinbach’s Asher Gingras were both picked in the first 22 picks of the draft, held May 9.

Players who were born in 2009 were eligible to be drafted this year.

Pickering, who plays for Rink Hockey Academy (RHA) in Winnipeg, will be a familiar face for any WHL fan. He’s the brother of current Swift Current Broncos captain and Pittsburgh Penguins top draft pick Owen Pickering.

Red Deer picked up the defenseman with the 15th pick of the draft.

Summer reporter joins ranks

I’m Alex, the new intern writing for The Carillon and a student at Red River College Polytechnic, where I just finished my first year.

I’m from Lorette, and a graduate of the best school in the southeast, Collège régional Gabrielle-Roy. I also graduated from the Louis Riel Arts & Technology Centre, where I learned cameras, radio and video production.

After high school I went straight to RRC Polytech, to eventually become a journalist. At 13, I thought I wanted to become a sports announcer, slowly that evolved to being an anchor, a videographer and now a journalist.

What I like most about being a journalist is getting to meet people from all over the place and learning about their different experiences and stories. I like writing, and seeing how a story comes together.

RCMP investigate stolen trailer

Steinbach RCMP are asking for help from the public in finding a trailer, stolen overnight on Sunday.

Police say the theft of the 2015 flat deck trailer with a slip tank with 200 litres of fuel and a diesel exhaust happened north of Mitchell on Road 38N.

The black trailer had licence plate number X365M with “Load Trail” lettering on the side.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Steinbach RCMP at 204-326-4452, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Steinbach Sports Ticket for May 16 – 22

Manitoba Junior Baseball LeagueThe Carillon Sultans home schedule will begin Thursday, May 16, with a game against the St James As at 7 p.m. The Sultans play their home games at A.D. Penner Park in Steinbach.

The team is also set to play a home game on Victoria Day, with first pitch also set for 7 p.m. Seven of Carillon’s first eight games outside of the MJBL showcase are home games this season.

High School Softball/Baseball Zone ChampionshipsThe Zone 13 south championships are set to begin, with Steinbach Regional Secondary School looking to repeat in both fast pitch and baseball.

The fast pitch zones are set for May 21 and 22 in Steinbach, with the baseball zones in Mitchell May 22 and 23. League games for baseball are also set for this week, May 16 in Mitchell.

Borealis Piano Trio lights up Steinbach stage

Formerly called the Desautels Piano Trio, the Borealis Piano Trio is made up of professors at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music. This concert, hosted at Grace Mennonite Church, capped off this year’s Steinbach Arts Council concert series last week.

Strong Towns Steinbach brings back bike ride

Strong Towns Steinbach is bringing back its community bike ride after the success of its inaugural year in 2023.

“Strong Towns is all about building livable resilient communities.,” said Wade Wiebe, Bike Jam coordinator.

Wiebe said the reason for the community bike ride is to have fun with people from the community and to draw attention to the fact that there are real opportunities for improving the infrastructure for bicycle traffic and active transportation within the City of Steinbach.

“We actually observed when we did our first Bike Jam last year that there were some places that were difficult to get (to) with a group. We had children with us riding bikes. It’s very difficult to cross Main Street with a group of children safely and the same goes with (Highway 12). It kind of isolates.”