Kendall Perpall picks up first two wins in debut as Pilots coach

Years of hard work for Kendall Perpall culminated last weekend, as Providence’s new women’s basketball head coach took to the court for his first league games as the team’s bench boss.

A Pilots alumnus, Perpall has been a mainstay as an assistant coach and has now taken the reigns of the school’s women’s team, continuing a system put in place by current athletic director Joel Coursey.

“I couldn’t ask for a better group to start with, with the returners that decided to come back,” Perpall said.

The team plays an aggressive, pressing, style for a full 40 minutes, made possible by complete line-up substitutions, as Providence use hockey-style lines in order to keep up the pace. Perpall said the system can speed up the opponent and force mistakes.

$26.6M expansion for La Broquerie DSFM school adds 16 new classrooms, industrial arts program

A La Broquerie school added a new classrooms, a new gymnasium and its first dedicated industrial arts and music space as part of its competed expansion project.

Staff from École Saint-Joachim, under the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, unveiled 16 new classrooms and six new specialized spaces, as part of the expansion’s official inauguration on Friday. The project began in 2022 and cost $26.6 million, with $783,000 from the federal government and the remainder funded by the province. The students moved into the new expansion in December 2024, which added 46,000 feet and renovated 9,300 ft of space.

Division assistant superintendent Luc Bremault said the kindergarten to Grade 12 school expansion comes at a crucial time when both the demand for French education and the rural municipality’s population have grown.

“There’s a population boom, and we need to be answering the call here for all students who want to learn in French,” he told The Carillon.

U.S. ethanol imports force out Canadian producers, domestic industry at risk: expert

Manitoba ethanol producers and experts are raising alarms that U.S. subsidized biofuel imports could push domestic biofuel production to the brink of collapse.

The province’s only ethanol plant, located in Minnedosa, 240 kilometres west of Steinbach, will no longer be profitable by 2034 and could face layoffs or potentially shut down, said senior plant manager Avi Bahl.

Owned by Calgary-based oil and gas firm Cenovus Energy, the Minnedosa Ethanol Plant produces more than 160 million litres of ethanol annually. But due to heavily subsidized U.S. ethanol being imported at cheaper prices and favoured by federal policies, he said his plant can’t compete.

“We’re not looking for handouts, we just want a level playing field,” Bahl told The Carillon.

Conference addresses domestic abuse and pastoral care

Learning how to address domestic violence within a church membership is a complicated issue. Throw in the complexity of forgiveness and healing in a church context and it becomes even more difficult to address.

A Steinbach conference hosted through MCC aims to help with that.

On Nov. 26, the all-day conference intended for church leaders, counsellors and those in spiritual care will take on those issues.

The conference begins with a presentation from Val Hiebert, the abuse response and prevention co-coordinator for MCC Manitoba.

Local charity all smiles for Tim Hortons fundraiser

There's still time to get your Holiday Smile Cookie from Tim Hortons. This campaign raises funds for the Steinbach Family Resource Centre.

Area schools preparing for volleyball provincials

Volleyball is one of the most played sports in the Manitoba High School Athletic Association and the provincial championships are right around the corner.

The Zone banners have been awarded, the first rounds have been completed and the wildcards have been announced, as the full slate of teams participating across the four levels of varsity high school volleyball in Manitoba have been announced by the association.

AAAAA loss to Glenlawn in the South Central Athletic Association semi-finals on their home court Nov. 12 didn’t stop the Steinbach Regional Secondary School’s boys varsity from getting an automatic spot in the provincial AAAA quarterfinals. The team is ranked second in the heading into provincials.

Glenlawn was the only team to defeat Steinbach in the SCAC league this season, as the Sabres put together an 11-1 league record along with sparkling season of tournament results, including wins in the St Vital Invitational, Royals Spike-Off, St Paul’s VITT and the Daniel McIntyre tournament.

COLUMN: Eye on the Arts – SAC brings back holiday tradition with WSO

SAC is once again excited to host the annual Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Holiday Tour on Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at Crossview Church. This cherished community event allows local audiences to enjoy a full professional orchestra close to home!

This year’s concert will feature favourite holiday music, special guests Erin Propp and Larry Roy, and a dramatic reading of T’was the Night Before Christmas narrated by Jim Harms. The WSO will also collaborate with the Eastman Male Choir, directed by Shannon Sawatzky, and include a festive audience sing-along!

You can also visit our local artist gift shop before the show! Purchase your tickets online at SteinbachArts.ca or call 204-346-1077.

Thanks to Three Way Builders for sponsoring this concert.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Nov. 13th edition

Featuring photos from the A/AA varsity boys Zone 13 championships in Ste Anne and Grunthal, a Gabrielle-Roy/Pointe des Chenes hockey game in Ile des Chenes Nov. 7, the Ile des Chenes North Stars home opener later that night and Remembrance Day Nighthawks and Eastman Selects games in Niverville.

Southeast Event Centre hires new GM

The Southeast Events Group announced the appointment of Melanie Hiebert as the new general manager of the Southeast Event Centre.

A Nov. 3 news release describes Hiebert as bringing two decades of leadership experience in operations, supply chain management and strategic planning most recently as vice present and general manager at Emergent BioSolutions in Winnipeg.

Ben Townsend, member of the board of directors of the Southeast Events Group, said they’re thrilled to welcome her to the role.

“Her proven leadership, operational expertise, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our mission to create a vibrant, inclusive space for our community,” he said. “Melanie’s strategic mindset and collaborative spirit will be invaluable as we continue to grow and deliver world-class experiences.”

Steinbach Arts Council hopes fundraiser will bring more local talent to the fore

Steinbach Arts Council’s (SAC) popular Beer and Wings fundraiser has been rebranded Homegrown: Music, Beer, Wings and is promising to celebrate the best in local music, food, and drink.

“Homegrown is all about celebrating what makes Steinbach unique – talented musicians, incredible local businesses, and the spirit of coming together,” said Tara Schellenberg, performing arts coordinator.

SAC sees this added attraction as the perfect opportunity to include new genres in its programming and to bring in new audiences by shining a spotlight on its own backyard. It’s hoped that with the proceeds from Homegrown, SAC will be able to feature more local talent in the years to come in its added attractions line-up.

Homegrown will feature live music from local musicians Brooke Paige and The Rumbleseat. Paige’s soulful lyrics “captivate from the first note,” states the press release, while The Rumbleseat “electrifying guitar solos and powerhouse rhythm section keeps the beats grooving.”