New St Adolphe K to 8 school tops SRSD capital project list

A new St Adolphe school and more classrooms at three existing schools topped Seine River School Division’s five-year capital plan as the division’s growing student population continues to push existing schools to capacity.

The school division released the request list sent for provincial approval during its April 28 school board meeting. A new 350-student kindergarten to Grade 8 French immersion school in St Adolphe was highlighted as the most urgent need, with the division asking for project approval by the 2027/2028 school year.

Superintendent Colin Campbell told The Carillon the existing St Adolphe school, which offers both English and French immersion education, is at capacity and class sizes will increase if there’s no new space. The school has 339 students as of May 5, according to the division’s data. Student enrolment across the division has grown by 800 students from 2020 to 2025, with 140 students joining as of November.

“I think with the large amount of new homes that are being built in that area, it’s only a matter of time that we are beyond capacity in that school, and then it becomes a learning detriment for those students, where learning in a class of 20 students is significantly different than if there’s 30 students in a classroom,” he said.

Southeastern Manitoba municipalities call for more involvement in mining, water protections

Southeastern Manitoba municipalities are calling for more municipal involvement and improved ground water and aquifer protections on mining projects, after the Rural Municipality of Ste Anne passed a resolution to lobby the province on the matters last month.

Ste Anne’s Deputy Mayor Randy Eros moved the April 22 resolution that will go before the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. He said the municipality doesn’t want to “play catch up” if an approved project has impacts on infrastructure or water within the region.

“If you don’t get at the table early enough, trying to get a seat at the table after that’s very hard to do,” he said.

Eros said the resolution was prompted by Sio Silica’s controversial project to extract silica sand near Vivian. Its first proposal was rejected by the provincial government in 2024, after residents raised concerns the project would put their drinking water at risk. The company’s new proposal, with reduced mining wells and less mined silica sand, was submitted to the province’s environmental assessment branch in October 2025, which is still under review.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Street paving prompts parallel parking

OCTOBER 24, 1947—Maple Leaf Construction has begun laying the last strip of asphalt pavement on Steinbach’s Main Street, and a few days of good weather should see the job completed by the end of October.

The project will be topped off next summer with the pouring of a ‘seal coat’ of thin oil.

The paving project was originally estimated to cost $35,000, but final figures are expected to be lower. Money has been borrowed from Mills & Spence Ltd. at 3.5 percent repayable in 10 equal annual payments.

In an effort to protect the new pavement from traffic this winter, Steinbach Council held a special meeting to pass a bylaw for parallel parking in the centre of the street along the paved portion.

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: Thoughts from the Centennial Cup in P.E.I.

It’s been a whirlwind few days here for me at the Centennial Cup in Summerside, P.E.I. I’m typing this column above the ice surface as the hometown Summerside Capitals appear on their way to clinching a spot in the playoffs, as they lead Thunder Bay 3-0.

Here are some thoughts as I take in a lot of the Junior A National Championships.

NIGHTHAWKS ROLLINGI was a little worried the trip out East wouldn’t be all that fruitful after watching the first game online, with Summerside giving the Nighthawks the most trouble I’ve seen from any team all year.

Two games later and wins over Thunder Bay and Canmore have certainly ended those worries.

New MHV peace pole to spur reflection: historical society

A new display at the Mennonite Heritage Village that aims to prompt visitors to reflect on peace was erected last week.

The “peace post,” presented in partnership with the Eastmenn historical committee and The Rotary Club of South Eastman, was unveiled on May 8.

The white, metal post is inscribed with the message, “May peace prevail on Earth” in French, English, German and Anishinaabe.

Ed Krahn, co-chair of the EastMenn historical committee, hopes having the new peace pole will help spark reflection after people complete the 55-kilometre Peace Trail. The trail runs from the Mennonite’s first landing site on the Red River near Ste Agathe and ends in Steinbach’s Mennonite Heritage Village.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Comparing Montréal’s Jakub Dobeš to Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck

One of the great things about sport is the way it lends itself to all kinds of hypothetical or theoretical debates. Who is the better goal scorer/golfer/quarterback/pitcher/goalie are fun, abstract diversions.

So let’s partake in one now. Who is the better goaltender? Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets or Jakub Dobeš of the Montréal Canadiens.

What makes this debate so much fun is the fact that both sides have strong arguments in their favour.

The “Connor Hellebuyck is better” argument – On one hand, this is a very easy argument to make. Hellebuyck has won two Vezina trophies as the best regular season goalie in the NHL, he won last year’s Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP and he led Team USA to Olympic gold. And he was the main reason why the Jets won the Jennings Trophy two years in a row as the team that allowed the fewest regular-season goals.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1980: Niverville Clippers win first HTHL championship

It was anything but smooth sailing for the Niverville Clippers who were beaten in the HTHL finals four times in the last five years, before clinching their first league championship on the strength of a 9-8 victory over the Mitchell Mohawks in Game Six this year.

The 1979-80 HTHL champs got three goals from Vern Warkentin, a pair from Bert Krahn and singles from the sticks of Wayne Banman, Jules Enns, Vic Warkentin and Ken Doerksen. The Clippers needed every one of those markers, as Mitchell Mohawks did a lot of scoring of their own, and trailed by a margin of just two by the end of 40 minutes.

The Clippers appeared to have the game well in hand, taking an 8-5 lead with a goal two minutes into the third, but the Mohawks fought back to tie the game with three goals in a two minute span.

Vern Warkentin’s third goal of the night gave Niverville a 9-8 win and the HTHL crown, four games to two.

Expansion to champion: Niverville Nighthawks claim Centennial Cup

For just the fourth time in history, the best junior A team in Canada comes from Manitoba. The Niverville Nighthawks joined the Portage Terriers (1973, 2014) and Selkirk Steelers (1974) in lifting the Centennial Cup, defeating the host Summerside Western Capitals 4-1 in the final May 17 in P.E.I.

Niverville began play in the Manitoba Hockey League in 2022, needing just four seasons to go from expansion to national champions.

"Words can't describe the feeling of how proud I am of these young men," head coach Dwight Hirst, who took control of the franchise mid-way through the 2024 season but was involved with the team from the beginning, said after the game.

The Nighthawks took a 2-1 lead into the third period and calmly wound down the clock, with Marlen Edwards nabbing an insurance goal and Tyler Bernier icing the game with an empty netter. Hirst, who is from Lac du Bonnet, said the message to the team after 40 minutes was to break the final period into five minute segments.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Centennial Cup semi-finals

Featuring photos from Niverville vs Toronto and Summerside vs Longueuil.

Niverville and the hosts Summerside won to advance to the final, with puck drop set for 5 p.m. Manitoba-time May 17.

Niverville Nighthawks comeback win punches ticket into Centennial Cup final

Eastman talent took centre stage as the Niverville Nighthawks defeated Ontario Junior Hockey League champions Toronto Patriots 4-3 to advance to the Centennial Cup final. The team came all the way back after trailing 3-0 early in the second period.

Down 3-2 with less than four minutes to go in the third period, St Adolphe's Calyb Moore sniped a shot off the post and in when it looked like a rush chance was fizzling out. A minute later, Lorette's Merik Boles tipped home a point shot for the game winner, as the Nighthawks held on for the semi-final win.

"It was awesome to see Mooresy get in and score, that was a big one for sure," Boles, who was named the most valuable player for the game said afterwards.

"A couple late goals for some Eastman kids, that's exciting."

Denton Mateychuk to wear Maple Leaf once again

For the first time, Denton Mateychuk will suit up for Team Canada at senior international event.

Dominion City’s Mateychuk has represented Canada over the years at U18 and junior events, but got the call to play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championships in Switzerland.

The defenseman just finished his second season playing in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring 13 goals and 18 assists across 75 games this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manger Kyle Dubas, who is part of Team Canada’s management group thanked the 23 players for commiting to the tournament, which takes place during the NHL playoffs, right at the end of the season for all of the players.