Feasibility study on Sundown Ridge project deems project not worth the money

A recently completed feasibility study regarding the construction of a water drainage project in the RM of Stuartburn has determined that the project is not worth the cost of construction, yet municplaities are still considering the initative.

The feasibility study for the Sundown Ridge project was conducted by the Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District (SRRWD), who submitted its findings to the RMs of Stuartburn and Piney (who are partners on the project), ultimately deeming “the projected benefits (of the Sundown Ridge Project) do not justify the estimated $3 million capital cost,” according to a press release from the SRRWD.

Pankiw said the Sundown Ridge project is not a water retention pond or reservoir as it will not permanently hold water, rather it is a dry dam that will hold water temporarily and then slowly release it when conditions deem it possible. The dam will have two L berms to the north and south with a spillway at each berm that will slowly release water when it hits a certain elevation.

SRRWD manager Joey Pankiw told The Carillon that the cost is a very conservative amount if the project were to proceed.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1996: Sproule shows stuff at Goldeyes spring camp

He’s big. Very big. At six-feet, four-inches and 220 pounds, Giroux native Dean Sproule is the largest pitcher at the Winnipeg Goldeyes 1996 spring training camp.

The 22-year-old hurler is one of 13 pitchers at the main camp trying to earn a spot with the defending Northern League champions. Sproule knows it’s a long shot, but is thrilled with the opportunity to show his stuff to manager Hal Lanier and pitching coach Bob Kipper.

Lanier is the former National League Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros, and Kipper had an eight-year pitching career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Eleven of the pitchers in camp received previous invitations to attend spring training. The other two, Sproule and 19-year-old Rodney Spek of Gladstone caught Lanier’s attention at a one-day open camp on May 11 at Winnipeg Stadium, the Goldeyes home field. These two were picked out of seven pitchers to attend the two-week main camp.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Centennial Cup May 9

Featuring photos from three games at the Centennial Cup at Summerside, P.E.I., including Niverville vs Thunder Bay, Flin Flon vs Toronto and Summerside vs Rockland.

Shared Health not posting all vacant paramedic jobs: union

The Manitoba union representing rural paramedics is raising concerns that Shared Health isn’t posting all available jobs and some haven’t been made public for more than a year, despite recording vacancies on the rise throughout the province.

The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals provided Shared Health data, accessed through freedom of information requests, showing vacant paramedic positions across Manitoba increased from 90 in 2023 to 162 in 2025. In Southern Health, vacant jobs rose from 25 in 2023 to 30 in 2025.

Of that number, 12 positions, nearly half of Southern Health’s vacant positions, haven’t been posted for 90 days or longer, with the longest lasting 432 days. Four of those positions are located in Steinbach.

Filled Manitoba paramedic jobs also decreased from 519 in 2023 to 485 in 2025.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: We’re all Habs fans now

Thanks to the outstanding goaltending of Montréal’s Jakub Dobeš – who did what has never been said of Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, which is singlehandedly stealing a series-deciding playoff game that his team had no right winning – the Canadiens advanced to the second-round of the NHL playoffs as the only hope to end Canada’s 33-year Stanley Cup drought.

The Habs were the last Canadian-based NHL team to win Lord Stanley’s cup, back in 1993 when Whitney Houston topped the music charts and the X-Files ruled TV.

The Habs are an interesting franchise. When they visit the Jets – and any other Canadian city – local hockey fans are sometimes irked by all the Canadiens jerseys in the stands. Locals want everyone to support their NHL team but the Habs are an original six team and the winningest hockey club in league history.

They are a storied, fabled franchise. They do pre-game ceremonies with more emotion and heart than any pro sports franchise on earth. In North American team sports, only the New York Yankees (27) have more league championships than Montréal (24).

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: CFL’s new playoff system does have positives

When I first read about the CFL’s new playoff format, I didn’t know what to think.

Starting in 2027, the top two teams in both conferences will play a page playoff game, with the winner advancing to a semi-final and the loser playing the winner of a 3 vs 4 qualification game, setting up the semi-finals. The system is similar to the Brier and Scotties curling tournaments.

There’s certainly been a strong reaction across fans of the league to the change, as should have been expected, but my reaction was a lot different than the rule changes announced late last year.

There are certainly negatives to the new plan. Eight of the nine teams in the league will make the post-season in the new system, which is way too many. But I think most years having six teams make the playoffs, as is the case in the CFL currently, is probably too many to begin with.

Record attendance boosts city cleanup

Organizers of this year’s Pick Up and Walk event say they attracted more than 1,000 volunteers for the annual city cleanup campaign. Organized by churches throughout the community, teams came together on May 2 to remove garbage from ditches and boulevards throughout Steinbach. This year more than 11 tonnes of garbage were collected.

Trail walker highlights AGM

A Crow Wing Trail initiative that established a passport to divide the 200 km trail into 11 sections inspired a Steinbach man to take on the task, walking the whole trail beginning in November and ending on Dec. 26, 2025.

Mohammad Sajid Ali made the trek, and his story was the highlight of the annual general meeting hosted in Niverville on April 25.

Ali is the sixth person to receive a Crow Wing Trail certificate of completion and was the first to walk most of the trail in the winter.

A seasoned walker who has received recognition for walking the most kilometres of the Trans Canada Trail as part of the Great Canadian Hike last year, he said the Crow Wing Trail continued to inspire him from the time he began at the Winnipeg floodway.

Manitoba Chamber holds AGM, economic summit for first time in Steinbach

For the first time in its 95-year history, the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce held its AGM and economic summit in Steinbach on May 1.

“Well, a lot of the reasons (why we chose a location) is making sure that communities have the right kind of facility, and obviously the Southeast Event Center is the perfect facility for something like this,” said Manitoba Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Chuck Davidson.

“Also, I think as well, the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce has been a lot more engaged with the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce and has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing chambers in Canada over the course of this past year. So, it was really a no-brainer that it was time to come to Steinbach, and we were thrilled that we were able to do that.”

About 200 registrants came to the event representing businesses across Manitoba.

Niverville dominates Thunder Bay, moves to 2-0 at Centennial Cup

The Niverville Nighthawks may have started their second game at the Centennial Cup at 10 a.m. on their body clocks, but the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions were still dancing All Night Long.

The team has made the Lionel Ritchie 80s anthem their goal song this season, even making a custom cardboard cutout of the singer to display at their home games after goals. Despite starting their game in the morning May 9, the Nighthawks managed to get it to play seven times over the loudspeakers at Credit Union Place in Summerside, P.E.I. during a dominating win over the Superior International Junior Hockey League champion Thunder Bay North Stars.

The Nighthawks scored three goals in a six minute span in the first period to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 advantage, en route to a 7-2 blowout they never looked in danger of losing. Niverville out-shot Thunder Bay 41-17 in the contest.

"That's been the motto for us all season, not to get too high, not to get too low," Nighthawks head coach Dwight Hirst said when asked about his team's strong response to the equalizing goal.

Junior Pilots off to nationals after provincial success

The Junior Pilots volleyball club is continuing a strong run of form, with teams set to participate at upcoming national championships.

The club’s 18U team girls team, coached by Kyla Zacharias, rounded off a five-season run of medal finishes at provincials, starting with a bronze medal in the 2022 14U championships and ending with a silver medal this season.

“This team is nothing short of elite,” Zacharias said in a news release.

“We are so proud of this group. The ability to work with athletes who are not only talented but solid in character — on and off the court — is incredibly rewarding.”

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: A.K. turns sod for first Rest Haven apartments

A. K. Penner, president of the Rest Haven board, in August of 1964, turned sod to officially mark the start of construction of a 12-unit seniors’ apartment building on the grounds of the Rest Haven Nursing Home, just off Kroeker Avenue in Steinbach.

The new apartment building would be the first of a series of low-cost rental units for elderly citizens who are well enough to look after themselves but who may not be able to afford the luxury of maintaining their own homes.

It had been only a year since the Evangelical Mennonite Churches of Kleefeld, Steinbach, Prairie Rose (Landmark), Ridgewood and Blumenort decided to study the possibilities of this type of seniors’ housing, to augment the nursing home, which had replaced an aging facility on Hanover Street in 1961. Plans were drawn up, government approval was obtained and carpenters were ready to start construction on the building.

The apartment building would contain eight single units and four double units. The single units measured 16 feet by 22 feet and the double units were 18 feet by 24 feet. Rent would be $42 for a single apartment and $54 per month for a double.

East Braintree church closes after 109 years

Every time Margaret Feilberg walked through the East Braintree Community Church’s doors it felt like a hug.

The 74-year-old church clerk was one of the last remaining members of the small evangelical church hidden away among the towering boreal forest. The church held its last service on April 26, marking 109 years in the community of roughly 200 people.

“God is in the forest, and he’s everywhere. But you feel very special when you’re coming in here. And I feel that God is sad now this church is closed,” she told The Carillon.

Feilberg was dedicated as a baby in the church’s first location, a nearby school house, in 1956. She’s watched the church go from 35 people at its height down to herself and one other person. On the average Sunday, three or four people would attend services. The church’s final service brought 11 people to honour its end.