Carillon Sports Second Shots: March 13th edition

Featuring photos from the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association National Men's Volleyball Championships, hosted in Niverville March 5 - 8, the 55+ Games curling events in Steinbach, Games one and three of the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA semi-finals between Eastman and Yellowhead, game five of the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League East Division finals in Oakbank between Springfield and Steinbach, an MJHL game in Niverville March 9 and game two of the South East Manitoba Hockey League finals between Ste Anne and Springfield.

$235-million RSR Wastewater project going to tender with tariff contingency

The final contracts and cheques are being signed as the $235-million Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) Wastewater Cooperative project approaches tender this spring and start of construction this fall.

RSR community consultant Gordon Daman was at the March 11 RM of Tache meeting to get final documents approved. He said approval of a contractor for the wastewater plant should come this June and site preparation start this August.

“Quite frankly, we’re ready to go,” said Daman after meeting with Tache council.

He said the plant is planned to be built by 2026, with everything connected and running well before the end of 2028 in order to adhere to the funding and loan agreements with other levels of government and the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Local takes the lead in MTC production King James

It seemed as if Justin Fry was made for the stage. The 34-year-old actor took to drama at an early age which evolved into roles at Steinbach Regional Secondary School and university to eventually walking the boards at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, where he is playing one of the leads in King James.

“This (play) is about basketball, about LeBron James. My dad’s a really big basketball fan so he was really happy to hear I was going to be doing this. It’s just been a real fun experience to combine my love of theatre and sports together in a play. It’s been a great experience,” said Fry.

King James follows Matt (played by Fry), a sports fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers with season tickets, and Shawn (played by Eric Miracle), who buys Matt’s tickets so that Matt can pay off a debt. The fast-paced comedy sees an evolving friendship between Matt and Shawn as it also highlights the career of LeBron ‘King’ James.

“In preparing for the role, I did a lot of research on the different basketball players that are mentioned and basketball teams that are mentioned and LeBron James, as well. I wasn’t incredibly familiar with LeBron James before this play and now I am and I’m completely mesmerized and I would say I’m a fan,” said Fry.

Red River Valley SD raises special levy 11.3%

Some property owners living in Red River School Division (RRVSD) will be paying more school tax due according to the $41.23-million proposed budget presented at Rosenort School March 10.

It is some and not all because the Province changed its school tax rebate formula to a flat $1,500 for home owners, instead of a percentage. That means the lower the property value, the less you pay. Residential properties valued at under $294,000 in RRVSD will not be paying any school tax, with the mill rate at 11.316 charged on 45 percent of the value.

But with the property value assessment in division communities increasing 18.118 percent, more properties will pass that threshold. Farms continue to get a 50 percent rebate.

The budget is up $2.42 million, or 6.2 percent from last year. RRVSD got a lower provincial funding increase than most: 1.2 percent. Money from the province makes up 35.3 percent of the division’s revenue, and $160,000 of it must be spent on the new province-wide nutrition program.

Koop, rookie of the year Dick, help Wesman to CanadaWest title

The University of Winnipeg claimed their first CanadaWest men’s volleyball championship on their home court March 8, sweeping the national number one University of Alberta 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-21).

Linden’s Easton Dick and Steinbach’s Paxton Koop suit up for the Wesmen. Dick was named the conference rookie of the year just before the CanadaWest final four.

Playing middle, he made appearances in all 20 of the university’s conference matches, racking up 93 kills on a 0.352 attack percentage. Dick added 52 total blocks, with 12 solo efforts, leading all freshmen in the conference and U of W.

In the final, Dick was a leading contributor to the Winnipeg defense at the point of attack. The Wesmen held Golden Bears hitters, including conference player of the year Isaac Heslinga, to just a 0.293 hitting percentage, finishing with five block assists and a solo block to lead U of W.

Cinderella’s Closet a fairy godmother for graduates

For more than 10 years, Cinderella’s Closet in Steinbach has been providing free attire for teens who are looking for an affordable way to dress themselves for graduation day.

The program started when three Steinbach Regional Secondary School students came to their guidance counsellor and said they weren’t going to their graduation because they couldn’t afford it. The guidance counsellor and some teachers took it upon themselves to get dresses for the students.

“That’s how it started. Three students came forward and it’s been going ever since,” said Ashley Booth Gringras, a teacher at SRSS who has been involved with Cinderella’s Closet for a number of years.

The closet currently has 500 dresses as well as two racks of suits. The program usually sees between 30 and 45 students come to get clothed.

COLUMN: Village News – Neighbours: The Red River Métis

The exhibit “Mennonite Reflections: Arriving in Manitoba 150 Years Ago” is currently featured in the Gerhard Ens Gallery at Mennonite Heritage Village. This article is the ninth in a series highlighting the seven themes presented in this exhibit.

Theme 7 – Neighbours: The Red River Métis

Some of the first people the Mennonites encountered in Manitoba, already at the time of the visit by the Mennonite delegates in 1873, were the Red River Métis, who constituted the majority of the population at the time. This was about to change as European immigration surged in the next decade, and as many resident Métis left the province, disillusioned at the inept implementation of the Manitoba Act of 1870.

At the time of the visit by the delegates, the population of Manitoba was over 25,000. Of that number, the majority were of mixed First Nations and European ancestry. Fear of American expansionism had forced the British Crown to turn Ruperts Land over to Canada in 1869. The existing settlement of farmers and hunters, most of them Métis, feared for the loss of their livelihood and culture. The Canadian government exacerbated the situation in August of 1869 by re-surveying the land, including existing river lots, and appointing William McDougall, a Canadian expansionist as the first Lieutenant-Governor. With support from both English and French-speaking Métis, Louis Riel stopped the survey, barred McDougall from entering the province, conducted an election, and proclaimed a provisional government led by Riel. Push-back from the Anglo-Ontarians from Portage la Prairie in particular, who opposed the provisional government, apprehension about American expansionism, and public outcry in Eastern Canada, led to the federal Wolseley expedition, which arrived in Upper Fort Garry on August 24, too late to put down the opposition, for the Manitoba Act was already in effect as of July 15, 1870.

Agape House Purple Gala sees large turnout, dollars raised

March 7 was a night to remember as 158 people came to support Steinbach’s women’s shelter, Agape House.

Executive director Tracy Whitby said the evening raised $20,000, twice the amount raised last year and the most from any gala prior.

“We’re super excited about that and we couldn’t be more grateful for the overwhelming support that we received,” she said, noting the sponsors this year were overwhelming in their generosity.

The evening had music, food, live entertainment and a positive atmosphere. One of the main fundraisers that night was a round trip for two to anywhere WestJet flies, which continues to April 17.

Paronuzzi named MJHL’s most valuable player to cap off record-breaking Pistons season

For the first time in league history, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s (MJHL) most valuable player is a Steinbach Piston.

The league announced Connor Paronuzzi as the annual award winner March 7. The MJHL’s MVP award is named in honour of Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh.

Paronuzzi has nearly lapped the field when it comes to scoring points this season. When the news was announced, Paronuzzi had 89 points in 54 games, 24 more than his nearest competition, Northern Manitoba’s Miguel Bouvier. Bouvier and Winkler goaltender Liam Ernst were the other two finalists for MVP.

Paronuzzi continued his assault on the Steinbach record-book in Winnipeg March 11, and now owns the team’s single-season points record, with 92 points, passing Brad Schoonbaert to nab the record. He’ll have two more games to add to the total record.

Union Gospel Mission to hold spring supper in Steinbach

An evening of blessings will be held at the Mennonite Heritage Village on March 29 when Union Gospel Mission comes to Steinbach.

“The idea of this spring supper is to share with the Steinbach community and surrounding areas what Jesus Christ is doing in our seven ministries in downtown Winnipeg,” said Martin Chidwick, development manager with Union Gospel Mission (UGM).

The mission has men’s and women’s substance abuse recovery programs, a soup kitchen for the homeless, a children’s ministry, a school, summer camps, and emergency food hampers.

“Basically, what we’re trying to do is share the joy of working for Jesus full time with many of (our) supporting families in the area of Steinbach,” noted Chidwick.