COLUMN: Carillon Flashback – 2011 Carillon Flashback January 13, 2011 – Iraq war resisters seek help from MP

About a dozen protesters braved the cold to protest in front of Provencher MP Vic Toews’ Steinbach constituency office as part of a countrywide “Keep Iraq War Resisters in Canada Campaign”.

The group is aiming to convince the federal government to end the practice of deporting U.S. “war resisters” from Canada.

Joshua Key, a former U.S. army private who served in Iraq, was on hand for the protest, along with his wife and two children. Key came to Canada in 2005 and later sought refugee status as a conscientious objector.

“Death, destruction, and chaos,” Key says are the three words that sum up his experience in Iraq. “At first, I believed in the mission, but after time there, nothing working out, no weapons of mass destruction … in many senses we were terrorizing innocent citizens of Iraq.”

Municipal board approves Ste Anne annexation plan

Manitoba’s municipal board has approved a proposal that would see the Town of Ste Anne annex land from The Rural Municipality of Ste Anne.

Provincials officials issued their decision letter to the town on Feb. 20 and noted they’re satisfied there is general agreement on the plan. Both the town and RM submitted the proposal and a memorandum of understanding between the two municipalities to the province in April 2024.

The Carillon previously reported the annexation would include large tracts of land all along the town’s northern border, from Highway 12 in the west all the way to Provincial Road 210 in the east. The furthest north addition would be between Highway 12 and Traverse Road, stretching a kilometre north of the current boundary at the northbound Highway 12 turning lane.

Town of Ste Anne Mayor Yvan St. Vincent said the annexation is needed because the community has run out of land. He hopes the new plots will attract new industry and housing.

Southeast comedian celebrates improv anniversary

The Crosseyed Rascals will celebrate 25 years of comedy with a special show in Winnipeg on March 14.

The Winnipeg-based improv comedy troupe has been operating on and off for the last quarter century and are very familiar to improv lovers in Manitoba.

Grunthal born and raised and current La Broquerie resident Cora Fast has spent nine years with the troupe, and said she loves the opportunity to get on the stage.

“I think it’s a great outlet to get to perform and be creative and just think on the spot which is not a performing muscle you get to flex very often,” she said.

Dawson Trail MLA leaves PC Party

A Tuesday announcement from Dawson Trail MLA Bob Lagasse that he is leaving the PC Party to sit as an independent was a long time coming for the man who was first elected in 2016.

“I’ve been kind of sitting on this for a little bit, trying to figure out what the best course of action would be,” he said.

Lagasse announced his decision in a Tuesday press release, saying his constituents deserve a voice that answers only to them.

His press release referenced Sio Silica as a reason for the change, and he told The Carillon it was specifically the ethics violations found to be committed by then premier Heather Stefanson, deputy premier Cliff Cullen and current PC MLA Jeff Wharton that drew his ire.

PLAYOFF RECAP: North Stars advance to SEMHL league championships

For the first time since 2004, the Ile des Chenes North Stars will be playing for a league championship.

The North Stars defeated Springfield 3-1 in the South East Manitoba Hockey League best-of-five semi-finals, advancing to face the Winkler Royals.

Winkler, which finished atop the regular season standings, made quick work of the Red River Wild, winning three games over five days to advance.

Ile des Chenes’ series may have flipped in game one. The North Stars led the Winterhawks 2-1 heading into the final frame, only for the home team to storm back and take a late lead. Burke Heide’s equalizer and Matthew Osadick’s overtime winner proved the difference in the game and the series.

Locals organizing fundraiser for Minnesotans impacted by ICE

Two local non-profits have come together for the second time to hold a peace building fundraiser in Steinbach this weekend for Minnesotans affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

“I see Minnesota as our neighbors, and we’re concerned about our neighbors, so we just want to raise awareness and bring peace through art and bringing people together and raise a bit of money to help people harmed by ICE in Minnesota, specifically immigrant aid charities just because we’re very concerned that their human rights are being violated and they are being unfairly targeted and racially profiled,” said co-organizer T. Sheppard-Luangkhot, who is director of OPEN: Organization for Peace, Justice and Non-Violence, which has partnered with Marissa Wiebe’s Creative Uncommons: Artist Cooperative to put on the event.

Sheppard-Luangkhot and Wiebe held their first peace building event, the Queer Country Fair, in October last year. It was held in response to the cancelation of Steinbach Pride when threats of violence were sent to Pride organizers against attendees.

Both Sheppard-Luangkhot and Wiebe have friends who are Minnesotans, one of whom will be at The Melt the ICE Fundraiser: Sending Love to Minnesota event sharing her story. She is currently working on her permanent residency on her way to becoming a Canadian citizen.

COLUMN: Village News – March moments you won’t want to miss

As we head into March, the Mennonite Heritage Village’s programming shifts gears. Winter programming is wrapped up as plans for spring and summer get underway. We are excited about all that’s coming up in the month of March, and we hope that our programming is a benefit to the community.

March 12 and 26: Exhibit Explorers

Exhibit Explorers is MHV’s craft and story time happening twice a month in our indoor gallery. We began this program in December of 2025, and it has been a lovely addition to our winter schedule of events. It’s been wonderful to see curious young minds explore our indoor gallery and engage in stories and interactive games. Exhibit Explorers runs from 45 minutes to an hour. We start off at the indoor gallery, reading a few books and playing some movement games. It’s exciting to see young ones come out of their shell and engage in the books and have fun moving around during the games. When our story time has ended, we transition to craft time – doing a fun craft that corresponds with the books that we’ve read. This is the perfect morning outing for littles and their parents or grandparents. So, if you’re looking for someplace fun to spend some quality time, feel free to come check out Exhibit Explorers at MHV. Our next two dates are March 12 and 26, and we’d love to have you there.

March 21: Seed starting workshop

Carillon Sports Second Shots: March 5th edition

Featuring photos from MJHL games in Steinbach and Niverville Feb. 25/27, Steinbach Regional Secondary School hockey and basketball games, Game one of the SEMHL semi-final series between Ile des Chenes and Springfield Feb. 28, The MCAC men's volleyball championship match 2/3 March 1 and Eastman Selects playoff action March 2.

1946-2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Carillon readers to take trip down memory lane

It has been 80 years since the Town of Steinbach was incorporated and the Derksen family launched the community’s first English language newspaper.

This year, readers will have the opportunity to take a weekly trip down memory lane, following The Carillon camera as it covered the events and the people who have provided “News that Matters to People” for the past eight decades.

While disastrous fires, fatal accidents, serious criminal activity, and other bad news has, of necessity, always been part of the weekly news in The Carillon, the community newspaper more often was able to share good news of the community with its readers. The weekly community newspaper has always been a unique source of news for friends and relatives living elsewhere. The subscription list included addresses across Canada and Europe, South America and Mexico as well.

More than 50 correspondents of the Carillon News, as it was called way back when, provided accolades for high school and university graduates, shared the joy of weddings, and the optimism of the establishment of a new business, or the expansion of an old one, and the pride in the accomplishments of the community’s athletes, both young and old.

Janzen Boys support mental health with Steinbach concert

The Janzen Boys will bring their gifts of harmonies and songwriting to the stage in Steinbach in support of Eden’s local mental health resources on March 14.

Hosted by the Eden Foundation, the fundraising concert will help pay for local services.

Eden Mental Health operates multiple programs in Steinbach including supportive housing, professional counselling and therapy, and employment support programs.

“For many people, mental health support isn’t one service. It’s a combination of supportive housing, counselling, and opportunities to rebuild a sense of purpose,” director of development Dave Sawatzky said. “Steinbach residents are already engaging with these programs, and this concert is one way the broader community can help ensure that support continues.

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback May 18, 1998 – Health Care Services fills home care niche

With the trend in health care turning increasingly more to providing care in the home, South East Health Care Services is filling a vital niche.

“We get referrals from hospitals, palliative care and home care facilities,” said Esther Rempel, who together with Brenda Loewen, owns and manages the business, which opened two years ago.

In addition, they are open to referrals from private citizens – often they are children with aging parents still able to stay in their homes, but requiring some degree of care.

Health Care Services provides a comprehensive list of services, which includes professional nursing, homemaking, transportation, foot care, CPR training and visitation. In addition, the business is used as a staffing agency for hospitals and nursing homes.

Region’s SEMHL teams well-represented in year-end awards

Gaeten Beauchemin has been recognized by the South East Manitoba Hockey League for his efforts, as he was named the Dale Rempel Award winner for 2026.

Beauchemin was instrumental in the Ile des Chenes North Stars’ return to competitive senior hockey when the team joined the SEMHL in 2022. He serves many roles with the team, including general manager.

“Gates works around the clock for this team, our players, and our community — often behind the scenes, tirelessly, and always putting others first,” a social media post from the team reads.

“His belief in his players, his passion for hometown hockey, and his unwavering commitment to doing what’s best for this organization never fade. We truly could not do any of this without him. Thank you, Gates, for everything you do and everything you are to this organization. This recognition is could not be more deserved.”