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My mother, a toddler in the company of her grandmother, and her loving family ca 1906.

COLUMN: Tales from the Gravel Ridge – Stories that should not be forgotten

Maria Falk Lodge 5 minute read 2:26 PM CDT

All of us have stories to tell, many in fact. After all, there isn’t a day that goes by when something we hear or experience becomes in one way or another, a story. Whether it’s worth repeating may or may not depend on whether you consider it important to do so. It might also be the case that no one else deems what you shared as being noteworthy. Sometimes it is the skill of the storyteller or the circumstances under which it is told that determine whether a story will come alive, or will be retained by the listener.

There are stories however that tell us a great deal about ourselves and about those who have shaped our lives in ways that are truly immeasurable. Such stories for me are the ones our parents told us about events in the life of our family in somewhat more recent times, but also, more particularly, the stories of the personal lives of members of our family before they arrived in Canada.

Some of those stories, augmented by photographs, hold enormous value for me on countless levels. The longer I live, the more compelled I feel to celebrate and honour those stories, not only for their historical value, but also for the examples of grace and courage my parents, and many others in like circumstances displayed, functioning as they did with phenomenal resilience. Frequently such qualities were demonstrated in circumstances fraught with loss of enormous proportions.

I have no doubt that the people of Rosengard were, in large part capable of such resilience, by the sense of community that they exhibited and fostered. Such was the environment of my home and community throughout my childhood and youth.

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Eric Loeppky will be back playing for Lube for the next two seasons. (Lube Social Media)

Loeppky signs 2-year extension with Lube

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read Preview

Loeppky signs 2-year extension with Lube

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read 12:00 PM CDT

Steinbach Regional Seconary School graduate Eric Loeppky will remain with Volley Lube for the next two years.

The outside hitter has played in three consecutive Italian SuperLega finals, including the last two with Lube. The franchise has made a home at the highest levels of volleyball in Italy, appearing in four of six finals since the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19.

“I’m truly honored and excited to stay with Lube,” Loeppky said in a translated team news release.

“I’m coming off two positive years with the club, and I hope this is just a taste of what this team can achieve in the future. Living in the Marche region is wonderful for my family, and Civitanova is starting to become a second home for us. We’re happy in every way.”

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12:00 PM CDT

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Cole Smith forechecks a Winnipeg Blues player during MJHL action in late 2015. (Terry Frey Carillon Archives)

Former Piston Cole Smith signs NHL deal with Chicago

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read Preview

Former Piston Cole Smith signs NHL deal with Chicago

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read 12:00 PM CDT

Cole Smith, who played two seasons with the Steinbach Pistons, is continuing his journey at the highest level of professional hockey.

Smith signed a three-year, 9$ million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on the first day of NHL free agency.

After leaving the Pistons, Smith joined the University of North Dakota, signing as an undrafted free agent with Nashville in the 2020 season.

After a couple years mostly playing in the American Hockey League, Smith nabbed a full-time spot on the Predators’ roster in the 2022/2023 season.

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12:00 PM CDT

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Amazing Race Steinbach to benefit kids’ camp and cancer support

Graham Walker 4 minute read 11:23 AM CDT

Just like its network television inspiration, the Tim Hortons Brewed to Win Amazing Race event is set to run on Saturday. The event is entering its seventh season, with this being the second year where entry is open to teams from the community and not just local businesses.

“After setting up the pit stops around the city for the racers, hosts and onlookers kept asking us ‘Hey! how do we get involved in this?’” said event chairperson Jorge Sousa.

“We had to open it up to meet demand and of course boost the awareness for some great causes like the cancer support crew. It started off as a way to show employee appreciation, but it was so much fun for those in the community we now invite anyone who can put together a team to join in.”

Sousa, who is the general manager for all three Steinbach Tim Hortons, is no stranger to building community spirit and public awareness regarding great local organizations, as he has also helped coordinate events benefitting the Steinbach Family Resource Centre and Summer in the City.

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Submitted by Kevin Danner

An image of biochar, which is made from organic waste that has been burned releasing its oxygen and hydrogen leaving behind covalent bonds of carbon. The biochar can be used in six major industries: construction, asphalt, mining, wastewater, agriculture, and horticulture.

Ritchot signs MOU with biochar manufacturer to extend landfill, potentially see profits

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 5 minute read Preview

Ritchot signs MOU with biochar manufacturer to extend landfill, potentially see profits

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 5 minute read 8:35 AM CDT

The RM of Ritchot has signed a memorandum of understanding with a biochar manufacture with the hopes of bringing an environmental and economic benefit to the municipality.

“We love the idea of finding new, regenerative, sustainable ways to take - essentially garbage - and turn it into something usable. So, we bought into it right away, and here we are,” said Mayor Chris Ewen.

The RM’s MOU with Carbon Lock Tech began when one of the councillors was at the Manitoba Environmental Industry Association annual conference in late 2024. He saw what Carbon Lock Tech was doing and thought it was a perfect fit for the RM and shared his encounter with council. After about eight months of meetings, a presentation was made to council last summer and the MOU was signed April 22, 2025, on Earth Day.

This summer, the four-year-old company will begin the process of turning organic waste found at the St Adolphe landfill into little black pellets called biochar, with a high-heat reactor. The reactor burns off oxygen and hydrogen in the biomass and leaves behind covalent bonds of carbon in the form of biochar.

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8:35 AM CDT

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SPORTS FLASHBACK 2006: MIT Roadies ride for fun

Wes Keating 4 minute read Preview

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2006: MIT Roadies ride for fun

Wes Keating 4 minute read Yesterday at 5:00 PM CDT

MIT stands for Mennonites in Tights, although Mennonite affiliation is not necessary to belong to this recreational cycling club. In fact, there is a Lutheran or two along for the ride. Others, such as Steinbach lawyer Marcel Jodoin, have nary a discernible shred of Mennonite in them, but are still welcomed into the fold, as well.

Sixteen riders marshalled near Steinbach’s water tower at 6 a.m. last Saturday morning for their weekly excursion.

The one common thread amongst this group of avid cyclists, apart from the spandex of course, is their love of cycling, a form of recreation that provides exercise and camaraderie among the riders.

Saturday morning’s ride was 68 kilometres from Steinbach to Richer and back. According to unofficial MIT Roadies coordinator Jac Siemens, it took 2 hours and 38 minutes to complete, which included a stop for porridge in Richer.

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Yesterday at 5:00 PM CDT

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Mike Sudoma/Free Press
Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck speaks to media at Canada Life Centre Friday afternoon
March 6, 2026

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Connor Hellebuyck is a coward

James Loewen 4 minute read Preview

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Connor Hellebuyck is a coward

James Loewen 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

Being a man of your word, honouring your commitments and standing with your teammates in tough times are character traits that Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck appears to be sorely lacking.

At press time, Hellebuyck has still not said whether he wants to stay in Winnipeg or be traded.

It’s unclear why Hellebuyck has adopted this approach. Does he not realize his reputation is taking a beating? Does he think this “leave everyone hanging” approach is good for his teammates, the organization, his fans or the media?

If he does, he’s delusional.

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Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

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Selo Junior Group (pictured) is travelling to the Pysanka Ukrainian Festival in Vegreville, Alberta, this coming summer.

Anola Ukrainian dance group celebrates 40 years

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 5 minute read Preview

Anola Ukrainian dance group celebrates 40 years

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 5 minute read Yesterday at 11:15 AM CDT

When Rod Picklyk was asked 40 years ago by Lorraine Boitson to come and be a Ukrainian dance instructor, and eventual founder of Selo Ukrainian Dancers, little did he know that four decades later he would be celebrating the dance group’s anniversary.

“You know, it’s very special. I mean, quite simply put, looking back as we kind of prepared for this 40th celebration, you plow through pictures and videos and plan different events and meet some alumni and alumni families,” said Picklyck.

“And looking back, it’s quite gratifying and rewarding to see how many children have come through our hands over the years and learned a little piece of Ukrainian culture through the medium of dance….It’s hard to believe that 40 years has gone by, but it’s very gratifying when we look at all that we’ve accomplished.”

Picklyk and his wife Bonnie started instructing nine students in 1986 and that has grown to about a 100 students today, which includes their daughter Hannah who is also an instructor.

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Yesterday at 11:15 AM CDT

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REFLECTIONS ON OUR HERITAGE
Steinbach's first hospital, opened in 1928.

COLUMN: Village News – From folk remedies to hospitals: Early Mennonite medical care in Imperial Russia and Manitoba

Garth Doerksen 6 minute read Preview

COLUMN: Village News – From folk remedies to hospitals: Early Mennonite medical care in Imperial Russia and Manitoba

Garth Doerksen 6 minute read Yesterday at 8:27 AM CDT

The history of Mennonite medical care reflects a gradual but profound shift from traditional home remedies and informal caregivers to clinically trained physicians, hospitals, and specialized health institutions. This transformation began in the Mennonite colonies of Imperial Russia during the nineteenth century and continued after Mennonite migration to Manitoba, where community-supported hospitals became important centres of care.

When Mennonites first settled in the Chortitza and Molotschna colonies in southern Imperial Russia beginning in 1789 and 1804, medical care was limited. Most illnesses were treated at home using herbal remedies, midwives, and practical knowledge passed down through generations. Physicians were scarce in rural regions, and epidemics such as cholera, typhus, and smallpox posed frequent and serious threats. As scientific medicine developed across Europe and the Russian Empire during the nineteenth century, Mennonite communities gradually adopted new approaches to health care. Zemstvo, or local government medical services, expanded access to trained doctors and medical assistants in rural districts, helping introduce modern medical practices to rural settlements.

One of the earliest professionally trained medical workers in the Mennonite colonies was Bernhard Paul Schellenberg (1840–1888). Serving as a feldscher, a medically trained assistant who combined elements of nursing, surgery, and primary care, he worked in the Chortitza Colony and became its first recognized medical practitioner. Feldschers played an essential role in rural Russia, often providing treatment where physicians were unavailable. Schellenberg’s work marked an important step toward organized community health care.

Professional medical practice expanded further in 1852, when the Molotschna Colony hired Dr. Robert Zander (1824–1856), its first formally trained physician. Born in Riga and educated at the prestigious Imperial University of Dorpat, Zander brought advanced scientific training to the colony. He had previously treated patients during the devastating cholera epidemic of 1848 in Riga, experience that was especially valuable in a region frequently affected by infectious disease outbreaks. Although he served in Molotschna for only about two years, Zander established a precedent for professional medical care that would influence later generations. Treatment was provided without additional cost, reflecting the Mennonite tradition of mutual aid and communal responsibility.

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Yesterday at 8:27 AM CDT

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Adam Vigfusson was a free agent invite to the 2026 Winnipeg Jets development camp. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)

Nighthawks captain Vigfusson thrives at NHL development camp

Cassidy Dankochik 3 minute read Preview

Nighthawks captain Vigfusson thrives at NHL development camp

Cassidy Dankochik 3 minute read Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

Adam Vigfusson couldn’t have authored a better ending to his first professional hockey experience.

Vigfusson scored the final goal during the Winnipeg Jets Development Camp, deking blocker side in a shootout attempt to give team Blue the victory in Friday’s scrimmage over team White in the last on-ice action of the camp.

Jets prospects, including 2023 first-rounder Brayden Yager rushed the ice to celebrate with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League player.

“That’s my go-to move and it worked out,” Vigfusson said with a big smile following the conclusion of the camp.

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Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

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Owen Martin battles with 2026 Winnipeg Jets first rounder Viggo Bjorck during the closing scrimmage July 3 at the NHL team's development camp. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)

Owen Martin relies on experience at second Winnipeg Jets development camp

Cassidy Dankochik 4 minute read Preview

Owen Martin relies on experience at second Winnipeg Jets development camp

Cassidy Dankochik 4 minute read Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

Oakbank’s Owen Martin was on steadier skates at this year’s Winnipeg Jets Development Camp.

The Jets selected the local product in the third round of last year’s draft, setting off a whirlwind of anticipation and excitement that ran right into development camp the week after the draft.

Now a year older, Martin was right at home on the ice, noting it was ‘nerve-wracking’ to be on the ice last summer as a hometown draft pick.

“It’s a lot different being one of those second year guys,” he said following the conclusion of camp July 3.

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Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

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COLUMN: On Parliament Hill – Illusionary promises

Ted Falk, MP for Provencher 4 minute read Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

There is no shortage of announcements made by this Liberal government.

Some even sound similar to Conservative platform promises—until it comes to implementation, policy, game plans and action.

Following Iran’s seizure of the Strait of Hormuz, Canada pledged 23.6 million barrels of oil as part of the International Energy Agency’s emergency 400-million-barrel release. Two Conservative MPs asked a simple question: What policies did the government actually put in place to make that promise a reality?

The Minister’s response revealed that no new policies, regulations, or legislation were implemented to fulfill Canada’s commitment. As the National Post observed, “Canada’s oil output is decided by private-sector producers—companies that raise or lower their production based on a range of factors like commodity prices, pipeline availability and maintenance schedules.” In other words, the Liberal government announced a production target without introducing any mechanism to achieve it, relying instead on private producers to hopefully fulfill the pledge they had made.

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CARILLON ARCHIVES
With Isaak handling the painting and his son Albert taking care of body work, the Loewens transformed wrecks into like-new condition.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Nebraska to Manitoba was ‘Worth the Trip’

Wes Keating 5 minute read Preview

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Nebraska to Manitoba was ‘Worth the Trip’

Wes Keating 5 minute read Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

It was during the summer of 1937 that Isaak T. Loewen arrived back in Manitoba after years of serving as an automobile painter for a Ford agency in Nebraska.

He opened an autobody shop for repairing smashed car bodies, radiators, worn upholstery, broken windows and the painting of car exteriors in Carman.

The business was something completely new in rural Manitoba; “Ike the Painter” was confident it could be a success, and time has proved him right.

Loewen reasoned that cars are like people. Some need internal surgery, like having tonsils removed, appendectomies performed and broken bones reset. Others need plastic surgery, like new noses, skin grafting and so forth.

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Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

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Parker Carrier (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)

Niverville’s Carrier, former Piston Bauer announce commitments

2 minute read Preview

Niverville’s Carrier, former Piston Bauer announce commitments

2 minute read Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

Parker Carrier has joined the parade of graduating Niverville Nighthawks players to announce USports college commitments.

Carrier, who hails from Penticton, will play for the Lakehead University Thunderwolves, a school based out of Thunder Bay, Ont.

The defenseman scored 23 points in the regular season, seeing action in all 13 playoff games en route to a Turnbull Cup and all six of Niverville’s games at the Centennial Cup.

The Thunderwolves already boast several former Manitoba Junior Hockey League players on their roster, including former Steinbach Pistons Jack Cook and Jamie Fuchs. Ile des Chenes-born Brody Beauchemin, who won a Turnbull Cup with the Winkler Flyers in 2024, is also on the roster.

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Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

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Hanover Kickers keeper Liam Hodges needed every inch of his reach to stop this free kick attempt from Grant Park Sporting Club in MMSL Div 1 action at the Steinbach Soccer Park July 6. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)

Hanover Kickers finding their footing in MMSL Division 1

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read Preview

Hanover Kickers finding their footing in MMSL Division 1

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

The Hanover Kickers are establishing themselves as a mid-table team in the Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Division 1.

The Kickers nabbed a win and a draw this week, defeating basement-dwellers Scorpions FC 3-0 July 2 and battling Grant Park Sporting Club to a 3-3 stalemate July 6.

Those results have the Hanover Soccer Club’s top team in the MMSL pyramid sitting with eight points across five games this season in the eight-team Division 1. The MMSL’s top division is one step higher, the premier division.

The Kickers made short work of Scorpions FC, as the visitors arrived in Steinbach without a full 11 players to start the match. Hanover was able to nab an early goal before any late arrivals could take to the pitch and rode out a comfortable win from there, keeping a clean sheet.

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Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

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1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Meeting by accident for nearly 90 years

Wes Keating 4 minute read Preview

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Meeting by accident for nearly 90 years

Wes Keating 4 minute read Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

Ever since “Ike the Painter” set up shop in Steinbach, members of the Loewen family have been living up to the company slogan, “We meet by accident.” Loewen Body Shop will be celebrating the 90th anniversary of one of Steinbach’s oldest businesses next year.

Mark Loewen, his sons, Josh, Jordan and Jesse and granddaughter Tia, represent the third, fourth and fifth generations of the body shop Loewens.

For decades, the Loewen boys have been making sure their steady stream of customers have been well taken care of, whether it was a fender bender or a major crash that brought about the “accidental” meeting at Loewen Body Shop.

Mark, like his father Albert, began working in the body shop as a teenager, working his way up from helping out in the back when needed, to joining his father in the office, to taking on managerial responsibilities, and then ownership when his father retired in 1989.

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Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

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