AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Jonathan Toews’ remarkable story is the balm we need in these turbulent times

The heart-warming, inspiring odyssey of Jonathan Toews’ return to hockey – in his hometown of Winnipeg no less – is exactly the kind of comfort food we need in a world burning with aggression, violence, cruelty and chaos.

It’s also a reminder of what is so unique about the relationship between fans and players and why sports fans have a such deep and profound love of certain players. The three minute standing ovation that Toews received when the Hawks showed his tribute video was the quintessential example of fans adoring a player and wanting to thank him for all the wonderful memories he made in Chicago. The passion was palpable, even through the TV screen. You didn’t have to be in the rink to feel what the fans in the Windy City were feeling.

And for three glorious minutes, we didn’t have to think about American citizens getting executed by rogue masked goons or about a depraved U.S. president threatening to impose devastating 100% tariffs on Canada.

Instead, we got to see – and feel – the love and gratitude that hockey fans in Chicago were feeling toward Jonathan Toews.

Springfield passes vote to leave Capital Planning Region

The Rural Municipality of Springfield has voted to withdraw from the Capital Planning Region.

A motion to file the request to Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard was put forward by Ward 1 Coun. Glen Fuhl and passed with a four to one vote during a Jan. 20 council meeting.

Springfield Mayor Patrick Therrien, the lone vote against leaving, said a decision needed to be made so it wouldn’t drag into the October municipal elections this year.

“I’m a very big proponent of regional planning, but I do accept democracy,” he said.

Steinbach Christian School performs first middle years musical

Steinbach Christian School’s middle years students will perform their first ever musical this weekend.

Titled The Most Epic Birthday Party Ever, the musical will run on Jan. 30 and 31, with both shows starting at 7 p.m. in the school’s chapel.

Kristy Penner, the musical’s director, spent hours searching for the perfect show for the school’s first attempt at performing a musical.

“I was looking for a fun, but simple show. Something with minimal costumes and simple set design, but with good music and a script I liked,” she told The Carillon in an email.

Hanover School Division reacts to news article on accused SRSS teacher

The Hanover School Division has issued a statement regarding a Winnipeg Free Press article about a former uncertified teacher as being “uninformed and/or patently false.”

In the statement issued on Tuesday, the school division referred to the article titled, Case of the Invisible Teacher, which was published on Jan. 23 in the Free Press, as having inaccuracies “including statements in the article that were uninformed and/or patently false.”

In the Free Press investigation, former Steinbach Regional Secondary School teacher Braeden Martens was found not to have a certified teaching certificate or a limited teaching permit despite working at the school since 2021 as a vocational instructor and as a football coach.

According to the Free Press, since no permit was issued by the province, the mandatory provincial safety checks that would be triggered by the application were never done. Martens was fired in January 2025 when allegations of sexual misconduct with minors were raised with the division.

The case of the invisible teacher

This feature first appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press on Jan. 23.

Braeden Martens was a ghost in plain sight.

In recent years, he had stood at the front of a vocational classroom at Steinbach Regional Secondary School instructing students. Once the bell rang, he moved to the football field, serving as a mentor and coach for the school’s teams and coaching the province’s elite U-18 club.

To parents, students and football leagues of Manitoba, he was a trusted authority figure. But to the government of Manitoba, Martens did not exist.

Eric Loeppky making his mark with Lube in Italian league

There can be no doubt Eric Loeppky is one of the best volleyball players on the planet.

The Steinbach-born Loeppky was named the most valuable player for the month of December in Italy’s top volleyball league. Loeppky plays for Cucine Lube Civitanova. Across five matches in December, he racked up 79 points and three player of the match awards.

The outside hitter was recognized by the team before the start of their match Jan. 18, a tough loss to current club world champions Sir Susa Scai Perugia.

“I consider it a great recognition because I play in the most beautiful and challenging league in the world, but if I’m rewarded, the credit should be shared with my fantastic teammates,” a translated statement from Loeppky on Lube’s website reads.

COLUMN: Village News – Mennonite history across Canada

From Jan. 22 to Jan. 24, the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada (MHSC) met for their annual meetings in Winnipeg. Our museum, Mennonite Heritage Village, is privileged to be part of this organization, which includes six provincial Mennonite historical societies, five Mennonite church conferences, several post-secondary Mennonite institutes, a few archival groups and two Mennonite museums.

Together, these organizations promote the collecting and organizing of Mennonite stories and documents in Canada. They encourage research about various diverse topics that relate to Mennonite activities both historically and contemporarily. The society was begun in the 1960s to create a history of Mennonites in Canada book series, Mennonites in Canada. There are three volumes covering 1786 to 1920, 1920 to 1949, and 1939 to 1970, with a fourth volume currently being written to cover the years 1970 to 2000.

MHSC also contributes to online Mennonite content on the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO) site, and it manages the Mennonite Archival Information Database (MAID), which stores digital photos of Mennonites and their activities. There are also ongoing genealogy projects and academic conferences that continue to promote research of people and topics relevant to Mennonites in Canada.

Mennonite Heritage Village has contributed directly to the work of this organization recently. In 2022, MHV produced a travelling exhibit called Leaving Canada: The Mennonite Migration to Mexico, which was displayed across Canada in dozens of communities. The year 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of Mennonites leaving Manitoba and Saskatchewan for Mexico and Paraguay. They left their established homes and farms because of new provincial laws requiring children to attend government schools even though the federal government had promised them the freedom to educate their children. The government enforced the new laws with fines, jail time, and confiscation of property.

Steinbach Chamber Challenge former finalists praise initiative

The Steinbach Chamber Challenge is returning for its third year and past participants say the event positively affected their businesses.

Clinton Plett, who owns Plemark Welding, and was the Challenge’s inaugural winner in 2024, said his business has grown and diversified since he won the first-place prize of $1,000.

He invested his winnings into buying new tools, such as a torch to cut through thicker steel and a hammer drill for welding in structures. The growth he experienced also allowed him to buy a trailer.

Plett said the Challenge really forced him to concentrate on his finances.

Providence Pilots seasons in full swing

Providence Pilots athletes are busy across three different sports as the collegiate season heats up across the province.

VOLLEYBALLThe MCAC women’s volleyball standings will be a fight to the absolute finish, with three of the conference’s four teams sitting with seven wins heading into play this weekend.

Providence’s place at the national championship is locked up due to the school hosting the upcoming tournament, but they will need some help on the out of town scoreboard to host a playoff game this year.

The men’s team has the most wins of any MCAC team, but trail Assiniboine in the standings due to games the Brandon-based school has in hand.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Jan. 22nd edition

Featuring an SRSS Hockey game Jan. 14, a Niverville Nighthawks game Jan. 15, an Eastman Selects U18 AAA game Jan. 15, a Steinbach Pistons Game Jan. 16 and a HTJHL game in Steinbach Jan. 17