Local

Local

COLUMN: View from the Legislature – Volunteers power Manitoba summers

Kelvin Goertzen, MLA for Steinbach 3 minute read 8:50 AM CDT

Anyone who has lived in Manitoba for any length of time knows that the summers are the most cherished time of the year. The warm summer days coupled with sunlight well into the evening make it one of the best places to live during the summer months. And for those Manitobans who do not relish winter activities or sometimes bone chilling weather, Manitoba summers are the payoff for enduring the winters.

One of the things that makes Manitoba summers truly special are the hundreds of community events that happen across the province. Having travelled around Manitoba during my time as an elected representative, I have had the opportunity to take in many festivals in all parts of the province. What makes them particularly special is that they often are reflective of the culture or the history of the community itself. One need only think of Pioneer Days here in Steinbach which pays tribute to the early Mennonite settlers or the Icelandic Festival in Gimli which celebrates that community’s close connection to the Icelandic culture.

And while the nature of these community celebrations is as diverse as our province itself, there is one common thread that ties them all together. And that is that they are only made possible because of the thousands of people across the province that volunteer to organize and plan. It takes an army of individuals, sometimes working months in advance, to ensure that these festivals happen each year. And often, it is many of the same people who step up year after year to make sure that an annual community celebration can occur.

Whether it is helping to organize a parade or coordinate a street party or help to stage a music festival, the vast majority of people who are involved with these events are unpaid volunteers. They are giving of their own precious summertime to help make their community stronger and, importantly, to create memories for those who live there. While there has sometimes been discussion of trying to quantify the value of all these volunteer hours, it would be impossible. And regardless, the volunteers who we see wearing the bright shirts and carrying clipboards at the events are not doing it for recognition or for reward. It is simply because they want to give back to the community and, hopefully, because it is an enjoyable experience.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Weather

Jul. 15, 12 PM: 18°c Cloudy Jul. 15, 6 PM: 18°c Cloudy

Steinbach MB

18°C, Cloudy

Full Forecast

Local

The Gilbert Plains Country Club storage sheds and clubhouse are shown impacted by significant flooding due to rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. As a result, the Golf Manitoba women's amateur and men's mid-amateur were cancelled this week. (Submitted)

Quarry Oaks steps up to host provincial Mid-Amateur after flooding

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read Preview

Quarry Oaks steps up to host provincial Mid-Amateur after flooding

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

Torrential rainfall meant the scheduled Manitoba Women’s Amateur and the Men’s Mid-Amateur provincial championships had to be scrapped last week. The tournaments were scheduled for Gilbert Plains Country Club, just West of Dauphin, July 1-3.

The re-scheduled men’s mid-amateur is coming to Quarry Oaks in late-July. The women’s amateur was quickly re-scheduled to be at St Charles as nationals are right around the corner. Flooding at Gilbert Plains nearly reached the roof of their storage sheds that weekend.

“I’ve never seen something like this in 20 years,” Gilbert Plains golf professional and general manager Scott McCallum told the Brandon Sun. McCallum was unable to drive into the property on the day of the tournament.

“I’m looking for a boat to try and get there… It’s certainly disheartening, especially in a year when you’re trying to empower your grounds crew to be detail-oriented all the way up to this event, and we were two days away or one rain away, essentially, from hosting the event.

Read
Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

Local

Reed Sherry (Cassidy Dankochik Carillon Archives)

Local players make the cut for Hockey Manitoba

Cassidy Dankochik 1 minute read Preview

Local players make the cut for Hockey Manitoba

Cassidy Dankochik 1 minute read Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

It’s likely the Team Manitoba hockey roster at the upcoming 2027 Canada Winter Games will have some Eastman flair.

Four players from the region were named to the U16 Boys Program of Excellence summer roster. The named 28 players were born in 2011 and 2012.

Goaltender Haize Brightnose (Ste Anne), defenseman Brady Piec and forwards Reed Sherry (St Malo) and Nixon Gaudet (Ile des Chenes) were named to the roster. Brightnose and Piec suit up for the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg while Sherry and Gaudet play for the Eastman Selects AAA program.

The U16 Program of Excellence team will play a series of exhibition games against AAA and prep school programs Oct. 2-4 in Winnipge.

Read
Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

Local

COLUMN: Beyond the Shelter – Meet the frontline: A day in crisis response

Lisa Fast 4 minute read Yesterday at 11:22 AM CDT

Working on the frontline in a domestic violence shelter is fast-paced, emotional, and deeply meaningful work. No two days look exactly the same, but every shift is centered around supporting individuals and families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

A typical day in crisis response often includes counselling sessions, advocacy work, referrals, safety planning, and helping clients navigate complex systems and barriers. Counselling sessions are client-led and focus on helping individuals work toward their goals at their own pace. This can include discussing housing, financial supports, healing from trauma, or simply processing life experiences and emotions in a safe space.

Frontline workers also spend a great deal of time connecting clients with resources. This may include writing referrals for counselling, financial assistance, or long-term support programs. Staff regularly help clients search for housing, access community supports, and problem solve through barriers that arise along the way.

When someone first arrives at a shelter, staff recognize that they are often arriving during one of the most overwhelming moments of their lives. The first priority is helping the individual feel safe and supported. Clients are welcomed with compassion, offered clean clothing, water, and space to breathe and process. Intake conversations happen at the client’s pace, recognizing the importance of trauma-informed care. Staff also provide tours of the shelter and welcome items such as hygiene products and comfort items to help create a sense of safety and care.

Local

CARILLON ARCHIVES Mark Oommen works hard at keeping alive his mother’s legacy at Ruth’s Kitchen at the Red River College campus near the family home in Steinbach.

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback February 17, 2011 – Son carries on his mother’s legacy

Wes Keating 3 minute read Preview

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback February 17, 2011 – Son carries on his mother’s legacy

Wes Keating 3 minute read Yesterday at 8:44 AM CDT

Friends and acquaintances, including her children’s friends, were often invited to share Ruth Oommen’s home-cooked dishes at their home in Steinbach. Oommen would repeatedly say, “No matter if it’s a small party or large party, Ruth’s kitchen is always open.”

She was not afraid to try new recipes or to change a familiar one to suit her own tastes, and her dream was to open a business that would take her joy of cooking to the next level. With a great deal of inspiration from their mother, Ruth and Thamby’s sons, Mark and James, learned the love of cooking, and are carrying on her dream in her memory.

Thamby Oommen, born in India, was attending Mennonite Brethren College in Winnipeg when he met Ruth Reimer, a native of Kleefeld. Their relationship carried on through Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, where he studied social work and she pursued a career in music.

Back in Manitoba, Ruth went on to teach voice for 33 years, and also directed the Eastman Youth Choir. But her true passion was cooking. It was in 2000 that she began making cookie mixes to be sold as fundraisers, followed by catering for small office lunches, specializing in desserts.

Read
Yesterday at 8:44 AM CDT

Local

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 Preview

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

Maria Falk Lodge 5 minute read Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

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.

Read
Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

Local

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 1 minute read Preview

Loeppky signs 2-year extension with Lube

Cassidy Dankochik 1 minute read Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

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.”

Read
Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

Local

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 Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

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.

Read
Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

Local

Amazing Race Steinbach to benefit kids’ camp and cancer support

Graham Walker 3 minute read Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

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.

Local

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 Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

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.

Read
Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

Local

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2006: MIT Roadies ride for fun

Wes Keating 3 minute read Preview

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2006: MIT Roadies ride for fun

Wes Keating 3 minute read Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

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.

Read
Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

Local

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 Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

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.

Read
Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

Local

Submitted 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 Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

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.

Read
Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

Local

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 Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

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.

Read
Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

Local

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.

Read
Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

Local

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.

Read
Saturday, Jul. 11, 2026

LOAD MORE LOCAL ARTICLES