Steinbach Pistons draw big crowd for pre-season action

If fans had wandered into the Southeast Event Centre Sept. 5 for the Steinbach Pistons pre-season game against the Winkler Flyers, you couldn’t have blamed them if they thought it was a regular season contest.

Despite taking place on the long weekend, the Pistons were the hottest ticket in town, drawing 1,300 fans, including more than 750 paid to watch teams of mostly prospects battle for roster spots.

“It’s pretty impressive the type of support we got here today,” head coach and general manager Paul Dyck said after the 6-5 shootout loss to Winkler.

“For some of the players playing their first game here, I think they were pretty impressed too.”

Morris School robotics team holding first VEX robotics competition in the province

Morris School robotics team can start the year off with pride as their move to be the only VEX robotics team in the province has not only influenced other schools to take up VEX, but they will hold the province’s first VEX robotics competition later this year.

“It’s certainly exciting and I think it’s also fitting, we are the first Manitoba VEX team, so it makes sense for us to host the first competition,” said technology teacher and Morris VEX robotics coach Joey Tiede. “We’re really looking forward to having some local competition.”

Morris School has been involved with VEX robots for almost two years. Its robotics team started under the guidance of then technology teacher J.P. Jamieson in 2023, who also started a robotics team in Carman as a teacher there. Jamieson is currently at St. James Collegiate in Winnipeg where he is working with students on drones, but hopes to introduce VEX there too.

Jamieson started Morris students off with small mini-Sumo robots, which were designed to push other robots out of a ring. Last year, Jamieson added VEX robots (which push and complete tasks), from a kit and a ring donated by the Manitoba Association of Education Technology Leaders (MAETL). The kit is shared annually with schools across the province if they request them as part of the association’s lending library.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Concrete could become newest building material

APRIL 11, 1973— Just about everybody in the Southeast knows that a large plant on Highway 12 in Steinbach turns out truckloads of septic tanks, sidewalk blocks and steps; what may be less well known is the size and scope of the entire precast concrete operation, which employs nearly 60 people and sells its finished product to every part of Manitoba, western Ontario and several northern American states. In fact, Barkman Concrete is the largest manufacturer of its kind in Western Canada.

The company’s main operation, in principle, hasn’t changed much in the past few years, but greatly increased production and numerous technical refinements have taken place. For the past few weeks, even with part of the factory working on a nearly round-the-clock basis, they simply can’t keep up.

Two sidewalk block machines, with a combined production of about 1,000 blocks per shift, are working a frantic 19 hours a day to supply what is likely to be the best construction season in many years.

Last year was a very good year and 1973 was shaping up to be a much better year, the Barkmans forecast.

Fall suppers funding boost for communities

The annual tradition of fall suppers has arrived and for one Southeast community meal, the funds raised are very important.

Pansy has traditionally been the first fall supper in the Southeast, though this year Woodridge gets that honour and La Broquerie shares Sept. 13 with Pansy.

Organizer Leanne Germain said this year’s event will raise money for a new well.

The community centre in the village that boasted 144 residents as of last census, requires the new well estimated at more than $15,000.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Barkman Concrete Products building a better septic tank

It has often been said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that was never more true than in the case of the Steinbach plumbing and hardware firm that established the province’s largest concrete products plant, starting with the designing and building of a better septic tank for both urban and rural homes.

The first Barkman Concrete plant, built in 1960, produced precast septic tanks, around which the plant was built; it also produced precast concrete steps, sidewalk blocks, patio blocks and ornamental iron railings.

It was only 10 years earlier, in 1952, when the first precast septic tank was built in a small addition to the rear of the Barkman Hardware store on Main Street.

When K.R. Barkman and his three sons set up a hardware, plumbing, and heating business back in 1947, each of the three sons headed a department. Edwin managed the hardware store, Peter acted as trouble shooter and salesman for heating and plumbing and Arnold was in charge of plumbing installations.

Manitobans have chosen the loon to grace new specialty licence plate

Manitobans have voted and their choice is the loon.

More than 62,600 people voted for their favourite specialty licence plate design this summer with the loon coming out on top, one of four designs submitted by Manitoba Public Insurance in support of Manitoba Parks.

“Manitobans love our provincial parks, and this licence plate will help you show your support,” stated Premier Wab Kinew in a press release. “Thousands of Manitobans voted for their favourite design option, with the loon coming out on top. I look forward to seeing these licence plates on cars across the province in both English and French (a first).”

A portion of the proceeds from every licence plate sold will go to the Manitoba Provincial Parks Endowment Fund through The Winnipeg Foundation. The money will support park improvements that enhance ecological integrity, improve public safety, enhance accessibility, and enrich visitor experiences in Manitoba parks, according to the press release.

Stuartburn to hold youth study, ‘To me, it’s survival’: Gawronsky

The RM of Stuartburn is looking to do a youth study and the reeve said it’s a matter of survival.

“Survival. To me, it’s survival,” said Reeve Michelle Gawronsky. “If they’re not here, then eventually we will become a ghost town like so many other small rural areas.”

Gawronsky said there has been a loss of the family farm with the industrialization of agriculture in the RM. She said council wants to know what do youth want in their communities to stay there or what will make them return after university.

“After completing our strategic plan, and having the community involved in doing the strategic plan, one of the areas that was suggested that the RM could look into further was in the youth,” she said.

Martin to play at Winnipeg Jets development tournament

Oakbank’s Owen Martin in continuing his Winnipeg Jets journey.

The team’s 2025 third-round draft pick will be back in action for the NHL team at the Prospect Challenge in Gatineau Que., Sept. 12-13.

Top prospects from the Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens will also be at the event, with Winnipeg taking on Montreal Sept. 12 and Toronto Sept. 13. Puck drop for both games is noon CDT. Before heading out East, the team will practice Sept. 11 at 9:15 a.m. at the Hockey for All Centre.

The Jets are planning on broadcasting the games on the team website.

Labour board ruling halts Dynacare strike

The Manitoba Labour Board has cut short a strike by 350 lab workers employed by Dynacare who administer blood and urine tests for patients in Steinbach, Winnipeg, Brandon and Winkler.

The board ruled late Tuesday afternoon that the workers, who hit the picket line at 6 a.m., must return to work Wednesday.

Jason Linklater, president of their union, the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals, slammed the board’s decision.

“The Manitoba Labour Board is doing exactly what the government asked them to do: they are taking away our members’ right to fight for fairness,” he said in a statement.

Steinbach Regional Sabres building for WHSFL season

The Steinbach Regional Secondary Sabres varsity football team has a tough challenge on their hands to start the Winnipeg High School Football League schedule.

The Sabres take on defending champions Oak Park at home in the first week of the season. In order to prepare for the challenge, the team scheduled an exhibition game against traditional powerhouses St Paul’s Sept. 3. After a first quarter battle which saw the Sabres fall behind just 3-0, they faded in the third quarter, going on to lose 43-0.

Head coach Stephen Fedus said after the game he liked the way the team played in the fourth quarter.

“It took a little while, but the team started responding better to the different situations that we were facing,” Fedus told The Carillon a day after the game.

Springfield football aiming high in transition year

The Springfield Sabres football team will have a new look on the sidelines this season, but the play on the field should look the same.

Head coach Tom Walls has left the program, as he moves to Colombia. The coach has spent time around the world, including in America, Ireland and Korea.

“At fifty-five, I don’t know exactly what life in Colombia will look like, but I do know something I didn’t know fifteen years ago,” Walls wrote in his Substack.

“The opposite of fear isn’t certainty. It’s trust in yourself. Trust that you can make new friends. Trust that you’ll find meaningful work. Trust that, given enough time, unfamiliar streets become familiar, strangers become neighbours, and another place eventually starts feeling like home.”

Carillon Sports Second Shots: September 3rd edition

Featuring a Hanover Sting game Aug. 26, Hanover Kickers game at the Steinbach Soccer Park Aug. 28, The MCT Icebreaker Tournament in Morris Aug. 30 and Steinbach Pistons and Steinbach Regional Secondary School Sabres Football camps Aug. 31.