Metis wood plant to boost southeast region economy

Following a year of research and planning, a combined effort by the Manitoba Metis Federation and its members from the Vassar/South Junction area has established a business, which is the first of its kind in Canada.

Starting in mid-November, Ardin Lumber & Cut-Stock Limited, managed by Steinbach businessman David Desjardins, will be sawing locally harvested wood into dimensions suitable for crates and pallets, which will be shipped across the border to Polaris Industries in Roseau and Arctic Cat in Thief River Falls, both a short drive into Minnesota.

Desjardins, who was raised ‘out here’, says he will be moving his Steinbach building company to the new location near South Junction and combining it with the new plant.

“I’ve always wanted to see things happen in this particular area and for me it’s like coming back home.”

Steinbach Pistons ready for a battle in first round of MJHL playoffs

A first-round match-up in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) playoffs has rarely felt so meaningful.

With the league staying in division for their quarterfinals the Steinbach Pistons and Portage Terriers, the second and third best teams in the MJHL this season, will be facing off just to advance into the semi-finals.

While Steinbach had a better regular season, finishing eight points ahead of the Terriers with a plus-123 goal difference compared to Portage’s plus-45, the teams should be evenly matched. In five regular season games, the Terriers battled to a 4-1 record, thanks to some outstanding goaltending performances.

In three of those four victories, the Terriers were vastly out-shot, but were able to hold on for the win.

Stone Soup fundraiser helps school meal programs

A pair of restaurants in Manitoba’s Southeast are taking part in this year’s Stone Soup Week fundraiser to benefit the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba (CNCM).

From March 17 to 23, the sale of soup from participating restaurants will generate donations that will be used to support school meal and snack programs.

“Stone soup is a vibrant week-long event where participants can support local school meal and snack programs by purchasing soup from participating restaurants across the province,” CNCM board member Kirsten Mundle said. “Food has a unique way of fostering connection and community, and our annual Stone Soup fundraiser embraces this by combining the power of food with the timeless folktale it’s named after.”

The public can use the online interactive map and voting page to explore a list of participating restaurants and vote for their favourite soup.

Springfield Winterhawks battle back into SEMHL finals

Editor's Note: This story was written for a March 19th deadline

The Springfield Winterhawks have turned the South East Manitoba Hockey League finals into a series. Down 2-0 to the Ste Anne Aces, the Winterhawks went into hostile territory March 12 and came away with a big 6-4 victory, before nabbing a 3-1 win on home ice March 15 to tie the series.

Fans who packed into the Maurice Chaput Arena were treated to an instant classic, with the Aces taking an early lead only to have the Winterhawks respond with three first period goals. Ste Anne battled back, tying the game on a Jordan DePape marker early in the third period, only for former Ace Keith Grondin to nab two goals, including the game winner to rescue the series for Springfield.

Several members of the Steinbach Pistons were in attendance at game 3 in Ste Anne, with locker room bragging rights on the line. Ty Paisley’s brother, Caleb, suits up for the Aces, while Reece Gault’s father is the general manager for the Winterhawks.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: March 13th edition

Featuring photos from the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association National Men's Volleyball Championships, hosted in Niverville March 5 - 8, the 55+ Games curling events in Steinbach, Games one and three of the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA semi-finals between Eastman and Yellowhead, game five of the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League East Division finals in Oakbank between Springfield and Steinbach, an MJHL game in Niverville March 9 and game two of the South East Manitoba Hockey League finals between Ste Anne and Springfield.

$235-million RSR Wastewater project going to tender with tariff contingency

The final contracts and cheques are being signed as the $235-million Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) Wastewater Cooperative project approaches tender this spring and start of construction this fall.

RSR community consultant Gordon Daman was at the March 11 RM of Tache meeting to get final documents approved. He said approval of a contractor for the wastewater plant should come this June and site preparation start this August.

“Quite frankly, we’re ready to go,” said Daman after meeting with Tache council.

He said the plant is planned to be built by 2026, with everything connected and running well before the end of 2028 in order to adhere to the funding and loan agreements with other levels of government and the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Local takes the lead in MTC production King James

It seemed as if Justin Fry was made for the stage. The 34-year-old actor took to drama at an early age which evolved into roles at Steinbach Regional Secondary School and university to eventually walking the boards at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, where he is playing one of the leads in King James.

“This (play) is about basketball, about LeBron James. My dad’s a really big basketball fan so he was really happy to hear I was going to be doing this. It’s just been a real fun experience to combine my love of theatre and sports together in a play. It’s been a great experience,” said Fry.

King James follows Matt (played by Fry), a sports fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers with season tickets, and Shawn (played by Eric Miracle), who buys Matt’s tickets so that Matt can pay off a debt. The fast-paced comedy sees an evolving friendship between Matt and Shawn as it also highlights the career of LeBron ‘King’ James.

“In preparing for the role, I did a lot of research on the different basketball players that are mentioned and basketball teams that are mentioned and LeBron James, as well. I wasn’t incredibly familiar with LeBron James before this play and now I am and I’m completely mesmerized and I would say I’m a fan,” said Fry.

Red River Valley SD raises special levy 11.3%

Some property owners living in Red River School Division (RRVSD) will be paying more school tax due according to the $41.23-million proposed budget presented at Rosenort School March 10.

It is some and not all because the Province changed its school tax rebate formula to a flat $1,500 for home owners, instead of a percentage. That means the lower the property value, the less you pay. Residential properties valued at under $294,000 in RRVSD will not be paying any school tax, with the mill rate at 11.316 charged on 45 percent of the value.

But with the property value assessment in division communities increasing 18.118 percent, more properties will pass that threshold. Farms continue to get a 50 percent rebate.

The budget is up $2.42 million, or 6.2 percent from last year. RRVSD got a lower provincial funding increase than most: 1.2 percent. Money from the province makes up 35.3 percent of the division’s revenue, and $160,000 of it must be spent on the new province-wide nutrition program.

Koop, rookie of the year Dick, help Wesman to CanadaWest title

The University of Winnipeg claimed their first CanadaWest men’s volleyball championship on their home court March 8, sweeping the national number one University of Alberta 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-21).

Linden’s Easton Dick and Steinbach’s Paxton Koop suit up for the Wesmen. Dick was named the conference rookie of the year just before the CanadaWest final four.

Playing middle, he made appearances in all 20 of the university’s conference matches, racking up 93 kills on a 0.352 attack percentage. Dick added 52 total blocks, with 12 solo efforts, leading all freshmen in the conference and U of W.

In the final, Dick was a leading contributor to the Winnipeg defense at the point of attack. The Wesmen held Golden Bears hitters, including conference player of the year Isaac Heslinga, to just a 0.293 hitting percentage, finishing with five block assists and a solo block to lead U of W.

Cinderella’s Wardrobe a fairy godmother for graduates

For more than 10 years, Cinderella’s Wardrobe in Steinbach has been providing free attire for teens who are looking for an affordable way to dress themselves for graduation day.

The program started when three Steinbach Regional Secondary School students came to their guidance counsellor and said they weren’t going to their graduation because they couldn’t afford it. The guidance counsellor and some teachers took it upon themselves to get dresses for the students.

“That’s how it started. Three students came forward and it’s been going ever since,” said Ashley Booth Gingras, a teacher at SRSS who has been involved with Cinderella’s Wardrobe for a number of years.

The closet currently has 500 dresses as well as two racks of suits. The program usually sees between 30 and 45 students come to get clothed.

COLUMN: Village News – Neighbours: The Red River Métis

The exhibit “Mennonite Reflections: Arriving in Manitoba 150 Years Ago” is currently featured in the Gerhard Ens Gallery at Mennonite Heritage Village. This article is the ninth in a series highlighting the seven themes presented in this exhibit.

Theme 7 – Neighbours: The Red River Métis

Some of the first people the Mennonites encountered in Manitoba, already at the time of the visit by the Mennonite delegates in 1873, were the Red River Métis, who constituted the majority of the population at the time. This was about to change as European immigration surged in the next decade, and as many resident Métis left the province, disillusioned at the inept implementation of the Manitoba Act of 1870.

At the time of the visit by the delegates, the population of Manitoba was over 25,000. Of that number, the majority were of mixed First Nations and European ancestry. Fear of American expansionism had forced the British Crown to turn Ruperts Land over to Canada in 1869. The existing settlement of farmers and hunters, most of them Métis, feared for the loss of their livelihood and culture. The Canadian government exacerbated the situation in August of 1869 by re-surveying the land, including existing river lots, and appointing William McDougall, a Canadian expansionist as the first Lieutenant-Governor. With support from both English and French-speaking Métis, Louis Riel stopped the survey, barred McDougall from entering the province, conducted an election, and proclaimed a provisional government led by Riel. Push-back from the Anglo-Ontarians from Portage la Prairie in particular, who opposed the provisional government, apprehension about American expansionism, and public outcry in Eastern Canada, led to the federal Wolseley expedition, which arrived in Upper Fort Garry on August 24, too late to put down the opposition, for the Manitoba Act was already in effect as of July 15, 1870.

Agape House Purple Gala sees large turnout, dollars raised

March 7 was a night to remember as 158 people came to support Steinbach’s women’s shelter, Agape House.

Executive director Tracy Whitby said the evening raised $20,000, twice the amount raised last year and the most from any gala prior.

“We’re super excited about that and we couldn’t be more grateful for the overwhelming support that we received,” she said, noting the sponsors this year were overwhelming in their generosity.

The evening had music, food, live entertainment and a positive atmosphere. One of the main fundraisers that night was a round trip for two to anywhere WestJet flies, which continues to April 17.