1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow – Jim Penner scores easy byelection victory

DECEMBER 9, 1972—Grocer Jim Penner was elected to an easy victory in a Steinbach council byelection, drawing more than double the votes of vice principal Elbert Toews.

With less than 25 percent of the eligible voters casting ballots, Penner received 543 votes to 262 for Toews.

The new council member’s appointment became effective immediately, as Mayor A.D. Penner called a meeting of council at 10 p.m. the same night to hand out portfolios and announce the various committee make-ups.

Penner’s term of office will expire next fall, since he fills the vacancy left when Steinbach councillor Jake Epp, running for the Conservatives, upset Liberal Provencher MP Mark Smerchanski in the Oct. 20 federal election.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Mayor A.D. proposes ‘Train on Main’

SEPTEMBER 22, 1971—Steinbach is probably the largest community in Manitoba that doesn’t have a train and Mayor A. D. Penner thinks it’s time the town got one. The mayor says the train he has in mind could provide transportation for Steinbach shoppers, who may have to park their cars away from downtown, when a switch is made from diagonal to parallel parking.

The mayor’s “Train on Main” would operate from East Steinbach to the C.T. Loewen factory on Highway 52. Penner’s idea is to have the train provide free transportation to all stores in Steinbach for those who have to park their cars away from the downtown area.

The train the mayor has in mind is the type used at major airports and for sightseeing tours in large centres. The locomotive would be a rubber-tired vehicle towing two coaches, capable of transporting 50 people.

Although the train may be expensive to purchase and operate, the mayor feels it would be more practical than the alternative of developing downtown parking lots. A single well-lit paved parking lot in Steinbach would cost $200,000, without considering the cost of snow removal. The same money would cover the cost of the train and provide an operating budget, including two conductors, for 14 years.

Dawson Trek returns for second year, raised just under $10,000 last year

The Dawson Trek is returning for a second year after cyclists raised just under $10,000 last year to maintain the historical route markers along the trail.

“I just kind of (had) an idea one day. They put all the work into these markers that go along the Dawson (Trail) and the history is quite extensive. And I figured, wouldn’t it be nice to have an event that revolves around this trail so that people can come out and just take in the history? I was into cycling, so why not start a cycling event around the Dawson?” said founder Kyle Waczko.

There are 15 signs along the 100 kilometre trail with information about the road in English, French, and Michif, which can be accessed through QR codes on each marker. The trail runs from Northwest Angle to Winnipeg.

The signs were the brainchild of Pierrette Sherwood, a La Coulee artist who decided to create trail markers in order to promote the history and the importance of the first road the Canadian government paid for to link the East to the prairies in the 1780s.

Steinbach Regional claim provincial rugby crown

The Steinbach Regional Sabres are officially the best girls rugby school in the province.

After years dominating the smaller sevens game, the school dipped their toes into the bigger 15s format this season, winning the provincial championship in their first year of competition.

The Sabres took down the previously undefeated Dauphin Clippers 31-22 in the provincial finals, hosted in Brandon June 6.

Head coach Tahnee Grosskopf said the two teams may be strangers in the 15s format, but have plenty of history playing each other at the Manitoba Games and in high school sevens.

Steinbach soccer park impresses at MHSAA provincials

For the first time in more than two decades, the Daniel McIntyre Maroons will be hanging a provincial banner inside their gym.

The school’s boys soccer team went on an underdog run through the Manitoba High School Athletic Association AAAA soccer championships, hosted in Steinbach, defeating top-seeded West Kildonan 2-1 in the finals June 6.

Head coach Danny Gomes said just getting to provincials was an accomplishment for the group, but they exceeded expectations and won three games against the top programs in Manitoba.

“It means so much to us and our school,” Gomes said, his voice hoarse during a post-game interview.

Eastman Warriors surrender 2026 Manitoba rugby season

The Eastman Warriors will not be playing out the rest of their season.

The team announced on social media June 2 they would be withdrawing from the competitive league season in Manitoba Rugby and forfieting their remaining games, citing a lack of players.

“Not a post we were hoping to make,” their caption reads.

“Us Warriors LOVE rugby, and this deeply saddens us. We will continue practices throughout the summer and in hopes get more men to fill the team and start off strong in the 2027 season.”

Bothwell School rocks kindness mission

Students at Bothwell School celebrated the fruits of their labour after a winter of painting what they call “kindness rocks”, by hiding them in plain sight around the local recreation centre on May 29.

Teacher Lory Muntain explained they wanted to promote community connection and spread positivity.

Students spent their lunch hours in the winter months painstakingly painting the rocks which were covered with a weather-proof finish.

Those that find the rocks have several options.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: June 4th edition

Featuring photos from a Carillon Sultans MJBL game May 26, Eastman Warriors and U18 AAA Sultans games May 28, the SRSS Rugby 7s tournament May 29 and the Lumberzone vs Premier Buildings charity hockey game at the SEC May 29.

COLUMN: The Carillon Flashback June 19, 1991 – Terry Fox legacy lives on

Terry Fox died more than 10 years ago, but his story continues to become more popular around the world. The name Terry Fox is probably more well-known around the world than any other Canadian in our history.

But Terry’s mother, Betty Fox, says it is “extremely important to know that Terry was an ordinary young man.” That is what she told students at Springfield Collegiate in Oakbank, earlier this month, as she honored the students of that school for 10 years of participation in the Terry Fox Run.

Also present at the ceremony was Jean Hanson, who was Terry Fox’s Grade 2 teacher in Transcona, where the Fox family lived prior to moving to British Columbia.

So the ceremonies at Springfield Collegiate took on a more special meaning, because Terry Fox used to live in the area. In speaking to the students, it was an emotional time for Betty Fox, as it was for all in the gymnasium that day.

COLUMN: Tales from the Gravel Ridge – Water in various manifestations

Memories of my Rosengard home would not be complete without reflecting on the immeasurable importance of water in all aspects of the life of my family, and for that matter on the very existence of our community. On the surface that might seem to be so commonplace that it hardly bears mentioning. For those of us living in an urban society where such services as the provision of water and sewer are a given, we can scarcely imagine our day-to-day lives without the essential component of water. There is however so much more to water than turning on a water tap, be it to quench our thirst or for a myriad of our other daily needs.

The well on our Rosengard farm was not very deep, but it provided us with fresh water year round. Our outside pump gave us year-round access to that precious resource. There was, however, a rule that needed to be followed in order for the pump to function properly. In winter, if the individual who was the last one to work the pump, either for watering livestock or providing water for the household, forgot to drain the water properly, we would run into a problem. If I recall correctly, the water remaining in the chamber of the pump during the cold winter months would freeze, requiring thawing it with boiling water. Needless to say great pains were taken to prevent such a time consuming situation.

My mother took note of my own speech development when I pronounced the name of our cow quenching its thirst at the water trough outside. Not only was our family dependant on this vital resource for our survival, but so too was our livestock. I can imagine looking through a small space I may have been able to scrape through a thickly rimmed windowpane on a cold winter morning, and watching gleefully as the brownish red cow drank its fill from the water trough. In retrospect I recognize the myriad images that present themselves within that simple scene of my childhood in Rosengard.

That very basic image of my childhood confirms the reality that water is essential to all life on earth. That being the case, we have every reason to guard it with the respect it deserves. How can we continue to function as the human race without ensuring that all of us have access to this vital commodity.

Bottom-finishing MJHL franchises sign new coaches

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s two Winnipeg franchises have announced who will be leading their teams into the 2026/2027 season.

The Monarchs, which changed branding from the Freeze last season are moving to Riley Dudar as their head coach and general manager, replacing Zach Franco, who joined the franchise last season.

Dudar played junior across Western Canada junior A leagues, eventually spending five years with the University of Manitoba Bisons, where he immediately signed on as a coach following his playing career. Most recently he was the director of player development for the Brandon Wheat Kings, but his experience includes a stint as the director of player personnel for the Flyers.

“My focus is to create a high-performance development environment for players who strive to move on to the next level as quickly as possible,” Dudar said in a Monarchs news release.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Just looking? Jac Banman will sell you a VW

JANUARY 30, 1974—In the last 20 years, Jac Banman probably filled more gas tanks, talked to more people about the weather and sold more Volkswagens to people who were “just looking” than anyone in southeastern Manitoba. As owner of Banman Sales and Service in Steinbach, he is now starting his third decade of business at the same location.

When you ask Banman why he gave up farming and a transfer business to open a service station, he is very candid with his answer. “I wanted to make $1,000 a month.”

Twenty years ago, Imperial Oil bought property at the corner of Highway 12 and Main Street, and was looking for someone to operate a service station at the site. Steinbach realtor P.J. Reimer recommended Banman, who was then farming at Landmark and operating Greenland Transfer.

After the oil company representative had finished talking to him, Banman said, the service station business looked like an opportunity too good to pass up. Running one of only two service stations along the highway in town limits, and of course, the prospect of making $1,000 a month, made him decide to give it a try, he said.