Weed hunters reloaded: scientists targeting troublesome weeds with grit and innovation

What if a simple kitchen staple like baking soda could help Canadian farmers tackle stubborn weeds? Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research scientist, Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill recently completed innovative research that explored an alternative method for controlling weeds.

This “weed hunter,” investigated a technique called abrasive or projectile weed control. Using a sandblaster, Dr. McKenzie-Gopsill “shot” natural materials like corn cob grit and baking soda at weeds and found that they can knock back even the most stubborn plants, like lamb’s quarters and wild buckwheat, without damaging potato plants or reducing potato yields. This provides farmers with new tools for fighting invasive weeds in high value crops where herbicides are becoming less effective due to resistance.

Next generation weed control

Early research for the project combined abrasive grits, like corn cob, with reduced herbicide rates. The simple idea was to weaken weeds with a “blast” of grit, then finish them off with herbicide. It worked, but results came with a catch. Using lower herbicide rates can actually encourage herbicide resistance. That’s a risk that Canadian farmers and weed scientists have spent decades trying to avoid.

Niverville Clippers drop out of HTJHL

While the puck officially dropped on the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League season last weekend, there was a missing spot on the schedule.

The Niverville Clippers announced they were taking a one-year leave of absence from the league in a social media post Sept. 24, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”

“We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors and fans for your unwavering support over the years and to our players for choosing to wear the Jr Clippers jersey,” the post reads.

The Clippers won the league championship in 2025, upsetting the top-seeded Springfield Xtreme 4-2 in the league championships. The Xtreme had lost just three games before the finals.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: A third generation CEO for Barkman Concrete

OCTOBER 10, 2024—After 28 years of leadership, Barkman Concrete Chief Executive Officer Alan Barkman passed the torch to his son Scott, marking another major milestone for the third generation of the family business, which began as a small hardware store on Main Street.

Barkman Concrete was founded in 1948, in Steinbach, by Peter L. Barkman and his brothers, Edwin and Arnold. Seeing an opportunity in the market, the Barkman brothers began experimenting with the manufacture of precast concrete septic tanks in a small shop at the rear of their father’s hardware store.

This not only helped them to solve key issues that traditional septic tanks had, but also allowed them to keep Barkman Plumbing and Heating employees through the slow winter months. In the process, they developed the perfect septic tank, made entirely from concrete, kick-starting their journey into precast concrete production and laying the foundation for what Barkman Concrete is today.

It did not take long to build on this foundation and move into full-scale precast concrete manufacturing, and by 1960, the company had built a brand-new manufacturing plant on Brandt Street, where Barkman Concrete’s headquarters remain to this day. Peter Barkman and his brothers led the company through the latter half of the 20th century, always looking for new and innovative products.

Wendell Martens looks to fill vacant seat in Hanover Ward 5

Kleefeld native Wendell Martens is looking to fill the seat in Ward 5 after current Coun. Darrin Warkentin announced he will not seek re-election.

Martens is a native Kleefelder and he and his wife chose to live in Kleefeld after they got married. He is a first-generation beef cattle farmer and beekeeper (he has about 600 hives) and has owned his business for 30 years. He was also a volunteer firefighter eventually retiring after 22 years with the rank of captain. He also sat on the Kleefeld Honey Festival committee.

He said now is the time to run for office as it’s the perfect opportunity to serve the community again in a different way.

“I think there’s a benefit to having that history with Kleefeld to be able to step in and know some of the needs of the community from before and to today and kind of grow it together,” he said.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Barkman family donates $50,000 to develop park

MAY 24, 1999—A Steinbach family trust has donated $50,000 to the City of Steinbach to build a park shelter honoring K.R. Barkman, the town’s first mayor.

Alan Barkman, representing the Barkman Concrete Foundation and the family that owns the company, made the official presentation to city council. Joining Barkman for the presentation to council were his parents, Peter, son of Steinbach’s first mayor after incorporation in 1946, and Betty Barkman.

Alan told council the family wished to develop the park, named after his grandfather some years ago, as a place where families and other groups could gather. He said he hoped the shelter would be used by performing groups for outdoor concerts.

The six-sided post-and-beam gazebo, measuring 24 feet across at the base, featuring soaring roof lines, was designed by Wayne Peters of Randolph, who operates a timber frame business. Construction would begin immediately, with completion scheduled for July 1.

Looking Glass Theatre presents first show of 26/27 season: Legal thriller SUMMATION by Marc A. Moir

Looking Glass Theatre, Steinbach and southeastern Manitoba’s professional theatre company is excited to present their first show of the 26/27 season, Summation by Marc A. Moir.

Moir’s most recent offerings as a playwright have been LGT’s adaptations of A Christmas Carol and Pilgrims Progress. This play is his first original offering in several years, and he and Co-Artistic Director Laura Kathleen Turner are excited to star in this exciting new Canadian work.

Summation is a tense legal thriller centred on a high stakes civil defamation trial. The plaintiff, college athlete Marcus Quentin Samuels, was accused of sexual assault by the defendant, teenager Kayleigh Dawn Mann. After being found not guilty in criminal court, Samuels is suing Mann for defamation of character. Mann is countersuing for the assault.

Moir and Turner play the two warring lawyers arguing the case. After three weeks of brutal legal combat, the play is their two “summations” or closing arguments. These are interwoven with scenes from earlier in the trial and the professional and personal behind-the-scenes negotiations between the litigators.

Springfield, SRSS Sabres improve records in WHSFL play

The region’s two AAAA football programs both came away with wins this week, as the Springfield Sabres shut out Garden City 30-0 in tier 2 play, while the Steinbach Regional Sabres took out Grant Park 38-27 in the top tier of high school football in the province.

Springfield was dominant on the ground, with River Wiebe racking up 237 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 20 attempts. Wiebe was especially effective in the first half, as the Sabres jumped out to an early lead and relied on their defense from there.

“When you can give the best players the opportunity, that’s what you do, and you can see that’s what we’re doing,” head coach Marcel Pelland said after the game against Garden City.

Wiebe gets the lion’s share of carries for the Sabres, serves as the team’s punter and kicker and chips in on defense as a defensive back. Pelland said he’s proud of how the rest of the grade 12 players on their roster have responded to shaking off the rust.

Former St Pierre-Jolys councillor looking to return to council chambers

A former Village of St Pierre-Jolys councillor is looking to come back into politics as she makes a new bid to sit in chambers.

Maureen Sicotte is running again after quitting her first term as councillor last year. She said she is running again after receiving encouragement from people in the village.

“I decided after some reflections and a lot of encouragement from people when I’m out on my bike rides or walking, who wanted me to return and want me back at the table. They were quite sad that I had resigned,” she said.

Sicotte said she left council because of the leadership of Mayor Raymond Maynard and her losing her voice on council. She felt the only way she could get her voice back was to resign.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Oct. 1st edition

Featuring shots from Steinbach Regional junior varsity volleyball and football games Sept. 23, SRSS football against Crocus Plains Sept. 25 and Steinbach Pistons games Sept. 25/26.

Celebrating 100 years as national legion, 80 for local branch

Royal Canadian Legion Branch #190 in Steinbach hosted a barbecue lunch on Sept. 26, to help celebrate the national organization’s 100th anniversary.

The local branch had its beginnings 20 years later, forming in 1946.

Branch Secretary Lauren Bilbey said they began in a small building on McKenzie Ave. which did not even have running water.

The local legion was homeless for a while after that building closed before they moved to a location on Elmdale. That was sold a decade ago, though they leased it back for a number of years, before they moved to their current office at 90 Brandt. St.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Clearspring Village mall is home-grown product

MAY 7, 1980—Clearspring Village Shopping Centre in Steinbach, which just opened its doors to the public, just 10 months after construction began, will certainly achieve the goal its two local developers set for themselves when they first sat down to plan the project. It will provide for the Southeast a marketplace large and attractive enough to ensure that a large part of the region’s shopping dollar stays at home.

Quite apart from the fact the building is the largest shopping mall in the province outside of Winnipeg, the concentration of large and small stores is a splendid example of a meticulously planned project, seemingly sparing no expense in providing rural shoppers with amenities usually associated with big-city living.

Thirty-four years earlier, a grocer with a young family sold almost everything the family owned in Saskatchewan, just to scrape together enough money for the down payment on a small grocery store on Main Street in Steinbach.

Jim Penner was six years old when his father bought Modern Grocery in 1946 and cannot help but be reminded of that when he talks about his latest business venture, a half-interest in a multi-million-dollar shopping complex with a supermarket, where the meat coolers could swallow up J.A. Penner’s first store, with room to spare.