SPORTS FLASHBACK 1980: American teams no match for Steinbach Millers in Utah

The Steinbach U18 Millers had been scoring one-sided victories in the first two months of the 1979-80 season and their trip to Salt Lake City, Utah in December proved to be no different.

With the exception of the first game against the host team, which Steinbach won by a single goal, teams from Salt Lake, Phoenix, Arizona and Aspen, Colorado provided little opposition for the Millers on their way to a six-game winning streak. The Millers completed the tournament undefeated, outscoring the opposition 59-10 in six games.

The only disappointment for the trip was that teams expected from Calgary and Sweden were unable to attend the Salt Lake City tournament.

Millers coach Randy Penner said he was disappointed his team had not faced stronger opposition at the tournament, but thought the trip had been a worthwhile experience for the boys.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: ‘Too late’ MJHL thoughts and predictions

I know it might come off as disingenuous, but I saw the Niverville Nighthawks season coming.

There were two predictions I made before the start of this Manitoba Junior Hockey League Season that I considered outside common knowledge.

That the Niverville Nighthawks were the best team in the league and that the Winnipeg Blues would be competitive for a playoff spot.

While the Blues have certainly taken a step forward, it’s not quite as big a leap as I had hoped. But the Nighthawks have certainly made me look smart to anyone I told those two predictions to before the start of the year.

Former South Sudanese refugee shares inspiring story with South Eastman Rotary

Rebecca Atet Deng was just 12 years old in 1987 when she was brutally taken by rebels during the Second Sudanese Civil War. She was playing with her younger sister when the rebels came and took her and 26,000 other children from their homes and marched them in a three-month trek through difficult terrain and random attacks by government forces. Many children didn’t make it and for those that did, what awaited them was a harsh life consisting of malnourishment, disease, and uncertainty. They became known as The Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan.

“My life was beautiful. Amazing life playing at home, happy kid and then suddenly (I was taken),” she told the crowd at the South Eastman Rotary Club gala on Nov. 19 where she was keynote speaker.

Deng came from the City of Bor in what is now South Sudan. Her father was the chief of police who was involved in politics and her mother was a nurse working in a hospital. When the Second Sudanese Civil War broke out in 1983, her father was captured and held prisoner in Bor, where he remained until a peace treaty was signed in 2005.

In 1984, following her father’s imprisonment, Deng, her mother, and her four siblings went to the nearby village of Duk. In 1987, her mother died leaving her and her siblings to be looked after by their grandmother. It was during this time that Deng was taken by rebel forces after the leader of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army Movement gave the order to zone commanders to move young people aged 10 to 15 to Ethiopia. While the order was to take boys, in two towns girls were taken as well.

COLUMN: Art and Culture – Message from the executive director

As we approach the holiday season, we want to acknowledge the community that makes the Steinbach Arts Council’s work possible. Your participation — showing up to classes, supporting local artists, attending concerts and events - encouraging creativity in general - is what allows us to contribute to the quality of life in the Southeast. This has been one of our most active and encouraging years yet, thanks to the way our region continues to engage with the arts.

What we’ve seen this year

Participation continues to grow across every area of our programming. Theatre class registrations are at record numbers, our multi-disciplinary art classes are full, and dance in the region is gaining momentum with the return of our dance festival this spring. Teens and adults are also asking for more opportunities to build their skills, showing how strongly the arts are valued throughout the Southeast.

This momentum reflects the commitment of our team and the way the community responds to their work. It’s one of the reasons we were named a finalist for the Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit of the Year Award — recognition of the role arts and culture continue to play in strengthening quality of life in our region.

MJHL trade market heating up

The region’s two Manitoba Junior Hockey League teams are tweaking their rosters, as the annual Canadian junior hockey roster freeze is just over a month away.

The Niverville Nighthawks, in the middle of an undefeated month of November, added 2006-born forward Renat Nahnieiev. Nahnieiev is a Ukrainian International, joining Canadian minor hockey ranks in the 2022/2023 season. After graduating high school, he spent a year with the Winnipeg Blues, before moving to Weyburn of the Saskatchewan junior league at the start of this season.

Niverville sent a player development fee to Weyburn in exchange for the 2006-born forward.

Nahnieiev’s 24 points across 37 games played was good enough to put him third on the Blues for points per game in the 2024/2025 season.

Orchestra plays in sold-out Steinbach show

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra played to a packed house for the Dec. 2 Holiday Tour concert.

COLUMN: Village News – December moments you won’t want to miss

December is a month of expectation, busyness, and excitement! Malls overflow with hustle and bustle as people frantically purchase the perfect gift for their special someone; calendars are chock full of appointments, family gatherings, events with friends, concerts, and so on; and the thrill of the Christmas season grows as each day passes by on the Advent calendar. It’s easy to let the month devolve into chaos as pressures mount and to-do lists grow. It is my hope that we are all able to balance the to-dos and the want-to-dos of this busy season!

The staff and volunteers here at MHV have their own lists of to-dos during the busy holiday season! We’re preparing for several upcoming events, and we would be honored and delighted if you could make room for them in your already full calendar.

December – February: Winter in the Village

From December -February, experience winter in MHV’s picturesque village! Enjoy skating, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, and a roaring bonfire. Don’t own skates or snowshoes? Rent them here! Try your hand at Crokicurl, a Canadian game that blends crokinole and curling into one fun, outdoor activity! See MHV’s Main Street lit up with Christmas lights during our light show on Saturday evenings. Warm up with our Winter in the Village Cafe, featuring hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and a variety of freshly baked goods. Open Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (most activities happening on Saturdays). While winter often feels long and dark, it is my hope that Winter in the Village at MHV can be a place for celebrating the unique winter season we experience here in Manitoba!

Taylor’s Story comes to Steinbach

Swifties from the Southeast may not be able to see their hero in concert locally, but they will be treated to the next best thing as Taylor’s Story comes to the Southeast Event Centre.

Scheduled for Dec. 13, the show features the Taylor Swift cover band who will offer tribute to the iconic Taylor Swift with music from her albums 1989, Red, Lover and Evermore.

A news release from the Southeast Event Centre said this isn’t just a concert.

“It’s a journey through the music, magic and storytelling that define Taylor Swift’s legacy,” it stated. “With uncanny resemblance, mesmerizing vocals, and heartfelt interpretation, this extraordinary tribute artist brings Taylor’s narrative to life in a way that’s both familiar and refreshingly original.”

Niverville and Oakbank finalists for Jets Town Takeover

Voting is now open to see which Manitoba town will welcome the Winnipeg Jets for a day.

Gimli, Niverville and Oakbank were announced as the three finalists for the Jets Town Takeover. The Jets first Town Takeover took place in Morris in 2019, with Stonewall and Oakville hosting in years following the pandemic.

“I am excited to see our community chosen as one of the finalists for the Jets Town Takeover,” Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck said in a town news release.

“Being selected as a finalist is an honour and is in large part due to our many great volunteers. Just being selected as a finalist puts a spotlight on us and our small-town feel. I can’t wait to see Niverville win and have the Jets in our community come March.”

Red-Seine-Rat wastewater plant gets $22M from province, feds

The provincial and federal governments are boosting funding by $22 million for a southeastern Manitoba wastewater project servicing six municipalities.

On Nov. 25, Ottawa and the NDP government announced both governments will fund $76.9 million for five water and wastewater projects across the province.

The Red-Seine-Rat Wastewater Co-operative, a wastewater treatment plant slated for construction in 2026, was among the projects earmarked for more cash. Once completed, the plant would allow populations to double for 13 communities in the municipalities of Niverville, Hanover, Tache, De Salaberry, La Broquerie and Richot.

Manitoba’s Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations Glen Simard views the project as a high priority because it’s in one of the province’s fastest growing areas.