Hanover School Division superintendent, assistant superintendent leaving posts

Hanover School Division is seeing its superintendent and assistant superintendent leaving their positions by the end of the year.

The announcement that superintendent Joe Thiessen and assistant superintendent Leanne Peters are retiring was made during the last school board meeting.

Thiessen has submitted his resignation after two years on the job. He declined an interview with the media, but board chair Dallas Wiebe said the board is grateful for Thiessen’s leadership and they were surprised and saddened to see him go.

“Joe has a heart for Hanover. We’re going to miss him. And he’s been tremendous. His positive attitude from day one has been reflective on the principals and the staff. I think a lot of people are sorry to see him go. We love Joe,” said Wiebe, sharing that the board nicknamed Thiessen Joe Positive because of his positive attitude.

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback December 10, 2001 – Mennonitische Post editor steps down

For someone who poured his heart into a job for 25 years, it was not an easy decision to resign. But effective at the end of the year, Abe Warkentin will step down as editor of Mennonitische Post, a German newspaper published by MCC Canada, for Mennonites in Latin and South America.

Warkentin says his reasons for stepping down at this time are two-fold. His health has been affected by the stress he feels seeing the desperate situation some Mennonites face in Latin and South America, with nowhere to go and no one who seems to listen.

“I have come to the shocking conclusion that few people really care about the plight of these people, and some are even in denial about their needs,”

More than anyone in Canada, Warkentin knows about life on Mennonite colonies in Latin and South America, located in Mexico, Belize, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.

Looking Glass Theatre announces 2026/27 season

Marc A. Moir and Laura Kathleen Turner, co-artistic directors of Looking Glass Theatre (LGT), southeast Manitoba’s professional theatre company, announced their 2026/27 season, featuring a tense courtroom drama, a wild new comedy, a fairy tale show for kids, and one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces

The third season of LGT will officially kick off in October with the world premiere of Summation by Marc A. Moir. Two lawyers go head to head in this intense, high stakes he-said she-said defamation and assault trial, and the audience gets to be the jury. Each night, the audience will have the opportunity to weigh the evidence, vote and deliver a verdict on the case.

“What do you do when you have two people who both seem credible telling you two totally different stories, how do we adjudicate that as a society? It’s an idea that’s fascinated me for a long time,” Moir said. “We live in a culture that is so driven by jumping on a media or social media bandwagon that presents ideas or incidents as monolithic and black and white, when in reality so much of life is grey—especially when it comes to people and how we perceive things. It’s a very timely piece and one, I think, audiences will not only love as an intense and entertaining night of great theatre, but also spark many interesting conversations afterwards.”

In December, another world premiere, Couched by Marc A. Moir and Laura Kathleen Turner takes place in Los Angeles. A former actor turned therapist “treats” a notorious A-list actor trying to cope with fame and multiple personalities—one of which may have committed murder. This wild and hilarious new comedy will be made even wilder by the fact the two actors will be switching roles each night.

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.