COLUMN: Tales from the Gravel Ridge – The delights of foraging for fruit

For youngsters, foraging for fruit on our Rosengard farm had few downsides, if any. Mosquitoes might, on occasion, be an inconvenience but not as a rule, given that berry-picking usually occurred during the heat of the day.

We were fortunate to have a number of varieties of wild fruit on our property, including saskatoon berries, chokecherries, high bush cranberries and plums. Our parents, having been accustomed to the luscious fruits that grew in abundance in the orchards of Ukraine, before they emigrated to Canada, found it difficult to relish the wild fruit so readily available in the bush. While my mother preserved some of those wild fruits, she much preferred canning the peaches and damson plums in addition to pears that were available in the grocery stores in Steinbach, having been produced in milder climates in Canada’s west coast as well as in Ontario.

When Bernie and I visited the village where my parents, Katarina and Cornelius Falk had lived before emigrating to Canada, we had the pleasure of meeting Ivan and Maria, a Ukrainian couple who lived in the house that had been home to generations of my family many decades ago. They invited us into their home, and indeed, made us feel welcome to explore the home that was part of my family’s history. Their welcoming spirit was truly heart-warming, and even more so the fact that they gave us a bowl full to the brim, of damson plums, and a large watermelon.

Seeing the built-in brick stove in that house on which my mother will have prepared countless meals, and my paternal grandmother as well, was a memorable experience. The living room too brings to my mind the fact that Katie and Ben, as well as baby Margaret, being my eldest siblings, who were born in Ukraine, will have played in that house; a house that holds so much of my family’s joys and sorrows within its walls.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2012: Southeast Prairie Thunder are finally Allan Cup winners

Grunthal’s Marv Kornelsen started his quest to win the Senior AAA National Hockey Championship more than a dozen years ago. Finally, the Southeast Prairie Thunder won the coveted Allan Cup, as they defeated the Rosetown Red Wings 4-1 in the national final in Lloydminster.

It was the fourth straight trip to the Allan Cup for the Thunder. The Thunder join the 2003 Ile des Chenes North Stars as Manitoba winners of the national championship.

Make no mistake, the 2012 edition of the Southeast Prairie was Kornelsen’s team. He cobbled this team together several years ago, and kept it going with his tireless efforts and resources, year in and year out. It was an undying commitment to be the best team, on the ice for the best senior hockey played in this country, and to win that national championship.

By all accounts, this was the best team that Marv took to a national championship, which was very evident when it was all said and done, as they came home with the Allan Cup.

New community fundraiser to ‘light up the night’

The numbers paint a harsh picture regarding those amongst us living in need, particularly in rural Manitoba.

Studies conducted this year by both the Manitoba Government and Statistics Canada show that Manitoba ranks the highest in the country, at 17 percent, for people feeling chronically lonely and with approximately one in 10 Manitobans experiencing severe household food insecurity.

The statistics regarding domestic violence, specifically in rural communities, are even worse with Manitobans suffering the highest domestic violence rates in Canada where rural resources are at their thinnest.

Two local organizations, Agape House and Share a Bowl, are coming together on Aug. 22 to do something about these pressures on rural communities and to raise awareness about and for those dealing with these issues. The two groups are determined to show that there is help and hope available.

Three-day strike ends with four-year deal

A new collective agreement was approved by 77 percent of voting members of Construction Workers Union CLAC Local 152 after the employees of Premier Horticulture spent three days on the picket line.

Members went on strike on Aug. 5 and according to the CLAC, both parties worked quickly toward a contract, reaching a tentative agreement on Aug. 6 and full approval on Aug. 8.

This followed three rounds of rejected contract proposals and nearly a year of negotiations.

CLAC stated that key issues included wages and the length of the new agreement.

Lorette girl’s birthday wish is to help other children’s dreams come true

Charlotte Adams already knows how she wants to celebrate turning 10.

The Lorette girl is a huge Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan, so having her birthday fall on the Banjo Bowl (Sept. 12), is pretty special. She plans to mark the occasion with a fundraiser for The Dream Factory.

“I just like supporting other people and helping with their dreams,” Charlotte said.

From 9 a.m. to noon, Charlotte and her family will set up at the southwest corner of Chancellor Matheson Road and RH Way, beside the accessible parking lot.

Sultans drop hard-fought final to take silver at 22U nationals

The Carillon Sultans may have been one hit away from a national championship.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning to the defending champion Windsor Selects, Carillon batters struck out twice in a row before a pop out to the catcher ended the threat. The Sultans would go on to lose 5-0 in the gold medal game Aug. 9 in southern Ontario.

Carillon didn’t get another base runner after the bottom of the fourth until the last out of the game. The Sultans won the bronze medal game at the 2025 edition of the tournament.

“That was a tough one,” head coach Don Meilleur said after arriving back in Manitoba.”

COLUMN: Village News – Peace Trek is for all ages

Mennonite Heritage Village and Eden Foundation have been collaborating for 17 years, bringing their supporters together as they fundraise for both organizations. It started with the annual Tractor Trek and a few years ago both organizations joined forces to create the Peace Trek. This year, the Peace Trek is starting and ending at the Peace Exhibit on the museum grounds.

Mennonite Heritage Village is committed to preserving the past by preserving the legacy of a settling immigrant community that have had a significant influence in the province. Eden Health Care Services is helping to create a future for people who are on a mental health journey. Both organizations serve the same part of the province that has been influenced by the people whose heritage is highlighted at our museum.

Mennonite Heritage Village and Eden Foundation invite you to take part in the 2026 Peace Trek Community Fundraising Walk, happening on Aug. 15. Peace Trek is an opportunity to connect with the community while supporting the important work that Eden does in our communities. And at five kilometres, it’s accessible for everyone!

The story behind Peace Trek began generations ago, with Mennonite settlers crossing continents in search of a peaceful life rooted in faith, community, and caring for each other. Those same values shaped Eden Health Care Services, who continue to walk alongside individuals living with mental illness as they search for their own peace.

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback April 24, 1974 – Norma Coleman sews for 18 Hanover Fairs

While many of the activities and shows once connected with the Hanover Agricultural Fair have been reduced or cancelled, the women’s home crafts exhibit remains as strong as ever, largely because of the efforts of a few women who every year enter nearly every category.

One of these women is Mrs. Norma Coleman of Steinbach, who has been entering her dresses, cakes, pies, breads, vegetables, cookies and canned goods for about 18 years. And Coleman wins red ribbons in nearly every category she enters.

There are women who stay up all night the day before fair day to bake, but Mrs Coleman, in spite of entering so many exhibits, has never stayed up later than 2 a.m. the night before. That was when her daughters, Janet and Arlene, were too young to help her write out the tags for her entries.

Now, the three days before the fair are rather hectic, but Mrs. Coleman takes it all in her stride. Bread and cookies can be baked a week ahead of time and frozen. If she takes them out the night before, they’ll still taste fresh the next day.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Remembering the past, building for the future

While Steinbach was constantly building for the future, it was also remembering the past, and along with the village expanding to a town and then to a city, the Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) preserved a chunk of history that was the Mennonite foundation of the community.

The 1967 centennial project of Manitoba’s Mennonites received the official approval of the Manitoba government, when the chairman of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation told the 250 attending Steinbach’s 1965 Chamber of Commerce banquet, the project ranked first in centennial projects in rural Manitoba.

Although there never had been any doubt that the museum project would be accepted, J.J. Reimer, head of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, said Maitland B. Steinkopf’s public announcement had cleared the last hurdle and his group would be able to swing into action.

Guests at the 1965 banquet each received a colourfully printed brochure with the complete details about the purposes and possibilities of the $250,000 Mennonite Village Museum. The brochures carried an artist’s conception of an aerial view of the completed village.

Eight-year council veteran declares candidacy

A fourth sitting City of Steinbach councillor has declared his candidacy in the next municipal election.

Bill Hiebert, who is completing his second term on council, announced last week that he will put his name forward once again.

He joins Susan Penner, Jake Hiebert and Damian Penner as current councillors seeking re-election. Jac Siemens and Michael Zwaagstra will not be on the ballot. Also seeking council positions are Nicholas Goertzen, Mitesh Kumar, Greg Carlos, Ron Falk and Brad Unger.

Hiebert was born and raised in Steinbach, worked in the construction business and then spent 42 years in the automotive industry before retiring in 2023.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Fair at Grunthal highlights Hanover Centennial

AUGUST 19, 1981—The annual Hanover Agricultural Society Fair kept the Village of Grunthal hopping last weekend, highlighted by RM of Hanover centennial celebrations and a mortgage-burning for the remaining debt on the community pool.

The fair opened Friday morning with a parade organized by Jack Tanner, marshalled by Ken Holme and boasting 44 entries, four times as many as last year.

The Guenther float, celebrating 49 years for the family in the grocery and hardware business, won first prize in the local commercial category.

Grunthal Prancing Hooves and Companions won the 4-H Club category with a second-place tie between the St Malo Ghost Riders and the Grunthal Profit and Pleasure Beef Club.

PHOTO GALLERY: Sprague Fest Family Fun Day

Sprague Fest Family Fun Day took place on Aug. 8. The event featured a pancake breakfast, petting zoo, wood carving demonstrations, cornhole, bingo tournaments and ended with a social.