Ste Anne youth charged after assault sends student to hospital

Ste Anne police have charged a high school student following an attack captured on video that sent a youth to hospital.

Marc Robichaud, police chief for the Ste Anne Police Service, said one student was charged with assault after a school yard fight at Ste Anne Collegiate on Nov.25. The fight was recorded on video and shared among students.

“It was horrible,” he said. “I feel the same way as anyone in the public who saw it, which is outrage.”

The student was taken to hospital and was released the same day with minor injuries, Robichaud said. He said police aren’t often called to the school and labeled the attack as an anomaly.

Gabrielle-Roy, Steinbach Regional fall in provincial AAAA semis

Dreams of adding a top-tier volleyball banner to the walls of a local high school gym came to an end Nov. 27 in Winnipeg as both Gabrielle-Roy and Steinbach Regional Secondary School’s varsity boys volleyball teams fell in the provincial semi-finals.

Les Roys were taken down in straight sets by eventual champions St Paul’s in convincing fashion. The small school, which normally plays at the AA level but moves up to the AAAA level for boys volleyball, were dominated in the first two sets, falling behind 16-6 and 21-12 in a pair of lopsided scores.

The third saw the underdogs come alive, as the top ranked St Paul’s team were pushed to the limit, with Les Roys taking a 19-17 lead, before finally falling 27-25.

It was the closest any team came to giving St Paul’s a set loss at provincials, as the Crusaders swept all three matches they played at the tournament to clinch their first provincial volleyball championship since 2015.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Nov 27th edition

Featuring photos from an SRSS Sabres hockey game Nov. 19, Providence volleyball games Nov. 21, a CRJHL game in La Broquerie Nov. 22, a Steinbach Pistons game at the SEC Nov. 23 and the junior varsity AAAA MHSAA finals at Tec-Voc Nov. 24.

Doctors Manitoba reports record breaking gains in recruitment, retention still an issue

Doctors Manitoba has released its annual report on physician recruitment and retention, which shows that physician numbers have increased in the past two years, but more needs to be done for retention.

“It’s been an exciting two years. We’ve had two record years of increases in physician numbers here in Manitoba, which means we’re getting closer to finding a family doctor for every Manitoban, and shortening wait times for specialist services like diagnostics and surgeries,” said president Dr. Nichelle Desilets.

“We really appreciate the opportunity to also point out that retention is as much of an important issue as recruitment. It’s one thing to get a doctor to come to the area, but it’s another to retain them. So, we recognize that they both have equal importance.”

Between May 1, 2023, and April 30, 2024, Manitoba recorded 3,334 physicians working in the province. When compared by per capita, the number of physicians rose by two percent per year, which was the biggest increase among all provinces. Data also showed that the province had a record-breaking net increase of 164 doctors, but had a shortage of 346 doctors, which is an improvement over 2023’s number of 445 doctors.

Providence Pilots men’s team back on top of MCAC volleyball standings

The names and numbers carrying the on-court load may be different, but the Providence Pilots men’s volleyball team is in a familiar spot after seven games in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference season.

After dropping their home opener, the Pilots rattled off four in a row, including a straight sets victory over Assiniboine College Nov. 21.

While Providence dropped the re-match the next day in five sets, they still lead the MCAC standings, with a 5-2 record. It’s a strong start for a group dealing with the departure of several key veterans.

Grunthal’s Noah Boschman had been the go-to offensive option for the past three years but graduated at the end of last season. International players Arturo Duran (Honduras) and Sebastian Verdaguer (Australia) have also moved on, with Verdaguer continuing his collegiate career at the USports level with the University of Winnipeg.

COLUMN: Village News – Summer success and winter gratitude

At this time of year, charities are examining their financial records and reminding supporters that the end of the calendar year is approaching. Mennonite Heritage Village is one of these charities that depends on donations in order to finish the year well.

Every January, the MHV staff prepares a budget in each department for the year, anticipating the costs of the planned programs, events, and activities. This is our operating budget, and it includes things like utilities, building maintenance and repairs, office supplies, staff salaries, and other day-to-day expenses. There are also specific department related expenses like the cost of purchasing groceries for the restaurant and the cost of stocking Village Books and Gifts with souvenirs, toys, and books. As much as possible, we stay within our planned budget, but sometimes unexpected costs are incurred and cannot be avoided. For instance, when the HVAC system breaks down in the heat of summer, we have no choice but to repair it, especially if it affects our climate-controlled artifact rooms. Or when a riding mower breaks down, it must be repaired in order to keep the yard in good shape for our thousands of visiting guests. This last summer, our restaurant dishwasher broke down and required several thousand dollars in repairs to enable the kitchen staff to continue to maintain a clean food preparation area. This type of cost is unexpected, but it must be addressed immediately and cannot be postponed to another year. But aside from these unexpected costs, MHV staff monitors its spending to remain within the planned budget.

We also project the revenue that we can expect from admission sales, restaurant income, book and souvenir sales, and rental income. Our 2025 budget has estimated that 55 percent of our budget will be covered by these income-generating activities. An important way to augment this revenue is to apply for grants and MHV is fortunate to regularly receive grant funds from various levels of government and from private foundations.

However, donation support continues to be appreciated and necessary for Mennonite Heritage Village to preserve and exhibit our history and heritage and to create a space for our community to gather with friends, neighbours, and family. This year, we need to cover approximately 28 percent of our operating expenses through sponsorships, fundraising activities, and donations. In total, MHV is looking for well over $400,000 to cover those aspects of the museum which are important, but not self-supporting. We are happy to host 3,000 school kids in spring and summer, but the fees for registration are subsidized by donations. As well, our gallery exhibits and our heritage buildings are a treasure to be shared with the 45,000 annual visitors, but they require regular maintenance in order to prevent deterioration and rotting and the admission fees alone do not cover all our needs in this area. After the end of September, our restaurant closes, our visitor admission sales decrease, and our retail store sees less traffic. We continue to see some revenue from facility rentals for meetings and Christmas parties, and we are planning a variety of winter workshops and events, but extra support at this time is essential. So, we are looking to our supporters for generous donations toward our operating fund at this time.

Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman to headline Pistons banquet

For the first time, the Steinbach Pistons will get to host their annual banquet on the same surface they play on.

The team will be covering the ice at the Southeast Event Centre for their annual Fire and Ice Banquet. Previous events have been held at the Niverville Heritage Centre.

”It’s an opportunity to celebrate the team’s community impact, connect with fellow supporters, and hear from a leader in Canadian hockey,” a Pistons news release reads.

With the new space, comes a high-profile speaker. Mark Chipman, the chairman of True North Sports and Entertainment, will be delivering the keynote address.

Sio Silica applies again for mine in Vivan, holds open house

Calgary-based Sio Silica has applied for the second time with the province for approval to mine quartz silica near Vivian in the RM of Springfield.

In its application to Manitoba’s Environment and Climate Change public registry on Oct. 28, the company made a number of changes such as lowering the number of wells it intends to drill from 467 per year to 167 wells per year, with only 25 wells drilled in the first year. It also reduced the amount of sand it will extract from 1.36 million tonnes per year to 500,000 tonnes maximum per year starting at 100,000 tonnes in the first year and working its way up to 500,000 tonnes at the five year mark; it has reduced the life of the project area it plans to drill from 8,235 hectares to 2,764 hectares; the company has also hired a water testing firm to monitor the aquifer; there will be monitoring of ground settlement; and the company will use UV light to treat the water and filter it before it is returned to the aquifer.

“We hope to be successful this time around,” said Sio Silica president Carla Devlin. “However, it was an approved project (before) that had a draft licence. So, we know that our science is good.”

Devlin was on hand during the company’s open house in Winnipeg on Monday night where Sio Silica shared its changes and had experts on hand to answer questions from more than 200 people who came to the event.

COLUMN: Arts & Culture – Southeast Manitoba Festival calls for entries

The Steinbach Arts Council (SAC) is thrilled to officially open the call for entries for the 2026 Southeastern Manitoba Festival (SEMF).

This year marks a major milestone as SAC launches the festival under its unified banner following a successful merger. This collaboration was established to ensure the long-term sustainability of the festival, strengthen the regional arts infrastructure, and encourage partnership and community engagement across the Southeast.

SAC and SEMF invite all performers across southeastern Manitoba to submit their entries.

Key information & deadlines: