AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Run — don’t walk — to see the Jocelyne Larocque play this weekend

If you don’t already have tickets to see Richer’s Jocelyne Larocque on the ice with her Ottawa Charge teammates against the Montréal Victoire in PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) action this Sunday, get your tickets fast.

This will be the last chance for Manitobans to say goodbye to a genuine hometown hero.

Despite the fact that Jocelyne has represented Canada with distinction, pride and honour for nearly 20 years, this Sunday’s game might be the first (and last) time to see the pride of Richer live and in person.

Jocelyne is the niece to a well-known hockey player in southeastern Manitoba. Her late uncle Guy played Junior B with the Steinbach Millers and senior hockey with the Ste. Anne Aces in the HTHL. (Full disclosure: Guy was my winger and teammate on the Millers.)

Manitoba government introduces bill to regulate community wells

The Manitoba government introduced a new bill to change the definitions of community water sources and licensing requirements for operating spigots.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes, who introduced the bill on March 11, said the legislation will improve oversight on public wells and “cut red tape” for smaller water systems.

The bill, which amends the Drinking Water Safety Act, will allow government directors and public heath officers to designate the type of water source based on its intended use, water quality and use duration rather than solely the number of connections it has. The current version of the act designates a public water source by having 15 connections or more.

It also adds that the government officials can order a land owner to pay for the licensing and manage a public or semi-public water system when running if the system has no clear owner.

Steinbach offers flood measures in hold-the-line budget

Steinbach city council voted unanimously to support the 2026 financial plan on Tuesday, highlighting the fact that the mill rate will remain the same despite the budget’s inclusion of ongoing plans for projects that will reduce flood risk.

The nearly $44 million budget does come with some increased costs however as even though the mill rate remains at 14.4 mills, there is an overall three percent increase in utility rates, a 3.7 percent increase for residential garbage collection, a 2.5 percent fee increase for land use applications and a five percent increase in permit costs.

A total of $9.3 million will be used for new capital improvements for force main twinning as well as the operations shop and yard.

Millwork Drive Sewer replacement and an upgrade to one of their lift stations will also take place.

Esports tournament coming to Steinbach

The Manitoba School Esports Association is bringing their esports tournament to Steinbach with about 300 players in attendance.

“This event at SRSS is a Brawlhalla provincial. So is like a 2v2 fighting game, so kids are in teams of two but oftentimes they’ll have…three to four kids per team because they have subs and things like that and so these kids have been competing for the last five weeks and have qualified for a spot to play at the provincial (tournament),” said Karl Hildebrandt, Chair of Manitoba School Esports Association.

Esports has been around for a number of years, first starting in Asia and then progressing out to other areas of the globe. It arrived in Canada about six years ago, according to Hildebrandt, and was established in Manitoba recently with MSEA establishing itself four years ago after the amalgamation of Middle Years Esport Manitoba and Manitoba High School eSports Association.

MSEA always hosts two large provincials a year – one in the fall in Winnipeg and one in the spring in Dugald. This will be the first time MSEA will hold an esport competition in Steinbach as a qualifier for provincials. At the competition there will be 30 middle years teams and 20 seniors teams.

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback May 29, 1974 – American market helps Morris school bus plant

The Sheller-Globe bus plant in Morris has taken advantage of an available American market for a complete turn-around of the operation since the takeover by the American-based company last fall.

The manufacturer of Superior brand school buses has commitments for delivery of nearly 100 buses to American schools and is gearing up production to handle two buses a day at the Morris plant this year, with a possibility of four buses a day during the summer months.

The company’s general manager Ralph Berg attributes the success of the plant since the Sheller-Globe takeover to its location near the United States border.

While Flyer Industries ran the plant, they were solely dependent on the Canadian market but now nearly half of the projected production at the plant will be for the American market.

Steinbach Pistons out for revenge in MJHL quarterfinals

The Steinbach Pistons may have won just three championships since 2013, but they’ve been at or near the top of the class in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in the years since.

Since Paul Dyck came aboard as the Steinbach Pistons’ head coach and general manager, the team hasn’t lost in the first round of the playoffs — except for last season, when the Portage Terriers made quick work of the Pistons, ruining plans to break in the new Southeast Event Centre with a long playoff run.

Steinbach will get a second crack at the Terriers this season, as both teams finished in the exact same position in the East Division standings, with Steinbach at second and Portage in third.

Pistons captain Sam Noad quoted Michael Jordan during the team’s annual banquet, saying, “winning has a price and this year we’re willing to pay that price.”

Niverville Nighthawks aiming for first playoff round victory

Their opponent may be familiar, but the Niverville Nighthawks are in a completely different position heading into the 2026 Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs.

They’ll once again be taking on the Winkler Flyers in the East Division one versus four best-of-seven series, but this year the Nighthawks had the dominant regular season, with Winkler finishing in fourth.

“There’s no unfamiliar territory,” Nighthawks head coach Dwight Hirst said.

“This year the shoe is on the other foot… Our guys are just as excited to get to the playoffs as anyone else.”

Veterinary hospital opens in Ste Anne

A new veterinary hospital has opened in the Town of Ste Anne, offering residents a local alternative instead of driving long distances for furry friend care.

The Ste Anne Veterinary Hospital, located at 141 Centrale Ave., started seeing pet patients on Feb. 9. Since its opening, the hospital has already seen a high demand, said Dr. Jennifer Michaud.

“There’s lots of people that live in Ste Anne that have pets. Every time I drove through town, there was someone walking their dog,” the small animal veterinarian said.

Michaud wanted to open a practice in the community because she hoped to address the gap in care. Pet owners were previously forced drive to Steinbach, Winnipeg, Oakbank or Beausejour if they were seeking treatment, she said.

Steinbach welcomes community safety and well-being plan

Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk said the community safety and well-being plan released last month is a tool for the community, not just for city council.

The plan is self-described as “a strategic framework designed to help guide and inform local decisions and actions to enhance safety and well-being.”

Steinbach was one of 12 communities initially announced as receiving the funding for the plan. Completion will trigger a further grant of $60,000 to be used toward desired outcomes indicated by the plan.

Developed by The Canadian Centre for Safer Communities, the three-person project team included Adam Thiessen from the City of Steinbach, Lisa Fast of Agape House and Brenda Brown of Life Culture.

Larocque ready for PWHL to ‘Takeover’ Manitoba

Professional women’s hockey is enjoying a historic run, and fans from Manitoba will get a chance to see it for themselves this weekend.

The Montréal Victoire and Ottawa Charge will battle in a Professional Women’s Hockey League regular season game inside the Canada Life Centre March 22. Puck drop is at 6 p.m.

For Ste Anne’s Jocelyne Larocque, it’s her first chance to play a competitive game in her home province since 2018, when the Canadian national team played a game in Winnipeg.

“I’m really excited for the young girls in the stands, and I know there’s gonna be a ton of them,” Larocque said during a media availability March 13.

Catie St. Germain to headline Hanover Ag Fair

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Niverville artist Catie St. Germain as she takes to the main stage as this year’s Hanover Ag Fair headliner in Grunthal.

St. Germain impressed crowds three years ago at the event when she played on a flatbed trailer as part of their Party in the Dirt. This year it’s the Fairway Ford Mainstage that will host her talent as the headliner.

A news release from Hanover Ag announced the headliner, adding that it is a special year as the festival celebrates 80 years.

“It is a celebration of eight decades of memories, milestones and Manitoba pride as we showcase exclusively made in Manitoba talent on our stages throughout the whole weekend,” it stated.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: March 12th edition

Featuring photos from a Gabrielle-Roy/Pointe des Chenes Manitoba Women's High School Hockey League game in Ste Anne March 5, an Eastman Selects U18 AAA game in Steinbach March 5, and the Fire on Ice races in Gimli March 7.

Bullied Indigenous boy still feeling the effects of his school assault

Stonybrook Middle School student Theo Osborne was bullied on Feb. 11 by two boys, one of which attacked him by pulling out his hair and punching his face, allegedly for being Indigenous. Since then, the 11-year-old boy has had high anxiety and PTSD, according to his mother Melissa Johnson.

“Just the fact that I have to explain to him what his flashbacks are, like, he was in the shower, and he called me, and he said when he closed his eyes that he was remembering his head getting smashed. So, I said to him, ‘That’s PTSD,’” she said.

“So, I had to explain that to him, and I just feel like that’s so heartbreaking as a parent to have to explain that what you’re experiencing is the PTSD that happened when he was supposed to be safe at school.”

Johnson said her son hasn’t been in school since the incident happened, having returned only three times. Theo asked his mother to transfer him to Clearspring Middle School as he doesn’t want to be around his bullies and his best friend is at CMS. Administration has agreed to the transfer.