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COLUMN: On Parliament Hill – The danger in rewriting history

t 5 minute read 8:45 PM CDT

In George Orwell’s 1984, a prominent theme is that the one who controls the past controls the future. The machinery of the “The Ministry of Truth” symbolizes the continuous rewriting of history so that all records align with current Party claims. The book, published in 1949, is a cautionary tale about totalitarianism and the manipulation of history by the state.

To Canadians, the book can serve as an alarming warning about the danger of reinterpretation and rewriting of history. Unless we can face the mistakes of the past, we repeat them. Unless we allow for history to speak within its context, we can impose sensitivities and create inaccuracies that weren’t part of that story. Otherwise, historical figures, important events and critical moments in the development of Canada might even be erased!

This past week was the 25th anniversary of 9/11. For those of us old enough to remember that day, it was horrific. The repeated images of planes flying into the Twin Towers is imbedded in our minds. It was a day of somber, horrific tragedy. The deliberate loss of life and destruction that occurred can never be underestimated. Children were instantly orphaned. Married couples were forever separated. First responders sacrificed their lives to save others while chaos and confusion ensued.

The event was a terrorist attack. Thousand of innocent Americans including 24 Canadians were senselessly killed by al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden.

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Steinbach Fire hosts second annual stair climb

Greg Vandermeulen 3 minute read Preview

Steinbach Fire hosts second annual stair climb

Greg Vandermeulen 3 minute read 5:54 PM CDT

In what’s been described as a physical and mental challenge, first responders helped honour those who died in the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11, 2001, by climbing the stairs at Steinbach Credit Union.

Steinbach Fire Department assistant fire chief Russ Toews organized the second annual event and said he was inspired to continue after the 2025 event commemorating 9/11 was a success despite a lack of advertising beforehand.

Just over 100 firefighters took part in the first event representing about seven fire departments.

This year those numbers are up, and Toews said it’s seeing the different fire departments come together that means the most.

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5:54 PM CDT

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Bike Mayor makes way to La Broquerie to promote trails

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 5 minute read Preview

Bike Mayor makes way to La Broquerie to promote trails

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 5 minute read 2:51 PM CDT

Winnipeg’s official Bicycle Mayor made her way to La Broquerie on Sunday to promote the RM’s network of trails.

Patty Wiens rode her bike with her partner and a friend almost five hours from Winnipeg to the LUD of La Broquerie and she said she enjoyed the ride.

“We took our time. We were lucky we had the wind on our back. So it was really great,” she said, noting drivers were very respectful.

Wiens, who is originally from Brazil, began her bike journey in Canada after not wanting to pay for her car and all the costs that come with owning a car, such as parking, maintenance, and gas.

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2:51 PM CDT

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Steinbach Pistons bolster line-up with blockbuster trade

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read Preview

Steinbach Pistons bolster line-up with blockbuster trade

Cassidy Dankochik 2 minute read 12:00 PM CDT

One of the Manitoba Hockey League’s best young talents is coming back to the province, and he’ll be wearing Pistons blue.

Steinbach traded the rights to 2007-born forward Noah Paulsen and future considerations for Rohan Guevarra and Griffin Krone Sept. 9.

Guevarra, who was also born in 2007, was on pace for an MVP-season when he left the MJHL for B.C. last season. He had 27 points in just 13 games before the move.

“He’s one of those players, if you’re an offensive guy, you want to play with,” Steinbach head coach and general manager Paul Dyck said.

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12:00 PM CDT

Local

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Ignore Zwaagstra’s advice on labels

Gary Snider, Steinbach, MB 2 minute read 11:36 AM CDT

Re: Choose carefully in local elections, Think Again, Michael Zwaagstra, Sept. 10, The Carillon.

I should not be surprised. Michael Zwaagstra’s recent “Think Again” column in The Carillon tries to pass along his wisdom on discerning between right-leaning and left-leaning candidates for city council. Without evidence he even suggests that there may be ‘unofficial slates’ of left or right-leaning candidates, that are working together, despite the clear rule that partisan coordination is not allowed in municipal politics.

But this is Zwaagstra, committed to a worldview predicated on labels and dualities: Right leaning candidates uphold traditional values, no frills, low taxes. Left leaning candidates seek inclusion, progressive ways, and enjoy spending on big ticket items. Even his own students would recognize the logical fallacy in this way of thinking. Set out a false either/or proposition and railroad your audience towards the conclusion you’ve prepared for them.

Let’s reject labels. What is best for Steinbach? What will make this community a happier place for all its citizens? If you’re a candidate tell me how you’re going to help Steinbach thrive, economically, socially, mentally, physically. I’m OK paying a little more tax if it means we have a few more amenities that matter. I’ll gladly support a candidate who doesn’t look or sound like me, because in our variety and difference is our true strength as a community.

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Premier visits Steinbach Pride with ministers, says ‘Love is love.’

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 7 minute read Preview

Premier visits Steinbach Pride with ministers, says ‘Love is love.’

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 7 minute read 10:26 AM CDT

Premier Wab Kinew came to Steinbach Pride on Saturday bringing along with him his ministers with a message that the province supports the LGBTQ+ community and especially LGBTQ+ students in the Hanover School Division.

From the start, Kinew got the roughly 200-person crowd cheering with his speech on inclusion and acceptance.

“Menno Simons (said), ‘Our weapons are not swords and spears, but patience, silence, and hope, and the word of God.’ So, let us be patient and hopeful. I skipped over the silent part a little bit. Don’t be silent. Be loud. Be proud…,” he said. “Love that neighbour. It’s all about love. Love is love, as they say.”

Steinbach Pride president Chris Plett echoed Kinew’s words of love and acceptance as being takeaways from the event. Pride for Plett means being your authentic self and being able to educate people who might not understand what it is to be your authentic self.

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10:26 AM CDT

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SPORTS FLASHBACK 2014: Habs greats delight Steinbach

Wes Keating 3 minute read Preview

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2014: Habs greats delight Steinbach

Wes Keating 3 minute read Yesterday at 5:00 PM CDT

The score didn’t matter, when Montreal Canadiens legends played a pick-up game of sorts against a crew of local hockey greats last Thursday at T.G. Smith Centre, as a fall fundraiser for the Steinbach Pistons.

What mattered was everything that came with it.

It was special to watch the mystique of one of hockey’s most storied franchises up close. Of course, there was seeing the players that became immortalized on television screens across the country, legends like prolific scorers Steve Shutt and Stephane Richard, or tough guy Sergio Momesso.

The Habs didn’t skate as fast as they once have, but the sheer skill and hockey sense is still there.

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Yesterday at 5:00 PM CDT

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AS I SEE IT COLUMN: The Jets should call Hellebuyck’s bluff

James Loewen 4 minute read Preview

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: The Jets should call Hellebuyck’s bluff

James Loewen 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

Connor Hellebuyck, he of the “I just played the best hockey of my career” quote after allowing the most goals in a 5-game playoff series since 1979 (in a first-round loss to Colorado a couple of years ago), told the media in his season-ending interview last spring that he “just wants to win.”

Really? What a shock. Um, every athlete in every sport on earth wants to win.

When Hellebuyck uttered those words, they were dripping with entitlement. It was as if winning an Olympic gold medal somehow entitled him to go back on his word, to renege on the contract he willingly signed, simply because he wants to win.

Earth to Connor: You are no more entitled to wanting to win than any other player in the National Hockey League.

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Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

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COLUMN: Village News – Faith, responsibility, and resilience: Mennonite responses to epidemics in Imperial Russia and Manitoba

Garth Doerksen 5 minute read Preview

COLUMN: Village News – Faith, responsibility, and resilience: Mennonite responses to epidemics in Imperial Russia and Manitoba

Garth Doerksen 5 minute read Yesterday at 8:54 AM CDT

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Mennonite communities faced repeated outbreaks of infectious disease. In both Imperial Russia and later Manitoba, epidemics brought grief, uncertainty, and high mortality. Yet the Mennonites responded in ways that reflected both their religious faith and their strong sense of communal responsibility.

In the Mennonite colonies of Imperial Russia, disease was a constant presence. Smallpox, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and typhoid regularly swept through villages. Children were particularly vulnerable. The toll could be devastating, especially during the winter months when infectious diseases spread more easily among crowded households. In 1859, three-quarters of all recorded deaths in the Chortitza colony were children, and some families lost several children within a matter of days. For many Mennonite families, illness and bereavement were tragic realities of everyday life.

One of the earliest and most significant responses to disease was the adoption of smallpox vaccination, beginning in 1804. They regarded medical intervention through vaccination as a gift provided through God’s providence. Community members learned how to administer vaccinations themselves, helping to protect entire villages from one of the deadliest diseases of the era.

The cholera epidemics of the 19th century further demonstrated the Mennonites’ commitment to collective action. When cholera threatened the Molotschna colony in 1830, community leaders implemented strict measures designed to prevent the disease from entering their communities. Roads leading into the colony were blocked, travellers were required to undergo quarantine, and sick individuals were separated from healthy residents. Houses were designated as temporary hospitals, and community representatives regularly visited homes to monitor the health of families.

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Yesterday at 8:54 AM CDT

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DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: ‘Twas the night before hockey

Cassidy Dankochik 4 minute read Preview

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: ‘Twas the night before hockey

Cassidy Dankochik 4 minute read Saturday, Sep. 19, 2026

The transition from summer sports to winter sports is always a weird one for me, but there can be no doubt the start of the season begins with opening night in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

Despite my reservations about the length of the MJHL season, there’s an inevitable excitement that builds all throughout this week as the season gets set to begin.

Doing some pre-season work has been exciting, as I feel this is the most even the league has been in my years of covering it. Virden could turn into that dominant team, but it’s not a sure thing in my opinion.

Any discussion of the season has to begin in Niverville. The league and national champions of 2026 certainly will look different this season, but as this pre-season went longer, the more confident I feel in them.

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Saturday, Sep. 19, 2026

Local

Stolen vehicle, firearm, and drugs seized in Dominion City

Greg Vandermeulen 1 minute read Saturday, Sep. 19, 2026

A Niverville man and Dominion City woman were arrested as a result of search warrant under the controlled drugs and substances act.

Several police organizations including the Manitoba First Nations Police Service crime reduction and enforcement unit and the Manitoba RCMP emergency response team searched a Dominion City home on Sept. 13 leading to seizures of meth, cocaine, drug trafficking paraphernalia, an improvised single-shot 12-gauge shotgun, a stolen vehicle and proceeds of crime.

Miseane Rhiannon Wilson, 31, of Dominion City has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a prohibited weapon and ammunition, unsafe storage of a firearm, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and possession of a firearm knowing possession is unauthorized.

Erik Russell Hiebert, 50, of Niverville was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine, possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Local

Providence women perfect to start MCAC season

Cassidy Dankochik 3 minute read Preview

Providence women perfect to start MCAC season

Cassidy Dankochik 3 minute read Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

The Providence Pilots women’s soccer team didn’t take long to make a statement during their opening match of the season.

Just six minutes into their season-opener against Canadian Mennonite University, Serena Negrich had a pair of goals, and by the time she completed her hat trick in the 20th minute, the game was out of hand with the Pilots leading 5-0.

“It makes life easy for us, at least for our coaching staff,” head coach Tory Walker said with a smile after the win.

“The team’s been showing a lot of growth. This is our first game, but through pre-season I think it showed we’re pretty primed up ready for the year.”

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Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

Local

Oak Park dominates Steinbach in football season opener

Cassidy Dankochik 3 minute read Preview

Oak Park dominates Steinbach in football season opener

Cassidy Dankochik 3 minute read Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

The Steinbach Regional Sabres didn’t exactly start their 2026 Winnipeg High School Football League campaign how they imagined it.

They would have always been in tough against defending champions Oak Park in their home opener Sept. 11 but when Raiders star AJ Bangura snagged the opening kick-off with a one-handed catch and took it the distance for a clean touchdown, it became clear the Sabres were in for a long day.

“It’s a tough play, (Bangura) is a special player, you saw that out there,” head coach Stephen Fedus said after the game.

“He was tough to stop.”

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Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

Local

Springfield Community Recreation Centre breaks ground

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 3 minute read Preview

Springfield Community Recreation Centre breaks ground

Svjetlana Mlinarevic 3 minute read Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

The RM of Springfield’s new recreation centre has broken ground and the mayor said it was a long time coming.

“It’s been 34 years coming,” said Mayor Pat Therrien. “That is the specific reason I ran for the mayor’s job. I was literally tired of every election…having some artist’s rendition of a future rec center, and this has been going on for 34 years, as I stated.

“And so, it’s finally up and running. I’m not giving myself a clap on the back there. It just had to focus the topic, and we have to move forward with it, and we finally did.”

The Springfield Community Recreation Centre project will be completed in 2028 and the municipality held a formal sod-turning ceremony on April 16 for the first phase of a two-phase project. This milestone represents the largest infrastructure and community project undertaken by the municipality to date, according to administration.

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Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

Local

Walk with Jesus to be hosted in Steinbach

Greg Vandermeulen 3 minute read Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Organizers of the first Walk with Jesus, a Christian community gathering, say they hope to give people hope.

Denise Sandberg, a member of the organizing committee, said the event planned for Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the K.R. Barkman Park was inspired by the Walk for Jesus held in Winnipeg.

“We had such a great time,” Sandberg, who helped organize as a prayer intercessor said. “We said, we should do this in Steinbach.”

That Steinbach’s event is called Walk with Jesus instead of Walk for Jesus is no mistake.

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COLUMN: Carillon Flashback September 29, 2002 – Grow projects bring out the best

Wes Keating 3 minute read Preview

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback September 29, 2002 – Grow projects bring out the best

Wes Keating 3 minute read Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Throughout the Southeast, farmers, individuals and corporate sponsors are donating time, equipment and services to harvest grain for developing countries. In Manitoba, 28 community growing projects are harvesting 3,000 acres of grain for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB).

A lump rises in his throat every time he is at a harvest, according to CFGB Manitoba/Saskatchewan coordinator Henry Klassen.

“It is the coming together of all the efforts. It is a coming together of various faiths and is a Christian response to hunger.”

Klassen is amazed at how willing farmers are to leave their own fields during the busy harvest season to harvest grain for others.

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Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

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