DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: Charity hockey game a blast

The Premier Portable Buildings vs Lumberzone charity hockey game nearly came out of nowhere for me.

I was looking forward to it to be sure, but until I was sitting in the Southeast Event Centre actually taking it in, it didn’t hit me how cool the event was.

It didn’t really click until I saw Luke Mistelbacher absolutely dominating on a line with South East Manitoba Hockey League stars Brendan Harms and Braden Purtill. As a certified senior hockey aficionado, I didn’t put together the game was basically an SEMHL all-star game with some young gun ringers and former pros.

As soon as I saw that, I was hooked, and realized that hockey had been missing this sort of thing. Reading back in The Carillon archives and talking to Wes Keating (and reading his excellent book on the history of the Hanover-Tache Hockey League), it’s obvious all-star games for leagues were a mainstay when senior hockey was more of a thing.

Local MJHL players announce USports commitments

A pair of local Manitoba Junior Hockey League standouts will continue their playing careers at the USports level.

Lorette’s Thomas Phillips will be heading to York University and St Jean’s Sebastian Hicks will be suiting up for Western University.

The York Lions lost out on Niverville captain Adam Vigfusson after he got the call to go to St Cloud State in the NCAA. The Gimli product had previously committed to York.

It seems the Lions wanted some Niverville flair on their roster no matter what and called up the defenseman following Vigfusson’s departure.

MJHL announces 2026/2027 schedule

The start of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League season is just 91 days away, with the league announcing their full schedule for the year last week.

The defending league champion Niverville Nighthawks will be in action on Sept. 18, the opening night of the season as they host the Winnipeg Monarchs and celebrate their Turnbull Cup and Centennial Cup victories.

Winkler and Steinbach will renew their rivalry on the opening weekend, playing on back-to-back nights, with Steinbach’s home opener Sept. 19. The final regular season game of the year will be March 14.

The Pistons’ promotional schedule will be released in the middle of summer.

Sultans push past Pembina Valley in double-header

The Carillon Sultans managed to erase a shocking stumble last weekend, winning three games in three days to push themselves to the top of the Manitoba Junior Baseball League Standings.

The Altona Bisons put together one of the most shocking results of the MJBL season, defeating the first-place Sultans 11-10 June 10 for their first win of the season.

The Bisons have a minus-92 run difference so far this season, but managed to squeak out a narrow victory over championship favourites Carillon. The Sultans bounced back with a 16-4 victory over Altona June 12, then swept the Pembina Valley Orioles in a double-header at A.D. Penner Park June 14.

Fans were treated to a pair of entertaining games between the Orioles and Sultans. Carillon erased a 4-1 deficit in the late innings of the opening game of the double header, and managed a 1-0 walk-off victory later in the day.

1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Community projects catch eye of The Carillon camera

When it came to construction of new businesses, old businesses turned over to new owners, old businesses launching expansions, or any of the other dozens of projects on the go at all times in Steinbach, there was never a slow week for Carillon photographers.

Major projects, like a new hospital addition, the building of a new school, seniors’ retirement home, an auto dealership, or a new mall warranted a sod turning picture at the beginning of the project, lots of construction pictures during the project and the bringing out of the scissors for an official ribbon cutting when construction was completed.

And so it was that the progress of Steinbach from a tiny village to a major city has been captured by photographers at The Carillon, in slow motion so-to-speak.

And if a picture is worth a thousand words, the stories about the people involved was always good for a few thousand more. Since its very beginning in 1946, this weekly newspaper has made every effort to provide coverage not only of big events but also day-to-day happenings, and interesting articles about the people who made those things happen.

Hanover trustees pass motion to delegitimize mature minor designation

Trustees of the Hanover School Division have voted unanimously to move forward on creating a policy that would see parents exercising their control over their children’s health care and counselling in schools, even if they are mature minors.

During the school board meeting last week, trustee Cheryl Froese presented the motion to the board, where she stated a mature minor is like having a “cheeseless cheeseburger.”

“The words mature and minor go together about as well as a cheeseless cheeseburger in my mind,” Froese told the board.

“There is a privilege of being a minor. But to say that a minor can be mature enough to make health-care decisions, either physically or mentally, without a parent or legal guardian is absurd.”

Carillon Sports Second Shots: June 11th edition

Featuring photos from a lightning-cancelled Hanover Kickers game June 2, a Carillon Sultans Winnipeg Senior Baseball League game June 4, action from the MHSAA provincial soccer championships June 5/6 and an MJBL double-header June 7 between Carillon and St Boniface.

Transit plan delayed due to lack of city support

A lack of support by Steinbach city council has hurt advocates of Link Transit, who say fundraising and grant opportunities are being lost as a result.

Link Transit issued a press release highlighting the new logo for the proposed transit service for Steinbach, a result of a local contest.

The winning entry, designed by Vorobiov Roman, features the familiar Main Street clock tower with an image of a transit van.

But with a mission of providing reliable and affordable transit services to the residents of Steinbach, the organization said they’re missing the bus when it comes to grant opportunities due to city inaction.

Manitoba Trails Day marks Mennonite milestone at Niverville’s Hespeler Park

Ernie Braun can barely contain his excitement as he stands under the newly erected pergola located at the south entrance of Niverville’s Hespeler Park. Marking the Peace Trail waypoint of what was once the well-traveled Crow Wing Trail and the junction for several historically significant features, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the interpretation kiosk attracted a noticeable crowd with several dignitaries on June 6.

Well ahead of the scheduled 11 a.m. opening ceremony, Braun set up the MC’s table for the head of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, Ed Krahn, and garnished it with his own miniature Mennonite baby manger. The piece is hand made in the style and tradition of Mennonites who traveled the trail with just such stable-inspired furnishings, although today it swaddles programs and commemorative pens for the ceremony.

Manitoba’s annual Trails Day takes place on the first Saturday of June and helps celebrate the rich history of rural communities like Niverville, while also encouraging people to engage in the outdoors and practice active lifestyles.

This year’s Trail Day was notably special for the community of Niverville, and in particular for those who celebrate their Mennonite roots. The commissioning of the kiosk not only marks the historical significance of the Peace Trail but, as showcased through several information plaques mounted in the pergola, also denotes the history of the Mennonite people settling in this area.

Cody Gunderson back in Carillon black

After finishing his division one college career earlier this spring, Gunderson is back in Manitoba and playing for the Carillon Sultans once again. He didn’t play with the Sultans last season as he recovered from an injury.

During the first game of a double-header against St Boniface, Gunderson hammered the first pitch he saw for a single, then in his second at bat he took three consecutive balls before knocking a 3-0 strike over the fence, despite hitting it off the end of his bat.

“I got a fastball down the middle, I figured I should probably swing,” Gunderson said, laughing.

The St Malo product added throughout his time at Charlotte in the NCAA his coaches gave him the green light to swing on 3-0 counts, to great effect.

A delicious fundraiser for firefighting

It wasn’t the smell of smoke that attracted so much attention in Landmark on June 6, but rather the aroma of fresh coffee and cooking sausages that brought the public out to the local fire station.

“Nobody even notices the first batch of pancakes were a little overdone,” says Marie Marshall who is a regular attendee of the event and is kept busy trying to ration the syrup her three grandchildren, Liam, Nora and Lilly are drowning their breakfast in.

The annual event brings in around 900 supporters for the day and provides a terrific outing for everyone in the community, particularly the kids who get the chance to consume all the maple syrup they can handle while checking out the crew’s gear and even practice some “hose work” under the watchful eye of the station’s crew.

Sparky, the fire service’s mascot and bravely played on this already hot morning by firefighter Trevor Braun along with his assistant and “hydrater” Chris Biddulph, makes sure there are only wide eyes and smiles as people wait for their turn to get at the “high-flipped flap jacks.”

Commissioner Saurette reflects on historic MJHL season

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League boasted the best junior A hockey team in the country this season, as the Niverville Nighthawks were crowned Centennial Cup champions after winning the league.

After the traditional celebration with players swarming their goaltender, MJHL commissioner Kevin Saurette was on hand, proud as can be to help present the Nighthawks with their gold medals.

“They’ve conducted themselves on and off the ice very positively and it reflects very well on the MJHL,” Saurette said just before the start of the final game.

“We know we have a very strong league… We’ve sent six different champions to this event, every year they make the playoff rounds. It’s really nice to see Niverville get over that hump.”