CF Valencia returns to Steinbach

One of the most historic clubs in Spanish football returned to Steinbach to host a development camp for the second consecutive year.

CF Valencia was at the Steinbach Soccer Park, providing elite-level coaching for youth players from across the province last week.

The camp was led by Miguel Monge Mateus, who coaches for Valencia’s academy in Spain. The club is investing more and more in Canada, hosting summer camps in Moncton and Steinbach, alongside establishing a permanent campus in Montreal.

“I’m loving it,” Monge Mateus said.

Landmark celebrates Friendship Festival

The community of Landmark celebrated their annual Friendship Festival, kicking off the festivities on July 26 with the parade.

Mennonite Heritage Village exhibit celebrates the Anabaptist movement

An exhibit commemorating the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism will be coming to the Mennonite Heritage Village next month.

“Through this exhibition our aim is to remember God’s work and history and the journey of the Church of Christ and the beginnings of the anabaptist movement. The convictions of our spiritual forefathers and their courage to act accordingly challenges us today to examine our own faith and commitment,” said exhibit representative Marcel Regehr.

On Fire for Christ will examine the history and the impact of Anabaptism.

Anabaptism began in 1525 during the Radical Reformation, which perceived corruption in the Catholic Church and in the expanding Protestant movement led by Martin Luther and others.

COLUMN: Village News – Cottonwoods, poetry, fire, and more

Pioneer Days has been an annual celebration in Steinbach since Mennonite Heritage Village opened as a museum 61 years ago. Demonstrating pioneer activities have always been important, like threshing grain using the steam engine, or doing fieldwork using horses to pull the farm equipment, or baking bread in an outdoor oven and spinning wool in a heritage home. These activities remind us of the way our communities began and developed in the early years of settlement in Manitoba.

Gathering as a community to share these experiences, to recall stories of our grandparents, our great grandparents, and our great great grandparents, and to eat waffles with white sauce or Vereneke with Schmauntfat and Rhubarb Plautz, provides the foundation for understanding our roots and for building a growing, caring community. Pioneer Days encourages conversations between older and younger generations, passing on stories, values and traditions.

The program this year has all the usual features, including an Old Colony Worship Service on Sunday at 10 a.m. and a Sunday afternoon horse show where drivers and horse teams demonstrate skills needed to accomplish the work in a pioneer community. We will also host a Saengerfest service on Sunday afternoon in the auditorium at 3 p.m., featuring a choir and congregational hymn singing. But we have some added features as well.

Where the Cottonwoods Grow is a 70-minute feature film created for the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Mennonites to southern Manitoba and it will be shown on Saturday and Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the MHV Auditorium. The film starts with the origins of the Anabaptist movement in Europe and tells the story of why Mennonites came to Canada in the 1870’s. MHV is glad to offer two shows during the festival weekend.

Pieces of Centennial Arena live on at Southeast Event Centre

Some of the Southeast Event Centre’s (SEC) benches are made from the wooden rafters of the previous building on the property, the Centennial Arena.

The arena was built in 1967 and demolished in June 2023.

Part of its structure was repurposed and is now in the facility that replaced it.

“It goes far beyond sports,” said Michelle Sawatzky-Koop, director of communications marketing & sales of SEC.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1992: Child Amps ambassador works to master links

Far from being at a disadvantage, War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) David Morin of Monominto appears to have a leg up on the competition. Undaunted by a lawn mower accident, which cost him part of his right leg seven years ago, the 10-year-old makes up in determination and enthusiasm for anything he may lack in physical prowess.

He will be moving on to grade five at Ste Anne School this fall, and like many other youngsters, enjoys sports more than the classroom. But when pressed, David admits he is “pretty good at maths.”

Morin says he’s also pretty good at soccer and enjoys hitting a baseball more than fielding one. Now with the help of the Manitoba Professional Golfers Association, which has set him up with custom-made clubs and a tutor to teach him how to use them, Morin has taken up golf.

This summer, when he is not stacking wood for his grandmother at Ross or cleaning his room, drying dishes or taking out the garbage as his share of household duties at home, David plans to spend a lot of his time golfing.

COLUMN: Carillon Flashback June 22, 1988 – Barry Moore crusade draws huge Steinbach crowds again

The Steinbach Barry Moore crusade, which ended Sunday evening, succeeded beyond all expectations, according to organizer Jim Harms. Harms, the chairman of the Southeastern Manitoba Crusade for Christ committee, said the crusade went much better than anyone had anticipated.

The crowd reached a peak of 2,200 Friday, Harms added, noting 600 to 700 youth stayed for a concert following the regular service.

“It was a fun time for the kids, just to be able to sit, listen to music and gab. We’re not exaggerating if we say attendance averaged 1,650 during the eight nights.”

The scandals which rocked the evangelical Christian community in the last year-and-a-half have had little impact on his organization, Canadian evangelist Barry Moore says.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: My sporting memories of Jake Epp

There are thousands of people in Steinbach, across Canada and around the world that have warm memories of the late Jake Epp, who recently passed away.

I have some sporting memories of Jake.

When I was a young kid my dad shared Bomber season tickets with Jake when he was a high school teacher, along with two other guys. Every once in a while, when a ticket was available, I got to go to a game. This was in the Don Jonas, Mini Mack Heron glory days of the Bombers. I don’t remember any specific games, but I do remember the car rides to and from the games, and how nice Jake was to include me in the conversation.

In 1992 when our A&W Pacers Fastball team won the junior fastball provincials and went to the nationals in Hull, Quebec, Jake gave up an afternoon in his incredibly busy and important schedule to give our team a personal tour of the Parliament buildings. Always exceedingly kind, I remember being struck how cool it was and how much pride I felt that a high school teacher from Steinbach was in parliament and a major player in the governance of Canada.

Brooke and Koda’s Iced Tea Stand rings up over 400 sales

Brooke Peters and Marek Hiebert had 415 sales by Thursday mid-afternoon just around three hours before closing, down slightly from last year’s total of 485.

Provincial baseball tournaments in full swing

It was another jam-packed weekend for young baseball players across Manitoba, as the provincial championship season rolls on.

In the 18U AAA provincials the Carillon Sultans battled to a fourth place finish in tier 1, with Winnipeg South and South Central making the finals, which had to be played a day later due to rain. Winnipeg South came out on top, claiming the provincial championship and a spot at nationals.

The re-schedule had an impact on the Winnipeg Senior Baseball League finals, as game one of that series was scheduled to go in Charleswood July 28, which was cancelled to make room for the 18U finals.

The Sultans will actually get a chance to host a game in the finals, as if a game four is needed, it will be in Steinbach Aug. 4. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.