Steinbach

Funeral For: Sidney Koop 
Funeral Date: September 4, 2025 
Sidney Koop, 79, of Landmark passed away Saturday, August 30th at Rest Haven Care Home. He is survived by his wife Dora, 1 daughter, 1 son and their families. 
The celebration of life for Sidney Koop will be held Thursday, September 4th 6pm at Birchwood Funeral Chapel with a private ash interment at a later date. 
Donations may be made to ALS Manitoba. 
Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel. 

Funeral For: Cornelius Wieler 
Funeral Date: September 5, 2025 
Cornelius Wieler, 87, of Vita passed away Saturday, August 30th at Bethesda Regional health centre, Steinbach. He is survived by his wife Diane Wieler, 4 daughters, 1 son and their families. 
The funeral service for Cornelius Wieler will be held Friday, September 5th 2pm at Birchwood Funeral Chapel with burial at Vita Sommerfeld Church Cemetery. 
Viewing will be at Birchwood Funeral Chapel prior to the service. 

Federal public servants were less likely to call in sick to work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, new government data shows.

The figures shared by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat indicate that in 2020-21, when the pandemic had most office employees working entirely remotely, the average number of sick days for the public service was 5.9.

That number grew to 8.1 in 2021-22, 8.8 in 2022-23 and 9.2 days in 2023-24.

New research on a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu — a small portion of which should arrive in Canada soon — is offering a glimpse into how it came to be.

Studies published in Nature Astronomy and Nature Geoscience last week offer some insight into the granules that were collected and brought to Earth in September 2023 as part of NASA-led OSIRIS-REx mission.

Lyss Houde has been a growing voice in hockey throughout Manitoba for a while now, and the gifted host has taken her talents to the world of podcasting where she is talking about important issues with people who are educated and passionate about the game.

How it all got started

After online research, Erica Fast found that the chance of finding a blue leopard frog is approximately one in a million.  

While the number is difficult to determine definitively, all sources agree that what Fast found hopping across her backyard recently as she was mowing the lawn is a highly uncommon sight: a leopard frog with a unique blue hue.  

Manitoba Agriculture Critic Jeff Bereza says canola farmers are facing one of the most uncertain seasons in decades. He points to the crop’s importance, noting that its very name traces back to Canada. 

“One of the reasons is this is one of the only crops or the only crop that actually had its origin here in Manitoba. And just to give everybody an idea, just the name canola basically comes from Canada can and the oil Ola,” notes Bereza. 

The Steinbach Chamber of Commerce and Eastman Immigrant Services welcomed Minister Malaya Marcelino to discuss immigration challenges and solutions for the growing community.

Chamber emphasizes collaboration

Tessa Masi, executive director at the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce, says direct engagement with provincial leaders is helping strengthen immigration support in the region.

Classes for the Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine (DSFM) are set to start on Tuesday, September 2nd, and Superintendent Alain Laberge says the division is ready, after what he calls “a very busy summer.” 

“We are putting the final touches on our newest school in Sage Creek, Winnipeg, along with many schools getting air condition repairs, new paint, and then there’s the regular summer maintenance projects. Altogether, over $1-million was spent. So yes, a lot of work this summer.”

There are a pair of upcoming come-try-hockey events in Steinbach focused on young players and girls, helping promote the growth of the sport in the community.

On Sunday, September 14, the Steinbach Minor Hockey Association is hosting a Girls Try Hockey session for ages 5 to 14 at 1 p.m. at the Southeast Event Centre, followed by a U9 Come Try Hockey event at 3 p.m. at the TG Smith Arena. Both events are free and designed to introduce new players to the sport in a supportive environment.