Steinbach

It's been a solid weekend of ball in Friedensfeld, as the U13 AAA Eastman Wildcats host provincials, and after a strong round robin, the Wildcats are in a great position heading into double-elimination playoff Sunday.

The Bank of Canada has largely kept to the sidelines as it tries to get a sense of how U.S. tariffs will impact the economy — and some economists think it might just stay there.

After a quarter-point cut in March, the central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.75 per cent in April and June.

With last month's jobs figures showing a surprise gain and core inflation levels holding steady at around three per cent, economists now broadly expect the central bank will continue its holding pattern at its next decision on July 30.

The Jake Epp Public Library in Steinbach is offering a wide range of free summer programming for children, and staff say the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. 

Logan Plett, youth program coordinator at the library, says they’re currently running up to 27 programs each week to keep local kids engaged, learning and having fun during the summer months. 

During Tuesday evening’s Steinbach City Council meeting, Councillor Bill Hiebert opened with remarks about Canada Day, sharing his reflections on the country’s growth, cultural diversity and international reputation as a place of opportunity.

Hiebert said he was inspired by citizenship ceremonies held across Canada on July 1, celebrating new Canadians who now call this country home. He shared population data and personal stories to highlight the impact of immigration and the values that make Canada attractive to newcomers.

Coin collecting has become a meaningful hobby for one local teen. 

How it started 

Otto Goertzen, a Grade 11 student from Steinbach, says his interest in coins began back in Grade 2. 

Environment Canada meteorologist Crawford Luke says wildfire smoke can definitely have an impact on the development of thunderstorms — especially when it blocks out sunlight and prevents surface temperatures from hitting key thresholds. 

The first annual Pickle and Cheese Tournament brought together pickleball players in New Bothwell today.   

Pickleball is a growing sport. Organizer Aleksandr Trinkies says running the tournament was an opportunity to bring people together.  

“So, to be able to kind of bring people together and do something like this and watch other people having all the fun in the world. And it also grows the game. It grows the community.  

Air quality warnings are in effect for much of Manitoba this weekend as wildfire smoke continues to linger over the region.

Environment Canada says much of the province will be dealing with poor conditions, with Winnipeg expected to see an air quality health index rating of over 10 by Saturday night.

The agency says the very high risk conditions in Winnipeg, as well as Flin Flon in northwestern Manitoba, are expected to last throughout the weekend.

Funeral For:  Constance Denyse Connie Goertzen 
Funeral Date: July 25, 2025 
Constance Denyse Connie Goertzen, 63, of Winnipeg passed away Monday, July 14th at Winnipeg. She is survived by her husband Ken, 3 sons: Matthew (Sarah), Allan and Eric, her mother Anne and stepdad Jake Sawatzky, and her brother Douglas. She was predeceased by her father Ben Krahn. 
The celebration of life for Constance Denyse Connie Goertzen will be held Friday, July 25th at 2pm at Glen Lawn Funeral Home, 455 Lagimodiere Boulevard, with burial at Glen Lawn Cemetery. 

The 2025 wildfire season is already one of the worst on record for Canada and there is a high risk that more fires will break out in August, federal officials said on Friday.

More than 5.5 million hectares of land have burned so far this year, more than double the 10-year average for mid-July.

That is still well behind the record fire season in 2023, when more than 6,000 fires burned more than 15 million hectares of land.

There were 561 fires burning as of Friday, including 69 that were considered out of control.