Steinbach

Fires near Bird River and Ingolf, Ontario continue to burn out of control.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) says the Bird River fire is approximately 188,441 hectares in size. Provincial Road (PR) 315 is closed at Hill Road in the Bird River area, with no travel beyond that point to Nopiming Provincial Park and onward up to PR 314 and Bissett. Mandatory evacuation is now in place for Bissett. The evacuation order for the remainder of the Rural Municipality of Alexander was lifted at 10 am Sunday and residents have returned to their homes. 

Funeral For:  Philip Doerksen 
Funeral Date: June 5, 2025 
Philip Doerksen, 80, of Winnipeg passed away Thursday, May 29th at his residence. He is survived by his wife Carol, 1 daughter, and 1 son. The funeral service for Philip Doerksen will be held Thursday, June 5th at 2pm at Morrow Gospel Church, 755 St. Anne’s Road, with ash interment at a later date. 
Viewing will be at the church prior to the service. 
Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach.  
 

Funeral For:  John F. Loeppky 
Funeral Date: June 8, 2025 
John F. Loeppky, 87, of Niverville passed away Thursday, May 29th at St. Boniface Hospital. He is survived by 2 daughters and 1 son. He was predeceased by his wife Helen. 
A memorial service for John F. Loeppky will be held Sunday, June 8th at 2pm at Birchwood Funeral Chapel with interment prior to the service at 12 (noon) at Hespeler Cemetery, Niverville.  
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cancer Care Manitoba. 
Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach.  

Funeral For:  Paul Naherniak 
Funeral Date: June 6, 2025 
Paul Naherniak, 88, of Trentham passed away Wednesday, May 28th at Grunthal Menno Home. He is survived by his wife Mary, 1 son, 4 sisters, 2 brothers, and their families. He was predeceased by 1 brother. 
The funeral service for Paul Naherniak will be held Friday, June 6th at 11am at Birchwood Funeral Chapel with bural at Rosa Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery. 
Viewing will be at the chapel prior to the service. 
Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach.  

UPDATE 8:30 am

Environment Canada has now issued an Air Quality Warning for all of southern Manitoba for Monday. 

Smoke from wildfires in northern Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan is causing very poor air quality and reduced visibility. 

The smoke will improve in most locations this morning, once the rain starts.

It notes that as smoke levels increase, health risks increase, and residents are asked to limit their time outdoors and consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities, and events. 

As emergency officials work to find hotel space for wildfire evacuees on the Prairies, a Manitoba Indigenous group says it has welcomed residents from the Pimicikamak Cree Nation at a hotel in Niagara Falls, Ont.

The organization, which represents Indigenous peoples in Manitoba, said in a social media post that the first of the evacuees from Pimicikamak were greeted Sunday at the airport in Hamilton with snacks and drinks before being loaded onto a bus for the last portion of their trip.

Canada's premiers are heading into to a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saskatoon Monday armed with their wish lists for major "nation-building" projects that could buttress the economy in the face of a U.S. trade war.

Carney asked the premiers to each pass on five suggestions for national infrastructure projects, and Monday's meeting will aim to identify the ones that will make the final cut to be fast tracked using legislation Ottawa may introduce as early as this week.

Steinbach Christian School is celebrating 75 years of providing Christ-centred education, a milestone that has brought generations of alumni, staff, students and community members together to reflect on the school's growth and enduring values. 

What began in 1949 as a small educational institution tied closely to Steinbach Bible College has since expanded to nearly 500 students and 48 staff members, with grades now ranging from kindergarten to Grade 12. 

While they were playing some elite ball heading into the provincials in Stonewall this past weekend, the smaller schools St. Joachim/Réal-Bérard were perhaps viewed as underdogs, but the team was relentless both at the plate in the field on their way to capturing the fastpitch provincial title.

Head Coach Pat Tetrault says he's still soaking in that his team are the provincial champs. "It feels fantastic," Tetrault says with a big smile. "I got to say, it's been pretty amazing."

The City of Steinbach is urging the Province of Manitoba and the Max Rady College of Medicine to take bold steps to address the ongoing rural doctor shortage, calling for a new rural admissions stream that would reserve 15 medical student seats annually for future rural family physicians.