Westman

Funeral For:  Cornie Thiessen 
Funeral Date: October 9, 2024 
Cornie Thiessen, 87 of Steinbach formerly of Hadashville, passed away Wednesday, October 2nd at Rest Haven Care Home. He is survived by 1 daughter, 4 sons, and their families. He was predeceased by his wife Mary and 1 grandson. 
The funeral service for Cornie Thiessen will be held Wednesday, October 9th at 11am at Ridgewood Church, Giroux with burial at the church cemetery.  
Viewing will be at Birchwood Funeral Chapel Tuesday, October 8th at 7pm and at the church prior to the service. 

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.

Here is a look at some of the major developments in Canada related to the conflict.

Oct. 7, 2023 — Hamas-led militants launched air and ground attacks on Israel, killing nearly 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages. The attacks, followed hours later by Israeli counterattacks in the Gaza Strip, marked the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas war. 

The host Broncos defeated Elm Creek 25-23, 25-15 in the final of the Boissevain varsity girls high school volleyball tournament. Neelin boys and Vincent Massey girls captured the Viking Classic varsity volleyball tournaments in Brandon. The Spartans swept Vincent Massey  25-23, 25-23 in the boys final while the Vikings beat Reston 25-15, 25-16 in the girls final. The Warren Wildcats defeated the Carberry Cougars 25-15, 25-22 in the final of the Killarney Raiders junior varsity girls volleyball tournament.

Thousands of kids across Canada benefit from 4-H programming each year.

Ben Graham, chair of the Canadian 4-H Foundation says 4-H has an enormous impact on our youth.

"It's about team building, learning parliamentary procedure, how you run a meeting, and how to public speak. It's about how to manage projects, whether it's computers or dogs - canine, whether it's beef cattle. It's a real diverse opportunity for kids to learn skills that help them become better leaders and contributors to their community."

Beyond Ready is this year's theme for National 4-H Week.

The Canadian Crop Hail Association member companies are investigating 630 claims of crop damage from isolated storms that hit farms across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan during the week of September 16-22.

Rodney Schoettler of Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance noted that September brought an unexpected surge in claims:

He says the claim count is much higher than typical [for this time of year] and the severity of losses at this stage is costly to producers and insurers.

Farmers are making some good progress with the harvest. 

The latest crop reports show in Manitoba, 73 per cent of the provincial crop is now in. 

This week's crop report shows there's still some spring wheat, barley and oats to come in.

The canola harvest is now at 78 percent complete, dry beans are at 60 per cent, soybeans at 29 percent,  17 per cent of the flax is now in with the corn harvest just getting underway in Eastern Manitoba.

In Saskatchewan, 91 per cent of the crop is now in with harvest most advanced in the southwest at 99  per cent complete.

Brandon cyclist, Grant Hamilton, will be peddling in the ride of a lifetime as a participant in Tour 21, a charity ride officially affiliated with the Tour de France.

Hamilton announced this past Wednesday that he has been selected as one of 25 amateur cyclists from around the world for the 2025 Tour 21, the only charity ride officially affiliated with the Tour de France. The fully supported ride, which does in fact take place in France, will follow the same route and distance as the professional race, exactly one week earlier.

STARS Air Ambulance mobile training unit spent Thursday and Friday in Killarney last week to participate in the Al Babiuk Memorial Fundraiser for STARS and to raise money for purchasing a ventilator for Killarney's Tri-Lake Health Centre. 

Emotional mourners gathered by the hundreds in cities across Canada on Sunday to honour the victims of Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the still raging war in Gaza and roiled tensions in the Middle East and beyond.

In the nation's capital, a sea of Israeli flags could be seen draped over participants in front of Ottawa City Hall, with Canadian flags waving alongside them as they called for the release of hostages still being held in Gaza.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly reiterated calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East on Saturday as he blamed Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel for a staggering number of civilian deaths.

But Trudeau stopped short of outright condemning Israel for beginning a ground war days after the Israeli military crossed the border into southern Lebanon.

"We need to see peace in the region," Trudeau said from Paris on the final day of the Francophonie summit.