Robyn Wiebe

Thursday small businesses gathered at Winkler's Quality Inn for a luncheon to connect and be inspired by those working alongside them in the community to provide the many services the city has to offer. 

Winkler Chamber Board Chair Hank Froese took time to celebrate the coming together of so many people working and running small businesses. 

A social media post caught the eye of Pembina Valley Online and many other people as the region experienced its first taste of winter.  

A picture of newcomer students at École Morden Middle School standing by the sign in front of the school with the caption, "The first EVER snowfall for this group of Blazers!" reminded many who brace themselves for one more cold, snowy winter, for some, this is a new and exciting experience for many. 

A full room of people leaned in as presenters from MCC and Genesis House took time to talk about a topic not many pastors feel equipped to handle when victims of domestic violence open-up about their abuse. 

Genesis House Executive Director Ang Braun said this education day was filtered through the Christian lens and how important the pastoral response is to people in domestic violence or intimate partner violence situations. 

Pembina Valley Childcare Centre (PVCC) families received a note recently, sharing news that will affect 40 school age children in care at Morden Daycare, starting next school year. 

PVCC Executive Director Shuana Richards explained. 

A group of representatives from nonprofit organizations gathered in the Morden Community Thrift Store Monday morning anxiously awaiting the fall cheque presentations.  

Board Chair Kent Noel explained why it wasn't as much as normally given out in past years. 

A Drive Away Hunger food drive earlier this month had the community come together to meet an urgent need for the Rhineland and Area Food Bank.

Spokesperson, Ang Stoesz, was pleased with how the community showed its support. 

"It was very good. We had a lot of youth helping, we had a lot of people volunteering to help us put away, and when the truckloads of food started coming, they just kept coming. So that's great." 

Stoesz described the food bank shelves before the food drive.  

The Red River Technical Vocational Area (RRTVA) program celebrates its 50th year in 2023.  

In 1973, it was a joint venture agreement signed by four area schools' divisions. Before school boards were amalgamated in 2000, the divisions who formed the RRTVA were Boundary School Division in Dominion City, Red River School Division in Saint Pierre, Morris-Macdonald School Division and Rhineland School Division in Altona.  

RRTVA Board Chair Gail Sutherland shared the significance of reaching this milestone. 

Southern Health-Santé Sud recognized full-time, part-time and casual staff at last week's AGM. Two registered nurses from the Lorne Memorial Hospital were given Quality Service Awards. Recipients of this award are staff who make extraordinary contributions and achievements and who extend their efforts beyond the day-to-day issues and share gifts of compassion, patience, kindness and professionalism. Nominations are made by their peers. 

CEO Jane Curtis shared why Christine Gundrum was chosen for this award.  

After the overwhelming response to Pap Day at Morden Menzies Medical Centre (MMC) in Spring, the clinic is offering an entire month for anyone with a cervix between the ages of twenty-one and sixty-nine who are sexually active, to book an appointment with a female doctor or nurse practitioner for a Pap test. 

Doctor Leanne Nause said the team saw a need to expand the availability for the entire month of October. 

Morden residents only need to hang on a short while longer until the Alvey Street and Parkhill Drive bridges reopen. After overland flooding in the Spring of 2022 wiped out both bridges, they have been closed to foot and vehicle traffic, requiring residents to use alternative ways to access homes and routes in those two areas of Morden.  

Deputy City Manager of Operations Santokh Randawa said today (October 16th), the Alvey Street bridge will be paved and Tuesday it's Parkhill's turn.