Jayme Giesbrecht

John and Irene Plantz, along with their banjo-playing friend Jon Penner, recently blessed the community with their gospel harmonies at our Farmer Appreciation Lunch. Performing under the name “Rooted in Him,” the group brings heartfelt music, ministry, and encouragement to every stage and gathering they attend.

Tim Hortons Camp Day is back on Wednesday, July 16th, with all proceeds from hot coffee, iced coffee, specialty Camp Day donuts, and bracelets going toward sending local youth to life-changing camp experiences.

Summer is in full swing at the South Central Regional Library's Winkler branch, and summer programmer John Burnabe is helping bring a whole new level of excitement to reading and learning.

Burnabe began in June and has already built lasting memories. "My most memorable thing working there right now is actually working at the workshops with the kids… building relationships and having fun with them."

He added, "With the program we're doing, I feel like it's really up there. It really helps motivate them to read."

Lee Siemens, a Registered Massage Therapist who works out of Winkler has officially smashed his personal running record at Old Tom’s Backyard Ultra Marathon, completing a remarkable 15 loops—an impressive 100.1 kilometers—at the event held near Blumenort on July 5th.

The Backyard Ultra is no ordinary race. “You run 4.1667 miles or 6.7 kilometers every hour,” Siemens explains. “Then, with the time remaining, you sit down, rest, eat up, and then you do it all again at the top of the next hour.”

Members of the Slavic Baptist Church youth group recently attended the Manitoba Passion Play for what proved to be a moving and memorable experience — with several first-time attendees deeply impacted by seeing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus portrayed on stage.

“It was like I was in the time of Jesus”

For youth leader Ivan, it was his first time attending a Passion Play.

As recent thunderstorms rolled through southern Manitoba, local storm chaser and photographer Joey Siemens shares his passion for photographing extreme weather and the landscapes of the Pembina Valley.

What began as a small gathering of five women on the eve of the COVID-19 lockdown has blossomed into a vital support hub for women in the Altona area. Robyn Sierks, Bertha Wiebe, and Nadine Klassen, co-founders of the Love Well Women’s Drop-In Centre, reflected on how it started.

Local punk artist Garry "EzRa" Doell is back with a high-energy anthem for summer, teaming up with bassist and longtime musician Andy Elias for a fresh chapter in the Pembina Valley music scene. Their latest release, Summer Vacation, follows Doell’s tongue-in-cheek debut single Skool Sucks, creating a soundtrack for every kid’s favourite time of year.

“I kind of thought of Summer Vacation as like a sequel to School Sucks,” said Doell. “It’s the thing that every kid looks forward to… whether they love school or not.”

From whimsical frogs with umbrellas to master-style portraits, Jane Unruh Thiesen brings a unique artistic flair to her role as Program Assistant at Winkler Arts and Culture (WAC). Having been with WAC for about a year, Unruh Thiesen helps plan events, find instructors, and bring creative programming to life for all ages.

The Manitoba Passion Play returns for its 25th season, offering audiences a moving retelling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—staged in the heart of the Pembina Valley at the Oak Valley Outdoor Theatre near La Rivière.