Former vet clinic damaged in Sunday fire

There was a fire Sunday at the former South-East Veterinary Clinic along Highway 52.

La Broquerie Fire Chief J.C. Normandeau says their crews were called to the scene at 12:17 pm. He notes flames could be seen coming through the roof.

According to Normandeau, firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly, but not before fire damaged the attic and back of the building. He thinks the structure can probably be salvaged.

Manitoba's active wildfire count jumps to 81, and Nopiming fire grows

Most of Manitoba is under a high fire danger level, as per the most recent wildfire update from the provincial government.

Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister responsible for the Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) says there are 81 active wildfires in the province—a jump from the 64 reported on Friday.

Of those, she says 16 fires are threatening communities, primarily in northern Manitoba.

U15 Eastman Wildcats continue impressive season with strong showing in Mankato

The Eastman Wildcats continued their strong season by finishing 2nd out of 23 teams at the Mankato Peppers Classic this past weekend.

Finished runner-up in the Gold Bracket, losing their only game of the tournament and their season in the gold medal game. 

The club went 8-1 at the tournament and combining that with their regular season record, they are now 39-1.

In pool play, they won 11-0 over Mississippi Valley Pride, 15-4 over ISA Royal, 4-0 against Dakota Mayhem, 8-4 over Gamblers Gold, 3-1 vs host Mankato Peppers Richards and 1-0 against MN Havoc.

Team effort and long hours bring vintage wagon back to life at Loewen Body Shop

More than 100 hours of love and labour has gone into an unusual, but exciting, project at Loewen Body Shop in Steinbach.

Josh Loewen with the shop says an old wagon was brought in from another part of the province for restoration.

"I thought it was just going to be a quick paint job or whatever, and it turned into much more than that," Loewen says, noting around three to four members of the shop's team were involved in the process.

Women’s rugby finds strong footing in Steinbach with new Eastman team

The Eastman Women’s Rugby Team is seeing rapid growth and unexpected enthusiasm as they prepare for their first competitive season next year. 

Coach Isi Masi says the team started with just five women earlier this year, but that number has quickly grown to 20 — most of whom are new to the sport.

City upgrades sewer system to support Steinbach’s future growth

Steinbach City Council has given final approval to a $6.5 million upgrade to Lift Station 1, a key part of the city’s wastewater infrastructure. The decision came Tuesday evening during the July 2 council meeting, where councillors passed third reading of Bylaw 2255, enabling the project to move forward. 

No disruptions expected this summer at ER in Steinbach or Ste. Anne

Emergency rooms (ERs) in Steinbach and Ste. Anne are expected to continue with their regular hours of operation this summer. That is according to Dr. Timothy Gosselin, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Southern Health-Sante Sud. 

The ER at Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week. In Ste. Anne, their ER is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm.