Steinbach

This past weekend was filled with soccer across three different locations as Eastman Youth Soccer League held their year-end tournaments in four different age groups, once again showing how the sport continues to grow across the province. 

"It's a big event for us, the EYSL season-end tournament," explains Brian Froese, President and Chair of Hanover Soccer Club. "Steinbach hosted the U13 and U18 age groups, Beausejour had the U11 and Niverville at the U15 age groups."

Chris Funk, known on stage as The Wonderist, is bringing his signature mix of magic and music to the Southeast Event Centre this Friday, and for the Manitoba-born performer, it feels like a heartfelt return.

"I spent most of my life in Winnipeg with roots near Steinbach – my parents are from the Grunthal area and the Arnaud area – and I went to school in Gretna," Funk says. "So this really is a homecoming."

Manitoba's Filipino community organizations received a big boost in funding from the province.

Labour and Immigration Minister, Malaya Marcelino, announced that the Manitoba government is investing $900,000 in three organizations across the province.

Steinbach Regional Secondary School is celebrating 450 students crossing the stage this year. 

Vice Principal Greg Sawatzky says this year marks the largest graduating class in SRSS history, and the numbers are expected to keep climbing. 

He adds that this graduating class formed a strong bond within the school community. 

Ten local organizations have received a total of $115,371.07 in grants from the Steinbach Community Foundation (SCF) at an award night last week. 

Each year, charities apply for funding, and after careful discussion, the SCF board selects the successful applicants. This year, one of the foundation’s goals was to fully fund selected projects, rather than contributing just a portion. 

After a few tough years, the Mennonite Collegiate Institute's (MCI) Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to pause operations of the private Christian school effective the end of June.  

MCI is an Anabaptist Christian high school (gr. 9-12) located south of Altona in Gretna, Manitoba. The school was founded in 1889 and in those 136 years it attracted students from all over southern Manitoba, including many from here in the Southeast. 

Manitoba has lifted its provincewide state of emergency. 

Premier Wab Kinew announced that as of Monday at noon, the state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act has been rescinded as many Manitobans have started to make their way home. Kinew says though we are still in a very serious situation, battling the wildfires is something that can be done through "normal government powers." He adds it is important to have a light touch when it comes to something as serious as declaring a state of emergency. 

Grade 7s and 8s from all HSD schools gathered for Soccer Day in Steinbach's’ Soccer Park. 

Some families gathered on the sidelines to support their kids and enjoy the cool weather.  

One gym teacher and organizer, Trevor Paton, says that this is an amazing way for people  access sports without the worry of scheduling after school programming. 

Canada's supply managed sector is breathing a sigh of relief with the passage of Bill C-202 which protects it from any further concessions in future trade talks.

An identical bill died on the order paper in the last session but this time moved quickly through Parliament and the Senate, before receiving Royal Assent last week.

The Dairy Farmers of Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Egg Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada, and the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers issued a joint statement supporting the legislation. 

A farmer in the Randolph area says they are very happy with the rain that fell Sunday. 

Kevin Peters of Herbsigwil Farms says they are growing crops around Randolph and then also in the Zhoda/ Marchand region. This year they seeded fall rye, spring wheat, canola, soybeans, corn, and sunflowers. 

Peters says prior to Sunday's rain, most of their crops were looking quite good. However, he notes they were starting to show some signs of stress from a lack of moisture.