Steinbach

Niverville's Brett Buors and his family had to wait a bit, but it was all worth it when he saw his name come up, selected by the Prince George Cougars in the recent WHL draft, sending the defender and his supporters into celebration.

Evacuees from Woodridge are back home now—and for one resident, the realization of what could have been hits hard.

"All the homes in our town had been spared, and our town had been spared. But speaking with the firefighters, they said it was the closest call they have ever had," says Cheryl Wilson-Janz. "If the winds and rain hadn't come, then they think they probably would have lost the town within the hour."

Wilson-Janz, who is a member of the Woodridge Community Club, says when the town was ordered to evacuate, it was extremely difficult.

Council for the Rural Municipality of Hanover has slashed its grant budget for 2025.

This year, Council will be awarding $31,750 in grants through their annual financial plan. This does not include ward discretionary grants. There are 12 recipients this year. The list includes:

It’s a bittersweet time for the City of Steinbach as a long-time and dedicated employee prepares to retire. 

Randy Reimer, Manager of the Public Works Department, has been a cornerstone of the city’s operations for the past 31 years.  

Over the decades, he has helped maintain Steinbach’s roads, streets, sidewalks, public drainage, and much more, ensuring residents have a safe and well-kept community to call home. 

"Customers and staff are something I'm going to miss just incredibly much."

Kathleen Dueck made that comment just days after handing over the keys to the new owners of Coffee Culture in Steinbach.

In June 2015, Dueck and her husband Bryan opened their new cafe on Steinbach Main Street. Dueck says the two of them had recently moved to Steinbach and felt the city lacked a cafe. The opportunity presented itself for a Coffee Culture restaurant in downtown Steinbach and the Duecks took the opportunity to pursue it. 

Rural municipalities (RM) in the southeast are re-evaluating fire restrictions now that rain has touched the region.

JC Normandeau, fire chief for the RM of La Broquerie, says they're knocking restrictions down from level three—a complete ban—to level two.

That means fires are only allowed in approved receptacles, such as firepits, and no open fires are permitted.

A fire that destroyed a home west of Lorette Saturday has been ruled accidental.

Allan Rau is Chief of the Tache Fire Department. He says a passerby noticed smoke coming from the attic of the home and called 911 at around 8:30 pm. Rau says crews arrived to find the main floor engulfed in fire, with flames shooting through the attic. 

According to Rau, the homeowner was away at the time, and nobody was hurt in the blaze. 

Rau has provided a damage estimate of $350,000. 

With files from Kenton Dyck

A spring survey to gauge consumer opinions about food pricing, buying habits and values found affordability the top concern

Whether people throw steaks or hot dogs on the barbecue this summer could reflect how they feel about their food spending.

A new report from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University found increasing anxiety about food affordability compared to last fall.

Deferred grazing, a practice that involves delaying livestock grazing until after key growing seasons, is a valuable strategy for preserving and enhancing native prairie ecosystems. Unlike continuous or early-season grazing, deferred grazing allows native grasses and forbs the opportunity to complete their life cycles, set seed, and recover from previous disturbances. This approach brings a range of environmental, ecological, and even economic benefits that support both sustainable ranching and grassland conservation. 

A motorist from Woodridge was caught driving with three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system, during the middle of the afternoon.

Steinbach RCMP responded to the incident Sunday at 3:38 pm. Police say a vehicle landed in the ditch at the intersection of Provincial Roads 302 and 303, about three miles south of La Broquerie. 

A 43-year-old male from Woodridge now faces charges of driving while impaired. Police say breath samples were more than three times the legal limit.

No further details are available.