Ayesha Badiola

ROC (Recreation Opportunities for Children) Eastman aims to provide opportunities for children to explore different activities and find their passions.    

Executive Director Moni Loewen and her team serve families from southeastern Manitoba and beyond, stretching from Lac du Bonnet to the U.S. border.   

Looking back on this year, pandemic restrictions and rising costs placed barriers on their mission.   

It’s been a year of growth, excitement and community for Pat Porter Active Living Centre. 

After two years of working in an empty building, Executive Director Audrey Harder and her team were allowed to finally open their doors and get back into being active together. In addition, they have been able to host events such as tea parties, dances, Lunch and Learn, and the annual Christmas Banquet. 

It has been another successful year for Steinbach Family Resource Centre.

Executive Director Jo-Anne Dalton reflects on their impact on the community this year. 

“What stands out the most is how many families have come through our doors. We are seeing record numbers of families needing support and then just what they're accessing in terms of our programs and resources that we have available, and how we're trying to grow to meet that need, which has been really great,” Dalton said. 

Most residents of southeastern Manitoba are no strangers to winter driving, however, for young drivers and those new to colder climates, winter driving is a whole new ball game. 

John Janzen of Janzen's Garage in Blumenort shares his tips and tricks for vehicle maintenance and staying safe on the roads. 

“I would probably start off with making sure that you know that your oil is good and you've done a proper winter service or winter oil change," notes Janzen, adding it is also a good idea to make sure your antifreeze is all topped up.

This weekend, tables are lined up at Clearspring Centre for the Christmas Toy, Collectible, Vintage and Antique Show. 

Chris Kulczynski is this year’s organizer. After having success as a vendor, he decided to make it a show. 

There are over 80 tables and visitors from all over southern Manitoba. 

“We're getting people from Winnipeg, people from Altona, people from Morden and it's just going great,” 

When in need of answers, or during this time of the year, Halloween costume ideas, many turn to Google. 

Google keeps track of trending costume ideas. This year, witches took the top spot, followed by Spider-Man and dinosaurs.  

From the hit drama series “Stranger Things” to cheerleaders and cowboys, the list ranges. Many are even looking to pay tribute to the 80s. 

In need of last-minute costume ideas? Here are the top 15 most-Googled costume ideas this year. 

Two rural libraries recently received funding from the Government of Manitoba.  

Ron Schuler, MLA for Springfield-Ritchot, announced annual funding for Springfield Public Library and Bibliotheque Ritchot Library, in commitment to supporting public libraries. 

Springfield received $157,846.06 from the Government of Manitoba and $5,130.60 from the Rural Library Technological Sustainability Grant program.

With high school volleyball playoffs and provincials nearing, the Steinbach Regional Sabres varsity teams remain on top. 

Both the varsity girls’ and boys’ teams are ranked first in AAAA and have kept their spots since the beginning of October.  

The boys’ team has remained undefeated in league play and has won two tournaments. Head Coach Joe Thiessen commends the team for their success and progress beyond the scoreboard.  

This past Tuesday, Steinbach City Council Candidates participated in the Municipal Election Forum hosted by the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce.

If you would like to re-watch the forum, the full video can be found at the bottom of this story. 

Questions were submitted by the public and curated by the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce.  

The seven candidates had an opportunity to dive into a number of election issues including this question about transportation:

The Steinbach Regional Sabres football squads held their annual homecoming games this past Thursday. They took on the Grant Park Pirates at A.D. Penner Park. 

The Sabres JV team remained close in the first half, but the Pirates slipped away with the score of 34-18. The varsity team was kept off the scoresheet, finishing with a 16-0 loss.  

The 12th season was celebrated with bouncers, barbecue and a packed crowd.