Robyn Wiebe

Last year, when Carman Collegiate teacher, Jacquie Metcalf was diagnosed with cancer, Principal Mary Reimer wanted to give the staff and students an opportunity to show support for her. She made chocolate mustaches to sell in the cafeteria for a couple of weeks in November, for Movember. They raised $1,500 for Cancer Care Manitoba. 

This summer, Reimer was diagnosed with breast cancer, but that didn't stop her from making more chocolates than last year, raising considerably more than to present to the Boundary Trails Health Centre (BTHC) Foundation. 

A new service agreement has been reached between Western School Division (WSD) and Pembina Valley Childcare Centre (PVCC) to provide transportation for students to and from Morden schools and daycares. 

PVCC Past President, Angela Hildebrand, explained with aging vans and discouragement from Manitoba Early Learning and Childcare (MELCC) from providing transportation of kids, they needed to find a safe way to meet the growing need.  

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FMC) met in Ottawa Dec 5th -8th for Advocacy Days. In addition to board meetings, Manitoba FCM Director Brandon Burley said, the purpose was to advocate for priorities and needs of municipalities. 

Burley reported, they talked to MPs from Federal Government and Opposition parties. 

Wednesday night (December 14th), Morden Area Foundation (MAF) held their AGM and Grant Awards Evening, giving out $26,573 to non-profit organizations in and around Morden. 

Board Chair Allison Braun announced four new funds to the foundation this year. 

“We have 4 new funds with the Morden Area Foundation. The Dorothy and Isaac Kroeker fund. The Lorne and Midge Kyle Fund, and Bill and Colleen Lyne started the Pembina Threshmen’s Museum fund and they also started a fund for the Morden Activity Center.” 

Maja Piekarska was born in Poland, moved to Scotland for 7 years, and has called Morden home for six years. She is a grade 12 student at Morden Collegiate and loves to read and write, and play badminton, and video games.  

She shared how it felt to be chosen as the Morden Youth Council Member for the City of Morden for the term lasting until August 2023. 

The Western School Division (WSD) is seeing unprecedented need for additional funding this year due to an influx in newcomer students.

Morden's successful immigration program, a swell of newcomers arriving post-pandemic along with the organized support for people fleeing worn torn countries, like Ukraine, are three reasons why WSD Assistant Superintendent Marianne Fenn said the division is seeing the unprecedented need for additional funding this year. She said WSD has always had quite a few learners from newcomer backgrounds. 

Stephanie Sanders is a happy, hopeful 23-year-old woman from Manitou, raised in a farming family and has a love for animals. For the past twelve years, she has suffered from excruciating pain as a result of Stage 4 Endometriosis. The disorder builds tissue outside of the uterus, causing an inflammatory reaction and pain. She was classified with Stage 4 during one of her surgeries where it was discovered the tissue was growing deeper into her body.  

Families of two allegedly murdered women from Long Plain First Nation, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, are pleading for the Winnipeg Police Service to reconsider their findings to deem a search for the bodies of their loved ones, believed to be in the Prairie Green Landfill, unfeasible. Chief Danny Smyth said this week it's believed the remains of Harris and Myran ended up in the landfill in the spring and the chances of finding them are very low.

A year ago, the Province of Manitoba put out a call for applications for the “Creating Opportunities for Affordable Homeownership Via Homebuyer Assistance Program” through Manitoba Housing.  Manitoba Housing was seeking Proposals from qualified organizations interested in creating homeownership opportunities for low- to moderate-income families in Manitoba. 

After five years of waiting to make big changes to LA Gold in Winkler, Owner and Manager Karen Kehler's plans paid off. The grand re-opening of the new location on the corner of Roblin and Main Streets, in the former bowling alley building, took place on Wednesday. 

Kehler looked back to when they opened the jewelry store in the Southland Mall after Krahn's Jewelers had closed down and the space was empty for two years.