New book aims to ‘push back and defend survivors’ against denialism

Outside a Winnipeg bookstore, about 25 volunteers in orange shirts formed a welcoming line as sage smoke rose from an abalone shell.

Inside McNally Robinson Booksellers, more than 300 people gathered for the launch of Truth Before Reconciliation: Confronting Residential School Denialism. Outside, the volunteers helped provide security as organizers anticipated denialists might try to disrupt the event on Sept. 17.

“We want to make sure that it’s safe for the survivors,” said Emma Tardiff, one of the volunteers. “I really care about my community.”

Published by University of Manitoba Press ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the collection grew from an effort by scholars and authors to confront the denial and downplaying of what survivors experienced.

Blue Jays’ season disappoints their fans

Toronto Blue Jays’ 2026 season was as forgetful as the 2025 campaign was memorable.

What went wrong?

The Jays went to an extra inning in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series before falling to Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving their fans in despair but expecting nothing but another run toward the championship in 2026.

But then the 2026 season started and if you were to ask for a definition of mediocrity, the Jays would be front and centre. On May 1, they were two games under .500, at 15-17. By Aug. 1, they were seven games under .500 (52-59) but amazingly still alive in the chase for one of the three American League wildcard positions. Basically, however, the Jays treaded water for most of the second half of the season, coming close to that wildcard spot, but eventually falling short.

Let’s Do Something for Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026

For those wishing to have their item listed in upcoming editions, there is now an earlier deadline for publication, so items are needed at least two weeks in advance of the date of your event. Please email to carthur@brandonsun.com.

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TODAY (Oct 8)

• 7:45 p.m. — Come and join us at the Haller Haunted Forest today from 7:45 to 9 p.m. We are located on Rivers Highway 25, 2 miles west of No. 10 or 3 miles east of No. 270, half a mile north on Road 110. This is not recommended for children under 12 years of age. Cost is $10 per person (cash only) and proceeds go to Westman Dreams For Kids Foundation.

Farmers stomach high diesel prices

Rising diesel fuel costs have impacted how a Westman farmer is planning his work this autumn season.

The price of diesel in Canada was $2.60 per litre as of Sept. 30, according to Natural Resources Canada’s online tool for the daily average retail price for diesel. The price had increased from $1.52 in January.

Michael Decock, a Deleau-area cattle and hay farmer, said that the cost increase is dissuading him from going after some hay in rain-affected areas of his fields. The risk of getting stuck in the mud, and the extra maneuvering required to avoid wet ground, presents a problem, he said.

“Especially at the high prices, it’s not worth it to go back out there for hay that is mature,” Decock said in an interview last week. “Right now, the way the fields are, you got to do extra twisting and turning, because you got to go around water puddles and soft spots, and there’s bigger risks of getting stuck and burying equipment, and of course that burns more fuel if you get stuck because you have to go and pull it out.”

A few ideas for that leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce

Whole cranberry sauce is one of those pantry items you might only buy twice a year - Thanksgiving and Christmas. At both those meals, it tends to be treated like a condiment so each person might only eat a tablespoon or so.

And that might not even include every person at the table since some of us love cranberry sauce and some of us definitely do not. And even if the cranberry lovers have it with leftover turkey the next day, you might still be left with at least half a can. So what are some things you can do with leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving?

The first, and simplest answer is to put it into a small container and freeze it for Christmas dinner. Whole berry cranberry sauce freezes well, just take it out to thaw in the fridge the day before. To gussy it up a bit, add 2 teaspoons of Grand Marnier or 1 teaspoon of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey liqueur (maybe not if there are kids at the table).

If you’d like to finish it up right away, whole berry cranberry sauce gives a nice zing to plain yogurt. Add some orange segments and a scoop of trail mix with nuts and seeds and a sprinkle of quick-cooking oats (dry) for a tasty breakfast with a good hit of vitamin C. The same goes for adding it to hot oatmeal or 7-grain cereal. Skip the oranges and add some sliced banana instead.

Let’s Do Something for Oct. 1, 2026

For those wishing to have their item listed in upcoming editions, there is now an earlier deadline for publication, so items are needed at least two weeks in advance of the date of your event. Please email to carthur@brandonsun.com.

TODAY (Oct 1)

• Day — Join us for three days of education, commemoration, and Indigenous celebration at the Riverbank Discovery Centre today to Oct. 3. Everyone is welcome. There will be events happening every day as we come together to learn, reflect, remember, and celebrate. Everyone is welcome.

• 6:15 p.m. — Want to explore a new sport? Come to Westman Speed Skating Club’s free open house at the Sportsplex in Brandon at 6:15 p.m. Ages 6 to 96! Basic skating skills required. For registration and more information visit westmanspeedskating.ca.

October start for Killarney’s performing arts concert series

Music lovers who attend the Killarney Turtle Mountain Arts Council’s (KTMAC) 2026/2027 Performing Arts Concert Series will enjoy a tasty blend of homegrown music spiced up with some global flavours and a few laughs on the side.

Giselle Beaupre, KTMAC’s administrator, says the line-up reflects their objective of presenting a variety of genres for audiences.

“We really accomplished that with our festival this past summer and we were planning the festival at the same time as the Performing Arts Series,” she said.

The season opener on Oct.17 is the Sean Taylor Band out of Winnipeg. Beaupre says the band, winner of the 2024 Manitoba Country Music Association (MCMA) Group of the Year and Album of the Year for their debut album, was spotted at last year’s Manitoba Showcase.

NWO communities could join Manitoba and ditch time changes

KENORA – Representatives for almost every community west of Thunder Bay met to discuss a switch to permanent daylight saving time.

That’s according to Kenora Mayor Andrew Poirier, who told Newswatch that mayors, reeves and First Nations leadership were invited by Kenora–Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford to meet virtually and discuss the option of joining Manitoba in nixing the biannual clock change.

On Thursday, the Manitoba government announced that Manitobans would not be setting their clocks back this November and are moving to permanent daylight time.

If they don’t make the switch, communities in Northwestern Ontario will be in “an island of central daylight savings time in the winter,” as described by MPP for Kiiwetinoong Sol Mamakwa.

MWF calls for full moose closure in Ducks, Porcupine Mountains

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation is calling on the province to completely close moose harvesting in the Ducks and Porcupine mountains, saying the populations in the areas have declined to critically low levels.

Chris Heald, Senior Policy Analyst with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, said the organization wants the province to enforce the existing conservation closure and prohibit all moose harvest, including cow moose.

“The population has been decimated,” Heald said. “We want to see the province enforcing a complete closure.”

The organization has also raised concerns about Indigenous harvesting for ceremonial and sustenance purposes in the area.

Portage hospital has mould, leaks while new building empty

Reports of visible mould and leaking pipes in the dialysis department at Portage District General Hospital have sparked sharp criticism from local leadership, with calls growing for the provincial government to open the city’s newly constructed healthcare facility without further delay.

Jeff Bereza, Progressive Conservative MLA for Portage la Prairie, said he has been contacted by concerned hospital staff and patients undergoing treatment who are worried about environmental safety inside the aging facility.

According to Bereza, patients have reported foul odours from leaking fluid and visible mould along walls in the dialysis department. He noted that some patients have expressed fear over potential health risks or the prospect of being relocated to distant healthcare centres for treatment if the issue escalates.

“The real concern is for people’s health and the staff health, that’s where the concern lies,” Bereza said, adding that photos provided to him showed mould on interior walls that was subsequently covered with heavy plastic sheeting.

Let’s Do Something — Oct. 1, 2026

For those wishing to have their item listed in upcoming editions, there is now an earlier deadline for publication, so items are needed at least two weeks in advance of the date of your event. Please email to carthur@brandonsun.com.

TODAY

• Day — Join us for three days of education, commemoration and Indigenous celebration at the Riverbank Discovery Centre today to Oct. 3. Everyone is welcome. There will be events happening every day as we come together to learn, reflect, remember and celebrate. Everyone is welcome.

• 6:15 p.m. — Want to explore a new sport? Come to Westman Speed Skating Club’s free open house at the Sportsplex in Brandon at 6:15 p.m. Ages 6 to 96! Basic skating skills required. For registration and more information visit westmanspeedskating.ca.

As the National Hockey League 2026-27 season embarks on its earliest ever start, now would be an appropriate time to dial up the annual NHL Questionnaire. All those with perfect scores can reward themselves by watching old Rock ’Em, Sock ’Em videos.

1. Connor Hellebuyck stunned the Winnipeg fan base over the summer by going public with his request for a trade out of the Manitoba capital. He did this because:

a) The Jets’ blue sweaters clash with his dark hair

b) Upset with the Jets’ accounting office continually misspelling his name on his paycheques

A hawk perches on a fence bordering a property on Kirkham Road outside Brandon on a warm and sunny Monday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Farmer counselling program sees busy year

The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is on track to provide more counselling sessions to farmers than last year.

The charity had provided 570 free counselling sessions by the end of August, pacing ahead of last year’s 750 sessions recorded by the end of the year, the chair of the program, Roberta Galbraith, said in a recent interview. The pace follows after the organization expanded its reach and built roots in the community, she said.

“We’re seeing an increase in the number of people that are accessing the program, but also the number of sessions that people are accessing,” Galbraith said.

“So it’s sort of two different things. People are connecting with the program, they kind of get started, and then they stick around and spend a bit more time (using it).”

MBRA finals at Keystone Centre this weekend

The Manitoba Barrel Racing Association is hosting its finals at the Keystone Centre with competitions starting Friday and running through the weekend.

The competition is expected to be the largest ever held by the MBRA — with record numbers of entries and competitiors, MBRA board director, Aisha Janssen, said in a recent interview.

“The excitement around this year’s event is really high,” Janssen said. “We have a ton of increased added money, exceptional prizes, and tremendous sponsorship support.”

Janssen said that the prize pool this year is larger than years past, due to growing popularity of the MBRA and contributions from supporters.