Canadiens have Stanley Cup talent

All of the pre-season prognosticators on TSN and Sportsnet didn’t stray too far when asked for their 2026-27 National Hockey League predictions about the final four and eventual Stanley Cup winner. Most of the talking heads who are insiders and have much more information than the average Joe — or Bruce — gave the championship nod to either Florida, Vegas, Carolina or Colorado.

Not in this space. We’re teetering on a limb and, although my Montreal Canadien friends beg me not to predict it, because I’m usually wrong, it says here that the Habs are going to become the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since 1993.

Sports results rarely go as expected. Remember all the hype about the Blue Jays in 2026 after their run to the World Series in 2025? Well, the Jays finished dead last in the American League East this year, 19 games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

Montreal’s ascension in the NHL standings over the last three years has been remarkable — and steady. In 2023-24, they racked up 76 points (30-36-16). In 2024-25, they improved to 91 points (40-31-11). Last year, they zoomed up to 106 points (48-24-10). The trend is obvious; the Habs are a contender. At the very least, Montreal is the best of Canada’s seven teams.

Rural Roundup for Oct. 22, 2026

NEEPAWA

Following the Oct. 28 Manitoba municipal election, Darryl Gerrard will be acclaimed as Neepawa’s mayor, officially taking over as head of council from Brian Hedley. Gerrard said he understands that the role comes with accountability to the community.

“I feel, I guess, very honoured, but I also feel a heavy weight of responsibility now to make sure that I deliver for the people of Neepawa,” Gerrard said. “I’ve got to roll up my sleeves and make sure I earn that trust.”

Gerrard served on Neepawa council for 11 years. In that time, he worked under several mayors and served in a variety of committee roles, including as chair of the general government and finance.

Disability groups renew call for Public Guardian and Trustee review

Manitoba disability organizations are pressing for an independent investigation into the Public Guardian and Trustee Office, saying adults with intellectual disabilities need greater involvement in decisions about their finances, health care and daily lives.

Eight organizations asked the Manitoba Ombudsman earlier this month to investigate how the office acts as a substitute decision-maker for about 1,275 adults with intellectual disabilities.

The groups say they have raised concerns with senior government officials through letters and meetings since March 2024, but have not seen a commitment to what they consider systemic change.

Leanne Fenez of Abilities Manitoba said the organizations are now asking the Ombudsman to examine the system and recommend changes.

Med students check out Swan River during workshop

University of Manitoba medical students spent the weekend exploring health-care opportunities and rural life in the Swan River Valley.

The students took part in Prairie Mountain Health’s annual Rural Interest Group workshop Oct. 2-4, organized in partnership with the Swan Valley Medical Professional Recruitment and Retention Committee.

The weekend included hospital and facility tours, clinical skills sessions and community activities aimed at giving students a better understanding of what it is like to live and practise medicine in a rural community.

Students participated in casting and suturing stations led by local physicians Tyler Burnside, David Cazakoff and Leah Koetting. They were assisted by Swan River physician assistant Charnae Betcher and residents Enas Alharethi of Neepawa and Ihuoma Amako of Parkland.

Selkirk middle school changes name to honour Murray Sinclair

SELKIRK — A local middle school now bears the name of one of its most famous alumni.

École Selkirk Junior High was renamed Murray Sinclair Middle School at a ceremony last week.

The late Sinclair, who was a judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, played basketball for the school team, back when it was known as Selkirk Collegiate Institute.

In 1968, he was named male athlete of the year and voted valedictorian. He would go on to dedicate his career to Indigenous justice and human rights in Canada.

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 15)

• 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. — The Haunted Forest at Lucky Break Ranch is back for 2026! Join us this weekend for scares, laughs, pumpkins, family fun and raising money for CancerCare Manitoba, Alzheimer Society of Manitoba and Riverdale Harvest Food Bank. For every food-bank item you donate, you’ll receive a ticket to our draw. Activities also include pumpkin patch and carving; carnival games; outdoor movie; face painting and more. No-scare hours are from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Scare hours from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Admission: adults $8; youth $5; family $20. Also taking place Oct. 23-25.

• 6 p.m. — The Take Back the Night event kicks off with a rally in Princess Park at 6 p.m. with greetings and speakers. March begins at 6:30 pm.. Refreshments in the Mingling Area upon arrival at Brandon University. Shatter the silence. Stop the violence.

It’s been a rocky road for Colorado Rockies

The New York Jets have been terrible in the National Football League over the last 10 years. The Chicago Blackhawks have sullied the team’s long-term reputation with putrid National Hockey League play over the same stretch. But no team has been as bad for so long as Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies.

Professional sports leagues traditionally do what they can to make sure a team doesn’t suffer in the doldrums for too long, thanks to draft rules which benefit the downtrodden. But the Rockies, who have had a top 10 pick in each of the last seven seasons, have somehow failed to pick a superstar or two who might form a nucleus around which to build at least a mediocre team.

Colorado hasn’t had a winning record since 2018, when they finished second in the National League West with 91 wins. Since then, fans at Coors Field in Denver have seen nothing but a succession of depressing seasons — 71 wins and fourth in the NL West in 2019; fourth in the COVID-19 year of 2020; fourth in 2021; last in 2022, with 94 losses; last in 2023 with 103 losses; last in 2024 with 101 losses; an embarrassing last in 2025 with 119 losses; and another last-place finish this year, with 104 losses. No MLB team has suffered through four consecutive 100-plus-loss seasons since the ‘Can’t Anybody Here Play this Game’ New York Mets of 1962-65. The Mets at least had an excuse; they were an expansion team in 1962. Within seven years of existence, though, they won the National League East.

The Rockies’ hitting in 2026 was bad and their pitching was worse. The highest team earned-run average (5.59). The most runs allowed (944). The fewest shutouts (one). The highest batting average allowed (.288, 16 points higher than the runner-up Athletics).

Rural Roundup for Oct. 15, 2026

NEEPAWA

The Neepawa Salvation Army has received a donation of $31,000 in support of the charity’s goal to buy a new cargo van.

The donation was made by HyLife Foods. Amanda Naughton-Gale, Neepawa Community Ministries Centre (Salvation Army) director, said the van is on the road five days per week and has begun to show its age.

The van is rusted, Naughton-Gale said, the side door is broken, its back door needs to be jimmied to be opened and it has broken down on the road a couple of times.

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.”