Westman this Week

Westman this Week

The Rotary Club Fall Book Sale will be held in the Imperial Ballroom at the Victoria Inn from Sept. 10-12. (Brandon Sun Files)

Let’s Do Something for Sept. 3, 2026

18 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

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

• 2 p.m. — “Spikey’s Points, the Musical” will take place at the Onanole Rec Centre (386 Central Rd, Onanole) today at 2 p.m. General admission is $15 and youth under 12 is $10. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.

FRIDAY

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Westman this Week

The sixth-generation English family near Bradwardine has been recognized with the 2026 Manitoba Environmental Stewardship Award for its regenerative grazing practices and commitment to protecting soil, water and biodiversity. (Courtesy Connor English)

Sixth-generation Manitoba ranch earns recognition for stewardship

Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 6 minute read Preview

Sixth-generation Manitoba ranch earns recognition for stewardship

Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 6 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

For the English family, regenerative agriculture has been about continually asking how the land, cattle and business can work better together.

That approach has earned Connor and Kyla English, along with Brian and Leanne English, the 2026 Manitoba Environmental Stewardship Award.

The sixth-generation family ranch near Bradwardine manages about 320 breeding cows across nearly 1,100 acres of owned and rented pasture and forage land. Over the past decade, the family has steadily changed how it manages its grasslands, livestock and water systems, with the goal of building a ranch that remains productive for generations to come.

Connor English said the changes have come with plenty of trial and error.

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Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Westman this Week

Health Canada has implemented a new front of package nutrition symbol making it easier for consumers to quickly identify if a product is high in sugar, sodium, and/or saturated fat, your guide to better nutrition. (Canada Health graphic)

Better back to school breakfasts

Wendy King 6 minute read Preview

Better back to school breakfasts

Wendy King 6 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

September is “Better Breakfast Month,” a reminder that a good school day starts with a good breakfast. Vanessa Hamilton, a registered dietitian and a healthy living facilitator with Prairie Mountain Health, shares some expertise on getting the good stuff on the breakfast table.

Hamilton says after a night of fasting, a good breakfast is fuelling the tank at the start of the day.

“Nourishing our body helps protect against infections and chronic diseases such as diabetes. A nourished mind supports our mood, attention, and memory. We tend to get tired and irritable when our fuel is low and breakfast gives our brain the boost it needs after sleeping,” she says.

A balanced breakfast is marked by variety with a whole grain, a protein, and a vegetable or fruit. She especially encourages including a vegetable or fruit. According to the Canada Food Guide, juice is not considered a fruit or vegetable serving due to the high sugar content and lack of nutrients such as fibre.

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Westman this Week

Aaron Dolyniuk, executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association. (Nic Adam/Winnipeg Free Press files)

Steel support leaves truckers feeling overlooked

By Abiola Odutola 5 minute read Preview

Steel support leaves truckers feeling overlooked

By Abiola Odutola 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

The federal government’s decision to subsidize steel shipments moved by rail and marine transportation, while leaving trucking companies out of the program, risks creating an uneven playing field in Canada’s transportation sector, according to trucking industry insiders.

The federal steel-support program provides a 50-per-cent transportation rebate for eligible steel products shipped by rail or marine transportation. But trucking companies, which remain an important link in moving steel from mills, ports and rail terminals to warehouses and customers, are not eligible for the rebate.

Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) executive director Aaron Dolyniuk said the exclusion is disappointing at a time when the industry is already facing challenging economic conditions.

“All modes of transportation play a vital role in moving goods to local, national, and global markets, and in today’s economic conditions, we need to be doing everything we can to move those goods,” Dolyniuk told the Sun. “No opportunity should be overlooked.”

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Westman this Week

Southern Manitoba’s projected 19 per cent population growth by 2035 is expected to increase pressure on health-care services while existing disparities in access and health outcomes persist. Pictured above are recent upgrades to the MRI suite at Boundary Trails Health Centre. (Photo courtesy Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation)

Southern Manitoba’s population growth puts new pressure on health system, report finds

Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 3 minute read Preview

Southern Manitoba’s population growth puts new pressure on health system, report finds

Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Southern Manitoba’s population is growing rapidly, creating new demands on a health-care system already seeing increased use of services, according to a new report from Southern Health-Santé Sud.

The health region had nearly 238,000 residents in 2025, up 12 per cent from 2020. That population is projected to increase by another 19 per cent by 2035, or roughly 45,000 people, the largest projected increase among Manitoba’s health regions.

The growth is already being reflected in the volume of health services being delivered, according to Southern Health’s 2026 Population Health Assessment.

The report points to increases in primary-care visits, diagnostic testing, surgical services and the number of residents living in personal-care homes.

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Westman this Week

Devin Toews, brother of Dean Toews, is seen in June at the Toews family farm near MacGregor. Some crops are about two to three weeks behind schedule for harvest this year as a result of weather sustained this farming season. (Connor McDowell/The Brandon Sun files)

Harvest delayed due to wet growing season

By Connor McDowellLocal Journalism Initiative 4 minute read Preview

Harvest delayed due to wet growing season

By Connor McDowellLocal Journalism Initiative 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Harvest is lagging this season as the majority of southwest Manitoba has received above normal precipitation.

The Manitoba Crop Report last week stated that harvest completion sat at two per cent as of Aug. 24 in the southwest region. The progress came in lower than the past two years, which saw nine per cent, and six per cent at the same time.

Dean Toews, a farmer near MacGregor, said his farm is about two to three weeks delayed on harvest this year — with wet weather being one of the factors.

“The crops just stayed greener because they kept on feeding because there was adequate moisture,” he said. “I think the rains that we got kind of kept the maturity delayed a bit.”

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Westman this Week

Manitoba Trucking Association president Brent Arnold. (Supplied)

Trucking industry brings values to the lives of Canadians

Brent Arnold 2 minute read Preview

Trucking industry brings values to the lives of Canadians

Brent Arnold 2 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

On behalf of the board of directors of the Manitoba Trucking Association, it is my pleasure to wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy National Trucking Week!

National Trucking Week is an opportunity for our industry members and partners to reflect on the value that the trucking industry brings to our lives. For those of us who work in trucking, the industry has provided us with a way to support our families, grow our careers and give back to the communities in which we work and live.

For those outside of the industry, trucking ensures your quality of life is maintained. Food is on the grocery store shelves. Retailers and suppliers have the stock they need. Schools and hospitals have the equipment they require. Primary industries, such as mining and agriculture, move their goods to markets. Trucking connects the dots for the local, provincial, national and global economies.

However, trucking is more than moving freight safely and efficiently. It is about community, and it is about ensuring that we are looking after each other. I am proud that 100 per cent of the profits raised at our main National Trucking Week events goes to charity. Starting in 2026, the funds raised from the MTA Truck Pull will go to The Joy Smith Foundation, which is working to raise awareness of labour trafficking and immigration abuse in the trucking industry. As has been the case for years, the LETR Truck Ride (for which the MTA is the presenting sponsor) directs all of its proceeds to Special Olympics Manitoba.

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Westman this Week

PGA Tour’s Player of the Year will be … ?

PGA Tour’s Player of the Year will be … ?

Bruce Penton 5 minute read Preview

PGA Tour’s Player of the Year will be … ?

Bruce Penton 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

It was virtually owned by Tiger Woods for years and a Scottie Scheffler foregone conclusion for the past couple of seasons, but this year, there might not be a clearcut favourite for the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year award.

It could indeed be Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and the Tour’s leading money winner. But the 2026 knock against the 30-year-old Texan is that he won only one tournament during the regular season — and that was back in January at the American Express championship. He was a Top 10 machine, and finally won his second event of 2026 when he romped to an eight-stroke victory in the first playoff event, but his lack of regular-season dominance has opened the door for a few other players to be considered for POY.

Four other names are solidly in the mix. Wyndham Clark is a three-time winner, including the U.S. Open and a playoff win, while Matt Fitzpatrick and Chris Gotterup also won three times. Fitzpatrick’s most memorable win came at the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head when he defeated Scheffler in a playoff. Gotterup, meanwhile, has been the Tour’s breakout player of the year, winning at the Sony Open in Hawaii, the Phoenix Open and the John Deere Classic, after finishing 28th on the Tour’s money list in 2025.

Rory McIlroy is almost always a contender and 2026 is no different, although he would be considered a long shot for the award. He won the Masters for the second year in a row and was sixth on the money list despite playing only 11 events. The only other possibility would be Cameron Young, whose win at the Players was one of his two titles. He also finished second in money winnings during the regular season.

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Westman this Week

Crescent Manor in Souris. The facility is run by Manitoba Housing and had previously been dedicated to retirement living. (Connor McDowell/The Brandon Sun)

MLA not happy with Crescent Manor changes

By Connor McDowellLocal Journalism Initiative 5 minute read Preview

MLA not happy with Crescent Manor changes

By Connor McDowellLocal Journalism Initiative 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

SOURIS — Spruce Woods MLA Colleen Robbins is criticizing a transition at Crescent Manor in Souris, saying the building has started to merge people dealing with homelessness and addictions with seniors that previously had the building to themselves.

Robbins said seniors have complained about safety concerns that arose in the past year — including instances where people in the building have left blood in a public space, banged on a neighbour’s wall and ran down a hallway nearly naked.

“When I heard those stories, I knew I needed to take this seriously,” Robbins said in a recent interview. “I just think if it was my mother or grandmother living in this home, and she couldn’t feel safe, I’d be very concerned.”

Robbins said she is speaking out because “the government is not listening to my voice alone” and is calling on Manitoba Housing to restore the building to a seniors-only home.

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Westman this Week

A hive-themed crosswalk has been painted onto an intersection in Neepawa through an art initiative headed up by Arts Forward. (Photo courtesy of ArtsForward)

Rural Roundup for Sept. 3, 2026

By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 8 minute read Preview

Rural Roundup for Sept. 3, 2026

By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 8 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

NEEPAWA

A project to paint artistic crosswalks in Neepawa has started with one added this year.

The first, a hexagonal crosswalk resembling a bee hive, was painted at the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Brock Street this summer. The installation is part of the Community Art Initiative, and was designed with the help of Katy Martin, Meaghan Peters, and their students through an art initiative headed up by ArtsForward.

The crosswalk art is permanent. Further additions to the Neepawa community are expected in the future.

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Westman this Week

1 minute read Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

The Plum Creek that winds its way through Souris flows through the scenic Victoria Park and empties directly into the Souris River. It’s a great local fishing spot right in the heart of the community.

And on one warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon in August, members of the Guimond and Helbig families found themselves on the banks of the Plum Creek in Souris while visiting from Winnipeg and Headlingley.

(All photos by Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Westman this Week

Rad rods, classic cars, modern mods and other cruisers line Rosser Avenue for Cruise Night in Downtown Brandon. The next Thursday Cruise Night is slated for Sept. 4. (Brandon Sun files)

Let’s Do Something — Aug. 27, 2026

Cathy Arthur 19 minute read Preview

Let’s Do Something — Aug. 27, 2026

Cathy Arthur 19 minute read Thursday, Aug. 27, 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 (Aug 27)

• Noon — Westman 365 Cancer Care Support Group meets the fourth Thursday of each month at noon at the Centre For Hope, located in Western Manitoba Cancer Care (300 McTavish Ave.) Providing information sessions to help cancer patients, caregivers and those who love them, navigate their cancer journey. For more information call Ron at 204-728-9728 or Darlene at 204-761-8570 or Anne 204-728-9958.

• 6 p.m. — Join us at Livingstone Outdoor greenhouse (1610 Byng Ave.) for a fun Cactus Garden Workshop at 6 p.m. (please arrive 15 minutes early). Included with your registration is a 7” planter. One grafted cactus, three assorted small cacti, a selection of ornaments and accessories, saucer, glass of wine or beverage of choice, snack sampler and VIP discount shopping. $20 deposit required to register.

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Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

Westman this Week

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani reacts as he fouls off a pitch from Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Lucky to be a fan in the Ohtani era

Bruce Penton 5 minute read Preview

Lucky to be a fan in the Ohtani era

Bruce Penton 5 minute read Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

Baseball fans alive during the Shohei Ohtani era — and that’s you — should consider themselves among the luckiest fans of all time. Getting to watch and appreciate the extra special talents of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star is an opportunity unmatched through decades of Major League Baseball.

What has Ohtani not done on a baseball field? So far, he has yet to pitch a perfect game, let alone a no-hitter. As a hitter, he has yet to have a four home-run game. He has not pulled a rabbit out of his ball cap, nor a quarter from behind his ear. He has not motioned for his teammates to stay in the dugout while he goes to the mound to pitch, nor has he pointed to centre field, a la Babe Ruth in the 1932 World Series, telling everyone in the stands and watching on TV that he planned to deposit the next pitch into the bleacher seats.

The 31-year-old Japanese baseball sensation has done almost everything else, though. He has dominated opposing batters on the mound, striking out more than one an inning, winning most of his starts (8-2 at last glance) and sporting a top five MLB earned-run average. He gives up roughly two hits for every three innings and strikes out more than one batter per inning. Hitters’ batting average against Ohtani is in the pathetic .170 range.

At the plate, Ohtani is among the best hitters in the game. He leads the Dodgers in batting average. He is top five in MLB on-base percentage and top three in OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). In other words, he has few peers at the plate. His WAR number is the majors’ best. (WAR is a comprehensive statistic that estimates how many more wins a player contributes to their team over a season compared to a hypothetical ‘replacement-level’ player.) Simply put, he is the greatest player in the history of the game.

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Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

Westman this Week

Artist Betty Sawatzky does a live art demo at the Boissevain Street Fest. (Courtesy Boissevain Street Fest)

Popular Boissevain bash back on the street in September

Wendy King 5 minute read Preview

Popular Boissevain bash back on the street in September

Wendy King 5 minute read Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

By Wendy King

Small towns go big when it comes to a party and Boissevain is prepping for a bash of their own.

The sixth annual Boissevain Street Fest takes place on Saturday, Sept. 12 and kicks off the day with town-wide garage sales and a soapbox derby. The town festival was inaugurated in 2020 during the pandemic.

“Street Fest started as an outdoor celebration, a way that our community could come together to celebrate and see your friends and neighbours and showcase our local eateries, our shops, our small businesses, local artists, and even service groups,” said Melissa Perkins, executive assistant at the Municipality of Boissevain–Morton office.

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Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

Westman this Week

Oven-Roasted Pork Souvlaki with Vegetables: A little taste of Greece enhances this meal featuring pork tenderloin. (Photo courtesy Manitoba Pork)

Pork a versatile choice for a fall menu

Wendy King 5 minute read Preview

Pork a versatile choice for a fall menu

Wendy King 5 minute read Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

By Wendy King

Family menus are shifting as summer turns to fall, and it’s nice to have a readily available mainstay that home cooks can count on. Pork tenderloin is an economical, easy-to-cook cut of meat and as the weather cools, it goes smoothly from the grill fire to the frying pan to the slow cooker or the roasting oven.

Susan Riese, director of public relations and communications at Manitoba Pork (manitobapork.com) shared some helpful information for home cooks starting with: what is a pork tenderloin?

“Pork tenderloin is a long, thin, and very lean cut of meat. Its shape is cylinder-like, and it comes from the full pork loin. It is the most tender cut of pork,” Riese said.

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Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

Westman this Week

T-shirt a political statement

By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 5 minute read Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

A politician in Roblin says he wore a ‘procrastination’ T-shirt to a meeting with a member of parliament because he wanted to express frustration about higher levels of government.

The head of council for the Municipality of Roblin, Robert Misko, issued a statement on Aug. 13 centred around a shirt he wore to a meeting with MP Dan Mazier. The shirt read, “procrastination, working tomorrow for a better today.”

Following criticism from some locals, Misko clarified that the shirt was targeted towards Winnipeg and Ottawa.

“I sincerely apologize to any ratepayer who believed that my shirt was intended as a statement against the Municipality of Roblin, the employees, or its residents. That was not my intention,” Misko wrote in his statement on the municipality’s website. “My frustration was directed toward the provincial and federal governments and the delays we have experienced in getting answers and action on behalf of our community.”

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