‘New two’ in tennis are a dominant pair

There’s more of a difference between professional golf and professional tennis than the size of the ball. And there’s a huge difference between the two sports when it comes to competitive dominance.

In tennis, what used to be the Big Three — Roger Federer of Switzerland, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic — has now crystallized into the New Two, featuring two stars in their early 20s. The Big Three won 67 Grand Slam events in the first 20-odd years of the 21st Century. By comparison, the four golf majors have been won by a massive number of players over the same period, although Scottie Scheffler lately has been threatening to turn pro golf into a Big One.

Today’s Big Two in tennis features Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Jannick Sinner of Italy, who have split the last six Grand Slam events. It was no surprise that the two faced off in the French Open final at Roland Garros in early June and played a classic match that lasted an exhaustive five hours and 29 minutes. Alcaraz, who lost the first two sets, won the next three in what some tennis observers are calling one of the best tennis matches of all time.

For most of the 21st century, chances were good that either Federer, Nadal or Djokovic would emerge as champion of a Grand Slam tennis event. Eventually, Djokovic captured 24 Grand Slam titles, more than anyone in the history of the sport. Nadal has 21 and Federer 20.

New event celebrates comics and their artists

If you’ve ever noodled around with the idea of drawing your own comics, there’s an event coming your way that could help you get pen to paper.

The first ever BranZine Fest launches on July 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba in collaboration with the Prairie Comics Festival. It’s an opportunity to connect with regional comic artists, see and buy their work and participate in workshops.

Merissa Mayhew is a Brandon illustrator, writer and comics artist with a flair for the whimsical. Her artwork is front and centre on the poster advertising BranZine Fest.

“What really got me started into comics as a creator was in my first year at university, I was really appreciating the way writing and art work together to tell a story,” Mayhew said (www.merissa.art).

The roof of the Foxwarren community rink is still in need of repair after a windstorm last year. Shortly after the storm, a research group identified the cause as a downburst — cold air that shot down from the sky, in this case producing 155 km/h winds. (Connor McDowell/The Brandon Sun)

By Connor McDowell

RUSSELL – A group of Westman mayors, reeves and councillors say their concerns have been overlooked along the border with Saskatchewan as massive amounts of water rolls through to Manitoba every spring and destroys infrastructure.

Representatives from the Rural Municipality of Sifton, Municipality of Russell Binscarth, and the RM of Riding Mountain West told the Sun this month that water from Saskatchewan causes damage in the hundreds of thousands of dollars year over year. Grant Boryskavich, reeve of Riding Mountain West, described the issue as a reoccurring, unfair burden to taxpayers.

“What happens consistently along the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border is, there’s a big flush of water coming and roads are getting washed out,” Boryskavich said. “The municipalities continually have to pay, and have their taxpayers pay for that.”

The state of emergency this April in Russell Binscarth was due to water from Saskatchewan, mayor Judy Snitynsky told the Sun. The surge of water partially collapsed a culvert 12 feet in diametre, which she said will cost more than $350,000 to repair. Staff were also forced to excavate another road so that water could flow past.

A Piper Pawnee remote-controlled plane is flown remotely by Ian Fraser at the Brandon RC Flying Club field east of Brandon this month. The smoke visual effect is created when Fraser, standing on the grass below, triggers a remote to push special oil into the muffler. The trick leaves a trail of smoke behind the aircraft as it soars over the landing strip. The machine is modelled after a real aircraft that was designed as an agricultural aircraft and is commonly used for “crop dusting,” flying over fields of crops and spraying chemicals to protect against pests. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

A snapping turtle claws its way along a bank beside the Little Saskatchewan River west of Brandon in June. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

By Connor McDowell

Huddle expands to Portage la Prairie

A youth mental health service is expanding its offices to Portage La Prairie with the help of provincial government funding.

The Province of Manitoba this month announced $400,000 in support for the Huddle initiative, which provides wellness services to youth between the ages of 12 to 29. The funding will be used to support the first site in the city, focused on youth who are at risk of homelessness or in need of mental health and addictions treatment.

Bernadette Smith, Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness made the announcement this month alongside Nahanni Fontaine, Minister of Families.

“It is important for our youth to have a place to go and have access to the supports that they need when they need it,” said Smith in a press release. “We are not using a one-size-fits-all approach to care, we are working with young people to meet them where they are at and support them through their mental health or addictions journey.”

Boissevain 4-H rally results released

BOISSEVAIN — Results from the 89th annual Boissevain 4-H Zone Rally were released this month thanks to organizer Coral Meggison.

The event held at the Boissevain Ag Grounds included a parade, musical horseback rides and equine competitions that showcased the skills children learned in the region’s 4-H clubs. The rally judges announced winners of the senior member excellence awards for the year.

In the parade float competition, Boissevain Beef won $50 for first place, Boissevain Home & Hobby claimed second and $25. The same prizes were given for all first and second places during the parade, with Deloraine Community 4-Hers Club winning first place in the marching category and Goodlands 4-H Variety club winning second. In the equine category, Boissevain Boots n’ Bits won first and Southwest Saddles and Spurs came second.

The first place in the musical ride, where club members rode on horseback and choreographed themselves with country music, was given to Boissevain Boots n’ Bits.

Canada may lose access to Peace Garden airport

INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN – David Pedersen drives his truck past border customs, turns up a grassy hill and stops at a ramshackle piece of tarmac on the edge of the country.

Opening his car door, Pedersen drops his feet down on the warped pavement. There it is, he says: this piece of tarmac is Canada’s contribution to the International Peace Garden Airport.

The paved ground on Canada’s side of the airport is smaller than the footprint of a community tennis court. It’s not much to look at, but it allows Canada to use the North Dakota airstrip next door.

Canadians can land at the airstrip, taxi the aircraft over the border to the pavement chunk in Canada, park, visit the gardens, clear customs, and take off again. But the airstrip and the taxiway, being just south of the border, are paid for by the United States.

Quarterbacks hog spotlight in the CFL

Just like in the National Football League where quarterback is king, the men barking out signals behind centre are the stars in the Canadian Football League, too.

It’s the CFL’s 67th season, but the Grey Cup game in Winnipeg Nov. 16 will be the 112th edition of the professional football championship of Canada. Prior to 1958, when the CFL was officially formed, there were two leagues in Canada, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in the east and the Western Interprovincial Football Union.

Star power thrives at the quarterback position, and even non-stars are given the chance to shine. Remember last fall’s Grey Cup game, where the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were heavy favourites to beat the Toronto Argonauts, especially because the Argos were playing backup QB Nick Arbuckle after No. 1 Chad Kelly, the league’s most outstanding player (MOP) in 2023, broke his leg in the Eastern final. Well, all Arbuckle did was throw for 252 yards and two touchdowns and the Argos scored 24 points in the fourth quarter en route to demolishing the Bombers 41-24.

So while Toronto is content to know that with Kelly and Arbuckle, they have probably the best 1-2 punch at quarterback, other field generals around the league are just as talented. Two-time MOP Zach Collaros is still in charge of the offence in Winnipeg, and Bo Levi Mitchell, the CFL’s MOP in 2016 and 2018 while in Calgary, will be counted on to steer the Tiger-Cats offence in Hamilton.

Wasagaming Community Arts founders honoured

Just over a half century ago, painter Edythe Holden set out to bring her enthusiastic love of art to the community of Clear Lake — Riding Mountain National Park. As a graduate of the Winnipeg School of Art and an experienced teacher who had taught all around Manitoba, she was well-equipped to get a project underway.

Ken Romaniuk, president at Wasagaming Community Arts says Holden enlisted many dear artist friends to help her in her mission. One of those friends was Joyce Smedegaard, another painter. The pair had worked years before in Portage la Prairie where earlier, they helped to form the Portage Arts Centre.

In Riding Mountain, art classes were organized for both adults and children, laying the foundation for a legacy that has carried on for 55 years. This summer, Wasagaming Community Arts (WCA) will celebrate that legacy with the Tribute Exhibition Honouring Our Founders: Edythe Holden & Joyce Smedegaard.

The effort to establish a working art space first began in a small cabin provided by Parks Canada, but within two years there just wasn’t enough room.

The Neepawa Habitat for Humanity chapter broke ground on its first ever project, which will be the home of a mother and her teenage daughter.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held in late May, attended by Mayor Brian Hedley, community supporters and the habitat applicant, Ritchel Quezon. The house is planned to be 970 square feet, Neepawa Banner & Press reported, with a basement and two bedrooms, set to be completed by the winter.

Donald Walmsley, a member of the advisory board, told the Sun the experience was great to get to groundbreaking. The chapter progressed very quickly, he said, from launching to breaking ground at the site on its first project within a year.

“That’s a tribute to the community and surrounding area,” Walmsley said. “This is definitely a community effort. There’s no question about it.”

Two young red fox kits play outside their den west of Brandon on a hot Friday morning in June. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

ABOVE: A young red fox kit explores outside a den west of Brandon on a hot Friday morning in June. RIGHT: Two young red fox kits play outside their den.

By Connor McDowell

Ghost of 1967 still haunts the Maple Leafs

This could have been the year. Toronto Maple Leafs fans across the country, of which there are millions, could hardly contain themselves when their beloved team won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal to force a Game 7 at home against the Florida Panthers.

Beat the Panthers, advance to the Eastern final, cruise by the Carolina Hurricanes and cause mass hysteria in LeafLand by playing either Edmonton or Dallas for the Stanley Cup.

But the Ghost of 1967, the year the Leafs won their 13th and most recent Stanley Cup, got in the way. Florida knows a thing or two about playing critical playoff games and they bashed the Leafs 6-1 in that Game 7 showdown to extend that Stanley Cup drought to 58 years. It was Toronto’s seventh straight Game 7 defeat.

There were tears. There was disbelief. There was angst. There were threats. And that was only from within the Leafs’ locker room. Outside, in the stands of Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, angry and upset fans didn’t hide their displeasure. At least one Toronto sweater got thrown onto the ice. Some guy paid more than $10 for a cup of cold beer and then figured centre ice, not his stomach, was the best place for it to settle.