Sterne wins seventh CPTC title

By Mark T. Buss

Gunnar Sterne has joined lofty company in the Canadian Power Toboggan Championship record books as he has claimed his seventh Pro Champ 440 title in style Sunday in the 64th running of “the greatest show on snow” in Beausejour.
The West Chicago, IL racer outlasted defending CPTC champion Blaine Stephenson of Hutchinson, MN and Will Garceau of Mishicot, WI in front of a packed grandstand.
With his seventh win, Sterne joins snowmobile racing legend Terry Wahl for all-time victories in Beausejour.

“I don’t know... me and this track, we get along just great,” Sterne said following the 15-lap race. “I love getting wins here. I love racing here. The fans always come out in droves. Doing the checkered flag after a win and everyone is cheering... it’s awesome.”

Getting a great start, Sterne quickly cleared himself from the 15-sled pack and pulled ahead with Stephenson and Matt Goede of New Germany, MN in the chase positions.

With Sterne holding his line, the race for second was a good one as Goede managed to get past Stephenson on the fourth lap, with Stephenson returning the favour five laps later.

The Minnesota driver could not close the gap however, finishing second with Garceau third, Travis MacDonald of Gonor, MB in fourth, Spencer Landry of New Hampshire in fifth with Goede falling to sixth. Beausejour’s Tyler Obie did not finish the race.

“He sure got out there a long way... but it wasn’t for a lack of trying,” said Stephenson, himself a four-time Canadian champion in Beausejour. “I’m proud of our effort... this isn’t the race we wanted today, but we can hang our hat on a good (season). We will continue to work and come back stronger next year.”

In one of the more popular competitions, Sabrina “Super Girl” Blanchet of Saint-Germain de Grantham, Que. became the first woman to win the Jerry Bunke Cup topping Joe Presta of Whitemouth with Lucas Nast of Vermont in third. Beausejour’s Cody Wojcik was fourth.

Several other local drivers did well with Anola’s Norm Chura collecting the most hardware. Chura was second in the SM 300 FA/LC class with Beausejour’s Johnathon Hall fourth and second in SM 340 LC/SS 440 LC Combo Classic with Justin Habing of Dugald in fifth. In PM 340 LC/SM 340 LC Combo, Habing was second with Chura third.

In the IFS 340X class, Dylan Baran of Anola was second with Presta third and Chura fourth. The SM 440 FA/LC final saw Wojcik third, Chura fourth and Riley Harrison of Anola in fifth.

Beausejour’s Danny Leonard finished third in SS 250/300/340 Fan Combo competition, with Brad Harrison of Anola fourth in the Sportsman 600 final.
The McKenzie Diesel ATV Open class was dominated by Beausejour racers including Ryan Gibson in first, Ethan Clark second, Cody Wojcik third, Cory Jonsson fourth, Nick Campbell fifth, Krysten Campbell sixth, Zack Jacyk seventh and Rob Clark ninth.

The Ice Bike competition ended with Beausejourites Avery Carr and Tyler Fiebelkorn in second and fourth respectively. John Zelinsky of Dugald was fifth.
CPTC president Jared Black said overall it was a very successful weekend with an “incredible turnout” of 128 registered drivers and over 5,000 people in attendance over the weekend. 

“The weekend went very well minus the rain and hail Saturday night and heavy snow during the final Sunday. The track held up really well,” Black said. “Kudos to all of our board of directors and volunteers for their incredible job putting on this massive event.”

Speed reduction petition circulated

Push to encourage province to lower speed on Hwy 11 around Lac du Bonnet

By Simon Ducatel

A former paramedic is circulating a petition she hopes will persuade the provincial government to start the process to reduce the speed limit on Hwy 11.

Lac du Bonnet resident Julie Veilleux has spearheaded efforts to collect signatures in support of road safety by lowering the speed on Hwy 11 from Bilan Road to 500 metres past the junction with PR 313 from 100 down to 80 km/h.

“We have to rephrase the way we think of Hwy 11 and call it a ‘community access corridor’ in order to get attention from the highways department,” said Veilleux. “We have many access points to the community and other access roads that run off Hwy 11.”

Veilleux said both the Town and RM of Lac du Bonnet have previously tried unsuccessfully to lobby the provincial government to reduce the highway’s speed limit.

Throughout her 14 years as a paramedic in the community, Veilleux said she had attended all too many motor vehicle collisions. 
“The last two were horrific,” she said.   

Earlier in the new year, a 78-year-old woman from Pinawa was killed at the intersection of Hwy 11 and Minnewawa Street in the RM of Lac du Bonnet when her SUV entered the roadway and was struck on the driver’s side door by a flatbed semi-truck hauling a tractor at highway speeds. Her vehicle was pushed into the ditch and she was declared deceased on the scene. The semi-truck driver escaped serious injuries.

The faster a motorist goes, the less time they have to react to an unpredictable situation such as another vehicle unexpectedly pulling out in front of them. Lowering the speed limit on that portion of Hwy 11 around Lac du Bonnet would give drivers more time to respond accordingly, asserts Veilleux.

She also cited a study that indicates motorists are more likely to assume it’s OK to drive faster when they see a limit of 100 km/h, while they tend to become more cautious when they see a posted maximum of 80 km/h.

“So, you’re more alert and you have a better chance of reacting in time,” she said. 
The petition was approved Feb. 27 and subsequently circulated around the community, including some local businesses. 

Veilleux said there were already approximately 200 signatories from the Pinawa and Lac du Bonnet communities.  

And as a four-season destination, there are also many people from Winnipeg who own cottages in the area “and they come flying out here,” she said. Rushing to save a few minutes of travel time to enjoy the weekend just isn’t worth risking a lifetime of regret.  

“Going down to 80 is not going to (significantly) impact the time they get to their destination, especially if they get there safe,” she said.
Veilleux planned to circulate the petition for 10 days to collect as many signatures as possible, even though only 15 are needed for the petition to be accepted. The next step was to meet with MLA Wayne Ewasko so he can present it to the government when they are in session.

She also sought to emphasize the request to reduce the speed limit isn’t the result of a random whim. 

“What we’re asking for is that this transition zone will reflect how the corridor now functions as a gateway into the community access environment,” she said. “It’s not just an arbitrary number we’ve pulled out. It’s not to slow people down and hinder traffic. This is to save lives.” 

Asked for her thoughts on the province’s lackluster response to date following multiple speed reduction requests from both municipalities have been denied, Veilleux said she was “absolutely horrified” that the death of the Pinawa senior came so soon after The Lac du Bonnet Clipper had published an article about the RM’s request being turned down.

“It was kind of sickening that it all happened within such a tight time frame; that’s when it really hit home,” she said. 

Veilleux believes a reduced speed limit would have the potential for a less catastrophic event.

“This truck driver now has to live with this,” she added. “And is that fair to him?” 
Veilleux said she wanted to throw her voice behind both municipalities to help convince the provincial government to act. 

“This is not just the councils that are wanting this. People want it... a lot of people want it,” she said. “I’ve lived here for 47 years. This is my home, and I want to feel safe on that highway too.”

Among her next steps is to appear before both councils to ask them to pass resolutions requesting Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure conduct a formal review.  

Last month, Town of Lac du Bonnet Mayor Ken Lodge wrote to Lisa Naylor, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, expressing solidarity with the RM’s request to reduce the speed limit along the aforementioned portion of Hwy 11.

“This section... is a heavily travelled corridor that serves residents of both the Town and the RM, as well as visitors to the Lac du Bonnet area,” reads part of the correspondence. “The combination of multiple major intersections, access points to adjacent businesses, high seasonal traffic volumes and limited sightlines has resulted in ongoing and well-documented safety concerns.”
Local emergency responders have also regularly identified speed as a factor that contributes to more severe collisions, and recurring incidents.

“A reduced speed limit through this high-risk area would be a reasonable and effective step toward improving safety for residents, commuters, emergency responders, business patrons, and visitors to our community,” wrote Lodge.

Therrien not seeking re-election

By Tony Zerucha

RM of Springfield Mayor Pat Therrien confirmed his is not running for re-election in the municipal elections this fall.

In 2022, Therrien won a three-way race in a landslide, capturing 62.1 per cent of the vote, with former Mayor Tiffany Fell attracting 28.3 per cent. Edwin Giesbrecht finished third with 9.6 per cent.

Therrien said he ran to get a recreation centre built after witnessing numerous failed attempts over decades. He ranks that, the sewage lagoon work, and a water treatment plant – currently awaiting provincial approval – as some of the top accomplishments this term.

“The days of saving up (and paying in full) for large-scale projects are long gone,” Therrien said. “We saved up $10 million for the water treatment plant, and received millions in grants. Borrowing $8.8 million on a $29 million plant is a heck of a deal.”
Stepping back, Therrien continues Springfield’s pattern of one-term mayors and reeves. He replaced Fell, who replaced Bob Bodnaruk, who took over from Jim McCarthy, who served after Peter Skrupski. Not since John Holland two decades ago has Springfield seen a mayor serve for more than one term.

Therrien’s term was marked by controversial developments, beginning early with Sio Silica’s sand extraction plans for the Vivian area. While most approvals were provincial responsibilities, this council was under intense pressure to deny basic building applications that met development plan requirements. Therrien and his fellow council members were urged by some to assertively lobby the province of Manitoba to deny Sio Silica’s plans.

Over his four years, Therrien said council was pressured by a vocal group opposed to most housing, infrastructure and recreation developments. Agenda matters, routine and more serious, were often dealt with in a carnival atmosphere.
Therrien was also attacked for participating on the board of the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR). Several municipalities, including Springfield, withdrew for reasons including a lack of transparency and the fear of autonomy loss. 
The stress of several significant files and battles with community and council members took its toll. In 2025, Therrien experienced significant health issues.
Therrien said the decision to leave was made easier by the contentious environment that has coloured these past four years.

“I was in the RCMP for 35 years and saw a lot of life threatening situations, a few extremely violent,” Therrien said. “I never had high blood pressure. The first four months in office, I did. Definitely it was a contributing factor.”

Therrien lamented the constant negativity endured by not only Springfield’s council but many across the province. He predicts Manitoba will see an exodus of skilled and experienced leaders as many opt to not run this fall.

“There are a lot of people who have nothing but negative things to say,” Therrien said. “There’s a lack of maturity shown by some.”

Therrien declined to say if he would endorse any candidates this fall. He hopes candidates don’t come influenced by party affiliations or special-interest agendas that have influenced Springfield politics this term.

“The silent majority speaks with their vote at election time,” Therrien said. “Then your report card is sue in four years, and they can vote you in or vote you out.”

While it was a strenuous four years, Therrien said he leaves happy with the results.
“I’m not going to lie; I think I did a hell of a good job.”

Winnipeg River Museum hosting birdhouse contest

The Winnipeg River Heritage Museum invites residents near and far to participate in ‘A Place to Land’ birdhouse building competition and spring/summer exhibition celebrating creativity, nature and community spirit.

Open to all ages and skill levels, the competition encourages participants to design and build a handcrafted birdhouse – from whimsical and imaginative to traditional and functional. Entries will be featured this year in a public exhibition at the museum from May 17 to July 11.

The exhibition coincides with the opening of the museum’s new community Butterfly Garden, creating a vibrant indoor and outdoor experience for visitors. Together, the birdhouse entries and garden celebrate habitat, conservation and artistic expression in the Winnipeg River region.

Entries may be submitted by individuals, families or groups. The submission deadline is May 9. Birdhouses will be juried at the grand opening of the community butterfly garden at a later date.

Visitors are invited to explore the exhibition, enjoy the new garden space and experience the stories and heritage of Winnipeg River communities.

For guidelines and submission details, visit www.winnipegrivermuseum.com

Lights, camera, ÉBEYS en Francais

French language TV show recorded in Beausejour released online

Some École Beausejour Early Years School students can add TV celebrity to their resume after an episode of a French television show filmed in Beausejour this past fall recently aired.

In October, ÉBEYS was transformed into a TV studio Grade 5 French Immersion students for an episode of Oniva!, a French show for children ages 8-11. 

On the day of filming, six students were chosen to be game show contestants and started their day with a rehearsal in the gym, before the remaining members of both classes joined in as eager audience members. Contestants were split into two teams: green and blue, and had to race for a buzzer to answer a true-false question about the episode’s theme, volcanoes, when it was their turn.

The experience gave all of the students a glimpse into TV production, as audience reaction segments were filmed after the game show was over, but will be edited into place. A single camera zoomed in on small groups of audience members to capture everyone cheering for correct answers, expressing disappointment about incorrect ones and thinking hard about difficult questions.

Prior to the show’s visit, students were busy practicing what they’d say if they were chosen for a series of short interview clips for a segment called Vox Pop. 10 students were selected to speak in French about what they’d name a volcano if they’d had the chance.  They also filmed interview answers that may appear in other episodes: one about their dream bike and a pair of questions about simple machines: which ones they use every day and how their life would be affected if the wheel disappeared tomorrow. Students from St-Pierre-Jolys and Winnipeg also answered the same questions & will likely appear in the 3 episodes as well.

The show’s host, producer and cameraman also visited with the classes to share their stories. Host Louis Boulanger spoke of his first experience appearing in an Oniva! episode. Students were given words of encouragement from the show’s cameraman, Julien Fournier, as he discussed his own experiences as a French Immersion student, as well as working on a TV show where everyone else’s first language is French.

The final segment to be filmed featured Boulanger being welcomed to Beausejour by student Brooke Dugard, who mentioned a few of her favourite local spots before running into the school to join the game show.

After filming at the school, the crew explored the town to get footage of the community that will also appear in the episode.

The finished product aired Feb. 1 on the French language TV network Ici Radio-Canada Télé and is available to stream online.

Cybersecurity a tough task for municipalities - Part 1

By Tony Zerucha

Like most of society, municipalities are increasingly conducting their affairs online. The benefits include various efficiencies, convenience and meeting consumer demand.

That increased digital presence however leaves everyone, including municipalities, vulnerable to attacks from criminals. As they acquire and store more digital information on their citizens, municipalities must be increasingly vigilant to protect themselves and the citizens they serve. And with technology making it feasible for anyone with a smartphone to conduct an attack, the pressures increase.

Large organizations like national governments and corporations have entire dedicated departments focused solely on cybersecurity. They spend millions of dollars annually on protecting themselves. Yet, they can still fall victim to cybercriminals.

Such budgets are well beyond municipal capabilities. Are municipalities up to the task of protecting themselves and the citizens they serve from cybercriminals?

Part I of II - Motivation

Why would criminals be motivated to attack municipalities? Greg Wetmore said whatever the target is, the motives boil down to two: stealing money or creating chaos and uncertainty. The engineering leader at Entrust, an international digital security company, said stealing money takes many forms, including surreptitiously installing ransomware that shuts down municipal systems until a sum is paid. 

Thieves also steal personal information, such as banking data, to make unsanctioned withdrawals. Often, they use personal information to create multiple identities in a person’s name to obtain loans and credit cards. Thieves also register for municipal services like newsletters as part of a larger strategy to create entirely new “synthetic identities”. Once a sufficient online trail is established, they seek credit cards and loans that are never repaid.

“Hackers steal personal data like logins,” said Alexander Hall, a safety architect for Sift – an AI-powered fraud decisioning company. “Criminals use stolen usernames and passwords to break into town systems, employee accounts and websites where residents get services. From there, they try to steal payment information or credits.
“Weak security systems create openings for criminals. Unlike big organizations with full-time IT security teams, small towns often rely on simple passwords and outdated security methods, making them easy targets for unauthorized access.”

Sometimes, the motivation is ideological. Groups with political agendas seek to infiltrate municipal systems with malware that can lie undetected for years, waiting to be activated. If undetected, such malware can shut down electrical, water and waste, and communication systems once activated.

Wetmore said municipalities, like most everyone else, are increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, and they serve a population that expects an online experience. With municipalities commonly having several different systems and connections to an extensive web of suppliers for everything from stationery to motor oil, they provide a large attack surface.

“This expanding digital footprint, this pressure that municipalities have to deliver digital services, and the fact that they’re a custodian of very valuable information, this makes them a target,” Wetmore said.

Why would, say, North Korea, care about a small rural municipality in Eastern Manitoba? Wetmore concedes that if disruption is the goal, the focus would be on larger centres where its effect is maximized. But smaller municipalities are not immune, either.

“You go after the weakest link,” he added. “The smaller municipality is the easy target. They still have valuable resources, and you’re potentially that softer target for a threat actor to go after.”

“Criminals follow trends and attack where they see opportunities,” Hall added. “They use automated systems that quickly adapt to find new ways to break into systems. The threat landscape changes as fast as criminals can spot new weaknesses and profitable targets.”

Municipalities are Worried

Several Canadian municipalities, large and small, have been hacked by cybercriminals, including the City of Yellowknife (September 2025), Hamilton, Ont. (February 2024), and Huntsville, Ont. (March 2024). In Huntsville’s case, it was a ransomware attack, where data is held hostage for payment. Its 22,000 population is similar in size to the combined populations of the RMs of Springfield and Brokenhead.

A survey of Eastern Manitoba municipalities finds that they approach cybersecurity in one of two ways. Some hire an outside company like Microage to monitor their systems. Others have an in-house specialist.

Whatever the method, local officials are concerned that they cannot keep up with sophisticated criminals. RM of Brokenhead Reeve Brad Saluk said municipalities are in the business of building and maintaining infrastructure – that’s where they’re most knowledgeable. Whatever their size, they cannot be expected to stay on top of technological trends like AI, which is leveraged by content creators, finance professionals, and, yes, criminals.

Municipalities need help from the federal government, the only level of government with the resources and reach to effectively combat cybercriminals. Saluk, who is also a senior official with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, said discussions are being held with federal and provincial officials, who are well aware of the gravity of this issue.

“We’re putting the bug in their ear,” Saluk said. “The government should know what’s happening with AI. Who knows who you’re talking to? How secure are your bank funds? Can anyone get into our emails?”

Saluk said one municipality recently switched email service providers. The new provider unilaterally locked down the municipal email system. That municipality was unknowingly left vulnerable by its own service provider.

“When hiring a company to look after us, we shouldn’t be shutting down,” Saluk said.
RM of Lac du Bonnet Coun. Cindy Kellendonk said she is hearing more from her peers across Manitoba about cybersecurity and their fears of being hacked. Like Saluk, she advocates for better provincial and national coordination. That would ensure uniformity of information across provinces and Canada

“These days, it’s critical to have staff and council members knowledgeable about current best practices,” Kellendonk said.

In the absence of a coordinated approach, municipalities are left going it alone on training personnel and updating systems. Those using a company can access its accumulated expertise across years in business and staff experience. Municipalities with an in-house person are relying on one person to maintain and protect systems, track the newest risks, and to train staff and officials. That’s a tall task.

Comets drop semi-final opener to Fish

By Tony Zerucha

TThe Beausejour Comets lost the opening game of their best-of-seven CRJHL semi-final series to the Selkirk Fishermen 6-3 on March 8. 

Selkirk led 1-0 after the first period and added an early, second-period power-play goal at 1:31. The Comets then stormed back with three straight goals in an 81-second span to take a 3-2 lead. Tyler Nault, Lavery Melsted and Vaughn Senebald were the marksmen.

Selkirk closed the game with four unanswered goals to seal the 6-3 win. A lack of discipline cost the Comets, as Selkirk went two for six on the power play (Beausejour went zero for three). 

Beausejour spent much of the second period and the last half of the third killing penalties, including a five-minute match penalty assessed for checking to the head with 6:53 remaining. The incident turned ugly as the Selkirk player, Logan Saluk, fell to the ice and had a seizure. Several members of the Beausejour Brokenhead Fire Department in attendance went on to the ice to provide assistance as first responders. An ambulance was called and Saluk was stretchered off.

An update by Comets GM Curt Ramsden on Monday was that the Selkirk player was reportedly fine Sunday night after being taken to Health Science Centre and given a CT scan.

Shots were close at 29-28 for Selkirk. Sawyer Abraham was between the pipes for Beausejour. 

Former Powerview-Sagkeeng Wild stars were key to Selkirk’s win. Markus Sharpe was the winning goalie, while Ryland Schroeder scored once. Theo Courchene chipped in two assists.

Game 2 in Selkirk was not scheduled as of press time.

Beausejour hosts Game 3 on March 13 at 8 p.m. Game 4 for is in Selkirk at 3 p.m. on March 15, while Game 5 is in Beausejour on March 16 at 8 p.m. A sixth game is slated for Selkirk on March 19, with a deciding seventh pencilled in for Beausejour on March 21 at 7 p.m.

Beausejour to host curling club provincials

By Sierra Smith

The Beausejour Curling Club will host the 2026 Curling Club Provincials from March 26-29, welcoming 24 teams from across Manitoba. 

A total of 12 mens and 12 womens teams will compete for the opportunity to represent the province at the 2026 Curling Club National Championships Nov 22-28 in St. Thomas, Ont.

As the host club, Beausejour is permitted to enter one mens and one womens team. the The Justin Richter rink claimed the host berth Jan. 18 at the Beausejour Curling Club. Richter and his team defeated the Doug May rink in a best-of-three series, winning the first two games to secure the spot. The team features Richter at skip, third Doug Hamblin, second Matt Kaminski and lead Brendan Honkey.

The Wayne Ewasko rink will also be participating as they captured the Curling Club East Regional berth in Selkirk Nov. 22-23. The team went undefeated throughout the event to secure their spot. Ewasko, who throws skip stones, is joined by third Carl Bangert, second Jarvis Ewasko and lead Stuart Parrott. 

The foursome opened the regional event with a 6-2 victory over Shayne Merritt of Selkirk, followed by a narrow 7-6 win against Craig Nichol of Stonewall. They completed their undefeated run with a 7-3 win over Steen Sigurdson of Gimli.
Beausejour unfortunately will not have a womens host team as no local group expressed interest in the available berth. Curl Manitoba will name a team to fill that position, though an announcement has not yet been made.

Preparations continue behind the scenes as a local committee organizes the four-day championship. The 2026 Curling Club Provincials are expected to bring high-level competition and strong community support to the Beausejour Curling Club later this month.

Xtreme in HTJHL semi-final deadlock

By Tony Zerucha

The Springfield Xtreme and the Mitchell Mustangs are tied 2-2 in their Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League semi-final series.

Josh Rach made 30 saves to backstop the Xtreme to a 3-2 series-opening win on March 3. 

Chase Janas opened the scoring at 6:16 after converting passes from Michael Jette and Aidan Osborne. Mitchell responded at 12:54 to make it a 1-1 tie heading into the break.

Springfield scored twice in the second stanza, with Cam Osborne and Seth Klepatz lighting the lamp.

Mitchell scored once in the third but the comeback stalled. Springfield took 25 shots.
Theo Koop’s goal at 13:58 of the third period gave the Mustangs a come-from-behind, 4-3 win on March 5. The Xtreme amassed an early, 2-0 lead on goals by Janas and David Hazlitt, but the Mustangs came back with three straight scored to take a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.

Cam Osborne tied the game at 12:13 of the third. Rach kept the game close by making 44 saves. Springfield took 25 shots.

The Xtreme grabbed a 2-1 series lead with a 5-3 win on March 7. Hazlitt, Aidan Osborne and Carter Van den Bussche gave Springfield a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Mitchell opened the second stanza with two goals to make it 3-2, but Aidan Osborne scored on the power play at 9:21 to give the Xtreme a cushion.

Mitchell responded a power-play goal of their own to make it 4-3, but Cam Osborne scored an insurance goal at 16:04. Rach saw 50 shots, while Springfield took 27.
On March 9, Springfield fell 5-2. 

With the Xtreme down 1-0 after 20 minutes, Connor Toth tied the game at 7:10 of the second frame. The Mustangs snapped off four tallies before Mason Lesuk could get another for the Xtreme in the third.

Rach and Tyson Murdock split time in the Springfield net as they faced 60 shots.
Game 5 was in Springfield on March 11 at 8 p.m. Results were not available at press time.

If necessary Game 6 is in Mitchell on March 14, with a deciding Game 7 slated for Oakbank on March 15 at 6 p.m.

Winterhawks ousted from SEMHL playoffs

By Tony Zerucha

The Springfield Winterhawks were ousted in the SEMHL semi-finals by the Ile des Chenes Northstars three games to one. 

Springgfield evened the series 1-1 with a dominant, 7-0 win on March 4. Connor Barley scored four goals and chipped in an assist. Carter Barley, Braeden Binda and Dexter Kuczek also tallied. Steve Christie made 36 saves for the shutout; Springfield fired 45 the other way.

On March 5, Ile des Chenes grabbed a 2-1 series lead by scoring four unanswered goals to double the Winterhawks 4-2. Kuczek and Dobie Unrau tallied for the Winterhawks, who outshot the Northstars 39-28. 

Ile des Chenes closed out the best-of-five series with a 5-2 win on March 7. Unrau and Carter Barley tallied for Springfield, who outshot Ile des Chenes 51-47.
The Northstars will battle with the Winkler Royals for the league championship.

Winterhawks sweep Islanders to move on

By Tony Zerucha

The Springfield Winterhawks have advanced to the SEMHL semi-finals following a three-game sweep of the Portage Islanders.

The Winterhawks survived a late surge to top the Islanders 7-5 in the series opener on Feb. 16. They amassed a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals from Brody Welsh and Mathieu Moreira. 

Before widening the advantage to 5-1 after 40 minutes as Carter Barley, Adam Hughesman and Dexter Kuczek bulged the twine.

Moreira’s second of the game made it 6-1 33 seconds into the final frame, but Portage mounted a furious comeback with four goals in 14 minutes to make it 6-5 at 15:32. Keith Grondin scored an empty-netter at 18:36 to ice the win.

Springfield scored on its only power play while allowing two goals on seven chances against. The Winterhawks were outshot 35-34. Steve Christie earned the win.
Islander Joey Sutherland was suspended three games after he was assessed a match penalty as the game ended.

The Winterhawks power play was pivotal in a Game 2 victory on Feb. 19. Springfield was down 1-0 in the second period when Islander Kian Calder was assessed a double minor for slewfooting at 2:50. They scored twice on the ensuing man advantage, with Owen Blocker and Carter Barley hitting the net.

Matt Lamoureux made it 3-1 at 1:46 of the third period. Portage scored at 8:25 to make it a one-goal game, but they couldn’t find the equalizer. Springfield outshot Portage 45-27. Christie was between the pipes.

Four Winterhawks scored on Feb. 21 in a 4-0 Winterhawks win. Owen Blocker,

Grondin, Grant Perdonic and Dobie Unrau were the marksmen. Goalie stats were not reported.

Springfield could learn its next opponent on Feb. 25. The first-place Winkler Royals lead the Notre Dame Hawks 2-1, with games scheduled for Feb. 23 and 26. Results of the Feb. 23 contest were unavailable at press time.

The Red River Wild and Morden Bombers are tied 2-2, with the deciding game on Feb. 24. Results were unavailable at press time. 

Walls stepping back from Sabres football

By Tony Zerucha

Springfield’s football community is preparing to say goodbye to its founder Tom Walls, who is stepping down this summer. 

Walls is technically taking a one-year leave of absence from a teaching position with the Winnipeg School Division, who he jokingly thanked for allowing him to spend so many workday hours on football. He and wife Shandy are moving to Colombia after she accepted employment there.

Walls said he’ll stay involved through the spring gym season, and will assist incoming head coach Shane Lucier with planning and play development remotely during the season. In meetings with coaches, players and parents, everyone wished to maintain a similar structure.

Those meetings, while hard, were important for everyone. This includes some seniors who need consistency as they pursue university or junior careers.

“There were two things I needed to do in those meetings,” Walls said. “I needed to let them know I wasn’t leaving them for another team; it was an opportunity for my family, and it was going to be okay.”

Walls had lived in Springfield for three years when Shandy looked in their yard and told him they could erect some goalposts and hold kicking camps.

“I said we can do more than that,” Walls said.

The Sunrise Coyotes program was founded in 2014. The early years brought predictable struggles on the field; some gave up. But others persisted, including a girls’ team that won three championships in four years.

“That showed us it could work here,” Walls said.

That was followed by a powerhouse bantam team that solidified a winning environment. Players and families stuck around. Younger siblings signed up; a program was born.

Equally important was what was happening on the sidelines. Walls and coaches like Ken Clegg, Val Medved, Marcell Pelland and Ian Hickey began coaching peewee together. That was 12 years ago – they’re still together today.

“The coaches really like being around each other. That brings stability,” Walls said.
The high school football come to Springfield in 2019. To date, six seasons have brought five banners to the school, along with a year-round program that keeps the players engaged.

“Year-round programs like we have at SCI, you don’t find them at other schools except for that big ones like Oak Park and Dakota,” Walls said. “They’re huge schools. We have between 560-580 kids.”

Walls said his three proudest life accomplishments are his marriage, kids and Springfield’s football program. The latter has allowed him two blend in the other two. Football wouldn’t have happened without Shandy, who raised funds when few were to be had. Tommy Jr. was an award-winning Sabres pivot who played American college football. Daughter Aiden was active in merchandising.

The winning was nice, and Walls communicated that to his players. More importantly, Walls was reminded of the joy in the process; every team building event, every practice, brought people together. Children were growing into responsible adults.
“The real joy has been in the relationships with the players, coaches and parents,” Walls said. “What these programs teach young people is rarer and rarer in society: not giving up when things get hard, selflessness, and eventual reward over immediate gratification.”

That message has endured, as Walls saw in a recent alumni game. Two original 2019 players brought their own children, one only three months old.
“He thought so much of the program and that game that he wanted his wife and kid to be there,” Walls said.

Walls also joked that when alumni bring their kids, perhaps it’s time for fresh blood to patrol the sidelines. He then got serious when recalling players share stories of substance abuse and suicidal thoughts; they trusted him enough to share their innermost fears.

“One father told me we changed his son’s life for the better; that’s the kind of thing that sticks with you,” Walls said.

Walls has several irons in the fire, including a book that could soon be published. He’s also promoting professional development services to teachers and coaches in South America.

And Walls wouldn’t be Walls without some football. He’ll be coaching the Medellin Raptors.

Is South American football different than what Walls is used to? Canadian football isn’t what a grinning Walls was used to when he initially came north.

“Everywhere else has four downs, and they don’t give you a point for kicking it through the end zone,” Walls laughed. “I’m going back to my roots.”

Smith headed to Manitoba Games

By Tony Zerucha

Oakbank curler Sierra Smith is packing her bags for Thompson, where she will join Team Eastman at the Manitoba Winter Games from March 4-7. 

Smith and Interlake partner Jake Kowalchuk earned their spots by winning a mixed doubles curling regional qualifier at the Springfield Curling Club in Dugald on Jan. 3.
Smith and Kowalchuk took early control in the opening game by scoring two in each of the first two ends on the way to an 11-2 victory. In the clinching second draw, Smith and Kowalchuk broke open a 1-1 deadlock with three in the third end and five in the fifth to win another 11-2 decision. This one was called after six ends.
The partners gelled quickly, after only meeting in September. After a couple of practices, they entered the January regional qualifier.

“Those games were the first games we have ever played together,” Smith said. “We formed a team (after) he reached out to me. We have known each other for around three of four years, as we faced each other in inter-club curling.”
Smith said mixed doubles is different from traditional curling formats in several ways. For starters, there are only two players on each team. Teams throw just five rocks per end, compared to the usual eight.

“One player throws the first and the fifth rock which was me. The other player throws the middle three which was Jake,” Smith explained. “For the game, there’s always two rocks that are in play. The team that has hammer has the rock placed back four foot and the team that doesn’t have hammer has their rock placed as a centre guard, usually mid.”

Athletes between the ages of 10-17 will compete in 12 sports over seven days: ringette, archery, speed skating, futsal, alpine skiing, curling, gymnastics, figure skating, cross country skiing, wrestling, badminton and hockey. 

Sport Manitoba will release the complete Eastman team roster at the end of January. Eastman includes much of the Interlake and communities north of the Trans Canada Highway.

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