Steinbach City Council has passed first reading of the Administrative Penalty By-Law. This move is key to allowing city staff to issue fines, including increased fines, under the Traffic By-Law and Animal Control By-Law when needed. 

At the December 17th council meeting, Corporate Services Manager Adam Thiessen explained how this new by-law ties everything together. “Now that council has given first reading to the Traffic By-Law as well as the Animal Control By-Law, this Administrative Penalty By-Law gives the City the authority to issue penalties under the Municipal By-Law Enforcement Act.” 

The Traffic By-Law and Animal Control By-Law both received first reading earlier this fall, on November 5 and December 3 respectively. However, to enforce the increased fines and some new fines listed under these by-laws, the city requires authority from the Province under the Municipal By-Law Enforcement Act (MBEA). The Administrative Penalty By-Law ensures Steinbach meets these requirements. 

“This by-law is necessary because this is what gives us the authority from the province that we can enforce these penalties, so it makes sense for us to move ahead,” said Deputy Mayor Michael Zwaagstra, making the motion to approve 1st reading. 

Thiessen added that the ultimate goal is to help City administration more effectively address issues related to traffic and animal control. 

The Administrative Penalty By-Law now heads to second and third readings. 

Steinbach Senator Don Plett says the happenings on Parliament Hill this week show that not only has the Prime Minister lost the confidence of the Canadian electorate, but now too of his very cabinet.

The Conservative Senator is referring to this week's resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who stepped down on Monday, the day she was to present the fall economic statement. In a resignation letter posted to social media, she says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered her another role in cabinet Friday, but that the only "honest and viable path" was to leave cabinet. In the letter, which was addressed to Trudeau, Freeland said she and the Prime Minister have found themselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada.

Plett says for someone who professes to be a feminist, Trudeau let go of his most senior cabinet member and Deputy Prime Minister. 

"Clearly a strong, strong capable woman," says Plett, describing Freeland. "Throwing her under the bus and expecting her to just simply take it, shows the arrogance of this individual."

Provencher Member of Parliament Ted Falk says there is certainly a growing group of Liberal MPs that would like to see the Prime Minister resign. 

"It's a failed leadership, it's an out-of-control government that has had out-of-control spending, out-of-control immigration," comments Falk. "We've seen crime statistics completely out-of-control as well."

Falk says when the Liberals did eventually table their fall economic statement this week, it revealed that our federal government has blown through its $40 billion guardrail. Falk says he thinks that Freeland's biggest concern was that she had committed to Canadians that she had a guardrail of $40 billion that she would not exceed. 

"As we all know the deficit came in at $62 billion, which is a historic high in Canada, we've never had a $62 billion deficit," says Falk. "It was something that (Freeland) found herself not being able to present and so she resigned and so the Prime Minister has again broken a promise to Canadians that they would be fiscally responsible and obviously we've seen that they are not."

Meanwhile, Falk says Canadians should also find it very concerning what is coming off the lips of President-elect Donald Trump. In November, Trump stated that he will sign an executive order imposing a 25 per cent tariff on all products coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico. He said the tariff will remain in place until both countries stop drugs, in particular fentanyl, and people from illegally crossing the borders.

Falk says the United States is Canada's closest ally and friend, and our largest trading partner. He says the relationship between our two countries is very important and very critical. 

"President-elect Trump has been very clear with Prime Minister Trudeau that he is concerned about border security, not only the United States/ Mexico border but on the Canada/ U.S. border," says Falk. "That our security protocols have been lax and that we've got a drug problem here in Canada, which as Conservatives we recognize that under Justin Trudeau's leadership, the drug problem in Canada has spiraled, we've seen that."

Falk says though there have been meetings with Canada's premiers to formulate a response, it should be our Prime Minister who leads the response. 

Senator Plett says the two demands that Trump is asking for are entirely in the hands of our federal government. 

"We as Canadians should want those two things to be done, we should want a secure border, we should want to stop the transport of drugs and illegal guns in both directions," says Plett. "He has not threatened a trade war over softwood lumber, over oil and gas."

Plett says rather than beef up security at the borders, our federal government is more concerned with taking away guns from sport shooters and duck hunters.

In recent days Trump has also made comments about Canada becoming the 51st state and Trudeau being governor. Plett says this is nothing more than a jab at our Prime Minister. 

"Canadians don't want us to become the 51st state and when we have a competent government in place, Donald Trump will not talk about that again," he says. 

With files from The Canadian Press

Ski enthusiasts are gearing up for an exciting season on the Sandilands Ski Trails. With a strong start this year, the trails are ready for action earlier than usual, thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers. 

Sandilands Ski Club maintains three trail clusters at the Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club, Quarry Oaks Golf Course, and Sandilands Provincial Forest. 

President of the club Chris Duester says the trails are already looking a lot better than last year. 

“If you remember, last year we almost had a brown Christmas, and the conditions were really challenging for any snow sports. This year, we’ve got a really early start. Grooming for Quarry Oaks was ready on December 10th, which is a pretty early start.” 

He explains that it’s surprising how much effort goes into trail clearing before snow falls. 

“In the fall, there’s a work day where volunteers come out to clear the trails. After that, they keep heading out to clear brush and push back bush because nature takes back the trails. So, you’re always battling against that.” 

Once snow blankets the trails, the work doesn’t stop. Volunteers pack and set tracks to ensure a smooth skiing experience. This year, the club faced an additional challenge as their long-standing trail groomers retired after 35 years of service. 

“We are training new groomers, and they are learning on the job,” Duester says. “It’s exciting to flip a page and get new people involved, but it’s also going to have its challenges.” 

Despite the hard work, the sense of community makes it all worthwhile. 

“You get together with like-minded people, work towards a common goal, and you’re doing this just as a volunteer. There’s a lot that you get out of that.” 

For those looking to join the fun, the Sandilands Ski Club offers both season passes, and day passes. Membership fees help keep the club financially healthy and the trails in top condition. 

Duester shares that memberships can be purchased through their website and encourages everyone to get out and try the sport. 

“And you know what? You’re gonna love it. Winter can be so intimidating and long, but when you embrace a sport like skiing, you realize it can actually be enjoyable.” 

He adds, “It’s a very affordable sport. You can get a set of skis here locally for not very much money, and they’ll last you 25 years, no problem. I think it’s a win-win.” 

The trails throughout the Sandilands Forest are maintained for skiing and Duester says they are easily wrecked by walkers or tobogganers. 

“If you’re into snowshoeing or hiking, I’d recommend checking out Manitoba Provincial Parks for those activities. Right now, we’re set up as a ski club only.” 

As the season unfolds, Duester looks forward to seeing more people enjoy the trails and the community spirit that comes with it. 

“I just love seeing people out on the trails and enjoying themselves. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with an amazing team of volunteers through the board and the track setters. There are a lot of hands-on deck that make this work.” 

Coming up in January, Sandilands Ski Club is hosting a ‘Learn to Ski Workshop’ at Quarry Oaks Golf Course. Participants will learn necessary skills and techniques for skiing. 

Workshop dates are January 11th and 25th, and February 11th. 

For more information about passes, trail updates, and the ski workshop, visit sandilands.ca or check out their Facebook page.

With files from Carly Koop

Eighty-eight-year-old Lorne Collie has been making musical instruments for more than three decades, creations that dazzle for their unique materials as much as their sound.

There’s a hefty bass guitar and a cello made of moose antlers, a baseball bat violin, ukuleles made of cookie tins, and guitars fashioned from pitch forks, a shovel, and a rake.

His personal favourites? A frying pan mandolin and a banjo made of a motorcycle tire rim, covered by stretched deerskin painted by his late wife.

“When people wanted to buy them, I always said No,” Collie said from his home outside the tiny and remote Manitoba community of Hilbre, about 230 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

“I wasn’t hurting for money, but what I was afraid of is that if I started selling them, I would be working myself to death to try to keep up to the orders.”

Collie said he once turned down an offer of $35,000 for a moose antler electric guitar.

Now things have changed.

“That was the policy back then,” he said. “I’m 88 now and not as spry and lively as I used to be.”

With the help of his son James who lives in Hope, B.C., Collie is hoping to sell some of his collection. The electric bass guitar is on sale for $8,000, and the cello for $6,500.

Collie said he needs the funds to upgrade his older model electric car to one with better range and speed, so he can see his large family.

“I would like to and I do quite a bit of travelling. My wife has passed on and I’m alone. I’ve got 25 great grandchildren and they’re all in Alberta and B.C.,” Collie said. “I’ve got lots of reasons to drive.”

Collie said he first put the antler instruments up for sale this summer, but while there were a few inquiries from Vancouver “nobody came out to see them.”

“You really have to see them to appreciate them,” he said.

Collie’s instrument building began with a near-death experience that forced him to retire from his trade as a machinist.

He said he was “working tremendous, long hours at a high stress” job in the late 1980s, when he collapsed with a brain aneurysm that put him in a coma for more than a week.

“That was supposed to have killed me,” he said. “They wrote me off as dead.”

Collie said he woke up with a clear head, and after a friend challenged him to “put strings on a shovel,” he began making instruments from other odd, kitschy implements.

He said he walked into his workshop one day, saw a broken guitar on a workbench and a moose antler on another and “got the idea of putting them together.”

Friends on a nearby First Nations reserve and a brother-in-law who maintains a trapline found the antlers and gave them to him.

The first antler instrument, a guitar, “turned out very, very good.”

The antler doesn’t warp and it’s very strong, Collie said, adding that he’s had success with most materials, other than an ill-fated attempt at making a lap steel guitar from a snowshoe.

The moose antler bass guitar weighs nearly eight kilograms, he said, but it’s “one of the most comfortable” instruments he’s made.

“And it sounds good, just like a good solid-body electric guitar,” Collie said.

Collie isn’t done yet with his unique instruments. He said he also wants to make a Celtic harp, but he needs “fairly large antler with quite a deep curve in it.”

“I’m not much of a musician,” he said. “I can play any of them good enough to know if they’re working, but I’m not a performer.”

He likes the idea of a group of musicians getting together to do a “talent show” with his creations, but if he can sell the antler bass and cello, he’d be happy “just to know they’re being enjoyed.”

“I’ve been making stuff my entire life,” he said. “I was born for making things, that’s for sure.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2024.

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press

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