On April 22, Australian actor and comedian Barry Humphries passed away at the age of 89. Few Canadians would recognize this prolific actor, but perhaps a few more of them would recognize his most famous character, Dame Edna Everage. From 1956 until 2019, Humphries performed this character on stage and on the small screen to critical and fan acclaim, appearing alongside Billy Crystal, Mel Gibson, and many other celebrities.

The Providence Pilots’s annual athletic awards banquet took place on April 12, and this year the organization had a bevy of people to recognize.

An alumnus of Providence University College has returned to the school as their new Director of Athletics. Russell Willms is set to replace Scott Masterson as head of the Providence Pilots.

Living in Manitoba’s land of plenty, surrounded by abundant grain fields and heavily stocked grocery store shelves, means that the issue of food waste barely hits our radar.

A community social is being held at the Ste. Agathe Arena on May 13 for the Raise the Stick campaign, which is raising money for facility repairs. The event is part of a campaign hoping to raise $750,000 toward a new ice plant, including condenser, chiller, compressors, and pumps.

The owners of Pizza 311 are pleased to announce the opening of their second location, officially turning the Niverville-based business into a locally owned franchise. The new location is located in the strip mall at 597 Meadowlark Blvd in Île-des-Chênes.

Storage Bros has opened their doors in Ste. Agathe, offering storage units for personal and commercial goods for residents of the southeast. The business is located on Voyageur Road and offers units sized from 6-by-6 to 12-by-18, as well as barbed-wire security fencing, 24-hour customer access, and 24-hour camera surveillance.

For one week from May 1–7, Tim Hortons in Niverville will be holding its annual Smile Cookie fundraiser. This year, they’re raising funds for the Golden Friendship Centre in Niverville. All proceeds will go directly to the centre, which has begun a fresh series of renovations to liven up the space after hosting the community for 40 years.

Local ringette is thriving in southeastern Manitoba. Recently, many young players had the opportunity to represent Team Manitoba in the Western Canadian and Canadian Ringette Championships.

The Honourable Kelvin Goertzen was on hand to make a big announcement in his home riding of Steinbach on April 28. This year, three new surgical theatres are being added to the Bethesda Regional Health Centre.