Brenton Penner, Micah Zacharias, Jordan St. Cyr, Manuel Unrau, and Ross Klassen at the Covenant Awards.
Jordan St. Cyr
As we mark the new year today, The Citizen is taking the opportunity to look back at 2019. So far we’ve posted our top ten lists for local news, feature articles, and the best of Sports & Rec. Next up: the top ten Arts & Entertainment stories of the year.
Come back over the next couple of days to see our other top ten lists, each of which will peg the biggest stories in Commentary, Profiles, and Business among others.
- “Author Publishes Debut Novel,” by Brenda Sawatzky. Author Sabrina Falk of Niverville launched her debut novel, Not Far from the Preach Tree, from Peasantry Press. The project, seven years in the making, hit bookstore shelves February 1. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/niverville-author-publishes-debut-novel)
- “St. Cyr Wins Five Covenant Awards,” by Lorelei Leona. Local singer Jordan St. Cyr made a big splash at last year’s Covenant Awards, taking home hardware for Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Recorded Song of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and Pop Song of the Year. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/st-cyr-takes-home-five-covenant-awards)
- “Niverville Crooner Places in Top Three at Pop Star Competition,” by Evan Braun. Another local singer, Joey Villanueva, earned a top-three spot at Pinoy Pop Star, an amateur singing competition that features the best of the best from Manitoba’s Filipino community. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/niverville-crooner-places-in-top-three-at-pop-star-competition)
- “Snow Maze Takes World Title,” by Brenda Sawatzky. The owners of A Maze in Corn added a new feature last winter: an enormous snow maze. So enormous was this maze, 2,789.11 square meters in area, that it was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/snow-maze-takes-world-title)
- “James Barker Band Headline Niverville Fair,” by Lorelei Leona. The James Barker Band headlined the Niverville Olde Tyme Country Fair. The quartet, hailing from Ontario, previously won the Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase in 2015 and were signed to Universal Music Canada soon after. The band has been picking up steam south of the border as well. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/james-barker-band-to-headline-niverville-fair)
- “Cheyenne Summer Fest Marks 30 Years,” by Brenda Sawatzky. This year’s edition of Ste. Agathe’s Cheyenne Summer Fest was the community’s thirtieth. The town was lit up for two full days of lively entertainment. Several Metis and French traditions returned to emphasize Ste. Agathe’s francophone roots. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/cheyenne-summer-fest-celebrates-30-years)
- “A Maze in Corn Launches Sunflower Expo,” by Fiona Robinson. As if the snow maze wasn’t enough, A Maze in Corn debuted a second new attraction last year—the Sunflower Expo, which ran from mid-August to mid-September. The family-friendly attraction included live music, beer gardens, and more than 40 variations of the sunflower, one of Manitoba’s most recognizable and sought-after crops. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/a-maze-in-corn-launches-the-sunflower-expo)
- “Farmer Takes Part in Empowering Documentary,” by Brenda Sawatzky. In October, local farmer and entrepreneur Colleen Dyck helped debut Common Strength, a documentary she took part in earlier in 2019. A film crew had followed her through a voyage of personal and professional discovery in the eastern Africa nation of Kenya. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/local/local-farmer-takes-part-in-empowering-documentary)
- “Kenneth Nominated for Emerging Artist Award,” by Graham Schellenberg. Country music artist Brady Kenneth capped off a successful year, which saw him release three new singles, with a nomination for the Manitoba Country Music Association’s Emerging Artist Award. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/kenneth-nominated-for-emerging-artist-award)
- “Local Couple Launch Magic Playing Card Business,” by Brenda Sawatzky. Late in the year, a couple from Grande Pointe launched a most unusual new business—Red Fox Playing Cards. The playing cards, optimized for magic enthusiasts, have been endorsed by some of the most well-known magic performers active today. (https://nivervillecitizen.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/local-couple-launch-magic-playing-card-business)
