Northwest by southeast?

The extended warm days this autumn inspired me to squeeze in a few more road trips before I need to break out the winter tires.

Having spent a great deal of time in the southwest of our province earlier this summer, I chose to explore the southeastern corner recently. Travelling along the Trans-Canada, I saw the sign for East Braintree and highway 308. I have never been down this path before, so I turned off. I recommend this drive!

About an hour into my journey, I was faced with a fork in the road; the junction of PTH 525 East. This road starts out as a provincial roadway, but about 10 kilometres in, it becomes a Minnesota state road! Yes, this is the famous Northwest Angle of the North Star State. There is not much here; a post office, a few fishing lodges, a restaurant, and a cute nine hole golf course!

If you are not familiar with the Northwest Angle, it is a part of Minnesota that is separated from the main state by the Lake of the Woods. North of this peninsula, across the inlet, lies Ontario. The west edge is Manitoba’s border. South and east lies the waters called Big and Little Traverse Bays of the aforementioned LOTW. Boats and snowmobiles, within their respective seasons, are the easiest way to get to this area. Getting there by car, however, is a one road option in the summer, and that road only goes through Canada.

St. Vital youngster’s soccer dreams

Danilo Lourenco is a 13-year-old Grade 8 student at Darwin School.

“School is going well for me,” Danilo said. “I’m getting good grades and my favourite subjects are science and math. I really enjoy science class because my teacher, Mr. Vince, made the classes very entertaining, which kept us engaged in the subject he was teaching. Also, I really enjoy math class because I seem to be a numbers guy and pick up the concepts pretty quickly.”

Danilo really enjoys playing sports.

“The sports that I play primarily are soccer and hockey,” he said. “I also enjoy playing pick-up basketball and football with my friends when we get a game going. I’m mainly focused on soccer because it is my favourite sport. I enjoy soccer because it is the sport I am best at and I have made many good friends that I hope to remain friends with in the future. My main position is CAM (central attacking midfielder), although I feel comfortable playing anywhere the coach needs me. I play for Bonivital. I am being coached by coach Tony Fonseca, and coach Cary McNab. I feel very fortunate to have had all these coaches as I feel they have all contributed to my development thus far. I have to also mention coach Xaviar and coach Kris who run some of our practices at Bonivital. I feel grateful to have had many awesome teammates on all my teams.”

Building a team

The halls at Windsor Park Collegiate are looking a little more purple these days.

That’s because the school’s community is celebrating the inaugural season of its junior varsity football team.

“After many months of planning, hiring, purchasing, and practising, we are ready to hit the field for our inaugural game,” said Robbie Mager, Windsor Park Collegiate’s principal, on the eve of the Royals’ first game, which was on Sept. 9.

Fast forward to Sept. 23 and the excitement was continuing to build, as the team prepared for its third game of the season.

‘You have to have that fighting spirit’

Alexus Lee knows a thing or two about winning medals.

The 14-year-old table tennis sensation has brought home a collection of medals this year competing for Team Manitoba, and she wasn’t the only player from the province to bring home the bling and make Manitoba proud. Alexus’ 16-year-old sister, Victoria, has also been among the medallists.

Space might preclude a full list of the results throughout the season, but according to Carlos Cuadra, the executive director of the Manitoba Table Tennis Association, Manitoba collected four bronze medals and one silver medal in the following categories at the 2025 Canadian Championships, which were held at the Richmond Olympic Oval in B.C. this summer.

These include bronze in the senior women’s doubles — Alexus Lee and Victoria Lee; bronze in the girls’ singles U-15 — Alexus Lee; bronze in the girls’ singles U-19 – Alexus Lee; bronze in girls’ singles U-17 — Victoria Lee; and silver in the girls’ team U-15 — Alexus Lee and Rhea Liu.

J.H. Bruns alumna off to TWU

Isabella Johnston is a 17-year-old who recently graduated from J.H. Bruns Collegiate.

“I really enjoyed high school,” she said. “All of my classes went very well and I was able to achieve honours with distinction each year. My favourite class is chemistry. I love the math component to chemistry and I really enjoyed learning about the building blocks of matter.”

Isabella is an incredibly well rounded athlete who is a natural leader.

“In high school I played volleyball, hockey, flag football, indoor and outdoor soccer, and competed in track and field,” she said. “I was the co-captain of my hockey team with my best friend. I was also captain of the flag football team, and our indoor and outdoor soccer teams. Outside of high school, I played club soccer for 1V1 Futbol Dreams Academy, and FC Manitoba.”

‘One of those guys who never gave up’

Nothing makes a coach, teacher, or mentor of any kind prouder than when one of their charges becomes successful. And when they get to share in that celebration, it becomes even more special.

Elmwood Giants alumnus Lorne Korol had that chance recently when he got to watch one of his players get inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. Corey Koskie earned the honour before the Twins’ Aug. 17 game against the Detroit Tigers.

Korol only coached Koskie for one season more than three decades ago, but the two formed a friendship that has lasts to this day. Koskie was allowed to invite a limited number of people to join him on the field for his induction, but Korol and his wife Heather were among them.

It was a first-class weekend, with receptions and dinners featuring Koskie’s former teammates from the minor and major leagues, along with many friends. Guests got to rub elbows with former Twins, including Major League Baseball Hall of Famers Jim Kaat, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Joe Mauer and Bert Blyleven.

Exploring Hamiota’s golf course

A few days ago, travelling along good old Highway 1 westward, I came to the intersection of Highway 21. I recently had gone south along 21, so, off I went northward on the stretch unfamiliar.

I found a small town with a very large and modern recreation complex. This included a hockey and curling rink, rodeo grounds, a swimming pool, baseball diamonds, pickleball, and, right at the edge of the grounds, a golf course.

The town is Hamiota, Man.

This offering would be perfect for walkers, learners, and seniors. No elevation challenges, no overly tough holes for beginners, and no pars out of reach for the average smacker. All that said, the problem I experienced with this offering was the clubhouse’s operational hours. Should one need services like cart rentals, food and beverage, or even the bathroom midday, you may have some trouble, as the clubhouse has very odd hours. When I went to play at 11 a.m., the clubhouse was closed. The sign on what appeared to be a fairly modern, large capacity clubhouse and restaurant, said it did not open until 4 p.m. There was a cash slot set up by the door, and you can pay your green fee by cash using this provision. The problem comes with anyone going cashless with a wallet full of plastic.

Kicking their way to nationals

Winnipeg Phoenix FC’s U15 Girls will be representing Manitoba at Canada Soccer’s 2025 National Championships next month.

This is in the wake of going undefeated and earning first place at the Manitoba Soccer Association’s provincial championships, winning 8-2 in the final against Bonivital Flames. Now, the girls are training hard before they fly off to Charlottetown, P.E.I. to take on opposing teams hailing from all over the country in the Girls U15 Cup.

Avery Mochnacz, who plays right back, described the development as “kind of a shock,” adding that she and many of her fellow players — who have essentially grown up together, on the field — have been dreaming of this moment since they were little.

“It’ll be a really good experience for all of us,” the 14-year-old said.

CUAC hosting 100th anniversary event on Sept. 19

The Canadian Ukrainian Athletic Club (CUAC) is holding a 100-year legacy celebration on Sept. 19. The event, with afternoon and evening sessions, will take place at the Sinclair Park Community Centre, a North End location that once was home to the organization.

The club was formed in the fall of 1925 to promote sports among Ukrainian young people in Winnipeg. The club’s motto was “Sound of body – sound of mind.” The founding executive was headed by president Nick Shaley. In 1937, future city councillor Slaw Rebchuk, the club president, led a successful drive to find a permanent home on the corner of Arlington Street and Church Avenue. A railway boxcar on the empty lot served as the first clubhouse. In 1972, CUAC’s connection to the Church and Arlington complex ended. The city recommended a centralized operation of recreation facilities and the location was renamed Sinclair Park Community Centre.

The afternoon session on Sept.19 will include a presentation of the early years through to the present with old photos, trophies and memorabilia. The evening will have a special program with a variety of features and entertainment. Alumni will have the opportunity to socialize and remember the past at both sessions. You can see a list of who’s coming at cuac.andrichmedia.ca

Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoueux, Mayor Scott Gillingham and Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) are among the special guests.

Rolling hills at Rossman Lake

Up in the Newdale soiled hills of our potholed northwest are some wonderful places.

St. Lazare near old Fort Ellice, Shoal Lake, Riding Mountain, Minnedosa, and on and on. Some of the roads that run north and south of the good ol’ Yellowhead are worth exploring. This past week, while travelling on Highway 16, I turned north to see the vistas. There is even a town called Vista that I past by on my journey. A sign near the Rossburn Hotel caught my attention, and convinced me to continue down the road for another 10 minutes or so. What I found was the lovely Rossman Lake Golf and Country Club.

“Country club” is tacked on to a lot of golf course names, but here, it is apropos. As you drive in, you pass along a community that has made a true club out in the wild country that lies in Treaty 2 territory. There are playgrounds, beaches, boat launches, tennis courts, cottages and RV parks. You’ll see most of this as the golf course road takes you right through it to the end.

The course is very well maintained. The fairways have first, seconnd, and third cuts, and the greens are tournament ready. Flowers and landscaping are all very well maintained and plentiful. There are lots of elevation changes and these are featured into each hole in strategic ways. If you are not prepared to walk up and down all the hills, not to worry. They have a modern fleet of golf cars available for rent. The clubhouse is very spacious and could easily host a small event. It even looks over the ninth green, and behind that, Rossman Lake.

Team Manitoba brings home 34 medals from Canada Summer Games

Team Manitoba wrapped up the 2025 Canada Summer Games with 34 medals — 12 gold, 10 silver, and 12 bronze — on Aug. 24 in St. John’s, N.L.

“This result would not be possible without the hard work, heart, and commitment of our athletes and their families, coaches, and mission staff,” Drew Todd, Chef de Mission for Team Manitoba, said in a statement. “For that, and to those who cheered us on here at the Games and all the way back home, we extend our deepest gratitude.”

At the closing ceremonies, Soren Weselake, a road and mountain bike cyclist from Portage la Prairie, carried the flag for Manitoba. Weselake won a bronze in the men’s individual time trial, and a gold in men’s cross country.

“It’s really nice they thought of me for this,” Weselake said in a statement. “I really liked winning my gold medal, obviously, that was fun, but I also really liked getting to hang out with all the other people from all the teams.”

Winnipeg Senior Baseball League champs crowned

The Winnipeg Senior Baseball League recently crowned its A- and B-side champions. On the A side, the West Winnipeg A’s swept the Carillon Sultans in three games. The A’s went 22-3 overall.

The North Winnipeg Pirates were down two games to one on the B side to the Springfield Braves, but rebounded to win the B-side finals in the maximum five games.

Team Manitoba brings home senior cricket inter-provincial title

The Manitoba Bisons hope their win at the Ontario Masters Cricket League Inter-Provincial Tournament attracts more people to play one of the world’s most popular sports. In late June, the Bisons prevailed over teams from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

Not bad for a team that only formed in January. Organizers Manoj Chaudhari and Ralston Dezilva said all members of the over-40 squad played on other teams, but the inaugural Bisons practice was the first time some had formally met.

“Our goal was to create a team for Manitoba, an opportunity for those senior players to go all over Canada,” Dezilva said. “Manitoba had not been recognized at the over-40 level until this year.”

Both men grew up around the game. Chaudhari was raised in India, where cricket is popular. He’s played for 25 years, and his children also enjoy it. Dezilva’s native Sri Lanka is passionate about cricket. As a child, he played many forms, with whatever was available.