"All I could see was devastation"

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Published on Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Photo courtesy of Blair Ferguson

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Press/Neepawa Banner

Blair Ferguson could see the flames and smoke in the distance, when his hotel in Fort McMurray, Alberta was temporarily evacuated on Sunday, May 1. He, along with everyone else, kept a close eye on the path of the fire and the prevailing wind, still optimistic that the worst of it would miss the city. But by Tuesday, May 3, that optimism gave way to the grim reality of just how serious the situation was about to get for him and the community of nearly 80,000 people

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Seeing the difference first hand

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Published on Friday, May 13, 2016

By Sheila Runions

Banner Staff

Ray Baloun began working in grain elevators in Winnipeg three decades ago and for the last 10 years has been the grain buyer at Viterra north of Forrest. Since 2008 he has been the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) member on the World Relief Canada board. He has been fundraising for CFGB since his capital city days in the 1980s but says he, “Really ramped up the fundraising when we developed Kernels of Hope through the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada in 2005. I call myself the connector — I get real farmers across the Prairies to grow small fields from five to 50 acres and I get donors from across the country to provide funds to pay for the crop expenses of the real farmers.

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Boxing club served multiple purposes

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Published on Friday, May 13, 2016

Photo courtesy of Larry Evans. Neepawa Boxing and Wrestling Club 1946-1948: Back row (from left): Hank Goodridge, Reg Jeffery, Gerald Pasquill, Alex Page, Maurice Stewart, Bob Sprague, Tony Evans, Murray Wilkie, Allan “Skinner” Bell, Jim Minnions, Keith Graham, Lewis Adams (Hemings). Front row (from left): Len Bolton, Cec Bolton, Murray Ried, Glen Critchlow and Bill Adams.

Submitted by Rick Sparling

The Neepawa Banner

The Neepawa  Boxing and Wrestling Club was operated and promoted by Tony Evans. Tony was well qualified, being a former Manitoba Heavyweight Champion. The club hosted many boxing and wrestling cards locally at the Neepawa Sports Arena and Tony brought in lots of talented fighters from as far away as Michigan. The arena would be packed for these events. Many of the local club members would get their opportunity to show their skills as well.

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