As I set my alarm at night this summer, I often dreaded the morning bootcamp I signed up for. What was I thinking? Why was I doing this again?

The Niverville Rush boys soccer team has been busy practicing all summer in preparation for the playoffs. The team qualified in the spring, and have been sitting tight for their chance to make good. They will enter the playoff as one of the top seeds.

The Niverville Panthers, both girls and boys, have been practicing all August for the start of the upcoming soccer season. In June, it was announced that NCI would be hosting not one but two major tournaments in the fall. It’s an exciting opportunity for students.

Île-des-Chênes is known for its Optimist Park, with beautiful diamonds that are well maintained by volunteers in the community. 

Niverville’s town council is seeking proposals for a new playground in Hespeler Park, as announced on August 25. The proposed new park feature will be located west of the splash pad, where the current set of swings can be found. The area will run along the soccer field to the newly planted tree line, forming approximately one acre of green space. 

When the Greatest Canadian, Tommy Douglas, envisioned and fought the long, hard fight for universal healthcare, many average Canadian citizens thought we were headed for the hellfire and brimstone of a Communist society. The sacred cow of capitalism and the free market were under attack. Many wondered which bastion of free enterprise would be next on the hit list. Throughout the implementation of our universal system, there were strikes, lawsuits, and other forms of resistance.

For the fourth year in a row, Niverville has made the esteemed list of Santa’s Manitoba tour stops as he journeys around the world leading up to Christmas.

Every fall for the past nine years, the Niverville Recreation Commission has put on the Recreation & Wellness Showcase to highlight all the local sports and rec opportunities available to residents, not to mention giving people a chance to talk with local health professionals and get to know their neighbours. 

On Sunday, September 10, the African Children’s Choir will be performing at the Niverville Community Fellowship at 6:30 p.m. This free evening of music will include traditional songs and gospel favorites sung by 19 children who are touring across Canada.

Although unique in personality and temperament, each one of my grandchildren possesses the strong family trait of having a wacky sense of humour. Raised without creative limitations, these incredible creatures are always plotting, using their imaginations to come up with some over-the-top activity, making the time I spend with them extremely entertaining.