High speed chase top story of 2016
- Details
- Published on Thursday, January 5, 2017
The top story of 2016, based on page views was a high speed chase that began in Gladstone and ended at the intersection of Highway 16 and Highway 5 north in Neepawa.
This week, we look back at the Neepawa Banner and Neepawa Press’ top 10 stories of 2016. The results are based on the online page views.
Banner and Press staff
10. Farmery to begin brewing in Neepawa
Published Feb. 26, 2016
Chris and Lawrence Warwaruk’s dream will come one step closer to reality this spring. In 2011, the brothers set out to build Canada’s first estate brewery, which they called Farmery, and at the end of April, they will take delivery of their new brewing equipment. Not only is Farmery a microbrewery, all of the inputs used to make the beer are grown on their Arden-area farm.
The Farmery brewery will be established in their new building, which was formerly Mazergroup’s Neepawa location, on Highway 5 north. “We’re excited to just bring everything back to Manitoba and have more control over it,” said Lawrence.
Farmery to begin brewing in Neepawa this spring
9. Maple Syrup Festival returns for fourth year
Published April 8, 2016
This year marks McCreary’s fourth annual Manitoba Maple Syrup Festival. The festival is a full day of events spotlighting the culture, producers and terrain of the region.
The festival is to be held on Saturday, Apr. 9 this year, with a Maple Syrup Trivia night on Friday evening for those who want to get started early.
Maple Syrup Festival returns for fourth year
8. HyLife to embark upon major expansion
Published Oct. 19, 2016
A multi-million expansion plan is moving ahead for Neepawa’s largest business. Over the next two years, HyLife’s Neepawa processing plant will see its building and workforce grow as part of a $125 million company-wide expansion plan. Growing sales into the Asian market are driving the plan to modernize and expand the company’s integrated pork production system.
In order to support this growth and better meet international competitive pressure, the company is reinvesting into their integrated system. As part of the plan, HyLife Foods, the Neepawa processing plant, will see a 130,000 square feet expansion, with most of the work focussing on the cut floor, as well as packaging and shipping areas. They will also invest in new technologies and processes to improve productivity and yields, as well as increasing shelf life. This is expected to take about two years.
HyLife to embark upon major expansion
7. An inside look at the Farmery
Published June 1, 2016
Our tour of Farmery Estate Brewery’s growing fields and brewery was this year’s seventh most popular story. Here, Lawrence Wawaruk show how tall their fall-seeded rye will grow.
On Friday, May 27, brothers Lawrence and Eric Wawaruk took some of the Banner and Press staff on a tour of the Farmery hops yards and brewery. Farmery is an estate brewery, which means they grow their own ingredients for the beer they brew.
The tour started in the Arden area, where they grow one of their key ingredients, hops. They seeded their first crops in 2011 at the old U-pick strawberry fields. The plants don’t produce any hops for the first year, so they got their first crop in 2012. Hops are a perennial plant, so they only have to seed them once and they will grow on the land for years to come. After the crops, Eric and Lawrence took the staff to the new brewery site in Neepawa, which is still undergoing some construction.
6. “This appears to be exactly what we all thought it was, a tragedy,”
Published March 30, 2016
Shortly after the body of Chase Martens was found, RCMP Sgt. Bert Paquet provided an update to reporters converged on the site of the search.
The search for a missing Manitoba child ended in tragedy on Saturday, Mar. 26, as the body of two year old Chase Martens was found in a creek close to his family’s home. The discovery of the deceased toddler, who had been missing since Tuesday, Mar. 22, followed a massive search effort from RCMP, Winnipeg Police, local emergency services personnel and volunteers, in the rural area near the community of Austin.
In the days following Chase’s disappearance, a search through nearby fields and creeks grew from a 1.5 kilometre radius around the Martens’ home to five kilometres. It also quickly grew from a handful of search and rescue volunteers to hundreds of people doing everything they could to assist.
“This appears to be exactly what we all thought it was, a tragedy.”
5. $80,000 scholarship awarded to ECI student
Published July 1, 2016
Erickson Collegiate student, Viktor Popp has been selected to receive $80,000 to study Engineering at the University of Manitoba. A 2016 graduate of Erickson Collegiate (ECI), Popp will be at the faculty of Engineering this fall. He was selected by (ECI) staff based on his outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements.
$80,000 scholarship awarded to ECI student
4. Meth bust in Neepawa
Published April 8, 2016
A Neepawa man is facing several charges in connection with the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine. On Wednesday, March 30, Spruce Plains RCMP executed a search warrant in Neepawa, which resulted in the arrest of Joel Blanco, 37, who has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking CDSA Schedule 1 (Methamphetamine) and Produce Substance under CDSA (Methamphetamine).
Spruce Plains RCMP Acting Staff Sergeant Mark Morehouse explained that they executed a search warrant at Blanco’s home, located at 7-471 Broadway Ave. During the search, 12 grams of methamphetamine, $518 in cash as well as packaging materials and methamphetamine paraphernalia were found. The drugs were valued at $3,000.
3. Boston Pizza coming to Neepawa
Published Nov 4, 2016
The Neepawa Boston Pizza Investment Group announced on Monday that a Boston Pizza Family Restaurant and Sports Lounge are coming to the town in the near future. The business group consists of long term locals Andrew Dennis, Bruce and Sheila Bremner, Lyle Bremner, as well as Linda Dennis, who has recently returned from BC to Manitoba. They are all looking forward to serving the people of this rapidly growing community and surrounding area and the traveling public.
Andrew Dennis, speaking on behalf of the group, has indicated that after working with Vancouver-based Boston Pizza International for over 15 months, they are very excited to be able to bring this concept to the town and surrounding area. The business will be located at the junction of highways #16 and #5, previously and for decades the home of the Evans Family Drive In Chalet Restaurant, fuel station and Evans Bowling Lanes. “We are very thankful for Mr. Larry Evans’ generosity in sharing the long history of his family’s sports associations, their businesses and the life and times of the era. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to be able to serve the community from this historic location,” said Dennis.
Boston Pizza coming to Neepawa
2. From rural girl to Hollywood Star
Published Aug. 5, 2016
What do the small rural town of McCreary and Hollywood have in common? Tammy Gillis. The Dauphin born, McCreary raised actress has acted in many different short films, TV series and feature length films. She’s most well known for her roles as Kelly in the TV series Supernatural (2011), Claudia Powell in the TV series Motive (2013), her lead role as Jenna Scott in Unleashing Mr. Darcy (2016) and now as the lead role in the upcoming film Menorca.
Gillis grew up right here in Manitoba, in the rural community of McCreary. Now, she spends her time in the North American film centers of Vancouver and LA.
From rural girl to Hollywood Star
1. High speed chase in Neepawa
Published Feb 12, 2016
A Winnipeg man is facing a large array of charges in connection to a wild and, at times, dangerous high speed pursuit that ended in Neepawa on Friday, Feb. 5.
27-year-old Jesse E. Young is facing 16 charges, including impaired driving, flight from police, resisting arrest, assault of a police officer and possession of stolen property.
