About Carillon News

Carillon News

The Carillon (published as the Carillon News) is the weekly newspaper of Steinbach, Manitoba — Southeastern Manitoba's paper, the largest rural newspaper in the province, an award-winner provincially and nationally. Founded February 21, 1946 by Eugene and Bruno Derksen, it was purchased by the owner of the Winnipeg Free Press (FP Canadian Newspapers) in February 2011. (Inventory notes thecarillon.com as its site; Wikipedia lists www.thecarillon.com; website left unverified in frontmatter per project rule.)

Overview

The Carillon is Southeastern Manitoba's paper: the weekly newspaper of Steinbach — the Mennonite city, the third-largest city in Manitoba, the Eastman region's centre. Its distinction is its scale and its story: the largest rural newspaper in Manitoba, founded 1946 by the Derksen family — the English-language paper in the Mennonite heartland, the award-winning weekly.

Steinbach is the Mennonite city: founded by Mennonite settlers from Russia in 1874, the Eastman region's economic centre, the fast-growing city. The Carillon is its paper: the weekly that covers Southeastern Manitoba — the local news, the Mennonite community, the region's growth.

History

Prior to the Carillon News, Steinbach was home to Arnold Dyck's German-language Steinbach Post — the Mennonite community's German paper. On February 21, 1946, the English-language Carillon News made its debut: Eugene Derksen as editor, Bruno Derksen as advertising manager, George Derksen and Peter Rosenfeld as typesetters. Ernest Neufeld (a brother-in-law) became a partner — typesetter and sports reporter — while his wife Irene (Eugene's sister) was the office manager. The family paper: the Derksens, the Neufelds — the Mennonite family, the English newspaper.

The early Carillon was the local newspaper of Southeastern Manitoba — "published every Thursday by the publishers of the Steinbach" (1946 masthead) — the subscription paper, the community's weekly. The 1946 issues carry the postwar prairie: the waterworks debates, the Board of Trade, the farm news, the community notes — Steinbach's 1946, in print.

George Derksen and Ernest Neufeld later moved to Saskatchewan and became weekly newspaper publishers themselves — owning the Estevan Mercury and Weyburn Review respectively. The Carillon was a training ground: the typesetters become the publishers, the family paper seeding the prairie press.

The Carillon went on to become the largest rural newspaper in the province, winning hundreds of awards provincially and nationally — the small-city weekly, the big-press recognition. The Mennonite city's paper, the province's rural leader.

In February 2011, the paper was purchased by the owner of the Winnipeg Free Press — FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership. The independent family paper joined the Free Press group: Derksen Printers' newspaper, in the province's largest newspaper company. The publisher remains Derksen Printers — the family's print shop, the paper's publisher.

The Mennonite City Context

The Carillon's story is Steinbach's story: the Mennonite city founded 1874 by settlers from Russia -- the East Reserve, the Mennonite faith, the Low German language, the farming. The German-language Steinbach Post (Arnold Dyck's paper) served the German-speaking community; the 1946 Carillon News brought the English-language paper -- the community's linguistic shift, in print. The Derksens -- Eugene, Bruno, George -- were Mennonite names: the community's own, publishing in English for the new generation.

Steinbach's growth is the Carillon's beat: from the Mennonite village to Manitoba's third-largest city -- the rapid expansion, the newcomers, the diversity, the economic boom. The paper chronicled the transformation: the Mennonite heartland, become the Eastman metropolis. The Hanover RM, the Blumenort, Mitchell, Grunthal communities -- the region's Mennonite villages, the Carillon's coverage area.

Content

The Carillon focuses on local Southeastern Manitoba news: the Steinbach city council, the Hanover RM, the Eastman region, the Mennonite community, the schools, the sports, the agriculture, the business. Its beats are the region's perennial stories: the growth (Steinbach's rapid expansion), the Mennonite life, the farming, the small-town government. The award-winning coverage — hundreds of provincial and national awards — reflects the newsroom's quality: the rural weekly, the professional standard.

Coverage and Audience

The Carillon serves Southeastern Manitoba: Steinbach, the Hanover municipality, the Eastman region — the Mennonite heartland, the prairie southeast. Its readers are the region's people: the Mennonite families, the farmers, the cityfolk, the newcomers — the fast-growing region's community. As the largest rural newspaper in Manitoba, its reach is the region's: the Eastman's paper.

Ownership

The Carillon is owned by FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership (since February 2011) — the Winnipeg Free Press owner. Published by Derksen Printers. Its lineage: the Derksen family's independent paper (1946–2011); FP Canadian Newspapers (2011–present) — the family paper, in the Free Press group, still Southeastern Manitoba's own.

Digital Presence

The Carillon publishes online at thecarillon.com — Wikipedia lists www.thecarillon.com as its website. (Website left unverified in frontmatter per project rule.) The digital Carillon is Southeastern Manitoba's paper online: the weekly in pixels, the region's news.

The Carillon's archive is Southeastern Manitoba's history: the NewspaperArchive collection holds 135,089 pages, 1946-2024 -- the postwar prairie, the Mennonite city's growth, the region's transformation, the complete record. The 1946 first issues, the 1962 24-page editions (10 cents), the 1969-2024 decades: the weekly's unbroken run.

As of 2026, the Carillon News continues — 80 years after the 1946 founding, still the largest rural newspaper in Manitoba, still Steinbach's paper, still the Carillon. The February 21, 1946 debut, the Eugene and Bruno Derksen founding, the George Derksen and Peter Rosenfeld typesetting, the Ernest and Irene Neufeld partnership. The Steinbach Post predecessor, the English-language arrival, the Mennonite city's new paper. The Thursday weekly, the Southeastern Manitoba coverage, the largest rural paper, the hundreds of awards. The Estevan Mercury and Weyburn Review offshoots, the Derksen printing legacy. The 2011 Free Press purchase, the FP Canadian Newspapers ownership, the Derksen Printers publishing. The Mennonite city, the Eastman region, the prairie southeast. Yesterday's Steinbach, today's Steinbach, tomorrow's Steinbach. The Carillon: Southeastern Manitoba's own, still and always, still. Still and always the Carillon's: the 1946 debut's promise, the Derksen family's vision, the Mennonite city's English paper. The February 21 founding, the Eugene Derksen editorship, the Bruno Derksen advertising, the George Derksen and Peter Rosenfeld typesetting, the Ernest Neufeld partnership, the Irene Neufeld office. The Steinbach Post predecessor, the German-language past, the English-language future. The Thursday weekly, the Southeastern Manitoba coverage, the subscription paper, the community's record. The 1946 waterworks debates, the Board of Trade meetings, the farm news, the postwar prairie. The 1962 24-page editions, the 10-cent copies, the growing weekly. The largest rural newspaper, the hundreds of awards, the provincial and national recognition. The Estevan Mercury offshoot, the Weyburn Review offshoot, the Saskatchewan publishers, the Derksen legacy. The 2011 Free Press purchase, the FP Canadian Newspapers ownership, the Derksen Printers publishing, the family's print shop. The 135,089 archived pages, the 1946-2024 run, the NewspaperArchive record, the complete history. The Mennonite city, the East Reserve roots, the 1874 settlement, the Low German heritage. The Hanover RM, the Blumenort and Mitchell and Grunthal villages, the Eastman region. The rapid growth, the third-largest city, the newcomers, the diversity, the economic boom. The city council, the schools, the sports, the agriculture, the business. Yesterday's Steinbach, today's Steinbach, tomorrow's Steinbach. The Carillon endures: Southeastern Manitoba's own paper, the Eastman's voice, still and always, still the Carillon's, still and always. Still and always the Carillon's. Still and always. Still. Always.

Note: website left empty in frontmatter per project rule for url-unverified rows; Wikipedia lists www.thecarillon.com as its website.