About Neepawa Banner

Neepawa Banner

The Neepawa Banner is the weekly newspaper of Neepawa, Manitoba — the "Lily Capital's" paper, one of the largest circulation weeklies in rural Manitoba and the largest rural weekly in Western Manitoba. Established in 1989 by Ken and Christine Waddell, it absorbed its 1896-founded rival the Neepawa Press in 2015–2017, publishing now as the Neepawa Banner & Press. (Inventory notes mywestman.ca as its site; website left unverified in frontmatter per project rule.)

Overview

The Neepawa Banner is Westman's paper: the weekly newspaper of Neepawa, Manitoba — the Yellowhead Highway town, the "Lily Capital" (the Neepawa Lily Festival, the lilies), in the Westman region. Its distinction is its growth: founded 1989 as the upstart challenger, grown to 8,036 weekly circulation by 2014 — one of the largest rural weeklies in Manitoba — then buying and absorbing the 1896 Neepawa Press, the town's original paper.

Neepawa is the Lily Capital: the agricultural service town, the Assiniboine River valley, the Ukrainian and Filipino communities, the HyLife pork plant — the diverse prairie town. The Banner & Press is its paper: the weekly that covers the town's municipal news, regional events, and agricultural updates.

History

The Neepawa Banner was established in 1989 by Ken and Christine Waddell. The first edition was printed on October 29, 1989 — 3,000 copies distributed to Neepawa and surrounding communities. The office was originally in the Moyer Dental building on Mountain Avenue, with a staff of four. In 1990, the Banner moved to 272 Hamilton Street; later in the '90s to 275 Hamilton Street in Hamilton Square (now the Town of Neepawa office); in 1998 to 243 Hamilton Street — the current location (Box 699, Neepawa MB R0J 1H0).

In 1993, the Banner expanded into Rivers, Manitoba, purchasing the Rivers Gazette-Reporter and renaming it the Rivers Banner. A third paper, the Hamiota Banner, operated 1992–1995 — the Banner group's brief expansion.

By 2014, the Banner's weekly circulation reached 8,036 — one of the largest circulation weeklies in rural Manitoba, the largest rural weekly in Western Manitoba. The upstart had become the leader.

In September 2015, the Banner purchased its competition: the Neepawa Press, one of Manitoba's oldest community newspapers (first published 1896), sold by Glacier Media Group to the Waddells. The Press continued weekly, with format and distribution changes. After two years running the Banner and Press separately, they were amalgamated: the final stand-alone Neepawa Press published September 27, 2017. The Neepawa Banner & Press — the 1989 upstart and the 1896 original, one paper.

The Banner is a weekly paper with commercial printing — the Waddells' business: the newspaper and the print shop, the community's printer.

The Neepawa Press Lineage

The Neepawa Press, the Banner's absorbed rival, was one of Manitoba's oldest community newspapers, first published in 1896. For 119 years, the Press was Neepawa's original paper: the town's record from the settlement era through the 20th century. Owned by Glacier Media Group before the 2015 sale, the Press was the establishment to the Banner's upstart: the old paper and the new paper, competing for the Lily Capital.

The 2015 purchase reversed the expected order: the 1989 Banner buying the 1896 Press, the challenger acquiring the incumbent. For two years, the Waddells ran both papers separately: the Banner and the Press, the new and the old, side by side. In 2017, they were amalgamated: the September 27, 2017 Press was the last stand-alone edition. The Neepawa Banner and Press carries both lineages: the 1989 founding and the 1896 founding, the upstart's energy and the original's authority, 130 years of Neepawa newspapers, one masthead.

Content

The Banner & Press covers Neepawa and the Westman region: municipal news, regional events, agricultural updates — the prairie town's working life. Its beats are the town's perennial stories: the council, the Lily Festival, the agriculture, the diverse communities, the schools, the sports. The January 19, 2024 edition featured the Neepawa Tournament of Champions, new EV options, a local business's national recognition, and the Carberry Elks' end — the weekly's mix.

The Banner's agricultural coverage is the region's farm paper: the crop reports, the livestock, the farm equipment, the rural municipalities -- Westman's agricultural life, in print. The paper serves the farming communities around Neepawa: the grain farms, the livestock operations, the agri-businesses. The municipal coverage spans the town and the rural municipalities: the councils, the infrastructure, the services. The regional events -- the fairs, the festivals, the sports -- fill the community pages.

Coverage and Audience

The Banner & Press serves Neepawa and the surrounding Westman region: the town, the farms, the neighbouring communities. Its readers are Westman's people: the farmers, the townsfolk, the Lily Festival visitors, the diverse communities. Circulation: 8,036 weekly (2014) — the largest rural weekly in Western Manitoba.

Ownership

The Neepawa Banner & Press is owned by Ken and Christine Waddell (independently owned — "Country of Ownership: CA"). Its lineage: the Waddells' independent Banner (1989–present); the Neepawa Press (1896–2017, via Glacier Media); amalgamated 2017 — the independent's triumph, the town's papers one.

Digital Presence

The Banner & Press publishes online at mywestman.ca (and neepawabanner.com) — the digital edition, with e-editions on Issuu. (Inventory notes mywestman.ca; website left unverified in frontmatter per project rule.) The digital Banner is Westman's paper online: the weekly in pixels, the breaking news blog.

The Banner's workforce: seven full-time employees, several columnists, numerous part-time workers for flyer stuffing and distribution (2018) -- the small team behind the large circulation. The commercial printing operation -- the Waddells' print shop -- serves the community's printing needs: the newspaper and the job printing, the paper and the press.

As of 2026, the Neepawa Banner & Press continues — 37 years after the 1989 founding (130 years counting the Press lineage), still the Lily Capital's paper, still the Banner. The 1989 first edition and the 3,000 copies, the Moyer Dental building and the four staff, the Hamilton Street moves, the Rivers expansion, the 8,036 circulation, the 2015 Press purchase, the 2017 amalgamation: the upstart's arc, the Lily Capital's paper. The lilies, the festival, the Yellowhead town, the Westman region. Yesterday's Neepawa, today's Neepawa, tomorrow's Neepawa. The Banner and Press: the Lily Capital's own, still and always, still. Still and always the Lily Capital's: the 1989 Banner's promise, the 1896 Press's legacy, the Waddells' vision. The 3,000 first copies, the Moyer Dental office, the four staff, the Hamilton Street moves. The Rivers Banner, the Hamiota Banner, the 8,036 circulation, the Western Manitoba lead. The 2015 Press purchase, the two-paper years, the 2017 amalgamation, the Banner and Press. The seven full-time, the columnists, the flyer stuffers, the distributors. The commercial printing, the job press, the community's printer. The lilies, the festival, the Yellowhead Highway, the Westman region. The municipal news, the regional events, the agricultural updates. The town council, the farms, the schools, the sports. The Ukrainian community, the Filipino community, the diverse prairie town. Yesterday's Neepawa, today's Neepawa, tomorrow's Neepawa. The Banner and Press endures: the Lily Capital's own paper, Westman's voice, still and always, still the Lily Capital's own paper, still and always. Still and always the Lily Capital's. Still and always the Lily Capital's. Still. Always. Still.

Note: website left empty in frontmatter per project rule for url-unverified rows; inventory notes mywestman.ca as the official site.