Smiles in the Drizzle: Pole Archery Lights Up Nuit Blanche St. Boniface

September 26, 2026 — Provencher Park, Winnipeg

Rain, drizzle, and wet grass were no match for the St. Sebastian and St. Sebastianette Pole Archery Clubs, who hosted a night of glowing arrows and cultural learning at this year’s Nuit Blanche St. Boniface.

The event was made possible largely through the support of Sport en français, a key partner in bringing pole archery to Nuit Blanche and connecting the clubs with Manitoba’s francophone community.

Roughly 200 people braved the weather to visit Provencher Park through the night — remarkable, considering the clubs were the only attraction left standing outdoors. Every other activity planned for the park was moved indoors to the TCM at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain.

Glow-in-the-dark archery

The centrepiece of the evening was a mini horizontal pole archery setup, illuminated with pickleball lights that gave the range an after-dark glow. Visitors of all ages took their turn on the line.

A crowd favourite that didn’t make it into the photos: flashing rolling hoops, which proved enormously popular with participants looking for a moving target.

Organizers had bigger plans, including black lights on the target tarps, but as organizer Keith Loraas explained, a generator and power cords on very wet grass was “not a good choice.” Safety won out, and the event was scaled back accordingly.

Indigenous archery presentation

Dr. Roland Bohr delivered a presentation on Indigenous archery traditions, speaking in front of a bison shooting tarp. The session added valuable historical and cultural context to the evening’s hands-on activities.

Partners and volunteers

Alongside Sport en français, the event relied on the clubs’ sponsors and a deep bench of volunteers drawn from all pole archery clubs, the TCM volunteer pool, and MASRA.

Named volunteers included:

• James Platt
• Richard Bruneau
• Roland Bohr
• Irene Pines
• Ezri Loraas
• Patrick Stasiuk
• Jason Morrison
• Craig Comberbach

Eight additional volunteers rounded out the crew, several of whom Keith met for the first time that night. James Platt brought two volunteers from MASRA, and two standouts emerged from the TCM pool — Alex and a second Keith, who teaches at Université de Saint-Boniface and was randomly assigned to the archery site. Both appear in the event photos, with Keith pictured just to the left of Roland Bohr.

“Nothing but smiles”

The clubs closed down around 11 p.m. — soaked, but satisfied.

“Wet! Lol,” was Keith Loraas’s summary of the night. “It was fun, but weather caused us to scale back.” Asked about the turnout, his takeaway was simple: “I saw nothing but smiles.”

Thanks go out to Sport en français, the event’s sponsors, and every volunteer who stood in the rain to keep the arrows flying.

Learn more about the sport at polearchery.ca.

National Coaches Week is a dedicated time to celebrate the profoundly positive impact coaches have on athletes and communities across Canada. This annual campaign provides a wonderful opportunity to recognize our coaches for the integral role they play in our sport and to take a moment to say #ThanksCoach!

This year, from September 14 to 20, 2026, Archery Manitoba invites you to join us in celebrating the incredible individuals who guide our athletes.

We want to extend a massive and heartfelt thank you to all of our Archery Manitoba community coaches. Whether you lead grassroots lessons, run local clubs, guide athletes at the Manitoba Games, or serve as a provincial coach, your dedication does not go unnoticed. Every coach plays a crucial role in growing our sport, retaining new community members, and offering unwavering support at every stage of athlete development.

The photo featured above highlights our dedicated regional coaches and managers from the 2026 Manitoba Winter Games: Chyler Sanders and Allan Gunter (Team Winnipeg Gold), Cleo Wermann-Thorn and Sean Murray (Team Winnipeg Blue), Lisa and Travis VanDaele (Team West), Nadine Thomas and Mike Fox (Team East), and Karl and Jen Maczuga (Team South).

These incredible volunteers worked tirelessly with regional athletes from various clubs and lesson programs to prepare them for the Manitoba Winter Games. For many young athletes, this process is a life-changing experience, both athletically and personally. Without the commitment of these important regional community members, many archers and youth would simply not have the opportunity to grow as athletes and as people.

To all our coaches across the province: thank you for your time, your patience, and your passion.

If you see your coach this week, be sure to let them know how much you appreciate them, and join the conversation online using #ThanksCoach!

Archery Manitoba is thrilled to share some exciting news from the national stage. On September 11, Archery Canada announced the recipients of its 2025 Annual Awards, and two familiar Manitoba faces were among the honourees.

Team Manitoba athlete Khushreet Sandhu was named Female Junior Athlete of the Year. Khushreet had a remarkable 2025 season, finishing 5th in the qualification round at the World Archery Youth Championships against a deep international field and setting multiple Canadian records along the way. Her consistency and composure at the highest level of competition have made her one of Canada’s standout junior athletes — and we couldn’t be prouder to call her one of our own.

Sean Murray, a longtime provincial volunteer and coach, received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Sean’s fingerprints are on some of the most important recent developments in Canadian archery, including the launch of the inaugural ASA Indoor Championships, a new flagship event for the Canadian 3D community. He also contributed to the World Archery Youth Championships and serves on Archery Canada’s National 3D Committee. Anyone who has worked with Sean knows how generously he gives his time and expertise, and this recognition is very well deserved.

Eight awards were presented this year, celebrating the volunteers, athletes, and community members who make archery in Canada what it is. Congratulations to all of the 2025 award recipients across the country! You can find full details on each award on the Archery Canada website at: https://archerycanada.ca/2025-archery-canada-awards/

Khushreet and Sean, thank you for representing Manitoba so well. Our archery community is stronger because of you.

SELKIRK, MB – The East Selkirk Archery Range hosted a great two-day tournament for the fourth and final stop of the 2026 ASA Tour Manitoba. Turnout was strong, with a large group travelling from Saskatchewan to compete alongside local Manitoba archers for both the stop championship and the overall Shooter of the Year titles.

Although a brief rain delay on Saturday interrupted the schedule, it didn’t slow anyone down. Competitors used the downtime to relax, staying ready and eager to step back onto the range as soon as the weather cleared.

“Having 3 of the 4 shoot-offs go to a 6th arrow made for a great finish to the weekend. The turnout from the Saskatchewan group across the whole tour was phenomenal, and it was great to see new faces earning podium spots and Shooter of the Year awards.” — Allan Gunter

A huge thank you goes to Selkirk Archers & Bowhunters Club Leaders Mike Fox and Brad Smoluk for making the ASA Finals possible, as well as all of our host clubs throughout the summer (Ed Wilson and the Mockingjay Archers of Ste. Anne, Travis VanDaele, Sharie Hiebert and the Westman Outdoor Group of Brandon, and Anika Evans and the Flatlanders Archery Club of Sanford, our dedicated volunteers, setup crews, and every single archer who stepped onto the course this season.

Congratulations to all of our 2026 ASA Tour Manitoba event winners and Shooter of the Year champions! We look forward to seeing everyone back on the range in 2027!

To access our Tour Results and the Shooter of the Year standings, visit: https://archerymanitoba.ca/events2/3d-tournament-results/

Sanford, MB – The Outdoor Target Provincials and the Manitoba Open took place at the Sanford Archery Range, gathering competitors for an incredible weekend of shooting. Despite battling intense heat, archers stayed sharp. Saturday’s 720 ranking rounds decided the Provincial Championship titles, testing everyone’s endurance and precision under the sun.

Sunday’s Manitoba Open turned up the pressure with high-stakes, head-to-head match play. The bracket-style elimination format produced tight matches and great moments as archers pushed through the heat for the tournament crowns.

“I’d just like to say how extremely positive it was to see so many young, developing archers come out and take part in the event. We had a great turnout, especially considering how hot it was. I’d also like to recognize Scott for the excellent job he did managing the field, and Chyler for running the DOS stand. Their leadership and organization were a big reason the event ran so smoothly.”

— Sean Murray (Team Manitoba Coach)

A huge thank you goes out to Scott Flockton, Sean Murray, Bob Tataryn, and all the volunteers for their hard work in running a fantastic event!

Provincial Target Championships Results

Mixed Team Event Winners: 

Khushreet Kaur Sandhu & Langanjot Singh Sandhu

Manitoba Open Champions:

• Compound: Khushreet Sandhu

• Recurve / Barebow: Jack Reeves

SANFORD, MB – The 2026 ASA Tour Manitoba season reached its midway point this past weekend as archers gathered in Sanford for the third tour stop of the summer. With three events now in the books (St. Anne, Brandon, and Sanford), the race for the ASA Manitoba Tour Shooter of the Year (SOY) titles is becoming incredibly tight.

Under the ASA Manitoba SOY format, an archer’s standing is determined by their top two scores of the season. As we look toward the final stops in Selkirk, several divisions are separated by only a handful of points.

Here is a look at the current standings and key observations from across the field:

Youth & Eagle Divisions

The Youth Open Female category is currently providing the most dramatic race of the season. Autumn Brown holds the top spot with a total of 804, but she is being chased closely by Nevaeh Sierens, who sits just one point behind at 803. Amber Hall (714) and Kaleesa Dysart (589) round out a very talented top four.

In the Youth Open Male division, Evan Dmytriw leads with an 823 total, followed closely by Sam Chapman at 818. Struan MacKinnon holds a solid third-place position with 762, while Harbyn Rucks (729) and Travis Thompson (624) remain within striking distance.

The Eagle Open classes saw strong performances as well:

• Eagle Open Female: Alyssa Thomas leads with a 737, followed by Liesl Gerullis (641) and Macy Joynt (274).
• Eagle Open Male: Johnathon Belcher sits in first with 684, leading Logan Wilcott (485) and Fentyn Rucks (418).

Hunter Divisions

The Hunter Male division continues to be the largest and most competitive field on the tour. Nathan Neufeld has set a blistering pace, leading the pack with a score of 838. Justin Verrier moved into second place with an 810 total after a strong showing in Sanford. The battle for the third spot is a deadlock, with Francois Gie and Shane Vivier tied at 799.

In Hunter Female, consistency has been the key for Sharie Hiebert, who leads with 737. She is followed by Anika Evans (728), Chyler Sanders (712), and Cleo Wermann Thorn (699), making this a four-way race heading into the final events.

Known 50 & Senior Divisions

The Known 50 Male division saw some of the highest scores of the weekend. Brandon Petersen leads the tour overall with a staggering 842 total. Allan Gunter remains hot on his heels with an 828, while David Barron (818), Ed Wilson (800), and Jeremy Menzies (793) round out a high-scoring top five.

In Known 50 Female, Acadia Flockton has taken a commanding lead with an 806 total, fueled by a 410-point round in Sanford. Kerienne La France (747) and April Rey (738) currently hold the second and third positions.

Senior & Super Senior Highlights:

• Senior Known Male: Rich Vogt remains the man to beat with an 812 total. Jason Borys (787) and Kelly Taylor (736) are currently in the trophy hunt.
• Super Senior Known Male: Wayne Jenner holds the lead (790), followed by Bernard Charbonneau (759) and Jay Bauerlein (748).

Traditional & Barebow

We continue to see dedicated performances in our traditional and barebow classes. Lisa Homenick leads the Senior Barebow with a 512, while Pam Homenick (409) leads the Barebow category. In the Traditional ranks, Inga Thorsteinson (Senior) and Derek Hadley put up solid scores in Sanford to jump onto the leaderboard.

FOR FULL STANDINGS CLICK HERE

What’s Next?

The tour now shifts its focus to Selkirk for the final leg of the journey. With many archers still looking to drop a lower score and replace it with a high mark from the remaining targets, these standings are far from final.

Congratulations to all the archers who competed in Sanford! We look forward to seeing everyone at the range for the conclusion of the 2026 ASA Tour Manitoba.

For full results and upcoming event registration, visit the Archery Manitoba website.

BRANDON, MB – The Archery Manitoba ASA Tour recently made a stop at the Grand Valley Campground near Brandon, marking the first time the Westman Outdoor Group has hosted at this scenic location. The event proved to be a standout weekend, blending technical challenges with a vibrant community atmosphere.

Organizers designed the course with both accessibility and skill-building in mind. By using the campground’s road system, the club ensured a more manageable walk for participants while also offering challenging uphill and downhill shots.

“This was our first year hosting at the Grand Valley campground, and we wanted to provide a unique experience,” said Event Organizer Travis VanDaele. “We incorporated elevation changes to give Manitoba archers the opportunity to experience the types of challenging shots they might encounter if they attend Nationals out of province. It was a great way to test everyone’s technical skills.”

One of the most encouraging highlights of the weekend was the high turnout of youth archers. The next generation of the sport was well-represented, showing both skill and sportsmanship throughout the competition.

Saturday served as a successful lead-up to the main event, with many recreational archers and ASA competitors taking advantage of the course for practice. VanDaele noted that the success of the Saturday session has sparked ideas for the future, including the possibility of utilizing the venue for dedicated 3D team practices.

The social aspect of the weekend was equally impactful. “It was fantastic to see so many people staying until the very end for the awards ceremony,” VanDaele added. “There was a lot of socializing and camaraderie throughout the day, which is exactly what we want to see in our archery community.”

The success of the event was made possible through a vital partnership with the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, which provided access to the beautiful campground. Looking ahead, the Westman Outdoor Group hopes to continue hosting at Grand Valley, with plans to potentially expand the ranges to offer two separate courses.

Archery Manitoba and the Westman Outdoor Group would like to extend a special thank you to Sean and Ryan for their assistance with scoring and awards, as well as our generous partners: Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, East 40 Packers, and C and C Rentals.

Finally, a massive thank you to the dedicated volunteers who gave their time to make this weekend a reality: Travis VanDaele, Lisa VanDaele, Brielle VanDaele, Mark Chapman, Kim Chapman, Sam Chapman, Mia Chapman, April Rey, Aidan Stevenson, Drew Sirett, Dave MacAualy, and Sharie Hiebert.

Canada Cup West – Cranbrook, BC

This weekend, the Manitoba Provincial Team travelled to Cranbrook, BC, to compete at Canada Cup West. A total of 102 athletes participated in the event, representing provinces from across Canada as well as the United States.

The views in Cranbrook were nothing short of spectacular, but the weather was less than ideal for much of the weekend.

Competition began Friday evening with the optional 720 round. As the archers took to the field, the wind quickly made its presence known—something our Manitoba athletes are all too familiar with. With gusts reaching up to 60 km/h and target bales blowing over across the field, the competitors seemed to shrink end by end. Rather than letting the conditions frustrate them, our athletes embraced the challenge and used it as a learning opportunity, knowing that strong winds were forecasted throughout the weekend.

Saturday morning brought calm weather and ideal conditions for qualification rounds. Each team member shot well and put together strong performances. Acadia Flockton qualified first in the U18/50+ Women’s Compound division with a score of 681, Luke Bass qualified 11th in the U18/50+ Men’s Compound division with a 646, and Chris Waterman qualified second in Para Compound with a 655.

With qualifications complete, attention turned to the Mixed Team event. Luke Bass and Payton Harms (SK) entered as the 13th seed and were narrowly defeated in a closely contested opening match. Acadia Flockton and Gage Malenfant qualified third in a highly competitive field and went on to win three consecutive matches, advancing to the gold-medal final. In a tight contest, they delivered an impressive score of 152 to capture the gold medal by two points.

Sunday morning greeted us with wind, rain, and temperatures hovering around 4°C—far from ideal conditions for individual match play. With hot pockets being passed around to stay warm, our athletes persevered through the challenging weather.

Chris Waterman was first on the field in the U21/21+ Men’s Compound combined category. After a hard-fought match, he fell just short, finishing the weekend with a silver medal in the Para Compound category.

Next up was Luke Bass in the U18/50+ Men’s Compound division. Facing a seasoned 50+ athlete, Luke stayed composed and shot well despite the difficult conditions, but it wasn’t enough to advance.

In the U18/50+ Women’s Compound division, Acadia Flockton won two consecutive matches to earn a spot in the gold medal final. The championship match was a back-and-forth battle, but Flockton stayed focused and finished strong, defeating her opponent 140–136 to secure the gold medal.

A noteworthy mention goes to Manitoba athlete Anna Parkhomenko, who qualified second in the U21/21+ Women’s Recurve division, just nine points behind first place. In the Mixed Team event, Parkhomenko and teammate Dawson Molitor won two straight matches to advance to the gold-medal final, where they delivered an impressive performance, winning 6–2.

In individual match play, Parkhomenko won her opening match to advance to the gold-medal final. Facing a tough opponent, she came up just short and finished the weekend with a well-earned silver medal.

I’m extremely impressed with how our athletes handled themselves throughout the weekend and proud of the way they competed. The weather wasn’t what we had hoped for, but we left Cranbrook with plenty of highlights, valuable life lessons, and new experiences. We’ll continue putting ourselves in these situations, because that’s where growth happens.

Sean Murray
Provincial Target Team Coach
Archery Manitoba

MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA – Four of Manitoba’s premier youth archers recently returned from South America after representing Team Canada at the 2026 Pan American Youth Championships. Competing in Medellín from May 22–28, the Manitoba contingent proved they belong among the world’s best, coming home with a gold medal, a silver medal, and several top-ten finishes.

The roster featured a powerhouse group of compound archers: Laganjot Sandhu (U15), Khushreet Sandhu (U18), Acadia Flockton (U18), and Bailey Mathers (U21).

The week was highlighted by a stunning performance from Acadia Flockton. Competing in the U18 Compound Mix Team event alongside Ontario’s Bennett Nelson, Flockton secured a 1st-place finish to bring home the gold for Canada. Flockton also excelled individually, placing 6th out of 17 international competitors.

In the U15 Compound Men’s division, Laganjot Sandhu delivered a clinical performance, finishing 2nd in a competitive field of 10 to earn a silver medal. Rounding out the top-ten finishes, Khushreet Sandhu placed 9th in the U18 Compound Women’s division, while Bailey Mathers represented the province with pride in the U21 category.

For many of the athletes, this event marked their debut on the international circuit.

“Stepping onto the line wearing a Team Canada jersey for the first time is something I’ll never forget,” said gold medalist Acadia Flockton. “There was a mix of pride, excitement, and a few nerves, but as soon as I drew the bow back, everything settled into focus. All the planning and preparation paid off, as I shot a new personal best and won a gold medal in the mixed team event!”

Manitoba Team Coach Sean Murray, who supported the athletes’ preparation for Colombia, emphasized that the value of the trip extended far beyond the podium.

“Success cannot be measured solely by placements or medals. Instead, we focus on the lessons learned, the challenges overcome, and the personal growth that comes from competing on the international stage,” said Murray. “By that measure, every athlete represented our team with pride and achieved something meaningful.”

Archery Manitoba congratulates all four athletes on their incredible achievements and looks forward to seeing their continued growth in the sport.