and Maria Derksen family emigrated to Canada from Russia in 1923 and initially settled on a farm in Herbert, Saskatchewan. Derksen, who had been a school teacher back home, eventually decided that farming, especially during the Depression years, was not his chosen vocation. In 1932 he and his young family of three sons and two daughters moved to Steinbach where he worked as a writer for the German
language Steinbach Post, then owned and operated by Arnold Dyck, his friend and former colleague in Russia. Within four years Gerhard Derksen bought the newspaper and the small commercial printing shop. The company was called Derksen Printers and it was located at the present day location on Main Street. Derksen's sons Eugene, George and Bruno and son-in-law Peter Rosenfeld (husband of Anna) were part of the operation. A decade after buying the business, the Derksens made a decision which would be key to the company's future operations. While continuing to publish the Steinbach Post for many years, they realized the need for an English language newspaper serving all of southeastern Manitoba. The Carillon News made its debut on Feb. 21, 1946 and became an instant success under the guidance of Eugene Derksen as editor and Bruno Derksen as advertising manager. George Derksen and Peter Rosenfeld were the typesetters. Ernest Neufeld, a brother-in-law, also became a partner and worked as a typesetter and sports reporter while his wife Irene (Eugene's sister) was the office manager. Both George Derksen and Ernest Neufeld moved to Saskatchewan later and became weekly newspaper publishers, owning the Estevan Mercury and Weyburn Review respectively. The Carillon went on to become the largest and most successful rural newspaper in the province, winning literally hundreds of awards both provincially and nationally. It continues to publish award-winning issues. Though the founder of Derksen Printers, Gerhard Derksen, passed away in 1957 -- and Eugene , the driving force behind the newspaper for many years, died in 1994 -- the company remained a growing enterprise under the direction of grandson and son, Rick, in the field of printing and newspaper publishing. Purchased by FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership in 2011, Derksen Printers is the largest custom newspaper and commercial printing plant in rural Manitoba and has become a major publisher of specialty publications. The newspaper and printing operation employ about 50 people full time and a further 15 in casual and part-time work. The Carillon has received hundreds of awards over the years. Most recently, the paper was recognized at the Manitoba Community Newspapers Association’s 2010 Better Newspapers Competition for its front and editorial pages, local community news and feature content photography, advertising, presentation and sports coverage. Awards were also received for best layout and design and best front page. The Carillon has won the best-all-round newspaper award nine times in the past 15 years.
