Words we’ve lived by

Troubling photo worth a significant number of words for coach who refuses to speak

There’s nothing funny about violent hazing rituals in youth sport. Why then, you might ask, is Doug Kovacs laughing?

Qualico celebrating 75 years of growth, success since its first development of 13 bungalows in River Heights

The first things staff and visitors see after ascending to the third floor of Qualico’s head office in Winnipeg are two statues — one each for company founders David and Katherine Friesen.

Flanking the doors to the integrated real estate company’s C-suite offices, the bronze sculptures are monuments to the couple and the vision, strength and integrity (as the plaques attached to the wooden pedestals attest) it took to start Qualico in 1951.

But imagine for a moment what it would be like if the sculptures were less reverent and more whimsical. Picture them outfitted with the kind of pull-string voice boxes one finds in a child’s toy. What might they say?

It’s possible one of David Friesen’s phrases would be: “No margin, no mission.”

‘Eight credible threats’ against Hydro employees: CEO

Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Allan Danroth took aim at critics and revealed he and staff members have been threatened while defending the Crown corporation’s plan for three new combustion turbines Monday.

Without identifying individuals, Danroth said “constant, uninformed criticism” of Hydro and misinformation has eroded public trust and contributed to hostilities and an unsafe workplace for employees.

“Manitoba Hydro is currently managing eight credible threats against our employees, five of them directed at me personally,” Danroth told a Public Utilities Board hearing in Winnipeg.

“More troubling is these threats are increasingly affecting our front-line workforce. In the last year, my employees have been threatened with weapons, including guns, while performing their duties, and in one recent incident a homeowner directed his dogs to attack one of our meter readers.”

Manitoba Hydro’s energy plan set to be scrutinized

Manitoba Hydro is set to face questions and concerns over its plan for the province’s future energy needs, which includes proposed natural gas-powered turbines in Brandon and Indigenous-owned wind farms.

The Public Utilities Board, an arm’s-length regulator, will begin six weeks of hearings Monday into the 10-year blueprint and potential ways to satisfy electricity demand, while Hydro grapples with a projected energy shortfall, debt of $25 billion and aging infrastructure.

“The development plan reflects the best available information and analysis of how Manitoba Hydro can meet growing energy demand, while balancing factors we know are important to our customers, including cost, reliability and the environment,” Peter Chura, a spokesman for the Crown corporation, told the Free Press.

“We are confident in our analysis and that we’ve appropriately balanced reliability, affordability, safety and risk.”

Winnipegger Bairos-Novak medals at wheel gymnastics worlds

Steven Bairos-Novak has always had a knack for participating in the more unconventional side of sports. He has since added wheel gymnastics to that list.

The Winnipegger has always been an athlete but not consistently in the same sport. In high school, he was deemed too short to play basketball and while that was one dream crushed at a young age, he pivoted to start something new.

“My dad wanted me to do a sport and he knew another parent of a pole vaulter, so he got me started. I fell in love with pole vault,” Bairos-Novak said.

Starting in Grade 10, he trained at Winnipeg Optimist Athletics, learning the world of track and field. Coincidentally, recent athlete-builder inductee of the Sports Manitoba Hall of Fame — Wayne McMahon — was one of his coaches, alongside Scot Dressler.

Cash injection will help women’s centre grow

Janice Lavellee grew up in a large family rife with substance abuse and domestic violence. She ran away from home at age 14.

When she found the North End Women’s Centre, it was a godsend.

“I never knew the North End Women’s Centre was there, because I never knew where to get help,” she said.

After having a child at 16, Lavellee said the centre gave her a job on the weekends. It was a stepping stone to finishing high school, and she later returned to the centre to work as a receptionist for 27 years before recently retiring.