Salute to Mynarski enters home stretch

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/05/2015 (4108 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Trilogy Tuesday: A hero honoured, a Facebook neighbourhood watch created, and an apology offered… Most of Winnipeg, even NHL hockey-watching Canada, knows Leonard (Kroppy) Kropioski as the Second World War veteran who proudly stands rinkside at Jets games, saluting as fans shout out “true north” during O Canada.

But next month, the 97-year-old former North End boy is scheduled to salute something else. A statue to his boyhood pal, the famous war-hero Andrew Mynarski.

The June 12 unveiling at Vimy Ridge Park of the bronze statue — created by local artist Charlie Johnston of C5 Artworks — took six years of fundraising. But it isn’t over yet, even as the RCAF flyby is being arranged and guests are booked to be here from England. So far, the group led by local aviation historian Bill Zuk has raised $93,000 — much of it because of patron Brian Klaponski, the CEO of Carte International Inc. Not coincidentally, Brian is Kroppy’s nephew.

But then, just when the group thought it had all the funds required, there were some unexpected extras it hadn’t anticipated. Specifically, a series of city fees, including a damage deposit in case of any damage to the lawn while the statue is being installed.

So, tonight, Zuk is scheduled to appear at city hall in front of the city centre community committee — consisting of Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre), John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) and Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) — in the hope it will help out.

The statue here will be different in form than the one at the airfield in England from which Mynarski flew his last mission.

The Winnipeg bronze depicts him reaching out to try to free a comrade trapped in the tail-gun turret of a burning Avro Lancaster on June 13, 1944.

Remarkably, while Mynarski would die from burns, the other flyer lived through the plane crash to tell the story of how, after desperately trying to rescue him, Mynarski stood clothes aflame, and saluted before bailing out.

Which is how Mynarski is depicted in the other statute.

Saluting.

Now, thanks to Zuk, his committee, Kroppy and his nephew, all of us soon will be able to salute Mynarski as we pass by, or through, Vimy Ridge Park.

For more on Mynarski and his heroism and the statue project, visit http://mynarskistatue.shawwebspace.ca.

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And now a club looking for some clout… Long before last February, when I first wrote about the epidemic of overnight vehicle break-ins in River Heights, the residents of the targeted community had felt helpless to stop repeated visits to window repair shops. And paying the hundreds of dollars in MPI deductibles that go with the crime sprees.

Then, in mid-March — days after my second column on the subject — 27-year-old River Heights resident Andy McCrea was victimized for the first time.

When it happened again in April, he’d had enough. Vigilante justice was out, of course. But no one said he couldn’t start a Facebook group comprised of victims looking for justice.

And that, with the creative title touch of another victim, is how the River Heights Smashed Window Club began.

McCrea said they’re trying to track the amount and location of the crimes. He said they have already noticed a typical time frame — around 1:30 a.m.

But McCrea said the Facebook group is also hoping to put pressure on police to step up patrols in the area, and they want MPI to begin waiving deductibles.

By the reported sound of the police helicopter flying overhead this week, and police arresting several groups of suspects, Supt. Bill Fogg had already stepped up surveillance.

As for MPI giving the area a break on smashed window deductibles, I wouldn’t count on that.

Some residents have simply surrendered to the inevitable and are leaving their vehicle doors unlocked.

Sure, the doors of the targeted cars, trucks and vans have been opened and the interiors rooted through. But the two people I’ve spoken with who have left their car doors unlocked — including McCrea himself — report entry, but no smashed windows.

And no MPI deductibles to pay.

Anyway, if you’re interested and want to join the club, last time I looked, the Facebook page River Heights Smashed Window Club was also open for entry, too.

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And now the apology… On Saturday, I offered an update on former cop Bob Gill, alluding to “the boozing problem that got him booted from the police service years ago.”

Bob called right after he read that.

He says he resigned.

And so it now reads.

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca