A garden to remember

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This article was published 11/06/2021 (1567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This summer, a Remembrance Garden will bloom at the Centro Caboto Centre, giving families a beautiful place to sit and reminisce about loved ones who have passed.

The garden will feature benches near the commemorative wall that already exists at the centre on Wilkes Avenue, with dogwood and linden trees to shade people looking for a quiet place for reflection, said Pam McFarlane, the executive director of the Centro Caboto Centre.

“When family members pass, their names are engraved onto granite plaques on the wall. The area around that wall sorely needed sprucing up,” McFarlane said. “We’ll be planting trees and perennials suited to the Winnipeg climate, and that will make a lovely place for people to stroll or sit in while they reflect on their loved ones.”

The pandemic has given McFarlane and the president of the board of directors, Tony Pesce, time to look around the Italian cultural centre and make plans for the future.

Pesce, well-known in the community as the owner of Tony’s Auto Centre on Academy Road, and Tony’s Team Transport, joined the centre’s board as president in April 2020.

“I ran my two companies for 37 years and sold them in 2016. I decided I wanted to immerse myself in my Italian culture after I retired. The timing was perfect to do something to serve my community,” Pesce said. “The Remembrance Garden at the commemorative wall will allow us to remember and honour our relatives.”

The centre is normally a busy place with weddings and events held in the large halls, and people preparing for the annual celebration of all things Italian during Folklorama. COVID-19 stopped most activities in their tracks, and closed the Café 13 restaurant, although the daycare and Montessori school continue to function.

“I knew we had to create new revenue streams, so I looked for extra space within the centre. We moved Pam into the general office, allowing us to rent her former space,” Pesce said. “We have added a few other renters, as well.”

Pesce is hoping this summer will see an easing of restrictions on outdoor activities, as the centre has a lively bocce league plus teams which play on the two soccer fields.

“Italian-Canadian kids are introduced early to soccer,” he said. “We have a mini-cannoli league for children five to eight years of age. Our fields are calcetto-size, which means teams play five on five. We might have a shorter season this year, but I’m hoping it will be fantastic.”

To prepare for the soccer season, the centre’s two soccer fields have been resodded and the sprinklers updated.

“We have so many clubs which want to come back to the centro, Italian language classes to run in-person, musical theatre classes, and groups planning events like picnics and other celebrations,” Pesce said. “They’ll be pleasantly surprised when they see what we’re doing. The commemorative wall and garden next to our beautiful piazza will be a part of that. I want it to be as pristine as possible.”

McFarlane said her superpower is finding and applying for grants for projects such as the Remembrance Garden.

“The centre is used to going to the city or the province, but I’ve been able to find other places that offer grants for projects like this,” she said, adding she’s grateful to River Heights-Fort Garry councillor John Orlikow and executive assistant Georgina Sabesky for all their help in finding funding.

“The new garden should be ready by this August. The hydrangeas will be flowering, and we’re hoping to see songbirds in the pagoda and Siberian dogwoods that will be growing, eventually to the point where they’ll shade the benches,” McFarlane said. “Our seniors, who have been isolated at home, will be able to come sit safely, physically distanced from each other, and reflect on the loved ones they miss.”

Along with the $5,343 land dedication fund money approved for the garden at the May 31 meeting of the City Centre community committee, the centre has also received funds from The Winnipeg Foundation for a fence around the outdoor bocce courts and for their sustainable garden project.

For more information, see www.cabotocentre.com